{"id":696,"date":"2017-11-01T05:48:25","date_gmt":"2017-11-01T05:48:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/?p=277"},"modified":"2024-05-09T15:59:46","modified_gmt":"2024-05-09T15:59:46","slug":"deconstructing-a-waterpark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/deconstructing-a-waterpark\/","title":{"rendered":"Deconstructing a Waterpark"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_63 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/deconstructing-a-waterpark\/#Attraction_Categories\" title=\"Attraction Categories\">Attraction Categories<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/deconstructing-a-waterpark\/#Slide_Subtypes\" title=\"Slide Subtypes\">Slide Subtypes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/deconstructing-a-waterpark\/#The_Mysterious_%E2%80%98Other\" title=\"The Mysterious &#8216;Other&#8217;\">The Mysterious &#8216;Other&#8217;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/deconstructing-a-waterpark\/#Planning_a_Waterpark\" title=\"Planning a Waterpark\">Planning a Waterpark<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/deconstructing-a-waterpark\/#Hourly_Capacity\" title=\"Hourly Capacity\">Hourly Capacity<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/deconstructing-a-waterpark\/#Target_Capacity\" title=\"Target Capacity\">Target Capacity<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/deconstructing-a-waterpark\/#The_Software\" title=\"The Software\">The Software<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/deconstructing-a-waterpark\/#If_theres_anything_our_analysis_shows_its_that_the_most_successful_waterparks_in_the_world_are_not_distinguished_by_the_fact_they_have_unique_attractions_and_rides_that_no_other_waterpark_has\" title=\"If there&#8217;s anything our analysis shows, it&#8217;s that the most successful waterparks in the world are not distinguished by the fact they have unique attractions and rides that no other waterpark has.\">If there&#8217;s anything our analysis shows, it&#8217;s that the most successful waterparks in the world are not distinguished by the fact they have unique attractions and rides that no other waterpark has.<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/deconstructing-a-waterpark\/#Summary\" title=\"Summary\">Summary<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/deconstructing-a-waterpark\/#Glossary_Detail\" title=\"Glossary Detail\">Glossary Detail<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/deconstructing-a-waterpark\/#Bodyslides\" title=\"Bodyslides:\">Bodyslides:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/deconstructing-a-waterpark\/#Raft_and_Tube_Slides\" title=\"Raft and Tube Slides:\">Raft and Tube Slides:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/deconstructing-a-waterpark\/#Rivers\" title=\"Rivers:\">Rivers:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/deconstructing-a-waterpark\/#ExplorePlay_Structures\" title=\"Explore\/Play Structures:\">Explore\/Play Structures:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/deconstructing-a-waterpark\/#Pools\" title=\"Pools:\">Pools:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/deconstructing-a-waterpark\/#Other\" title=\"Other:\">Other:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-size: 15px; font-family: Geologica; line-height: 22px;\">Here at the Park Database, we like to crunch a lot of data.\u00a0 In doing so, we can&#8217;t help but notice patterns and ways of abstracting what initially look like complex subjects.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px; font-family: Geologica; line-height: 22px;\">Today, we turn our attention to waterparks.\u00a0 We&#8217;ve run the numbers on hundreds of waterpark projects and thousands of individual waterpark attractions in our <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">database<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 What did we find?<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Attraction_Categories\"><\/span><strong>Attraction Categories<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">First, that in terms of raw hardware, waterparks can be deconstructed fairly easily into the following components:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Bodyslides;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Pools;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Raft\/Tube rides;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Play structures;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">and Rivers.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-290 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/unnamed-file-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"669\" height=\"519\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">More than 80% of all waterpark projects in the world have bodyslide, explore\/play structures, and pools.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">More than 70% of all waterpark projects in the world have raft or tube rides, or rivers.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">If we perform a detailed segmentation of all the types of individual waterpark attractions in our database, we see that slides (including both bodyslides and raft\/tube variations), are the single largest group of attractions, at 40% of the entire worldwide inventory.\u00a0 Play structures are 17% of the total, while pools and rivers together comprise approximately 20%.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Note that these are raw counts of individual slides, pools, rivers, and other attractions.\u00a0 So while rivers are in more than 70% of waterparks in the world, there are usually only 1 or 2 of them per park.\u00a0 This accounts for them being only 6% of the total attraction inventory, as per the below.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-292 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Inventory.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"679\" height=\"571\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Slide_Subtypes\"><\/span><strong>Slide Subtypes<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Bodyslides and raft\/tube slides can be segmented even further into subtypes.\u00a0 Mixed or generic slides are the biggest group in either segment.\u00a0 We use the word &#8216;generic&#8217; respectfully here; it doesn&#8217;t mean these rides aren&#8217;t fun or thrilling, just that they are not easily classified with one singular feature, such as a drop, boomerang, bowl, or loop.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">With bodyslides, speed-related slides are the most popular and numerous in the worldwide inventory.\u00a0 Drop slides (featuring a steep vertical descent) -and racing slides, such as mat racers or speed slides, are each 20% of the bodyslide inventory count.\u00a0 Enclosed slides are another major group, at 20%.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-288 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Bodyslide.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"577\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Within the raft or tube category, enclosed slides are single biggest identifiable sub-type, at over 20% of the total inventory.\u00a0 These are slides that are completely enclosed &#8211; and dark, so riders don&#8217;t know where they&#8217;re going.\u00a0 Other features such as boomerang, bowls, and funnels are over 10% of the raft\/tube slide inventory each.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-289 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Raft-Tube.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"576\" height=\"532\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">It is important to note that these are worldwide averages, so they don&#8217;t take into account regional differences, of which there are many.\u00a0 For example, waterparks located in the higher latitudes tend to have more hot springs and indoor components, while many waterparks in Latin America often are composed almost <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">entirely of pools<\/span>, with very few slides.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><em>A detailed glossary of these types of rides is available at the end of this post. \u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Mysterious_%E2%80%98Other\"><\/span><strong>The Mysterious &#8216;Other&#8217;<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Now, if\u00a0you&#8217;ve taken a good look at the Attraction Inventory chart, you&#8217;ll notice a large category called &#8216;Other&#8217;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Simply put, this 18% is a mixed bag of attractions that make each waterpark unique.\u00a0 These include arcades, roller coasters, rides borrowed from typical theme parks, interactive ropes courses, beaches, volleyball courts, cabanas, wildlife interactions, and so on.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Hardware-wise, waterparks around the world seem to have much of the same &#8220;stuff&#8221;.\u00a0 More than 80% of waterparks around the world have at least a bodyslide, a pool, and a play structure.\u00a0 More than 70% of waterparks have a raft or tube slide, and the same percentage have a river of some sort.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">This residual 18% is where waterparks express their individuality.<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Planning_a_Waterpark\"><\/span><strong>Planning a Waterpark<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Now, what is the implication of the above?\u00a0 Simply put, you can use this to build a waterpark.\u00a0 This knowledge can rather easily be applied to basic, high-level waterpark planning and design.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Hourly_Capacity\"><\/span><strong><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Hourly Capacity<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Every attraction in a waterpark &#8211; or any theme park too, for that matter &#8211; has an hourly capacity associated with it.\u00a0 Hourly capacity is a measure of how many people can be accommodated on the ride or attraction every hour.\u00a0 This is based on calculations that take into account the number of seats and simultaneous riders, the interval time of each vehicle, and the number of vehicles\/rafts\/cars.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Different manufacturers will quote theoretical capacities based on slightly differing interval times, but for most waterpark slides, the interval time tends to be between 15 and 30 seconds.\u00a0 This means that a rider or a raft is released from the top of the slide every 15 to 30 seconds.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Typical ranges for capacities are as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Bodyslides &#8211; 180 people per hour, per lane.\u00a0 This is based on a 20 second interval time.\u00a0 Multiply by the number of lanes to generate the total hourly capacity.\u00a0 For example, a 5-lane speed slide would be 5 x 180 = 900 guests per hour.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Raft\/tube rides &#8211; 120-180 people per hour, per lane.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Rivers &#8211; more than 1,000 people per hour, depending on the length.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Pools &#8211; this depends on size, but can range from 100 to more than 3,000+ for the largest wave pools.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Explore\/Play Structures &#8211; 500+<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">For more on this directly from the source(s), you can see that the top waterpark equipment manufacturers\u00a0quote capacity numbers directly on their website.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.polin.com.tr\/Catalogue\/product-detail\/King-Cobra\/50\/20\">Polin<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.proslide.com\/rides\/tornado-45\/\">ProSlide<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitewaterwest.com\/products\/aquaplay-rainfortress\/\">Whitewater<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Target_Capacity\"><\/span><strong>Target Capacity<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">These hourly capacity numbers are guidelines to help you plan for a waterpark project correctly.\u00a0 Have too many attractions, and you&#8217;ve overbuilt &#8211; fun for the consumers, less for your pocketbook.\u00a0 If you have too few attractions, you simply won&#8217;t be able to accommodate the guests who show up at your park.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Your target capacity is the total number of attraction experiences you&#8217;ll be able to deliver to your guests, per hour.\u00a0 This is the sum of the hourly capacities of the individual attractions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Once you&#8217;ve determined your target capacity*, it&#8217;s time for the fun part.\u00a0 Use your knowledge of the above capacities, and the typical breakdown of waterpark attractions, and mix and match until you&#8217;ve hit the target capacity number.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">*The planning department of the waterpark manufacturers above (Polin, ProSlide, Whitewater) should be able to give guidance on this.\u00a0 Our <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/pages\/services\">in-house attractions and theme park consulting team<\/a> is also standing by, ready to help.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">This exercise is meant to be a high-level starting point behind the thinking that goes into planning a waterpark.\u00a0 It is not a substitute for actual design expertise.\u00a0 For those considering a waterpark, we highly recommend engaging a planning firm early.<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Software\"><\/span><strong>The Software<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The discussion thus far has focused on the hardware of a park: the attractions, rides, and built components that make up a waterpark.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">For the record, we would like to make it clear that hardware does not a waterpark make.\u00a0 It&#8217;s just the starting point.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"If_theres_anything_our_analysis_shows_its_that_the_most_successful_waterparks_in_the_world_are_not_distinguished_by_the_fact_they_have_unique_attractions_and_rides_that_no_other_waterpark_has\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">If there&#8217;s anything our analysis shows, it&#8217;s that the most successful waterparks in the world are not distinguished by the fact they have unique attractions and rides that no other waterpark has.<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">In fact, it&#8217;s just the opposite &#8211; with more than 70-80% of waterparks in the world sharing the same basic components of slides, pools, and rivers, what makes a waterpark successful and unique are the entirety of: hardware, service levels, theming, attention to detail, layout, and design.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">As a side note, this is a large part of what makes the waterpark range of development costs much more narrow, and smaller, than theme parks.\u00a0 While outdoor theme parks can range in development cost from $300 million to $5 billion+, an investment of $80 to $100 million in a waterpark would qualify it as being truly mega in scale, with most waterparks able to be constructed for between $10 and $40 million.\u00a0 Exceptions exist, of course, with the smallest water playgrounds at $1 million or less, depending on the size and location of the land.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Much of this is subject for a later post, but the soul of a theme park in general isn&#8217;t in the uniqueness of rides, but in the\u00a0entire experience.\u00a0 Sometimes the experience correlates with scale, but many times it doesn&#8217;t.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">What makes Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon able to attract more than 2 million visitors per year to their waterparks?\u00a0 Some of it is undoubtedly due to scale, but stellar service and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/typhoon-lagoon-faq-tips-review\/\">attention to details<\/a>, such as\u00a0a high level of\u00a0theming, and service details such as the ability to reserve private umbrellas, patio service, and ability to bring in F&amp;B undoubtedly play a role.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">What makes Chimelong Waterpark in Guangzhou the highest attended waterpark in the world?\u00a0 For a start, it pioneered the waterpark concept in China and has a larger size than most waterparks.\u00a0 But it also deserves credit for rethinking the concept of a waterpark in general, by offering\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/int.chimelong.com\/GZ\/waterpark\/show\">shows and beach club-type events into the evening.<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">What makes Waterbom in Bali, despite its 4 hectare size, one of the highest rated waterparks in Asia?\u00a0 Guests consistently mention\u00a0surprisingly excellent food, spa services, and theming that provides an escape from the surrounding city as the reasons why Tripadvisor named it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.waterbom-bali.com\/latest-news\/waterbom-bali-awarded-asias-leading-water-park-2017-by-world-travel-awards\/\">Asia&#8217;s leading waterpark<\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">What makes Atlantis in the Bahamas unique, for a resort waterpark?\u00a0 Its unparalled theming and landscaping, a lush environment that provides a seamless experience between guests staying at the resort and the attraction, and a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.atlantisbahamas.com\/thingstodo?itt=Nav_Experiences\">deeply-considered depth of placemaking that often leave guests feeling that a single day was not enough<\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">What makes the Cartoon Network Amazone in Pattaya unique, despite its quite ordinary 5-6 hectare size?\u00a0 Besides being one of the first waterparks in Thailand, <a href=\"https:\/\/asia.nikkei.com\/Business\/Asean-Business-File\/Cartoon-Network-Amazone-opens-near-Pattaya\">it made use of an IP whose television channel reach in Thailand, as well as Asia in general<\/a>, outranks that of Nickelodeon or Disney, and through a visionary founder, was able to convince the brand to invest in its first ever location-based entertainment destination.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Summary\"><\/span><strong>Summary<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/index.php\/2017\/03\/19\/the-business-of-theme-parks-part-i-how-much-money-do-they-make\/\">As we always advocate in this business<\/a>, there&#8217;s an 80\/20 analysis in\u00a0planning or analyzing a waterpark.\u00a0 As waterparks tend to share many of the same components, identifying the hardware components is often the easy part.\u00a0 Designing an experience that makes a project truly unique is where the effort is.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">We&#8217;d like to give an especially warm thanks to our data and infographics partner <a href=\"http:\/\/dailyinfographic.com\/\">Daily Infographic<\/a>, who helped us create the special charts and infographics summarizing this post; please see their work below, and be sure to visit them for any commissions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/The-Park-Database-01.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-296\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/The-Park-Database-01-1.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"581\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Glossary_Detail\"><\/span><strong>Glossary Detail<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<h3><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/waterpark_rides_infographic_med.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-301\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/waterpark_rides_infographic_med-3000x2250.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/a><\/h3>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bodyslides\"><\/span><strong>Bodyslides:<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Slides that are ridden skin-to-slide.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Loop<\/strong> &#8211; An enclosed bodyslide that drops riders into a full, semi-vertical loop. \u00a0The existing iterations of this ride and not quite as legendary as <a href=\"https:\/\/theconcourse.deadspin.com\/rare-video-of-people-actually-riding-action-parks-infam-1563953390\">the vertical one at Action Park<\/a>, but close. \u00a0Very close. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Drop<\/strong> &#8211; bodyslides that are notable for their vertical descent, at a steep angle. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Speed Slides<\/strong> &#8211; multi-lane slides where riders race each other down the slide.\u00a0 Note the difference between this and the Mat Racer, below.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Bowl<\/strong> &#8211; these are more common as raft or tube rides, but bodyslide variations exist. \u00a0The major feature of the slide is a \u2018toilet-bowl\u2019 looking feature where riders are spiraled and &#8216;flushed&#8217; down an exit chute. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Mat Slides and Mat Racers<\/strong> &#8211; slides where riders lay in a face-forward riding position on a foam mat. \u00a0Mat racers are speed slides with mats. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Enclosed<\/strong> &#8211; partial or\u00a0wholly enclosed slides have a higher thrill factor; primarily from the fact that you don\u2019t know where you\u2019re going!<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Raft_and_Tube_Slides\"><\/span><strong>Raft and Tube Slides:<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Slides where riders sit on a raft or tube.\u00a0 Rafts are generally forward-facing, tubes are generally inward-facing (riders face each other).\u00a0 Simultaneous ridership is generally 2 or more, up to 6. \u00a0Tubes have no forward \u2018direction\u2019, the tube rotates.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Water Coasters<\/strong> &#8211; a modern development using water boosters, LIM, hydromagnetic, or conveyor belt technologies &#8211; to boost riders on uphill sections of the ride.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Boomerang<\/strong> &#8211; for lack of a better term, these are half-pipe slides that refer to the shape of the major feature. \u00a0Riders end up in a half-pipe shaped section of the slide and make several swings or oscillations up either wall before exiting.\u00a0 Sometimes called walls.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Bowl<\/strong> &#8211; the raft and tube variation of the bodyslide bowl above.\u00a0 Riders spiral down an exit chute, in the movement pattern of being &#8216;flushed&#8217; down a toilet.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Funnel<\/strong> &#8211; these offer an experience that is a hybrid of the above boomerang and bowl types. \u00a0The major feature of the ride is a large funnel.\u00a0 These resemble bowls tipped to its side. \u00a0Riders enter the funnel and make several alternating swings up the sides\/walls of the funnel until exiting from the narrow end.\u00a0 These are also sometimes called walls.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rivers\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Rivers:<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">These are attractions that soak up capacity, and are often a leisurely transport mechanism that allow\u00a0 guests to reach different areas of the park.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Lazy River<\/strong> &#8211; the drifting, more leisurely variation of the two major subtypes of rivers. \u00a0A gentle current pushes riders, most often in inner tubes, around the course of the river. \u00a0Various entry and exit points allow riders to access different areas of the waterpark.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Wave River<\/strong> &#8211; the more aggressive of the two major subtypes.\u00a0 At certain points along the river, a machine provides a sudden surge of water. \u00a0Riders in the vicinity of the impact zone are propelled forward, and the swell bobs riders up and down to a greater degree than in the lazy river variation. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"ExplorePlay_Structures\"><\/span><strong>Explore\/Play Structures:<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">These go by various names.\u00a0 They are essentially playgrounds with slide, obstacle course, and jungle gym elements. \u00a0These range from large fort\/fortress-type structures to smaller playgrounds for toddlers. \u00a0Common elements of these structures include shooting fountains, water guns, bridges, slides, water buckets, and ladders\/ramps.\u00a0 They are often considered waterparks in miniature.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Pools\"><\/span><strong>Pools:<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">These are most commonly segmented into the static and non-static (wave) types. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Wave Pool<\/strong> &#8211; similarly to the wave river, a wave machine occasionally generates a surge of water, creating swells that are several feet high. \u00a0The waves move from the\u00a0deepest point of the pool\u00a0to the beach, where guests can enter the pool.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Static pools<\/strong> vary in their complexity, and range from small dipping ponds to large lagoon structures with rockwork, fountains, waterfalls, and other elements of environmental design. \u00a0Jacuzzis and hot spring variations are also common.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Other\"><\/span><strong>Other:<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other types of attractions include Flowriders, artificial wave machines, spa and sauna features (especially in colder climates), and even coasters or typical theme park rides.\u00a0 Other features include beaches, lagoons, spa services, or even typical theme park rides.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indeed, at Yas Waterworld in Abu Dhabi, the most mentioned element is actually a suspended\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/yaswaterworld.com\/rides\/bandit-bomber\/\">coaster that cuts through the park<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here at the Park Database, we like to crunch a lot of data.\u00a0 In doing so, we can&#8217;t help but notice patterns and ways of abstracting what initially look like complex subjects.\u00a0\u00a0 Today, we turn our attention to waterparks.\u00a0 We&#8217;ve run the numbers on hundreds of waterpark projects and thousands of individual waterpark attractions in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3754,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,44],"tags":[40,41,42,43,45,46],"class_list":["post-696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides-and-references","category-waterparks","tag-guides","tag-pools","tag-rivers","tag-slides","tag-waterparks","tag-waves"],"acf":{"":"","bfi_title":"","bfi_title_2":"","bfi_description":"","chart_image":"","chart_title":"","chart_description":"","bc_title":"","bc_sub_title":"","bc_content":"","bc_right_side_content":"","highlighted_image":"","highlighted_sub_title":"","highlighted_title":"","highlighted_bottom_text":"","highlighted_button_text":"","highlighted_button_link":"","below_highlighted_title":"","below_highlighted_sub_title":"","below_highlighted_content":"","below_highlighted_right_side_title":"","below_highlighted_list":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/696","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=696"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/696\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3754"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=696"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=696"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=696"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}