Plopsa

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Plopsa
IndustryAmusement parks
Founded28 April 2000; 21 years ago (2000-04-28)
FounderStudio 100
HeadquartersDe Panne, Belgium
Key people
Gert Verhulst,
Founder and partial owner
Hans Bourlon,
Founder and partial owner
Steve van den Kerkhof
CEO
OwnerStudio 100
WebsiteOfficial website

Plopsa is the theme park division of Studio 100, the company operates 8 (water) parks across Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany and Poland.

History[]

Plopsa began its operation at the end of 1999 when Studio 100 acquired Meli Park in Adinkerke in the Municipality De Panne. After several renovations the park reopened as Plopsaland on 29 April 2000. Several attractions got a layover with Studio 100 characters, such as Kabouter Plop, Samson & Gert and Bumba.[1]

In December 2005 the company openend a new indoor theme park in the Municipality Hasselt, named Plopsa Indoor Hasselt. This marked the opening of the first indoor theme park in Belgium. In the same year Plopsa also acquired Télécoo, an amusement park near the waterfalls of Coo. Several attraction got an overlay with Studio 100 characters, just like the attractions of the former Meli Park. July 2007 the park was renamed to Plopsa Coo.[2]

In 2010 Plopsa crossed the Dutch and German border and opened an indoor theme park in Coevorden, similar to Plopsa Indoor Hasselt. The park officially openend its doors on 29 April 2010 and got the name Plopsa Indoor Coevorden. In Germany they acquired Holiday Park in Haßloch. Just like Meli Park and Télécoo the park got a layover with several Studio 100 characters. The name however remained the same.[3]

In 2015 the company enterend a new form of park entertainment with the opening of Plopsaqua in De Panne, a waterpark themed to the Studio 100 character Vic the Viking. This park also received a subsidy from the Municipality, so the people of De Panne could use the facilities at a discount. Other Plopsaqua waterparks are currently in active development throughout Belgium.[4]

The latest location opened in Torzym, Poland in September 2018 when Majaland Kownaty opened its doors. Majaland Kownaty is an indoor theme park similar to Plopsaland Coevorden in The Netherlands. In contrary to the other 6 parks this park is partially owned by an investment company. The themepark is doing so well that Plopsa and Momentum Capital decided to build three other parks in Poland in Warschau, Gdańsk and Katowice.[5]

At the end of 2019 Plopsa acquired the comic themed and struggling Comic Station, located in a terminal of Antwerp Central Station. The themepark closed for a partial refurbishment and opened in October 2021 as Plopsa Station Antwerp.[6]

Themeparks, Waterparks and other assets[]

Plopsa is located in Belgium
Plopsa
Plopsa
Plopsa
Plopsa
De Panne
De Panne
Hasselt
Hasselt
Coo
Antwerp
Antwerp
Mechelen
Mechelen
Hannut-Landen
Hannut-Landen
Wijnegem
Wijnegem
Current and future locations of Plopsa in Belgium. Red: themepark, Blue: waterpark, Green: other asset.
Plopsa is located in Central Europe
Coevorden
Coevorden
Plopsa
Plopsa
Haßloch
Kownaty
Kownaty
Warschau
Warschau
Gdańsk
Gdańsk
Katowice
Katowice
Prague
Prague
Current and future locations of Plopsa in the rest of Europe. Red: themepark, Blue: waterpark, Green: other asset.

List of all themeparks, waterparks and other assets of Plopsa that are open or in active development.

Country City Name Type Opening Note
 Belgium Adinkerke Plopsaland Themepark 2000 (1935) Opened in 1935 as Meli Park, acquired by Plopsa in 1999 and reopened as Plopsaland in 2000.
Proximus Theater Theater 2013 Opened in 2013 as Plopsa Theater, renamed in 2019 to Proximus Theater.
Plopsaqua De Panne Waterpark 2015
Plopsa Hotel Hotel 2021
Plopsa Village Camping 2022 (1965) Opened in 1965, acquired in 2017 and is in development to reopen in fases from 2021 as Plopsa Village with a camping site, mobile homes and holiday villages.
Wijnegem Plopsa Store Store 1998 Opened in 1998 with the name De Kijkbuis, renamed in 2004 to Plopsa Store.
Hasselt Plopsa Indoor Hasselt Themepark 2005
Antwerp Plopsa Station Antwerp 2021 (2017) Opened in 2017 as Comic Station Antwerp, acquired by Plopsa in 2019 and reopened as Plopsa Station Antwerp in October 2021.
Stavelot Plopsa Coo 2007 (1976) Opened in 1976 as Télécoo, acquired in 2005 and reopened as Plopsa Coo in 2007.
Hannut Plopsaqua Hannuit-Landen Waterpark 2020/2021 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic measures only the 25 meter pool opens 11 December 2020. The rest of the waterpark followed on 9 June 2021.
Mechelen Plopsaqua Mechelen[7] 2023 In development
 The Netherlands Coevorden Plopsa Indoor Coevorden Themepark 2010
 Germany Haßloch Holiday Park 2010 (1971) Opened in 1971, acquired in 2010 by Plopsa.
Holiday Park Hotel[8] Hotel T.B.D. In development
Holiday Wasserpark[8] Waterpark T.B.D. In development
 Poland Torzym Majaland Kownaty Themepark 2018 This themepark is owned for 21% by Plopsa and for 79% by Momentum Capital.
Warschau Majaland Warschau[9] 2022 This themepark is in development and owned for 21% by Plopsa and for 79% by Momentum Capital.
Gdańsk Majaland Gdańsk[9] 2023
Katowice Majaland Katowice[9] 2024
 Czech Republic Prague Majaland Praha[10] 2021 This themepark is owned by TNI Group and Kaprain under license of Plopsa.
 European Union T.B.D. Plopsaqua #4[11] Waterpark 2023 In development

In 2015 Studio 100/Plopsa opened their catalog of characters to other amusement park operators outside Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, France and The United Kingdom. Mayaland Kownaty, Poland and the yet to be built themepark in Prague, Czech Republic are examples of this, since these parks are (partially) owned by an investment company. Steve van den Kerkhof (CEO of Plopsa) stated that there's also interest in the characters from companies in China, The United States of America, Australia and Canada [12]

During a corruption investigation to a city official of The Hague in 2019 it was discovered that Plopsa was actively searching for a new site in The Netherlands to expand with a Plopsaqua and a possible second Plopsa Indoor. During an interview with RTL Nieuws Steve van den Kerkhof confirmed this and that Plopsa was in talks with the city of The Hague, but that they were also investigating other sites in The Netherlands. Since the interview no updates were given to the Dutch expansion.[13]

References[]

  1. ^ "Studio 100 koopt Plopsaland helemaal". De Morgen (in Dutch). 3 February 2005. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  2. ^ "Studio 100 neemt attractiepark Télécoo over".
  3. ^ "Plopsa koopt Duits pretpark".
  4. ^ "Plopsaqua opent de deuren". De Morgen (in Dutch). 21 March 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  5. ^ "Plopsa kondigt tweede pretpark aan in Polen". Leeuwarder Courant (in Dutch). Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  6. ^ "Plopsa neemt toch Comics Station Antwerp over". De Standaard (in Flemish). Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  7. ^ "Plopsaqua wil in Mechelen openen in 2023: CEO luistert naar buurtbewoners op infomarkt". www.gva.be (in Flemish).
  8. ^ a b "Holiday Park baut eigenen Wasserpark". Plopsa News (in German). Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  9. ^ a b c "Leisure & Holiday Parks" (in Dutch). Momentum Capital.
  10. ^ "Plopsa Licensing Program". Plopsa.
  11. ^ "Plopsa Group maakt plannen voor nieuwe pretparken concreet". Looopings (in Dutch). 27 February 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  12. ^ "Heel de wereld wil een Plopsaland". 14 March 2015.
  13. ^ "Plopsa wil waterpark in den Haag bouwen". 14 November 2019.

External links[]

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