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Plopsa’s New Chapter
CEO Carl Lenaerts aims to build a values-led family theme park business that forges emotional connections
As a young boy, Carl Lenaerts collected more than 100 Smurf figurines. Little did he know that in 2025, as the CEO of the Plopsa Group, he’d launch a new dark ride featuring Papa Smurf, Smurfette, and the famous blue tribe. The premiere of The Smurfs’ Adventure ride at Plopsaland Deutschland coincides with the release of the new, all-star animated movie “Smurfs” in cinemas this summer.
The enduring magic of this beloved intellectual property (IP) is a testament to how timeless stories and characters can leave a lasting impression on hearts young and old. Through Plopsa’s parent company, Belgian media and entertainment group Studio 100, Lenaerts and his team have access to an enviable catalogue of content. Plopsa found success leveraging popular television and film IPs, such as Samson & Marie, Plop the Gnome, Maya the Bee, Vic the Viking, Heidi, and Bumba the clown, to bring its parks to life. This winning strategy resulted in 3.4 million visitors for the group’s European destinations in 2024. Total turnover for Studio 100 (including Plopsa) in 2024 reached €260 million. That figure is expected to rise to €300 million in 2025, boosted by projects with Netflix and live shows.
Developing a Destination Ecosystem
Plopsa feels like a perfect fit for Lenaerts. After starting out as a banker, he moved into management at leading global cinema chain Kinepolis. “I knew then that I had leisure blood in my veins,” he says. “Selling emotions gives me a good feeling. It’s also business—money has to be earned.” Lenaerts’ career included executive roles in sports and book retail businesses before Plopsa used a head hunter to recruit him in 2023.
“My former CEO at Kinepolis always said to me, ‘Cinema is not rocket science, but you have to control a lot of elements to make a cinema experience the best.’ Now, when we meet up, I say to him, ‘You’re right, but running a theme park group is rocket science!’”
Few sectors are as operationally complex as the attractions industry. Plopsa has grown into an entertainment powerhouse that includes eight theme parks across Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany, along with a 1,000-bed hospitality business at Plopsaland Resort Belgium.
Studio 100’s founders, Gert Verhulst and Hans Bourlon, started with Plopsaland Belgium (formerly Meli-Park before becoming Plopsaland De Panne) in 2000. Plopsa Coo, rebranded as Plopsaland Ardennes in July, followed in 2006. Initially, the group had two indoor parks: Plopsa Indoor Hasselt in Belgium and Plopsa Indoor Coevorden in the Netherlands. Then, in 2020, Plopsa acquired Comics Station Antwerp, notable for being one of the world’s first amusement parks inside an international train station, and transformed the attraction into Plopsa Station Antwerp.
The group took over Holiday Park—now known as Plopsaland Deutschland—in Haßloch, Germany, in 2010. Plopsa operates a shop at the Wijnegem - Shop Eat Enjoy mall, another Plop-Up shop in Nieuwpoort, and the Studio 100 Theater at Plopsaland Belgium.
Plopsa added a water park, Plopsaqua, with theming inspired by Studio 100’s classic children’s characters, next to Plopsaland Belgium in 2015. Plopsa invested 25 million euros in a second Belgian water park, Plopsaqua Hannut-Landen, which opened fully in 2021.
Plopsa is positioning Plopsaland Belgium as a multi-day resort close to the Belgian coast, combining the park’s 55 attractions with Plopsaqua, the theater, and overnight stays. The group opened the Plopsaland Theater Hotel in 2020 at a cost of €25 million. The 117-room hotel immerses guests in the world of their Studio 100 heroes, with themed suites featuring Pat the Pirate, Maya the Bee, and Bumba. Guests can also stay at the 55 cozy 4-star villas in the Plopsaland Village, which opened in time for Christmas 2024.
Together, the Plopsaland Belgium developments drove record growth in 2024. The whole resort welcomed more than 1.6 million visitors and saw turnover increase by 15%. The Plopsaland Theater Hotel welcomed more than 40,000 guests and Plopsaqua De Panne entertained 271,433 swimmers. Visitor numbers at the park this Easter were 33% higher than last year’s figures, continuing the upward trajectory.
“The growth we’ve achieved confirms that our focus on the total experience is working,” Lenaerts says. “These record figures are a great recognition of the hard work of our entire team.”
Lenaerts is now on quite a ride. “The funny thing is that somebody asked me after the cinemas, ‘What are you going to do now?’ I said I’d maybe like to run a big hotel. But now Plopsa’s given me a hotel, water parks, indoor parks, and theme parks. So, I feel lucky, but I asked for a hotel, and they gave me everything!” Lenaerts laughs.
He strives to manage the complexities of Plopsa’s business so that it provides a seamless, emotionally engaging experience for guests.
Defining a Strategic Vision
Lenaerts took over as CEO at a transitional time for Plopsa, following a series of leadership changes. “I was thrilled to become the new CEO,” he says. He began by speaking with the founders, shareholders, and directors to define Plopsa’s direction as a family theme park group.
“We started drawing up the strategy—what I call the hard-core side of the business. We have to be sure about the way to go. People are the soft part, and I found a group of enthusiastic, knowledgeable people committed to the brand.” Empowered by their support, he felt ready to start a new chapter for Plopsa.
Attraction leaders must share a clear storyline with their staff, he believes. Lenaerts takes a leaf out of motivational speaker and author Simon Sinek's book. “At every level of our organization, we start with the ‘Why?’ Why are we going to do this? And what’s your role in that?”
From the executives to the front-line teams, he wants everyone at Plopsa to know their purpose, why their work matters, and how it contributes to the guest experience. To Lenaerts, an efficient organization resembles a Swiss-made Swatch watch, where all the parts, large and small, work together in perfect precision.
Lenaerts spends a great deal of time talking and listening to his teams. “Because they know what our visitors want. They know the problems and the challenges. They see the opportunities. Everybody knows that my office door is always open. I enjoy going to the parks, but I also like that people come to me—to drink a coffee, talk business and football, cycling, and other things.”
Lenaerts believes short lines of communication can make businesses more agile, improve decision making, identify issues, support innovation, and promote a culture of openness, trust, and collaboration.
He wants to create a strong values-led organisation at Plopsa, with everyone aligned behind four pillars: Safety and Security, Quality, Experience and Entertainment, and Human Capital. In addition, growth is a priority for Lenaerts. “The theme park industry is capital intensive, so we need to make a profit. Growth is very important to make the first three things happen,” he says. “If you do things right, people will spend money with you.”
Exciting Expansions
With the fundamentals in place, Lenaerts is looking toward exciting new developments in the pipeline. There’s great news for guests of The Ride to Happiness by Tomorrowland roller coaster, Europe’s first Xtreme Spinning Coaster from MACK Rides, which launched at Plopsaland Belgium in 2021. Lenaerts reveals Plopsa is teaming up again with the Tomorrowland electronic music festival and MACK Rides for a second themed roller coaster at Plopsaland Deutschland.
There’s a clear synergy with Plopsa here: Tomorrowland is a world-class brand, with a dedicated fan base that loves its entertainment and experiences. “A lot of their DNA comes back to what we want in our park, so we are looking forward to a second cooperation with Tomorrowland,” Lenaerts says. The partners are working hard on the creative concept, track, and theming. “It won’t be a copy and paste of the original coaster.”
This year, Plopsa has expanded IP-driven offerings across its parks. Plopsaland Deutschland’s new additions include the Blinky Bill Zone, the Smurfs’ Adventure dark ride, which opened on June 28, and the Plopsa Festival Parade featuring German characters. A Gerstlauer family coaster, themed around the werewolf Freddy Lupin from “100% Wolf” will debut at the park this fall.
Plopsa plans to transform Plopsaland Deutschland, as it did Plopsaland Belgium, using a multifaceted approach: blending an outdoor park with an indoor park, a water park, and hospitality. A new Plopsaqua water park is coming in 2028. Costing more than €40 million, the project is part of Plopsa’s €100-million investment in the German park.
With the park’s strategic location and proximity to France, Luxembourg, and Belgium, Lenaerts is convinced that Plopsaland Deutschland has the potential to match—and even exceed—Plopsaland Belgium’s performance in the long term.
Partying at Plopsaland Belgium
Plopsaland Belgium continues to build upon the success of Studio 100’s Night Watch (Nachtwacht) TV series, based on the adventures of a teenage vampire, elf, and werewolf. Now there’s a new Nachtwacht-themed area for guests to discover. The park’s De Draak roller coaster has received a makeover and a new name, Draconis, to match.
Wickie’s Wervelwind, a Vic the Viking-themed Wild Swing from Art Engineering, is another fresh ride for families to enjoy in the Wickieland area this season.
To mark its 25th anniversary in 2025, Plopsaland Belgium has planned an exciting program. A new Celebration Parade features eight themed floats, Studio 100 characters, dancers, and a soundtrack composed for the spectacle. Guests can enjoy a wide range of shows. “We will also have 25 evening openings this year, so people can spend all day and night at the park,” Lenaerts adds.
At IAAPA Europe Expo 2025 in Sept., Plopsa will announce a major new IP-based indoor attraction for Plopsaland Belgium, in collaboration with MACK Rides.
Character-Filled Fun
Destination businesses are constantly seeking ways to differentiate themselves and boost year-round engagement. Plopsa uses festivals and events to enhance core offerings and attract repeat guests.
The year-long Studio 100 Festival, featuring guest favorite characters, shows, and magical encounters, helped drive attendance growth at Plopsaland Belgium. Kid-friendly Halloween and winter offerings are also popular with their family audiences.
Plopsa’s mission statement emphasizes that its attractions should be accessible and affordable to all. “Everybody should have the opportunity to come to one of our parks and give their children the best day or two of their life,” Lenaerts says.
He recognizes how a character’s wave or embrace can light up guests. “I sometimes think to myself, ‘Why do we need all these expensive attractions?’ Because our IP is touchable—you can hug it and give it high fives. For children, it’s the most important moment of their day.”
Shaping the Future
Lenaerts wants Plopsa to follow a path of incremental growth. “I don’t believe in the big jump. We have to do a little better every day. Those baby steps all add up to a big step.”
However, if the right opportunity arises, acquisitions could figure in Plopsa’s future. The fact that major players, including Disney, Universal, and Puy Du Fou, are pursuing new parks in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region underlines the potential. “We all believe in the future of theme parks. If the whole theme park sector works well, it has a positive impact on everybody, especially those who do a good job,” he says.
“We will look to grow our own parks first,” he says. However, Plopsa’s acquisition history also gives it the expertise to capitalize on new opportunities. “If it fits in our strategy, then we will look at it,” Lenaerts shares.
He is also exploring ways to use new technologies, including data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance operational efficiency, improve forecasting, optimize profitability, and reduce costs. “I don’t think AI will completely take over the family theme park business. The human factor is crucial,” he says. Lenaerts sees its value behind the scenes, using AI-driven tools to extract insights and patterns for better decision making. The technology should support, rather than overshadow, the emotional connection guests are seeking at Plopsa’s destinations.
Lenaerts wants his team to feel that same emotional bond with Plopsa. Beyond its ongoing investment in learning and development, the group fosters a sense of community through events such as the annual staff barbecues and breakfasts held across all Plopsa parks. Recognizing everyone’s effort is vital, he believes. “These are all little things that show your people that they are part of one big family.”
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