Pirates, primates and pyramids: to compete with area attractions, regional waterparks look into theming to set them apart.

It seems it just isn't enough anymore for a waterpark to have exhilarating features such as gigantic water slides and entertaining spray pool fixtures. The thrills are being yet boosted by the application of creative themes, drawing inspiration from the worlds of nature, adventure and fiction, to name a few. In other words, today's colorful, feature-packed waterpark with a personality is not your parent's aquatic facility.

"A theme can help market a park and give it an identity," observes Peter Suhr, senior associate with Williams Architects, a Carol Stream, Ill., architecture firm that specializes in designing aquatics and other recreational facilities.

"Theming has made US unique among water park operators and has provided us with a leadership position in the industry remarks Joann Saitta of Hyland Hills Park and Recreation District, which operates Water World, a large regional water park ill Federal Heights, Colo.

"Comments from visitors indicate that theming stands out in their minds," relates Gary Hultberg, recreation manager at the Englewood, Colorado Parks and Recreation Department's recently opened $7 million Pirates Cove Family Aquatic Center, which has a pirate statue, squawking parrots and two firing 'cannons.'

Park management in Joliet, Ill., suggests that having a theme distinguishes its train-oriented Splash Station waterpark from other regional attractions. "We feel the railroad theme provides a different type of facility recognition among water parks," comments Joliet Park District Executive Director Dominic Egizio, Jr.

According to Rick Root, president of World Waterpark Association (WWA), Overland Park, Kan., the inclination to theme in the waterpark business is consistent with a larger trend. "Theming is prevalent in most areas of retail today," he says. "Consider, for example, the last time you went to a restaurant that didn't have a theme, and was simply tables, chairs and booths?

"Kids, especially, are exposed to heavy theming in so many of their activities nowadays, whether it's bowling alleys, skating rinks, amusement parks or waterparks," he continues. "As a result, if a park doesn't make some attempt at theming to create that experiential time, in addition to offering water attractions, a park may feel somewhat incomplete."

A Matter of Degree

Waterparks can be lightly themed-perhaps limited to murals and handrail panels to convey a story--to the heavily themed: highly elaborate and extensively designed parks planned around a theme, explains Frank Crymble, manager of KoalaPlay Group's Theme Division, and whose professional credits in film and television include, respectively, work on "X-Men 2," "Scary Movie," "The Twilight Zone" and "Stargate SG-1."

"Heavily themed parks call have murals and sculptures located throughout the park. These sculptures can even be wrapped around structural elements in the park."

"While themes can certainly be expressed on an imposing scale, a theme-driven design call still be developed on a more modest one. "There are ways to choose items to include in a park plan without spending a whole lot money, but still getting your point across," says Suhr, who recently worked on a moderately themed $8.8 million aquatic facility expressing an ocean theme in Lisle, Ill.

Choosing a Theme

Along with determining a project's scope and budget, the decision to theme or not to theme is one to be made. If a theme approach is selected, then the task of deciding upon an appropriate theme will have to be performed. Building a theme around standard products is an option (see sidebar), as is conceiving a theme and working to design park components to convey it.

"Themes usually emerge from general research, trade shows, and often from our creative water park staff; which we involve in the theming process at all levels," explains Saitta, whose Water World draws from geologic, historic and prehistoric subjects.

Judging by a look at a handful of popular water parks, themes call be derived from a variety of respirations. Once a theme idea is accepted for a project, indicates Suhr, "It really starts establishing everything about the design." An example is Joliet's Splash Station, which Suhr and design team colleagues helped plan.

When the district acquired the park's site (a parcel of land once quarried for rock) it seemed the obvious choice for a theme was the community's mining heritage, specifically the railroad function that transferred stone from mine to gravel production plant.

"The theme was adopted because the park sits adjacent to railroad tracks and a tipple from an old mining railroad yard," explains Egizio. "The name Splash Station and the railroad theme tied in with the history and heritage of Joliet. The railroad theme is visible throughout the facility, from the logo to the light fixtures," he adds.

Frames and Names

Contributing significantly to Splash Station's theme is the park's architecture, which features structures referencing various railroad-related buildings. The concession building, for example, is reminiscent of a railroad roundhouse, while the admissions building mimics a train depot. A switching station was the model for the bathhouse, and train theme motifs were applied in pool-filtration building designs.

The park's theme has also been carried through to park feature nomenclature. Splash Statkm's 30-foot-high, six-lane speed slide, for example, is named "Miner's Mountain," and a sand play area is called "Tumbleweed Pass."

Further displaying the theme are the park's admission tickets, designed as boarding passes. Remarks Egizio, "We are always looking at ways to extend the railroad theme throughout the park."

Another Chicago area park district Facility featuring a theme is the award-winning Cypress Cove Family Aquatic Park in Woodridge, Ill., which carries a bayou theme. Featured in Chicago magazine's 2003 "Best of Chicago" issue, as well as named a favorite summer "Hot Spot" by WLS-TV on the Chicago station's 190 North program, this park also expresses its theme through park architecture as well as names given to various attractions.

Visitors can, for example, drop slide into the deep end of "Cattail Bay," or tube slide down "Tabasco Falls." After either activity, park patrons might take some refreshment at the "Swamp Shack Cafe," or relax on the "Cajun Creek" lazy river.

The application of the bayou theme at Cypress Cove is a reverse concept from the approach taken at Splash Station, observes Tom Lalonde, a principal with Williams Architects, which designed both parks. While the latter expresses a theme connected with something familiar to the community, the former reflects traits of distant locales. "The theme is unique and not characteristic of the area, so when people go there, it's kind of a new experience," he says.

Indeed, this tendency to create an environment that is different from the ordinary appears to be common in the industry, suggests WWA's Root. "Probably the most common theme is the tropical theme," he says. "Everyone wants a break to the islands!" That said, it appears the variety of themes to choose from is vast. "The types of themes are all over the map," says KoalaPlay Group's Crymble.

Multiple Themes

And who says a waterpark must stick to one theme, whether typical or unusual? Multiple thematic entities within a single park can offer a way to appeal to a variety of tastes.

At the Water World complex in Federal Heights, Colo., for example, a number of what might be called "sub parks" follow a themed approach. "We have found that theming offers the public a variety of water settings to choose from and they appreciate that," remarks park spokesperson Saitta.

"Our three distinctively themed 'dark' rides and virtually each of our other 39 attractions have a look and feel all their own, often drawing public and media attention to them specifically," she adds.

Among Water World's attractions is the award-winning "Lost River of the Pharaohs," a raft attraction containing a collection of fixtures with an Egyptian motif, including a mummy in a sarcophagus and snakes in baskets. At the park's Calypso Cove, patrons can try out a trio of body flume slides known as the "Bermuda Triangle," and snack at the "Key Largo Cafe."

Another multi-themed, but more modestly scaled venue is the Edina Aquatic Center in Edina, Minnesota's Rosland Park. The aquatic facility's Shipwreck Express is a cable ride with a nautical theme set amid a conglomeration of water play features.

Besides aquatic attractions, theme park has a distinct dry, themed component: Its woodsy Oakwood Forest area is home to a tree house-styled lookout tower, as well as hippo, alligator and giraffe motif fixtures.

Park and Recreation Assistant Director Ed MacHolda points out that the dry play area provides an alternative activity space during temporary pool shutdowns or uncooperative spells of weather. "It really has provided a new opportunity on the overeast or cool day," he says.

MacHolda also believes that having a dry component to the park encourages patrons to stick around longer, engaging in post-swim activity. "They may go play another 45 minutes," he says, "allowing US to capture more in concession revenues."

Themes as Marketing Tools

Revenues are extremely important to the self-funded Edina Aquatic Center, indicates MacHolda, who says that in striving to maintain a park's popularity, "I don't think you can stand still."

He explains that the district, which markets non-resident family passes ranging from $105 to $375 a season to 45 suburbs, makes it a practice to reinvest in the park by introducing thematic and entertaining components in an effort to stay profitable.

"We've always tried to meet or exceed our guests' expectations," he says. This strategy to create a strong, area-wide recreational draw appears to be working, as MacHolda reports, "We get busloads of kids from a pretty good distance."

Having a theme, it would seem, also plays a key role ill attracting patrons to the Pirates Cove Park in Englewood, Colo. "We are much more successful than parks of similar size with like amenities, but which aren't themed," reports Recreation Manager Hultberg.

The value of having a theme may, however, be difficult to quantify, in dollars, suggests Saitta of the well-established Water World park, which generated revenues that fund construction of a community senior center.

"There is no doubt that the guest experience is enhanced, therefore encouraging return visits," she acknowledges, "though, it would be hard to come up with an exact measurement correlating theming and guest attendance."

"However," Saitta continues, "all one has to do is stand at the front entrance for a few minutes to hear smiling, excited guests comment about their favorite attraction by name as they head off in that direction for their day of fun."

Industry Trends

For those wondering whether the tendency to theme is the wave of the future in the water park business, and what direction trends are headed, industry participants oiler some perspectives.

KoalaPlay Group's Crymble has observed a trend toward grander displays in the application of themes in recent years. "Clients in both the private and public sectors are increasing the amount of theming applied to parks."

This escalation in elaborateness that Crymble describes is driven, he believes, mainly by competition among park owners. "They see a new attraction up the road," he relates, "and say to themselves, 'me too!'"

WWA's Root observes a correlation between park size and level of theming "Many of the largest parks focus more heavily on theming--more heavily than the smaller parks. That's primarily because it is simply easier to carry off the illusion of a theme in a large facility where you can envelop people in the themed environment."

Whether grand or modest theme applications are contemplated, however, park owners and planners should keep in mind that the application of a theme to a park is not an end unto itself. "Park patrons are ultimately there for the features," says architect LaLonde, who believes that, beyond clever characters and artwork, a park must have viable attractions.

"Having a theme is not the only project goal," concurs the firm's Suhr', who advises park operators considering a new facility feature to ask, "Is the kid going to interact with it?" For, at the end of tim day, he indicates, "You have to have an end-product that works."

RELATED ARTICLE: Mascots and More.

Beyond aquatic attractions with catchy names and murals with colorful characters, water park themes are being reinforced through merchandise and mascots at parks. At Joliet, Illinois' Splash Station, for example, conductor hats for children were available as souvenirs during the park's inaugural season. In Englewood, Colo., the Pirates Cove Family Aquatic Center offers both the "Captain Cook" party package, as well as the more deluxe "Billy Bones" option, named after the park's mascot.

Another mascot, Sammy the Sea Lion of Sea Lion Park, is employed to spread the word about the ocean-themed aquatic park in Lisle, Ill. "Sammy makes an appearance at all of our park district events," says Lisle Park District Information Services Coordinator Jessica Alexenko, who also relates that Sammy's likeness appears in temporary tattoos that the district sends out with park promotional packages.