ETF Ride Systems

ETF Ride Systems is a Dutch manufacturer of amusement ride systems. It was founded in 1999 and is owned by the ETF Group. The company has manufactured both tracked and trackless systems for both dark and outdoor rides.

ETF Ride Systems

Predecessor	Eerste Textielmachine Fabriek BV
Founded	Nederweert, Netherlands (1999 (1999))
Founder	Ruud Koppens
Headquarters	Nederweert , Netherlands
Area served	Worldwide
Products	Amusement ride systems
Parent	ETF Group
Website	Official website

History

ETF Ride Systems was founded in 1999 as a subsidiary of the ETF Group. The ETF Group currently encompasses ETF Machinefabriek, Sioux Electronics, ETF USA Corporation, and ETF Ride Systems.^[1]

One of the company's first projects was to create a dark ride system for Sally Corporation's Labyrinth of the Minotaur ride. It opened in 2000 at the Terra Mítica amusement park in Spain. The ride system consists of several vehicles featuring laser blasters moving along a trackless system.^[2] Although this tracked dark ride system was used on other rides, the company has also developed a trackless dark ride system to expand on their offerings.^[3]

In 2010, ETF Ride Systems began designing a new ride system for Europa-Park in Germany. Following nine months of design and construction, Da Vinci Flight opened in August 2011. The ride system consists of several vehicles suspended from an overhead monorail line with guests controlling the speed of the ride through the use of on-board pedals.^[4][5]

Effective July 1, 2024, founder and CEO Ruud Koppens announced his retirement.^[6] With no a successor appointed, the company was instead sold off to Liechenstein's Spieldiener family, owner of Intamin; ETF Ride Systems will however continue to operate independently.^[7]

Products

• Multi Mover – dark ride systems which can be either tracked or trackless and optionally feature a motion platform^[8][9][10]
• Mystic Mover – similar to the trackless version of the Multi Mover but features smaller cars^[11]
• Xperience Mover – has the ability to move 360° in all directions with ride media, can be track bound or trackless.^[12]
• Panorama Pedal – an indoor/outdoor ride system which allows riders to pedal to control the speed of the motorized vehicle^[13][14]
• Suspended Flight – vehicles are suspended from an overhead monorail line with an operation similar to the Panorama Pedal^[15]

The company also has several concepts for rides which they have yet to construct.^[16]

Installations

Ride	Park	Location	Opened	Model	Style	Co-developer	Ref(s)
Bullyversum	Bavaria Film Studios	Munich, Germany	2012	Mystic Mover	Trackless		[17]
Bazyliszek	Legendia	Chorzów, Poland	2018	Multi Mover	Trackless		[18]
Challenge of Mondor	Enchanted Forest	Turner, Oregon, USA	2006	Mystic Mover	Trackless		[19]
Challenge of Tutankhamen	Walibi Belgium	Wavre, Walloon Brabant, Belgium	2003	Multi Mover	Trackless	Sally Corporation	[20][21][22]
Da Vinci Flight	Europa-Park	Rust, Germany	2011	Suspended Flight	Track Bound		[4][5]
Ghost Hunt	Lake Compounce	Bristol, Connecticut, USA	2008	Mystic Mover	Trackless	Sally Corporation	[23]
Ghostwood Estate	Kennywood	West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, USA	2008	Mystic Mover	Trackless		[24]
Kingdom Quest	Legoland Discovery Centre	Several locations worldwide		Multi Mover Mystic Mover	Track Bound Trackless	P&P Projects	[17][25][26]
La Restitution de la Grotte Cosquer	Marseille	Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France	2022	Multi Mover	Trackless		[27][28]
Labyrinth of the Minotaur	Terra Mítica	Benidorm, Alicante, Spain	2000	Multi Mover	Trackless	Sally Corporation	[2][29]
La Aventura de Scooby-Doo	Parque Warner Madrid	San Martín de la Vega, Madrid, Spain	2005	Mystic Mover	Trackless	Sally Corporation	[30][31]
LEGO Factory Adventure Ride	Legoland New York	Goshen, New York, USA	2021	Xperience Mover	Trackless	Holovis	[32][33]
Maus au Chocolat	Phantasialand	Brühl, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany	2011	Multi Mover	Track Bound	3DBA	[34][35]
Motor Mania	ring°werk	Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany	2009	Multi Mover	Trackless		[36][37]
Nights in White Satin: The Trip	Freestyle Music Park	Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA	2008	Multi Mover	Track Bound	Sally Corporation	[38][39]
Popcorn Revenge	Walibi Belgium	Wavre, Walloon Brabant, Belgium	2019	Multi Mover	Trackless	Alterface	[40]
Safari Tuneli	Vialand	Istanbul, Turkey	2013	Mystic Mover	Trackless	P&P Projects	[26][41]
Symbolica	Efteling	Kaatsheuvel, The Netherlands	2017	Multi Mover	Trackless		[42]
Thor's Hammer	Tusenfryd	Vinterbro, Norway	2013	Multi Mover	Track Bound	P&P Projects	[26][43]
Vi På Saltkråkan	Astrid Lindgren's World	Vimmerby, Sweden	2007	Mystic Mover	Trackless	Sally Corporation	[3][44]
Volcans Sacrés	Vulcania	Saint-Ours-les-Roches, Auvergne, France	2013	Multi Mover	Trackless		[45]
Zindan	Vialand	Istanbul, Turkey	2013	Mystic Mover	Trackless	P&P Projects	[41]

References

1. "ETF Company profile leaflet". 2011. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
2. O'Brien, Tim (27 March 2000). "$300 Million Terra Mitica To Open As The Year's Largest Park Project". Amusement Business. 112 (13): 1, 24.
3. "New projects from ETF Systems". Park World Magazine. 1 January 2007. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
4. "Kernels - January 2010". Park World Magazine. 24 December 2010. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
5. "Da Vinci Flight at Europa-Park". Park World Magazine. 2 August 2011. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
6. Hardy, Rebecca (11 July 2024). "ETF Ride Systems announces retirement of founder Ruud Koppens". Blooloop. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
7. "ETF Ride Systems sold, owner Ruud Koppens retired". leisure360.be. 22 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
8. "Multi Mover". ETF Ride Systems. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
9. "Multi Mover Track Bound". ETF Ride Systems. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
10. "Multi Mover with Motion Platform". ETF Ride Systems. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
11. "Mystic Mover". ETF Ride Systems. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
12. "ETF Xperience Mover". www.etf.nl. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
13. "Panorama Pedal". ETF Ride Systems. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
14. "Panorama Pedal Plus". ETF Ride Systems. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
15. "Suspended Flight". ETF Ride Systems. Archived from the original on 23 June 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
16. "Flying Birds". ETF Ride Systems. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
17. "ETF's rides and people movers help...". Park World Magazine. September 2012.
18. "Bazyliszek, a new interactive dark ride, has opened at Legendia" (Press release). ETF Ride Systems. 18 August 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
19. "Another challenge for ETF Ride systems in Salem, USA" (Press release). ETF Ride Systems. 7 June 2008. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
20. Szakonyi, Mark (29 October 2007). "Sally Corp. scares up profits on dark rides". Jacksonville Business Journal. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
21. O'Brien, Tim (23 September 2002). "Mummy Strikes At Six Flags". Amusement Business. 114 (38): 8.
22. Koranteng, Juliana (10 February 2003). "King Tut Ride To Scare Up Biz For SF Belgium". Amusement Business. 115 (6): 5.
23. "Sally Corp. promotes two". Daily Record. 28 March 2008. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
24. "Kennywood unveils Ghostwood Estate". Park World Magazine. 18 December 2007. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
25. Cornet, Benoît; EAS 2011 (26 October 2011). "EAS 2011 – Interview with Benoit Cornet, CEO of Alterface". NewsParcs (Interview). Interviewed by François Mayné. Retrieved 12 May 2013.{{cite interview}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
26. "P&P designs new dark rides". Park World Magazine. 5 October 2012. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
27. "Record number of ETF vehicles in Grotte Cosquer". ETF Ride Systems (in Dutch). 17 June 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
28. Whittaker, Adam (9 June 2022). "ETF Ride Systems provides access to underwater caves". Blooloop. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
29. Joossens, Patrick (26 February 2007). "Sally Corporation: l'intervista". Parks Mania (in Italian). Retrieved 12 February 2012.
30. "Mystic Mover" (PDF). ETF RIde Systems. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
31. "Scooby-Doo Adventure Best New Family Ride" (Press release). ETF Ride Systems. 4 February 2008. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
32. "LEGO Factory Adventure Ride". LEGOLAND New York Resort. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
33. "LEGOLAND® NEW YORK RESORT, HOLOVIS AND ETF RIDE SYSTEMS REVEAL THE WORLD'S FIRST RIDE EXPERIENCE FEATURING TECHNOLOGY THAT TURNS GUESTS INTO LEGO MINIFIGURES!". LEGOLAND New York Resort. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
34. "Maus au Chocolat". Park World Magazine. 12 August 2011. Archived from the original on 14 November 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
35. Koppens, Ruud (15 November 2011). "ETF Ride Systems". The Coaster Crew (Interview). Orlando, Florida. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
36. "Dark Rides 2009". Park World Magazine. 1 September 2009. Archived from the original on 14 November 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
37. "Ring°Werk". Park World Magazine. 1 November 2009. Archived from the original on 14 November 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
38. "Nights in White Satin". Park World Magazine. 30 June 2008. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
39. "Sally's plans for 2008". Park World Magazine. 18 December 2007. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
40. "Popcorn Revenge, Walibi Belgium". www.alterface.om. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
41. "Zindan & Safari Tuneli". Park World Magazine. August 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
42. "ETF Ride Systems - Eftepedia - alles over de Efteling". www.eftepedia.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 30 June 2017.
43. MacDonald, Brady (3 April 2013). "Thor's Hammer dark ride set to debut at Norway's Tusenfryd". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
44. "Unusual dark ride for Swedish park". Park World Magazine. 1 January 2007. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
45. "New Multi Mover trackless ride at Vulcania France" (Press release). ETF Ride Systems. 28 March 2013. Archived from the original on 27 March 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2013.

External links

• Official website