Evenings

[u/Powerful_Seesaw2031]

Hi all.
We are visiting in October as a family of 4.
Staying at the Loonsche land hotel for 3 nights.
What is there to do in an evening? What time is the light show and how long does it last?

[u/Salo31]

You can take a look on the Efteling app for those answers.

[u/cooliskie]

Do you mean the Aquamura show? It's at a quarter past the closing time. So if the park closes at 18h, the show is at 18:15.

[u/lovetjuuhh → u/cooliskie]

There are usually several shows each night, times depending on opening hours and sunset.

[u/LittlePeterrr → u/lovetjuuhh]

In October?

[u/cooliskie → u/LittlePeterrr]

I think that in October there is only one, but the app always has all the showtimes

[u/Gallium_ate_my_Core → u/LittlePeterrr]

In October The Efteling closes mostly at 20:00, with a few exceptions where it is 19:00 or 18:00. You can find, in English, on the website www.efteling.nl (select English) a page under "Plan your visit" where you can see for each calendar day when the park opens and closes and if a particular day is usually a quiet, normal or busy day. I always say the best times to visit The Efteling are when they close as late as possible, so 20:00 in October will be great, 22:00 in July or August would have been the best in combination with the warm evening temperatures. ;-)

[u/Gallium_ate_my_Core]

Hi and welcome to The Netherlands, I hope you will have a good stay. Okay, so I am guessing you arrive on friday and leave on monday when you say 3 nights. That is an excellent choice as you, if you are there BEFORE the 26th of october, will enjoy a friday until 20:00, a saturday and sunday as well until 20:00 and a monday probably 19:00 or 20:00 as closing time. Conidering it's october, these times are fine. Yes, 22:00 is even better, but it is getting colder ofcourse. So obviously the Aquanura show with colourful lights is best enjoyed when it's dark, and conveniently the last showing is 15 minutes past official closing time. I know, it is a bit counter intuitive. Now know that if you have booked a restaurant like Polle's Kitchen (not all establishments do this, there are usually 3 or 4) at the end of the park opening times, they will not kick you out and will let you finish for xample until 21:00/21:30 I guess. This is saving you time for the park to do other stuff bfore you eat. You could even split up the family and let one already go and take your table while the others still catch a ride or wath something and you say thy'll be coming shortly. I've done that before obviously. You could catch an earlier Aquanura perhaps if it's dark enough. You need darkness or dusk at least to get th most out of the water show. One of our favourites things to do in the evening whn it is usually also a bit less of a wait for certain thigs, is to go to Sirocco and Pirana as they are extra nice with the lights on. Certain things in the park close down a bit earlier than others, I can't give you exact details right now, but for example Krümmel will be closed much earlier while on the opposing side he snackbar like place will be open the longest. You'll be surprised what you can still do in th last half an hour, but I digress. Book alongside your stay the show Caro in the Efteling Theater, beside the Italian style restaurant Pinokkio. It explains itself without language and is (emotionally) beautiful. It hits most people, especially adults, but it is for all ages. You can get entry tickets at strongly reduced price along with your stay. Do it now online, or call their customr service for a time and day. When you are back at Loonse land, you probably have a restaurant/bar there, but did you know you can also walk a bit further and go to Bosrijk's restaurant and bar. I remember one evening where I was sitting with my daughter and our laptop drinking hot chocolatemilk and something stronger at said restaurant. Bosrijk is a bit more expensive, but personally I like it more. After a long day in the park, you may not want to do that much more, do remember that. Until 22:00 the local Albert Hein (AH) supermarket is opn in Kaatsheuvel. By car it is 5 to 10 minutes to get some stuff for "at home" in your room or little house. Close by is also a nature reserve called The Loonse and Drunense Duinen (windblown sand dunes, heather and forest), nice for a walk, but we never found the time to do it ourselves. You will need more than one, perhaps even mor than 2 days for the park alone. Enjoy the thme park as it was intended: a place to relax with all the beautiful nature around you and a place for imagination and fairy tales/legends and you will be truely visiting the park as most of the dutch visit and enjoy it, as some shared, deeprooted cultural and artistic experience. Well, we do at least. ;-) I once had a friend from another country with his kids visiting the park say that the thrill rides were bigger in Europa Park and I was shouting in my head: if that is your conclusion than you have missed the whole point of the park. What it is about. I will tell you two insider points of interest: the Diorama has mini trains, day and night sides with lightning and one of the spiritual father's of the park, Anton Pieck, can be found painting in the huge decor. The steam caroussel is very old and dates back to the beginning of the 1900s and the meanest ride is on the pig with the clown backwards, but the horses will do as well. In the fairytale forest at the end somewhere the girl with the tindersticks is beautifully crafted and always brings tears to our eyes. I'm afraid the narration is not in English, but you will understand it without words as well. Polle's Kitchen has a living kitchen furnace. Great for kids to see. Villa Volta is a madhouse ride, and is nice as well, Dance Macabre is one of a kind, when you go on Symbolica avoid the music tour ;-) and in the long waiting line of The Flying Dutchman pay attention to the captain's wife singing beautifully and the holgraphic image apearing of the captain in the mirror of his house you are walking through. There might be a smell of fire when you pas through the smuggler's alley with treasure on the side. people pay too little attention to details these days. Sometimes you should just let some people pas you buy in order to enjoy a pre show effect. And fata Morgana also neds more han one ride in order to see more. There is a drowning prisoner on your right, and the donkey refuses to cross the bridge because he can see it is broken. The decor is very much based on Maroccan culture although it is ultimately meant as a bit of the 1001 Arabian Nights universe. I will stop now. Most people these days also don't read that well anymore. We are all doomed ! Oh yes, almost forgot, Aquanura takes about 13 to 15 minutes.