Waterpark Competition

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From the Galveston County Daily News (abridged) http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=4b69e8813fea9dc2

Developers detail one-of-a-kind water park

By Marty Schladen
The Daily News

Published January 17, 2005

GALVESTON — "...Jeff Henry, a designer and owner of the Schlitterbahn water park in Galveston, updated the city council this week on plans...
...
...“It will be the first completely float-in, float-out water park,” Henry said. He explained that water features would link together throughout the park.

Other features will include:
...An area in which patrons can put on divers’ helmets and walk underwater amid live rays and fish....

With Thyphoon getting the new, made-famous-by-Schlitterbahn watercoaster, it looks like the Schlitterbahn folks are putting in a "Shark Reef" type area to "trade" for the water-coaster ride....

Let the competition begin! :sohappy:

 

[Beany-Fantasmic]

I don't get it! :dazzle:

where's Galveston?

And what does it mean by 'float in/float out' ?

HELP ME!!!

 

[Slipknot]

I don't get it! :dazzle:

where's Galveston?


HELP ME!!!

Texas... I think...

 

[TTATraveler]

Galveston is in Texas. What is meant by float in/float out?

 

[scorp111]

Float in/float out simply means a water park without stairs to climb to the top of slides.

Basically you can get on a tube and visit various sections of the park and experience various slides without ever leaving the water....

This is done by the upward propulsion systems, such as the one utilized on the new attraction at Typhoon Lagoon....

And Yes, Galveston is on the Texas Gulf Coast.

 

[DigitalDisney]

Schlitterbahn is one of the most famous and popular water parks in the world

However, to say that they are competing with Disney is amusing. Disney doesn't have to compete with anyone, really. You don't go to WDW just for the water parks. They merely enhance and compliment your stay at the resort.

 

[launchpad03]

Oooops... sorry for not being clear :brick:

Galveston is in Texas on the Coast of the Gulf of Mexico, it is just SouthEast of Houston.

Schlitterbahn has a park (technically 2) in New Braunfels (my home town) and one in SouthPadre Island.

Float in Float out is the idea that you never leave the water when you are in the park. All of the ride Ques are in the water so that you never have to leave your tube (if you don't want). Or as the article says

"water features would link together throughout the park"

Schlitterbahn Beach (the park in S. Padre) uses this idea in much of it's park (or so I've heard/seen) but from this news announcement, the Galveston park will use this technology throughout the park...

OK, that was kinda rough, but you get the general idea...

Also:

"...[the]water park ...can be enclosed in winter and open in the summer. It will be the world’s first convertible water park..."

 

[matt&helen]

I was a little confused to at first. I used to live in Round Rock, moved in 93, and we went to Schlitterbahn (New Braunfels, San Marcos) all the time. I didn't know they built one in Galveston. When did that happen?

 

[aklodge]

All I can say is nothing will ever be as good as Disney World, at least in my opinion (I hope thats your opinion too since we are on a WDW forum, but if its not, thats ok, too. :wave: )

 

[launchpad03]

I didn't know they built one in Galveston. When did that happen?

They actually haven't built yet. The article mentioned something about groundbreaking coming soon (?) but that could mean anytime in the next oh... 4 years. But there is a new Schlitterbahn in S. Padre which I think was built in ...2000? Maybe? That's a guess.. but it's fairly new...

All I can say is nothing will ever be as good as Disney World, at least in my opinion (I hope thats your opinion too since we are on a WDW forum, but if its not, thats ok, too.

Fortunatley... it is my opinion too :sohappy: :sohappy: :sohappy:
I have worked for Schlitterbahn, New Braunfels (my hometown!) and for Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach (on College program) and although I have a special place for the bahn as I went there alot as a kid... Disney does still have the upperhand as far as overall theme... some of the "rides" (because at Schlitterbahn they're not really attractions...) are pretty cool though at the bahn...

 

[Sledge]

Schlitterbahn is like the Disney World of water parks. I went a few years back and it is simply incredible. The "lazy river" branches off and you can choose which way you go and it even flows into different slides and such. It even flows into a real river. It is a very neat place. Disney couldn't compete with Schlitterbahn in the water park aspect.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

Looks like they don't want the Disney parks getting ahead in those Best Of Countdowns. Not like this really affect Disney in any way, people aren't going to change their Disney vacations for Gavelston Vacations because of a new water park.

 

[FamilyMan]

Simple enough... everything is connected via lazy river....

http://www.schlitterbahn.com/parkmap-spi.asp

 

[launchpad03]

Simple enough... everything is connected via lazy river....

FYI, You (from the link) are talking about Schlitterbahn Beach in S. Padre Island. The famous Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort (yes there are rooms) that is mentioned on the travel as being #1 and such is the original one in New Braunfels.

...The "lazy river" branches off and you can choose which way you go and it even flows into different slides and such. It even flows into a real river.

There are two "lazy" rivers at this NB Schlitterbahn: one in the old section that does (sort of) attach to other slides (and goes into a real river as mentioned above) and one in Surfenberg where a slide runs off into it, but nothing from there.

These are nothing like Bahn S. Padre where the slides start actually from the river or you can be lifted (via conveyor) out of the lazy river and go up to the slide beginnings.

The other "river" at Schlitterbahn NB is the torrent... which is a "wave river"... part wave pool / part circular river... now THAT! is an attraction... (heard that that sort of thing might be in the works for Typhoon... just a rumor when I was there though...) very fun.. and you never have to leave!!!... just "DON"T HANG ON THE WALLS!! :brick:

I was looking through some old stuff in our garage and found an old Schlitterbahn map when not much other than the castle was up... :sohappy: :sohappy: :sohappy:

 

[ogryn]

http://www.nbgsintl.com/pressroom.htm

NBGS is the company that makes MasterBlasters along with other water rides. The company is owned by the same person that owns Schlitterbahn, so the Schlitterbahn parks are essentially technology showpieces for NBGS.

Therefore they are not their to compete with anyone, they are there to sell the products... and make some money back as well.

 

[launchpad03]

Therefore they are not their to compete with anyone, they are there to sell the products... and make some money back as well.

Now that is a novel approach to business... "Let's sell our product WITHOUT competing...." Inthe words of the Guinness guys: "Brilliant" :drevil: :brick:

OK... sorry for the sarcasm...nothing personal

NBGS is indeed owned (and run) by the Henry family, but I really doubt that the waterparks are not in the job of competing for customers...

Now on the other hand... I do agree that Schlitterbahn is not "real" competition for Disney being that disney is a real vacation destination... while Schlitterbahn is a day trip type of thing...

but now that the Bahn is going into the tourist-popular beach destinations, it is now part of a whole vacation destination too....

just some thoughts...

 

[Senderella]

Schlitterbahn Beach (the park in S. Padre) uses this idea in much of it's park (or so I've heard/seen) but from this news announcement, the Galveston park will use this technology throughout the park...

OK, that was kinda rough, but you get the general idea...

Also:

Ya that's what I've heard too. I haven't been to the SPI one because.. lol well I've been to the one in New Braunfels and I really don't think SPI can hold a candle to the original. Strange though cuz I'm only like an hour from SPI.


And for the poster who said something about.. feeling the need to compete or something? I don't think it's so much competing because the original Schlitterbahn (NB) has been around for a long long long time. They've always constantly progressed on their own even before the Disney water parks were open or even thought of. As lame as it may sound, *we* have no interest in going to the Disney waterparks because we've done Schlitterbahn and can get the waterparks anytime we'd like plus nothing can really compare to it. We'd rather spend our days hitting the parks and getting something we can't get at home.