In Bellewaerde Park (Ypres, Belgium) we are working hard on a new theme area. The main attraction for the new zone is the previously announced 'Spinning Rapids' attraction from Swiss manufacturer Intamin, but the zone will include three more attractions. Yesterday, the park presented the attractions and other experiences to the press and guests during a tour of the construction site.
Mundo Amazonia
Around noon, all guests gathered in the station building of the new water attraction for a short presentation by Director Stefaan Lemey and the unveiling of the names of the new themed area and the associated attractions. The Spinning Rapids attraction will be called ' Amazonia ' and can be found in ' Mundo Amazonia ', a South American/Brazilian themed area.
Bellewaerde is investing €21 million in Mundo Amazonia, with the largest share (€14,5 million) allocated to Amazonia. In addition to Amazonia, a children's roller coaster named 'Brazilian Buggies' and a children's log flume ride named ' Rio do Cacao ' will be added to the area. The existing log flume ride 'River Splash' will also be incorporated into the new themed area and renamed ' Rio do Coffee '.
In addition to new attractions, Bellewaerde is also investing in a new takeaway food outlet called ' Tropical Take Away '. Here, South American snacks such as tacos and nachos will be available, entirely in keeping with the theme. Guests can purchase souvenirs at the new shop ' Samba Souvenirs ', and a new toilet facility has also been installed in the theme zone.
Amazon
The Intamin Spinning Rapids 'Amazonia' is a water slide with round boats. Spinning Rapids (also called 'Spinning Rafts') are a well-known water attraction in which guests slide down a large water slide in round boats. Amazonia is the first of this type in the Benelux. In addition, Amazonia contains several elements that make this attraction a world first. It is the first Spinning Raft where boats are raised twice, after which they slide back down in a slide of more than 100 meters each. The total attraction has a length of 540 meters and a ride time of 6 minutes.
The second lift is a vertical rotating lift of over 26 meters high, something that has never been seen before in an attraction of this type. The second slide ends with a halfpipe element. Such an element is known from water slides in swimming pools, but Amazonia contains the first halfpipe in a water attraction worldwide. Finally, there is a surprise in the station, just before the exit station: the boats will make a sudden free fall of five meters in a closed room. Also unique for an attraction of this type.
Amazonia is a family attraction with some thrill content. Children from a height of 1,20 meters can board one of the 14 boats, which together have a capacity of 960 people per hour.
The park also provided a nice insight into the budget for the attraction, which shows that purchasing an attraction is associated with a lot of additional costs. Of the €14,5 million, approximately €9 million is for the attraction itself. The remaining budget includes foundations, infrastructure, the station, decoration and the queue. Lemey himself gave an example of the additional costs with the water treatment plant for the attraction. This is desperately needed in the wooded park and costs approximately half a million euros.
Rios & Buggies
The new theme zone has room for a new roller coaster, which will replace the Keverbaan, which closed in 2022. Brazilian Buggies is a children's roller coaster from the Italian Zamperla. With a height of 4,6 meters and a maximum speed of 27 km/h, it is the perfect first roller coaster for every child, who can board from a height of 90 centimeters. The attraction contains a number of nods to the closed Keverbaan, for example the trains are modeled after a Volkswagen Beetle. Bellewaerde Park invested almost a million euros in this new roller coaster.
On the other side of Amazonia, work is underway on Rio do Cacao. This mini tree trunk attraction from ABC Rides from Switzerland is installed as a child-friendly version of the existing tree trunk attraction. The attraction makes a small loop and includes a small descent. Just like the roller coaster, Rio do Cacao is accessible to children from a height of 90 centimeters. Just under half a million euros of the budget was reserved for a small water attraction.
On the other side of the main path is the station of the existing log river 'River Splash' of Reverchon from 1980. The River Splash is added to Mondo Amazonia and is named Rio do Coffee. The station has been completely demolished in recent months and is currently being replaced with a brand new one.
Three pillars of Bellewaerde Park
Bellewaerde Park is originally a landscape park. It was only a few years after the opening that animal enclosures and attractions were added to the park. Over time, landscape, animals and attractions have become the three pillars of Bellewaerde Park. In Mundo Amazonia, in addition to the four attractions, extra emphasis is placed on the landscape. For example, hundreds of trees and thousands of shrubs are currently being planted in the theme zone.
To immediately give the zone a green feeling, the park has chosen to plant not only small trees that have yet to grow, but also trees that are already 18 meters high. The park has chosen local tree species, such as Alder, Hornbeam, Maple, Oak and of course the Elm for which Ypres is famous. In the spring, the theme part should immediately look green and like a rainforest.
The park has deliberately chosen not to add animals to the theme section. Bellewaerde consciously tries to keep the animal enclosures away from noisy attractions for the well-being of the animals. The park is set up with most of the animal enclosures located in the center of the park, with the major attractions on the edge.
Growth
Last year, Bellewaerde Park also invested a record amount of €17 million in two new family attractions, two animal enclosures, a playground and a self-service restaurant. This year that record amount will be broken by €4 million.
Mondo Amazonia is part of a larger investment plan for the park. Bellewaerde Park currently attracts around 750.000 visitors per year. With this new theme zone, the park hopes to see approximately 10% visitor growth. In the coming years, the park plans to grow to approximately 1 million visitors per year with further investments.
Mondo Amazonia and its associated attractions will open to the public on Easter Saturday, March 30.
Text and photos: Erik Huijing (unless otherwise stated)