Last time we ventured out in Mario it was a pretty stressful ending. We did make it back and the Adblue issues were fixed, turns out it wasn't actually an issue with the Adblue but rather a manifold pressure sensor so several hundred pounds later that was one issue sorted and then we had the damp problems to resolve. Can't recall if I mentioned these in the blog with everything else going on but unfortunately two of the windows that had previously had issues were damp again and only 18 months after we had the original issues after we'd purchased it. As it happens we took it back to the chap who did the first repairs and when it was time to collect the moho we were preparing for a difficult conversation about the initial work and the cost but he didn't charge us a penny! He even fixed some other areas that we don't think we're related to the problems last time and despite our trying to give him something for at least the materials he wouldn't have it. Only 10 more years then we can go back to a metal based van and hopefully not have damp issues to worry about! We missed 4 activities at the end of the summer including a new theme park and using some girl maths I had already paid for the return ferry from France that I was able to defer for only £10 so it really made sense to spend another several hundred pounds so I didn't lose out on that £110 return ferry crossing right 🤣. Personally I would have made the most of the Halloween half term and gone for at least a week but the kids were adamant they wanted to go trick or treating back at home so this trip is just a 4 day mini adventure with 2 theme parks, water park and day in Brussels. The Brussels activities and one of the theme parks were planned for summer so we get to do those after all.

Friday comes and with military precision the kids are collected from school, lunch box tea waiting for them and we're off.

I'm not quite sure what I was thinking when booking the 7.40 ferry from Dover as we couldn't have got away much quicker, our arrival time is already showing 7pm and we need to be there a minimum of an hour before departure but turns out there's just really heavy traffic on the roads as without that it would be feasible. Annoyingly the next ferry is only 20 mins after so it's unlikely we'll get that either which means we'll have to wait until 10pm to get across. The saving grace however is that our first stop is only 45 mins from Calais (15 from Dunkirk) so it's not far once we're in France. Well Google maps has failed us, apparently the M25 is a car park so it's decided to take us, and a good few others, off and on the back roads. The problem is we can't tell what sort of roads these are and it turns out it's a single track road, these are bad at the best of times but in a moho and when there's a traffic jam is unthinkable. All I can say is well done Al, I think I would have abandoned the moho and pretended it was nothing to do with me, how he got to the other side I really don't know but it was bad enough as the passenger.

The rest of the drive was fine although by the time we were through passport control what should have taken 2.5hrs had taken 5hrs. Good news though there was another ferry at 9.10pm so we just managed to get on board. The crossing wasn't too busy and we passed the 90 mins watching 'Is it cake' Halloween edition along with our new cuddly toys. Now I'm the first to say no to more toys coming home with us but Robert played it well. We went to the duty free to check out the alcohol (Christmas is coming up after all) when Robert saw a mini sushi 🍣 teddy which he said I needed in my life and he's not wrong. It was also 3 for 2 which meant really the kids could also get one each and it was a bargain. As you can imagine Al didn't look impressed as we came walking back with our teddies but we now do have a sushi mascot for the van.

We rocked up in Calais feeling a little grotty as the crossing had been rather rough but thankfully we only had 40 mins until we reached our supermarket stop. The last time we stayed here was 2 years ago on the way to Denmark and we discovered the moho had a terrible damp issue. With tonight's weather we'll certainly find out if the repairs have worked as were caught in one heck of a storm. Luckily it doesn't wake the kids although I certainly remember hearing the wind and rain in the night. It was still horrific when we all woke up the next day and I even googled how fast does the wind need to be to blow over a moho, turns out 50mph could do it and right now the forecast says we've got gusts up to 37mph so we should be ok. I am slightly concerned that things might be closed at the themepark but after we've had our breakfast and got dressed we seem to have got through the other side of the storm. We're only 10 minutes away from Plopsland which actually happens to be in Belgium and not France as I originally thought. I had told Robert we could both practice our French but it turns out we're in the Flemish part and although things in the park are dual signed the majority of the voices are Flemish. We've been given premium parking right at the front of the park with the coaches which turns out to be rather handy as we decide not to lug our lunch around and instead we'll just come back to the van once we're hungry.

Today they have late hours in the park with special Halloween shows and fireworks meaning we've got 12hrs to fit everything in. First we're treated to a mini Halloween show at the entrance then our first ride in their version of something resembling it's a small world / snow white style ride with these little elf people and it's actually our longest queue of the day.

Now Liliya's over 120cm there's only 2 rides she can't go on which makes this park perfect for their age as Robert's still happy to go on some of the tamer rides too. We've heard about a special Halloween show we decide to try, we figured with all other shows at parks even if we don't understand the language they are still enjoyable to watch. This one however is very Dutch, the three main characters are clearly famous as people at the front rows are handing out flowers and cards they have written for them. 10 minutes in and I really can't get the jist of what's going on and other than banging some sticks it's very speech heavy. I decide to do a quick Google to see if I can learn anything and that's when I find out the whole thing lasts 75 minutes! Maybe things get more exciting but I'm not waiting here to find out.

There's a good mixture of rides to keep everyone entertained but our favourite is the wooden coaster called Heidi which we end up going on three times over the course of the day. The most pointless ride we all agreed was the haunted house, a witch asked our group if someone would give her 7 years for safe passage which did not agree to but then other than a lady dressed as a ghost walking past us and a zombie sitting in a chair that was it until we got to the end when we had to say a spell based on the TV show and the failed theatre show we bailed on then the same 3 characters started muttering something on the TV screen. We did the dragon coaster (also related to this TV show) and the log flume, I had come prepared with ponchos for us all as I know how wet you can get on the water rides and drying off in this weather would be impossible. Yes we looked like absolute fools and Al wouldn't join in but we survived as dry as we went on.

It was finally time for the ride that has won best ride in Europe several times. It was certainly unlike anything I'd experienced before but very hard to describe so here's how Google puts it. The "Ride to Happiness" is a unique, high-energy roller coaster, best described as an extreme spinning coaster that combines launches, inversions, and free-spinning cars for a disorienting yet joyful experience. It's known for its two launches propelling riders up to 90 km/h, multiple inversions (including a banana roll and vertical loop), a zero-g roll, and unpredictable spinning cars that rotate freely, making each ride slightly different. The ride is themed by Tomorrowland, creating a psychedelic and euphoric atmosphere with a special soundtrack.

It's certainly up there in my favourite rides along with Robert's too. The second time I went with him he sounded like a pro knowing which side I should sit on for a more extreme version and he wasn't wrong it was really intense. With one of the big coasters under our belt we headed back to the van to get lunch and warm up. We joked with Robert about having a nap and he said he could really do with one. At this point the heavens opened again and we figured a cheeky 30 mins might them some good after a late night yesterday. Liliya was insistent that she didn't need a nap so I snuggled up with her and caught myself a few winks too.

Not sure how long they would have slept for but they didn't seem happy having only had 30 mins and Robert decided he needed another ride to happiness to perk him up which it certainly did.

We did a few more coasters then the kids really wanted to go on the spinning swing ride which Al refuses to go on since he tried one in Copenhagen around 15 years ago and hasn't been on another since. We did get some great views across the park but I can see why it would be terrifying.

We promised the kids some churros so they get a quick snack before more rides.

Ponchos back on and we go on their other water ride, the park is starting to ease up and it wasn't really busy to begin with so we're straight on without queuing and we even get to go twice as there's no one waiting when we come back around. Finally it's time for the other big coaster Anubis, that was definitely another wow moment as it propels you off straight from the get go. Here's what Google has to say about this.. Anubis: The Ride at Plopsaland De Panne is a thrilling, themed launch roller coaster based on the TV show The House of Anubis. It accelerates from 0 to 90 km/h in just 2 seconds, reaches a height of 34 meters, and features three inversions along its 600-meter track. The ride is known for its intense launch, fast-paced layout, and immersive queue line designed to look like the show's mysterious boarding school.
I can't say we noticed anything in the queue as the 3 times we went on we walked straight through in quick succession. Liliya only needs 3cm more until she can ride this so we've promised her we'll come back once she's ready. There's just one more major ride to do (think the Edge in Paultons if you know that) and it's now pitch black which makes for a different riding experience. There's still time for some tame rides in the funfair section so we all enjoy the carousel and the kids go on the dodgems.

Unfortunately we're told the fireworks can't go ahead because of the bad weather coming which is a shame but there's still the fire show so we head over to see that whilst also getting some classic Belgium chips for supper.

Thankfully this show had no speaking or than a song at the very start and had some real fun tricks with fire. With just an hour left and it getting quite cold we have a final go on the ride to happiness then go to the indoor area where the kids happily spend plenty of time in the giant ball pit.

The kids and I try out the wavy slide a few times (I certainly got my flights goal for the day doing that) and there was time for one final ride on a spinning flower thing. Liliya gave the park a 99% rating, Robert gave it 8/10. It's definitely not as big as Efteling which has become one of our favourite parks along with Disney but we've all had a fantastic time. We've been really lucky with the weather too as no sooner are we on the road towards Brussels than the rain comes down hard and fast. We hit a slight detour getting to our village car park for the night and Liliya is already asleep when we arrive. Hopefully we can make the most of our extra hour in bed overnight and a slightly shorter day in the capital.