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Walibi Holland

Coordinates: 52°26′24″N 5°45′45″E / 52.44000°N 5.76250°E / 52.44000; 5.76250
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Walibi Holland
Previously known as Walibi World (2005–2010)
Six Flags Holland (2000–2004)
Walibi Flevo (1994–1999)
Flevohof (1971–1991)
LocationBiddinghuizen, Flevoland, Netherlands
Coordinates52°26′24″N 5°45′45″E / 52.44000°N 5.76250°E / 52.44000; 5.76250
Opened1971 (1971), Flevohof (old park)
OwnerCompagnie des Alpes
General managerMascha van Till-Taminiau
SloganHard gaan
Operating seasonApril - October
Attractions
TotalMore than 40
Roller coasters8
Water rides3
Other ridesca. 30
WebsiteOfficial website

Walibi Holland (previously called Flevohof, Walibi Flevo, Six Flags Holland and Walibi World) is a theme park in Biddinghuizen, Netherlands.

History

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The park was opened in 1971 as 'Flevohof'. It was an educational theme park themed after agriculture and farming. Having struggled to compete with more modern family attractions, Flevohof went bankrupt in 1993, and was subsequently purchased by the Walibi Group that autumn, who redeveloped the site as an amusement park. After a major winter-long programme of reconstruction the park reopened as Walibi Flevo on 7 May 1994, featuring the world's first Vekoma suspended looping coaster (SLC), El Condor.[1] The park also adopted the wallaby mascot of its sister park, Walibi Wavre in Belgium created in 1975 by Eddy Meeùs, a Belgian businessman. (The name 'Walibi', incidentally, is derived from the first two letters of three towns in Belgium put together to form a single word: Wavre - Limal - Bierges).

The Walibi parks, including Bellewaerde in Belgium, were purchased by Premier Parks Inc. in 1998, who subsequently overhauled the Flevo park, removing the 'Walibi' branding and building thirty new attractions as part of its transformation into Six Flags Holland in 2000. Six Flags's nominal expansion into Europe saw a similar refurbishment of the Belgian Walibi theme park, which was renamed to Six Flags Belgium. Both parks benefiting from the group's rights to use Warner Brothers characters within them, leading to the creation of a Looney Tunes-themed area and a powered-launch coaster themed around popular comic figure Superman, later changed to the Xpress.

In 2004, Six Flags Holland and its sister parks were purchased by financiers Palamon Capital Partners, who grouped the attractions under the name "StarParks". The park reverted to Walibi branding in 2005; numerous attractions having been rebranded as the sale of the parks also meant the loss of any references to Looney Tunes and DC Comics characters rights.

In the second half of 2006, the parks were sold for the second time in as many years to the French group Grévin & Cie (Compagnie des Alpes), most notably the operators of the French themed resort Parc Astérix, who also purchased two other Dutch attractions - the Dolfinarium Harderwijk and Avonturenpark Hellendoorn [nl]. In 2011, the park was renamed as Walibi Holland, which introduced new mascots.

The adjacent associated event grounds were originally developed with Scouting Nederland for the EuroJam 1994 and the 18th World Scout Jamboree in 1995. It is or has been the location of many festivals such as the Lowlands music festival and the Defqon.1 music festival.

Attractions

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Present rides

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Roller coasters

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Name Opened Manufacturer Type Notes
Drako 1992 Zierer Family roller coaster Rattlesnake (2011-2013)

Wok's Waanzin (2005-2010)

Road Runner Express (2000-2004)

Keverbaan (1992-1999)

Condor 1994 Vekoma Inverted roller coaster El Condor (1994-2013)
Speed of Sound 2000 Vekoma Boomerang La Via Volta (2000-2007)
Xpress: Platform 13 2000 Vekoma Launched roller coaster Xpress (2005-2013)

Superman The Ride (2000-2004)

A clone of Rock N' Roller Coaster at Disney's Hollywood Studios

Goliath 2002 Intamin Mega Coaster
Lost Gravity 2016 Mack Rides Big Dipper
Untamed 2019 Rocky Mountain Construction Hybrid roller coaster RMC conversion of Robin Hood (2000-2018)
Eat My Dust 2023 Zamperla Junior Coaster J2SK 200m
YoY 2025 Rocky Mountain Construction Single-rail roller coaster Two tracks, one family oriented, and one thrill oriented with 6 inversions[2]

Thrill rides

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Name Opened Manufacturer Type Notes
Blast 2000 HUSS Top Spin Excalibur (2000-2018)
G-Force 1998 HUSS Enterprise
Space Shot 1998 S&S Worldwide Space Shot Tower
Spinning Vibe 2000 HUSS HUSS Magic Il Gladiatore (2000-2010)
Skydiver 2002 FunTime Skydiver
The Tomahawk 2000 SBF Visa Dance Party

Family rides

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Name Opened Manufacturer Type Notes
Fibi's Bubble Swirl 2000 SBF Visa Wonder Flight Spotted Bubbles (2005-2010)

Elmer's Weather Balloons (2000-2004)

Haaz Garage 2000 SBF Visa Big Foot Rocky's Trucks (2005-2010)

Bugs Bunny's Trucking Company (2000-2004)

La Grande Roue 2000 Vekoma Giant Ferris Wheel
Le Tour Des Jardins 2000 Chance Rides Antique Cars
Los Sombreros 1994 Soriani & Moser Mexican Fiesta
Merlin's Magic Castle 2000 Vekoma Madhouse
Merrie Go'Round 1992 SBF Visa Carousel Cavalli Barocca (2000-2010)

Galopant (1992-1999)

Pavillon de Thé 2000 Chance Rides Teacups
Space Kidz 2000 SBF Visa Tweety's Clubhouse Oscar's Treehouse (2005-2008)

Tweety's Tweehouse (2000-2004)

Super Swing 1992 Zierer Swings Piccolini (2000-2010)

Wave Swinger (1992-1999)

Squad's Stunt Flight 1994 SBF Visa Red Baron Joe's Stunt Kite (2005-2010)

Yosemite Sam's Flight School (2000-2004)

Red Baron (1994-1999)

Tequilla Taxi's 2000 SBF Visa Bumper Cars Speedy's Taxis (2000-2004)
WAB World Tour 2000 SBF Visa Looney Tooter Train Horn (2005-2010)

Looney Toones Tooter (2000-2004)

Walibi Express 1994 Chance C.P. Huntington Train Six Flags Express (2000-2004)

WALIBI Express (1994-1999)

Flevohof Train (19??-1992)

Walibi's Fun Recorder 2000 SBF Visa Crazy Cars Koa's Komische Carts (2005-2010)

Taz's Traffic Jam (2000-2004)

Zen's Graffity Shuttle 2000 SBF Visa Flying Coach Funny Lily (2005-2010)

Daffy's Crazy Bus (2000-2004)

Wind Seekers 2023 Zamperla Magic Bike

Water rides

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Name Opened Manufacturer Type
Crazy River 1994 Mack Rides Log Flume
El Rio Grande 1994 Vekoma River Rapids
Splash Battle 2005 Preston & Barbieri Interactive Boat Ride

Former rides / attractions

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Name Opened Closed Manufacturer Type Notes
Aztec 2000 2009 HUSS Rainbow Demolished due to other Rainbows having issues.
Boris Klauter Island 2005 2010 Playground
Double Inverter 2000 2004 Chance Double Inverter Moved to Walibi Rhone Alps
El Toro 2000 2006 HUSS Breakdance Moved to Bellewaerde
Flying Dutchman Gold Mine 2000 2010 Mack Rides Steel Wild Mouse Coaster Moved to La Mer de Sable as Tiger Express
Kids Playground 2005 2013 Soft Play Petanque Boris Factory Balls (2005-2010)
Safari 1982? 1999 Whirlgig
Sherwood's Revenge 1995 2006 HUSS Tri-Star Moved to La Mer de Sable as Peroke
Tornado 2000 2004 Chance Chaos Moved to Walibi Aquitaine as Kosmic
Hudson Bay 1994 2016 HUSS Pirate Ship Replaced by Lost Gravity
Waikki Wave 1995 1999 Vekoma Waikiki Wave Replaced by Excalibur
Robin Hood 2000 2018 Vekoma Wooden Coaster Replaced by Untamed
Karting 2000 2022 Go Kart Track Race Way Go Karts (2000-2010). Replaced by Eat my Dust and Wind Seekers

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Marden, Duane. "El Condor  (Walibi Holland)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  2. ^ (in Dutch)"Walibi Holland onthult naam van nieuwe rollercoaster: YoY". Looopings. September 24, 2024.
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