Walibi Belgium
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|
| Previously known as Walibi (1975-1981) Walibi Wavre (1982-2000) Six Flags Belgium (2001-2004) | |
| Opened | 26 July 1975 |
|---|---|
| Owner | Compagnie des Alpes |
| Attractions | |
| Total | ±50 |
| Roller coasters | 9 |
| Water rides | 3 |
| Website | http://www.walibi.com/belgium/be-en |
Walibi Belgium is a 64-hectare (158.15 acres)
History
 |
The park was founded in 1975 by Belgian
In 1998, the park was bought by Premier Parks (later became Six Flags in 2000), and the name was changed from Walibi Wavre to Six Flags Belgium in 2001.[4]
In 2004, Six Flags sold its European division to Palamon Capital Partners, a London-based investment company.
On 7 November 2004 Six Flags Belgium officially ceased to exist. Any references to Looney Tunes and DC Comics characters had to be removed before the beginning of the 2005 season. The park reopened its gates on 26 March 2005, bearing the "Walibi Belgium" name.
In 2006, the park was taken over by CDA Parks, a French leisure group. In 2017, the park announced a 100 million euro make-over, featuring a re-theme of 75% of the park and adding several new rides. One of them being an Intamin megacoaster.
From 2012 to 2014, the
Rides
Present rides
Roller coasters
| Name | Model | Year Opened | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psyké Underground (formerly Sirocco & Turbine) | Shuttle Loop | 1982 | Schwarzkopf |
| Calamity Mine | Mine Train | 1992 | Vekoma |
Vampire
|
Suspended Looping Coaster | 1999 | Vekoma |
| Cobra | Boomerang | 2001 | Vekoma |
| Loup Garou | Wooden roller coaster | 2001 | Vekoma |
| Pulsar | Power Splash | 2016 | Mack Rides |
| Tiki-Waka | Bobsled Coaster
|
2018 | Gerstlauer |
| Fun Pilot | Force 190 | 2019 | Zierer |
| Kondaa | Megacoaster | 2021 | Intamin |
| Unknown | Launch Coaster | 2025 | Gerstlauer |
Water rides
| Name | Model | Year Opened | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radja River | River rafting ride
|
1988 | Intamin |
| Gold River Adventure | Tow boat ride | 1978 | Intamin |
| Flash Back | Log flume
|
1995 | MACK Rides
|
Thrill rides
| Name | Type | Year Opened | Built By |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dalton Terror | Drop tower
|
1998 | Intamin |
| Buzzsaw | Top Spin | 2001 | Huss Rides
|
Family rides
| Name | Model | Year Opened | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salsa Y Fiesta | Teacups | 2001 | Chance Rides |
| Music Xpress | narrow gauge[11] train ride
|
1995 | Severn Lamb |
| Le Tapis Volant | Flying carpet ride | 2001 | SBF Visa |
| W.A.B Cinema 4D | 4D Cinema | 2005 | Sim-Exiwerks |
| Le Grand Carrousel | Carousel | 1990 | Euro Sujets |
| Le Palais du génie | Mad House | 2001 | Vekoma |
| Silverton | Sidecar XL | 2023 | Technical Park |
Dark rides
| Name | Type | Year Opened | Built By: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Popcorn Revenge | Interactive darkride | 2019 | ETF Ride Systems |
| Challenge Of Tutankhamon | Interactive darkride | 2003 | Sally Corporation |
Former rides
Roller coasters
| Name | Model | Year Opened | Year Closed | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado | Corkscrew with Bayerncurve | 1979 | 2002 | Vekoma |
| Jumbo Jet | Jet Star | 1978 | 1991 | Schwarzkopf |
| Vertigo | Mountain Glider | 2007 | 2008 | Doppelmayr
|
| Grand 8 | Zyklon Z47 | 1975 | 1983 | Pinfari |
| Coccinelle | Tivoli | 1999 | 2017 | Zierer |
Thrill rides
| Name | Type | Year Opened | Year Closed | Built By |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bounty | Looping Starship | 1993 | 2002 | Intamin |
| Inferno | Enterprise | 1975 | 2010 | Huss Rides
|
Family rides
| Name | Type | Year Opened | Year Closed | Built By |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Yoyo | Paratower | 1981 | 1998 | Vekoma |
| La Grande Roue | Ferris wheel | 1979 | 2016 | Vekoma |
| Tuf Tuf Club | Bumper Cars | 2001 | 2023 | Reverchon |
Events
|
Summer Nights
During 5 Saturdays in a row in July and August, Walibi Belgium has their late night openings. During those nights, the park remains open until 11:00 p.m. and offers additional entertainment. Each night ends with a firework show around the lake, sometimes with a themed show.
Halloween
One of the events the park is known for is Halloween, traditionally during the last weekends of October and autumn holiday in Belgium. During Halloween, Walibi Belgium transforms into hell on earth with scary entertainment and other festivities. The park started celebrating Halloween in 2000 on a small scale, leading it to be one of the biggest Halloween events in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
Since 2008, Walibi Belgium introduced a storyline around the event which is still running in 2013. Every year, the story has an open ending, making visitors curious for the following year. This happens during a finale show, including special effects, music and actors. The park also creates scare-zones, zones in the park that get a Halloween theme. The park is also known for their number of haunted houses during Halloween. For 2012 and 2013, guests were welcomed in 6 different haunted houses spread over the park. The haunted houses the park offers are nowadays known for their often strange locations and aggressive and violent actors.
For 4 to 5 days, the park also has Halloween nights, with the park being opened till 9:00 p.m.
See also
References
- ^ "Walibi Belgium theme park looking to expand on the fun". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 2022-08-26.
- ^ "Popcorn Revenge: Walibi Belgium's new dark ride". Blooloop. 2019-06-05. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
- ^ "Walibi Belgium (Wavre, Walloon Brabant, Wallonia, Belgium)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
- ^ a b O'Brien, Tim (January 15, 2001). "Walibi Wavre to become Six Flags Belgium; $30 Mil infusion planned". Amusement Business. p. 12. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
- ^ Page, David (March 11, 2004). "OKC-based Six Flags sells Ohio, Europe parks for $345 million". The Journal Record. p. 1. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
- ^ Staff, P. E. I. (2012-12-30). "€155m theme parks thrill for Palamon". Private Equity International. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
- ^ "Compagnie des Alpes Gains Ground..." www.eap-magazin.de. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
- ^ a b c Whitworth, David (2018-01-26). "Walibi Belgium". InterPark. Retrieved 2022-08-26.
- ^ Times, The Brussels. "Walibi and Aqualibi undergoes €100 million investment to transform the theme parks". www.brusselstimes.com. Retrieved 2022-08-26.
- ^ dt-admin (2011-05-05). "Aqualibi 2.0". Park World Online - Theme Park, Amusement Park and Attractions Industry News. Retrieved 2022-08-26.
- ^ Severn Lamb - Lincoln model Archived February 10, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
External links
