Trends for the community waterpark
By Josh Martin
As the popularity of waterparks continues to rise, local governments and municipalities have sought ways to bring the waterpark experience to their local community aquatic facilities. Trends in more family-oriented attractions, theme park environments, or bigger and better parks in general have saturated the space. Community leaders must look at the investment needed for some of these waterpark trends to obtain a solid return and to stay relevant in a competitive landscape.
Waterpark Trend #1: More Shared Experiences
Designers are seeing trends related to more communal experiences—where attractions are still thrilling but there are “together moments” on rides and slides. At Martin Aquatic, clients have asked for more unique 1–2-person raft rides or “Family 6” rides, which can support up to six people in one raft. The focus on the most extreme attractions, like trapdoor speed slides, has been replaced by these connected experiences.
As someone who frequents waterparks both for work research and with my family, I have seen these trends firsthand. The lines for single-body slides remain shorter throughout the day, while the family raft rides and multi-person tube slides continue to see longer lines. To offer a reason for this trend, my 10-year-old daughter explains that her favorite part of the day is “when Daddy gets soaked!” There’s no better quality time than on a family raft ride (or laughing about it later).
With larger family rides incurring a higher price tag, these types of attractions are sometimes sacrificed in new developments or skipped over during renovation planning. The best advice is to find the extra budget to fit them in—or at least plan for an additional phase of the project to add these features later.
Does this mean that single-body slides are not worth considering? Not at all. While they are a solitary experience, they are still necessary to give guests something else to accomplish. Martin Aquatic frequently counsels clients who hope to strike the perfect balance of attractions for every demographic. And when it comes to body slides, some still serve a purpose or have enough of a unique draw that they merit inclusion, including the following:
- Beginner Slides – Every adolescent or timid parent will need a “starter” slide that serves as a confidence booster before attempting more thrilling rides. This doesn’t take into account “kiddie slides,” which are a must for this demographic.
- “Shotgun” Slides – These slides are experiencing a resurgence in popularity. Whether it is the unique drop into the pool from above or the nostalgia of seeing these at waterparks from yesteryear, these slides are increasingly appealing.
- Slides On Taller Play Structures – Massive play structures with kid and adult body slides mixed together fulfill the “shared” aspect of the guest experience. Now, the climb to a slide isn’t a monotonous stair tower, but a winding path while splashing/chasing/playing that offers “together moments.” The benefit of these structures is they are like an all-in-one waterpark.
Waterpark Trend #2: Creating A Regional Destination
In certain locations, the potential for creating a regional attraction is a viable option for bringing in extra tourism dollars. Whether in the suburbs of a larger city or neighboring towns without attractions, these “entertainment districts” often see waterparks as the central hub, surrounded by other amenities to create a much larger “drive-to” destination. Waterparks, in effect, become a crucial community asset. That’s why cities, counties, states, and even public-private partnerships often jump in to help with the heavy cost through vehicles such as incentives, municipal bonds, or tax-increment financing to make these investment projects achievable.
While not the originator of the concept, the City of Grand Prairie offers an incredible case study of how developing an entertainment district, anchored by an indoor waterpark, can spell success for municipalities. The highly acclaimed waterpark Epic Waters is regularly voted as a top indoor waterpark, but it also serves as the beating heart of EpicCentral. This 172-acre campus offers two adjacent hotels and a conference center, an adventure park and family entertainment center, a fitness facility, restaurants, and more.
Grand Prairie’s venture hasn’t gone unnoticed, as multiple municipalities have eyed how they can create a major tourism driver in the form of their own community waterpark. “We’ve consulted with dozens of cities and counties looking to create their own Epic Waters success story,” says Rick Coleman, CEO of waterpark operations and consulting group American Resort Management (ARM), which drove the development of Epic Waters in partnership with the City of Grand Prairie. ARM operates the facility, as well as numerous other waterparks and hospitality projects nationwide.
“While we recognize that having a waterpark at the center of a development provides a community incredible ROI, this isn’t an ‘if-you-build-it-they-will-come’ type of scenario,” Coleman says. “Our team coaches municipalities on the proven strategies for building a successful complex—and that comes with having the right development team in place combined with the right governmental leadership who are committed to economic development.”
One of the newest communities to make this investment is Bellevue, Neb., a suburb of Omaha, which recently broke ground on a 100,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor waterpark (with development support from ARM) that will anchor its Good Life district. This district will include the waterpark and other yet-to-be-announced entertainment options. “Bellevue is going through the calculated process of designing a waterpark that’s built for success,” says Coleman. The new Bellevue Bay waterpark will have a happy mix of family-friendly and thrilling aquatic attractions—including three multi-person tube slides for shared experiences.
Waterpark Trend #3: Engaging Theming And Storytelling
As “themed entertainment” has supplanted general “attractions,” operators who focused on creating an enhanced guest experience have coupled elaborate theming with park offerings. And waterparks are no different.
Highly immersive environments in and around water attractions are commonplace throughout the industry. Uniquely themed waterslides, wave pools, and lazy rivers welcome guests to enjoy a ride that is more adventurous than those in a backyard pool or at a community aquatic center.
Increasingly, clients are considering potential theming or branding integrations, especially for several IP brands that want to enter the waterpark space. It isn’t about slapping a name on a ride, but more about creating a connected backstory with specific IP to ensure the ride/attraction matches the brand.
Those who aren’t using IP are creating their own brands through unique storytelling. Martin Aquatic helps clients craft these park and attraction names and develop an initial backstory to help bring each project to life. Those stories come to life in an immersive waterpark with custom-themed areas.
“Theming within aquatic spaces is usually focused on signage, play-structure cladding, 3D figures and statuettes that shoot water, surrounding walls, water-slide color palettes, and of course, the flooring,” says Kelsi Goss, Vice President of Design at Minneapolis-based Life Floor, a manufacturer of safety surfacing for aquatic environments. “More than colors and patterns, the flooring design of splash pads and wet play areas can take guests on a journey as they follow a treasure map to see X mark the spot or find footprints of hidden animals in an untamed jungle. From hopscotch games to surfboards, the surface engages guests as an imaginative play feature. The designers of these water playgrounds are using every element at their disposal to keep guests immersed and entertained through theming.”
For municipal parks, some of the easiest places to showcase a theme are through children’s wet play structures, but Martin Aquatic recommends that park owners find a unique way to implement such a theme. Taking off-the-shelf figurines and embellishments that manufacturers have in their catalogs will only result in a generic experience. Challenge the designers to create something that embodies a community or is specific to a geographic location; it will go a long way in connecting with residents and guests.
Bringing Waterpark Trends To Your Community Facility
Many of the trends in the waterpark industry are easy to dismiss because they seem like big-budget items. But as local parks look to raise the bar for what a community asset can become, these types of trends may be what is needed to transform a local park into a drive-to destination.