Plop's Woods

In May 2026, Plopsaland focused on one of The Forest of Plop's most persistent problems: capacity. The classic boat dark ride remained popular, but its relatively low throughput often resulted in long waits. The park therefore tested an adjusted queue layout.

During the trial, visitors could choose between two regular queues. One was intended for groups of one to three people, the other for groups of four or more. A separate line remained for Express Pass users. The two regular groups reached the station from different sides. According to a spokesperson, the test was designed to increase capacity and efficiency, and it was considered successful.

For visitors, this was practical news: the park was looking for ways to improve the waiting experience without rebuilding the ride itself. Historically, the test fits the broader direction around The Forest of Plop. After years of uncertainty and a major refurbishment, Plopsa had chosen preservation, but still needed to address the weak point of this cult classic.

In March 2026, an uncomfortable queue issue emerged around The Forest of Plop. Visitors had seen parts of the old Kabouter Plop music video Wij Dansen from 1999 in the waiting area. The clip shows Plop and other gnome characters in blackface, footage that Studio 100 no longer presents through its official channels.

Plopsa confirmed to Looopings that the wrong DVD had been used. A spokesperson said several DVDs were in circulation and that only Plop en de Wenssteen, a 2013 film without the controversial scenes, would be played from then on. The park also planned to create new queue clips, including French-language songs for guests from Wallonia and France.

The timing made the mistake especially sensitive. Shortly before, Plopsaland had introduced two darker-skinned gnome figures in the refurbished ride. The incident showed that The Forest of Plop is not only a nostalgic attraction, but also a place where older Studio 100 culture and modern sensitivities meet.

Shortly after the refurbishment of The Forest of Plop, a content change became visible. The attraction now also includes gnome figures with darker skin tones. Plopsaland confirmed to Looopings that several new residents had been welcomed during the major update and that the ride had been given the opportunity to become more contemporary.

These were not entirely new figures, but existing characters repainted in a different colour. Previously, all gnomes in the boat ride were white. Looopings placed the choice alongside similar updates in other theme parks, such as darker elves in Droomvlucht, and against the background of older Kabouter Plop material that is now considered controversial.

For visitors, such a detail does not change the ride mechanically, but it does change its cultural layer. The Forest of Plop is strongly tied to nostalgia from the late 1990s and 2000. By adjusting the figures, Plopsaland showed that preserving a classic does not have to mean keeping everything exactly the same.