Winnoland

Winnoland is a French family amusement park located in Saint-Pierre-du-Perray, in the Essonne department of the Île-de-France region, roughly thirty kilometres south-east of Paris. Its origins go back to 1971, when the Werry family opened Le Manoir de Villededon, a small outdoor site with a refreshment stand and games for children on their land at Villededon, a hamlet of Saint-Pierre-du-Perray. After financial difficulties, the site was bought by the fairground operators Christian Reverchon and Duhy, and the company Babyland was founded on 1 June 1987. In 1991 both the French showman Xavier Lapère and the Belgian Walibi group, led by Eddy Meeùs, expressed interest in acquiring the park. Walibi eventually bought Babyland at the end of September 1992 for 60 million Belgian francs. Meeùs had ambitious plans for a "Walibi Île-de-France", but changes to the Île-de-France regional master plan in 1995, linked to the proximity of the Rougeau forest, made the intended works impossible, and the project was abandoned. The park remained closed and largely untouched. In 1997, as Eddy Meeùs negotiated the sale of the Walibi group to the American operator Premier Parks, he sold Babyland at a loss in December 1997 to Xavier Lapère; the Walibi acquisition closed on 24 March 1998. The storms of late December 1999 swept through the park and the region, and neighbourhood conflicts added to the difficulties. It took the Lapère family about a decade to make the park presentable again. Babyland reopened in spring 2008 with fourteen attractions, aimed at children up to twelve years old and their families. The first season under Lapère drew 16,000 visitors; the second counted more than 30,000 entries. Most mechanical rides were supplied by the Italian manufacturer SBF Visa Group, while other installations were playground structures such as a slide, trampolines and inflatable castles. The park's mascot, a rabbit named Winno, was created in 2013, and the drop'n twist tower ride Montée fantastique opened in 2014. That thrill ride marked a turning point in the park's choice of new attractions and its move to broaden its audience. To signal a new target group, management added the term Amiland to the park's name for the 2014 season, making it Babyland-Amiland, in order to attract children over twelve while keeping those under twelve as the core clientele. Revenue reached €1,458,800 in 2016 with a net profit of €101,600. The arrival of the Bateau pirate in 2017 and, the following year, of a metal roller coaster named Jet by Schwarzkopf confirmed this trend. Revenue in 2017 was €1.968 million with a net profit of €266,200; between 2016 and 2017 the balance sheet grew by 22.51%. Because repairs were constantly postponed, the Jet coaster, although installed in 2018, was not accessible to the public. Revenue in 2018 reached €2,328,200 with a net profit of €264,400. Visitor numbers rose in 2019, and Babyland-Amiland was that year the leading leisure site in Essonne by number of paid admissions. In 2020 the park planned a Train de la mine for 2021 to replace Jet, but the project did not materialise. The opening of Ptéranodon, scheduled for 2021, was pushed back to 2022; the investment amounted to more than one million euros, including €700,000 for decoration and €480,000 for the SBF Visa Group Swing Tower ride. A Vekoma mine train project was announced for 2025. In 2018 the park welcomed 123,097 visitors; in 2021, 110,277. Between 2019 and 2022 attendance grew by 29%. After the 2022 season the park changed its name to Winnoland, after its mascot Winno the rabbit. In 2023 it drew 210,000 visitors. Today Winnoland operates as a family-oriented amusement park near Paris, with a mix of junior roller coasters, water rides and flat rides, largely supplied by SBF Visa Group, alongside playground-style attractions. It remains privately owned by the Lapère family and is marketed as a family amusement park close to Paris.

Winnoland's history begins in 1971, when the Werry family created Le Manoir de Villededon on their land at Villededon, a hamlet of Saint-Pierre-du-Perray in Essonne. The site offered a refreshment stand and outdoor games for children. Following financial difficulties, it was bought by the fairground operators Christian Reverchon and Duhy, and the company Babyland was founded on 1 June 1987. In 1991, the French showman Xavier Lapère — who in 1987 had considered amusement parks unfair competition to fairgrounds — and the Belgian Walibi group led by Eddy Meeùs each showed interest in buying the park. Walibi ultimately acquired Babyland at the end of September 1992 for 60 million Belgian francs. Eddy Meeùs had major plans: located 35 km from the newly opened Euro Disney Resort, Babyland was to receive significant medium-term investment, including possible purchases of neighbouring land to expand the available area, with the aim of building a "Walibi Île-de-France". Initially the group's leaders decided to keep the park closed and did not envisage an opening before 1995, because work on a Dutch site, Walibi Flevo, required all their attention and time. Walibi Flevo opened in 1994, and the Belgian group then planned to start work on the Essonne park the following year. In 1995, however, the regional master plan for Île-de-France changed; the new version was incompatible with the scale of the planned works because of the proximity of the Rougeau forest. The planned investments therefore did not take place and the project was abandoned. The park remained as it was. In 1997, Eddy Meeùs negotiated the sale of the Walibi group to the American company Premier Parks, an amusement park operator in the United States. Before the acquisition was finalised, Meeùs sold Babyland at a loss in December 1997 to Xavier Lapère. The acquisition of the group was completed on 24 March 1998. The storms of late December 1999 swept through the park and the region, and neighbourhood conflicts broke out. It took the Lapère family a decade to make the park presentable to the public. Babyland reopened in spring 2008 with fourteen attractions, targeting children up to twelve years old and their families. The first year of operation under Lapère drew 16,000 visitors; the second year counted more than 30,000 entries. Most mechanical rides were made by the Italian manufacturer SBF Visa Group. Other installations were playground structures such as a slide, trampolines and inflatable castles. The mascot was created in 2013 in the form of a rabbit named Winno. The attraction Montée fantastique, a drop'n twist drop tower, was inaugurated in 2014. The thrilling nature of that ride marked a turning point in the park's choice of new attractions, which evolved to broaden its audience. Management wanted to emphasise their desire for a new target audience and added the term Amiland to the park's name, which thus became Babyland-Amiland for the 2014 season, in order to attract children over twelve, while those under twelve remained the core clientele. Revenue in 2016 reached €1,458,800 and net profit was positive at €101,600. The arrivals of the Bateau pirate in 2017 and, the following year, of a metal roller coaster named Jet by Schwarzkopf confirmed this trend. Revenue in 2017 was €1.968 million and net profit was positive at €266,200. Between 2016 and 2017, the increase in the balance sheet represented 22.51%. Because repairs were constantly postponed, the Jet attraction, although installed since 2018, was not accessible to the public. Revenue in 2018 reached €2,328,200 and net profit was positive at €264,400. Visitor numbers were rising in 2019, and Babyland-Amiland was the leading leisure site in Essonne by number of paid admissions that year. In 2020, the park planned the construction of the Train de la mine to enter service in 2021, with the aim of replacing Jet. This project did not materialise. The opening of Ptéranodon, planned for 2021, was postponed to 2022. The investment for this ride amounted to more than one million euros, i.e. €700,000 for decoration and €480,000 for the SBF Visa Group Swing Tower attraction. The realisation of the mine train project by Vekoma was announced for 2025. In 2018, 123,097 people visited the leisure park. In 2021, 110,277 walked the park's paths. Between 2019 and 2022, the park saw a 29% growth in attendance. After the 2022 season, the park changed its name to Winnoland, after the park's mascot, Winno the rabbit. In 2023, 210,000 people visited the park.

• 2025

  A Vekoma mine train project is announced for 2025.

• 2023

  The park welcomes 210,000 visitors.

• 2022

  The opening of Ptéranodon, planned for 2021, takes place; after the 2022 season the park is renamed Winnoland.

• 2020

  The park plans a Train de la mine for 2021 to replace Jet; the project does not materialise.

• 2019

  Babyland-Amiland is the leading leisure site in Essonne by number of paid admissions.

• 2018

  A metal roller coaster named Jet by Schwarzkopf is installed; revenue reaches €2,328,200 with a net profit of €264,400.

• 2017

  The Bateau pirate ride arrives; revenue reaches €1.968 million with a net profit of €266,200.

• 2016

  Revenue reaches €1,458,800 with a net profit of €101,600.

• 2014

  The drop'n twist tower ride Montée fantastique opens; the park is renamed Babyland-Amiland for the 2014 season.

• 2013

  The park's mascot, a rabbit named Winno, is created.

• 2008

  Babyland reopens in spring 2008 with fourteen attractions, targeting children up to twelve and their families.

• 1999

  Storms of late December 1999 sweep through the park and the region.

• 1998

  The acquisition of the Walibi group by Premier Parks is completed on 24 March 1998.

• 1997

  Eddy Meeùs sells Babyland at a loss in December 1997 to Xavier Lapère, before the Walibi group sale to Premier Parks is finalised.

• 1995

  Changes to the Île-de-France regional master plan make the planned Walibi Île-de-France works impossible; the project is abandoned.

• 1992

  Walibi acquires Babyland at the end of September 1992 for 60 million Belgian francs.

• 1991

  Xavier Lapère and the Belgian Walibi group each express interest in buying the park.

• 1987

  After financial difficulties, the site is bought by fairground operators Christian Reverchon and Duhy; the company Babyland is founded on 1 June 1987.

• 1971

  The Werry family creates Le Manoir de Villededon, a children's outdoor site with a refreshment stand and games, at Villededon in Saint-Pierre-du-Perray.

Family amusement park near Paris, targeting children up to twelve and their families, with a growing offer for older children.

• 2010

  Big Apple

• 2018

  Bûche dansante

• 2015

  Rivière canadienne

• Rivière enchantée

• 2017

  Bateau pirate

• 2008

  Chaises volantes

• 2011

  Chevauchée fantastique

• 2008

  Chevaux de bois

• 2010

  Chien balançoire

• 2018

  Coccinelle

• 2014

  Envolée canine

• 2016

  Grande roue

• Magic Farm

• 2014

  Montée fantastique

• 2022

  Ptéranodon

• Jet

1. 1Winnoland - Parc d'attractions pour la famille près de Pariswinnoland.fr
2. 2Winnolandwikidata.org
3. 3Winnolandfr.wikipedia.org