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important design decisions are aimed at people who are not riding at all. A low-to-grade FlatBLAST launch sends
boats accelerating directly from the tower, with viewing windows putting that moment in full view of surrounding guests. The water coaster anchors Mana Nui as a highly visible part of the landscape. And guests have responded. More than
200,000 people have enjoyed Kilauea since it opened, during what Parques Reunidos reported as the most successful season in the park’s history. Overall visitation increased nearly 20 per cent year over year, while attendance from outside the Madrid region rose 26 per cent. Parques Reunidos identified Kilauea’s launch as a key factor in that performance. For an attraction designed as the centrepiece
of the 4,682-square-metre Mana Nui expansion, those results add another dimension to the idea of an anchor attraction. Kilauea gives the area a focal point, but its role is not limited to the riders in its boats. Its movement, sound and spectacle spill into
the surrounding area, giving Mana Nui an identifiable centre of gravity — and, in its first season, another reason for guests to come and experience the park for themselves.
When the water park is part of the stay At Rixos Radamis in Sharm El Sheikh, the equation changes again. Aquamania Jungle Park spans approximately
35,000 square metres and includes 28 water attractions and dedicated children’s areas. More than 15 ProSlide rides stretch from KIDZ attractions through to a RocketBLAST water
coaster, with regional firsts including HIVE 20 and SwitchBACK experiences. By almost any measure, it is a substantial water
park. But there is an important difference: you cannot
just buy a ticket. Aquamania is reserved for guests of Rixos
Radamis, making the entire park part of the resort proposition rather than a standalone attraction competing for its own audience. That changes the role of the investment. A water park of this scale gives families
something significant to do without leaving the property. Its value is tied not only to how many people ride a particular attraction, but to the larger guest experience the resort can offer over the course of a stay. Here, the attraction mix is not simply filling out a park. The water park helps to fill out the resort.
Signalling a new chapter In Bahrain, the challenge is neither filling a gap nor building from scratch. Janat Dilmun already has history. The
destination opened in 2007 as Lost Paradise of Dilmun and has since welcomed more than two million guests. Now, a major redevelopment is introducing new attractions and facilities alongside a new identity inspired by Bahrain’s cultural heritage. Its first phase includes Enki’s Fort, a custom
ProSlide RideHOUSE 400, and the Middle East’s first HIVE 35. The significance of those additions sits within a
much larger transformation. For a destination already familiar to its market,
reinvention carries a different challenge from a new opening. Guests already have an idea
of what the park is. Changing that perception requires more than a new sign at the entrance. The move from Lost Paradise of Dilmun to
Janat Dilmun pairs a new identity with tangible changes to the guest experience. New attractions become some of the most visible evidence that this is not simply the same park under a different name. So, what does the next ride need to do? There is no single answer. At PortAventura World, it creates a more
complete progression for families. At Aquópolis, it gives a new area its focal point. At Rixos Radamis, an entire water park strengthens the resort experience. At Janat Dilmun, new attractions form part of a broader reinvention. None of those ideas is new in isolation.
Operators have always considered attraction mix, guest behaviour, capacity, positioning and long- term investment when deciding what comes next. What these four projects illustrate is something
more practical: the same category of investment can be used to solve remarkably different problems. The slide is what guests see. The brief behind it is where the story begins.
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