Walibi Belgium Discussion Thread

Drone footage from Mack Rides

I love the turntable loading/unloading mechanism!

Really good to see the ride from the air in that video, and to see that splash in full force too, it's huge!

Love the videos!!! The station turntable is so cool to see running!!! And that splash is much larger than I was expecting. Wow!!

Just that I got it right, Pulsar is fully operating now right? It's no longer a soft or is that still in play?

Just that I got it right, Pulsar is fully operating now right? It's no longer a soft or is that still in play?

Yes, you are correct. It is fully operational now.

Episode 5: Pulsar is open

Hey guys!

I finally found some time to visit Walibi Belgium this year. I went to experience their newest coaster, named Pulsar. Pulsar is the third shuttle coaster in the park. All I can say is that they have a big hit with this ride. It's my favourite ride at the park. I had 8 rides on it; 4 on the back row (5th row), 3 on the 4th row and 1 in the front. The outer back seats make you soaked! But like really soaked. I was completely drenched. The front seat doesn't get you that wet.

The ride starts nice and slow with the first launch backwards. On the vertical spike you get some unexpected airtime, which was a great surprise! Then you are peacefully going forwards, until you hit the second launch. Oh man, that's a blast! You are literally thrown out of your seat! Next you are travelling up the other vertical spike, which had a little bit of airtime. But when you hit the third launch and reach the maximum speed of 101kph (62mph), the airtime on the hill is very good! You travel up the vertical spike for one last time. At the top, you got some fantastic views and a great feeling of zero G on the way down. And then you hit the big splash. And when I say big, I mean very big! It's probably the biggest splash I've seen. I love it!

After all, it's a fantastic ride and a solid addition for the park.

Here are some pictures I took.

Welcome to Pulsar!

The entrance. There is some very nice theming in the queue.

A very BIG splash!!

All the way up, getting ready for the splash..

Aqua.TD6

It's actually much higher than I thought.

People are getting excited for their ride.

A big spash..

The station turntable is such a clever idea!

It fits beautiful in the park!

Love the station!

That's not such a big splash..

WOW, okay. That is a huge splash!!

Completely vertical!

One last photo of Pulsar.

Great airtime on that little hill! I wasn't expecting that, to be honest.

Where's the boat???

For those water pump enthusiasts out there.

Great views from up there, although you don't have much time to enjoy thet view

Skloosh!

Skloosh, from the back!

Pulsar through the trees. I'm sure this ride will look even better in a couple of years, when all plants and trees are fully grown.

It is high.

What a massive structure!

Nerd shot.

These people are still dry, but not for long.

AIRTIME!

The track is gigantic!

Smile for the camera!

You get absolutely soaked on this ride!

Looks like the park's ferris wheel is for sale.

 

It's a 45 m Vekoma wheel, built in 1979.

 

http://www.interlink-lg.com/form/uploads/occasion/pdf/93_bw33_.pdf

 

 

 

Its original colors, from 1979 to 2000:

 

The removal of this ride has now been confirmed by the park. It will be removed this winter.

No new ride in 2017.

I am a ferris wheel fan (even have a tattoo of a ferris wheel) shame to see them slowly disappearing.

^^That's sad to read. Ferris wheels are about the only ride you can get some good overhead shots of parks.

Other than observation towers and skyrides in some parks. Plus, they usually look so cool as part of a

park's skyline.

Glad I got to ride it in 2008 (TPR Europe Tour).

My view from The Wheel, 2008.

Ha, this is actually kind of funny because the ferris wheel was having all sorts of issues when we were at the park and had mechanics working on it. We were lucky to get on.

Ha, this is actually kind of funny because the ferris wheel was having all sorts of issues when we were at the park and had mechanics working on it. We were lucky to get on.

Just admit you guys broke it.

^Hey it was broken already when we went over to it!

...it just may have broken even MORE after we rode!

Thanks for the Pulsar report JordyC!! Pulsar looks like an awesome coaster, and sounds like it rides great!! I really wish some US parks would get a similar coaster. I could see this being a good fit at a park like Six Flags St. Louis, or Six Flags Fiesta Texas. Hopefully I'll get to try one out eventually!!

Big changes for Walibi Belgium.

Even though the announcement of the park has been postponed, Walibi Belgium has communicated some information.

First of all, Aqualibi will receive a 673 m² extension. The latter will be aimed for children from 0 to 7 years old and their parents for whom covered beaches will be made available.

Second, the Coccinelle (French name for Ladybug), open since 1999 will be dismantled in September 2017. This is a Tivoli model from the German manufacturer Zierer. This model is intended for kids since the attraction is only 10 ft tall (3,3 m) and reaches only 16 mph (26 kph). The good news in this story is that the ride will be replaced. The work would begin in September 2017 for an opening scheduled as early as Easter 2018!

Also, we are waiting for the official announcement of the park about a supposed 100 million Euros investment plan. Note that some attractions could be moved within the park.

Similarly, we now know that the Ferris wheel operating at the park from 1979 to 2016 was bought by Attractiepark Rotterdam. It is a Dutch park under construction which is scheduled to open in 2018.

Finally, the director of the park has recently announced "fundamental changes as early as 2018". "It will be a great year, because we are going to start a real reconfiguration of the park. I can not tell you more at this time because we still have to make sure we get the necessary authorizations, but the calculations are in millions of euros." In 20 years, 70% of the park will have changed.

Source

Giant future plans for Walibi Belgium: 4 new roller coasters, 10 new attractions

Walibi Belgium has impressive future plans. In the coming years, the theme park will invest more than 100 million euros in ten new attractions, of which four new roller coasters, spread over eight new themed areas. In 2021, the largest and fastest rollercoaster of the Benelux will open.

This was announced by Walibi at a press conference this morning. The first expansion will be scheduled for next year. In 2018, the theme park will create a Hawaiian themed area with a new family coaster near the interactive darkride Challenge of Tutankhamon.

The Tivoli coaster Coccinelle will move to the place of the old Ferris wheel, which was taken down last winter. The Aqualibi swimming pool will be expanded and renovated next year, with a children's area of 700 m². The whole water paradise will get a tropical theme.

In 2019 the entrance of the park will get a new look. In addition, there will be a makeover for the area around Cobra, the Vekoma Boomerang. There will also be a themed restaurant and a spinning theater with Bollywood theme. In the same year, a new children's coaster will open.

The current Far West section should be revamped by 2020. There will be an interactive water attraction, a Mack Rides Twist'n'Splash. A year later, there will be a refurbishment for the area around Wooden roller coaster Weerwolf and Vampire, the SLC of the park. Both attractions will receive a New Orelans theme, with voodoo influences.

The biggest investment is scheduled for 2021. Walibi Belgium will open that year a spectacular megacoaster in a new African themed area, at the back end of the park. It will be the largest and fastest rollercoaster of the Benelux.

And that's not all. The intention is to build a new family attraction between 2022 and 2023. The area around the log flume Flash Back and the Schwarzkopf Shuttle Loop Psyké Underground will get a harbor theme. Also, new slides will be added to Aqualibi.

"With this ambitious development plan, we want to take our place again as the largest and most sensational theme park for all ages in Belgium," says the Director. He accounts for 30 percent more visitors.

Source: Looopings & Pretparken.be

Whoa.

You forgot this image of the megacoaster:

It looks like a Mack to me (the first drop), as the one being build in Australia this year.

Ambitious. It's all I can think of when I hear these plans. With Walibi I have to see to believe I mean I believe the 2018 plans because I doubt they will pull back a month or two from now but still hope this all comes true.

Guess The Walibi group was impressed with Pulsar/ Lost Gravity cause most of these look to be Mack Rides.

Walibi Belgium's officially entered my to-do list. That's an impressive expansion lineup.

I was completely underwhelmed by this park during my visit almost a decade ago. These changes are much needed.

So that's a new Gerstlauer Bobsled coaster? Fantastic!

Sweet, a Mac Twist 'n' Splash! Those things are so much fun.