Droomvlucht
| Droomvlucht | |
|---|---|
entrance |
|
| Data | |
| Travel time | approx. 6 min. |
| Route length | 425 m |
| Trains | 28 |
| speed | 2 - 18 km / h |
| capacity | 1800 people / hour |
| Animatronics | 108 pieces |
| costs | € 12,000,000 |
Droomvlucht (German: Traumflug ) is a dark ride that opened in 1993 in the Efteling theme park in the Netherlands . In the themed trip, suspended gondolas pass various fairy-tale or dream-like scenes with forests, castles, fairies , elves , trolls and other fairy-tale creatures over a distance of 425 meters . Although Droomvlucht does not tell a continuous story and the various scenes are only loosely strung together, Droomvlucht claims to be the most visited and most popular attraction in Efteling.
The Droomvlucht driving system was supplied by Trans Lift, an English manufacturer of conveyor technology. Due to the technical problems with the driving system when it was put into operation, the opening, which was actually planned for 1992, the park's 40th birthday, was delayed by a year. This misery also marked the end of the manufacturer. The gondolas for three to four people (three adults or two adults and two children) run under a rail structure reminiscent of roller coaster rails. Two gondolas are coupled to form a train and have their own electric motor drive, which enables different speeds. In the station, the gondola trains run slowly parallel to treadmills , which enables boarding and alighting . Entry and exit areas are separate from each other, but are directly opposite each other, connected by a curve. The gondolas can be rotated on their suspension so that they can be aligned with the scenes on the right or left of the route.
Ton van de Ven was responsible for the design of the themed trip, and Wim Dresens developed the lighting design.
For the different scenes, a total of six pieces of music were composed by Ruud Bos , who also wrote the music for other attractions such as Fata Morgana , Villa Volta and Vogel Rok in Efteling. Each of these are variations on a theme. Five of the pieces are available on various CDs in the park, along with other compositions .
The original hall for the queue, designed in the style of the ride with lots of artificial flowers, soon turned out to be too small. In 1996, for example, a larger, but not themed , outdoor waiting area was introduced. The old area is still used for events.
As part of an expansion at the beginning of 2010, the rear exterior facade of Droomvlucht, which was previously not visible from the park, was redesigned and the roof was given a dome.
On November 25, 2013 Droomvlucht was reopened after 3 months of renovation. According to the park, this will make the attraction fit for the next 20 years. The entrance area, which had been criticized for a long time because of its appearance, was also changed. Technical changes were also carried out inside the attraction. B. the lamps replaced by LED lights and some scenes revised.
Trip description
After leaving the station, the gondolas initially go uphill into the dark with quiet music. The first scene shows the “kingdom of castles” (Kastelenrijk). Different sized models of castles and palaces in a Gothic style stand on artificial rocks above waterfalls and fog. Some of the locks are movable and sway back and forth, some of the locks only move the towers.
The next scene is the "Forest of Wonders" (Wonderwoud). Here the journey goes past a forest animated with animatronics of elves, hybrid creatures of faun and satyr as well as unicorns . One of the faun beings can be seen swimming in a small pond.
We continue to the "Elfengarten" (Elfentuin), this appears as a forest clearing, everything is decorated with colorful flowers. Some of the elf figures seem to be flying around, others sit in the trees or on swings and seem to be singing or making music. At the end of the scene, Oberon the Elf King and his entourage waves to the passengers. Various animals such as deer and rabbits can also be seen. In the scene, fragrances with a floral scent are used.
This is followed by a corridor, which is designed as a “star tunnel” with points of light, leading to the next scene, the sky castles (Hemelburchten). There, various suspended “moons” or “planets” on which cities and castles are located, seemingly floating in front of a starry sky, circle each other.
The climax of the trip, both dramaturgically and physically at a height of 13 meters, is the “Zompenwoud” that follows. Around the artificial forest in a 17-meter-high hall, the gondolas descend in a 17-meter-diameter spiral at up to 18 km / h in three full circles. On the floor of the forest, some troll figures bathe in the rain that seems to be constantly falling. The light in this scene corresponds to that of a rainy day.
The conclusion is a tunnel in which a few more trolls and elves say goodbye to the passengers before the gondolas return to the station through spray.
A small restaurant and a souvenir shop are attached to the station in the same room, through which the building is also left again.
fire
On April 30, 2007, there was a small fire caused by a short circuit in a power box between two gondolas. All passengers could be released from the attraction unharmed, only a few were slightly impaired by the smoke that had formed. Despite the rapid intervention of the fire brigade , it took an hour and twenty minutes until the last eight passengers could be rescued from their gondolas, which had stopped in a difficult-to-reach place in the spiral of the last scene.
literature
- Ralph Latotzki et al. a .: dark + ride, special edition of the club magazine park + ride of the Freundeskreis Kirmes und Freizeitparks eV
Web links
- Droomvlucht on the Efteling website
- Report & pictures at Coasters and more
- Droomvlucht at sprookjes.org (Dutch).
Individual evidence
- ↑ Page no longer available , search in web archives: Technical data from Drommvlucht at Eftelingfanseite.de (accessed March 17, 2010)
- ↑ Droomvlucht reopened after extensive renovation. November 25, 2013, accessed June 6, 2018 .
- ↑ Passenger Droomvlucht door brand uur vast in Trouw (Dutch, accessed on March 17, 2010)
Coordinates: 51 ° 39 ′ 9 ″ N , 5 ° 2 ′ 46 ″ E