Danse Macabre (Efteling)

This article is about the Efteling attraction. For the medieval allegory, see Danse Macabre. For the symphonic poem, see Danse macabre (Saint-Saëns).
Danse Macabre
Exterior of the ride building (2024)
Efteling
AreaAnderrijk
StatusOperating
Cost€35 million
Opening dateOctober 31, 2024 (2024-10-31)
ReplacedSpookslot
Ride statistics
Attraction typeDark ride
ManufacturerIntamin
DesignerEfteling
ModelDynamic Motion Stage
ThemeHorror
MusicDanse macabre
Height20 m (66 ft)
Drop3 m (9.8 ft)
Site area17,000 m2 (180,000 sq ft)
Capacity1250 riders per hour
Vehicle typeChoir stalls
Vehicles6
Riders per vehicle18 (108 per ride)
Rows3
Riders per row6
Duration3:30
Height restriction120 cm (3 ft 11 in)
Single rider line available
Must transfer from wheelchair

Danse Macabre is a haunted house dark ride at the Efteling amusement park in the Netherlands. The attraction is named after Danse macabre, an 1874 symphonic poem by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns, whose music is used as the central theme of the ride.[1] It opened on 31 October 2024 on the former site of Haunted Castle (1978–2022), which was a haunted walk-through experience rather than a ride.[2][3]

Danse Macabre is the first attraction to use Intamin’s “Dynamic Motion Stage,” a ride system with a rotating platform that moves riders in multiple directions.[4] The attraction, set within the ruins of a Gothic abbey and the Huyverwoud forest, includes special effects and an original orchestral arrangement. The development of the ride and surrounding environment cost €35 million.[2][4]

Background and development

In January 2022, Efteling announced plans for a major expansion, including a new themed area (around 17,000 m²) and a large attraction to replace the aging Spookslot haunted castle.[5][6] In 2022, following the deterioration of Spookslot (an early haunted attraction at Efteling that opened in 1978),[7] the park’s management decided to close it down and create a completely new area with a modern indoor ride that would honour the original’s spooky legacy.[3] Spookslot’s final day of operation was on the 4th of September 2022, during which the guests bid farewell to the show. The structure was then demolished to clear the site.[3]

On 17 May 2022, Efteling announced that the upcoming ride would be called Danse Macabre, named after the symphonic poem featured in the previous attraction.[1] The new area around the ride was designed as a foreboding forest and abandoned abbey setting, with a 20 meters tall show building as the focal point. Efteling’s creative team, led by designer Jeroen Verheij, drew inspiration from early concept art and unused ideas from Spookslot’s original design.[1]

Initial details about the ride system were kept secret in early 2022. On 31 October 2022, Efteling confirmed in a Making-of preview that it had partnered with Intamin to develop a custom ride system for Danse Macabre.[8][9] According to Efteling, the design team evaluated existing ride systems but concluded that none met their creative and technical requirements. As a result, the park commissioned Intamin to develop a new system. Intamin branded this as the Dynamic Motion Stage, describing it as a hybrid between a dynamic show and a thrill ride.[10] This approach was compared to Efteling's collaboration with Vekoma in the 1990s, which led to the development of the first Madhouse attraction, Villa Volta.[11]

Danse Macabre in final stages of construction (2024)

Construction progressed through 2023 and 2024. Efteling produced a series of behind-the-scenes videos titled Making-of: Danse Macabre, documenting aspects of the design and build.[12] By mid-2024, the exterior of the attraction, a crumbling Gothic abbey, was completed, and the large-scale ride components were installed inside. During construction, the creative team visited several abbeys in Belgium for architectural reference.[6][13] On 15 July 2024, Efteling announced that Danse Macabre would officially open on Halloween, and began offering public previews.[6][13] A press preview was held on the 30th of October 2024, followed by the official public opening on 31 October 2024, concluding a two-year construction period.[13]

Theming and design

Huyverwoud (English: "Shiverwood"), the themed zone created for Danse Macabre, is the first completely new area at Efteling built entirely around a single attraction.[2][14] Covering approximately 1.7 hectares, the area is presented as a forest surrounding the ruins of a 14th-century abbey.[15] Visitors enter through an abbey square (Abdijplein), under a Gothic archway and ruined walls that were designed to appear centuries old.[6]

Statue of the conductor in the graveyard section of the queue

The queue line passes through cloisters, a herb garden, a graveyard, and a foggy forest path before reaching the entrance of the main show building.[6]

In den Swarte Kat eatery

The Huyverwoud zone includes themed amenities and entertainment supporting the attraction’s storyline.[2][6] Members of the fictional Charlatan family, created for the ride’s narrative, appear throughout the day to interact with visitors. An enchanted barrel organ named Esmeralda provides live performances, introducing guests to the story of the cursed orchestra.[15][4]

The ride’s show building, named the "Abdij van Huyverwoud" (Abbey of Huyverwoud), is a Gothic abbey structure approximately 20 metres (66 ft) tall. The facade mimics medieval Gothic design in a ruined state, with collapsed roofs and cracked walls intended to suggest a past catastrophe.[1][16]

Reception

Upon opening in late 2024, the attraction received positive reviews for its theming and incorporation of elements from the former Spookslot attraction. Reviewers described the main ride experience as more of a “haunted spectacle” than a high-thrill ride.[2][4] The Dynamic Motion Stage was noted for its fluid movements, creating the sensation of gliding and dancing in sync with the music, rather than delivering extreme thrills.[4][15]

Critics highlighted that Danse Macabre successfully reinterpreted the spirit of Spookslot for a new generation.[17][18] Several original props from Spookslot were included in the decor as a nod to the past. In early 2025, Danse Macabre received the FKF Award for Best Park Innovation from the Freundeskreis Kirmes und Freizeitparks, affirming its recognition in industry circles as a groundbreaking European dark ride and a contender in themed entertainment award categories.[19] In 2024, the In den Swarte Kat eatery received the Park World Excellence Award for ‘Best Food or Retail Development’.[20]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "New attraction Danse Macabre coming to Efteling in 2024 | News | ThemeParks-EU.com". www.themeparks-eu.com. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e Mitchell, Bea (31 October 2024). "Efteling opens Danse Macabre dark ride in time for Halloween". Blooloop. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  3. ^ a b c Mitchell, Bea (6 September 2022). "Efteling closes 'Spookslot' haunted house, making way for new attraction". Blooloop. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Efteling sets a spooky tone with its 'Danse Macabre'". Theme Park Insider. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  5. ^ "Netherlands: It Remains Spooky – Efteling Reveals Details on New Theme Area - EuroAmusement Professional". www.eap-magazin.de. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Whitworth, David (15 July 2024). "Efteling confirms Danse Macabre for Halloween". InterPark. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  7. ^ Loenen, Saskia van (31 October 2024). "Voor griezelen anno nu voldeed het oude Spookslot niet meer". NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  8. ^ "New Efteling attraction Danse Macabre will be the first ride of its kind". Efteling. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  9. ^ Richard, Luc (8 November 2024). "Danse Macabre". Intamin Amusement Rides. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  10. ^ "A Whole New Level of Immersive Ride Experiences: The Dynamic Motion Stage". Intamin Amusement Rides. 4 November 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  11. ^ "Madhouse". Vekoma. Archived from the original on 12 April 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  12. ^ "Duitse documentaire over Efteling-attractie Danse Macabre: exclusieve beelden van achter de schermen". Looopings (in Dutch). 28 January 2025. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  13. ^ a b c "Danse Macabre: Efteling reveals opening date and inside of new haunted attraction". Efteling. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  14. ^ "Efteling launches brand new dark ride Danse Macabre". Efteling. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  15. ^ a b c "Saint-Saëns' 'Danse Macabre' Inspires a Theme Park Ride in The Netherlands". Violinist.com. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  16. ^ "Dit verhaal hoor je op het kerkhof van Danse Macabre in de Efteling". Looopings (in Dutch). 26 October 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  17. ^ "Attraction Review: Danse Macabre, Efteling". Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  18. ^ "Danse Macabre at Efteling opens to the public – DRdb". Dark Ride Database. 31 October 2024. Archived from the original on 10 July 2025. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  19. ^ "Danse Macabre wins FKF Awards". Intamin. 17 February 2025. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  20. ^ "Winners 2024 | The Park World Excellence Awards". Retrieved 25 July 2025.
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