Waterparks and Theme Parks

Waterparks Continue Extreme Growth

As America's enjoyment of waterparks grows, new construction of waterparks continues, and the facilities are great options for religious youth and family events. Two trends are at work with waterpark growth, according to the World Waterpark Association:

• Indoor Waterpark Resorts. One of the two top segments of waterpark-industry growth is the indoor waterpark hotel, according to Aleatha Ezra, director of WWA park member development. Waterpark resorts help to keep hotel rooms filled when business travelers head for home, while offering families a quick, fun getaway.

• Municipal-Owned Waterparks. While most major markets have a mega-waterpark, cities still have plenty of room for public venues, Ezra says. These facilities don't match the big waterparks for size and thrills, but the local waterparks whet the appetite of families for bigger, more thrilling rides and have come to replace the role of the city pool.

New at many of the big waterparks are “funnel rides,” impressive-looking creations that send passengers in four-person cloverleaf tubes down a steep tunnel and into an enormous funnel. The tubes climb back and forth along the walls and produce free-floating sensations before water jets shoot the tubes out the narrow end of the funnel.

Venue News

Waterparks Update

Wet 'n' Wild Phoenix
Phoenix

The News: The 25-acre WaterWorld Safari water park in Phoenix is under new management and reopened in June as Wet 'n' Wild Phoenix.

CoCo Key Water Resort at the Holiday Inn
Waterbury, Conn.

The News: A 50,000-square-foot indoor waterpark resort opened in late 2008. The hotel offers 282 guest rooms, 22 meeting rooms, and nearly 39,000 square feet of meeting space.

Waves of Fun
Sandwich, Ill.

The News: A 50,000-square-foot indoor waterpark resort adjacent to the Best Western Timber Creek Inn & Suites is scheduled to open in late 2009. The hotel has 100 guest rooms and 25,000 square feet of meeting and convention space.

Schlitterbahn Vacation Village
Kansas City, Kan.

The News: A 40-acre waterpark is now open, with 13 attractions, including 24 slides, chutes, rivers, beaches. The park is phase one of a development that will include a hotel resort and a shopping, dining, and entertainment complex.

CoCo Key Water Park at Courtyard by Marriott Fitchburg
Fitchburg, Mass.

The News: A 55,000-square-foot indoor waterpark resort opened in 2008. The hotel has 245 guest rooms, nine meeting rooms, and 71,000 square feet of meeting space.

Sahara Sam's Oasis
West Berlin, N.J.

The News: A 72,000-square-foot indoor waterpark has opened. This freestanding park is not part of a hotel or resort.

The Cascades
Cortland, N.Y.

The News: A 41,000-square-foot indoor waterpark, part of Hope Lake Lodge Resort at Greek Peak, is scheduled to open this fall.

Great Wolf Lodge Concord
Concord, N.C.

The News: A new resort with an 80,000-square-foot waterpark opened in April. The resort features a 20,000-square-foot conference center with five meeting rooms.

Kalahari Resort
Sandusky, Ohio

The News: To complement its water attractions, the resort has added the Safari Adventures animal park. The park offers educational and interactive meetings with giraffes, zebras, ostriches, and more.

Cowabunga Bay
Draper, Utah

The News: A new outdoor waterpark opened in June.

Chaos Water Park Resort
Eau Claire, Wis.

The News: A 30,000-square-foot indoor waterpark resort has opened. The Metropolis Hotel is part of the resort.

Theme Parks Update: The Year of the Discount

Theme-park news for 2009 can be described with one word: discounts. To maintain market share and keep the turnstiles moving, parks have been discounting admission fees and hotel prices. Opportunities should exist for you to negotiate good rates for your religious gathering.

Universal Orlando Resort
Orlando

The News: Music Plaza is Universal Orlando Resort's new outdoor concert venue. Music Plaza was designed in the spirit of the iconic Hollywood Bowl and complements Universal Orlando's new roller coaster, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. Music Plaza is available for group rentals.

Cypress Gardens and Splash Island Water Park
Winter Haven, Fla.

The News: Cypress Gardens Adventure Park reopened in March as Cypress Gardens and Splash Island Water Park. Gone are the coasters, other rides, and animals; the focus is on the park's botanical and topiary gardens. Cypress Gardens has kept its famous water shows.

Holiday World
Santa Claus, Ind.

The News: New is Pilgrims Plunge, the world's tallest water ride, which takes 10-passenger boats up a 135-foot hill using an elevator lift and drops them 131 feet at a 45-degree angle.

Six Flags New Orleans
New Orleans

The News: The Katrina-damaged park remains closed this season.

Six Flags Great Escape
Lake George, N.Y.

The News: The new Sasquatch drop tower is the tallest ride in the park at 192 feet.

Worlds of Fun
Kansas City, Mo.

The News: Prowler, a sprawling wooden roller coaster tangled within the park's forested terrain, has opened. The $8 million attraction sends riders through elevation changes of 102 feet along 3,074 feet of track.

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