And just nearby, work has already started on Hooghmoed, a brand-new family free-fall ride opening in summer 2026!

The catering locations 't Melkhuysje and De Verkleumde Kompel are back too! 🥤
A brand new souvenir shop opened a few days ago: De Gevoelighe Plaet. You’ll now find plenty of Baron merchandise there.

The dive coaster received a full refresh: new paint inside and outside, revised brakes and motors, restored tiles and reliefs and updated lighting.

You can enjoy Winter Efteling until February 1 ❄️

Did you know? The Fairytale Forest is dressed up with special decorations for the season! 🧣

📬 Starting Dec 1, a nostalgic post office will open in the park, where you can send fairytale postcards featuring stamps designed by Efteling’s head designer, Sander de Bruijn.

🎻 This year’s winter sweater is inspired by Danse Macabre! Two different designs are available 🐈‍⬛

New entertainment this year:
🏮 The Man with the Magic Lantern in the Carousel Theater
🎶 Singers at the Pieckmolen
🥨 A new musical show next to Max & Moritz

The "Warm Winter Meadow" is back!
You can go ice skating, gather around the fireplace with a hot drink and explore the chalet shops for souvenirs. ⛸️

Last but certainly not least: according to Jeroen Verheij, one of the ride’s creators, new musicians will soon be added in the chapel! 🎶

Wait times were so high on opening day that the operations team had to ask the IT department to program a special wait time!

A few days before opening, the ride still wasn’t working as expected. They even considered delaying the opening. But luckily, it all worked out in time!

The cat plush is among the top five best-selling products in Efteling 🐈‍⬛💸

Speaking of the Danse Macabre shop, you can spot Spookslot’s opening date hidden in a deck of cards!

Dancing skeletons were first part of the ride but removed as they looked too funny for its dark tone. The design team also thought about showing more of the cat’s monstrous shape, but in the end, they let our imagination do the work!

Before reaching the final concept, several options were considered: for instance, a dark ride with vehicles moving from scene to scene. But the unique ride system built by Intamin was chosen because it allowed visitors to literally dance to the music.

When they announced that Spookslot (the Haunted Castle) would close forever to be replaced by Danse Macabre, there was a strong reaction from the public. A petition even gathered 5000 signatures within a day! Hence, they wanted to communicate the new project early on.