The Dutch fairytale theme park is a ‘great’ and ‘cheaper’ alternative to Disneyland, according to one mother
When you think of a place that all children dream of, Mickey Mouse ears and Disneyland’s iconic princess castle immediately come to mind.
However, it can be easy to forget that there are other options and that the happiest place on earth doesn’t come without a hefty price tag – one man recently took to Reddit to slam the parks.
He claimed that high ticket prices and long wait times have become so “horrendous” that a visit to the tourist hotspot is no longer “worth the time or money.”
Another dad made a TikTok claiming he made a “big mistake” by visiting the park in Paris and was “embarrassed by how much money he spent.”
So parents are expected to focus their eyes and their money elsewhere; a British mother has praised a park in the Netherlands as a ‘cheaper’ alternative.
A British mother has praised a park in the Netherlands as a ‘better and cheaper’ alternative to Disneyland
The TikTok of The travel mom (@thetravelmum) has been seen by more than 2.3 million people in just 24 hours.
She told viewers: ‘We were told this theme park is better and cheaper than Disneyland, let’s go check it out.
‘Efteling is a theme park in the Netherlands and with no queues, tickets from just £34, and these cool little trolleys that you can take bigger kids around in, I’m already impressed.
“When you walk around, you experience all the magic and attention to detail that you get from a Disney park.”
The initial praise didn’t stop, but the travel professional complimented the short lines and great rides.
She added: ‘This park is huge, there is a great app you can download and as you can see most queues are less than 10 minutes.
‘There are some fantastic indoor attractions that Leo was absolutely impressed with. There is a fairytale forest where we walked around for two hours.
‘The great thing about this park is that there are also much bigger attractions for adults and older children.
She said: ‘Efteling is a theme park in the Netherlands and with no queues to get in, tickets from just £34, and these cool little trolleys that you can pull bigger kids around in, I’m already impressed’
She added: ”There are some amazing indoor attractions that absolutely blew Leo away. There is a fairytale forest where we walked around for two hours’
| Disneyland Paris | Efteling | |
|---|---|---|
| Admission ticket | €56 – €126.01 | €38 – €48 |
| Hotel rooms | From €430 per night for two people | From €266 per night for two people |
‘There are loads of themed restaurants and all the food we ate was delicious and very well priced.’
The family liked the park so much that they didn’t mind that the shows were all spoken in Dutch. She claimed that this did not stop them from enjoying it.
She concluded: ‘Overall, this place is fantastic value – I’ll be posting more about it soon so let me know what you want to do.’
The Efteling is a fantasy park with fairy tales at its heart. Since its opening in 1952, it has attracted more than 100 million visitors.
The attractions reflect elements from ancient myths and fairy tales, legends, fables and folklore.
From the wooden roller coaster ‘Joris en de Draak’, which means ‘George and the Dragon’, to a magical forest and a creepy ‘cursed villa’, every ride is based on a story.
Located in Kaatsheuvel, it is the largest theme park in the Netherlands, although it is still a relatively hidden gem among tourists.
One user commented on The Travel Mum’s video ‘How expensive is Disneyland? Because Efteling is already very expensive’.
The Efteling is a fantasy park with fairy tales at its heart. Since its opening in 1952, it has attracted more than 100 million visitors
The attractions reflect elements from ancient myths and fairy tales, legends, fables and folklore
From the wooden roller coaster ‘Joris en de Draak’, which means ‘George and the Dragon’, to a magical forest and a creepy ‘cursed villa’, every ride is based on a story
Another added: ‘By the way, NO Dutch person will say that Efteling is cheap. However, it’s a must if you have kids!’, to which the mum replied: ‘It’s definitely a cheap alternative to Disneyland – everything from tickets, parking, food and hotel, much cheaper’.
Others who are fans of the fairytale park wrote ‘Love Efteling! I recommend everyone to visit! Glad you and your family enjoyed it!’ and ‘every Dutch person will defend Efteling with his life’.
Someone else recommended ‘A few years ago we went to Astérix Park in France. It was brilliant! In the middle of summer and hardly any queues’ and another addition ‘try Europa Park in Germany’.