How To Start A Water Park? Trust The Answer

In recent years there has been a lot of interest in water parks. Both Six Flags and Parques Reunidos have been busy in this sector and Europa Park is expected to open its Rulantica water park extension later this year. So why is there so much interest in this type of attraction and how does it fit into the rest of the visitor attraction sector?

The payment

To get started, you need to take a look at the numbers. Water parks are cheaper to develop than theme parks. Six Flags invested less than $20 million to renovate a water park in Oaxtepec, Mexico that had been closed for several years. Compare that to the $700 million budget for the proposed Six Flags theme park in Dubai (currently on hold due to financial issues) or the $50 million Six Flags invested in Walibi Holland when they opened the park in the Year 2000 renamed, and the difference is obvious.

Another important factor is that water parks can generate higher operating profits than theme parks. While a high-performing theme park can generate an annual operating profit margin of 30 to 40 percent, a strong water park can generate profits of 50 percent or more.

Absolute revenues vary widely — theme parks can generate far higher total revenues than water parks — but having a number of profitable water parks in a portfolio can be very good for business.

Six Flags, for example, has seven water parks among its 20 operations and Parques Reunidos has 20 in its overall group of 60 entities. The profits from these operations are important to the company’s overall return on these investments.

weather warning

The most obvious problem for water park operations is the weather. Since many of these attractions are only open about 100 days a year, and 40 to 50 percent of annual visits occur during their busiest month, just a few weeks of bad weather in the height of summer can wipe out any potential gains.

This has led to indoor waterparks being developed further north, but this hasn’t always been a smart move. While an indoor water park can be open year-round, demand is still greater in the summer months than in the winter.

Being open year-round also requires significantly more staffing, heating, and other operating costs than a seasonal business, and there are few freestanding indoor water parks that can operate without some form of financial support. In many countries, this support often comes from the public sector.

water wins

One way to make an indoor project successful is to combine it with other activities. Operations such as Center Parcs and Lalandia in Europe and Great Wolf and Kalahari Resorts in North America have capitalized on the appeal of a year-round indoor waterpark and created large-scale resort operations with significant accommodation offerings.

Center Parcs resorts can accommodate up to 3,000 guests at a time on property, and the Kalahari Resort in Pocono features a 22,000-square-foot water park, 1,000 bedrooms and a 4,000-square-foot entertainment center. In these destinations, the water park serves to differentiate the resort and entice guests to stay overnight, although the presence of the water park allows the hotel to charge higher room rates than other properties in the area.

Although the Kalahari is large, it is dwarfed by Tropical Islands, a water park south of Berlin, Germany that opened in 2004.

Constructed in a 70,000 m² (753,000 sq ft) former zeppelin hangar, the owners quickly realized that the only way to make money from the business was to add an accommodation option.

Although development was initially slow, an ambitious master plan for the 6.4 km² site was developed. This resulted in obtaining approval for a resort expansion in 2017 that would allow for the development of up to 9,000 rooms. This expansion potential was a key factor in Parques Reunidos’ decision to pay €226 million ($256 million) for the water park and associated real estate in 2018.

Another important area of ​​water park development is a second gate.

Most of Six Flags’ water parks are adjacent to their theme park operations, PortAventura has had a water park since 2002, and the Looping Group has added water park elements to their park operations in recent years.

Global Developments

The opening of Universal’s Volcano Bay water park in Orlando was the big news of 2017. The immersive water park experience attracted 1.5 million guests in its first year, complementing the ever-growing attendance at the company’s other two Orlando theme parks.

There have been other new park developments around the world, many opening in Asia. China is now home to the world’s most visited water park, Guangzhou’s Chimelong Waterpark, which attracted 2.7 million visitors in 2017.

The latest major addition to Europe’s water park is Europa Park, which is investing an estimated €150 million ($170 million) to create a 33,000 square meter water park with hotel accommodation (see page 60). Dubbed Rulantica, Europa Park says it will complement the existing theme park and help build on the 5.6 million people who already visit the resort each year.

While helping the Europa-Park team plan this expansion, we surveyed a number of theme parks and water parks around the world.

We have found that water parks that are built near theme parks can typically achieve attendances between 10 and 20 percent of the theme park’s associated attendance, and often the water park admission prices are not far less than the theme park. This is significant incremental visitor and revenue volume that can go a long way toward funding a resort.

Technological Leaps

As with theme parks, water parks need to make regular investments in their rides and activities to keep visitors coming back, and there have been some exciting advancements in water park rides in recent years.

The development of the Master Blaster in 1996 was a major advance as it allowed riders to be pushed uphill and created a rollercoaster-style water attraction. This has been further developed with HydroMagnetic and Zip Coasters bringing theme park style thrills to water parks.

In recent years, water park ride manufacturers have increased the size and influence of bowl rides, funnel rides, and half-pipe rides. Whitewater West has also developed a looping water park ride.

Surfing technology has also improved rapidly over the years so that a number of different rides are now available, allowing guests to safely experience the thrill of surfing in either a water park setting or a surf lagoon.

Final Thoughts

As the world becomes more digital and virtual, the family water feature still has a refreshingly enduring appeal. This, along with the exciting new rides and attractions being developed each year, will help the industry continue well and fuel further developments in the future.

” ” In this serpentine water slide, the sharpest turns are completely enclosed so riders don’t fly into space.

To pull down the slide you need a constant stream of water to reduce the friction between you and the fiberglass surface. To maintain this flow, the water park must receive a water supply up to the top of the slide. Most water slides do this with a pump housed in a building near the base of the slide. In the standard design, the pump motor rotates a drive shaft attached to a propeller. The spinning propeller propels water forward, just as an airplane propeller propels air particles.

The pump draws water from a collection sump, usually the pool at the base of the slide, and forces it up through a narrow tube onto the slide. In this way, the water running down the slide is constantly being recycled. In some parks, the water is routed through several interconnected pools before being pumped back up onto a slide.

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” ”

In a typical arrangement, the water line has a check valve, also called a one-way valve, positioned between the pump and the top of the slide. Water can only flow upwards through this valve. This makes work easier for the water park organizers. When they turn off the pump at night, all the water from the check valve to the top of the slide is in the pipe. When they turn the pump back on in the morning, they don’t have to wait for the pipes to refill; the water begins to flow immediately.

To ensure that everything remains hygienic, the water in the collection basin is also pumped through a sieve and filter system. The typical filter is a large container filled with sand, sitting on a layer of gravel. Water is pumped from the top of the tank down through the layers of sand and gravel. The sharp edges of the fine sand particles catch the dirt particles in the passing water.

” ” One of the pump rooms at Wet ‘n Wild Emerald Pointe. In these rooms, pumps draw water from a collection pool, pass it through a filtration and chlorine system, and pump it to slides and other rides in the park.

At night, park managers reverse the flow of water through the filter. As water moves up through the sand, it loosens the dirt particles and cleans the filter. This backwash is pumped into the sewage system. In a typical holding tank, all the water is passed through the filter several times a day. Every swimming pool is constantly losing water – through filtration, evaporation and people carrying water away in their bathing suits. To keep the pools full, the park has to pump more water, either from a well or from the city’s mains.

Water slides continue to progress at breakneck speed. One of the most interesting developments on the horizon is the so-called “water roller coaster”. In the past, water slides were gravity-powered rides; the water doesn’t do much more than help you descend. But some newer designs actually use water to push you uphill. On these rides, the pump system propels high-pressure water to multiple locations along the slide. When the slide dips, propel the jets of water up the next hill. This element allows designers to create slides that carry you around in circles, like a roller coaster. It’s really amazing what you can do with just water, plastic, fiberglass and gravity.

Related HowStuffWorks links

More great links

The world is definitely ready for some good old-fashioned fun, and tourism is back with a vengeance! For theme parks — the real epicenter of the fun — there’s a huge opportunity right now to draw crowds.

But what would make an avid traveler choose your park over another when all the attractions reopen at the same time? That is the question.

At the end of the day, it’s all about marketing amusement parks – both online and offline. Digital marketing is an incredibly effective and economical way to promote your theme park. But the non-digital aspects of your marketing efforts never become irrelevant.

In this post, a mix of both: 10 total ways theme parks can capture the attention and loyalty of visitors yearning for a return to the fun.

Marketing for digital amusement parks

When you think of marketing, no doubt the first thing that comes to mind is digital marketing – all the ways you can promote your theme park online. Here are five of the most effective theme park digital marketing tactics.

1. Optimize your website

To make all your digital marketing efforts worthwhile, you should optimize your website first. This might sound like marketing jargon, but a well-crafted website is critical for down-to-earth reasons.

As a general rule, make sure your website loads quickly, works flawlessly, and is intuitive to people who are landing on it for the first time. Do all buttons and links work? Are there any hangups during the payment process? An optimized website is a prerequisite for any theme park looking to attract new visitors today.

2. Make a strategic impression with social media

If you don’t have your own hashtag, are you even a theme park? Not these days. From #findyourfun (Orlando entertainment) to #magicishere (Disneyland), smart theme park marketers create memorable hashtag slogans that can be used across all social media platforms.

Graphics are also key to grab people’s attention while scrolling. Images can have a tremendous impact in an endless feed of distracting posts, and people are far more likely to remember information paired with images in a post. This includes graphics, memes, and photos, but more importantly, it requires videos. According to Hubspot, video has become the primary form of media in content marketing.

3. Encourage user-generated content

One of the most effective and inexpensive ways to promote your theme park these days is to encourage your visitors to post about their experiences with you. We call this User Generated Content, or UGC, and may include things like selfies taken with characters from theme parks or against stunning backdrops.

According to the Online Marketing Institute, 85% of people find the UGC they see in their feeds to be more authentic and persuasive than traditional marketing or advertising. It is the best possible way to increase brand loyalty and engagement across social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

But be careful and encourage your visitors to film themselves on roller coasters and other rides. It is well known that safety comes first. Instead, create specific opportunities to encourage visitors to take photos and videos at intentional moments: Suggest views, backgrounds, and characters that would be the most photogenic. This helps entice visitors to share your theme park’s history, which is a huge marketing win.

A classic example of this type of marketing is Disneyland, which is known for its itinerant character actors. Visitors to the legendary theme park can snap a photo with any number of characters, from Cinderella to Cruella De Vil.

4. Be targeted with social media ads

In one sense, amusement parks are easy to market because it’s never hard to find the right target audience: families on school holidays, groups of friends on weekends, school trips. To make the most of this obvious segmentation, take advantage of the highly specific targeting available with social media advertising.

Social media ads can be targeted to the exact audience you want to reach with a digital marketing campaign. When you promote a loyalty program, you can also reach an audience within a specific geographic area of ​​your theme park, or within specific demographic groups: say, parents of young children who have purchased tickets to events online in the past.

5. Get serious about your email marketing

With all the high-tech ways to reach consumers today, email still reigns supreme. It’s consistently ranked as one of the most effective marketing platforms – no wonder, given that global email users are expected to reach 4.48 billion by 2024.

Email is a great way to stay on the radar of people who have visited your park in the past or bookmarked it for their bucket list. To attract the attention of future visitors, it is common to offer a promo code or other benefit for signing up for the newsletter.

Email marketing, in general, is a regular reminder of the fun you can have at your venue. It’s also a fairly low-stakes marketing method, as email marketing software is fairly inexpensive, email addresses are easy to obtain through your registration process, and templates make designing possible for anyone.

Just make sure you follow the rules of any email marketing regulation that your email software provides guidelines for.

Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash

Offline marketing for amusement parks

Digital marketing is incredibly effective, but it only works if you have something to promote at all. This is where offline marketing efforts come in. Here are five ways to back up your digital marketing efforts with powerful marketing tactics and programs.

6. Attract visitors with special offers

As summer draws to a close, depending on which hemisphere you’re in, it’s a good time to start thinking about off-season promotions. When designing, keep in mind what visitors will find most compelling. For example, 20% is nice, but would “$20 off” sound more appealing? Also, consider listing the “Standard” price alongside the discounted price for added impact.

Once you’ve designed promotional offers, show them. Gardaland, a popular amusement park and holiday resort in north-eastern Italy, currently has a 20% off Summer Sale on sale – the sale is one of the first things you see when you visit the theme park’s website.

Use all the digital theme park marketing tools at your disposal – not just on your website, but on all of the digital channels mentioned above, including social media and email marketing.

Photo by Tamanna Rumee on Unsplash

7. Create loyalty programs

Consider developing a prestige program like Disneyland Paris’ Disney Premier Access, which allows members to skip the lines at popular attractions like Big Thunder Mountain and Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain. The Land of Legends theme park in Istanbul offers a special annual pass called the Legendary Card: unlimited entry 365 days a year. These types of loyalty programs bring in new visitors and, more importantly, keep them coming back.

Who benefits from Unlimited Passes and Premier Access? Locals most of the time. This amusement park marketing tactic is particularly important at a time when travel restrictions are still in place in many places. Marketing your loyalty programs to a local audience is a smart way to capitalize on your efforts all year round – not just during peak holiday periods.

Photo by Kon Karampelas on Unsplash

8. Promote events and parties

Offering a deal for group visits such as birthday parties, family reunions, school trips, and company outings can attract a whole group of people at once. Elitch Gardens in Denver works to host parties alongside visitors and has even set up a sales team to help organize the events.

To position your amusement park as the best place for an event or celebration of a special occasion, bring home everything you have to offer:

– Built-in entertainment

– Catering and catering options

– The wow effect

In fact, depending on the venue and resources, you may have the option to offer exclusive events for a higher fee.

Pro Tip: Hosting an event at your venue is just one way to use affiliate marketing to reach new audiences. Get more ideas for advanced affiliate marketing strategies in this free e-book.

Photo by Chris Slupski on Unsplash

9. Strengthen (and brag about) your health and safety measures.

For now, it’s safe to assume that if your attraction is open, you’re taking precautions to ensure the safety and health of visitors. That can mean things like additional disinfection measures, mask requirements, social distancing efforts, and hand sanitizer distributed throughout the facility.

While your safety measures may go without saying, promoting them gives your visitors added reassurance that you are thinking about their health. Consider posting your COVID logs front and center on your website, email marketing communications, and social media profiles.

Watch Disneyland Paris detail its enhanced health and safety measures on its website. In the summer of 2021, Gardaland currently requires an EU digital COVID certificate for entry. If a visitor does not have one, they will reimburse the cost of their swab.

“As we return to travel, trust and visibility are incredibly important for people right now,” said Stacey Leasca, travel journalist, in an interview for Tiqets eBook The Immediate Future of Tourism: Strategies for Recovering Strong This Summer. Leasca and the other experts interviewed all agreed that post-pandemic trust is the new currency of tourism.

Photo by Julian Wan on Unsplash

10. Partner with OTAs and travel sites to get more exposure

Of course, when you partner with an online travel agency (OTA) like Tiqets, you get more exposure due to the built-in audiences, which are generally quite large. In a typical OTA partnership, the OTA provides you with a special page on their website that can be easily brought up during a search.

OTAs offer some other special advantages in your marketing. For example, they often have blogs and other promotional materials where they promote their attractions. They can also allow you to set up OTA-specific special offers for your visitors, such as B. Skip-the-line entry to Gardaland amusement park.

At Tiqets (an OTA), we spent much of the last few days of the pandemic supporting our attractions with virtual tours of their venues, promoted on the Tiqets website and social media platforms. Tiqets’ recent summer campaign, Summer of a Lifetime, encouraged people to get back on track with the best museums and attractions around the world and prominently featured the venues we worked with in the campaign.

What makes the water playground a great place for all children to play?

Most people have different ideas about what makes a great playground. A good playground is a place where you can actually do something. A playground can include anything from playing in a sandbox to playing on slides or swings. Nowadays, water playgrounds are becoming very popular among both children and adults. There are several aspects that make a good playground a great one.

Natural beauty

Playing outdoors can bring children the kind of joy and happiness that internet and video games can rarely offer, and what better way than to appreciate nature while playing outside in a water park surrounded by tall trees and beautiful flowers is. The inclusion of trees and shrubs certainly enhances the experience for children and adults visiting the water park. At Nirbo, we not only offer you the most exclusive selection of amusement park equipment, we also help you plan the playground so that it is surrounded by natural beauty.

basic equipment

Different age groups have different preferences as to which aqua park equipment is their favorite. At Nirbo we meet the needs and requirements of everyone, be it a toddler or an adult, on one platform. Our wide range of gear includes products such as loops, water totters, bucket fun and blasters to name a few. Our playground equipment is beautifully designed and very colorful and at Nirbo you will find the best products at the best prices.

Skill Development

Child development experts recommend playsets and swing sets for children in parks. Water play equipment such as jigsaw puzzles, slides and multiplay help children to develop optimal gross and fine motor skills when playing outdoors. We offer devices to develop children’s sensory skills. Our playsets allow children to hold on to things, jump around and move dexterously, enhancing their experience of building cognitive and interpersonal skills.

physical health

A good water playground should have equipment that uses children’s physical strength and provide activities such as running or climbing that help shape children’s physical health. It is imperative to purchase equipment from one of the leading water park equipment manufacturers, Nirbo, so that it is of the highest quality and safe for children to play around with.

Parks for everyone

Water parks make everyone happy, whether children or adults. Aside from creating lifelong memories, playing with kids makes it easier for parents to bond with children. We believe play parks should be for everyone. Our engineers, architects and planners will work together to develop a water play park that is precisely tailored to your requirements. At Nirbo we try to build a safe area in the water park with equipment that is also suitable for small toddlers. We provide parents with comfortable seating near the playground so they can see their children play. We also provide benches and tables so that you can have a picnic in the park.

Reasons to get your kids playing outside

Playing outdoors not only develops children’s motor skills, but also gives children the opportunity to experience nature, which stimulates their imagination. Water parks are a great place to relax and spend time outdoors with your family and loved ones. Some reasons why your kids should spend more time outdoors are listed below.

Less screen time

With children’s increasing reliance on entertainment devices, it’s important to understand that while educational games and media are helpful in stimulating a child’s brain development, they can in no way replace the physical and mental benefits of playing outdoors. Screen time should be kept to a minimum to prevent visual and attention deficits in children. Children should be encouraged to have unlimited time outdoors during the day and what better way than a water park to break away from school stress.

Encouraging imagination and releasing energy

Indulging in outdoor activities is extremely important for children to ensure better mobility, improved digestion and creativity, and the child’s overall well-being. Playing outside at parks or water parks gives kids unlimited opportunities to let their imaginations run wild and use their pent-up energy to express themselves, even if it means just running around in the water.

find joy

Playing outdoors can be incredibly joyful for children. The water park equipment that we design at Nirbo is designed to provide an interactive and fun environment for children to play around with. It is a great pleasure for children to enjoy the water park in spring and summer when temperatures are quite warm. The children are likely to enjoy the water play equipment offered by Nirbo. Nirbo’s wide range of play equipment will definitely add fun value to your water park.

Shaping social skills

The time children spend outdoors with their friends and family teaches them a lot about social skills. They learn to play together, share toys and socialize. The parks and water parks offer the children a great opportunity to socialize and make new friends.

Why water parks are a good idea for the whole family this summer?

Nirbo ensures that the water parks and the equipment at the water parks are inclusive. After a cold winter, visiting a water park in the summer is a great way to relax with the whole family. A water park with the best facilities for everyone is the best place to relax on a weekend or even a weekday. Kids enjoy their time with water activities and there’s no reason you can’t too. Our water parks offer you the best relaxation experience to enjoy with your family in a bathing suit, letting go of your inhibitions and being in a state of childlike bliss. You can scream your heart out, get soaked and race down the slides.

A fun day at the water park is all it takes to realize that your problems aren’t that big of a deal. Even if a fun day at the park makes you tired and hungry, the next day will leave you feeling completely refreshed. Water parks make you happy and uplift your spirits quicker, which means you’ll be more effective the next morning. Nothing stands in the way of having fun at a water park. No phone calls or emails will bother you, ensuring you have total family fun.

With a deep understanding of the likes and dislikes of both children and adults, Nirbo – water park slide supplier – brings you the most exclusive range of water park equipment that promises to put a smile on children’s faces. The company has ensured that all water equipment is completely safe for children. With attractive colors, durable quality, and eye-catching designs, Nirbo machines are among the best in Canada and the United States, offering accessories to add even more fun to your playground. By providing quality equipment, we aim to encourage outdoor activities among children and adults alike.

Advice and tips from water park experts

Planning a trip to the water park this summer? Being prepared for your trip can make all the difference for you and your family when visiting one of these attractions, so read on for some helpful water park advice and insider tips.

When to visit to avoid the crowds

America has hundreds of water parks, both indoors and outdoors, and of course we’d all prefer to visit when crowds are low.

Try to come on a weekday instead of the weekend. Saturdays and bank holiday weekends are consistently the busiest days.

You could try going to an indoor water park in the summer, since many choose to go to an outdoor park instead, but this trick doesn’t work for indoor water parks in a recreation area.

Always start your day by arriving before the park opens to beat the heat and crowds. You’ll find that you can drive more attractions in the first hour than in several hours during afternoon rush hours.

Arrive in the late afternoon when the crowds are leaving. Water parks often offer concession tickets in the late afternoon or early evening to reward late arrivals.

Many parks allow re-entry, so arrive early, leave by lunchtime, and return late afternoon for more fun.

entry discounts

In addition to the discounted water park tickets sold here at UltimateWaterpark.com, you can look for deals from Costco, AAA, and local in-market deals at fast food restaurants or grocery stores.

what to bring

Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen. Nobody should do without waterproof sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 50 or higher. You should also repeat the application regularly after bathing and especially after sliding with body slides.

Swimsuits without buttons or zippers are recommended as those with may not be allowed as they can damage certain slides.

One-piece suits for women are recommended unless you’re willing to possibly put on a show. Free fall and speed slides are notorious for renting your bikini.

Swim diapers are usually required for infants and young children. Bring them or pay a premium at the park’s gift shop.

A pair of sunglasses and a hat are great if you plan on lounging in the wave pool or floating down the lazy river all afternoon.

Flip-flops, water socks or plastic shoes for a walk in the park. The concrete and surfaces in the park can become unbearable on a hot summer day.

Some parks will lend a towel, but it is recommended that you bring your own.

Check with the park you plan to visit to see if they allow you to bring food and drinks. Some parks, like all Schlitterbahn water parks, welcome coolers as long as the drinks are non-alcoholic and in glass-free containers. Bottled water is welcome in almost all parks.

While eating outside of your park may not be welcome, you can always pack a cooler and have lunch in the parking lot, or some parks even offer a picnic area outside the front gate.

What not to bring

Unless you want to risk water damage or loss, leave your phone at home or in a locker.

Jewelery and other valuables should simply stay at home. You can’t carry them and lockers aren’t always as secure as you might think.

Alcoholic drinks. Some parks may sell them, but they won’t allow you to bring them into the lot or close them.

security

Small children should wear a rescue device, and many water parks provide one for free.

Parents and guardians should always supervise young children around the pools, lazy river, wave pool and all other water attractions. There will never be enough lifeguards at the water park to properly supervise a young child in a pool environment. A water park is a fantastic family experience and you should be present at all times and keep an eye on your children.

If you are pregnant, you should not ride any of the attractions. Check the safety signage on each ride or direct your questions to the ride operator.

Set up a designated meeting point upon arrival in case someone gets lost. You and your kids won’t be carrying your cell phones with you, so this is important.

What to expect

Many rides have age and/or height requirements.

Be prepared to climb stairs for most attractions. If you are in poor physical condition, disabled or elderly, this can be a problem.

Expect crowds. Setting expectations before you arrive can help you tolerate the crowds and make it a fun outing.

Areas of the park, including some lines, may have little to no shade from the sun.

Drink plenty of water. You should stop for a sip of water every hour and of course at the water fountain or concession stand, not at the pool.

Some parks require you to rent tubes for the wave pool and lazy river. Renting a subway may also allow you to avoid queuing to wait for a subway on rides that require it. Ask the park for details.

Final Tips

If you’re coming with a group of people or bringing the family, bring some cheap towels and settle into one of the park’s lounge chairs for the day. You can then return to this place all day to relax.

Consider renting a cabana for the day. Although the price may seem steep, you’ll have reserved seating and shade, plus most parks offer a food and drink server, and some have perks like express entry, free tubes, towels, and sunscreen.

And the most important tip of all. Have a fantastic time!

Let our experienced guides help you find a water park near you now.

Summer fun means visits to the water park for many Americans and their families. But what lurks beneath those colorful slides and splash pads? Oh, just a few things their staff probably won’t tell you.

Many bacteria can be found in these waters

The water park business is booming, with around 85 million people visiting North America’s 1,300 water playgrounds annually, according to the World Waterpark Association. The folks who run these hotspots want to keep guests as safe as possible, but with so many visitors, it’s difficult to keep everything spotless. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that 58 percent of the public pools they tested in a study contained E. coli bacteria.

Water slides are responsible for many injuries

A study published in the Journal of Emergency Medicine showed an increase in the number of coccyx injuries associated with waterslide use. In an interview with Live Science, study author Patrick Foye, MD, a professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Rutgers University, wants people to keep this in mind as they head down their next slide. “I’m not advising everyone to live their life wrapped in bubble wrap, but it’s important to recognize that there are some risks associated with these activities,” he said. Daredevils will want to try these coolest water slides in the world.

These slides are actually more dangerous than roller coasters

Research by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs found that revelers are twice as likely to be injured on a waterslide as on a roller coaster.

There is a lot of science that goes into the operation of water slides

Water parks may seem full of frivolity at first, but just like building roller coasters, there’s a lot of physics involved here. For one thing, computer software exists to keep waterslide fans as safe as possible. According to National Geographic, these programs “mimic the effects of friction and mass on a water slide.” This helps drivers maintain an even spacing between turns. Indoor water parks are a fast-growing segment of the industry, and these are the best in the United States.

A man dubbed the ‘father of water parks’

The World Waterpark Association pays homage to George Millay, whom they call “the father of waterparks”. Millay founded SeaWorld and the very first Wet ‘n Wild water park in Orlando, Florida.

You won’t believe how much water it takes to fill one of these parks

Water is a precious commodity, so you’ll probably be shocked to learn that it takes 900,000 gallons of the material to initially fill a water park. But the Star-Telegram reports that after that first fill, a water park typically only uses about 19,800 gallons a month. Technological advances are also helping water parks use H20 as conservatively as possible. Speaking of water, staying hydrated is important when enjoying a day at the park, and these foolproof hacks will keep you full.

There’s a thing called chlorine gas that can be problematic

Chlorine is used as an effective means of disinfecting public water points, but sometimes the mixing of pool chemicals creates what is known as a chlorine gas cloud. According to Michigan Live, 50 people at a Michigan water park became ill when one of these gas clouds formed; 26 of them had to be hospitalized.

Swim diapers for babies are not very effective

Water parks and public pools may require that children who are not yet potty trained wear swim diapers while using these attractions to keep accidents at bay. But the CDC says that while these products can prevent fecal matter from falling into the water, they’re not leakproof. “Swimming diapers can stop diarrhea-causing germs like cryptosporidium from getting into the water for a few minutes, but swimming diapers don’t stop those germs from contaminating the water,” their website says. Here’s how to take your little one to a water park and still have a good time.

Water parks really don’t want you to know what they find down their drains

A Reddit AMA involving water park employees uncovered some truly disgusting allegations about what they found in the drains on the premises. “We pulled out countless tissues and fake nails,” claimed one worker. “Many small dead animals (like) voles, mice, birds; plasters, condoms, dirty swim diapers, tampons, glass; Garbage of all kinds, including food waste. Purses. phones. Empty sunscreen tubes. Just everything. People are disgusting.”

E. Coli may be the least of your bacterial problems

When a 12-year-old girl contracted a so-called “brain-eating amoeba” in 2013, she was taken straight to the hospital in critical condition. The Arkansas Department of Health confirmed that this was a case of primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rare form of meningitis that can be fatal and is often associated with amoebas found in lake water. In this case, however, officers tracked it down to Willow Springs Water Park in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The only way to truly eliminate a pool of urine is to replace the water entirely

No matter how many chemicals you throw in a pool, the experts NPR polled on the subject say the only way to truly rid it of urine is to swap out the water. The longer one waits for the problem to appear, the worse the water becomes with the build-up of chloride and so-called “disinfection by-products”.

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon is home to the largest wave pool in North America

This wave pool is so damn big that, according to Disney, it takes nearly 3 million gallons of water to fill it completely. For comparison, an Olympic-size swimming pool is estimated to hold 660,000 gallons. Whether you’re in Typhoon Lagoon or elsewhere on the Walt Disney World grounds, these are the insider secrets you really need to know.

Rides in water parks are exempt from federal supervision

the us The Consumer Product Safety Commission does not oversee precautionary measures for water park attractions, which means regulation is left to state and local inspections. As such, there is no blanket safety code for water parks at the national level. It’s something to consider the next time you have an uneasy feeling about a particular slide or ride. If you go to an amusement park, make sure you know the secrets they won’t tell you.

Since their beginnings in the 1940’s and 50’s, water parks have grown in popularity. Today there are world-class water parks all over the world, from North America and Latin America to Europe and Asia.

Typhoon Lagoon

Established markets like Europe and North America are home to many of the best facilities in the world. For example Therme Erding in Germany and Typhoon Lagoon at Disney World in Florida. Meanwhile, there are some newcomers in Asia that are gaining popularity, such as Chimelong Water Park and Wuhu Fantawild Water Park in China. Many newer water parks have also come onto the market in the Middle East in recent years.

Here blooloop presents the 17 best water parks in the world, measured by visitor numbers.

Attendance figures for this list of the world’s top water parks are from the 2019 TEA/AECOM Theme Index, which can be downloaded here.

Textbooks are full of information about all sorts of important events – wars, proclamations, innovations, and population migrations. But what about equally important but perhaps more trivial historical facts?

For example, what about the history of the water slides?

It’s rare to meet anyone these days who hasn’t experienced at least one water slide, whether it’s a large one at an amusement park or a smaller inflatable version at a backyard party. And yet they did not exist until the 20th century.

We recently tracked down some of the earliest examples of what would become a centerpiece of amusement park entertainment: the mighty waterslide. We’ve found some early examples of humanity’s commitment to having a good time at high speeds.

Waterslide History: The Wonderland Waterslide

One of the first documented water slides came from New Zealand as part of the 1906 International Exposition. The “Wonderland” section of the exhibit included different types of rides and entertainment experiences – basically a mini amusement park – and below that was a water slide.

Photos from the event show clothed (or overly clothed by today’s standards) people sitting in large wooden “slide boats” that traveled down a path into Lake Victoria, where they glided across the surface. Cute!

Even back then, people knew a cool thing when they saw it (or could slide down it). According to a 1906 newspaper report from a newspaper in Christchurch, New Zealand – as quoted by the history site historygeek.co.nz – the speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives, Arthur Guinness, took one look at the slide and had to give it a try. He rode a boat full of screaming girls, according to the newspaper, “with his silk hat pulled down over his ears.”

Another driver, according to the website, was Governor General Lord Plunkett, who also impounded his own cart at the nearby toboggan run.

After the exhibition and Wonderland closed, the waterslide was sold to a company that operated it for a number of years in Wellington, New Zealand. But eventually it was shut down and dismantled.

Herbert Sellner raises the bar

Herbert Sellner lived in Faribault, Minnesota. He started his career designing furniture, then moved on to children’s toys and then, most famously, water slides. Built in 1923, the slide consisted of a wooden sled that people sat on and rode down an incline into a lake. Similar to New Zealand, this sled didn’t sink but instead shot across the water for distances of up to 100 feet, according to the U.S. Navy’s website. Patent Services.

Others took this idea and ran around with it, modifying the slide and putting up different versions at swimming pools, lakes and beaches. The Minnesota man had invented what would become a staple of the amusement park industry throughout the 20th century.

He didn’t stop there either. Sellner invented the tilt-a-whirl, which was presented at the 1927 Minnesota State Fair.

George Millay and the first official water park

Sellner’s invention led to people incorporating the water slide into existing water features such as pools, lakes and of course the ocean. But the attraction was so popular that parks opened, built around water attractions like water slides.

George Millay founded Sea World in San Diego in 1964 and later opened similar parks in Ohio and Orlando, Florida. In the 1970s, he saw the potential for a park built around water attractions, and in 1977 he opened what is believed to be the first water park, Wet n’ Wild, in Orlando, according to Waterpark.com. The park proved so popular that it opened more in the United States, Mexico, and Brazil. From a waterslide history perspective, this was a particularly important step.

Water parks in general were so successful that they eventually moved indoors, starting with the first in Wisconsin Dells at the Polynesian Resort Hotel & Suites in 1994.

No area has as many water slides as Wisconsin Dells, which is a must for the true water slide enthusiast. The area is the “Water Park Capital of the World” according to the Wisconsin Dells Visitors and Convention Bureau. According to the Wisconsin Dells Visitors and Convention Bureau, “We have the largest concentration of outdoor and indoor water parks in the world.” There are 50 water slides at Noah’s Arch water park alone – one of the reasons why it’s in the top 10 most visited water parks in the world.

21st century water slides

In the more than 100 years since this waterslide has been in Christchurch, the waterslide has become a staple of summertime fun around the world. Not only can you visit amusement parks to experience water slides, but now you have the opportunity to rent your own inflatable party water slide and have fun in your own backyard.

According to the latest figures, the most popular water parks are in Florida, starting with Typhoon Lagoon at Walt Disney World, which has more than 2 million visitors annually. Close behind are Blizzard Beach, also in Walt Disney World, and Aquatica and Wet n’ Wild, both in Orlando.

Today, water slides come in a variety of exciting styles. The tallest freefall slide — the 120-foot Summit Plummet — is located on Blizzard Beach. The tallest slide overall is at Aldeia das Aguas Park Resort in Brazil.

So next time you’re on a water slide, think of Herbert Sellner inventing something in his business alone that would entertain millions. Or the thousands of Wonderland-goers on a long-ago weekend in New Zealand, flying down the waterslide and trying to keep their silk top hats from flying off.

Both amusement parks and water slides have come a long way.

How Chlorine Keeps Pools Safe for Summer Fun

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Answers to common questions about chlorine and pool safety

Most people probably wouldn’t want to go swimming in a giant Petri dish filled with germs. But without modern chemistry, swimming in pools could look like this. Even a quick swim in unclean water can expose a person to diseases like diarrhea, swimmer’s ear, and various types of skin infections, including athlete’s foot.

Chlorine chemistry helps fight germs to keep pool water sanitized so swimmers are not exposed to harmful levels of disease-causing microbes. How do we know pool sanitizing chemicals are safe to use?

What Experts Are Saying About Chemicals And Pool Safety:

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that chlorine is added to water to kill germs. Chlorine and pH are the first line of defense against germs that can make swimmers sick, according to the CDC.

Whether you choose to use chemical products or electrical equipment to clean your pool or spa, Health Canada says you must use a certain amount of sanitizer to prevent disease-causing microorganisms from multiplying.

Belgian scientists also support the disinfection of swimming pools, stating that chlorine is the best disinfectant currently available and “there is no evidence that alternatives to chlorine are a viable solution for disinfecting swimming pools”. (Supreme Health Council of Belgium)

Answering questions about chlorine and pool safety

What is chlorine and how is chlorine made?

Chlorine is a naturally occurring chemical element and one of the basic building blocks of matter. Chlorine is made from common salt by passing an electric current through a solution of brine (common salt dissolved in water) in a process called electrolysis.

Why is chlorine added to swimming pools?

Chlorine is added to the water to kill germs. When added to a pool, it forms a weak acid called hypochlorous acid, which kills bacteria like salmonella and E. coli, as well as germs that cause viruses like diarrhea and swimmer’s ear.

How is pool water chlorinated?

Pools are sanitized with a variety of chlorine-based compounds, including chlorine gas, sodium hypochlorite (liquid bleach), calcium hypochlorite, lithium hypochlorite, and chlorinated isocyanurates. When any of these compounds comes into contact with water, it releases hypochlorous acid (HOCl), the active disinfectant. Learn more in the American Chemistry Council’s Pool Treatment 101 guide.

How do saltwater pools differ from chlorinated pools?

Both types of pools actually use chlorine. Brine pools are chlorinated pools where the chlorine is generated on-site from sodium chloride. Other types of chlorinated pools use chlorine to sanitize the water with chlorine tablets or sticks.

Why do pools sometimes smell like chlorine or chemicals?

Healthy pools do not smell of chemicals. Pool water is often described as smelling of chlorine, but a well-run pool should be odorless. The smell of pool water does not come from the chlorine itself, but from chemical compounds called chloramines that build up in pool water if it is improperly handled.

Chloramines result from the combination of two ingredients: (1) the chlorine sanitizers that are added to sanitize swimming pools, and (2) sweat, oils, and urine that enter the pool from swimmers’ bodies. Chloramines can be eliminated with chlorine. “Shock treatment” or “superchlorination” is the practice of adding extra chlorine to pools to destroy ammonia and the organic compounds that combine with chlorine to form chloramines.

Does chlorine irritate a swimmer’s eyes?

Swimmers might worry “there’s too much chlorine in the pool” if their eyes are red or irritated after a swim. However, if the pool water is irritating, it is usually a sign that there is not enough chlorine in the pool water!

To keep a pool, hot tub or spa safe, the water needs to be tested daily, especially if it gets a lot of use. Learn more about maintaining healthy pools in the video below.

Compound Interest’s The Chemistry of Swimming Pools

Since their beginnings in the 1940’s and 50’s, water parks have grown in popularity. Today there are world-class water parks all over the world, from North America and Latin America to Europe and Asia.

Typhoon Lagoon

Established markets like Europe and North America are home to many of the best facilities in the world. For example Therme Erding in Germany and Typhoon Lagoon at Disney World in Florida. Meanwhile, there are some newcomers in Asia that are gaining popularity, such as Chimelong Water Park and Wuhu Fantawild Water Park in China. Many newer water parks have also come onto the market in the Middle East in recent years.

Here blooloop presents the 17 best water parks in the world, measured by visitor numbers.

Attendance figures for this list of the world’s top water parks are from the 2019 TEA/AECOM Theme Index, which can be downloaded here.

The best water parks in India to visit during summer vacation

Summer vacation calls for the ultimate respite from the almost unbearable heat of the sun. To get away from it all, there are plenty of activities you can take part in. You can spend your afternoon in the shopping malls, cafes or cinemas or you can decide to go to a hill station. However, the ultimate summer retreat is visiting the best water parks in India close to you.

Nothing beats water rides when it comes to spending a day outdoors in the summer. These rides will leave you enjoying and refreshed while experiencing the ultimate thrill. Besides the amazing rides, you can also enjoy street food and other delicious snacks that are available in most of these parks. Water parks soothe the senses and make you forget the heat of summer. Dive into the cool water, enjoy water slides, splash water and bring out the child in you. Here is a list of the best water parks in India to find your closest one:

1. Water Kingdom in Mumbai:

The Water Kingdom in Mumbai is considered the largest water theme park in Asia. It is one of the oldest and most popular water parks in the country. The rides have only gotten better over time and are pretty reasonable too. There is an artificial beach built inside the park. It is located in Borivali West, near Bay View Hotel on Global Pagoda Road, Mumbai, Maharashtra. What-a-coaster and Adventure Amazonia are the most popular rides here.

2. Wonder La in Bangalore:

Wonder La is known as one of the best water parks in India for its over 60 thrilling rides. There are rides that defy gravity and drive you crazy and bring out the kid in you. They keep testing their limits and challenging people to enjoy the adrenaline rush. You can also laze near the pool and enjoy delicious food at one of the 6 restaurants near the park. You can also buy souvenirs, toys and many other things. This park is popular with all age groups. It is located on Mysore Road in Bengaluru, Karnataka. It’s fairly easy to spot on the Bangalore-Mysore highway. It can also be reached via the Volvo BMTC buses. The popular rides are Harakiri, Equinox and Flash Tower.

3. Adlabs Imagica in Mumbai-Pune:

Spending weekends at Adlabs Aquamagica on the Mumbai-Pune highway is definitely relaxing in summer. The Imagica theme park is a more than perfect destination to enjoy with your loved ones. It is not one park but many parks in one place like theme park, snow park, water park, game zone and many more. Enjoy roller coaster rides, shopping and the amazing Mr. India experience at the theme park. At the water park, you can enjoy the wave pool and lazy river. There are both group and solo rides here. Snow Park is a must at a temperature of -5 degrees. Jackets and boots are provided. You can also enjoy snowfall here. This is one of the best water parks in India. The must-try rides are Splash and Loopy Woopy. You can easily reach this park from the nearby bus stops. Aquamagica also offers pick and drop services which can be availed when booking the tickets.

4. Miracle La in Kochi:

This Wonder La is a branch of the same in Bangalore and ranks high in the list of the best water parks in India. It offers a wide variety of thrilling rides, from the water roller coasters to the fun pools. You can choose rides that will test your nerves and get your adrenaline pumping way too high. The rides you can try there are the Water Fall, Water Pendulum and Snake slides. The park is a boon to all locals as it offers great respite on a hot summer day. The fun here is endless.

5. WoW (wonder world) in Noida:

Being on the list of the best water parks in India, this park must be something special. Located in the heart of Noida, it is frequented by large numbers of people of all ages. It is a great place to relax with numerous events taking place throughout the year. Known as the ideal water park for families in India, WoW hosts the well maintained and cleaned park within the country. It is located in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. You can get there using the metro station nearby in Noidas Sector-18. The popular rides there are Free Fall, Raft Ride, Turbo Tunnel and Rapid Racer.

6. Oysters (Appu Ghar) in Gurgaon:

Oysters is the ultimate stress relief water park in Gurgaon. The sprawling and lavish entertainment areas with numerous adventurous rides are usually perfect for beating off the scorching summer heat. It is located at Sector 29, Appu Ghar Marg, near Huda City Metro Station, Gurugram. Located right next to the Huda City subway, Oysters is easily accessible by cab, cab or subway. The rides that can be tried there are Freefall and Oh My Gurgaon.

The parting words

These are some of the top water parks in India that you must visit to brave the heat in the most exquisite way. Such easy getaway destinations deserve your full attention as they focus on providing you with the best rides available. Look forward to cooling off in the water and the unique rides. Make sure you don’t miss them and make your summer vacation unforgettable and fun.

See more: Top 5 Theme Parks in India