Right, first things first. Halloween at Walibi Belgium is VERY different to Halloween at Walibi Holland.
That latter is a slick, huge-scale, dramatic, mindblowing event that leaves no corner unthemed. Whereas Walibi Belgium is more off-the-rails, relaxed yet unpredictable. They really are worlds apart in terms of how they do Halloween, which was interesting to note considering they are two sister parks.
Anywho.
Based on the amazing impression Walibi Holland left on me last year, I decided to introduce my boyfriend to the wonderful world of Theme Parks At Halloween with a trip to Walibi Belgium on actual Halloween. If you Walibi my lover, you gotta get all the creds, afterall.
We got the Eurostar to Brussels at 9am, then thanks to @KristofWB 's directions, we got to the park super easily. It's only a short train ride away from Brussels and you can see the creds from the train! Welldone Walibi for being so accessible via public transport.
Upon arriving we saw loads, LOADS, of armed police and security. They were forcibly ejecting a large group of lads from the park. Unfortunately, this was a sign of things to come... but my main concern at that point was getting the creds ticked off. A concern which surmounted when I saw how rammed the park was.
Massive queues for everything! Even the boomerang! Luckily, thanks to the great advice from @KristofWB , we had bought the RIP pass beforehand which gives you: 5 fast track for rides and fast track plus entry for all mazes. Considering each maze was 5 Euro a pop, the RIP Pass was well worth the money.
.
Non-Goon boyfriend (Rob) spotted Vampire (the SLC) by the entrance and was like 'ooh! That looks good!' I resisted the urge to pat him on the head. NO FOOL! IT IS AN SLC! IT IS GUARANTEED TO BE RUBBISH, FOR I KNOW ALL ABOUT ROLLERCOASTERS!
I steered us to the woodie instead, Loup Garou. The Fast Pass was great, you walk straight on and can choose wherever you want to sit. Absolutely no waiting around! I felt so smug looking down at the 2 hour queue. Loup Garou was not bad actually, it had a few pops of airtime in the back. I mean, it's hardly going to set the world on fire, but as far as Average Woodies go this one nudges into the 'Slightly Above' range.
Then we headed to fabulous Pulsar.
I remember when Pulsar got announced and there was a collective WTF?! from enthusiasts. Another shuttle coaster? A water one? Whyyyy?! But this ride is brilliant.
Something about being launched in those cumbersome boats gives a great feeling of speed, and the drops are pure floater loveliness. Easily the best coaster in the park.
Rob still had his non-goon heart set on the SLC so over we trotted, and I got the surprise of my life. We sat in the front (SLC's seem to be way more tolerable in front row) and the ride was smooth? Forceful? Really enjoyable? What is going on?! I spent so much time telling him how awful the SLC would be and it was great! Way to make me look stupid, Vekoma!
Seen as we were bashing out the creds really quickly with the fast pass, we opted for the Challenge of Tutankhamen dark ride next, which was cool. A slightly more horror-based version of Womb Blaster. Then we did the rapids, which were also surprisingly good. They had a fab overhead water cross section. We also did the Genie-themed Madhouse, it was fairly good.
Lunch, in the form of a tasty kebab, then Psyke Underground. Rob really didn't like Psyke Underground. I think it was the lights and disorientating nature of being enclosed perhaps. I thought it was pretty decent. Not re-rideable, but it offers something quite fab and different at least.
Then we noticed the op hadn't stamped our fast pass! So we got an extra one, which we used on the Mine Train which is BRILLIANT. Probably the best mine train I've ridden? It goes behind a waterfall!
It was starting to get dark so we bashed the boomerang out the way, then it was time to hit up the Halloween stuff. Yay!
First up: Project InvaZion. It's alien themed! God, I love alien horror themes. There's just so much scope for imaginative scares. I thoroughly enjoyed Project InvaZion, the sets were beautiful - I'd put them on par with Europa Park for artistic detail. Loved the use of slimey green colours and shocks of 'Nemesis Pink'. Lots of dark corridors and jump scares, and creepy alien costumes lurked within, but the best bits were the big, suspenseful rooms where you had to try and figure out where to go next. Only downside to this maze was the random chainsaw man at the end, that felt unnecessary and out of place. 8/10
Next: Villa 13. It's in an actual house! Creepy girl on swing outside gave me a huge sense of dread as we approached, but once we got inside the house, loads of people got stuck on the stairs and it was just way to crowded for actors to make an impact. I think, had we had a clear run in a smaller group, this maze would have been really haunting. Saw a group of guys square up to an actor in the maze and it got a bit tense. Not going to lie, the crowds at Walibi Belgium were intimidating. Saw loads of fights breaking out between teenagers and security repeatedly having to run across the park. It only seemed to be getting worse at the night went on. 6/10
Anyway, Lumberjack followed. It had a guy with a bloody face and a plaid shirt of the poster. Plaid shirt = chainsaws, obvs. This maze was a total assault on the senses. Very loud, towering scenery and chainsaws coming at you from everywhere. In one scene we were locked in a small room and lined against a wall, then chainsaw men came right up into our faces. That scene was my favourite use of a chainsaw in a maze, as you didn't have that panicked running and flapping in the group when they chase from behind. Everyone just had to stand there and flinch! The only flaw in Lumberjack is that it's really long, so the chainsaws end up losing impact after a while. It would have been better if it were a short, sharp, shock maze. 7/10
We wondered over to the Blood Bar which was a bit of a waste of time. It was just a well-lit bar with some pretty basic vampire costumes on the bartenders. 1/10
Then we headed over to the other side of the park where the scare zones and other mazes were.
First up, Metamorphobia scare zone. Firstly, the zone had no music so it felt quite lacking. The costumes varied wildly and weren't very cohesive with each other. Not many actors about. A pretty disappointing zone, especially compared to the madness of the incredible scare zones at Walibi Holland, this just didn't grab me or feel immersive at all. 2/10
We watched a fire show which was quite good, and some weird clowns with chainsaws show. (Ugh, more chainsaws, really?) Before heading over to Gaz Town.
OMG. GAZ TOWN. This is the steam punk scare zone. It featured actors on horseback, shooting at actors on the top of buildings, who then dove off the buildings into the crowd. Gruesome actors on stilts chasing people. Fire! Fire everywhere! The atmosphere was electrifying and the costumes were superb. Some actors even interacted with us in English. This zone was so cool, walking through it was a highlight of the day. 10/10
After this we did Quarantine, which was kind of like that Zombie scare zone Alton Towers used to do, but on a much higher level. Once again, the sets were great, and the actors were countering the difficult scare role of zombie by being really interactive and creepy, blocking off people and playing with my hair, etc. 8/10
Then came Mine Blast. I presumed this was going to be a men in gas masks, My Bloody Valentine style affair, but it was so much more! The maze starts with someone setting off a TNT explosion from above you! Then you crawl through and actors grab at you from above! Rob was so surprised he flung his arm out and accidentally bashed me in the eye haha. Mine Blast is so inventive, it gradually builds up the claustrophobic scenes, until you are forced through the tightest air tunnel ever (I actually felt like I couldn't breathe) only to be pounced upon by actors the minute you are free. One of the best mazes I've ever done. 10/10
Finished up on the new maze Bloc H, which is located in the scare zone District H. The zone itself was cool, sirens blare out and gruesome wardens patrol the area with doggos!
I had a suspecting feeling that the maze itself, Bloc H, with its prisoner theme, was going to be a strobey, cage maze. Bingo.
Strobey Cage Maze it was. The sub bass music inside was excellent, but the maze was very repetitive. Just cage after cage, strobe after strobe, no big jump scares. It ended with a man with a chainsaw. Meh. Funny how the newest maze was one of the weakest. It doesn't help that I don't find prison themes scary at all.
Decided to finish the night with another ride on Pulsar, which was great all lit up in glowing blue. Inside the station was pretty much pitch black, and as we exited I noticed by bag had been taken from the baggage hold. Found it on the floor outside and kids running off. Luckily I'd kept my Euros in my coat pocket and nothing was missing, but it rattled me. The clientele here really did leave little to be desired.
Despite this, we had a fun time, the coasters were surprisingly good and some of the Halloween attractions were outstanding. But you know when you watch a sequel of a film and it makes you yearn for its better original? That was how I felt here, Walibi Belgium Halloween made me really, really want to go back...to Walibi Holland!
That latter is a slick, huge-scale, dramatic, mindblowing event that leaves no corner unthemed. Whereas Walibi Belgium is more off-the-rails, relaxed yet unpredictable. They really are worlds apart in terms of how they do Halloween, which was interesting to note considering they are two sister parks.
Anywho.
Based on the amazing impression Walibi Holland left on me last year, I decided to introduce my boyfriend to the wonderful world of Theme Parks At Halloween with a trip to Walibi Belgium on actual Halloween. If you Walibi my lover, you gotta get all the creds, afterall.
We got the Eurostar to Brussels at 9am, then thanks to @KristofWB 's directions, we got to the park super easily. It's only a short train ride away from Brussels and you can see the creds from the train! Welldone Walibi for being so accessible via public transport.
Upon arriving we saw loads, LOADS, of armed police and security. They were forcibly ejecting a large group of lads from the park. Unfortunately, this was a sign of things to come... but my main concern at that point was getting the creds ticked off. A concern which surmounted when I saw how rammed the park was.
Massive queues for everything! Even the boomerang! Luckily, thanks to the great advice from @KristofWB , we had bought the RIP pass beforehand which gives you: 5 fast track for rides and fast track plus entry for all mazes. Considering each maze was 5 Euro a pop, the RIP Pass was well worth the money.
.
Non-Goon boyfriend (Rob) spotted Vampire (the SLC) by the entrance and was like 'ooh! That looks good!' I resisted the urge to pat him on the head. NO FOOL! IT IS AN SLC! IT IS GUARANTEED TO BE RUBBISH, FOR I KNOW ALL ABOUT ROLLERCOASTERS!
I steered us to the woodie instead, Loup Garou. The Fast Pass was great, you walk straight on and can choose wherever you want to sit. Absolutely no waiting around! I felt so smug looking down at the 2 hour queue. Loup Garou was not bad actually, it had a few pops of airtime in the back. I mean, it's hardly going to set the world on fire, but as far as Average Woodies go this one nudges into the 'Slightly Above' range.
Then we headed to fabulous Pulsar.
I remember when Pulsar got announced and there was a collective WTF?! from enthusiasts. Another shuttle coaster? A water one? Whyyyy?! But this ride is brilliant.
Something about being launched in those cumbersome boats gives a great feeling of speed, and the drops are pure floater loveliness. Easily the best coaster in the park.
Rob still had his non-goon heart set on the SLC so over we trotted, and I got the surprise of my life. We sat in the front (SLC's seem to be way more tolerable in front row) and the ride was smooth? Forceful? Really enjoyable? What is going on?! I spent so much time telling him how awful the SLC would be and it was great! Way to make me look stupid, Vekoma!
Seen as we were bashing out the creds really quickly with the fast pass, we opted for the Challenge of Tutankhamen dark ride next, which was cool. A slightly more horror-based version of Womb Blaster. Then we did the rapids, which were also surprisingly good. They had a fab overhead water cross section. We also did the Genie-themed Madhouse, it was fairly good.
Lunch, in the form of a tasty kebab, then Psyke Underground. Rob really didn't like Psyke Underground. I think it was the lights and disorientating nature of being enclosed perhaps. I thought it was pretty decent. Not re-rideable, but it offers something quite fab and different at least.
Then we noticed the op hadn't stamped our fast pass! So we got an extra one, which we used on the Mine Train which is BRILLIANT. Probably the best mine train I've ridden? It goes behind a waterfall!
It was starting to get dark so we bashed the boomerang out the way, then it was time to hit up the Halloween stuff. Yay!
First up: Project InvaZion. It's alien themed! God, I love alien horror themes. There's just so much scope for imaginative scares. I thoroughly enjoyed Project InvaZion, the sets were beautiful - I'd put them on par with Europa Park for artistic detail. Loved the use of slimey green colours and shocks of 'Nemesis Pink'. Lots of dark corridors and jump scares, and creepy alien costumes lurked within, but the best bits were the big, suspenseful rooms where you had to try and figure out where to go next. Only downside to this maze was the random chainsaw man at the end, that felt unnecessary and out of place. 8/10
Next: Villa 13. It's in an actual house! Creepy girl on swing outside gave me a huge sense of dread as we approached, but once we got inside the house, loads of people got stuck on the stairs and it was just way to crowded for actors to make an impact. I think, had we had a clear run in a smaller group, this maze would have been really haunting. Saw a group of guys square up to an actor in the maze and it got a bit tense. Not going to lie, the crowds at Walibi Belgium were intimidating. Saw loads of fights breaking out between teenagers and security repeatedly having to run across the park. It only seemed to be getting worse at the night went on. 6/10
Anyway, Lumberjack followed. It had a guy with a bloody face and a plaid shirt of the poster. Plaid shirt = chainsaws, obvs. This maze was a total assault on the senses. Very loud, towering scenery and chainsaws coming at you from everywhere. In one scene we were locked in a small room and lined against a wall, then chainsaw men came right up into our faces. That scene was my favourite use of a chainsaw in a maze, as you didn't have that panicked running and flapping in the group when they chase from behind. Everyone just had to stand there and flinch! The only flaw in Lumberjack is that it's really long, so the chainsaws end up losing impact after a while. It would have been better if it were a short, sharp, shock maze. 7/10
We wondered over to the Blood Bar which was a bit of a waste of time. It was just a well-lit bar with some pretty basic vampire costumes on the bartenders. 1/10
Then we headed over to the other side of the park where the scare zones and other mazes were.
First up, Metamorphobia scare zone. Firstly, the zone had no music so it felt quite lacking. The costumes varied wildly and weren't very cohesive with each other. Not many actors about. A pretty disappointing zone, especially compared to the madness of the incredible scare zones at Walibi Holland, this just didn't grab me or feel immersive at all. 2/10
We watched a fire show which was quite good, and some weird clowns with chainsaws show. (Ugh, more chainsaws, really?) Before heading over to Gaz Town.
OMG. GAZ TOWN. This is the steam punk scare zone. It featured actors on horseback, shooting at actors on the top of buildings, who then dove off the buildings into the crowd. Gruesome actors on stilts chasing people. Fire! Fire everywhere! The atmosphere was electrifying and the costumes were superb. Some actors even interacted with us in English. This zone was so cool, walking through it was a highlight of the day. 10/10
After this we did Quarantine, which was kind of like that Zombie scare zone Alton Towers used to do, but on a much higher level. Once again, the sets were great, and the actors were countering the difficult scare role of zombie by being really interactive and creepy, blocking off people and playing with my hair, etc. 8/10
Then came Mine Blast. I presumed this was going to be a men in gas masks, My Bloody Valentine style affair, but it was so much more! The maze starts with someone setting off a TNT explosion from above you! Then you crawl through and actors grab at you from above! Rob was so surprised he flung his arm out and accidentally bashed me in the eye haha. Mine Blast is so inventive, it gradually builds up the claustrophobic scenes, until you are forced through the tightest air tunnel ever (I actually felt like I couldn't breathe) only to be pounced upon by actors the minute you are free. One of the best mazes I've ever done. 10/10
Finished up on the new maze Bloc H, which is located in the scare zone District H. The zone itself was cool, sirens blare out and gruesome wardens patrol the area with doggos!
I had a suspecting feeling that the maze itself, Bloc H, with its prisoner theme, was going to be a strobey, cage maze. Bingo.
Strobey Cage Maze it was. The sub bass music inside was excellent, but the maze was very repetitive. Just cage after cage, strobe after strobe, no big jump scares. It ended with a man with a chainsaw. Meh. Funny how the newest maze was one of the weakest. It doesn't help that I don't find prison themes scary at all.
Decided to finish the night with another ride on Pulsar, which was great all lit up in glowing blue. Inside the station was pretty much pitch black, and as we exited I noticed by bag had been taken from the baggage hold. Found it on the floor outside and kids running off. Luckily I'd kept my Euros in my coat pocket and nothing was missing, but it rattled me. The clientele here really did leave little to be desired.
Despite this, we had a fun time, the coasters were surprisingly good and some of the Halloween attractions were outstanding. But you know when you watch a sequel of a film and it makes you yearn for its better original? That was how I felt here, Walibi Belgium Halloween made me really, really want to go back...to Walibi Holland!
Sounds like an interesting Halloween thing to go to. I love the idea of the crawling maze!
