Meli Park
The Meli bee, from the Apirama dark ride
LocationAdinkerke, West Flanders, Belgium
Coordinates51°04′51″N 2°35′55″E / 51.080908°N 2.598739°E / 51.080908; 2.598739
StatusDefunct
Opened21 April 1935 (1935-04-21)
Closed3 October 1999 (1999-10-03)
OwnerFamily Florizoone
ThemeBeekeeping
Operating seasonApril – October
Attendance630,000 in 1994[1]
Area> 75 acres (> 30 ha)[2]
Attractions
Total31
Roller coasters2
Water rides3
WebsiteOfficial website

Meli Park was a theme park which was opened in 1935 in Adinkerke in the municipality of De Panne on the Belgian coast.[3]

History

The bee-themed amusement park was initiated by Alberic-Joseph Florizoone, owner of a honey company.[2] Its mascot was a bee.[4] It was one of the first Belgian theme parks. Over the years some new attractions were added.[5] The first ones were the labyrinth and the zoo. In the 1950s, a miniature golf course, french formal gardens, a fairytale forest, water organ were introduced. Over the years, it became one of the biggest attractions in Belgium as Antwerp Zoo and Caves of Han-sur-Lesse.

Into the 1970s and the 1980s, with a growing variety of rides, Meli Park's visitor numbers reached 700,000 per annum.[2] Its icon attraction was the Apirama dark ride, opened in 1979, featuring hundreds of animated bees.

The park closed in 1999 because the park was sold to the Flemish children's television company Studio 100 and rethemed as Plopsaland. In 1999 Alberic-Joseph Florizoone was inducted into the IAAPA Hall of Fame, an honor reserved for amusement industry innovators and pioneers.[6]

Attractions

Roller coasters

Ride Year Opened Year Closed Description Picture
Jubilé 1995 2000 The Zyklon (roller coaster) was relocated to Selva Mágica, MX in 2000
Jumbo 5 1984 late 80s It is the only Schwarzkopf Jumbo V in the world, as it was the only one manufactured. In 1995 it was relocated to Pleasurewood Hills under the name Cannonball Express. Previously named Enigma from 2005 to 2016 when it was renamed Cannonball Express.
Marienkaferbahn 1976 1999 It reopened in Plopsaland as Dongo's Race. From 2013 until 2021, the ride's name was changed to Viktor's Race. Since 2022, the ride is called #LikeMe Coaster.
Rollerskater 1990 1999 The first Vekoma Junior Coaster.[7] It reopened in Plopsaland as Rollerskater. Since 2019, the ride is called K3 Roller Skater, and is themed to Belgian girl group K3.
Racing 1988 or earlier early 90s A Flitzer model, similar to Flitzer at Morey's Piers.


Thrill rides

Ride Year Opened Year Closed Description Picture
Calypso 1988 or earlier 1992 A Mack Rides spinning ride, similar to Tiki Twirl at Cedar Point. It spins riders in two degrees of motion.
Piratenboot 1978 1999 HUSS Park Attractions Pirate ship. It reopened in Plopsaland as Piratenboot.
Splash 1989 1999 Manufactured by Mack Rides, the ride was inaugurated in 1989 by the Prime Minister of Belgium of the time, Wilfried Martens. Highest and fastest log flume of Europe of the time.[8] It reopened in Plopsaland as Het Kasteel van Koning Samson. In 2007 the ride's name changed for Boomstammetjes. In 2019, the ride was rethemed and is now called DinoSplash.
Vliegend Tapijt Djinn 1984 1999 Weber 1001 Nachts ride.
Wienerwals late 80s 1999 Zierer Chair-O-Planes ride. It reopened in Plopsaland as Wienerwalz.


References

  1. ↑ "L'abeille est toujours reine à Adinkerke". Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 "Meli Park reste à l'image de Florizoone son créateur". Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  3. ↑ "Expo: Er was eens... Meli Park". Archived from the original on 27 February 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  4. ↑ "Reportage over Meli Park (nu Plopsaland)". YouTube. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  5. ↑ "Meli Park - Reportage - 1998". YouTube. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  6. ↑ "IAAPA Hall of Fame Award -- Inductee Video Clips". Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  7. ↑ "Junior Coaster". Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  8. ↑ "A Meli, on fait Splash". Retrieved 13 June 2017.

Further reading

  • Canonne, Xavier, Gunzig, Thomas. (2011). Meli : l'autre royaume. Mont-sur-Marchienne: Musée de la photographie. ISBN 978-28-7183-065-8.
  • Florizoone, Alberic-Joseph. (1990). Meli, mijn leven. Anvers: Multimedia. ISBN 90-7259-200-X.
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