As temperatures drop and clouds roll in at the end of another summer, the waterpark community has begun to lighten up on tempting patrons to visit their shores. Instead, the industry is redirecting that energy to a better season for 2009 and beyond.
Part of that effort is the push for more parks. With many expecting the economy to hit the deep end this winter, summer ’09 is evidently the perfect time to open some doors on a higher note. One such venue is the Hickory Creek waterpark, which officials in the Chicago suburb of Mokena just approved after several months of dialogue. The waterpark resort, from J-4 Development and JL Burke Contracting, will include two hotels and a 40,000-square-foot indoor attraction space.
To help rope in additional visitors, Hickory Creek will capitalize on the Chicago baseball frenzy, bringing Sox and Cubs fans alike to its 100,000-plus-squre foot baseball academy and four fields. After all, taking the plunge in the industry is all about diversifying, as we saw this summer with all the new innovations existing parks added to their offerings.
Meanwhile, Pennsylvania’s Pocono-area resort, the Summit, is set to reopen next year after sitting dormant since 2002. Originally shut down to house an outlet mall, the owners have changed plans and now want to invest in a 411-room hotel and indoor waterpark. According to owner Tony Farda, the waterpark resort industry is projecting such growth in the area that the new Outback Lodge will help recapture the lost honeymoon and family vacation fun the locale was once famous for.
If you can’t wait ‘til next summer to hit the slides, another Pocono park is planning the make a splash this fall. H2Oooohhh, at Lake Harmony’s Split Rock Resort, will offer its services not only to resort guests, but the public as well. That plan keeps with this year’s trend of courting locals to offset losses caused by reduced travel for would-be vacationers. The whimsically named park will also feature another big movement of 2008: the stationary wave machine, an apparatus that has seen big benefits for operators and visitors all summer across the country.
Perhaps these parks are taking advantage of the plummeting construction costs offered by firms trying to scrape by until things improve, or developers are clinging to a segment of the industry that has managed to stay afloat during tough times. Either way, the trend is making way for sunnier days a year from now.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Friday, August 8, 2008
Out with the Old...
In the midst of a gas crunch that has many would-be travelers forgoing summer trips for local outings, waterparks are continuing to add fun features that keep locals pouring in while tempting out-of-towners to put the pedal to the metal for at least one occasion next season.
For Pennsylvania’s Hersheypark, there’s no exception. The self-proclaimed “sweetest place on earth” will add an abundance of new goodies for patrons in 2009. On the agenda are The Shore, a wave pool with zero-depth entry and surf simulator, and the Intercoastal Highway. This one offers park-goers of the lazier variety a roughly quarter-mile stretch that snakes its way around The Shore. The Fahrenheit coaster is a new enticement for summer patrons visiting the park this year. It opened in May.
This is all in addition to The Boardwalk, Hersheypark’s newest main attraction and Aquatics International’s recent Dream Design winner: The Boardwalk, a $21-million Water Technology-designed spraypark extravaganza. Check out page 54 in our July/August issue for the full rundown on the Atlantic City-inspired water romp that marks the park’s 100-year anniversary last summer.
But all this excitement comes with a price: the guest-favorite whitewater simulation Canyon River Rapids will be demolished at season’s end in favor of the new wave pool. This trend is a common one these days, with park operators scrambling to keep things fresh. David J. Sangree, president of Hotel & Leisure Advisors, emphasized in a recent article that innovation is key, and that expansion and new additions are the best way for parks to keep their heads above water in a less-than-desirable economic climate.
With that in mind, replacing Canyon River with attractions that can accommodate up to 4,000 guests at once seems like a no-brainer. After all, that number makes up almost half of all the guests Hersheypark will be able to fit on this premises after the new build. And while some regular guests have expressed sadness as the park’s once-iconic ride slows its flow for good, operators have reason to believe they’ll return for a whole new rush next year.
For Pennsylvania’s Hersheypark, there’s no exception. The self-proclaimed “sweetest place on earth” will add an abundance of new goodies for patrons in 2009. On the agenda are The Shore, a wave pool with zero-depth entry and surf simulator, and the Intercoastal Highway. This one offers park-goers of the lazier variety a roughly quarter-mile stretch that snakes its way around The Shore. The Fahrenheit coaster is a new enticement for summer patrons visiting the park this year. It opened in May.
This is all in addition to The Boardwalk, Hersheypark’s newest main attraction and Aquatics International’s recent Dream Design winner: The Boardwalk, a $21-million Water Technology-designed spraypark extravaganza. Check out page 54 in our July/August issue for the full rundown on the Atlantic City-inspired water romp that marks the park’s 100-year anniversary last summer.
But all this excitement comes with a price: the guest-favorite whitewater simulation Canyon River Rapids will be demolished at season’s end in favor of the new wave pool. This trend is a common one these days, with park operators scrambling to keep things fresh. David J. Sangree, president of Hotel & Leisure Advisors, emphasized in a recent article that innovation is key, and that expansion and new additions are the best way for parks to keep their heads above water in a less-than-desirable economic climate.
With that in mind, replacing Canyon River with attractions that can accommodate up to 4,000 guests at once seems like a no-brainer. After all, that number makes up almost half of all the guests Hersheypark will be able to fit on this premises after the new build. And while some regular guests have expressed sadness as the park’s once-iconic ride slows its flow for good, operators have reason to believe they’ll return for a whole new rush next year.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Miami Vices
Believe it or not, the sun-and-fun city of Miami only just last month opened its first city run waterpark. Grapeland Water Park appears to be the bright and splashy city personified in slides and pools, featuring a plethora of vibrant artwork and sculptures that reflect the colors and party atmosphere the South Florida hotspot is known for. Developers tapped pop artist Romero Britto to bring the Miami vibe inside the Grapeland gates.
And while sometimes Miami, with its penchant for thong bikinis and ripped bodies doesn’t exactly bring to mind “fun for the whole family,” Grapeland has managed to mesh what typical waterpark patrons want with consideration for Miami’s often showy locals. Of course, the park offers a lazy-river type pool, slides and play features, but it has also created an adult-only vibe with its special resort-style, beach entry pool that aims to keep the underage fun separate. How else can you compete with the abundant beach life in the area (which doesn’t happen to charge and admission fee)? Another draw away from the beach? Discounted tickets for Miami’s residents, who also get free admission every Wednesday.
The opening of the park has perhaps spearheaded the trend of tailoring waterparks to compliment surrounding areas, but Grapeland’s creation also fits with a preexisting movement that has had the entire globe talking for the better part of the new millennium: environmental concerns.
Years before developers began building in 2004, the waterpark site had been used a local dump, and the city had to fork out a lot of its budget for pricy environmental cleanups, totaling $10 million dollars. That number ended up being half the total cost of Grapeland.
The design/build firm for the project was Recreational Design and Construction, Inc. The water park is one component of a 13-acre active park which also incorporates a baseball complex with 4 fields, and a Community Center/Recreational Building consisting of two (2) multipurpose rooms, an art room, and a computer room. The estimated project cost is $20,369,988 with funding provided by Miami Dade County Building Better Communities (GOB), MSEA Contribution & Impact Fees.
And while sometimes Miami, with its penchant for thong bikinis and ripped bodies doesn’t exactly bring to mind “fun for the whole family,” Grapeland has managed to mesh what typical waterpark patrons want with consideration for Miami’s often showy locals. Of course, the park offers a lazy-river type pool, slides and play features, but it has also created an adult-only vibe with its special resort-style, beach entry pool that aims to keep the underage fun separate. How else can you compete with the abundant beach life in the area (which doesn’t happen to charge and admission fee)? Another draw away from the beach? Discounted tickets for Miami’s residents, who also get free admission every Wednesday.
The opening of the park has perhaps spearheaded the trend of tailoring waterparks to compliment surrounding areas, but Grapeland’s creation also fits with a preexisting movement that has had the entire globe talking for the better part of the new millennium: environmental concerns.
Years before developers began building in 2004, the waterpark site had been used a local dump, and the city had to fork out a lot of its budget for pricy environmental cleanups, totaling $10 million dollars. That number ended up being half the total cost of Grapeland.
The design/build firm for the project was Recreational Design and Construction, Inc. The water park is one component of a 13-acre active park which also incorporates a baseball complex with 4 fields, and a Community Center/Recreational Building consisting of two (2) multipurpose rooms, an art room, and a computer room. The estimated project cost is $20,369,988 with funding provided by Miami Dade County Building Better Communities (GOB), MSEA Contribution & Impact Fees.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Catching the Wave
Beaches Resorts has jumped on the surf-culture bandwagon this spring, announcing that it will feature American Wave Machines Inc.’s Surfstream at its new Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort and Spa Pirates Island waterpark. This expansion is part of Beaches’ new $125 million development program, which will result in a park 10 times the size of its previous offering, opening this coming winter.
The inclusion of the Surfstream at Beaches comes on the heels of a year that has seen a number of new and improved standing wave machine products, including competitor Wave Loch’s new FlowRider. Scotland-based Murphy’s Waves Ltd. has compensated for chilly temperatures in the North Sea by putting in the new wave attraction at the Mandalay Bay resort in sunny Las Vegas.
Resorts and parks are capitalizing on the guest response to such features, which are now being seen in “bottomless” models – meaning that the floor below the simulated waves has been dropped down, making room for actual surfboards with skegs instead of limiting use to body and boogie boards, appealing to a crowd of actual surfers who might not be near a real live ocean but still want to catch a wave. And because these wave machines are now attracting some real talent, many waterparks offering rides say that they have seen a non-surfer guest increase as well, because it’s nearly as much fun to watch riders as it is to get on a board yourself. It certainly makes waiting in the long lines a popular ride generates much more bearable.
Surfing’s close cousins, snow- and skateboarding, are also getting in on the action the recreation industry has been seeing in recent months. SwimWays Corp., out of Virginia, has signed an exclusive deal with Tony Hawk (the legendary skateboarder) to develop and manufacture his company’s Subskate underwater skateboard product. By bringing in the foremost name in alternative sports, the aquatics industry is fast cementing a reputation as a haven for not only your average swimmer and diver, but also pretty much anything you’d see in the X-Games. Snowflex, a Wisconsin company, has introduced what it calls an “alternative ski surface,” which its makers are branding as an addition to waterparks that will jumpstart a transition into “adventure resorts.” And it will give wannabe surfers something to do while they wait for a turn on the wave machine.
The inclusion of the Surfstream at Beaches comes on the heels of a year that has seen a number of new and improved standing wave machine products, including competitor Wave Loch’s new FlowRider. Scotland-based Murphy’s Waves Ltd. has compensated for chilly temperatures in the North Sea by putting in the new wave attraction at the Mandalay Bay resort in sunny Las Vegas.
Resorts and parks are capitalizing on the guest response to such features, which are now being seen in “bottomless” models – meaning that the floor below the simulated waves has been dropped down, making room for actual surfboards with skegs instead of limiting use to body and boogie boards, appealing to a crowd of actual surfers who might not be near a real live ocean but still want to catch a wave. And because these wave machines are now attracting some real talent, many waterparks offering rides say that they have seen a non-surfer guest increase as well, because it’s nearly as much fun to watch riders as it is to get on a board yourself. It certainly makes waiting in the long lines a popular ride generates much more bearable.
Surfing’s close cousins, snow- and skateboarding, are also getting in on the action the recreation industry has been seeing in recent months. SwimWays Corp., out of Virginia, has signed an exclusive deal with Tony Hawk (the legendary skateboarder) to develop and manufacture his company’s Subskate underwater skateboard product. By bringing in the foremost name in alternative sports, the aquatics industry is fast cementing a reputation as a haven for not only your average swimmer and diver, but also pretty much anything you’d see in the X-Games. Snowflex, a Wisconsin company, has introduced what it calls an “alternative ski surface,” which its makers are branding as an addition to waterparks that will jumpstart a transition into “adventure resorts.” And it will give wannabe surfers something to do while they wait for a turn on the wave machine.
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