Is Danse Macabre the Best Ride in the World? 

If you’ve been anywhere near Efteling fandom lately, you’ve probably felt it: Danse Macabre isn’t “just” a new attraction. It’s the kind of ride people argue about in group chats. The kind you re-ride “for research.” The kind that makes even seasoned theme park travellers pause… and then quietly say, okay wow. A few weeks ago, we got a message from one of our followers who travelled all the way from Australia to visit Efteling. Her verdict?

“Best ride in the world. Even better than Pirates in Shanghai.” and that’s is a big statement. Shanghai Disneyland’s Pirates is widely considered a modern masterpiece. So… can Danse Macabre really compete on that level?

Let’s talk about what makes this attraction so special and whether it deserves the title: best ride in the world.

First: yes, Danse Macabre is officially award-winning

Before we even get into vibes, music, story and goosebumps: Danse Macabre has been collecting serious recognition from the industry.

It didn’t just win “a nice little fan vote.” It took home major international awards, including one where it stood out in a year packed with gigantic, headline-grabbing new attractions.

And that’s where things get interesting…

A world first ride system (and that matters more than you think)

A lot of “best rides” are brilliant evolutions of systems we already know:

• track-based dark rides, just with insane sets and screens

• trackless dark rides, but smoother and bigger

• motion-base + screens, but with more money and better programming

Nothing wrong with that some of the greatest attractions on Earth are refinements of proven tech but Danse Macabre is different. Efteling built this ride around a world-first system. There simply isn’t another park (yet) that has this exact experience, because the ride system itself was created specifically for what Danse Macabre is trying to do: make you feel like you’re inside a haunted musical ritual not watching it, but being part of it.

Instead of moving you through scenes, the attraction makes the entire space move with you. The result is a “haunted spectacle” that feels like a performance… except the you, audience is literally dancing along.

This uniqueness is a huge part of why the ride hits so hard and why it’s getting so much attention internationally.

Danse Macabre isn’t just new. It’s Efteling-new.

Here’s the other reason this attraction has so much weight: it’s an evolution of Spookslot. Spookslot wasn’t just an old haunted house. It was beloved. Iconic. A cornerstone of Efteling’s darker magic for generations. Danse Macabre kept the soul of that legacy, the mood, the music, the haunted folklore feeling  and then evolved the story into something new. Same roots, deeper lore.

You can feel that this wasn’t designed to be “the next big thing.” It was designed to be a worthy successor and that kind of creative responsibility? You feel it in every corner of the experience.

The music: unfairly good (and impossible to forget)

Some rides have a great soundtrack. Danse Macabre has the soundtrack. Camille Saint-Saëns’ Danse Macabre is one of those pieces that already feels cinematic dramatic, playful, eerie, and instantly recognisable. It’s music with movement built into it. Chances are high you already heard this song before on tv or movies. It's music that is widely used but Danse Macabre owns it because the ride system is synced to that music, the attraction doesn’t just use the soundtrack… it becomes it.

The rhythm is the storytelling. The crescendos are the scares. The silence is a threat.It’s the kind of score that makes you walk out humming… and then suddenly realise you’re humming something unsettling.

The details make it feel “complete”

Danse Macabre doesn’t only rely on the big show moments. It’s packed with small sensory choices that make the whole thing feel finished like someone, probably a lot of someone's, obsessed over every last layer. Even something as simple as smell becomes part of the experience. (And if you know, you know.)

There’s a reason people keep saying it feels “fully realised.” Not just a ride, but an atmosphere with a heartbeat.

This is also why we made two deep-dive videos:

• one on the story and lore

• one on hidden details, secrets, and things you’ll miss on your first ride

Because Danse Macabre rewards curiosity. Every re-ride reveals something new.

But… what about the “big budget” competition?

Here’s the wild part. In the same era where brand-new mega-attractions are launching in parks like Universal’s Epic Universe, rides that cost an unbelievable amount and use massive, proven ride tech, Danse Macabre is still standing out.

And not because it’s louder because it’s different.

Even the most spectacular new dark rides often build on systems we already recognise (robotic arms, track-based vehicles, screen-heavy hybrids, etc.). Danse Macabre feels like a new category: a haunted, musical, motion-driven ritual that only Efteling would dare to build this way.

So… is Danse Macabre the best ride in the world?

Here’s the honest answer:

There is no single “best ride in the world.”
Not objectively. Not for everyone.

Because “best” depends on what you value most:

• Innovation and world-first tech?

• Story and emotional payoff?

• Re-rideability?

• Pure spectacle?

• Nostalgia?

• Comfort vs intensity?

• Music that lives in your bones?

But if your definition of “best” includes:

✅ a truly unique ride system
✅ world-class atmosphere and craft
✅ a story rooted in Efteling history
✅ music that drives the experience
✅ details that hit every sense
✅ and an experience that makes seasoned travellers stop and go “…wow”

…then yes.

Danse Macabre is absolutely in the conversation and in our opinion the best ride we've done so far (I've been to Epic Universe but I still have to visit Shanghai)

Still maybe the most Efteling thing  is not trying to “beat” the world with bigger screens or louder marketing  but by building something so specific, so lovingly made, so complete… that people fly in from the other side of the planet and casually call it their number one.

So we’ll ask you the real question:

Is Danse Macabre the best ride in the world — for you?

Tell us your verdict. And if you haven’t ridden it yet?

Consider this your sign.