|
WATER PARKS
---- THE LATEST WATER PARK NEWS ----
(3/12/2023) Great Wolf Lodge Looking To Another Resort in Canada (MORE...)
(2/5/2023) Great Wolf Lodge Foxwoods Finally Breaks Ground (MORE...)
(1/22/2023) Kalahari Sandusky Expanding Outdoor Waterpark for Summer 2023 (MORE...)
(12/29/2022) Great Wolf Lodge Maryland Construction Update (MORE...)
(11/27/22) Water Country Upgrading Two Slides For 2023 Season (MORE...)
(11/27/22) Raging Waters To Open Bombs Away in 2023
(11/25/2022) Wet 'n Wild Emerald Pointe Upgrading Three Slides for 2023 Season (MORE...)
 The Beach (Mason, Ohio)
Park News - (9/23/22) Frequent guests to Kings Island may remember The Beach waterpark located very close to the theme park. The Beach closed down after the 2019 season and was apparently put up for sale, but nothing really happened after that due to the arrival of the pandemic. According to an update from the local news, a new owner had finally purchased the closed waterpark about three weeks ago. The bad news however is that the new owner stated that he has no intention of reopening the waterpark.
Instead the purchase of the 35-acre site seems to have been done with the goal of redevelopment in mind. The new owner currently owns a couple of nearby pieces of property where a Mini Golf course and old Bob Evens restaurant used to be located. So far the only mention of a planned new development would be to add a new Texas Roadhouse on the site of the Mini Golf course, which has already been approved. As for what will happen to The Beach, anything is possible, but I’m guessing it will be used for further commercial development.
Calypso Park (Ottawa, Canada)
2023 - Nothing is known at this point in time, also nothing added for 2019 - 2022 seasons.
Camelback Waterpark & Lodge / CamelBeach - (PA)
2023 - Nothing is known at this point in time, also nothing added for 2019 - 2022 seasons.
Coco Key Waterpark Resort (Mt. Laurel, NJ)
Park News - (9/3/22) After sitting closed for the past couple of years the former CoCo Key Waterpark Resort in Mt. Laurel, NJ will be reopening soon under new ownership and an all new name. According to the local news the exact details about when and what the new name will be have not yet been announced, but the resort is expected to reopen sometime this fall. The waterpark resort found itself on the auction block twice before landing a new owner who apparently purchased the property for just $13 million last year.
The article goes on to say that the hotel itself will open first, in limited capacity form, while the indoor waterpark will likely not be ready to open until sometime in 2023.
(10/24/21) The Hotel ML and CoCo Key Water Park in Mt Laurel are up for auction this month. According to this posting the starting bid for the property is $4 million.
(3/23/20) A Screamscape source tell us that the Coco Key Waterpark Resort in Mt. Laurel, NJ has shut down for good… not just for the COVID-19 virus. The resort is said to have been on unsteady financial legs for some time now, especially as they have been in competition with the better known Sahara Sams / Diggerland complex about 20 minutes away.
According to our source, Coco Key sent out a letter of termination to all employees a few days ago, along with notice that they were shutting down the waterpark and the hotel. The Coronavirus was just the last straw for the struggling resort. While the resort is shutting down, it is said that the owners hope this course of action will save the park, and give it a chance to possibly reopen again much later in the year after things start to return to normal. I’m guessing this may give them time to possibly enter into some kind of Bankruptcy restructuring plan, or possibly even request financial aid assistance as a business victim of the COVID-19 pandemic.
So far the resort’s website only says that they are closed indefinitely due to the outbreak, but nothing more, so it does seem to follow the story that they do hope to reopen again, but it may be later than expected.
 Cowabunga Bay (Utah)
2023 - Nothing is known at this point in time...
Cowabunga Bay (Las Vegas, NV)
2023 - Nothing is known at this point in time...
Cowabunga Canyon (Las Vegas, NV)
- Formerly Wet ‘n’ Wild Las Vegas
2023 - Nothing is known at this point in time...
Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark (Grand Prairie, TX)
2023 - Nothing is known at this point in time, also nothing added for 2019 - 2022 seasons.
Glacier Beach (Colorado)
2024/2025 - New Park Planned - (2/20/22) A new waterpark called Glacier Beach has been proposed for the Denver, Colorado area, with a proposed 2024 opening timeline. According to the park’s facebook page, they mention it having 9 innovate and thrilling attraction, each one able to hold between 2 to 6 guests at a time. No carrying your tube up the stairs, every slide will have an automated tube lift system. There are a couple of very interesting statements as well, one claiming an approval pending “Guiness World Record Breaking Longest & Darknest Water Slide in the World” and the other ponders the question, “What if we had a circular 360 wave pool?!?”
Whaaaaa?! Count me in for the dark slide, but a 360 wave pool would be very interested indeed. I’ve seen a prototype system built to do just that in Australia, but it was massive and involved the use of a giant “plunger” style device in the center to create the waves. You can see this prototype in action here.
Grand Country Resort / Splash Country Indoor Waterpark (Branson, MO)
2023 - Nothing is known at this point in time...
Great Wold Lodge Resorts News - (3/12/2023) I missed this earlier in the year, but apparently Great Wolf Lodge has an eye on building a new indoor waterpark resort in Canada. To be more specific, they are looking into plan to build a new $350 million location in Cornwall, Ontario. Currently, I believe the only current GWL location in Canada is located at Niagara Falls, with Cornwall located about a 5 and a half hour drive away, seated conveniently between Ottawa and Montreal.
Great Wolf Lodge Florida -
2024 - New Resort - (7/14/22) Long time readers may remember a time when a Great Wolf Lodge was announced to be coming to Orlando, but alas, it was never to be. In the years that have followed we’ve seen Great Wolf Lodge build countless new indoor waterpark resorts all across the country, even in sunny Southern California. According to this article construction will begin this week to build a Great Wolf Lodge in Naples , FL.
The plan is to open it by 2024, which sounds about right, as the typical construction timeline to build a Great Wolf Lodge is 18 months. They say it will be located on City Gate Boulevard near the Paradise Coast Sports Complex of the Collier Blvd. exit off I-75.
I’m scratching my head at the choice of this location, as it seems about as far away as you can get from Florida’s major cities and the traditional high-traffic tourist areas. While I lived in Orlando from 2000 to 2006, I never had the chance to visit this part of the state, so I really don’t know much about what one might expect down here. Of course, I don’t recall anyone I knew at the time ever going here either for any reason... so there is that.
Great Wolf Lodge Houston -
Late 2024 - Under Construction - (9/24/22) The news reports that an official groundbreaking ceremony has taken place for the new Great Wolf Lodge Resort coming to the Houston area. Construction time is expected to take around 24 months, so look for the new waterpark resort to be ready to open in late 2024.
(7/9/22) According to a local news report clearing has begun on the site for a proposed new Great Wolf Lodge resort just outside Houston in the City of Webster. The plan is still to open the new indoor waterpark resort sometime in 2024.
(1/29/22) Things are moving forward so far with the proposed new Great Wolf Lodge resort in Houston. According to the local news the Webster City Council approved a $2 million property sale agreement with the company in November to purchase the 29-acre site not far from a Top Golf location just south of the NASA Bypass. The contract requires Great Wolf Lodge to build the indoor waterpark resort ‘no less than 400,000 square feet” in size with an indoor waterpark at least 75,000 sqft, plus a 10,000 sqft convention center space.
While the contract requires construction to begin no later than April 30, 2025, the intention by Great Wolf Lodge is to hold a ground breaking sometime in Q1 2022.
(12/16/21) Documents obtained in this local news article confirm that a new Great Wolf Lodge is now expected to be coming to the city of Webster, TX. Webster sits just south-east of Houston, right in the existing tourist area for Houston’s NASA themed Space Center attractions, and just outside NASA’s Mission Control Center.
The land sale documents between the city and Great Wolf Resorts were approved back on Nov. 16, 2021 for a 35.36 acre tract of land in a deal for $2 million. So far Great Wolf Lodge isn’t talking, but traditionally the typical timetable to construct one of the GWL resorts is about 18-24 months, so if they can start the project by the end of 2022, then we are probably looking for it to open in the later half of 2024 at best.
Great Wolf Lodge Maryland
Late 2023 - Under Construction - (12/29/2022) A new set of aerial construction photos of the new Great Wolf Lodge indoor waterpark resort going up in Perryville, MD can be seen below. Scroll through the photos to see some great shots of the various waterslides sticking out of the backside of the waterpark slide tower structures on either side.
Of interest may be the light-blue slide that starts with a mini-tornado style funnel element near the start, but if you follow the slide down to the enclosed bowl element you’ll see there is a large gap in the slide just before it enters the bowl element. Could be some kind of assembly error with the placement of the footers, or more likely that section of the slide could have been damaged (or gone missing?) and they’re just waiting on a replacement.
(6/12/22) A collection of aerial drone pictures of the new Great Wolf Lodge resort under construction in Maryland can be seen in the Facebook posting below.
(4/4/22) Some aerial drone shots of the new Great Wolf Lodge Maryland resort under construction in Perryville can be seen below.
(7/24/21) A new Great Wolf Lodge indoor waterpark resort has broken ground in Perryville, MD. The new GWL Maryland resort is expected to open in late 2023 and is being promoted as being their 20th and biggest Great Wolf Lodge yet, with 700 family-friendly suites and a 126,000 sqft indoor waterpark. Perryville, MD is located sort of right in the middle between Baltimore, Philadelphia and Harrisburg / Hershey regions, and I would also imagine it to be a popular draw from the Washington DC area as well, who will now find themselves in the middle between this new resort and the one in Williamsburg, VA.
Great Wolf Lodge at Mashantucket / Foxwoods -
2025 - (2/5/2023) They’ve talked about building it for years and at last Great Wolf Lodge has broken ground on their newest waterpark resort that will open next to the Foxwoods casino in Connecticut in 2025. This will be a 549-room indoor waterpark resort and is being built in a partnership with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation on a 13 acre site.
(3/20/22) I missed this story last month, but according to this article the famous Foxwoods Resort Casino says they are moving forward with plans to add a Great Wolf Lodge indoor waterpark resort to their property. The announcement comes as Foxwoods is celebrating their 30th Anniversary and announced a whole slew of renovations and big expansion plans.
The casino resort is now looking to embrace a “family friendly” plan for the future of the resort, and while gambling will obviously remain, the focus going forward will be more on their various entertainment offerings, and the planned opening of the new Great Wolf Lodge in 2024 is a huge part of that. To be built on a 15-acre site, the official name of the resort will be “Great Wolf Lodge at Mashantucket”.
Great Wolf Lodge Poconos
2022/2023 - Renovations - (4/2/22) Great Wolf Lodge Poconos has shared plans to renovate the resort and add 30 new Villas to their lineup of guest accommodations over the next year. Other improvements to come will include a renovation of the resort lobby, a new full service restaurant, some upgrades to the toddler play areas in the waterpark and more over the next year. Look for the new villas to be ready in Summer 2023.
Great Wolf Lodge Tennessee
2024 - New Resort - (3/17/22) The land sale for the proposed Great Wolf Lodge resort in Tennessee has been approved by the city council and development board. This will see 258 acres handed over to an Industrial Development Board who will then sell 36-acres to Great Wolf Lodge for the new resort project. According to the article, Great Wolf Lodge would like to break ground on the new project sometime this Fall. Based on past project timelines, it usually takes at least 18 to 20 months to build a GWL Resort, so the earliest we might see it open would be Spring or Summer 2024.
(2/7/20) According to a local news report, Great Wolf Lodge is eyeballing a site in Jackson, Tennessee as a possible home to a new indoor waterpark resort. According to the local “Jackson Chamber and Visit Jackson” groups, the city is 99% of the way there on a deal for Great Wolf Lodge to build a $150 million new resort off I-40. Construction could start by Summer 2021 and it should be ready to open 18-20 months after that. Jackson is located about a 2 hour drive west of Nashville, or about 90 minutes east of Memphis, putting it fairly in the middle between west Tennessee’s two biggest cities.
H2OBX (Outer Banks, North Carolina)
2023 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing Added in 2022 Either
Kalahari Resort (Pocono Mountains, PA)
2023 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 either
Kalahari Resort (Sandusky, Ohio)
2023 - Outdoor Waterpark Expansion - (1/22/2023) Something new is in the works at the Kalahari indoor waterpark resort in Sandusky, Ohio. Construction is currently ongoing outside the resort for an expansion of their outdoor waterpark offerings, expected to be finished in time for Summer 2023. According to the website this will include a new “20 Foot Free Fall Jump Tower”, a new 15,000 Sqft pool (their largest), new premium lounge space and the reopening of the 70 foot zipline attraction.
Kalahari Resort (Round Rock, TX)
2023 - Nothing is known at this point in time...
Kalahari Resort (Wisconsin Dells)
2023 - Nothing is known at this point in time, also nothing added for 2019 - 2022 seasons.
Myrtle Waves (Myrtle Beach, SC)
2023 - Nothing is known at this time, nothing was known to be added from 2016 - 2022.
Nashville Shores (Tennessee)
Premier Parks
Resort News - (12/4/21) We’ve mentioned the Nashville Shores waterpark from time to time over the years, but the waterpark is actually just one piece of a larger resort. Industry design experts, PGAV, have announced that they are working with Premier Parks to create a new master plan for the entire resort project that includes not just the waterpark, but also a treetop adventure park, lodging and a marina.
The long-term plan will be focused on updating the resort's operations and overall visitor experience, increasing the number of lodging sites, adding new resort amenities and more. This will actually be the second master plan PGAV have created for Nashville Shores, after working with Premier Parks nearly a decade ago on their first master plan for the resort which saw a great deal of growth throughout the entire project.
2023 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 either
Noah’s Ark (Wisconson Dells)
Palace Entertainment
2023 - Waterslide Enhancement - (11/25/22) Noah’s Ark has announced that one of the park’s existing enclosed slides will be upgraded with an all new light and sound experience “that will shock the senses like never before. Fly through the tube on an electric journey that sends you down and around to the pulse of vivid light and dynamic sound.”
The don’t mention which slide is getting the enhanced experience however. There are a few options where they could upgrade one of the park’s existing dark slides, though I’m guessing it could be the Flying Gecko.
Ocean Breeze (Virginia)
Premier Parks
2023 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 either
Palm Spring Surf Club (Palm Springs, CA)
Owned by Pono Acquisition Partners I, LLC as of 2019
2023- New Name / Remodeled Park - (10/24/2022) Little is actually known at this point, though whispers suggest that the new surf wave pool being created here is now expected to be filled sometime in early 2023.
(4/17/21) Work is progressing at the Palm Springs Surf Club, which is shooting for an official opening in 2022. For now they are working on building and refining their surfable wave pool experience, testing it out with experienced surfer. You can check out the action in the video below that was actually posted in August 2020.
(10/27/19) A quick update can be found here as plans for the new Palm Springs Surf Club have been approved and they are moving ahead to transform the property into a new attraction. Based on the concept art being shown, it looks like almost all of the waterslides will be coming out in order to bring this new vision to life, creating an entirely new location to surf. The list of removed attractions includes the Pacific Spin (the funnel shaped Tornado slide), the red and yellow slides as well as a removal of the Flowrider stationary surf simulator. The tower for Pacific Spin will remain to be used as a life-guard observation tower.
This means the park won't be ready for the Summer 2020 season though, and Palm Spring Surf Club may be ready to open at the earliest at the end of 2020. Pricing has not been set, but they did say that they don’t plan to charge for parking.
(10/22/19) According to various news sources the former Wet ‘n’ Wild Palm Springs waterpark that was sold and sat closed for all of 2019 will reopen with a new name in 2020. They’re calling it the Palm Springs Surf Club and they are going through the process of planning and building a new state-of-the-art wave pool to be the centerpiece of the new park experience. Apparently the technology behind this new concept of wave pool design will be different from anything else seen at a waterpark before. Word is it may be similar to the technology used at the BSR Surf Resort wave pool in Waco, Texas, able to create stunning artificial wave shapes. (Click here to see a quick video of a wave at BSR Surf Park)
(6/15/19) Wet ‘n’ Wild Palm Springs did indeed get a new owner, as the park was sold to Pono Acquisition Partners I, LLC. The new owners are performing a massive renovation to the property, and it is staying closed for the entire 2019 season. Look for the park to reopen in 2020 as a “brand new experience”, which I assume will come along with a new name.
Raging Rivers (Grafton, IL)
2023 - Nothing is known at this point in time...
Raging Waters Sacramento (Formerly: Six Flags WaterWorld)
Park News - (11/15/22) It was announced that Raging Waters Sacramento has closed and that the waterpark will not open again in 2023. According to Palace Entertainment, they say that they have made the decision to ‘terminate its lease after a careful review of company priorities.”
What happens to the 15 year old waterpark remains to be seen, however a follow-up statement from Cal Expo explains things in more detail. According to this statement “Palace Entertainment has exercised the buy-out provision of their current agreement with Cal Expo. Unfortunately, the water park was unable to be profitable over the past 3 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic”. This resulted in the park being kept shut down for the 2020 and 2021 seasons, and limited operational ability in 2022.
Cal Expo believes that the waterpark can be profitable going forward, so if it does reopen, it will do so under new branding.
2023 - Nothing is known at this time, nothing was known to be added from 2015 - 2022.
Raging Waters San Dimas (San Dimas, CA)
2023 - BOMBS AWAY - (11/27/2022) Palace Entertainment has confirmed that Raging Waters will finally open their new Bombs Away tandem drop slides for the 2023 season. After dealing with a lenghy delay of the project throughout the pandemic, the park had hoped to finally open it in 2022, but it was not possible. They confirm that Bombs Away, the long awaited replacement for Drop Out, will be ready for the 2023 season!
“Sliders will step into enclosed capsules when, without notice, the floor beneath their feet abruptly vanishes and drops them down into two unique experiences – a straight-speed six-story drop where sliders will reach speeds of up to 30 feet per second, or a twisting, turning loop through a closed-tube 325-foot-long fly-by at similarly supersonic speeds.”
Raging Waters San Jose (San Jose, CA)
2023 - Nothing is known at this time, nothing was known to be added from 2015 - 2022.
Raging Waves (Yorkville, Illinois)
2023 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 either
Rapids Water Park (West Palm Beach, FL)
2023 - Mega Mayhem - (9/3/22) Rapids Water Park (near West Palm Beach, FL) has announced a new slide called Mega Mayhem is coming for the 2023 season. Mega Mayhem will replace the retired Old Yellar attraction and will be the first dueling water coaster in the state of Florida, featuring side-by-side flumes that will speed down twists, high-banked turns and plunge down five drops along the way.
Roaring Springs (Idaho)
2023 and Beyond - (2/18/22) The Roaring Springs waterpark just west of Boise, Idaho has announced that they will be expanding into the 12-acre empty lot to the east, which will allow the waterpark to increase in size by 40% over the next 10-15 years. They are putting a seveni-phase expansion plan in place that will start with the first phase ready to open for Summer 2023 that will feature an interactive water fortress attraction called Camp IdaH20 that will feature seven small slides and a 650-gallon “dumping potato bucket”. Other new attractions will be Class 5 Canyon (a “simulated wave” that propels guests on paddleboards) and the Critter Crossing activity pool. The park will also add the Geyser Grill & Bar, adding alcoholic beverages to the park for the first time.
Sahara Sam’s (New Jersey)
2023 - Nothing is known at this time, nothing was known to be added from 2017 - 2022.
Sandcastle Waterpark (Pennsylvania)
2023 - Nothing is known at this time
Schlitterbahn Waterparks - These parks have their own designated page. CLICK HERE.
 Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Concord
Operated By Six Flags for EPR Properties
2023 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 either
 Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Phoenix
(Phoenix, AZ)
Formerly: Wet ‘n’ Wild Phoenix
Owned by EPR Properties
Managed by Six Flags Theme Parks
2023 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 either
 Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Rockford
(Rockford, IL)
Formerly: Magic Waters
Managed by Six Flags Theme Parks
2023 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 either
 Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Splashtown
(Houston, TX)
Formerly: Wet ‘n’ Wild SplashTown
Owned by EPR Properties
Managed by Six Flags Theme Parks
2023 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 either
Splash Summit (Provo, Utah)
2023 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 either
Splish Splash (Long Island, NY)
2023 - Nothing is known at this point in time...
Surfworks Adventure Park (Myrtle Beach, SC)
???? - NEW PARK - (1/9/21) I missed this announcement earlier this year but a new unique $41 million surfing park is planned to come to Myrtle Beach and start construction sometime in 2021 following an approved 15-year lease on the property. The attraction will be called the Surfworks Adventure Park. The goal is to build a park with a surf lagoon able to create four different style of waves for different experience levels, as well as include other attractions like a skate park, climbing walls, some waterslides. They also plan on building amphitheater style seating around the lagoon so spectators can watch planned pro/am surfing contests. They are also planning on adding a concert stage overlooking a nearby grass field to host music concerts as well. The goal is to open the attraction sometime in 2022 and you can see concept art posted at the official website along with some initial plans for a second site under consideration for Fort Pierce, Florida.
 Typhoon Texas (Austin, TX)
2023 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 either
Typhoon Texas (Houston, TX)
2023 - Typhoon Junior - (11/9/22) According to a local news report, Typhoon Texas Houston will build a $4 million “interconnected water park exclusively for children” in time for the Summer 2023 season. Construction on “Typhoon Junior” began last month and they hope to have it ready to open in time for Memorial Day Weekend. The concept here isn’t just building a kiddie play area, but rather they are calling this a “park within a park”, with attractions all designed for smaller kids with pre-set height and age limits. The idea is to give the smaller kids their own place to play until they are ready to venture out to experience the bigger attractions within the main park areas.
Water Country (New England) -
2023 - Black Hole and Warp Eight Upgrades - (11/27/2022) Water Country will be upgrading two of the park’s most popular slides, Black Hole and Warp Eight, with “next-generation technology from iSlide this winter, transforming each ride with all-new light and sound experiences that will surprise the senses like never before. Fly through each slide tube on electric journeys that send riders down and around to the pulse of vivid light and dynamic sound. Each attraction’s rebirth will include new names and new themes to match the new thrills.“
Water World Colorado (Denver, Colorado)
2023 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 either
Wet ‘n Wild Emerald Pointe (Greensboro, NC)
2023 - Amp Up The Fun - (11/25/22) Wet ‘n Wild Emerald Pointe is planning on making some light and sound upgrades to a few of the park’s existing slides for the 2023 season. “The high-thrill slides will transform into full sensory experiences with the installation of new light and sound systems that surprise riders’ senses like never before. Riders will fly through each slide on electric journeys that send them down and around lengths of 100, 161 and 176 feet to the pulse of vivid light and dynamic sound. These ride rebirths into state-of-the-art attractions will amp up the fun in 2023.”
The website and teaser video fail to mention which three slides are getting the upgrade, but based on the park’s existing lineup and the small selection of enclosed slides, I’m pretty sure the three slides getting upgraded are the existing trio of “The Blue Stream, Slidewinder and The 360º” which also appear to match the lengths mentioned.
Wet ‘n’ Wild Toronto (Toronto, Canada)
Formerly: Wild Water Kingdom
Owned by: Premier Parks LLC
2023 - Nothing is known at this time, nothing was known to be added from 2018 - 2022.
Wild Rivers (Irvine, CA)
2023 - Nothing is known at this time
Wilderness Resort (Wisconsin Dells)
2022/2023 - New Attractions and Improvements - (10/1/22) This week Blooloop features an article interview with Joe Eck, COO of Wilderness Resorts where they look over the last two decades of growth for the popular waterpark resort in the Winconson Dells area, and what kind of current renovations and future expansion plans may be in store for us.
This includes plans to remodel and expand the current Wild West indoor waterpark area, that will add a new “Swimming Chicken” restaurant concept, two new slides and a multi-level play structure. One of the new slides will be a two-lane racing/dueling tube slide, while the other is said to be a two-lane dueling head-first mat racer slide, with both featuring translucent slide effects and “rally points” where the riders can view their competition as they race down the slides. Wilderness is also currently finishing a refreshing all 446 rooms at the “Wilderness Hotel” that should be complete by the end of this year.
(3/3/22) Some new changes are coming to the Wilderness Resort in the Dells this season. For starters, the resort announced that the Wild West Waterpark will undergo a “major renovation” that will take place from this Spring through to Fall 2022. When they are finished it will feature two new slides and a Wild West themed multi-level play and spray structure, along with an assortment of other improvements. One of the new slides is said to be a two-lane dueling tube ride while the other will be a two-lane dueling mat racer. For those worried, the confirm that the Fantastic Voyage and Black Hole slides will remain.
Elsewhere in the resort all 446 main guest rooms will be renovated throughout the year and a new film was introduced at the Take Flight Theater in January called “Flight of Aloha” featuring the wonders of Hawaii. Another new film called World Flight will also be added this summer featuring a tour of many iconic structures and views from around the globe. A new escape room experience will also open this summer called Mission Mars that will replace the former Circus room.
Wilderness at the Smokies (Sevierville, TN)
Check out the Screamscape review of the awesome Wilderness at the Smokies Hotel & Waterpark Resort.
2023 - Waterpark Expansion & Cloud Coaster - (9/2/22) According to a press release Wilderness at the Smokies has announced plans for a $40 million expansion to the waterpark resort. The plans will add nearly 40,000 sqft to the Wild WaterDome indoor waterpark area that will include several new attractions and improvements to other amenities. New attractions include:
Switchback Mountain - described as a three-story tall water coaster attraction.
Lookout Lagoon - a rooftop pool with a glass edge. The connected rooftop area will also feature an entertainment stage, bar, grill and cabanas to rent.
Other improvements will include an enhancement to the lazy river featuring color changing LED lighting, more seating around the waterpark and additional cabana spaces.
A groundbreaking ceremony will take place on Sept. 15th with the hopes of completing the expansion by Fall 2023.
This is all in addition to the previously announced launch of the Cloud Coaster system (Rocky Top Glider) coming to the Adventure Forest arcade area that is expected to be ready sometime in Spring 2023. Adventure Forest will also add some kind of new 8-person “theater”, which I suspect may be some kind of interactive game style attraction.
(7/3/22) Wilderness at the Smokies will open a Cloud Coaster inside the waterpark resort’s Forest Family Adventure Park sometime in 2023. Cloud Coasters are a product of Extreme Engineering, sending riders on a suspended style coaster ride riding solo in a single chair hanging below the track. Early versions of the Cloud Coaster actually had riders seated in a canvas style seat rather than today’s version which looks more like a modern roller coaster seat.
I’ve been able to visit the Wilderness at the Smokies resort a couple of times in the past several years, so being familiar with the property, I can see how an attraction like this would fit right in. The Forest Family Adventure Park area of the resort is essentially a large arcade area on the ground level with a very high ceiling that is home to other aerial attractions like a 3-level ropes course, a climbing wall, a multi-level laser tag arena and even a frog hopper ride. So the addition of a Cloud Coaster that would roam around the room, passing by these other attractions along the way, is sure to be a hit with the guests.
I’ve added a couple of pictures I’ve taken of this very area back in 2014, and if you want to have a look at the rest of the waterpark resort, enjoy the video I put together from our visit below which contains some rare footage that my son took (POV and Reverse POV) of him going through the park’s Wild Vortex AquaLoop slide at about the half-way point.
Zoombezi Bay (Columbus, OH)
Park News - (10/3/22) ZOMBIEzi Bay is back for a second season at the Columbus Zoo and Coaster101 has posted a detailed review of this year’s Halloween fun attraction as well as some video footage of several different haunted houses and other attractions.
2023 - Nothing is known at this point in time... nothing added in 2022 either.
|
