Live at Plopsaland for the first time
For many visitors, meeting the Studio 100 characters has been one of the highlights of a day at the park ever since Plopsaland first opened. With the arrival of Arnie & Barney, the Plopsa family is once again growing. With their red colour and olive-green military helmets, Arnie & Barney are instantly recognisable as the clumsy soldiers of the ant colony. The two ants are best known for their playful humour, slapstick comedy and the chaos they bring with them wherever they go. The development of the new characters took more than a year and a half. From 1 June, visitors to Plopsaland Belgium and Plopsaland Deutschland will be able to meet them live for the very first time during meet & greets in the park.
Joachim Doclot, Entertainment Responsible at the Plopsa Group:
“With Arnie & Barney, we are bringing two characters to our parks who will immediately add a lot of energy and fun. They are playful, clumsy and, above all, very funny. That makes them great for encounters with our visitors, while also offering many opportunities for future shows and entertainment.”
First Maya the Bee spin-off film
Arnie & Barney are two beloved side characters from the successful Maya the Bee franchise. This year, they will also star in their very own animated adventure on the big screen. The CGI animated film will premiere in Germany on 3 September 2026 and will become the very first Maya the Bee spin-off film. The film was produced by Studio 100 International, in collaboration with Studio Isar Animation and 3Doubles Producciones, and follows the hilarious adventures of the two popular ants. The film targets a slightly older audience and offers a big-screen adventure for families and older children.
Maya Show in multiple languages from 1 June
The arrival of Arnie & Barney is part of a broader expansion of the Maya experience at Plopsaland. This will also be reflected in the Bumba Theater at Plopsaland Belgium with the Maya Show The Queen’s Ball, which starts on 1 June. What makes this particularly special is that, for the first time, a Plopsaland park show will be made fully available in multiple languages. Visitors will be able to follow the show in German and French via headphones. This multilingual approach fits within the further internationalisation of Plopsaland and makes the show more accessible to visitors from France and Germany.
