Niglo and Niglotte can smile. The hedgehogs, mascots of the Nigloland amusement park in Dolancourt, encountered a host of visitors in 2024. On Monday November 11, the last day of Nigloween, the counter stopped at 750,000 visitors. This is the best score since the creation of the park in 1987, behind 2022 and its 763,000 entries, when the grip of Covid was loosening and the need to change our minds was strong. “The objective at the start of the year was to exceed 700,000 entries. If we reached the 730,000 mark, that was very good and above the bonus,” says Rodolphe Gélis, the president of Nigloland. The second edition of Printemps de Niglo, from March 30 to May 5, attracted 95,000 visitors. Nigloween, an institution for park lovers, recorded 194,000 entries from October 5 to November 11.
Named best French amusement park, in the category of less than one million annual visitors, by the Parc Fan Awards, Nigloland wins this prize for the third time in a row. The ranking was established half by the votes of a jury of professionals and the other half by the vote of Internet users. “This public recognition is very important for our teams,” continues Rodolphe Gélis. We are Little Thumb who challenges the big parks. This position suits us well. » On the podium in its category, Nigloland is ahead of the PAL animal park in Allier (730,000 entries in 2024) and Fraispertuis-City in the Vosges (281,000 entries). In the category above, the winner is Parc Astérix, notably in competition with Disneyland and Futuroscope.
Accommodation capacities doubled
Will we one day see Aube Park in this category? Rodolphe Gélis does not hide the fact that he dreams of reaching a million visitors annually, but there is still a long way to go. “When I returned in 2017, we were at 600,000 visitors and we are now at 750,000. If we follow the same growth curve, we will tend towards 850,000-900,000.” The young man remembers the speech that for a long time his father Philippe and his uncle Patrice, the founders of the park. “Since I was born and for at least 25 years, I have heard about the milestone of 500,000 visitors! »
Among the levers to increase its attendance, Nigloland is banking on its Spring, expected to gain momentum in 2025. There will be more decorations, a bigger egg hunt and a new show. As a reminder, Printemps de Niglo attracted 60,000 visitors for its first edition. On the other hand, there is no question of opening at Christmas as Rodolphe Gélis is often asked. “It’s the joker we have to “cheat” and reach a million visitors! » he laughs. “Opening at Christmas would mean completely reviewing our organization and postponing recruitment campaigns. Twenty years ago, when Nigloween was created, it was a revolution. »
To attract even more people, the park will focus next year on the quality of its welcome. “We are going to quadruple the number of places for motorhomes. There will now be around a hundred. » Accommodation capacities will be doubled. The Pirates’ Hotel and its 30 rooms for 4 people still hold their own but now neighbors Cabaïana. This project of 20 eco-designed cabins with natural materials will accommodate 120 more people. Each cabin, entirely independent, is designed for 6 people. Open for a few weeks, reservations have already been a great success. “We are relaunching our accommodation dynamic,” breathes Rodolphe Gélis. There had been nothing in this area since 2005. » A major player in the development of the territory, Nigloland solicited a majority of local companies for this new hotel. Furthermore, the restaurant at the Pirate Hotel will considerably increase its capacity. 300 people will be able to enjoy it simultaneously.
If Niglo and Niglotte are smiling, it is also because their house will be inaugurated at the beginning of April when the park opens. Visitors will learn more about the two small mammals by discovering their world. The 2025 season has not even started, the park management is already thinking about the future. See you in 2026, which will see the restaurant “Le Terrier” rise from the ground and the creperie double its capacity. Or even in 2027 and the launch of the new inversion roller coaster. Is a million that far away?
