Fata Morgana, Dark water ride in Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands
Fata Morgana is a dark water ride at Efteling theme park where passengers float through scenes depicting an Arabian city while encountering about 140 automated figures. The journey travels along a water channel inside an oriental-style building.
The attraction was designed by Ton van de Ven and Jan Verhoeven, opening on March 27, 1986 at Efteling. It became one of the park's defining dark water rides during that era.
The ride draws from Arabian Nights tales, guiding visitors through Middle Eastern locations such as markets, harbors, and treasure rooms that evoke stories of the region. These scenes bring those narratives to life in a fantastical setting.
Children under 120 centimeters tall need an accompanying adult of at least 16 years old for this eight-minute journey. The ride is straightforward to board and operates with calm water movement.
The mechanical figures are controlled through a patented system of wooden discs that operate cables connected to different joints of each character. This engineering approach allows the figures to move with natural fluidity throughout the journey.
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