RIDE ON
New indoor theme park to open in Europe next year – with huge castle, water flume and family rollercoaster
And the other nearby theme park that people say is 'better than Disney'
A HUGE new indoor theme park is set to open just a few hours from the UK.
Bommelwereld, in Groenlo in the Netherlands, is set to open next year.
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First announced in 2022, the 9,000sqm (97,000sqft) will be set in the grounds of a new castle called Bommelstein.
The theme park is a collaboration between holiday park Marveld Recreatie and designers Jora Vision.
Based on characters from Dutch cartoonist Maarten Toonder's books, inside will be 20 attractions.
One of the main rides will be the Bulder Baan family coaster, a 257 metre long rollercoaster with speeds up to 45km/h.
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A mini flume called Razende Rommel will also be included, with the dark ride reaching highs of four metres.
Other attractions include a mini jet ride called Daverend Draken Spektakel as well as a swing caroulse. and harbour-themed area.
Sjors van Roosmalen, Creative Director at Jora Vision said it was "very special" for a theme park to be built from scratch in the Netherlands.
They said: "It is therefore extra fun to show how we went from the drawing board to a themed setting and to reveal the extraordinary line-up of attractions."
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Peter van der Schans, Executive Director and Vice President of IAAPA EMEA, added: “The Netherlands is one of the countries with the very highest density of theme parks, amusement parks and festivals.
"It is rare for an entirely new amusement park to be built."
Efteling is a theme park in The Netherlands that parents claim is better that Disney
An official opening date, as well as ticket prices, are yet to be confirmed
For Brits to get there, Brits are best flying or getting the Eurostar to Amsterdam.
The cheapest flights are with easyJet, starting from £14.99 when flying from Bristol, Manchester or Liverpool and taking just over an hour.
Or you can get the Eurostar from London St Pancras, with tickets starting from £39 and taking just under four hours.
Groenlo is then less than two hours drive from Amsterdam.
It is also around two hours from Eindhoven, which is near Efteling, one of the Netherlands most famous theme parks.
Often compared to Disneyland, inside are storybook names like Cinderella and Tom Thumb roaming around in place of Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
Use these tips on your next theme park trip
Next time you visit a theme park, you may want to use our top tips to make the most of your adrenaline-inducing day out.
- Go to the back of the theme park first. Rides at the front will have the longest queues as soon as it opens.
- Go on water rides in the middle of the day in the summer - this will cool you off when the sun is at its hottest.
- Download the park's app to track which rides have the shortest queues.
- Visit on your birthday, as some parks give out "birthday badges" that can get you freebies.
- If it rains, contact the park. Depending on how much it rained, you may get a free ticket to return.
Efteling first opened in 1952 and is often ranked as one of Europe's best theme parks alongside Europa Park in Germany and Disneyland Paris.
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They recently opened a new fairytale suite at the hotel.
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