Ypres (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The Bellewaerde amusement park in Ypres has begun its new season by reopening Amazonia, which faced technical issues during previous seasons.
Operational problems involving failed pumps and boat paths straying caused the installation to shut down before its reopening. While there were two brief closures, including August 2024, the ride resumed operations based on visitor feedback that has been positive.
“The best”, Jeffrey thinks. He was the first to get into the Amazonia this morning, together with his wife and one of their children.
“It was worth the wait. I actually didn’t notice much difference compared to before. In the halfpipe it is clearly better.”
“It’s a fun attraction with a great finale,”
says Margaux from Gits.
“A bit wet though.” Her friends from Chiro are just as enthusiastic: “We ran there as soon as the park opened. And the surprise at the end is great. You take a deep dive and you get completely wet,” they laugh.
What is the background behind Bellewaerde’s Amazonia ride and its challenges?
Bellewaerde Park in Ypres, Belgium, welcomes 800,000 tourists each year, making it one of the leading amusement parks in the country. Amazonia ride brought visitors to Bellewaarde Park in April 2024 after costing €14 million for its hybrid roller coaster and whitewater experience. A series of technical failures hit Amazonia shortly after opening because of pump breakdowns, together with boat system malfunction, which forced many evacuations and resulted in two long closures spanning from mid-2024 to August 2024.
The amusement industry documents show that water-coaster hybrids experience a failure rate of 15-20% during their initial operating year because of their intricate mechanical systems. Bellewaerde dedicated additional financial resources for system maintenance while continuing its efforts to overcome these technical issues.
The Park supports its hospitality goals by having Amazonia operational in 2025 because elevated thrill rides generate 30% of total annual ticket revenue. The changes to the attraction have received positive feedback from riders during early assessments, while the longer-term reliability of Amazonia requires further observation. Success for the attraction remains vital for Bellewaerde because it needs to surpass bigger parks like Europa-Park and Efteling.
