originally posted on 9/11/2020 12:20:25 PM
Photo: Courtesy Bellewaerde. View full-sized image.
One of the European parks least visited by Americans is Bellewaerde in Ypres, Belgium. Like nearby parks Bobbejaanland and Plopsaland De Panne, the park has never been on an ACE international tour itinerary. Hopefully, it will be included on a future international trip.
This past summer, Bellewaerde opened its newest coaster, Wakala, the park’s fifth. Erected in the park’s Canada section, it is themed to the Pacific Northwest Coast. Totem poles and artistic markings within that motif grace the station and trains.
Pacific Northwest iconography graces the trains and station located in the park’s Canada section.
Photo: Martin Valt. View full-sized image.
The ride begins with a traditional chain lift, but a tire-driven faster lift takes place midway through the course.
Photo: Martin Valt. View full-sized image.
Manufactured by Gerstlauer, the ride is reminiscent in style to that of Firechaser Express at Dollywood (Pigeon Forge, Tennessee). Family friendly with just the right amount of thrill, the ride stands slightly under 70 feet tall but has some signature features.
One of the first things riders will notice is that the coaster soars over both land and water. Not big on drops, the layout could be summed up in a simple term: snaky. Wriggling and writhing with a zippy pace — a top speed of 31 mph — Wakala travels through the trees and area foliage.
Photo: Courtesy Bellewaerde. View full-sized image.
Photo: Martin Valt. View full-sized image.
The coaster has a second act. While the ride begins with a traditional chain lift, midway through the course, a second lift — this one tire driven — is just shy of a launch. Riders twist and snake further into the area, this time right out over a lake. The track rises into the sky, and the train loses all momentum just before the track is cut off, unnervingly right over the water. From there, trains roll back a fair distance to a simple section serving as a brake run. Following the rotation of a piece of transfer track, riders move forward again and curve into the station.
The climb into the reverse point over water can be rather unnerving.
Photo: Martin Valt. View full-sized image.
Three trains can be in operation. Coaster fans would most likely be entertained to see how they all work together with appropriate blocking (much as they would watching Dollywood’s Firechaser Express).
Track length is 2,165 feet, but a portion of that is traversed twice — once in each direction.
Without extreme speed and dizzying heights, Wakala is unlikely to jump on Top Ten lists, but at the same point, it delightfully hits the mark in reaching the demographic it serves. Guest reaction is that it is quite fun.
Take a look:
— Tim Baldwin, ACE News Editor
Photo: Courtesy Bellewaerde. View full-sized image.
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