Water Park of America
Encyclopedia
The Water Park of America is the tallest indoor waterpark
in the U.S.
. It is 70000 square feet (6,503.2 m²) in size with a slide tower ascending nearly 10 stories. It opened for business in May 2006. Located in Bloomington
, Minnesota
, it is a half mile from Mall of America
and close to the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport
.
The water park is attached to the Radisson hotel. Both the hotel and the park are operated by Davidson Hotel Company.
s, and a large open area at the ground level that contains a variety of water ride
s.
The slide tower contains three body slides, two tube slides, and one family slide (this is the tallest slide, and it starts at the tenth story of the building and ends at the bottom). Body slides are slides on which riders slide directly on their body, without an innertube.
, a lazy river
, a “normal” swimming pool
, a small pool with floating "logs" which children leap-frog across, a flow rider, two very large hot-tubs
, and a large children's area for smaller children.
The wave pool
runs for ten minutes and then is turned off for five minutes to let the machine that produces the waves cool. The wave pool is a tapered pool that starts with a beach entry and that gets about five and a half feet deep. It is also the beginning point and the ending point of the lazy river.
The lazy river
is three-feet deep and makes a circuit around the outer perimeter of the park. One rides the lazy river on either a one-person or two-person innertube through “caves,” under bridges and waterfalls, past pools, and is eventually dumped back into the wave pool.
The “normal” swimming pool
, also known as the "activity pool," is four feet deep. One end has four basketball hoops where people engage in friendly games of water ball. The other end is for general swimming.
Next to the "normal pool" is a smaller pool that has floating cross-sections of “logs” attached to the floor of the pool like lillie pads. Suspended above the pool is a large cargo net for children to hold onto as the “leap frog” from one floating “log” to another.
The flow rider is a shallow but very fast moving sheet of water, moving from 30–35 miles per hour, that one can surf
or "boogie-board" on. The flow rider is 3 inches (76.2 mm).
There are two large, cave-pool themed hot tub
s in the park.
The children’s playground
area contains a large playground that contain stairs that lead to towers, cargo netting, and slide
s sitting in a few inches of warmer water. At the top of the playground is a large wooden bucket that slowly fills with water. Once it is full, it dumps a large quantity of water on anyone below it resulting in laughter and excitement from the children. The children’s playground has three small water slides that are designed for small children but which older children and adults also enjoy. The playground contains numerous other water toys and devices.
as long as it is a Coast Guard
approved flotation device.
is located between the entrance to the Waterpark and the main lobby of the hotel. It is a large arcade primarily consisting of redemption game
s. However it also includes old favorites such as Pac-Man
, and Pinball
as well as newer games like Initial D
, Maximum Tune, and Pump It Up
, the most prominent and popular game in the arcade.
filed a lawsuit
against Water Park of America claiming trademark infringement
. The Mall of America claims the water park name is too similar to the Mall of America name and could cause some to associate the two. The Water Park of America filed a counterclaim in the matter accusing the Mall of America of among other things knowing about Water Park of America's use of the name since the Fall of 2003, encouraging the use of the name, and encouraging the Water Park of America to spend millions of dollars advertising and promoting the name up until March 2006. Water Park of America went on to claim that the reason Mall of America changed its position became clear in a press release in which the Mall of America announced it was going to build its own water park as part of Phase II. The parties have settled the dispute under confidential terms.
Indoor waterpark
An indoor waterpark is a type of waterpark that is located inside a building. An indoor waterpark has the ability to stay open year-round, as it is not affected by weather conditions.-History:...
in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is 70000 square feet (6,503.2 m²) in size with a slide tower ascending nearly 10 stories. It opened for business in May 2006. Located in Bloomington
Bloomington, Minnesota
Bloomington is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota in Hennepin County. Located on the north bank of the Minnesota River above its confluence with the Mississippi River, Bloomington lies at the heart of the southern...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, it is a half mile from Mall of America
Mall of America
The Mall of America, also called MOA and the Megamall, is a shopping mall located in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb of the Twin Cities, in the United States. It is located southeast of the junction of Interstate 494 and Minnesota State Highway 77, north of the Minnesota River and is across the...
and close to the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport is the largest and busiest airport in the five-state upper Midwest region of Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.-Overview:...
.
The water park is attached to the Radisson hotel. Both the hotel and the park are operated by Davidson Hotel Company.
The Water Rides
The Water Park of America has a large slide tower, containing several water slideWater slide
A water slide is a type of slide designed for warm-weather or indoor recreational use at water parks. Water slides differ in their riding method and therefore size...
s, and a large open area at the ground level that contains a variety of water ride
Water ride
Water rides are amusement rides that are set over water. For instance, a log flume travels through a channel of water to move along its course...
s.
The slide tower contains three body slides, two tube slides, and one family slide (this is the tallest slide, and it starts at the tenth story of the building and ends at the bottom). Body slides are slides on which riders slide directly on their body, without an innertube.
The Ground Level
Below the slide tower is a large open area on the ground floor that contains: a wave poolWave pool
A wave pool is a swimming pool in which there are artificially generated, reasonably large waves, similar to the ocean's. Wave pools are often a major feature of water parks...
, a lazy river
Lazy river
A lazy river is a water ride found in many amusement parks or water parks. They are also found at some resorts and recreation centers. It usually consists of shallow pool that flows similarly to a river....
, a “normal” swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
, a small pool with floating "logs" which children leap-frog across, a flow rider, two very large hot-tubs
Hot tub
A hot tub is a large tub or small pool full of heated water and used for soaking, relaxation, massage, or hydrotherapy. In most cases, they have jets for massage purposes. Hot tubs are usually located outdoors, and are often sheltered for protection from the elements, as well as for privacy....
, and a large children's area for smaller children.
Wave pool
A wave pool is a swimming pool in which there are artificially generated, reasonably large waves, similar to the ocean's. Wave pools are often a major feature of water parks...
runs for ten minutes and then is turned off for five minutes to let the machine that produces the waves cool. The wave pool is a tapered pool that starts with a beach entry and that gets about five and a half feet deep. It is also the beginning point and the ending point of the lazy river.
The lazy river
Lazy river
A lazy river is a water ride found in many amusement parks or water parks. They are also found at some resorts and recreation centers. It usually consists of shallow pool that flows similarly to a river....
is three-feet deep and makes a circuit around the outer perimeter of the park. One rides the lazy river on either a one-person or two-person innertube through “caves,” under bridges and waterfalls, past pools, and is eventually dumped back into the wave pool.
The “normal” swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
, also known as the "activity pool," is four feet deep. One end has four basketball hoops where people engage in friendly games of water ball. The other end is for general swimming.
Next to the "normal pool" is a smaller pool that has floating cross-sections of “logs” attached to the floor of the pool like lillie pads. Suspended above the pool is a large cargo net for children to hold onto as the “leap frog” from one floating “log” to another.
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
or "boogie-board" on. The flow rider is 3 inches (76.2 mm).
There are two large, cave-pool themed hot tub
Hot tub
A hot tub is a large tub or small pool full of heated water and used for soaking, relaxation, massage, or hydrotherapy. In most cases, they have jets for massage purposes. Hot tubs are usually located outdoors, and are often sheltered for protection from the elements, as well as for privacy....
s in the park.
The children’s playground
Playground
A playground or play area is a place with a specific design for children be able to play there. It may be indoors but is typically outdoors...
area contains a large playground that contain stairs that lead to towers, cargo netting, and slide
Playground slide
Playground slides are found in parks, schools, playgrounds and backyards. The slide may be flat, or half cylindrical or tubular to prevent falls. Slides are usually constructed of plastic or metal and they have a smooth surface that is either straight or wavy...
s sitting in a few inches of warmer water. At the top of the playground is a large wooden bucket that slowly fills with water. Once it is full, it dumps a large quantity of water on anyone below it resulting in laughter and excitement from the children. The children’s playground has three small water slides that are designed for small children but which older children and adults also enjoy. The playground contains numerous other water toys and devices.
Food
The water park forbids people from bringing in outside food. All food must be purchased in the park, which has a cafeteria.Prices
The prices vary depending on the time of the year, week, and day but generally one can expect to pay about $26 per person. Children under one are free.Life-vests
The water park also provides free life-vests for children. You are permitted to bring your own life preserverPersonal flotation device
A personal flotation device is a device designed to assist a wearer, either conscious or unconscious, to keep afloat.Devices designed and approved by authorities for use by...
as long as it is a Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
approved flotation device.
Northern Lights Arcade
The Northern Lights ArcadeVideo arcade
An amusement arcade or video arcade is a venue where people play arcade games such as video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, merchandisers , or coin-operated billiards or air hockey tables...
is located between the entrance to the Waterpark and the main lobby of the hotel. It is a large arcade primarily consisting of redemption game
Redemption game
Redemption games are typically arcade games of skill that reward the player proportionally to their score in the game. The reward most often comes in the form of tickets, with more tickets being awarded for higher scores. These tickets can then be redeemed at a central location for prizes...
s. However it also includes old favorites such as Pac-Man
Pac-Man
is an arcade game developed by Namco and licensed for distribution in the United States by Midway, first released in Japan on May 22, 1980. Immensely popular from its original release to the present day, Pac-Man is considered one of the classics of the medium, virtually synonymous with video games,...
, and Pinball
Pinball
Pinball is a type of arcade game, usually coin-operated, where a player attempts to score points by manipulating one or more metal balls on a playfield inside a glass-covered case called a pinball machine. The primary objective of the game is to score as many points as possible...
as well as newer games like Initial D
Initial D
is a manga by Shuichi Shigeno which has been serialized in Kodansha's Young Magazine since 1995. It has been adapted into a long-running anime series by OB Planning, Studio Comet, Studio Gallop, Pastel, and A.C.G.T, and a live action film by Avex and Media Asia...
, Maximum Tune, and Pump It Up
Pump It Up
Pump It Up, commonly abbreviated as PIU or shortened to just Pump, is a music video game series currently developed by Nexcade and published by Andamiro, a Korean arcade game producer. The game is typically played on a dance pad with five arrow panels: up-left, up-right, bottom-left, bottom-right,...
, the most prominent and popular game in the arcade.
Mall of America Lawsuit
Shortly before opening day, the Mall of AmericaMall of America
The Mall of America, also called MOA and the Megamall, is a shopping mall located in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb of the Twin Cities, in the United States. It is located southeast of the junction of Interstate 494 and Minnesota State Highway 77, north of the Minnesota River and is across the...
filed a lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
against Water Park of America claiming trademark infringement
Trademark infringement
Trademark infringement is a violation of the exclusive rights attaching to a trademark without the authorization of the trademark owner or any licensees...
. The Mall of America claims the water park name is too similar to the Mall of America name and could cause some to associate the two. The Water Park of America filed a counterclaim in the matter accusing the Mall of America of among other things knowing about Water Park of America's use of the name since the Fall of 2003, encouraging the use of the name, and encouraging the Water Park of America to spend millions of dollars advertising and promoting the name up until March 2006. Water Park of America went on to claim that the reason Mall of America changed its position became clear in a press release in which the Mall of America announced it was going to build its own water park as part of Phase II. The parties have settled the dispute under confidential terms.
See also
- Incidents at Independent parksIncidents at independent parksThis is a summary of notable incidents that have taken place at various independently-owned amusement parks, water parks or theme parks. This list is not intended to be a comprehensive list of every such event, but only those that have a significant impact on the parks or park operations, or are...
- list of significant accidents and injuries that have occurred at Water Park of America - Indoor WaterparkIndoor waterparkAn indoor waterpark is a type of waterpark that is located inside a building. An indoor waterpark has the ability to stay open year-round, as it is not affected by weather conditions.-History:...
- Waterpark
External links
- Official Site The Water Park of America official site