I Am A former employee of one Europe’s biggest theme parks: De Efteling. AMA!

What’s the most shocking/disturbing thing you found out about theme parks while you were there? Any tips on how to get extra perks? Also, what’s your/your former colleagues’ least favourite kind of customer (aka what’s a big no no to do to employees)?

Thanks for doing this, have a good day/night!

What’s the most shocking/disturbing thing you found out about theme parks while you were there?

That people don't know how to behave... Like I questioned so many things people did. Even co-workers. Getting behind the scenes views wasn't really that disturbing/shocking to me, since I assumed it was there already. I knew some people who quit because their magic disappeared and it wasn't as great as they wished. But those where those die hard fanboys/girls... If you can keep the division between a visit to go to your job and when you're there just for fun, it really is not that bothering knowing that most building are just facades.

Any tips on how to get extra perks?

What do you mean? The only extra perks I know we did, is a vip ticket to jump a queue for certain occasions (birthdays, honeymoons, first ride etc.)

Also, what’s your/your former colleagues’ least favourite kind of customer (aka what’s a big no no to do to employees)?

Oh boy, there is so much I experienced in those few years. Obviously a big no-no is condescending words. I mean you can criticise slow operations, which I tend to do personally when in (other) parks, but some people literally say things like: why should we listen to you, you didn't even finish high school; Can't you hurry up we have been waiting 1 minute (for fresh French fries who where just get put in the frier because it was calm).

Also when you have a kid with you in a queue, who needs to go to the toilet: GO! Just tell the employee standing in front of the queue, and you'll get allowed in via faster route. Don't act suprised when we kick you out of the ride/park for letting your kid take a shit in the middle of the queue...

Wait how many kids shit in the middle of a queue?

Too many. But were talking about a park were the popular rides can have a queue time of up to 2,5 hours, and people don't want to get out of the queue because they'd rather go on the ride than help their kids I suppose.

Also sometimes people have no control over it (like epilepsy), and well yeah, accidents happen. Its the fact that people are hiding it or don't care for their kids when its really disturbing, because we have camera's....

I went to Efteling once, and that song was stuck in my head for months.
How annoying is it to hear that song day in and day out every day?

The first few minutes its a nice melody, the second you're working though, you don't notice it anymore. Especially on stations, because you have to think about so many things.

I even have fond memories each time the songs are played, because it was a great job.

What's the most popular theme park food?

Just french fries.

Which don't hurt to be honest since they give the most profit. But for any Dutch person it is whatever is the cheapest.

Also, we had a really popular schnitzel that was always sold out during dinner rush, but the chefs eventually decided to remove the most popular dish on the menu for something that's selling like 5 tops a day.

Heey! Een oude collega! Welk rijk heb je gewerkt? Heb 12 jaar in de horeca gewerkt. Voornamelijk rest. Welkom (nu panorama) en Bosrijk :)

Hey!

Ik werkte voornamelijk in de keuken van het Witte Paard. Maar ik heb eigenlijk in alle rijken gestaan:

Ruigrijk: - Joris en de draak - Baron - Station Oost (bediening)

Anderrijk: - Pandadroom - Fata Morgana

Marerijk: - Witte Paard (keuken en bediening) - Poffertje (bakken en bediening) - Wapen van Ravelijn (bediening) - Droomvlucht - Anton Pieck plein (mijn favoriete afdeling)

Reizenrijk: - Panorama

Fantasierijk: - Polle's keuken (keuken en bediening) - Symbolica

Uitrijk: - Theater evenementen - Parkeren

En alle hotelkeukens, evenementenkeuken en golf clubhuis.

Hi! I try to visit at least once a year. I have autism and the Efteling is one of those things I can talk about for hours! Thanks for doing this AmA!

What is your personal favorite ride/place in the park?

Your welcome!

My personal favourite used to be De Bob, but since that's demolished its Fata Morgana and Aquanura. That area is my favourite because of the rides and also because of the theming. I am sad they didn't turn the restaurant next to the Bob in a biergarten but yeah.

Another lovely place is the path between restaurant Panorama and Ruigrijk, because, especially after work, its a relaxing and beautifully scenic stroll with some nice background music.

Went last week!

What's the attraction that has the be closed the most often due to technical issues?

In its entire history it has to the Flying Dutchman. The ride was doomed from the start. They didn't even restored the original effects, which went out after a mere 3 years....

Some rides also tend to bitch over a single dust particle on a sensor, which causes to lose 10 to 15 min.

Which effects are that? I don't know of any difference in that ride between now and when it was new.

So the lift hill was supposed to glow red on the walls. It was a really short time. This was accompanied by some boat statues thingies as seen on the picture on this page: https://www.eftepedia.nl/lemma/De_Vliegende_Hollander#Boegbeelden

Visited about 4 years ago...we had the hardest time trying to get directions there. We would ask people how to get to efteling (like at central station), saying the name multiple times, saying it correctly (we think), and after 3 or 4 times they would say, ah...de efteling.

My question is this...how many injuries happen there with the rides? We noticed (coming from usa) that so many of the safety standards we expect at amusement parks didnt exist there.

we had the hardest time trying to get directions there. We would ask people how to get to efteling (like at central station), saying the name multiple times, saying it correctly (we think), and after 3 or 4 times they would say, ah...de efteling.

Ah yes, the advantages being an ancient park in the middle of nowhere, with no public transport other than busses...

how many injuries happen there with the rides?

Rarely anything to be honest. Most people tend to stay in their cart and listen to the staff. I heard of one boy losing a foot/breaking a leg in the omnimover ride, because it got caught in-between, after he got out of the car, when he shouldn't have. There are camera's and sensors everywhere to be honest so if anything looks wrong, the ride will shut down.

What things were you expecting but were missing? Maybe it wasn't noticeable.

Also one anecdote: when I stood on the perron of Baron 1898, the dive coaster, the train wouldn't be moving out of nowhere. The operator noticed a sensor, and it appeared to be a dust particle blocking the sensor. That's why we had to stall the ride for a couple of minutes: for a dust particle....

How many cleaners do you have? just asking. always forgotten at rollercoaster tycoon

Everyone on closing shift of their department cleans up their location. Could be 8 for a single restaurant. We have specialised toilet ladies who keep the toilets tidy. We also have an environment service, who collects the rubbish from the free-standing trash bins/baskets. They are with 1-2 per area so 6 to 12. The parking lot gets done in the morning because its no use when everyone is leaving.

Did you ever get/give a BJ on a roller coaster?

No, but there was a guy getting lucky in back row of the 4D-cinema: Pandadroom.

Did you call police?

Sadly/luckily I was in the other room of that show so I didn't know until after I was told.

Are there many European roller coaster enthusiasts? A good amount of park visitors here in the USA will visit specifically to ride the biggest coasters and cross them of their riding lists.

The theme park culture seems to be really different to me. In Europe, its mostly about the complete park: does everything fit in well? Is the ride and decors of high quality? Do I walk through the story or do I see it from a different perspective? In the USA you got Six Flags or Cedar Fair where they'll just plot down a coaster and make sure it breaks records.

So in that sense I don't think there is as much coaster enthusiasts as America, however, the rides became more spectacular in the last few years, while keeping true to the theming and thus more people tend to be "fans" of coasters.

So tl;dr: European parks are mostly story/family based, American parks are rollercoaster/young-adult/teen based. Are there coaster enthusiasts in Europe? Yes. But the coasters themselves are not really on par with United States of America.

Edit: these are my personal observations. Obviously if you look something up like that on google, you may get coaster clubs doing every park just for the one coaster.

You'd enjoy Busch Gardens

Yeah, I wish I could do a road trip through the USA doing nothing but parks. It's just damn expensive.

Have you met any famous people?

Sadly no. But if they come they either get escorted or wear full face-masks all the time, like Kendal Jenner did.

Oh alright, did you see Kendal Jenner?

No sadly no, I heard about it the next day :|

Oh alright, any other crazy work stories?

Since I worked mostly backstage in the kitchen(s), The stories aren't that crazy, and while it may seem there is a lot of guest interaction, there is too much to remember crazy guests other than real weirdos who just leave a lasting impression. The most famous person I met on the floor was the Director of the foundation.

What nationality tourists are the worst? Do all the staff speak English?

The new staff are required to speak English, but exceptions will be made for the low demand jobs. Most do speak English anyway, French and German is also encouraged, they even have lessons to learn those languages.

The most annoying visitors are the Israeli people. They don't clean their stuff and think its normal to shout at staff if there is a slight inconvenience. Also annoying but less so are the French who don't speak any other language, but expect you to speak French.

The best are the Germans, they are well-behaved and respectful and speak English if you're struggling with German.

been there before, whats the strangest things that happened while working there?

The strangest thing. Uhm.

Here's the thing, so much happens, that some things go unnoticed and some things don't seem strange at all anymore. I mean one time a coworker found an empty bottle of vodka and a used condom on the parking lot so yeah. Some one was getting lucky in the 4d cinema. I could probably could think of some more, but I am too tired right now. Will get back to ya tomorrow!

Why are there so few birds? With that many food stands you'd expect the park to be filled with pigeons.

I suspect its because they avoid the crowd. It really can be a stampede sometimes and there is plenty of space up in the trees. I also think the sound and risk of the coasters is not really pleasant for them.

But this is not my department so these are all guesses.

What's the best thing that happened while you worked there?

I think the most important thing is to be more open and social. And I got a passion for cooking, which really helps me, now I am a student, living on my own. Also, you make a lot of (adult)children smile which is great. Oh and I almost forgot, I got a hug from cute kids when I gave them free ice cream once.

The worst thing is when a woman (>50, me +-17), when she got off the ride Symbolica, had her arm around my hips and insisted we went on a romantic tour of the ride.... Never stood there ever again, and the only thing from work I think about when I am in the park as a guest.

anyone die ?

Is this under oath?

Nah, however a couple of seizures or attacks. Some people could have died in the hospital after complications in the park but I didn't get to hear about any. I did hear frequently about cops and/or ambulances arriving, but that was more due to information on the dutch amusement park news site.

Where does the staff have secret sex?

I don't even wanna know.

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