Chatting DANSE MACABRE At Efteling!
After nearly TWO years of anticipation, Efteling (an incredibly popular family theme park located in The Netherlands) has FINALLY launched it’s ground breaking new dark ride Danse Macabre!
Danse Macabre serves as the replacement for Spookslot – an iconic, immersive spooky walk through show that first opened at the park back in 1978.
After reaching the end of it’s life at the park, Efteling decided the time had come to remove Spookslot and replace it with something new, but still keeping a spooky theme.
Enter Danse Macabre – a ground breaking, first of it’s kind dark ride set inside an ancient decaying abbey surrounded by a Gothic graveyard and grounds.
The new ride – an Intamin Dynamic Motion Stage (the first of it’s kind to open at any theme park worldwide) utilises a ride system seating up to 108 riders per cycle across SIX rotating gondolas (or church pews as they are themed).
Each gondola rotates on it’s own axis while the entire 18 meter wide turntable ride system itself rotates, sways and drops in time to the classic piece of music the attraction has been named for – Danse Macabre.
Throughout the ride the music is accompanied by a whole array of different animatronics including many original ones from Spookslot all animated in time to the music.
The ride culminates in a hair raising finale completed unexpected by many who choose to enter and take their seats.
Danse Macabre sits inside a 20 meter high fully themed show building taking center stage in Efteling’s spooky new area – Huyverwoud.
What's The Story Behind Danse Macabre?
So, what IS the story behind Danse Macabre? Well, as far as we can tell it appears to go like this…
Riders are straying into the grounds of the ruins of a decayed, ancient abbey discovered by the Charlatans – an archaeological family who first discovered the abbey many years previously.
The abbey itself also plays host the ghost story of a lost orchestra – the Charlatan Orchestra who mysteriously vanished under unknown circumstances.
Accompanying you is a ‘friendly’ but curious black cat who seems to harbor an unnatural interest in the abbey.
As guests make their way through the graveyard and into the abbey things seem to take a sinister twist and as you take your seats all hell breaks loose.
This is when we discover that the ‘cat’ is not a cat at all, but is infact a were-cat who has come to the abbey with the sole aim of raising the dead from their ancient slumber to perform the Danse Macabre (The dance of the dead)!
What Can You Expect From Danse Macabre?
Danse Macabre invites you to step aboard and take your seat for a spooktacular spectacle lasting roughly around 3 minutes from beginning to end.
Throughout the ride riders are subjected to twists, turns, tilts and falls as well as a fully themed, 360 degree show animated to the classic piece of music Danse Macabre – the same piece of music used by Spookslot.
The ride also starts out slow and speeds up throughout the cycle providing some great moments of lateral force and airtime – something not usually expected from a dark ride throughout.
The controlled movement of the ride also means that the gondolas are able to rotate and fix your attention on key moments throughout the ride simultaneously.
Overall, Danse Macabre provides thrilling yet fun ride experience with just the right of intensity to create enough of an impact on those riding.
Danse Macabre also features a height restriction of 1.2 meters too meaning the ride is suitable for older and younger guests alike fitting Efteling’s family target audience perfectly!
What Else Does Danse Macabre Offer?
As well as Danse Macabre, Huyverwoud plays host to all sorts of other spooky delights too including themed live entertainment, roaming actors and catering outlets including spooky themed toilets.
Whether you fancy something sweet and have a serious craving from creepy popcorn, or whether it’s something a little more savoury you’re after (perhaps a BLACK sausage roll?) Huyverwoud has it all.
In Den Schwatz Cat serves up hot and cold food, drinks and more while the outlet at the end of the area opposite the ride’s exit serves up creepy colourful popcorn and themed Coca Cola Freestyle cups (which can be refilled right next to the outlet itself).
Along with this The Charlatans put on regular performances next to the entrance to the ride, eerie monks roam the area and even the ride staff can be….. unpredictable (if you know you know haha).
On top of all this, Danse Macabre also features an extensive, intricately themed queue line including an interactive graveyard and nods to a certain celebrity of the day from the Spookslot era.
Once off the ride, guests also have the chance to commemorate their ride with a spooky souvenir or two, perhaps some pin badges or a hoodie (among an extensive range of other things)?
Overall, there is lots more to do and see in Huyverwoud as well as riding Danse Macabre and for this we feel Efteling deserves the highest of praises!
Is Danse Macabre Worth Checking Out?
So, the ultimate question – is DANSE MACABRE worth checking out? Well, we’re pretty sure you’ll have already guessed the answer to that one – YES!!
Danse Macabre is a mesmerising spooktacular spectacle from the moment you enter the queue line to the moment you step back out of the show building.
Every aspect of the experience has been very well thought out, choreographed and executed to perfection!
The ride cycle itself delivers chills in abundance and captivates you from the moment it begins to the moment it ends causing riders not to know where to look next.
With so much to see and so little time, re-rides are a must as you’re guaranteed to see something new each and every time you ride it.
Overall, Danse Macabre delivers an experience worthy of it’s predecessor and honours everything that once made Spookslot great while bringing the storyline and the area into a brand new era with a much more immersive setting on the whole.
*Want to know even more about what we thought of Danse Macabre? Check out our BRAND NEW video review now over on our YouTube channel