De Vliegende Hollander

In April 2026, Looopings followed up on De Vliegende Hollander's capacity test with a first impression from inside the attraction. The modified sixteen-seat boat was now operating regularly on the water coaster, making it possible to see what the new four-by-four layout meant for guests. Since 2007, the boats had used a special cinema-style arrangement with fourteen seats, designed to preserve sightlines. Efteling had now chosen a more efficient layout because extra capacity could help reduce waiting times. An onride video showed how the scenes remained visible from the new seating arrangement. Early impressions were positive: the additional seats appeared to have little impact on the ride experience. That makes the article an important follow-up to the earlier test report. It did not just confirm the theoretical capacity gain; it also addressed the key question of whether the atmosphere survived the change. For fans, that matters because De Vliegende Hollander relies heavily on scenery, sightlines and timing. A capacity improvement only works if it does not weaken the story.

In March 2026, Efteling focused again on a practical issue for De Vliegende Hollander: capacity. Looopings reported that one of the eleven boats had received a modified seating layout. Since opening in 2007, the boats had used fourteen seats in a distinctive three-four-three-four arrangement. That cinema-style setup was intended to prevent riders from looking directly at the back of the person in front, but in practice it sometimes left seats empty. The test boat therefore received four rows of four seats, raising capacity to sixteen riders per dispatch. A spokesperson confirmed that the boat would run when the attraction reopened after its annual maintenance period. If the concept proved successful, the other boats could also be modified. The article placed the trial within a broader Efteling trend of capacity improvements, including a third train for Python and new Gondoletta boats. For visitors, the change could have a direct effect: more seats per boat means potentially shorter waits at a ride that is both popular and operationally sensitive.

On 17 April 2025, De Vliegende Hollander reopened one day earlier than planned after a closure of more than three months. Looopings described the new scene at the chain lift, where guests previously saw a grinning skull of ghost captain Willem van der Decken. That image was replaced by a burning shipwreck with dangling barrels and draperies. According to designer Karel Willemen, the scene symbolizes the inside of Van der Decken's rotten soul: a place where visitors do not truly belong. The change was made in the ride's tenth scene, just before the boats stop at a 45-degree angle and are pulled up the lift. The article also referred to the earlier major change in 2023, when the water curtain was replaced by a ship graveyard with figureheads. Together, these updates showed that Efteling was not only maintaining De Vliegende Hollander, but gradually deepening its storytelling. For fans, the reopening marked another chapter in the attraction's ongoing evolution.