The winner is indeed completely random! The funny thing is that people have always been speculating on whether there's a pattern, a computer decides it or even that it's decided by which operator releases their train first. It's basically a reoccuring conversation everytime you visit Efteling even though they've already confirmed nothing can influence the outcome except gravity. Another fun fact is that the dragon used to spit fire, I remember being absolutely terrified of it as a kid!

For me, this is one of the most underrated coasters in Europe - maybe the most underrated. Better than Troy, better than Wodan. Genuinely wild ride with great airtime, and fantastic theming. And as you say each ride is a genuine race.

I'm going to bed but will be watching this with my breakfast in 8h :)

Finaly someone agrees on my best dualing coaster opinion. This coaster probebly brought me in to coasters. I can stil remember when it opend i was 9 years old and kept looping this.

I rode it once without duelling (one of the trains had an issue on the lifthill) and the ops gave us a 2nd ride wich had the duelling aspect. really appreciated that gesture

This is a cool GCI. It's like Lightning Racer but if it actually had good forces. The racing aspect is one thing but mixing that with airtime, laterals, and good pacing is what makes this so good. Definitely the best or second best at the park in front of or behind Baron.

This is one of the few GCIs to not have a twisted drop. I prefer CCI and Gravity Group coasters because they provide more out and back layouts and more sustained airtime, but this is easily one of GCI’s best creations.

Can't wait to go and ride this thing. Love how in depth your reviews are Mike. Whenever I actually want a review for a ride, I always search up yours lol

This looks so good. I like wooden coasters more than steel so this looks that much better

This ride was one of the most surprising coasters of my Europe trip. I was shocked at the amount of laterals this had. It sorta reminds me of a CCI in some ways.

Great rewiew!

This ride is so underrated imo. I find it for example better than lost gravity, Star Trek or Anubis the ride

Looks like a really fun coaster 🎢👍

One correction: the real capacity on this ride has never been close to the theoretical capacity due to slow operations. Often trains have not been dispatched yet when the previous trains arrive at the station.

It’s really fun when you’re with friends and you get to race them on the other train!

Canobie Coaster would say: In the summer of 2010, Efteling opened Joris en de Draak on the site of Pegasus. This would be the third racing coaster GCI had built after Gwazi in 1999 and Lightning Racer in 2000. Joris is easily their best in this department. Gwazi had a layout reminiscent of the Roar coasters at Six Flags. The ride was liked in its early years, but the PTC trains and Florida climate led to a reputation as... A) a smooth ride. B) a rough ride.

Personally I prefer Joris en de draak to Troy and Wodan: Even though it isn‘t as high as the other two I prefer the location, the airtime and the racing aspect

When you say Fenway Park it makes say I am a Red Sox fan as well!

That outward banked turn looks cool

There actually is a mechanism behind which train will win, though Efteling will say how it is done and i'm ok with that. I also agree that the finale is kind of lackluster,. However that part was designed to focus on the racing aspect and the outward banked track was still pretty inovative at the time of construction and was seen as a feature back then. Though that part of the train has aged the worse in appeal. The track is currently being fitted with hybrid track pieces to reduce wear and tear, mostly at he bend after going over the station

I love this ride

i love how you do these revieuws man. btw do you have one of baron1898?

Hi. Stop saying “queue line”. Queue means line. “In the queue” or “In the line” is sufficient. Efteling was one of my favorite stops of the European parks I visited. I agree that Joris is a great racer, and superior to the others of it’s kind, especially Hershey’s. You’ve presented an honest and accurate review here, and thanks.

For a racing coaster, I will always sacrifice forces for better interactions with the other train. If it can do both, all the better. It looked to me like I would still prefer the interactions on Lightning Racer for the various ways the trains interact, but I wouldn't know without riding this one. That's crazy that such a high capacity ride can draw such a long wait.

If I ask you about the smoothness or the roughness on Joris en de Draak at Efteling, Canobie Coaster would say: Some GCIs have gotten a bit shaky and/or rough over the years, but Joris...

Was literally marathoning both of them today🤣🤣 to be honest with you, without the racing aspect they are not very spectacular especially with Troy an hours drive away! Today the wait time was 5-10 min btw🤣

My favorite gcis

Which style of seats do the Millennium Flyer trains have on Joris en de Draak?

I wish American Eagle would duel again, because thats probably my favorite racing coaster. I also like the Racer at Kings Island

In my recent visit to efteling, I found that the water side win every single time, I don’t know why this is but they did recently put titan track on the coaster which might have something to do with it

Maybe I over heard you say this but which side do you prefer more? Fire or Water?

Damn I must be very unlucky. Each time I go to the Efteling (like twice a year) all coasters have 1 to 1,5 hours waiting time. Crazy that your longest was only 45-50 minutes.

Wait times at Efteling can get much longer than 45-50 minutes. Wait times for Symbolica or Droomvlucht (Dreamflight) can sometimes get up to 2 hours. It's the go-to theme park in the Benelux. Just like Disney is in America.

I have to say I really liked the outward banked turn on the fire side. The water side has no real outward banked turn. The banking is a straight piece of track and basically ends with an unbanked turn. But it's been a while. I don't really remember which side I liked better. Will be back at this awesome park in april and will do a video on it on my german themepark channel. I have to say I really like your in depth coaster reviews. I should start doing this, as well. By now I only look at full parks (and the quality of the videos is still somewhat mediocre)

Better than twisted colossus? I mean, I guess so as twisted colossus hardly duels anymore lol

Well, part of the "finale" are of course the foto thats gets taken by the camera's at the end but more importantly the revealing of the winner. It gets announced back in the station of course but also during the end of the ride itself by a sign that flips over at the winning side. I think thats the thought behind the finale, a mad dash towards the finish line. Not ment as an excuse for the less exciting part of the track, just to offer my 2 cents on the reasoning behind it.

What do you think about the smoothness or the roughness on Joris en de Draak?

The dragon used to move it was animatronic

I now need to get on this on 23rd April, if only to get out of the country to escape the sort of person who celebrates St George’s Day.

“World’s best racing coaster” *sad colossus noises*

It's no Wodan Timburcoaster but they are fun! :)

The dragon is to Efteling what the yeti is to Disney.. I hope they'll fix it someday but they have already said they won't.

Why did you consider this the world's best racing coaster for you, Canobie Coaster? Because what do you think about, Lightning Racer at Hersheypark and Stampida at Port Aventura?

So you like this better than Twisted Collosus?

‘World’s best racing coaster' As much as I like that idea, I feel like Dauling Dragon at Happy Valley walks away with that title…

Is it better than twisted colossus?

Judging by POVs I'd say the best racing coaster in the world is probably in China. Gravity Group's Dauling Dragons and Intamin's Dueling Dragons come to mind. That said, that statement is made with the assumption they race like the Theme Park Review POVs show. An assumption you simply cannot make because parks will operate their rides at peak potential for the media but not necessarily on a regular basis.

3:57 LOL

You don't see the dragon the in queue line. And it's not a statue, it's an animatronic (a broken one that won't get fixed anymore sadly) The reason the middle cars are for shorter people is becouse of different size restrains not becouse of less force Ow and in al your Efteling videos you are talking about seating request and grouping. Never had anything like that at Efteling, you just walk up to any of the gates you want when entering the station (wich is full of people) not just enough for 1 or 2 trains

heard of twisted colossus?

How does this compare to West Coast Racers.

oh my god, i live like 25 minutes away from this park and when i went on it when it first opened (i was like 10 years old on a schooltrip and not a singular person told me to take them off) i lost my glasses and they had to stop the ride for like 30 minutes to check if it was on the track. it was a good 30°C and kids that bullied me all the time were still on the coaster.. whoops i guess

Here I was thinking you’d say West Coast Racers or American Eagle were better racing coasters 😅

3:30 look closely i see slayer

Imagine saying it is probably the best coaster and/or it is easily the best coaster, what are the differences between "probably" and "easily"? What do you think?

"youris an de drark" it's "horis en de draak"

It must suck being an 80+ year old man sitting in the back seat on a losing train coming into the station being booed after he just rode the layout on a Millennium Flyer train in row 12. Poor 80+ year old man! He's guaranteed to never ride a roller coaster ever again.