Plopsaland De Panne, a top coastal amusement park
From beekeeping to Studio 100
Plopsaland De Panne is the most visited amusement park in Belgium! Located right by the French border, only 20 kilometres from Dunkirk, this theme park has experienced significant growth since the early 2000s. In 2022, it welcomed nearly one and a half million visitors!
Everything started in the early 20th century when a first leisure park was built in De Panne, a coastal town in West Flanders. Alberic-Joseph Florizoone, a beekeeper and industrialist, wanted to raise public awareness about the lives of bees and share his knowledge of honey production techniques. MeliPark opened its doors in 1935 and operated for 64 years!
Following the acquisition of the complex in 1999 by the Belgian film production company Studio 100, the park took on a completely different direction. Since then, the main attractions at Plopsaland have featured the various universes of comic books and television series produced by the company. Nevertheless, bees remain a central thread of this amusement park, highlighted by the 2011 opening of Mayaland Indoor, a universe entirely dedicated to the adventures of Maya the Bee!
2026 admission ticket prices
Criteria that affect ticket prices
- Your height: A unique feature of Plopsaland, the admission price depends not on the visitor's age but on their height, which makes sense given that access to certain rides requires a minimum height. Prices vary depending on whether the visitor is 1m and taller, or between 85 cm and 99 cm (admission is free for anyone under 85cm).
- Your flexibility on the visit date: Dated tickets (where you choose the visit date when booking) require more planning, but cost less. Undated tickets remain valid for 1 year after purchase.
- The visit date for dated tickets: There are 3 pricing tiers depending on the chosen date.
- Other criteria: Seniors aged 70 and older benefit from a reduced rate ($23*), whichever ticket type they choose. Visitors with reduced mobility also qualify for a preferential rate on presentation of the European Disability Card, which the park accepts.
Price list:
| Visitor height or age | Undated ticket | Dated ticket |
|---|---|---|
| Under 85cm | Free | |
| 85cm to 99cm | $23* | |
| 1m and taller | $63* | From $43* |
| 70 years and older | $23* | |
One of the best amusement parks for kids in Belgium
Plopsaland is an exceptional amusement park for children of all ages! Many rides are accessible to toddlers, making it a top leisure park choice for family entertainment. It makes for an excellent outing if you are staying with your children at Sunpark Oostduinkerke aan Zee, located 15 minutes away by car.
Discover the full Studio 100 TV universe
While Studio 100 productions might not ring a bell for every French visitor, they are household names in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany! Featuring elves, pirates, vikings, and princesses, the mascots appeal to all ages and remain deeply endearing. On certain occasions, Plopsaland even hosts the Smurfs, those famous blue creatures created by Belgian author Peyo. Stroll down the pathways of Plopsaland and keep your eyes wide open so you do not miss Plop the Goblin, Piet Piraat, or Samson & Gert!
Indeed, the signature rides in this park all tie back to characters from Studio 100 cartoons or television shows. Take the K3 Roller Skater for example, a ride featuring giant roller skates that evokes a famous pop music group produced by the label, K3, who channel a Totally Spies vibe. One of Plopsaland's most iconic roller coasters, Anubis the Ride, references the wild adventures experienced by the nine boarders in House of Anubis, a hit youth television series produced by Studio 100.
A wide selection of games and family activities
Plopsaland stands out as the most toddler-friendly amusement park in Belgium! In 2023, the complex opened a brand new indoor play area for little ones, the Bumba Circus. This themed space spans 3,000m² and brings to life the colorful world of the crazy clown Bumba and his friends. Featuring 5 family attractions, the Bumba Circus also includes a theater hosting shows and parades. Do not miss Plopsaland's very first Dark Ride, Bumba in the jungle! It is a gentle family ride following the little yellow clown's adventures around the world.
Beyond its themed areas, Plopsaland offers numerous attractions with no minimum age or height requirements, making the rides especially suitable for young children. You will find several ball pits, carousels, a petting zoo, swings, slides, a water garden, and a miniature train that loops around the park. Kids aged 8 to 12 will enjoy taking the wheel of the wide range of vehicles on offer, including bumper cars, go-karts, tractors, and jeeps, or taking flight on the flying bicycles invented by Grandpa Fonkel in the TV series starring the superhero Mega Mindy!
Over 50 attractions for kids and kids at heart
Plopsaland has considerably diversified its entertainment offerings over time, notably by developing a whole range of attractions tailored for teenagers and thrill seekers. Adult roller coasters truly made their debut at Plopsaland in 2009 with the creation of the Anubis the Ride coaster.
Top thrill rides at Plopsaland
In 2021, a major new attraction arrived at Plopsaland: The Ride To Happiness by Tomorrowland. These roller coasters are the result of a collaboration between Plopsaland and Europe's most famous electronic music festival, Tomorrowland. The Ride To Happiness stands as Europe's first extreme spinning coaster, featuring two launches reaching speeds of 90 km/h and a total of five inversions! The track stretches for 920 metres and reaches heights of 35 metres above the ground, delivering plenty of airtime, those moments when your body lifts out of the seat for an incredible weightless sensation. You can enjoy these dizzying loops while listening to the Tomorrowland anthem composed by Hans Zimmer.
Until the creation of The Ride To Happiness, Anubis the Ride and its 180 degree turn held the title of Plopsaland's most impressive attraction. Meanwhile, the #LikeMe Coaster, the oldest operating roller coaster in Belgium, delivers plenty of thrills with its signature double figure eight that turns your world upside down! Finally, let us mention Heidi The Ride, a massive wooden coaster and the only one of its kind in the park. The structure strongly evokes the mine train at Disneyland Paris. On this exhilarating course, the cars whip along at maximum speeds of 70 km/h.
Water rides, indoor and outdoor attractions
Plopsaland features 9 indoor and outdoor themed zones, allowing you to enjoy this theme park rain or shine! All of these areas naturally pay homage to one or more heroes and heroines from Studio 100 television productions:
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Bumba Circus, a covered indoor space for toddlers;
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Mayaland, a covered indoor area themed around the queen bee;
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Wickieland, an outdoor zone featuring attractions based on the adventures of Wickie the Viking;
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Heidiland, an outdoor area that includes a replica of the small wooden mountain village where Heidi, the youth novel icon from Switzerland, grew up;
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Plop's Forest, which includes both covered and open-air attractions;
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Big & Betsy's Farm, an open-air area with animals;
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The Pirates' Zone;
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Mega Mindy, a collection of outdoor rides themed around the superhero;
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The Samson & Gert Zone;
Additionally, Plopsaland is packed with water rides that are ideal during long, hot summer days! You will find an amusement park staple here, a massive 30-metre-high splash ride. Water courses like DinoSplash and Mega Mindy Jetski are also available. In the village square, numerous water features help cool off visitors of all ages before they head off to conquer new rides! It is worth noting that in 2015, the Belgian company opened a massive water park complex near the main park: Plopsaqua. Ready to dive in?
Ultimately, Plopsaland is the ideal choice if you are looking for an amusement park on the Belgian coast that is tailored for kids while also spoiling older visitors with a great selection of thrill rides. If you are short on time, you can opt for the Express Pass, which lets you skip the line at a total of 9 attractions. For dining, Plopsaland hosts numerous snack bars and restaurants serving Belgian and Flemish specialties such as fry shops and mouthwatering waffles!
Opening hours
*Information subject to change
If you want to spend a nice day out with the family with kids and teens, this park is a great fit. There is a whole section with attractions for the little ones and a few rides that are a bit more intense. In the summer, it is really pleasant. You run into some characters every now and then, and everything is built around the theme of Plop the gnome and his friends.