Drako

During Walibi Holland's winter opening, Drako ran into exactly the kind of conditions that can challenge a small family coaster. Snow and cold prevented the train from completing its circuit on a Saturday evening. It stopped halfway through the layout shortly before closing time, after which the riders had to be evacuated.

The incident remained manageable because the train came to a halt low above the ground. Still, it showed how vulnerable outdoor rides can be during a winter event. Looopings reported that Drako was not the only attraction affected: many other major outdoor rides at Walibi Holland also stayed closed because of the wintry weather.

For visitors, the impact was a sharply reduced ride line-up, with entertainment and Merlin's Magic Castle serving as the main alternatives. Walibi handed out free return tickets for the following season. For Drako, the incident became a notable recent chapter in the coaster's history. The ride has operated at Walibi Holland since 1992 and has changed both name and location several times over the years.

At the end of 2024, Walibi Holland made Bright Nights larger than in previous editions. For the first time, visitors could access the entire park during the winter opening, including the Zero Zone themed area. That also changed Drako's role: the children's coaster became part of the winter line-up for the first time.

Looopings described how the event was expanded with a synthetic skating rink, Santa's Workshop, light shows, fire pits and several extra activities. In Zero Zone, Drako opened alongside Walibi Express, Crazy River, The Tomahawk and the Play Area. The façade of The Clinic was used for a laser effect, while Lost Gravity received a dedicated light show.

For visitors, this meant Bright Nights was no longer centred on only a limited part of the park. Drako gained a new seasonal role: not as a headline novelty, but as a family-friendly ride that helped make the winter opening feel more complete. In the ride's history, that is notable. For decades, Drako had mainly been known as a regular-season attraction. Its winter opening showed how Walibi can use older family rides to make an event broader and more accessible.

In February 2022, Walibi Holland made a small but striking piece of attraction history public. During the refurbishment of the Zero Zone themed area, the silver-coloured head of the dragon Drako was removed. Instead of throwing the set piece away, the park gave season pass holders a chance to take it home.

The competition turned a practical refurbishment into a fan moment. Interested guests had to explain why they deserved the dragon head. Walibi described the object as an original collector's item, a reminder that recognisable theming around a ride can become almost as memorable to fans as the ride itself.

Looopings also placed the promotion within Drako's longer history. The coaster opened at Walibi Holland in 1992 as Keverbaan, after previously operating at a park in France. It later carried names such as Road Runner Express, Wok's Waanzin and Rattlesnake. The removed dragon head therefore marked more than a visual refresh of Zero Zone: it was a tangible change to one of the park's longest-running roller coasters.