Efteling in the Netherlands has announced a new set of accessibility measures designed to ensure that all visitors can fully experience the park’s rich storytelling heritage.
The new initiative represents a significant step forward in inclusive guest experience design and highlights the park’s ongoing commitment to accessibility across its attractions.
Subtitles Introduced Via The Efteling App
As part of the updated accessibility offering, subtitles have been introduced for most narrated stories throughout the park, including the Fairytale Forest. The feature is available via the Efteling app, where visitors can see which locations support subtitles and activate them as needed.
The app automatically recognises the visitor’s language preference, with subtitles currently available in Dutch, English, French and German. The on-screen text runs in sync with the narration heard on location, allowing guests who are deaf or hard of hearing to follow the stories in real time and enjoy a more complete experience.
Research Shaped By Lived Experience
The development of the new accessibility features was informed by research carried out in collaboration with specialist organisations and people with lived experience. Efteling worked closely with accessibility partners, including Dutch organisation Bartiméus, and involved users throughout the design and testing process.
Jolanda de Boer from Vlaardingen, who is hard of hearing, contributed advice on usability and design and was among the first to test the subtitles. She explains that subtitles allowed her to better understand key stories and characters, significantly changing her experience of narrative-driven attractions where spoken dialogue plays an essential role.
Audio Description In Development
Later this year, Efteling will begin the gradual introduction of audio description in the Fairytale Forest and at selected attractions. Audio description provides spoken explanations of visual elements, enabling visitors with visual impairments to experience the stories in a more complete way.
According to the park, delivering audio description within a live theme park environment is both innovative and technically complex, requiring multiple systems to work seamlessly together. Dedicated time and resources are therefore being allocated to ensure the quality and reliability of the solution.
A Long-Term Commitment To Accessibility
These new measures underline Efteling’s broader commitment to accessibility and inclusion. By removing barriers to its storytelling, the park aims to welcome a wider audience and set a benchmark for inclusive innovation within the attractions industry.
The initiative is supported by the Efteling Nature Park Foundation, which has been responsible for preserving and protecting the park’s heritage since 1950. The foundation ensures that Efteling’s stories, enchantment and cultural relevance remain accessible and sustainable for future generations.
