Carnival Festival
Encyclopedia
Carnival Festival is a dark ride in amusement park
Efteling
in the Netherlands. It was designed by Joop Geesink and opened its doors in 1984.
in just over 6 minutes, accompanied by a catchy music written by Ruud Bos and stand-up comedian Toon Hermans
. The ride’s host is ‘Jokie de Prrretneus’, a carnival doll and the park’s mascot from 1984 until 1989 when the new mascot ‘Pardoes’ was introduced.
In 2005 the ride was redecorated with the famous Dutch doll "Loekie de Leeuw", which also was created by Joop Geesink.
Joop Geesink’s objective was to make it a hilarious ride, which is done by taking cultural aspects that have been generalized, and portraying them with funny dolls.
Netherlands
Belgium, Monaco and France
United Kingdom
Germany and the Alps
Italy
Japan and China
The Arctic
Africa
Mexico and Hawaii
. The main tune varies per scene: a mandolin
, bagpipe, gong
- it seems simplistic but the actual presentation is very catchy. The multiple-track sound system was ‘borrowed’ from, again, "it's a small world" but is nowadays, of course, digitalized.
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
Efteling
Efteling
Efteling is the largest theme park in the Netherlands, and as it opened in 1952, it is one of the oldest theme parks in the world. Efteling is located in the town of Kaatsheuvel, in the municipality of Loon op Zand, and has received over 100 million visitors....
in the Netherlands. It was designed by Joop Geesink and opened its doors in 1984.
History and details
The ride, 240 m length, is original, but clearly influenced by Disney’s "it's a small world", and signified a breach with the fairy-tale style of the Efteling. The ride takes 2 adults or 3 children, in 1 of the 118 cars, through a humorous simplification of the world populated by animatronicsAnimatronics
Animatronics is the use of mechatronics to create machines which seem animate rather than robotic. Animatronic creations include animals , plants and even mythical creatures...
in just over 6 minutes, accompanied by a catchy music written by Ruud Bos and stand-up comedian Toon Hermans
Toon Hermans
Antoine G. T. "Toon" Hermans was a noted Dutch comedian, singer and writer. He was born in Sittard, now part of the municipality of Sittard-Geleen....
. The ride’s host is ‘Jokie de Prrretneus’, a carnival doll and the park’s mascot from 1984 until 1989 when the new mascot ‘Pardoes’ was introduced.
In 2005 the ride was redecorated with the famous Dutch doll "Loekie de Leeuw", which also was created by Joop Geesink.
Joop Geesink’s objective was to make it a hilarious ride, which is done by taking cultural aspects that have been generalized, and portraying them with funny dolls.
The Ride
The ride passes through 9 different regions, each represented by typical scenes and variations on the music.Netherlands
- The first land the ride passes through is the Netherlands. Scenes of singing frogs, birds, fishermen, tulips, wooden shoes and farmers represent the Dutch cultural icons.
Belgium, Monaco and France
- After a short scene of Belgium the rides jumps from the Mediterranean to Paris, portrayed by can-canCan-canThe can-can is a high-energy and physically demanding music hall dance, traditionally performed by a chorus line of female dancers who wear costumes with long skirts, petticoats, and black stockings...
dancers in front of the Moulin RougeMoulin RougeMoulin Rouge is a cabaret built in 1889 by Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Olympia. Close to Montmartre in the Paris district of Pigalle on Boulevard de Clichy in the 18th arrondissement, it is marked by the red windmill on its roof. The closest métro station is Blanche.The Moulin Rouge is...
United Kingdom
- Next in line is the British capital, London. Scenes here show the Underground, Buckingham Palace and the changing of the guard. The Scottish Highlands are also present.
Germany and the Alps
- This region is represented by a OktoberfestOktoberfestOktoberfest, or Wiesn, is a 16–18 day beer festival held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, running from late September to the first weekend in October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and is the world's largest fair, with more than 5 million people attending every year. The...
, where everybody is happily drinking beer, including a group of Monks. Some mountain scenes from the Alps conclude this part.
Italy
- Here we see Venice, Pisa and a reference to Rome’s imperial history.
Japan and China
- This scene opens with a tunnel decorated with Japanese NohNoh, or - derived from the Sino-Japanese word for "skill" or "talent" - is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Many characters are masked, with men playing male and female roles. Traditionally, a Noh "performance day" lasts all day and...
stage masks. After that we see some GeishaGeisha, Geiko or Geigi are traditional, female Japanese entertainers whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music and dance.-Terms:...
women, sumoSumois a competitive full-contact sport where a wrestler attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally...
wrestling and a Chinese Shadow playShadow playShadow play or shadow puppetry Shadow puppets have a long history in China, India, Turkey and Java, and as a popular form of entertainment for both children and adults in many countries around the world. A shadow puppet is a cut-out figure held between a source of light and a translucent screen...
. China is portrayed by a large scene with a dragon.
The Arctic
- This is a scene with an icy world filled with igloos and Eskimos and a lot of penguin-sized, snowman-like creatures. After this scene the ride goes through a tunnel where lots of these creatures stare down on the visitor through holes in the ceiling.
Africa
- Here we see large trees as well as a giant monkey and hear jungle-screams
Mexico and Hawaii
- Little donkeys transport Mexicans, of course with sombreros and maracasMaracásMaracás is a town and municipality in the state of Bahia in the North-East region of Brazil.-References:...
; guitars and trumpets. Hawaiian HulaHulaHula is a dance form accompanied by chant or song . It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Polynesians who originally settled there. The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of the oli or mele in a visual dance form....
girls bid us a farewell.
The Music
For the first time the Efteling ordered for a special music to be made. Ruud Bos was contracted, and the base theme was developed by Toon HermansToon Hermans
Antoine G. T. "Toon" Hermans was a noted Dutch comedian, singer and writer. He was born in Sittard, now part of the municipality of Sittard-Geleen....
. The main tune varies per scene: a mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, bagpipe, gong
Gong
A gong is an East and South East Asian musical percussion instrument that takes the form of a flat metal disc which is hit with a mallet....
- it seems simplistic but the actual presentation is very catchy. The multiple-track sound system was ‘borrowed’ from, again, "it's a small world" but is nowadays, of course, digitalized.