Water parks are making a splash. Amusement park owners and entrepreneurs are incorporating water parks into their businesses to increase profitability and consumer satisfaction. Included in the water park industry are amusement parks that offer water play areas, such as splash pads, waterslides, lazy rivers, water playgrounds and other swimming activities. Water parks can be located outdoors, indoors or both.
If you’re interested in starting or expanding a water park or own an amusement park area, you probably have questions about how to build a water park, what a water park investment would cost and how you can make this new business profitable. We’ve compiled this guide to help you get started.
Safety concerns have waterpark operators on their toes, with several facing lawsuits following incidents spanning the past two years.
But these injuries do make waterparks targets for lawsuits. Here's a rundown for water park operator in Florida:
- Adventure Island, Tampa, Fla. Operator Busch Entertainment is being sued for $90,000 by a man claiming he was injured on the children's slide in 2006.
- Disney's Typhoon Lagoon, Orlando, Fla. The family of a 15-year-old girl is suing Disney for injuries she sustained after riding the park's 35-foot-high water coaster.
- Raging Rivers Water Park, Grafton, Ill. A mother is suing for damages in excess of $200,000. She alleges that in 2006, her son sustained mouth injuries on a ride at the park.
- Six-Flags Hurricane Harbor, Arlington, Texas. A woman claims she broke her foot on a water slide in July 2007.
