It started as a trickle. Now it has become a flood. The surge in indoor water parks has turned Wisconsin Dells into a year-round destination that is now home to the largest indoor water park in the U.S. under a single roof; the resort with the most total square footage of multiple indoor water parks in the U.S.; and, bar none, the largest concentration of indoor water parks in the world.
It’s generally accepted that Polynesian Resort Hotel & Suites in Wisconsin Dells opened the world’s first indoor water park. That was in 1989, when peak season was Memorial Day through Labor Day.
The Dells hasn’t been the same since. By 2002, off-peak spending totaled $329 million, outstripping the summer peak season of 1996, which brought in $233.9 million. These days, rooms at the resorts with indoor water parks go for top dollar on winter weekends and very often are sold out.
It’s difficult to say just when an indoor pool with slides becomes classified as a water park. Even Gina Kellogg, spokesperson for the World Waterpark Association, won’t commit to a definition. And, she says, even getting an accurate count of indoor water parks is impossible because so much of the industry is privately owned.
It’s pretty much up to individual families to make the call on categorizing the smaller hotel pools that have a few animal-shaped kiddie attractions. But with the mega-resorts, there’s no doubt. At the very least, they’ll have several water slides, multiple pools, hot tubs, themed architecture and stations that drip or squirt.
Hotel Waterpark Resort Research & Consulting has drawn up a list of the 25 largest hotel water park resorts in the United States; six–shown in the accompanying chart–are in the Dells.
But the Dells being the Dells, there’s always more. Here are 10 smaller water park resorts geared for families with younger children:
At Wintergreen Resort & Conference Center (800-648-4765; www.wintergreen-resort.com), the polar-themed Blizzard Bay counts more than 30 water activities–including an ice castle with water slides, fountains and geysers–in its 20,000-square-foot indoor park. There’s a whirlpool for adults.
The Grand Marquis Inn (800-447-2636; grandmarquis-dells.com) dedicates 20,000 square feet indoors to its Blue Dolphin Lagoon, where two dolphin-themed pool areas include a toddler-sized water playground, a triple-chute dolphin waterslide and, for grown-ups, three indoor whirlpools.
Atlantis Waterpark Hotel & Suites (800-800-6179; www.theatlantishotel.com) keeps to an under-the-sea theme in its 16,000-square-foot indoor Aqua Kingdom. A giant pink octopus rules over two 42-foot-long water slides, a toddler-sized slide and some 50 spray-and-squirt features. For adults: a lap pool, a sauna and a whirlpool.
Castle-themed Camelot Hotel & Suites (888-946-3000; www.dellshotels.com) devotes 15,000 square feet indoors to Merlin’s Magic Waters, which features a 25-foot-long speed slide, a wading pool surrounding the “Kiddie Kastle” water play house and a 20-person hot tub.
Monkeys have taken over the rain forest at RainTree Resort (888-253-4386; www.dellsraintree.com), especially in the 11,500-square-foot Monkey Temple. Geysers, fountains and showers skirt the wading pool where temple ruins serve as play house. A waterfall flows from a rock ledge into a whirlpool set with faux palm trees, and bright murals carry the rain forest onto the walls.
Toddlers at Copa Cabana Resort (800-364-2672; www.copacabanaresort.com) can board a play pirate ship, moored in a 6-inch-deep wading pool at Lost Harbor Indoor Waterpark. The 10,000-square-foot park counts five small water slides, baby bungee swings and gentle geysers among its features. Murals depict seafaring themes and, around the 20-person whirlpool, waterfront shanties.
At the New Concord Inn (800-348-2019; www.dellsnewconcord.com), a kiddie play pool with two small water slides and a longer tube slide occupy a 10,000-square-foot area.
The Skyline Hotel (800-759-8475; www.skylinehotelsuites.com) gives 5,400 square feet to two indoor pool areas, one of which is dominated by a 40-foot-long dragon, called Serp N Dippitty. The dragon doubles as a toddlers’ water slide, and water shoots from its tail.
Alakai Hotel & Suites (608-253-3803; www.alakaihotel.com) assigns 5,000 square feet to its Hawaiian Village Waterpark, where spray-and-squirt features are set in water only 2 feet deep, and two water slides are less than 6 feet high. There’s also a swimming pool, whirlpool and sauna.
Meadowbrook Resort (877-993-3557; www.meadowbrookresort.com) applies a sawmill theme to its 2,500-square-foot Timber Camp Water Playland. A zero-depth entry pool, crawl-throughs, spray-and-squirt stations and a gushing “dam” are geared to toddlers. There’s a whirlpool for adults.
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THE GREAT INDOORS
How the six largest water park resorts in the Dells compare
RESORT: Chula Vista Resort
ADDRESS INFORMATION: 800-388-4782;
www.chulavistaresort.com
289 rooms and suites; from $109
WATER PARK/SIZE: Indoor Waterpark/30,000 square feet
THEME: Southwestern/Mayan
CLAIM TO FAME: World’s largest indoor whirlpool with cascading hot waterfalls
SIGNATURE ATTRACTIONS: Forgotten Falls, world’s largest indoor whirlpool
WAVE GENERATOR? No
LAZY RIVER? No
SLIDES: 3
FOR GROWN-UPS: Forgotten Falls indoor whirlpool
FOR LITTLE KIDS: Wading pool, small water slides
LOCKERS: 50 cents
DAY PASSES FOR NON-GUESTS? Yes ($12 in winter, higher in summer)
RESORT: Great Wolf Lodge
ADDRESS INFORMATION: 800-559-9653;
www.greatwolflodge.com
309 rooms; from $269
WATER PARK/SIZE: Spirit Island and Treehouse Island Indoor Waterparks/64,000 square feet
THEME: Yukon/lots of totem poles
CLAIM TO FAME: Part of North America’s largest chain of indoor water park resorts
SIGNATURE ATTRACTIONS: Howlin’ Tornado extreme tube ride; 12-level Tree House with spray-and-squirt features; 40-foot-tall bucket that dumps 700 gallons of water every few minutes
WAVE GENERATOR? No
LAZY RIVER? Yes (250 feet)
SLIDES: 12
FOR GROWN-UPS: One of three hot tubs is adults-only
FOR LITTLE KIDS: Zero-level entry pools with crawl-through animals; net crawls; splash-and-spray stations
LOCKERS: 50 cents
DAY PASSES FOR NON-GUESTS? No; must stay to play
RESORT: Kalahari Resort & Convention Center
ADDRESS INFORMATION: 877-253-5466;
www.kalahariresort.com
738 rooms, suites and condo units; from $229
WATER PARK/SIZE: Kalahari Indoor Waterpark/125,000 square feet
THEME: African safari
CLAIM TO FAME: Largest indoor water park under a single roof in the U.S.
SIGNATURE ATTRACTIONS: Master Blaster water roller coaster; Tanzanian Twister tornado slide; Flowrider surfing machine
WAVE GENERATOR? Yes (Wave Pool)
LAZY RIVER? Yes (920 feet)
SLIDES: 9
FOR GROWN-UPS: Five whirlpool spas; Adult Current Channel
FOR LITTLE KIDS: Wading pools with crawl-through animals; baby harness-go-round; net crawls; splash-and-spray stations
LOCKERS: $3, with $10 deposit
DAY PASSES FOR NON-GUESTS? $40 all day, $25 after 6 p.m.; limited availability
RESORT: Polynesian Resort Hotel & Suites
ADDRESS INFORMATION: 800-272-5642;
www.dellspolynesian.com
232 rooms; from $89
WATER PARK/SIZE: Temple of the Black Pearl/38,000 square feet
THEME: Hawaiian
CLAIM TO FAME: World’s first indoor water park resort
SIGNATURE ATTRACTIONS: Temple of the Black Pearl, first indoor water ride that takes place in the dark
WAVE GENERATOR? No
LAZY RIVER? Yes (Dark Tunnel Mystery Voyage; 250 feet)
SLIDES: 5
FOR GROWN-UPS: Hot tub
FOR LITTLE KIDS: Water Factory play structure in shallow water; spray-and-squirt features; geysers; kiddie water slides
LOCKERS: 50 cents
DAY PASSES FOR NON-GUESTS? No; must stay to play
RESORT: Treasure Island Water & Theme Park Resort
ADDRESS INFORMATION: 800-800-4997; www.wisdellstreasureisland.com
359 rooms, suites and condos; from $150
WATER PARK/SIZE: Bay of Dreams at Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park/55,000 square feet; Buccaneer Bay/10,000 sq.ft.
THEME: Pirates
CLAIM TO FAME: Some of the tallest indoor water slides in the nation
SIGNATURE ATTRACTIONS: Four water slides are seven stories tall
WAVE GENERATOR? Yes, in Buccaneer Bay (hotel guests only)
LAZY RIVER? Yes, in Bay of Dreams (400 feet)
SLIDES: 9
FOR GROWN-UPS: Two whirlpools (one in each park)
FOR LITTLE KIDS: 35-foot pirate “shipwreck” in shallow pool has crawl-throughs, geysers and five small water slides
LOCKERS: 50 cents
DAY PASSES FOR NON-GUESTS? Only to Bay of Dreams ($18 weekdays, $27 weekends, free kids 2 and under, until Memorial Day weekend; higher in summer)
RESORT: Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort
ADDRESS INFORMATION: 800-867-9453;
www.wildernessresort.com
578 rooms, villas, condos and cabins; from $150
WATER PARK/SIZE: Wild West Waterpark/70,000 square feet; Klondike Kavern/60,000 s.f.; Baby Bear’s Ft. Wilderness/35,000 sq.ft.
THEME: Western/gold rush
CLAIM TO FAME: Three separate indoor water parks totaling 165,000 square feet
SIGNATURE ATTRACTIONS: Fantastic Voyage (raft ride); Gold Mine Mountain (45-foot-high kiddie play area with spray features); Ransack Ridge (four-story water playground with water cannons and blasters)
WAVE GENERATOR? Yes (The Surge)
LAZY RIVER? Yes (500 feet)
SLIDES: 20
FOR GROWN-UPS: Pool and hot spa, each with indoor-to-outdoor access
FOR LITTLE KIDS: Baby Bear’s Ft. Wilderness (6 and younger)
LOCKERS: In all three parks; 50 cents
DAY PASSES FOR NON-GUESTS? No; must stay to play
Rates given are for a standard room, Friday or Saturday nights until Memorial Day weekend, and can vary; weeknights may be considerably less. Information provided through and/or verified by Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau.
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E-mail Toni Stroud: tstroud@tribune.com
