Park Profi le
www.parkworld-online.com
Play Time! It’s
Canada-based waterpark experts WhiteWater West have been creating pioneering guest experience solutions since 1980. Here, the company explains why considering different types of play is essential when designing and updating your waterpark
A
s we get caught up in the day-to-day business of running parks, from thinking about how to optimise staffi ng to ensuring guest safety, it’s easy to lose
sight of the fact that ‘a day to play’ is at the core of why families visit. Unfortunately, we often tend to assume that ‘play’ is something that we grow out of: limited to guests under the age of 10. It is this type of thinking that can limit our ability to create memorable playful experiences for everyone, which can help to differentiate one park from another.
Not just for kids Play is our fi rst universal language. From our earliest days, we react to and learn from each other as we develop the basic skills of social interaction. WhiteWater’s Mark Weston, the creator and product manager of the company’s adventure play attraction, No Boundaries, is a qualifi ed child
FEBRUARY 2018
psychologist, and his book Playful Parenting explains how play is an essential component to healthy development. Play isn’t just something that kids enjoy. Adults play too, and
the most rewarding type of play, the type that makes life long memories and binds people together, is inter-generational play. Giving the whole family an environment in which to share new experiences; to watch with pride (or trepidation); to take pictures and to later relive them helps make the glue that holds families together. Get this formula right and watch your TripAdvisor ratings soar. Weston explained: “We thought about how to facilitate
families playing together in the design of No Boundaries. Not only did we ensure that siblings can play side-by-side with parallel paths for the appropriate thrill and challenge levels, but we’ve also created opportunities for parents and grandparents to get involved.”
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Have you stopped recently to watch how different groups play in your park? Toddlers wonder (and can wander) in touch, light, and sound sensations Kids roam, living an adventure of their imagination where an AquaPlay becomes a castle to be stormed Teens fl irt and challenge their limits Moms chill or interact with pride Dads join in and remember the freedom of childhood fun Grandparents feel included
Have you considered how you are facilitating their play? You need a comprehensive mix of experiences from calm lazy rivers to thrilling AquaLoops., and interactive attractions that can be shared on social media to generate word of mouth (WOM). Problems arise when investments are made by searching for the next iconic ride without considering the ‘play mix’ that your attractions provide. Packing the park with high thrill rides that are ostensibly perfect for teens may not serve you as well as you think, because not all teenagers are the same – as parents know too well!
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