100 Million Euro Invest: Holiday Park Becomes Plopsaland Deutschland

(eap) Since its foundation as Märchenpark Haßloch in 1970 and its subsequent renaming as Holiday Park in 1973, the amusement park located in southern Rhineland-Palatinate (Germany) has reinvented itself several times and achieved national fame in particular with the opening of the “Expedition GeForce” coaster (by Intamin) in 2001. Since the takeover by the Plopsa Group – the amusement park division of the Belgian media company Studio 100 – in 2010, 50 million euros have already been invested in the site, the offer has been continuously expanded and visitor numbers have doubled, according to the operator.

From June 28, 2025, the park will begin a new chapter as Plopsaland Deutschland. This renaming is part of a comprehensive future plan with an investment volume of 100 million euros in the coming years. This includes new themed areas, attractions, shows, a hotel and the expansion of the infrastructure. As already announced, a water park is also to be added to the offering at the Hassloch site. The aim of the Plopsa Group is to integrate the park even more closely into the Group’s overall portfolio in future and to establish it as a premium leisure destination for families in Germany in the long term. “With the upcoming investments, we are creating the basis for a year-round attractive offer that focuses on the needs of modern families. At the same time, we are strengthening the location’s position in the leisure market and making a sustainable contribution to tourism development in Rhineland-Palatinate,” says Bernd Beitz, Director Germany of the Plopsa Group.

In addition to two new shows performed daily in the indoor theater (the Maya the Bee show “The Queen Bee’s Ball” and the Smurfs show) from the start of the season on April 5, the new “Plopsa Festival Parade” will also provide fun for visitors every day starting in summer on a route of around 500 meters with five designed parade carriages and figures from the Plopsa universe.

Photo: Courtesy of Plopsa

The Blinky Bill themed area, which was launched last year with the attractions “Blinky’s Soapboxes” and “Greenville Bus” (both by Zamperla) (see EAP News of 26 March 2024), will be completed in time for the start of the season and will offer “Blinky Bill’s Outback Expedition”, a jeep tour that is particularly exciting for small children.

This will be followed in the summer by the opening of the indoor attraction “The Smurfs” in the former “Burg Falkenstein”, which was renovated in collaboration with Jora Vision (read more about this attraction in one of the upcoming EAP issues). The Gerstlauer family roller coaster “100% Wolf”, with a length of 760 meters and a top speed of 55 km/h, is scheduled to open this autumn (see EAP News of 24 May 2024).

Fans of thrills and adrenaline will have to wait a little longer until the Tomorrowland themed area opens with its announced major attraction near the park’s lake. According to the park’s latest statements, a “high-intensity roller coaster with launch, spinning cars and inversions” is to be built there “in the coming years” in cooperation with the Tomorrowland festival. The park has left open whether this will actually be an Xtreme Spinning Coaster from Mack Rides, which has been successfully operating as the “Ride to Happiness by Tomorrowland” at Plopsaland De Panne since 2021 (see our cover story in EAP 4/2021).

Not far from the park, Plosaqua Hassloch is to be built on the site of the outdated water park by 2028 (see EAP news from 10 June 2024). Following the example of the existing Plosaqua water parks in Belgium, families with children and those seeking relaxation will be able to find several water slides, a wave pool, children’s areas as well as a pool bar and sauna and relaxation zones.

Bernd Beitz © Kris Van de Sande “Haßloch is a key location for us in Germany. Thanks to its strategically favorable location and high regional appeal, we see enormous growth potential here. [...] The region is not an environment for us – it is part of the whole. We work closely with hotels, restaurants and service providers to put together packages that promote tourism as a whole. Our aim is for the success of the park to also provide impetus for the entire region,” says Beitz about the relevance of the region and the creation of offers for overnight guests.

Despite the re-branding, the park will retain its previous mascot “Holly”, the cheerful parrot, who will continue to accompany Plopsaland Deutschland guests in the future. ■