originally posted on 7/24/2020
All Photos Courtesy Efteling.
View full-sized image.
ACE members who have visited Efteling (Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands) prior to 2020 will recall the superbly themed park featured one of the few Intamin bobsleds in existence. Bob operated from 1985 to 2019. In all, only five bobsled rides from Intamin were manufactured in 1984 and 1985 — two for Six Flags, one for Opryland and the largest model for Cedar Point. Efteling purchased the only one outside of the United States. Like Cedar Point, it offered a custom layout. Today, only two such rides still exist, both within the Six Flags system.
When the ride’s lifespan was approaching its end and nearing significant future investment, park management knew it was the appropriate time to bid farewell to Bob. However, as Bob was the first coaster for many of its visitors, the park knew its replacement needed to be something special, particularly for younger guests who needed a “first coaster.”
View full-sized image.
Enter Max & Moritz. Coaster purists will be quick to point out it is a powered ride and not a true gravity-driven roller coaster, but the family members and children who ride aren’t sticklers for such details. That’s more for the enthusiast crowd. And for those who do count powered trains as roller coasters, such individuals will find two “credits” to add to their lists.
Bob hasn’t disappeared entirely because its station is being used for Max & Moritz. Now a green track and blue track share its platform. However, trains are positioned to exit opposite sides. The twisted and curvaceous course offers multiple opportunities for riders to see and interact with guests in the other train.
Max & Moritz gives the previous station a whole new look.
View full-sized image.
The attraction is based on a beloved 1865 German poem by Wilhelm Busch, “Max und Moritz.” The pair of characters are naughty schoolboys. On the Efteling attraction, theming tells the story of their mother, Frau Schmetterling, who punishes the boys for their unacceptable behavior by locking them up in her cuckoo clock workshop. They try to escape with self-built soap boxes. Guests are along for the ride. Like many elaborate attractions, themed elements and animatronics help tell the tale, one of which is when Max jumps on a giant whoopee cushion. All the details make it a perfect first “coaster” for its target audience: children aged four to 10. However, the entire family is sure to jump on board.
After the first lap, Max jumps on a whoopie cushion, sending the train speeding off into the second time around the course.
View full-sized image.
Both tracks are just shy of 1,000 feet (984.3 to be exact). Top speed on each train exceeds 22 mph. However, after riders travel the stretch of track, they pause for a bit of storytelling and then take off again in a fast rush around the course for a second time, making the length of travel close to 2,000 feet. Because powered rides don’t need lift hills, the action starts as riders leave the station and immediately dive into twists and turns. Because the height of the ride is less than 20 feet, it is a suitable ride for the younger set. Well, and ACEers. Enthusiasts are quick to acknowledge that not every coaster needs to be a record breaker. Max & Moritz serves its purpose in remarkable fashion, and every park around the globe can appreciate the broad appeal and wonderful value of having such an attraction in the coaster lineup.
Efteling’s CEO Fons Jurgens stated, “A powered coaster is new for Efteling, and now our attractions offering has become even more diverse.”
View full-sized image.
Mack Rides CEO Christian von Elverfeldt reported to the industry publication Amusement Today that the company took great pride in being involved in the project. As a German company, the manufacturer incorporated numerous local details into the trains to make the attraction based on a German poem seem completely authentic.
Max & Moritz opened on June 20.
While the new attraction does look like a winner for the park, those still wanting to get a ride on the Intamin bobsled models have two options: The Great Escape at Lake George, New York, or Six Flags Over Texas, Arlington.
— Tim Baldwin, ACE News Editor
View full-sized image.
@#$%&!
#ACENews