Efteling: The Making of Danse Macabre

Efteling is working hard on its new attraction called Danse Macabre. We will follow the coming period of building, designing and creating with 10 exciting making-of episodes. In the first episode, we reveal the attraction type (and maybe more!) and meet the Charlatan family. The Charlatan family has been traveling the world for generations with their special barrel organ. After many wanderings, ‘professor doctor’ Virginie Charlatan and her husband Otto decided to settle in an area not far from here. As they are exploring their new neighborhood, they realize something is not right. What could this dark force be? Spooky things are also happening on the construction site as the project team is shivering while going over their plans. We secretly peeked at one of their meetings and got a glimpse of how scary this show filled with dark twists really is.

There's a lot going on at Efteling! We are busy working on the Huyverwoud: the themed area of the new Efteling attraction: Danse Macabre. On the construction site, the new area is taking shape. In this episode of The Making-of: Danse Macabre we take you through all the plans around this scary themed area! Otto and Virginie Charlatan are also getting more and more answers, while they keep encountering more and more questions. And the biggest one is: what is that tombstone doing there?!

On the 1st of July 2023, the catering establishment tavern In den Swarte Kat take-away and toilet facility De Laetste Hoop opened its doors. In this making-of, you will hear and see how this special building came to be, and we will go into further detail on the exciting story of Virginie and Otto Charlatan.

At the construction site of Danse Macabre, a huge crane lifts the first parts of the zip system into the attraction building. Will the mast be placed in exactly the right spot? You'll see it in this fourth episode of The Making-of! We'll also reveal which Spookslot pieces will play a role in the new attraction, and you'll see how a gigantic orchestra breathes new life into the 150-year-old music of Danse Macabre. Will Otto and Virginie Charlatan discover what darkness lurks in the stables in this episode?

On the construction site of Danse Macabre at the Efteling, on the spot where the Spookslot first stood, the milestones follow each other in quick succession… In this fifth episode, we reach the highest point and see how the scaffolding around the abbey is taken down. At high altitude, we look at the numerous decorations of the eerie attraction building and even the guard tour is taking shape. We also visit the Decoration and Design Department. There they show us what they are working on in the deepest secrecy. Otto Charlatan has an unexpectedly scary encounter in the old tavern 'In den Swarte Kat'. Virginie finds him on the floor. Who or what has scared Otto so much?

In Efteling, the new attraction Danse Macabre is being worked on hard. Follow the building, design and creative processes in the exciting making-of episodes. For the first time, Danse Macabre's chapel doors open ajar and reveal the secrets inside. With great caution, the six choir stalls of the spectacular ride system are brought into the chapel. Here, 108 people each take their seats to face their fate together, dancing to the music of Danse Macabre. In the creepy Huyverwoud forest, the hardwood entrance bridge is also taking shape. From the branches, sly eyes watch as the walkway is carefully placed around the ancient trees. Discover all the different details in the sixth making-of.

In this seventh episode of ‘Efteling making-of: Danse Macabre’, we take a look at the new Abbey Square, where the Cabinet of the Missing, full of memories of the disappeared musicians, will soon be placed. In a bird's eye view, we discover the waiting journey full of experiences through the creepiest part of Efteling. From the entrance gate with the black kitten, via the kruydentuyn and the cemetery to the doors of the chapel, we tell more about the chilling experience in ‘t Gewelf for guests with disabilities. In the Abbey, the choir stalls finally dance their macabre dance surrounded by show effects and lighting.