Efteling brings fantasy world of Symbolica to life with debut of €35m attraction
POSTED 03 Jul 2017 . BY Tom Anstey
The family friendly dark ride is based on the imaginary world of Symbolica Credit: Efteling
Dutch theme park Efteling has debuted its €35m (US$39.9m, £30.7m) Symbolica: Place of Fantasy – the operator’s largest ever investment to date.
Located in the middle of the park, the family-friendly indoor attraction invites visitors for “an audience with the king”. Sander de Bruijn, head of the design team at Efteling, was responsible for realising the project, which places six people into a single carriage, choosing one of three different routes – the Heroes Tour, the Treasures Tour or the Music Tour. On each of these routes is an alternate story with different adventures and interactive elements.
“Visitors live a whole adventure in Symbolica,” said de Bruijn. “They are invited to the palace by King Pardulfus to have an audience with him. When they enter the palace, there is a twist in the story. We enter rooms where we should not really be and that's when the adventure starts.”
The concept is based on the drawings of former Efteling designer Henny Knoet, who died in 2013. Working with de Bruijn, a style book of Symbolica was created, detailing everything about the fantasy world and its characters. That work was the foundation of the new attraction.
“As a designer it is a dream to be allowed to build something so grand and beautiful,” said de Bruijn. “It is unique for all of us to be able to work on such a large dark ride, on an enormous scale.”
In addition to Symbolica, Efteling has also debuted its €30m (US$32.3m, £22.8m) holiday village, which borders the theme park. Sitting on the edge of the adjacent nature district Loonsche Land opened to the public on 31 May and offers 75 hotel rooms and a new restaurant.
Through a programme of phased growth over the coming years, Efteling chiefs are planning for the theme park to become an international destination, setting a target of five million visitors per year by 2020.
The Efetling design team created the concept, which is the park's largest ever investment Credit: Efteling
Inside the palace, visitors can choose three different routes, each telling a different story Credit: Efteling
Visitors are invited to the palace by King Pardulfus to have an audience with him Credit: Efteling
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Efteling brings fantasy world of Symbolica to life with debut of €35m attraction
POSTED 03 Jul 2017 . BY Tom Anstey
The family friendly dark ride is based on the imaginary world of Symbolica Credit: Efteling
Dutch theme park Efteling has debuted its €35m (US$39.9m, £30.7m) Symbolica: Place of Fantasy – the operator’s largest ever investment to date.
Located in the middle of the park, the family-friendly indoor attraction invites visitors for “an audience with the king”. Sander de Bruijn, head of the design team at Efteling, was responsible for realising the project, which places six people into a single carriage, choosing one of three different routes – the Heroes Tour, the Treasures Tour or the Music Tour. On each of these routes is an alternate story with different adventures and interactive elements.
“Visitors live a whole adventure in Symbolica,” said de Bruijn. “They are invited to the palace by King Pardulfus to have an audience with him. When they enter the palace, there is a twist in the story. We enter rooms where we should not really be and that's when the adventure starts.”
The concept is based on the drawings of former Efteling designer Henny Knoet, who died in 2013. Working with de Bruijn, a style book of Symbolica was created, detailing everything about the fantasy world and its characters. That work was the foundation of the new attraction.
“As a designer it is a dream to be allowed to build something so grand and beautiful,” said de Bruijn. “It is unique for all of us to be able to work on such a large dark ride, on an enormous scale.”
In addition to Symbolica, Efteling has also debuted its €30m (US$32.3m, £22.8m) holiday village, which borders the theme park. Sitting on the edge of the adjacent nature district Loonsche Land opened to the public on 31 May and offers 75 hotel rooms and a new restaurant.
Through a programme of phased growth over the coming years, Efteling chiefs are planning for the theme park to become an international destination, setting a target of five million visitors per year by 2020.
The Efetling design team created the concept, which is the park's largest ever investment Credit: Efteling
Inside the palace, visitors can choose three different routes, each telling a different story Credit: Efteling
Visitors are invited to the palace by King Pardulfus to have an audience with him Credit: Efteling
RELATED STORIES
Efteling reveals plans for largest ever investment in form of €35m dark ride POSTED 19 Jan 2016. BY Tom Anstey Dutch theme park Efteling is following on from the launch of its Baron 1898 dive coaster
in 2015 with the announcement of Symbolica: Palace of Fantasy – a €35m (US$38.1m,
£26.6m) dark ride which represents the largest ever single investment by the park.
Immersive €18m dive coaster Baron 1898 comes to Efteling POSTED 01 Jul 2015. BY Tom Anstey Efteling – the Netherlands’ oldest theme park – has launched its newest attraction, the
€18m (US$20m, £12.7m) immersive steel dive coaster Baron 1898.
Holland's Efteling plans immersive €18m dive coaster POSTED 17 Oct 2014. BY Tom Anstey Holland’s most-visited theme park has revealed €18m (US$23m, £14.3m) plans
to build a new rollercoaster, themed around an in-depth backstory and
storytelling narrative, in what looks to be one of the most immersive rides ever
devised.
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers
confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event closes.
The owner of one of Australia's best-known waterparks has acquired a major competitor,
creating a new attractions business spanning two of the country's largest visitor destinations.
The Toverland theme park in the Netherlands has announced a €98m expansion programme
that will add a resort, new attractions and staff facilities as it pursues plans to become a multi-
day destination.
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