Symbolica is a trackless dark ride at Efteling theme park in the Netherlands, which opened July 1, 2017. Construction started on January 11, 2016. With a cost of €35 million, it is the most expensive project ever at Efteling.

History

Originally, an attraction called ''Hartenhof'' would be constructed on the site of Symbolica. The project was postponed multiple times, until it was renamed Symbolica. Construction started January 11, 2016.

Story

The story of Symbolica is all about visiting king Pardulfus, who lives in ''Hartenhof'' (court of hearts). While the visitors await their audience with the king, a character called ''Pardoes'' (a

jester A jester, court jester, fool or joker was a member of the household of a nobleman or a monarch employed to entertain guests during the medieval and Renaissance eras. Jesters were also itinerant performers who entertained common folk at fairs and ...

who is Efteling's main mascot) appears. Pardoes then guides the visitors through hidden parts of the palace.

Ride experience

Before the visitors can enter their ''Fantasievaarders'' (Fantasy floats), there is a pre-show with two

animatronics Animatronics refers to mechatronic puppets. They are a modern variant of the automaton and are often used for the portrayal of characters in films and in theme park attractions. It is a multidisciplinary field integrating puppetry, anatomy a ...

. A staircase magically opens and the visitors are directed to the boarding station. Here, they can choose one of three different routes: Heldentour (Hero tour), Muziektour (Music tour) and Schattentour (Treasure tour). The castle consists of eleven scenes, where each of the three routes attends nine scenes. Below are the eleven scenes: * Observatorium (

observatory An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. His ...

), the workplace of a wizard called Almar. Almar is present in the form of an animatronic. This room is arranged like a library. * Panorama Salon (panorama lounge), a miniature city that's similar to

Diorama A diorama is a replica of a scene, typically a three-dimensional full-size or miniature model, sometimes enclosed in a glass showcase for a museum. Dioramas are often built by hobbyists as part of related hobbies such as military vehicle mode ...

. * Botanicum, decorated as being a botanical garden, riders can see a whale in an aquarium, while the glass of said aquarium can be seen cracking. Riders are then quickly escorted out of the Botanicum. * Schatten Boudoir (treasure

boudoir A boudoir (; ) is a woman's private sitting room or salon in a furnished residence, usually between the dining room and the bedroom, but can also refer to a woman's private bedroom. The term derives from the French verb ''bouder'' (to sulk ...

), a part of the ''Schattentour, riders can use the interactive display in front of them to make a big diamond in the middle glow different colors.'' * Helden Kabinet (heroes cabinet), a part of the ''Heldentour, riders can use the interactive display in front of them to make the heroes fight each other.'' * Muziek Salon (music lounge), a part of the ''Muziektour, riders can use the interactive display in front of them to make different musical sounds.'' * Verborgen Fantasie Depot (hidden fantasy depot) * Koninklijke Champagne Voorraad (royal champagne stocks), champagne bottles can be seen popping all around the rider. * Provisie Passage (provision passage), riders bump into Polle, a mascot from the pancake house diagonal to symbolica, holding a trolley with large piles of pancakes on it. * Koningszaal (royal hall), a royal party is going on in this area. The vehicles go around the hall, whilst different couples are dancing. * Galerij der Fantasievollen (gallery of imaginers), up on the walls of this scene are moving paintings of those living in the Hartenhof castle, including the riders. The ride time is approximately seven minutes.

References

{{Efteling Efteling Dark rides Animatronic attractions Amusement rides introduced in 2017 Amusement rides manufactured by ETF Ride Systems