Development continues at Wisconsin indoor water parks; Wilderness, Kalahari lead splashy list

Indoor water parks stake their watery claims this week on the list of the 20 largest in Wisconsin and news from the water park scene has some officials talking development.

Though general manager Joe Eck of Wilderness Waterpark Resort in the Wisconsin Dells wouldn’t give specifics, he did note, “We make it a priority to keep the resort fresh and on the top of industry trends. We do have some initiatives planned over the next couple of years, everyone will have to stay tuned for details though as they aren’t finalized just yet.”

Wilderness is first on the list of indoor water parks ranked by square feet of indoor water park area. The resort has 240,000 square feet that encompasses four indoor water park areas.

While its indoor wet world is the largest, the Wilderness caters solely to hotel guests, not offering passes.

In the second spot is Kalahari Resort, with 125,000 square feet of indoor water park and the slip sliding fun is also accessible to the general public with passes available. Recently added at Kalahari is an indoor/outdoor hot tub for families and an indoor/outdoor hot tub and swim up bar for adults.

And if you want a steak dinner after a full day of activity the Kalahari has just announced that a new high-end steakhouse, Double Cut, will take the place of the Kahunaville restaurant.

One property general manager who gave a definitive answer about upcoming initiatives was Adam Makowski of Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park Resort in the Wisconsin Dells.

He said plans are underway to double the size of the indoor water park areas at the resort and a target date is April 2014.

Since the water park at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center in downtown Milwaukee has closed, the closest indoor facility to the Milwaukee area is Country Springs Hotel in Waukesha.

Tiffany Woodward, director of marketing and waterpark sales, said that while there are day passes available, she suggests a stay at the hotel that includes water park passes.

As cooler temperatures descend on Wisconsin, resort executives are banking on guests who want a weekend getaway to the great indoors.

Slides with names like Triple Dog Dare, Timber Twister, Flowrider and Moose Mountain Falls beckon and resorts are pulling out all the stops to stand out from the rest. Happy employees are part of the strategy.

Blake Ford, director of aquatics at Breaker Bay at Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan, gave some insight into what he likes best about his job. “I love being able to come to work and see young families enjoy the water park. We have a niche and it is great to see toddlers and up become comfortable in the water.”

At Great Wolf Lodge in the Wisconsin Dells, general manager James Anderson said, “I’m fortunate to be surrounded by such great pack members that are passionate about making sure the families staying with us enjoy their time together, and that they receive a family tradition worth repeating.”

Also in the Top 10 of the list are:

3. Chula Vista Resort

4. Great Wolf Lodge

5. Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park Resort

6. Grand Lodge Waterpark Resort

7. Three Bears Lodge

8. Country Springs Hotel

9. Breaker Bay at Blue Harbor Resort

10. Polynesian Water Park Resort

Take a look in this week’s print edition of The Business Journal (September 13) for the complete list.

The complete lists are only available in the print edition, which is also available to view digitally for digital and print subscribers and iphone users.

Click here to subscribe to the paper, in print or digital form. Each subscription includes the annual Book of Lists, a valuable resource that includes all of the lists published in The Business Journal during the past year.

Coming up are lists of top special attractions and multi-tenant office buildings. Only companies that complete a survey are considered for our lists. Click here for more on our surveys.

To request to be surveyed for lists or for more information about our lists, contact me at bzaferos@bizjournals.com or give me a call at 414-908-0574.

Reported:  Greater Milwaukee Business Journal