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Bobbejaanland

Lichtaart, Belgium

“Cowboy-themed amusement park for the whole family”

Belgium has been one of Europe’s least interesting theme park destinations for quite some time. Belgian parks didn’t offer world-class rides and in general, they didn’t invest much in theming either. Things have changed dramatically during the past few years, though. Bellewaerde is adding new rides almost every year, Plopsaland was responsible for the continent’s first Xtreme Spinning Coaster and Walibi’s Kondaa counts as one of the best Intamin coasters in Europe. May I describe it as the renaissance of our Belgian theme park business? This rebirth was actually initiated by Bobbejaanland. In 2019, this large amusement park near Antwerp became the proud owner of an impressive new roller coaster called Fury.

ROLLER COASTERS

Land of Legends is the new centre of sensations at Bobbejaanland. The area opened in late June 2019 and it contains three attractions. Two of those rides aren’t new, though. Sledgehammer and Typhoon have been at the park for 20 years now. Sledge Hammer is a Huss Giant Frisbee, Typhoon was one of Gerstlauer’s first Euro-Fighters. Honestly, I don’t like Euro-Fighters… at all. The restraints are uncomfortable, the vertical lift hill feels horrible, the ride contains weird g-forces and it’s not exactly smooth either. Besides, a recent paint job can’t hide the fact that Typhoon doesn’t have any theming at all. No, this definitely isn’t my favourite attraction.

Bobbejaanland’s newest roller coaster is Fury. This is a triple launch coaster and it was also built by Gerstlauer. That’s indeed the constructor that tortured us with Typhoon, so I had some doubts about it. Fortunately, Gerstlauer appears to have made significant progress, as all of Typhoon’s main issues were solved here. The vertical lift hill was replaced by a powerful acceleration and Fury has some great inversions as well. In addition, I’d like to mention Fury’s smoothness and the train design. These trains feature comfortable lap bars and a unique gimmick: an onboard voting system. Yes, that’s right: voting buttons are integrated in the lap bars. These are giving passengers the choice between a forward and a backward ride. The majority of votes determines which direction the train will travel. Fortunately, there’s need to worry if you aren’t keen on backward inversions. There’s a separate line that guarantees a forward ride.

One of the park’s most iconic attractions is Revolution, an indoor coaster that opened back in 1989. Revolution is a well-known ride for Belgian amusement park fans. Still, Bobbejaanland has regularly changed its decoration and name in the past. The most recent renovation took place in 2024 and it brought Revolution back to its original theme. I’m pleased about this move, as Revolution counts as one of Belgium’s most recognizable classic roller coasters. Please don’t expect a huge thrill, though. The coaster has a rather monotonous layout (it’s literally an eternal turn to the left) and it’s everything but sensational. However, Revolution evokes such a nostalgic feeling that I actually find it a quite pleasant experience. A unique one as well: it’s uncommon to see a coaster train with 30 cars, isn’t it?

Bobbejaanland currently offers 8 coaster credits, but most of them aren’t that spectacular. Naga Bay, for example, is just an average spinning coaster by Maurer Rides. It’s smooth and it’s got a great layout, but it’s literally braked to death. Other unexceptional rides are Speedy Bob (a classic wild mouse), Oki Doki (a custom family coaster) and a powered coaster called Bob Express. Vekoma’s suspended coaster Dream Catcher is also quite ordinary, but a recent overhaul of the station has definitely been an improvement for the ride’s appearance. Besides, Dream Catcher seems to be very popular among park guests.

WATER RIDES

If you’re searching for water-based fun, Terra Magma counts as the park’s most popular option. This is an indoor log flume and that concept is quite unique. The ride features three drops and several dark ride scenes depicting a volcano eruption. The quality of these scenes isn’t exactly on Disney level and some parts of the ride have a rather cheap appearance, but this doesn’t mean that the ride isn’t fun. In fact, it’s one of the better family-friendly attractions at Bobbejaanland. The park’s outdoor log flume (called Wild Water Slide) performs significantly weaker in terms of decoration and ride experience.

Another large water ride can be found in the Far West village. El Rio is Bobbejaanland’s rapid river and the original plans for this ride were impressive. This ride should’ve started with a Ferris wheel transporting the boats upwards, followed by a 10-metre drop. Unfortunately, the Ferris wheel has never functioned properly, which lead to its removal in 2017. What remains is a very tame rapid river with a low excitement rate and limited theming. Only worth a ride if there’s no queue.

OTHER EXPERIENCES

The highlights at Bobbejaanland are obviously the thrill rides, but families aren’t forgotten. The park is filled with carousels in all shapes and family-friendly (boat) rides. Be sure to pay a visit to Kinderland if you’re visiting with young children. This is a huge indoor area consisting of playgrounds, slides and a few small-sized attractions. Kinderland may look a bit dated, but I’m sure that it can keep your toddlers entertained for a while.

It’s always special to read American trip reports about our local amusement parks. I still remember what Americans had to say about El Paso Special: they called it the most politically incorrect dark ride of all time. And indeed, this ride enables you to shoot innocent Mexicans. Señor Trump would probably define it as the Most Tremendous Ride Ever Built and Bobbejaanland seems to agree: they aren’t planning any anti-racist adjustments for the time being. Still, this interactive dark ride could use an update. The lighting is very simple, the scenes look dated and the audio-animatronics seem to belong in an antique haunted house.

WORTH A VISIT?

Bobbejaanland, Het Plezantste Land (Bobbejaanland, The Funniest Land). I’m sure that Kim Jong-un is jealous about this slogan, but is it correct? Well… I have to admit that Bobbejaanland made a good impression. I once knew this as an amusement park with rude staff members, old rides and a lack of theming. However, my most recent experiences were different. Nowadays, staff are considerably nicer and the park is in a good shape (some buildings could use a coat of paint, though). If I try to think as an occasional amusement park visitor, Bobbejaanland is actually a great place. There are a lot of roller coasters, lots of water rides, plenty of children’s attractions and the atmosphere in the park is okay. Bobbejaanland doesn’t perform on the same level as Europa-Park or Efteling, but that’s not necessary at all.

What’s your opinion on Fury? Does Bobbejaanland deserve another great coaster? Isn’t it weird to place a splash battle indoors? Share your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom of this page.

This article reflects my personal experience at Bobbejaanland during a visit in July 2024.