Belgium has really stepped up its coaster game in recent years. Plopsaland de Panne added Ride to
Happiness and Walibi Belgium recently capped off a massive expansion with Kondaa. This supports
the pre-existing coaster lineup, which had some interesting attractions. So in this video, I
will rank this country’s top 20 roller coasters. Before starting the list, I need to note I have
not made it to Plopsa Coo. Schtroumpfeur, which is a terrain-based Vekoma, and Vicky the Ride,
which is a Gerstlauer spinner, had a chance to make the top 15 had I experienced them.
I also want to note that I have reviews for most rides on this list,
including everything in the top 6. 20) Dawson Duel at Bellewaerde- This is a bizarre
mountain coaster from Wiegand. For one, it’s not built on a hill. So you take away one of the best
elements of this genre. Two, you have to walk up a very long ramp to reach the top, much like a water
slide. Three, the manual brakes are disabled. So everyone goes down at the same speed. I think this
is a positive, so you aren’t interrupted by a slower rider ahead of you. However,
this layout is pretty weak. There are no dips with airtime and the turns are light on the laterals.
19) Boomerang at Bellewaerde and Cobra at Walibi Belgium- I’m grouping these two
Vekoma boomerangs together because they ride similarly- for better, for worse.
The ride is as forceful as ever. The first drop has a nice freefall sensation. Then all
three inversions deliver crushing positive Gs. They’re especially disorienting going backwards.
Neither is glass-smooth, but they don’t cause too much headbanging.
18) Oki Doki at Bobbejaanland- This Vekoma junior coaster has a shockingly good drop in the back
row. It’s far steeper than you’d expect for a ride like this and the train is really whipped down it.
The rest of the layout is tame, but it is scenic as it heads over pathways and it’s smooth too.
17) Speedy Bob at Bobbejaanland-
This Mack wild mouse provides great laterals in the first half, which is essentially untrimmed.
The second half doesn’t have any airtime due to a series of trims though. It’s also worth noting
this coaster used to have a mirror image next door, but that was removed after the 2008 season
and relocated to Parque de Atracctiones de Madrid where it operates as Vertigo.
16) Dream Catcher at Bobbejaanland- This older style Vekoma suspended coaster is a mild one.
The layout isn’t too intense, between the lack of major drops and minimal swinging.
But there are some positive Gs and the ride has a nice location over the water.
I have heard the old trains were wilder, but I’ve only ridden this coaster with the new trains.
15) Revolution at Bobbejaanland- This indoor coaster from Vekoma is weird and that’s putting it
mildly. First off, it features one of the longest trains in the world. It’s 30 cars long. Second,
you have a spiral lift hill with lights, a volcano at the base, and a giant clock on the roof.
Then you have a downward spiral with some additional lighting effects and a fun soundtrack.
You continuously build up speed until you get some mild force on the final pass. This repetitive,
never-ending turn causes the ride to feel more like a himalaya than a traditional coaster,
but it’s a memorable experience for sure.
14) Calamity Mine at Walibi Belgium- This Vekoma mine train reminds me of Big Thunder Mountain.
You have lots of western theming and rockwork that conceal the layout. The train shoots through caves
and even whizzes past a geyser. The layout is pretty light on the forces though, instead
relying on the visuals. As for how it tracks, it’s reasonably smooth minus some shuffling.
13) Naga Bay at Bobbejaanland- This Maurer spinning coaster has a neat
location above the pathways and water. And it’s a custom layout too with plenty of spinning.
But the elements are neutered by a series of brake runs that steal most of your speed.
If this ride’s pacing were better, it would have made the top 10.
12) Tiki-Waka at Walibi Belgium- This Gerstlauer bobsled has a fun layout going above the midways
and over the water. However, this wild mouse variant isn’t as intense as some of the others
from Gerstlauer. There’s no airtime, which is a shame because there are a lot of bunny hills.
You still have some lateral jolts and nice visuals, plus a glass-smooth ride.
11) Huracan at Bellewaerde- This coaster replaced a former dark ride. The experience
starts with an enclosed section past these giant wind, fire, and storm effects.
You then head outdoors briefly for just one drop before plunging back indoors for
the rest of the ride. It takes place mostly in the dark, but you have some laser effects
plus a few forceful valleys. And the whole ride is accompanied by on-board audio.
10) Psyke Underground at Walibi Belgium- This classic Schwarzkopf shuttle loop looks nothing
like it did when it opened. The ride is now fully enclosed and Gerstlauer completely redid the ride.
The flywheel launch was replaced by an LIM launch. It has some pull, but not as much as the original.
The loop is very forceful and disorienting, especially since it’s indoors. Then the forwards
spike has some nice weightlessness, especially if you’re further up in the train. You brake
way too hard before the backwards spike to get any sensations there unfortunately. While the ride was
toned down with the refurb, the theming is really cool between the lighting and catchy soundtrack.
9) Wakala at Bellewaerde- This Gerstlauer family coaster offers a dynamic ride experience.
The track is constantly bouncing or turning. It doesn’t have much in terms of positive Gs
or airtime though. Then you have an interesting finale. You have a
surprise spike by the water with a short backwards segment to wrap up the ride.
This attraction has good length and it looks good too with all the landscaping and theming.
8) Typhoon at Bobbejaanland- This is one of the oldest Gerstlauer Eurofighters, but it’s still
solid. The signature beyond-vertical drop gives strong ejector airtime.
Then you have a forceful vertical loop and three barrel rolls loaded with hangtime.
The middle of the layout does have a bit of a lull, but this ride is fairly smooth
start to finish despite the over-the-shoulder harnesses, which was an unexpected surprise.
7) Heidi the Ride at Plopsaland de Panne- This Great Coasters International creation is a
near-clone of Fun Spot’s White Lightning. While it’s smoother, it doesn’t have the same power.
Maybe it was the cooler weather, but I only got a few tiny pops of airtime along the route.
Meanwhile, White Lightning typically has more forceful pops that can match the larger GCIs.
Heidi does carry good speed at least and is running very smoothly. And there’s a
fun dark ride segment on the final turn heading back into the station.
6) Pulsar at Walibi Belgium- The prototype Mack Power Splash is a thrilling water coaster. The
launches have some kick to them, which is rare for a Mack. The third one in particular is a
forceful backwards one that folds you over the restraint. Then this ride also has some
nice airtime. The middle hump gives really nice floater airtime after the third launch. Then you
get good weightlessness on the spikes. Las but not least, the ride ends in a giant splash. Those
on the edges will get way wetter than those on the inside seats, so plan accordingly.
5) Anubis the Ride at Plopsaland de Panne- This launch coaster kicks things off with a powerful
LSM launch. You rapidly accelerate and are slammed against your seat!
You then go through a nice top hat with laterals and some ejector airtime. Then
you have Six Flags Over Georgia’s Dare Devil Dive through the woods. I like the dive loop offering
an inverted airtime pop and nice positives. Then the final inline twist has incredible hangtime.
While this ride has over-the-shoulder restraints, it thankfully tracks well. And you also have some
nice theming in the queue line as a bonus. 4) Loup-Garou at Walibi Belgium- This rare
Vekoma wood coaster has a good layout. There are a lot drops with some nice airtime in the back,
particularly the last two. The negative Gs were more sustained than most other wood coasters.
The ride is bumpy though. Thankfully the train is extremely well-cushioned, so it
doesn’t cause any real discomfort for me. But just keep that in mind if you hate rough rides.
3) Fury at Bobbejaanland- This Gerstlauer Infinity coaster uniquely allows riders to
vote whether they’d like to experience the coaster forwards or backwards. This gives the attraction
a lot of reride value since the elements feel different depending on seat and orientation.
You have three launches, with the last 2 having considerable power. Then you have strong ejector
airtime on the top hat, multiple elements with nice laterals, good positive Gs in the valleys,
hangtime on the inversions, and insane hangtime/weightlessness on the spikes. And all
those forces occur with just a lap bar. This ride is mostly smooth and it’s a fun mix of forces.
2) Ride to Happiness at Plopsaland de Panne- This ride unlocked the full potential of the
Mack xtreme spinner. This ride is mayhem. The vehicles spin at a good clip throughout,
making each ride and element unique. This spin makes the launches exciting. Then you have 5 of
the greatest inversions in the world. The twisted jojo roll offers extreme hangtime, as does the
super disorienting double dive loop later in ride. That’s my favorite inversion anywhere.
You also have a good zero-G roll. Then the banana roll and vertical loop will mess with your sense
of direction as you spin throughout them. And you also have great airtime. The broken up
top hat and final hills deliver some powerful ejector airtime and then there are a few other
solid hills scattered about as well. And the whole experience is plussed by electric on-board audio.
1) Kondaa at Walibi Belgium- This Intamin mega coaster is the perfect marriage between
Expedition GeForce and Steel Vengeance. The ride starts with an incredible first drop. You have
powerful ejector airtime and intense laterals simultaneously. Then the first two camelbacks
deliver incredible and sustained ejector airtime. You then have a unique turnaround section before
kicking off a rapid return run. Take the usual flurry of bunny hills on an RMC- all of which
have abrupt airtime pops. Then replace the inversions with some larger bunny hills with
the sustained ejector airtime. It’s a delectable combination. This is one of the best paced
coasters in the world and it’s super reridable between the amazing elements and smoothness.
So those are the top 20 coasters in Belgium. This country has an impressive top two, but which of
those rides do you prefer? Let me know down in the comments. If you enjoyed this countdown, I’d
appreciate it if you gave this video a like and you considered subscribing since there will be a
lot more roller coaster and amusement park videos here at Canobie Coaster. Thanks for watching!