Tumbi's Ball Pool

On 8 July 2023, Circus Bumba reached its first public moment. Plopsaland De Panne presented the indoor area to passholders in the evening, and from the next day all visitors could enter. For Tumbi's Ball Pool, this marked the move from construction project to playable attraction. The ball pool was part of the opening lineup alongside the balloon carousel Bumballoon, the rotating bus De Dolle Bus and Poppa's Klimtoren. The area's headline ride, the dark ride Op Reis Met Bumba, was not finished yet. That made the first visitor experience lean heavily on the smaller attractions and play areas that young children could use straight away. Looopings reported that more than 1,500 Bumba hats were built into the décor and that Bumba himself appeared 38 times. The indoor circus area covers around 3,000 square metres and formed part of a 12.5 million euro investment. For Tumbi's Ball Pool, this is the key historical moment: from this opening onward, it became a visible part of Plopsaland's offer for its youngest guests.

In February 2023, Circus Bumba moved from design boards to the construction floor. Looopings showed Plopsaland De Panne installing attractions inside the large hall of its new indoor themed area. The lineup was set to include three mechanical rides, two play areas, a theatre, a shop and food outlets. For Tumbi's Ball Pool, this was an important milestone: the ball pool was no longer only a concept in the plans, but appeared in the report with its name and its place within the Bumba area. While Bumballoon and De Dolle Bus could already be seen in position, Poppa's Klimtoren and Tumbi's Ball Pool emerged as the free-play elements for younger children. The dark ride Op Reis Met Bumba remained the headline attraction, yet the report made clear that Circus Bumba depended on the mix of rides and play zones. Plopsa put the construction cost at 12.5 million euros, and no opening date had been announced yet. For fans, this was the point at which the earlier plans became tangible.

In December 2022, Plopsaland gave fans a fresh look at Circus Bumba, the indoor expansion scheduled to open in 2023. Most attention went to the planned Bumba dark ride, but the same update also showed how broad the children's area was meant to be. Alongside a rotating bus, a balloon carousel and a play tree, the plans included a ball pool, the play feature that would later appear in the hall as Tumbi's Ball Pool. For visitors, that made Circus Bumba more than a single ride: it was being shaped as a sheltered area where young children could also play freely. The 12.5 million euro expansion was built on the site of a former theatre and near the location of the demolished Fred Kroket restaurant. Looopings also noted that the project would open three years later than first planned and that an earlier children's coaster idea had been dropped. For Tumbi's Ball Pool, this update matters because it captures the attraction at the concept stage, as a calm, accessible play component within a larger Bumba development.