Gondoletta

In March 2026, Gondoletta's long-discussed canopy was finished. Above the turntable appeared a light-coloured roof with tent fabric, slim columns, curling ornaments and a gold-coloured spire. The structure was mainly meant to provide shade for staff on the moving platform without taking away the open character of the boat ride. A problem discussed for decades finally had a visible solution. The article also places the completion within a broader renewal phase: almost all forty boats had been replaced by modern, higher-capacity versions, while the missing final boat might eventually be adapted for guests with reduced mobility. For visitors, Gondoletta became more reliable on hot days and gained a more polished Efteling look at the station.

After years of delay, it became clear in November 2025 that Gondoletta would finally receive a canopy above the boarding turntable. The trigger was a permit application for a structure with shade fabric at the station. That brought a long-held wish of employees closer to reality: on hot days they often stood for hours in direct sun, and in extreme heat the ride regularly had to close. Efteling stressed that it would not be a heavy themed structure, but a functional solution with extendable sun protection. For guests, the news mainly promised more reliable operation on warm days. In Gondoletta's history, it was a turning point: a practical problem discussed since the early 2000s finally received a concrete answer.

After the first new boat was installed in June 2025, Gondoletta's renewal briefly slowed down. In November, three more new boats were added, bringing the modern fleet to four. Eventually all forty boats are to be replaced, but the schedule proved less smooth than initially hoped. The new vessels seat eight instead of six passengers and feature ornaments and figureheads that fit the attraction's classic style. For guests, the transition created a period in which old and new boats operated together, with differences in seating and capacity. For fans, it was an interesting halfway stage: Gondoletta was changing step by step, without turning the quiet cruise across the Siervijver into a disruptive construction project.