“Walibi has to become a park where dreams and carelessness are master and therefore everyone should be able to entertain themselves in full freedom without any stress or care.”

So said Eddy Meeùs, the founder of the first Walibi park, in Belgium, in 1974 as he provided his definition of Walibi’s future and identity. And 43 years and generations of visitors later, the original Walibi park continues to entertain hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

The Walibi name was originally inspired by three towns close to the park, namely (Wa)vre, (Li)mal and (Bi)èrges, the park subsequently becoming known as Walibi Wavre when other Walibi parks began opening and the company began purchasing additional parks. The Walibi kangaroo became the venue’s mascot.

The park opened under the chairmanship of Eddy Meeùs in 1975, welcoming approximately 45,000 visitors during that first year of operation and offering a variety of attractions, restaurants, a sandy beach and a lake on which people could water ski, this latter element continuing until 1994. Rides at the time included a Pinfari coaster, the Grand 8.

Also at that time the park offered a pay-one-price admission fee which allowed access to all the attractions and facilities, the first time such a payment system had been seen in a park in Europe, while the ensuing years saw the park continue to develop and expand and visitor numbers increase. New and innovative attractions were added, including the Wild River (1978 to 1994), the Tornado, a Vekoma Corkscrew coaster which operated from 1978 to 2002, eventually being removed in 2006 after three years of non-operation, and Tintin: The Unicorn’s Secret, which operated from 1980 to 1995. The Jumbo Jet coaster from Schwarzkopf also opened in 1978, operating until 1991.

The Gerstlauer Sirocco shuttle loop coaster, now named Psyké Underground and in the dark with a host of lighting effects, was added in 1982, while later on in the 80s, in 1987, Walibi’s indoor “tropical” waterpark Aqualibi was inaugurated. Featuring a pyramid style building the new addition offered guests a range of water attractions such as swimming pools, waterslides, Jacuzzis and the Rapido Rapido river slide, all housed within a carefully controlled tropic-like temperature of around 30°.

Today, Aqualibi continues to provide a wide range of waterpark attractions, with those on offer also including the Flash, Bi Bob, Jet, Surf, Xtreme and Zap slides along with a wave pool, Mini Beach kids zone and Lagoon.

A year later, in 1988, the Radja River rapid river from Intamin was introduced. At the time, this was the most expensive attraction in the park at a cost of €10.5m and was the only such ride in operation in Europe which utilised 12-seater boats. Over 25 million guests have enjoyed the attraction since it opened and it remains the most popular ride in the park today. Also during this same year, Walibi joined the Brussels Stock Exchange with the intention of opening other Walibi parks in the Netherlands and France.

1992 saw the addition of the Colorado coaster from Vekoma, now known as the Calamity Mine, while in 1995 the Flash Back flume ride was added from Mack Rides.

The year 1998 saw a change of ownership for the park when it was purchased by the US-based Premier Parks Group, which at the time also owned the Six Flags Corporation. In the same year, Lucky Luke City was introduced which among other attractions incorporated the 77m high free-fall ride Dalton Terror from Intamin. A year later, the Vampire, a Vekoma suspended looping coaster, was added.

The early 2000s saw considerable changes at the park. From 2001, the name of the venue changed when it became Six Flags Belgium, the parent company’s Premier Parks name having been dropped in favour of the more widely recognised Six Flags brand. The likes of Bugs Bunny and his Looney Tunes friends moved in under licence from Warner Bros., as at other Six Flags parks, while the Walibi kangaroo took a back seat. In the same year, new attractions included the Werewolf wooden coaster supplied by Vekoma, the Cobra, a Vekoma Boomerang, and the Walibi Follies, an area featuring a variety of children’s rides and attractions. Sadly, 2001 was also the year of the passing of park founder Eddy Meeùs, following an illness.

In 2003 the Egyptian themed dark ride The Challenge of Tutankhamun was opened, while the following year a further change of ownership occurred when Star Parks purchased the park. The new owners reverted back to calling the park Walibi Belgium a year later and reintroduced the famous orange kangaroo Walibi mascot, along with a few new friends.

And two years after Star Parks bought the park, yet another change of ownership saw the venue acquired by Grévin et Cie, now Compagnie des Alpes which, with 21 European parks is one of the largest operators in this part of the world.

Other key attraction additions in more recent times have included the Pulsar splash coaster from Mack Rides, a world premiere featuring three sensations – free fall, speed and splash. It is the first time the combination of a water splash and roller coaster has been accomplished.

Of course the entertainment offering is not just about the rides. Live entertainment available includes street animation and the biggest Halloween event in Belgium, when an average of 140,000 visitors attend. In 2016 the event included seven haunted houses, 200 monsters and Halloween theming and animation throughout the park. Two night time events held during the summer months allow guests to sample the rides after dark.

Some of the main F&B outlets include Country Cantina, a western style restaurant, the Dalton Burger and Café de Bruxelles, while other outlets are dotted around the site. Six retail outlets offering a variety of custom made souvenirs are also available.

Walibi Belgium, including Aqualibi, attracts approximately 1.35 million visitors annually, these coming from Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia) as well as northern France, The Netherlands and Germany. The park’s core target market is families with children aged eight to 14, while its second target visitor group is teenagers and young adults. 100 full time and over 1,000 seasonal staff are employed to take care of these guests.

So what of the future for Walibi Belgium? Well, it seems exciting times are ahead as earlier this year the park announced a major €100m investment plan which will begin in 2018 and will see the creation of the “Worlds of Walibi” with the theming of all the different zones in the park. Set to be spread over the next few years, 10 new attractions will be added, including four roller coasters, with next year seeing the opening of a family coaster in an exotic/tiki style and the re-theming of Aqualibi, along with an extension to the kids’ zone.

2019 and 2020 will see further re-theming in several areas and more new rides, while in 2021 a mega coaster is due to be added which will be the largest in the Benelux. Of course InterPark will be following developments with interest and will report on these as and when they are revealed.

 

 

At a glance

Opened in 1975

First of the Walibi group of parks

Established as a popular venue for water skiing

First European park to offer a pay-one-price admission scheme

Opened indoor waterpark Aqualibi in 1987

Once known as Six Flags Belgium

Today owned by Compagnie des Alpes

www.walibi.com/belgium/be-en