WATERPARKS
Waterparks need to ensure their attractions offer something for all the family, including dry offers too
THE NEXT WAVE
How can waterparks keep their off er fresh and exciting, and what should they be investing in for the future? Franceen Gonzales outlines some of the key trends that are helping waterpark businesses entertain customers all year round
T 78
he toughest decision in my career was to move from being an operator to working for a supplier. As one person put it, “there was a disturbance in the Force…” when I made that decision public, as some joke
that becoming a supplier is going to the
“dark side”. But becoming a supplier is more like
the other side of the same coin. We have the same objectives for creating great guest experiences. I’ve known the waterpark industry as an operator for more than 25 years and I’m very famil- iar with the product so it’s exciting to be working in concepting, designing, engi- neering, constructing, and delivering attractions to operators who are, like me, focused on the guest experience. There are some big picture trends I’m seeing in the business that makes this
new journey very exciting. The follow- ing are some of the trends I see now and going into the future.
The Hero Shot Operators always want an iconic ride that will give them a competitive advan- tage, so they’ve focused on the ride experience for marketability. But that also means educating the would-be customer on what the product actually does and feels like. Lately, I see many rides being devel- oped that may not have signifi cant thrills but look great. A nice paint scheme, some exaggerated curvature, graphics, or lighting effects are making the ride look great even if it isn’t the most thrilling ride. The trend in the short term will be for ‘sexy”’rides, but the most success- ful rides will have an appealing look and offer incredible thrills to the guest.
Read Attractions Management online
attractionsmanagement.com/digital Great vistas and ‘hero shots’ are
important elements to a ride not just for the ride experience, but for the market- ing campaign. So it’s no surprise that a great looking ride is of value, but a ride where guests are raving about the expe- rience will endure.
Hybridisation within parks There was a time when parks were clas- sifi ed as a theme park, waterpark, or family entertainment centre. The only hybrids were big theme parks that had standalone waterparks or FECs with a couple of waterslides. Today, parks are becoming more and more hybridised, making it hard to classify a park as strictly a waterpark. Many have incorpo- rated dry rides, from huge rollercoasters to dry play areas or ropes courses. Great success has come from com- bining large waterparks with state-of-art
AM 1 2014 ©Cybertrek 2014
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