Efteling28 reviews
This score is based on 28 genuine reviews submitted via BritainReviews since 2022.
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Find companies you have experience with and write reviews about them! Your reviews contribute to a more transparent market and improve the reliability of companies.A bit of back-and-forth, but some fun
even a slow, gentle tractor ride aimed at little kids? Nope, they wouldn’t let him on. Bit gutting. We’d downloaded the app which mentioned a care room, so when we needed somewhere to settle him down, no one seemed to know what we meant. We were sent to the disabled loo three times, walked around in the rain trying to find this mythical room, and felt a bit ignored. Later we waited at the exit for a ride where he’d use a headset experience, stood there for 20 minutes and were told the headsets were broken. On the plus side, a few staff were lovely and made an effort, and the boys did have proper fun on the bits he could join in with. So I went in sceptical and left a bit more resigned but not furious — it’s got potential, just needs better info and a proper plan for non-transferring visitors.
Good rides, shabby delivery and rude staff
train your front-line staff better and make the smoking-policy obvious on arrival, or at least signpost the permitted zones. If you go, be prepared for a hike from the car and to maybe have to ask for clarification multiple times. I'm not writing it off, but don't expect a seamless experience.
Arrived tired and a bit let down
one of the evening supervisors went out of her way to help find medicine for our child, and that genuinely eased things. On our second day they did agree a late check-out, which we appreciated, but then the door was locked after breakfast even though we’d been told we could stay on — we had to phone reception to get back in. That felt sloppy. Overall the stay had some useful parts and staff who tried, but the delivery of promises and basic housekeeping were inconsistent. The online support reply afterwards also read a bit defensive, as if they didn’t want the feedback, which is odd because honest comments could help them improve. I’m not furious, just disappointed — it’s useful for families who need reliable service to know what to expect. If they tighten up training on customer care and room readiness, it’d make a big difference.
Not what we expected for a disabled group
clearer signage, staff training on handling disabled visitors, someone authorised to make decisions when things go wrong. If you rely on this place for accessible provision, temper your expectations. The facilities are decent, but the actual service delivery and customer care need real improvement. I’d go again only if I had firm assurances on access and an obvious complaints process in place.
Ticket mix-up left a sour taste
we use this place as a handy weekend thing — kids get out of the house, I get a couple of hours to switch off, simple as that. On day one the site was basically useless; drop-downs didn’t behave, payment kept failing, so we gave up online and planned to sort tickets in person the next morning. Thought it’d be quicker to buy them on arrival, no biggie. The person at guest services sold us physical tickets and that should have been that. Only problem: the tickets were for the wrong day. Not a typo, the date printed was the following day. I only noticed later when checking timing so we could nip on a ride before showtime. It’s annoying because it cost us money and a day out. I understand mistakes happen, but it felt like no-one double-checked the basics — the staff couldn’t even tell me whether there was a show that day; one person said yes, another corrected them. When I asked about a refund they were very firm that ticket sales are non-refundable, “like a concert ticket” was the line. Fair policy is fair, but it didn’t sit right after an obvious mistake by their employee. Tried support as suggested, was briefly cut off, reconnected to someone with a poor attitude who added little and solved nothing. To be clear: the attraction itself is fine when you’re actually inside, the rides worked and the kids enjoyed it. It’s usable in daily life as a low-effort family treat. But the whole booking and customer service side is the weak link — unreliable website, inconsistent info from staff, and a refund stance that felt unsympathetic. So would I go back? Maybe, but only if I could sort tickets properly beforehand and accept that if something goes sideways I’ll be the one chasing it. Not a disaster, just a lot of friction that shouldn’t be necessary.
A weekend that actually delivered
this was worth every minute — we’ll go back. I say that first because it sums up why we booked in the first place: we needed a proper break after a chaotic house move and my lower back had been grumbling for weeks, so something low-stress but fun for the little one was essential. Looking back, the combination of the lodges, the park and the staff is what made it work.
We stayed in one of the woodland lodges at Bosrijk and for what it was, it felt solid and clean. The separate little bedroom for our three-year-old was a real win — a tiny night cap and a storybook waiting there made bedtime less of a battle. The route from our lodge to breakfast wound through trees and little ponds; it was quiet, oddly calming, and only took a few minutes on foot even though we were at the far end. I appreciated being able to drive up to the door to unload bags, then park properly in the hotel car park — small comforts like that matter when you’ve got aching muscles and a buggy to wrestle.
As for the park itself, it’s obvious why families rave about it. We were there mainly for our daughter, who’s just about tall enough for the junior coaster Max & Moritz — she rode both tracks and kept asking to go again. There’s stuff for really little ones, but also shows and dark rides that impressed us grown-ups: big scenes, decent animatronics, music that fits and even smell effects in places. We spent three days and still didn’t get to everything, which felt like a compliment to the park rather than a gripe. Queue times were reasonable; the longest we waited was roughly half an hour, and single rider options helped when one of us wanted a bigger ride and the other stayed with our daughter.
Highlights for us were the fairytale forest — much better than I expected and took us ages to explore — and a flat show ride that genuinely surprised me; very cleverly done and quite intense, so beware if you have nervous little ones. Live performances were also great: one act blended circus skills with storytelling so well our daughter watched, wide-eyed. Staff throughout were helpful and seemed to care, from hotel reception to ride attendants.
If I have to be picky: a few food outlets felt busy and prices were what you’d expect at a theme park, so plan ahead. But overall, it hit the brief perfectly — relaxing for weary adults, full-on magic for a three-year-old, and just the right balance of calm and excitement.A family tradition dented
the park itself still has charm when the attractions are open. You can tell there’s love put into some of the areas we did explore. That’s why it was harder to accept the rest. We were keen to come back and keep the tradition going, but after the cottage and pool experience, the excitement felt muted.
I tried to raise this with customer care. I used the online chat and the reply I got felt generic and unhelpful. No goodwill gesture was offered. That felt like the finishing touch — not listened to, not valued. If a brand wants loyal repeat visitors, small maintenance and a decent response when things go wrong would go a long way. As it stands, we’re hesitant to book the same break again.A properly pleasant surprise
I wasn't expecting to be this relaxed by the end of the trip — bit daft to admit, but there was a real sense that things just worked. We came from the UK and, to be frank, I've had a few days out where queues, grumpy staff or poor organisation spoil the mood. This time it was almost the opposite. From check-in at the hotel to leaving the park at the end of the day, the whole flow felt thought-through and the staff actually helped when needed, rather than standing around looking busy. Simple things like answering questions properly, holding doors, or going out of their way with a small favour made a difference. One member of staff at the Symbolica entrance spent time getting me sorted with the facilities access on my phone so I could skip a long stand-up queue — that kind of patience mattered to me. Also, the hotel reception found my lost phone charger within minutes and lent me one straight away. That really relaxed the start of the holiday.
Not the fairytale they sell
I would not recommend this place. Simple as that — the experience was worse than disappointing and it felt handled very poorly from the moment we arrived. Right away I should say why we went: it was supposed to be a family day out, first time for my little one, and we needed somewhere accessible because my sister is still recovering from a broken hip and one of my sons is non-verbal and autistic. So accessibility and basic decency were important to us, and on that front it failed.
Fantastic experience
I recently visited this place and it was absolutely incredible! The staff were so lovely and went out of their way to make me feel really special. I had the most amazing time and I would definitely recommend it to all my friends!
Family weekend at a theme park
This weekend, I took my family to a theme park and we had such a great time. The park is really well-designed, with something for everyone - old and young alike. There are nostalgic attractions as well as newer ones. We enjoyed everything from thrilling roller coasters to enchanting attractions like Symbolica and Fata Morgana. We even watched a really interesting documentary on YouTube about how the Symbolica vehicles are created - it was a must-watch for any technology fan. The prices for food and drinks in the park were reasonable, especially compared to places like Eurodisney. Paying £2.95 for a decent cup of coffee is pretty normal these days, and the coffee we had in the park was actually really good.
Change in reservation
We sorted out tickets earlier for our trip to the theme park, but had to change the date we were going. When we got there, the tickets didn't work because they had expired. We ended up having to purchase new tickets and even a new parking ticket, costing us 105 euros total. Dealing with customer service took ages and to top it all off, we got stuck on a roller coaster just before the park shut, missing out on all the other rides. It was such a waste of both time and money!
Visit to amusement park
I'm really frustrated with all the technical issues that made us wait for an hour just to try out a ride. It's actually the second time this year that it's happened and it's really not on. We only managed to go on 2 rides in 13 hours. I'd advise steering clear of this place, it's just not worth the trouble!
Disappointing first visit to the park
Our trip to the park didn't quite meet our expectations. We came a bit later than we planned because of train delays all the way from the North. When we got there, we weren't warned about the construction work going on which was a bit of a surprise. Once we got past that, we found the attractions were a bit of a letdown - either too thrilling or too slow, nothing just right. Plus, they were quite a trek away from each other. The prices were hefty considering the limited things to do, and we also spotted some flies on the food at a few food spots, just like another review pointed out. On the positive side, we did like how the park is swapping out old steam trains for cleaner electric ones, so we'll give it an extra star for that. But all in all, we won't be coming back here. We'll try out other parks where we might snag some good deals on tickets using different apps, getting more bang for our buck.
Best theme park ever!
Wow, this theme park was absolutely fantastic! It was even better than Euro Disney, which was already really good. The park was amazing, the place we stayed was top-notch, and the food was delicious. The staff were incredibly helpful and always had genuine smiles on their faces. They went above and beyond to make sure we had a brilliant time, unlike the staff at Euro Disney.
3-day visit to the park
I recently got to spend three days at the park, a tradition my family has had for over ten years. Unfortunately, this time was a bit of a let-down. We were surprised to find out that four main attractions we were excited to see were closed for the entire time we were there. The lack of information about this really disappointed and frustrated us. When we arrived at our accommodation, we were hit by a strong smell of burnt food and found dirty dishes and cutlery in our rental. The cleanliness standards seem to have dropped over the years, which was sad to see in a place we love so much.
Ticket purchase for winter Efteling
I recently bought tickets for the winter Efteling event and I was really disappointed with the company's policy on ticket validity. Most companies usually give customers a good amount of time to use their vouchers, but Efteling decided to set the same deadline for everyone, leaving us with only a few months to use the tickets. This led to a really crowded and chaotic experience when we tried to visit the park. Despite purchasing tickets for the winter event, I had to go during the busy summer period. It felt like the company cared more about their convenience than the customer's needs. In general, I wasn't happy with how little they considered the customers.
Themed clothing for older children/teens
The Efteling is such a magical place for everyone, right? But it was a bit of a let-down for me when I realised that the "magical" outfits were only for little kids. The princess dresses were so pretty, but it would be great if they also had sizes for teenagers who are 16 and older. It would be really nice if they could make them available for everyone, don't you think?
4-night stay booking
I would strongly advise against booking with this company. When I had to reschedule my stay because of my father's unexpected passing, they showed no empathy or understanding. They wanted me to pay 90% of the holiday costs just to change the booking to be closer to the funeral. The customer service was unsympathetic and not helpful at all. They wouldn't let me speak to a manager or show any compassion. Overall, it was a really disappointing experience, and I would recommend avoiding booking with them if possible.
Difficulty contacting customer support
I recently had a really annoying time trying to get in touch with customer support. I ended up waiting on hold for a whole hour and 5 minutes spread over two days, but nobody ever picked up. To top it off, all the automated messages were in Dutch, which made it even harder for me to figure out what was going on with the phone system.
About Efteling
Efteling is a renowned Dutch theme park and entertainment company located in Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands. Established in 1952, it has grown to become one of the largest and most popular theme parks in Europe. Efteling is known for its fairy-tale themed attractions, lush green environments, and attention to detail in story-telling and design. The park offers a unique blend of traditional folklore and modern amusement rides, appealing to both children and adults. Over the decades, Efteling has expanded its offerings to include a theatre, a golf course, a hotel, and a holiday village, thereby establishing itself as a comprehensive leisure destination.
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Contact Information
Europalaan 1
5171KW Kaatsheuvel
Netherlands
Categories Efteling
Holidays and Trips | Day & Night Out Tickets Reviews & Experiences
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Last update: January 2026
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