Freezing cold at night means there is work to be done for Efteling. During a special night shift, Efteling employees keep attractions running so that they do not freeze. Efteling employee Lara (21) spent a night in a winter-clean Efteling and ensured that the Max & Moritz family roller coaster did not freeze.
She has loved the Efteling from a young age, so a job in the magical amusement park was high on her agenda. bucket list. She herself lives half an hour’s drive from the park.
“I’ve been looking at vacancies on the Efteling website since I was fourteen, but I didn’t have a driver’s license yet, so from a practical point of view that wasn’t possible at all.”
She has been working in the park for six months now, as an attraction employee in the Fairytale Forest. When the night shift came around, she didn’t hesitate for a moment.
“This service is only available when it is freezing and lasts all night, which is quite unique. So I really wanted to try it. I even indicated during planning: if something becomes available, I would really like to do it.”
“It is really magical to walk through an empty Efteling, so that you walk across the square in the middle of the night.”
Her shift started at eight in the evening and lasted twelve hours. Several roller coasters had to continue running, including Max & Moritz but also the Gondoletta.
These boats continue to sail so that the water does not freeze. The roller coasters are also warmed up so that they can be used immediately the next morning.
Lara slept a little during the day in preparation, took some extra vitamins in the form of a container of grapes and went to work in Efteling in good spirits. “The lights were on, there was a layer of snow. It is truly magical to walk through an empty Efteling, walking across the square in the middle of the night.”
Lara’s report on her TikTok channel:
Staying awake during the night turned out to be no problem. Together with two other colleagues, she kept Max & Moritz running, cleared some snow from the paths and had pleasant conversations with colleagues. “A number of other attractions also had to continue running, so we were with a group of colleagues. We visited each other during the break.”
Sounds like a service worth having. Can they call her more often when it’s freezing? “It was doable, I only got tired when I got in the car home. So yes, I would do it again, but then I would like a lift home,” she laughs.
In the meantime, she can’t get enough of the park, and on Sunday she will be standing at the entrance again to go inside. “The magic doesn’t disappear when you work in the park yourself. When I have my uniform on it is a really different experience than when I am here as a guest. Previously I usually went once a year, but since I have a staff subscription I come much more often.”
Last year, Efteling honored employees for working in the freezing cold: