Efteling

[Nightfall]

I worry for the show in daylight...

Same here. I think it'll work fine if they occasionally do mini shows (say 1 piece of music long with just the water jets and no lights) every half hour but a full length show will be hard to manage in daylight. Luckily the shows classical nature will help it in this respect and I suppose an end of day twilight show would still work.

[Sam]

Given the visitor numbers Efteling get, and their rubbish capacity/throughputs, they shouldn't really be shutting before dusk on any day anyway.

[AstroDan]

They do, though. In fact, they close at 6.00 an awful lot!

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[Sam]

Oh dear....

The first show of Aquanura in daylight was at 15: 00 today to see for visitors to the Efteling Park! (Translated by Bing)

Some Dutch guy asked a question and Efteling responded thus: (translated) "Hi Mark, the show Aquanura times are flexible. These are only on the day itself known and available at the time show signs on the Brink or Aquanura. greet"

[Nathan]

But Disney Dreams is much more than just a fountain show.

It's also a last minute hash-together and a demonstration of really clumsy projection mapping...?

Disney Dreams is the culmination of many years of technological advances by Disney in the field of nighttime spectaculars. It's hardly last-minute, and it's certainly far from clumsy.

I think somebody needs to watch this!

But yes, Aquaruna looks magnificent also! They're both great shows.

One thing I would point out though, is that the live stream did use a lot of aerial shots. I imagine the show doesn't quite have the same effect from ground level as it'll be difficult to pick out all the different shapes and formations.

[CorineC]

Yes, show times are flexible and dependent upon attendance numbers, but usually there is going to be a show at 6:00PM and 6:45PM in the off season with the possible addition of a mid-afternoon show if there are many school trips, who usually leave at 16:00PM.

In Summer, when the park is open till 20:00PM, the area surrounding Aquanura will remain open till 22:00PM to give people the opportunity to see the show with all its special effects etc.

Next week, we, as annual pass holders, have the opportunity to watch a daylight show at 20:30PM and a show at dusk at 22:00, so I'll let you know how that turned out.

[Vegitabeta]

I totally loved the show also, but I don't think it would do much for anyone in daylight.  Also, the people saying it should have projections are crazy.  Disney uses projections but they have all their film clips to project onto things.  Efteling has rides, rides that you probably just spent all day looking at; you don't need reminding what Aquanura is about if you are there watching it!

[jeroen_twee]

My pics of today:

[Sam]

It looks utterly pointless during the day.

[AstroDan]

What is the point.

The park needs to open later. It's a joke like that!

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[Vegitabeta]

I've pretty much written everything I thought about the show here http://eftelinguk.com/2012/06/02/aquanu ... r-verdict/

Though I never thought about the finale...Not sure about things rising from the water etc...

[oldgitBEN]

Looks like even Park Asterix managed to surpass Eftelings efforts with a one off show.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=StgTCanuTy0.

Now really is it an excuse that Efteling couldnt use any sort of projection or story?

I still agree what Efteling tried to do was nice, but it just came across as very dated, a complete non use of recent technology, they started with a story and didnt bother to continue it and it finished without a finale.
Im impressed by their effort, but completely underwhelmed by the end product. With even asterix pulling off projections, can you blame people for being dissapointed?

[Benzin]

Oh lol, that's what they were setting up for then this past week... Cool, even though the quality of that video is a bit meh...

I like the look of Efteling's show though... It seems to fit the park a bit more than the use of projections would do to the park and that area in particular... Also means more people can see it from different positions since there is nothing to dictate a specific viewing side...

Still wish Towers would get sommat like this...

[Rowe]

Efteling have just put the anniversary video of Aquanura on Youtube here. It looks absolutely gorgeous in the video in HD but an utter shame the show in the night time wouldn't be the same in daylight.

[Sam]

My hope: that when (if) Hartenhof opens, it'll be such a major attraction that it'll permanently move the park up a league, to the point where they'll be closing after dusk every day, like Disney (presumably) do.

[Rowe]

That would be wonderful but again a frustration that it comes to Hartenhof.

Speaking of which, are there any ideas as to how the whole Vekoma Pandora's Box system works or would look like? Because I'm ridiculously intrigued by this concept and it would be an eye opener as to how complex Hartenhof would be. I'm aware that Vekoma have been hush hush on the system though.

EDIT:

Folks I've just found a fantastic Eftelist article complete with Lex Lemmens interview, the former technical chief who was suggested the job by his wife and owes it all to her! His favourite steel coaster is Nemesis, one of his favourite telly shows was Spitting Image and he among the management at Efteling wanted a copy of EuroSat from Europa Park!

You have to translate the article from Dutch though and I would recommend not using Google Translate's page as only half the content will not translate.

Interview

It's brilliantly insightful, here are some lovely quotes:

De Python is a classic. He can still last a long time, especially now that new trains sit. Of course you should regularly inspect, but the type of job is quite robust. Yet I have a plan in 1994 because a major overhaul was needed: Python Plus. With that plan could be something done immediately to that whole nasty turn when the corkscrew net. There are two tracks pulled together because from two sides worked toward each other was, that's really not.

I wanted to make spectacular job by him to saw through immediately after the second loop. Since then the orbit through a camelback Canoe Pond in diving underground through a tunnel and then vertically in the middle of a shop outside bursts, and then through a sidewinder again horizontally to a second elevator ... There used to design a second lift with forty meters high, after a fall at an angle of sixty degrees would follow again the ground, many ride-effects and where the corkscrew across the siding would match the existing Bayern curve.

We wanted a dark ride [Droomvlucht] with a thrill-element development. Paul Beck, Jan Verhoeven and asked me in 1989 to the IAAPA in Atlanta to go to our bearings on conveyors. At the fair we came in contact with the British company CPM, Computerized People Movers. They had in their place a trolley running on a hidden wire. CPM I asked if they could make something like a hanging system, and that was no problem. I told Paul Beck on the CPM system and we have a wire model of attraction make. In England, Paul Beck and I beautiful wrapped by the firm. I asked them: "Can we freely program all those cars?"

Well, anything was possible, the sky was the limit. How could I ever have so naive to believe that all, without first properly test ... But managing director Alan Horse could sell well and he had a decent track record, so that aroused trust.

The year 2000 was the international year of the carousel, created by the IAAPA. All my life I have been fascinated by carousels and it seemed like a carousel festival where we organize the most beautiful and special rides from Europe to the Big Ben would win. We have time for ads placed in various journals. Even Blackpool Pleasure Beach wanted to send a mill, but that was such an ugly thing but we have declined.

"For the 1996 season we really wanted an indoor roller coaster. Own design miscarried due to the technical feasibility, so we decided to make a copy of the Eurosat in Europe to get to the Efteling Park. Mack The company had already made an offer and we would come to the EuroSat another look around and make the contract. We were already at the airport with one leg in the plane when we heard that Mack had absolutely no capacity for the job on time to build.

Now what? Ton reminded us at that moment the idea for a great Spinning House. The next evening we were already at home with Paul Beck at the table to tackle Villa Volta by speaking. Villa Volta was as infill attraction, it soon became a main attraction. This is partly due to the dimensions, the detailing of the design, programming and music by Ruud Bos: a hit!

This indoor roller coaster eventually came in the form of Vogel Rok. I was assigned to the layout of the job to do. The only restrictions were the height and area. I wanted the audience to whiz up and down and the train for a while on its side and then keep left and right to let go. I am with my design for the layout to Vekoma stepped the question: "Is this possible?" They are going to count and said: "It's possible."

It is known that a lot at Bird Skirt is cut. There were plans for a double platform and a variety of effects.
"There has been a double platform, but there were drafts and that would be very expensive. We also talked about heat and odor effects, and we have even considered using real fire. That's not gone. Within certain fire standards is possible but you need a lot of technology built around it. It's a shame that the Netherlands is not so easy. Look at Templo del Fuego in Port Aventura or Backdraft at Universal Studios in America, that's great! "

The role of 'ambassador' I have appropriated a bit and I thought it was really fun to do. With that kind of work I did for Disney Imagineering Tony Baxter know. When I was in 1997 with my family on holiday to America I was Bob Rogers of BRC called and asked if he could arrange tickets to Disneyland. Bob is a good friend of Tony and that was again a big admirer of Big Ben to be. What is this man excited! Tony wanted me ever meet and so is our friendship. I have him here at the archives of the Efteling Anton Pieck may show. A greater pleasure, I can not give him, he curled around!

Conversely, I had the pleasure to Disney in the workshops and the design department in Glendale look around. There I could see models that others were hidden, like Hong Kong Disneyland and Expedition Everest. Absolutely magnificent, those models are built to the smallest detail! Nothing is left to chance.

Yet I never want to exchange the Efteling for a position at Disney. That company is so big! The Efteling you can completely overlook, and that is obviously impossible to Disney. Since you are only one part of a huge organization.
My job as ambassador gave me a lot of fun, and still does! I still maintain good contacts with parks like Alton Towers, Parc Asterix, Port Aventura, Gardaland, Europa Park and of course Tripsdrill. This park is a favorite in Germany! BRC Especially now that I occasionally advise me, my extensive network in very handy. '

To say my mind is overflowing with such untold geekiness is an understatement.

[CorineC]

That would be wonderful but again a frustration that it comes to Hartenhof.

Speaking of which, are there any ideas as to how the whole Vekoma Pandora's Box system works or would look like? Because I'm ridiculously intrigued by this concept and it would be an eye opener as to how complex Hartenhof would be. I'm aware that Vekoma have been hush hush on the system though.

Keep in mind that it has not been confirmed that Hartenhof will be based upon the Pandora's Box system though. The latest news is that apparently Vekoma is still working on a system in order to raise the capacity. Efteling wanted a higher capacity, Vekoma didn't want to work on that without Efteling giving them some budget. This let talks (delays) etc. In the end, Efteling more or less gave in and gave them some budget to work on it.

On the Aquanura day/night controversy. I just perceive Aquanura to be a nice infill (from the beginning, they already said it would be an infill...) and a very good show at nighttime. I think it's nice for the boost (Winter) Efteling can use in November/February/March.

The interview with Lex Lemmens is indeed very informative. It's already a couple of years old (when he talks about the new trains, he means the Kumbak trains). It was also in this interview that he mentioned an idea for a ride comparable to Pandora's box:

"We thought for a while about spectacular things on the Zonneweide (now: De Vliegende Hollander) to be built. There were also things that were not financially feasible. (...) Ton and I have once proposed an attraction to Intamin in which you would experience great special effects in a kind of Expedition Everest mountain, playing with the elements: wind, water, fire (...) tilting and turning to the various scenes. It is a platform that can run up and down. Very well done by Rexroth in Boxtel. The feasibility of this idea was questioned. Could it all be done, in terms of cost and safety?"

[Sam]

The year 2000 was the international year of the carousel, created by the IAAPA. All my life I have been fascinated by carousels and it seemed like a carousel festival where we organize the most beautiful and special rides from Europe to the Big Ben would win. We have time for ads placed in various journals. Even Blackpool Pleasure Beach wanted to send a mill, but that was such an ugly thing but we have declined.

Haha! I don't really understand that, does it mean PBB tried to donate a carousel to Efteling but it was deemed too ugly?

Corine, any chance you could properly translate that interview? It'd mean the world to us!

[Vegitabeta]

That is what I laugh at a lot sometimes, the way Google translates certain things when I'm looking for things for my site.  It's like, 'does it really say that?!'

[jeroen_twee]

Haha! I don't really understand that, does it mean PBB tried to donate a carousel to Efteling but it was deemed too ugly?

Yes.
The whole article is pretty long, so I dont want to translate it, but maybe someone else wants to.