Aquatic play helps keep kids happy, resulting in higher spend from families. WhiteWater’s Cassidy Newman shares some of the attractions using aquatic play to bring in more visitors and increase spend
The Nickeloden-themed Aqua Nick waterpark in Cancun, Mexico / Photo: WhiteWater
Kids are always looking for opportunities to play. That’s why restaurants have crayons at the ready — they know the secret to higher spend is to keep children occupied so the entire family can stay longer to enjoy more food and drinks.
Aquatic play helps different venues keep kids happy. The ultimate playground for both children and adults, these multi-level play structures offer a myriad of paths for guests to explore and whimsical elements to discover. They could go down a waterslide, spray each other from interactive features, or giddily wait for the tipping bucket to spill over on their heads.
Because aquatic play keeps children engaged and families on-site longer, it may come as little surprise that it’s found in many different venue types.
Diversifying Mixed-Use Developments Long known for its casinos, Macau is now aiming to become a family entertainment hub for China’s Greater Bay Area. Centered in the heart of it all is Studio City, a mixed-use development that includes a hotel, a theatre, a shopping mall, restaurants and amusements, as well as the region’s first waterpark.
Open to both hotel and non-hotel guests, Studio City Water Park features an AquaPlay 1750, which serves an important role in the entire development. Whether families split up to try different slides or parents leave older kids some free time while they shop or try their luck in the casino, AquaPlay 1750 creates a central meeting point due to its eye-catching build. Strategically located next to lounge chairs, the AquaPlay unit provides families a place to come back together after a day of exploring the park.
Building an Icon at the Zoo Even in the educational setting of zoos and aquariums, aquatic play can be found to offer interactive fun and attract guests. Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, for example, uses an AquaPlay 550 as a cost-effective way to add value to its venue in the summer. With an instantaneous capacity of over 180 guests, this multi-level play structure is an integral part of its Cool Zoo waterpark.
The most striking element of the park is the giant white alligator climbing the play structure. Towering over three metres (11 feet) above the ground, it’s inspired by the zoo’s famous resident and takes its place outside the Louisiana Swamp exhibit. The white alligator sculpture was hand carved by WhiteWater’s professional artists to create an image synonymous with the zoo. This image is also used to help drive demand by building excitement before guests even step foot inside.
Boost Hotels & Resorts Revpar The hotel sector has similarly been taking advantage of aquatic play to help boost occupancy and RevPAR.
To capitalise on their investment, it’s important that properties look at the ride mix and form a plan that caters for different demographics. That’s why Nickelodeon Hotels and Resorts Riviera Maya built not one, but two aquatic play structures at their Aqua Nick waterpark in Mexico.
Using brands from Nickelodeon, the waterpark built a Paw Patrol-themed AquaPlay 200 and a SpongeBob SquarePants-themed RainFortress 5 to ensure the entire family had something they could enjoy. Perfect for the youngest members of the family, the smaller AquaPlay 200 has a pool size of 181sq m (1,950sq ft) so little ones can develop confidence on smaller slides before working their way up to larger attractions.
On the other hand, RainFortress 5 has nearly double the pool size and over four times the number of features as AquaPlay 200, so older kids also have their choice between exciting slides and cause-and-effect interactives, and they get splashed by larger volumes of water.
Bring Play to Your Venue Whether you have a hundred square meters or a hundred square acres, aquatic play is a great addition to attract guests and extend their length of stay.
With the largest range of multi-level play structures in the industry, the WhiteWater team can tailor a solution for you that makes sense for your site and budget.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2023 issue 1
Editor's letter: The power of stories
We think we understand the value of storytelling, but do we really? It’s important to be clear on what it contributes to our industry, says Magali Robathan
People: Simon Daniels
The director of the Handel & Hendrix in London attraction on the £3m revamp aiming to bring visitors closer to the musicians
People: Jacqueline Stewart
The president of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on honouring the stars of Black cinema
Interview: Tom Lochtefeld
The ‘father of artificial surf parks’ changed the industry with his pioneering sheet waves. Now he’s back to shake things up again with new deep water wave technology
Talking point: Storytime
How can we use the power of story to connect to guests and create better attractions? We ask the experts
Interview: Brian Zimmerman
The world’s fifth biggest zoo closed its doors in September 2022. We go behind the scenes of the Bristol Zoological Society to find out what happens next
Sponsored: No matter the venue aquatic play delivers
Aquatic play helps keep kids happy,
resulting in higher spend from families.
WhiteWater’s Cassidy Newman shares some
of the attractions using aquatic play to
bring in more visitors and increase spend
Science centre: Eureka!
How the new science centre consulted with young people and industry to bring a quirky sense of fun to STEAM
Museums: New museums
From a Bangalore photography and art museum to the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, we review some exciting openings for 2023
Marketing: Screaming for screening
With its edgy brand and young visitor base, Merlin’s London Dungeon was a natural choice for an innovative marketing campaign aiming to take the stigma out of STI testing
Research: On the right track
After a rollercoaster ride, US theme parks are bouncing back, with opportunities for growth driven by gaming IPs, says Mintel
Visitor centre: Fish tale
A floating visitor attraction in Norway has been designed to promote fish farming, as Magali Robathan discovered
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
Aquatic play helps keep kids happy, resulting in higher spend from families. WhiteWater’s Cassidy Newman shares some of the attractions using aquatic play to bring in more visitors and increase spend
The Nickeloden-themed Aqua Nick waterpark in Cancun, Mexico / Photo: WhiteWater
Kids are always looking for opportunities to play. That’s why restaurants have crayons at the ready — they know the secret to higher spend is to keep children occupied so the entire family can stay longer to enjoy more food and drinks.
Aquatic play helps different venues keep kids happy. The ultimate playground for both children and adults, these multi-level play structures offer a myriad of paths for guests to explore and whimsical elements to discover. They could go down a waterslide, spray each other from interactive features, or giddily wait for the tipping bucket to spill over on their heads.
Because aquatic play keeps children engaged and families on-site longer, it may come as little surprise that it’s found in many different venue types.
Diversifying Mixed-Use Developments Long known for its casinos, Macau is now aiming to become a family entertainment hub for China’s Greater Bay Area. Centered in the heart of it all is Studio City, a mixed-use development that includes a hotel, a theatre, a shopping mall, restaurants and amusements, as well as the region’s first waterpark.
Open to both hotel and non-hotel guests, Studio City Water Park features an AquaPlay 1750, which serves an important role in the entire development. Whether families split up to try different slides or parents leave older kids some free time while they shop or try their luck in the casino, AquaPlay 1750 creates a central meeting point due to its eye-catching build. Strategically located next to lounge chairs, the AquaPlay unit provides families a place to come back together after a day of exploring the park.
Building an Icon at the Zoo Even in the educational setting of zoos and aquariums, aquatic play can be found to offer interactive fun and attract guests. Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, for example, uses an AquaPlay 550 as a cost-effective way to add value to its venue in the summer. With an instantaneous capacity of over 180 guests, this multi-level play structure is an integral part of its Cool Zoo waterpark.
The most striking element of the park is the giant white alligator climbing the play structure. Towering over three metres (11 feet) above the ground, it’s inspired by the zoo’s famous resident and takes its place outside the Louisiana Swamp exhibit. The white alligator sculpture was hand carved by WhiteWater’s professional artists to create an image synonymous with the zoo. This image is also used to help drive demand by building excitement before guests even step foot inside.
Boost Hotels & Resorts Revpar The hotel sector has similarly been taking advantage of aquatic play to help boost occupancy and RevPAR.
To capitalise on their investment, it’s important that properties look at the ride mix and form a plan that caters for different demographics. That’s why Nickelodeon Hotels and Resorts Riviera Maya built not one, but two aquatic play structures at their Aqua Nick waterpark in Mexico.
Using brands from Nickelodeon, the waterpark built a Paw Patrol-themed AquaPlay 200 and a SpongeBob SquarePants-themed RainFortress 5 to ensure the entire family had something they could enjoy. Perfect for the youngest members of the family, the smaller AquaPlay 200 has a pool size of 181sq m (1,950sq ft) so little ones can develop confidence on smaller slides before working their way up to larger attractions.
On the other hand, RainFortress 5 has nearly double the pool size and over four times the number of features as AquaPlay 200, so older kids also have their choice between exciting slides and cause-and-effect interactives, and they get splashed by larger volumes of water.
Bring Play to Your Venue Whether you have a hundred square meters or a hundred square acres, aquatic play is a great addition to attract guests and extend their length of stay.
With the largest range of multi-level play structures in the industry, the WhiteWater team can tailor a solution for you that makes sense for your site and budget.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2023 issue 1
Editor's letter: The power of stories
We think we understand the value of storytelling, but do we really? It’s important to be clear on what it contributes to our industry, says Magali Robathan
People: Simon Daniels
The director of the Handel & Hendrix in London attraction on the £3m revamp aiming to bring visitors closer to the musicians
People: Jacqueline Stewart
The president of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on honouring the stars of Black cinema
Interview: Tom Lochtefeld
The ‘father of artificial surf parks’ changed the industry with his pioneering sheet waves. Now he’s back to shake things up again with new deep water wave technology
Talking point: Storytime
How can we use the power of story to connect to guests and create better attractions? We ask the experts
Interview: Brian Zimmerman
The world’s fifth biggest zoo closed its doors in September 2022. We go behind the scenes of the Bristol Zoological Society to find out what happens next
Sponsored: No matter the venue aquatic play delivers
Aquatic play helps keep kids happy,
resulting in higher spend from families.
WhiteWater’s Cassidy Newman shares some
of the attractions using aquatic play to
bring in more visitors and increase spend
Science centre: Eureka!
How the new science centre consulted with young people and industry to bring a quirky sense of fun to STEAM
Museums: New museums
From a Bangalore photography and art museum to the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, we review some exciting openings for 2023
Marketing: Screaming for screening
With its edgy brand and young visitor base, Merlin’s London Dungeon was a natural choice for an innovative marketing campaign aiming to take the stigma out of STI testing
Research: On the right track
After a rollercoaster ride, US theme parks are bouncing back, with opportunities for growth driven by gaming IPs, says Mintel
Visitor centre: Fish tale
A floating visitor attraction in Norway has been designed to promote fish farming, as Magali Robathan discovered
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii
is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder
Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while
remaining actively involved with the company.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its
recently launched Sirene Island themed area and introduce younger visitors to thrill attractions.
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’
planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–
Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism inv
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-
Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional
revenue opportunities.
The UK government has announced a temporary reduction in VAT on visitor attractions and
children’s meals as part of a summer cost-of-living support package designed to stimulate the
visitor economy and encourage family days out.
As designer Yinka Ilori prepares for his first solo gallery show in London, he speaks exclusively
to CLADmag about his mission to spread joy, the power of play, and his bold approach to using
colour (including the colours you won’t see in his work).
The government of Thailand is exploring plans for a THB300bn (£6.3bn, US$8.3bn)
entertainment complex in the country’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), with officials
proposing a large-scale theme park and sports destination as part of a broader tourism and
economic development strategy.
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
