July 5, 2019

Today we went to Efteling! VERY fun place, and honestly a lot like Disney World. It was so nice to have a day off from true schoolwork, and to relax in what is basically a fantasy land. One thing which clearly distinguishes Efteling from Disney World is the theme of the park. Rather than centering around characters that are owned by a company and creating attractions to match, Efteling centers around fairy tales, fables, and folklore. One interesting consequence of this theme was how it leaves more room for the curators of the park to decide what they do and don't want to include, which makes it even more interesting when they choose to include some questionable messages. I had read on the Wikipedia page about the ride called "Monsieur Cannibale" and how it contained racist depictions of African people, but we also went on a ride called "Fata Morgana" which was meant to depict Marrakesh, Morocco as a forbidden city. Efteling markets this boat ride as a trip through the far East to witness the Sultan's treasures, but the ride is filled with racist characterizations of Moroccans as beggars while the Sultan is surrounded by servants and dancers. While most attractions were very fun and friendly, this one caught me off guard because it is one that they market as "for the whole family". Realistically, if no one keeps rides like this in check children could pick up racist beliefs after taking a family vacation. From our discussions of innovation this week, I think that in order to reshape their impact on families, Efteling may need to undergo a paradigm shift, where they begin to view their service as more educational than just a harmless place to relax. It may also help to draw from more sources when designing new attractions. We often discuss how collaboration in innovation is useful for developing the best product possible, and in this case I think that is especially true. When designing something such as this ride, that depicts an entire culture and will potentially be seen by millions, it is important that proper representation be honored through collaboration with individuals who know the culture first-hand. This collaboration would be beneficial to both parties, because the amusement park would achieve a more accurate and culturally sensitive attraction (which would be more palatable to patrons and likely better attended), while the culture(s) involved would move towards breaking down stereotypes and increased visibility in other countries.

After a long and tiring, but VERY fun day, we boarded the bus back to Amsterdam. We all rested on the bus in preparation for a night out. After grabbing dinner from Albert Heijn we went out on the town and had a great night out! All in all a very fun day!