Have you heard of Efteling? I hadn’t until early 2025, and given it’s billed as a big Disneyland Paris competitor (and I love Disney), we HAD to go and see what all the great reviews were about. I’ve written more about the cost comparison between the two here, if you want to know which is more cost competitive.

Efteling is the Netherlands largest theme park and is located just outside Tilburg, around 90 minutes from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport by public transport. As we live so close to London Gatwick airport, we hopped on a quick flight to Amsterdam, flying Easyjet, and arrived in around 45 minutes – it’s just so close! I’ve been thinking that Amsterdam would be a perfect for a short day trip too, but that’s another day, another post!

(Read about our Extreme Day Trip to Disneyland Paris here).

Travelling in November 2025, we made the most of our trip by starting with a night in Tilburg, two nights staying at the Efteling Wonder Hotel, and our last night staying in the centre of Amsterdam, but I’ll give you our tips on those separately! 

Efteling Wonder Hotel

Despite the Efteling Grand Hotel recently opening, the reviews for Efteling Wonder Hotel looked more suited to travelling with a three year old. It was just me and him, so a premium room was the perfect size, and it had the cutest ever additions (from hidden mice, luggage, and a board game to play).

The hotel is described as ‘A floating castle of wondrous tales’ .

In the evenings they have shows from Jules Verreweg in reception, which are in a mix of Dutch and English so everyone can follow along. 

The Efteling Wonder Hotel has its own entrance to the theme park, and you can hire the kids wagons from that entrance. The entrance is next to a fun/quirky/creepy (depending on your opinion!) playground, which is great for kids of all ages.

Our Efteling Experience

Children under 4 visit Efteling for free, and as I was travelling alone with my 3 year old, it meant he was free! We stayed for two nights, but actually only spent two days in the park, as it was all we felt we needed. Queues weren’t too long (our longest was around 20 minutes), and as I was travelling alone with a kid, we skipped the big rides.

We got a bus from Tilburg, which dropped us off opposite Efteling Wonder Hotel and was very straightforward to pay/use/get to the Wonder Hotel. 

We arrived around 10.30am on the first day, and dropped our bags off in the Wonder Hotel luggage store and went to explore. Despite it being the first week of November, or ‘off-season’ we had absolutely fantastic weather, it was beautiful. The park was open 11am to 6pm when we were there, and actually that was fantastic, as we could have a full day, without it being too long.

We explored the park fully on the first day, which meant our second day was focusing on our favourite rides and shows, as well as going on the couple of rides we’d missed initially.

The Rides & Shows of Efteling

We walked on to most rides – my three year old’s favourite was Symbolica, we rode it 3 different times – and we even got the Symbolia light toy. His second favourite area was Anton Pieckplein Square, (full of kid friendly traditional fairground rides), which is also where he got an amazing dragon facepaint and his fantastic knight fancy dress.

The Pagode ride gives an amazing view of the park, and given we were in the middle of autumn, seeing the trees in a wide range of oranges and bronze was spectacular.

Efteling Food Choices

We found Efteling food choices to be really good, and actually a lot better for our dairy allergy than Disneyland Paris.

Breakfast was included in our hotel, and was a wide-ranging buffet, with lots of breads, sprinkles, fruits and deli-style meats.

There was a specific gluten free section of the breakfast buffet with breads and biscuits sealed in wrappers to limit cross contamination.

Our must try suggestion is Polles Keuken, a delicious pancake restaurant (which gets booked up, so definitely reserve ahead). I had apple and raisin pancake and my son had a fruit pancake which came with a kids game. The restaurant is themed with fun decorations and things to watch, plus the pancakes were traditional dutch pancakes and were delicious!

A quick snack or a good lunch choice was the hot dog stands which are dotted throughout the park. They were dairy and soya free, and delicious!

We also ate at the Efteling Wonder Hotel and had a really tasty dinner, which again catered for our food allergies,

Which do we prefer – Efteling or Disneyland Paris?

For under 5s, I would still recommend Disney over Efteling, and we probably won’t return to Efteling until my son is older, whereas we’re back to Disneyland Paris in a few weeks. Whilst we had a lovely time at Efteling, we found:

• Efteling takes longer to get to than Disneyland Paris, using up most of your first day, meaning you need longer to visit.
• The rides are fun, but I’d say older children would enjoy it more. Some of the Efteling animatronics were creepy and a lot of the rides were dark rides, which my 3 year old (and in certain places me!) didn’t enjoy.
• Queues in Efteling are generally better than at Disneyland Paris, however we still did have some queues that were 20-30minutes in the off season, which is equivalent to Disneyland Paris.
• Food at Efteling was better than at Disneyland Paris.
• Theming – the themes are very different. For Under 5s, Disneyland Paris is better as they’ll recognise and appreciate the themings. Efteling wiould really suit that pre-teen age as the theming is a bit more wacky.
• Upkeep – the upkeep of Efteling was better than Disneyland Paris, the gardens, paintings and general cleanliness was far superior to Disneyland Paris.

Overall, Disneyland Paris still edges out ahead for us, but I’m so glad I visited Efteling as it was really a lot of fun!

FAQ

1. What is Efteling?

Efteling is the largest theme park in the Netherlands, located just outside Tilburg. It offers a variety of attractions and experiences, making it a popular competitor to Disneyland Paris.

2. How do I get to Efteling from Amsterdam on public transport?

You can take public transport from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to Tilburg or ‘s-Hertogenbosch, which is about a 90-minute journey. The bus from the train station is then around 20 to 30 minutes to Efteling.

3. What type of accommodation is available at Efteling?

There are 4 Efteling Hotels, from Efteling Grand Hotel, Efteling Wonder Hotel, Efteling Bosrijk and Efteling Loonsche Land.

Otherwise, there are really positive reviews if you wanted to stay offsite somewhere like GuestHouse Hotel Kaatsheuvel.

4. Are there any height restrictions for rides at Efteling?

While some rides can be enjoyed by all ages, certain attractions have minimum height (generally over 90cm) or age requirements. Children under 4 can enter the park for free.

5. What are some recommended rides and attractions at Efteling?

Some popular rides and attractions include Symbolica, Anton Pieckplein Square for traditional fairground rides, and the Pagode ride for stunning views of the park.

For older children and adults, there are more thrilling rides such as Baron, which is a exhilarating rollercoaster.

6. Is food at Efteling accommodating for dietary restrictions?

Efteling offers a variety of food options that cater to different dietary needs. The buffet breakfast at the hotel includes gluten-free options, and you can find dairy and soya-free hot dog stands throughout the park.

7. How does Efteling compare to Disneyland Paris?

While both parks offer unique experiences, Efteling might be better suited for slightly older children (pre-teens), while Disneyland Paris is more recognizable for under-5s. Efteling has better food choices and upkeep, but Disneyland Paris is more accessible from major travel hubs.

8. What time of year is best to visit Efteling?

Visiting during the ‘off-season’, such as early November, can provide a more enjoyable experience with fewer crowds and pleasant weather, although the park hours tend to be shorter.

We were happy with the shorter off-peak hours (11am to 6pm) and managed to do everything we wanted in two days.