Volk van Laaf

On 1 March 2026, Efteling unexpectedly placed the Volk van Laaf in the spotlight of its souvenir range. A large limited-edition pin priced at 20 euros appeared at In den Ouden Marskramer. That was striking because the Laafs had barely been visible in the park’s merchandise assortment for years.

The design did not focus on a single character, but on the atmosphere of Lavenlaar as a whole. The pin features the Lonkhuys, the mill of the Lariekoekhuys and the Snail Monorail. In the foreground, several familiar residents return: organ player Loetwiek, one of the Luim brothers with a pink cake, the sleeping Laaf Luiwam and Mother Lot. In that sense, the souvenir almost works as a miniature map of the area.

For visitors and collectors, the timing was especially interesting. Efteling had previously released jumbo pins themed to the Anton Pieckplein and the Fairytale Forest, but choosing the Volk van Laaf for a large pin was unusual. Director Fons Jurgens had already said in 2024 that he wanted more attention for the Laafs. This release did not yet amount to a major attraction update, but it did show that the park was willing to present the eccentric village again as distinctive and valuable heritage.

On 17 November 2025, the Volk van Laaf Monorail started moving again. Its return ended a maintenance period that had begun on Monday 8 September and lasted ten weeks. The reopening came slightly earlier than Efteling’s public maintenance calendar had first suggested, as the ride was initially expected to remain closed until the end of November.

The comeback caused some confusion along the way. The attraction disappeared from the public maintenance calendar on 13 November, but the so-called snail track did not actually carry visitors again until four days later. During the closure, the main focus was the station building and the various Laaf houses along the route. They stood in scaffolding for weeks while plasterwork, scenery and the overall look of the area received attention.

For visitors, the Monorail is more than a transport system. The ride offers an elevated view of Lavenlaar and makes the village readable as a whole: houses, inhabitants, jokes and scenic details glide past at a gentle pace. The fact that this specific attraction returned after visible renovation fits Efteling’s wider care for the Volk van Laaf. It shows that even a calm, story-driven ride from 1990 needs serious upkeep when it shapes the atmosphere of an entire area.

In November 2025, maintenance on Volk van Laaf offered a rare look behind the scenes. The Monorail was still closed for weeks and several Laven houses were being refurbished. Prestige VTO Totaal Schilderwerk from Den Bosch had been hired for the painting work, and it was that company that posted images of the job on social media.

That stood out because Efteling contractors are normally not allowed to share behind-the-scenes material. The photos showed several Laven heads and scenic pieces, including parts of organ player Loetwiek. They also referred to Lektriek from the Leunhuys, the Laaf with a lamp and an electric-shock effect in an interactive scene.

For fans, the images were interesting because they showed how craft-heavy the maintenance of the Lavenlaar really is. Efteling is renovating the now 35-year-old village in phases. The incident unintentionally revealed how much detailed work lies behind the seemingly simple houses and figures of Volk van Laaf.