For the first time ever, Walibi Holland opens its gates from December 26th 2022 to January 8th 2023 for its Bright Nights! We paid a visit on the first day to see what kind of winter experience you can expect in the most thrilling park of the Netherlands. From coaster rides in the dark to snowball fights and of course lots of lights. Entertainment for the whole family and new merchandise. Let it snow!
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At the entrance, you get greeted by a festive announcer who tells you all about what’s new during this first time event. Speed tree decorating, snowball fights, shows… Quite a few never before seen things to do at the park. On the Main Street, you hear holiday music with the occasional snowing to match it. Definitely a great way to enter.
The park mascot Walibi wears his festive Christmas sweater and he performs a little show during the day with a modern looking Santa. Great for the kids and nice to see when passing by as it includes live music.
Our first ride of the day might surprise you: Merlin’s Magic Christmas Castle. During Bright Nights, the owl of the ride gets to be the star. That means a holiday disco ride with matching colors and music. I never even thought of a Mad House seasonal overlay but it worked!
In the Club W.A.B. restaurant, you have three winter exclusive activities. First off, a snowball fight with the elves! Everyone can pick up soft snowballs and start throwing. Or you can just lay down and make a snow angel. Next to that, you can go for laser shooting between the Christmas trees. I liked the idea but the shooters themselves weren’t the greatest. Finally, kids can draw and craft with the elves all kinds of Christmas and winter decorations.
Did you know the park opens a new rollercoaster next year? It will be in the Speed Zone and more for the families. Construction shows that the foundations are in progress on the old Karting site. At the info desk, you could also notice a teaser which includes quad visuals.
You can also buy new merchandise, including Christmas tree decorations. The park mascot got its very own but you’ll also find another familiar face: Eddy The Clown. The Halloween protagonist can now spice up your tree as well.
During the event, all rides open except for those in the Lost Zone. That means that two coasters remain closed: Lost Gravity and Drako. Unfortunately, Xpress also had difficulties so we didn’t ride it. But luckily, the other coasters all welcomed us. This includes Untamed, a bit later than the other ones, but man that thing has great night rides. Another surprisingly fun night ride coaster: Speed of Sound. The lightshow surrounding it definitely added to Bright Night experience.
As soon as it turns dark, that’s when you really can see the park light up: literally. All over, you can find red buttons and when you push them, the area lights up with tiny little shows. Some better executed than others, but it gives a different dimensions to the area. Certain rides also have their own light show such as Condor, Speed of Sound and Spinning Vibe.
You should definitely visit the main stage in front of the Ferris Wheel from time to time. Special laser shows start now and then and give you a wonderful show. Walibi Holland of course has experience with it from the Fright Nights, but now you can see it in a different setting.
We absolutely loved our day at the park and we were lucky with the weather. I do think it’s important that it’s not rainy or too cold as it could cause the coasters to close. But when you have a dry forecast, you should certainly go to the Walibi Bright Nights. As the price is lower and during this first year, people still need to discover it: now’s the time to go. Congrats to the park for making it such a deLIGHTful event!
