Concept Addition of an Indoor Section

[Jahrules]

I've been thinking about this a lot more lately and I think I would like to see WCUSA's long term planning take a bit of a shift.

Currently, WCUSA has only a good 14 weeks (plus two extra weekends) of operation. While BGW has been increasing it's operating seasons with things like HoS and ChristmasTown.

What if there was a way to similarly expand WCUSA'S operating calendar?

What if they built an indoor complex?

Hear me out.

I envision this working like this:
An indoor complex would allow them to run year round and in non-summer months they could close off the outdoor slides and maybe even decorate them (like ChristmasTown).

An indoor complex can be run with minimal staffing. Many indoor facilities use "all clear" lights to indicate when you can go down the slide rather than have a lifeguard at each station.

In the summer months, the indoor complex might be able to be sold as an upcharge attraction; like, you take your family and when it gets hot you go to the indoor facility for a while.

A lot of the "big parks" in cold climates already do this.

Why hasn't wcusa done this yet? It seems like a no-brainer. Especially if the eventual goal is to make BGW year-round... Might as well make wcusa year-round too.

 

[Nicole]

I'm not sure that the current goal is, in fact, to move to 365-day operations at BGW. Regardless, with Great Wolf just up the street, does a massive investment in an indoor waterpark really make financial sense, especially with CW closed during some of the winter months?

 

[Jahrules]

Well I think great wolf proves that there's a market for this. It is likely that many of the folks coming to GWL in the winter also will be visiting BGW ChristmasTown at some point. If WCUSA had an indoor option, they could sell a wcusa/CT combo ticket and people could stay at a much cheaper hotel of their choice and get the indoor waterpark experience of GWL and still visit CT at much less cost... I think it would be a home run.

 

[tursiops]

One major driver got GWL is the attached hotel. Without that convenience I'm not sure it'd be as popular. Other side of the coin though, some people like locals don't do GWL because you have to stay at the hotel. Interesting idea, but sounds expensive!

 

[Applesauce]

For the record, if I was staying at great Wolf Lodge, an indoor water park wouldn't entice me to leave my hotel in the cold, go swimming somewhere else and then have to travel back in the cold, when there's a nice decent size indoor park attached to my hotel.

 

[Jahrules]

For the record, if I was staying at great Wolf Lodge, an indoor water park wouldn't entice me to leave my hotel in the cold, go swimming somewhere else and then have to travel back in the cold, when there's a nice decent size indoor park attached to my hotel.

Well sure; but why would you pay $600+ a night to stay at GWL if you could spend $100 a night for country inn and another $60-80 (my guess) for a combo ticket to Wcusa and CT? And you wouldn't have to wear your swimwear out assuming they had a nice changing area at the hypothetical indoor wcusa.

 

[Applesauce]

It's the idea of swimming in the middle of winter and knowing despite likely having a changing area, I would still have to go outside after being wet.

It's highly unappealing to me. But this is just my opinion.

 

[Zimmy]

For the record, I just did a quick booking (not completed) at GWL.
Family of 4, 2 kids one 10 and 1 6
3 days mid December (including a weekend)

With the most expensive suite it came to 450 a night. Not 600.

 

[Jahrules]

How is this different than going outside after a morning shower? Do most people take night time showers in winter? Have I been doing it wrong my entire life?

 

[Jahrules]

For the record, I just did a quick booking (not completed) at GWL.
Family of 4, 2 kids one 10 and 1 6
3 days mid December (including a weekend)

With the most expensive suite it came to 450 a night. Not 600.View attachment 15872View attachment 15872View attachment 15872

Sure, but when you get to the checkout and they start adding on the fees and add-ons it quickly becomes $600

 

[Applesauce]

Most people I know take evening showers, I personally shower in the morning. And in winter I throughly blow dry my hair.

I'm not gonna bathe in a public changing area to get the chlorine out so I can then dry my hair before leaving. And I'm not gonna blow dry my hair with chlorine in it.

 

[Zimmy]

Not that anyone asked, but personally I shower in the AM and PM. But I am weird like that.

 

[lightninlady]

Also I'm 99% sure you don't have to book a room at GWL to go to the waterpark. When I was younger me and one of my friends just went for a few hours on a Saturday.

 

[Applesauce]

They may have changed policy, but it used to be you had to have a room to get in.

It would be nice if they changed the policy to like the Kalahari resorts, where you can pay for a day. But that just further renders the idea of an indoor wcusa expansion kind of moot.

 

[Nicole]

I just checked, and @lightninlady is correct. From their FAQ:

 

[Zachary]

As @Applesauce said, you used to have to have a room in order to access the water park. As @Nicole pointed out though, it seems they have opened up the sale of single-day passes since I was last there. Prices seem to range from $45 to $85 over the next few months. Link

 

[b.mac]

I am of the opinion that WCUSA is not in the proper location for an indoor water park to be successful, even on a limited schedule basis. If there was a more substantial local population or a stronger year round tourism draw I would be a little more open to it. But for now GWL is the only option, and anyone trying to encroach on that business will only be taking a slice of their pie.

 

[warfelg]

Most people I know take evening showers, I personally shower in the morning. And in winter I throughly blow dry my hair.

I'm not gonna bathe in a public changing area to get the chlorine out so I can then dry my hair before leaving. And I'm not gonna blow dry my hair with chlorine in it.

It’s the blow drying thing that gets me. I have longish hair for a guy, but it’s thick enough to stay wet for 2-3 hours after without. Men’s rooms don’t have blow driers so that means lugging mine all around. Yea no that’s not happening.

 

[Jahrules]

They have this wonderful invention called a hat. It keeps your head warm in winter.

If all you're doing is leaving and going back to your hotel to take a proper shower, who cares about a little hat head.

Seriously. I didn't know this whole being wet in winter thing was any deal breaker at all...

 

[warfelg]

A hat does little to help hair that’s still wet. As someone that’s had pneumonia a few times I’ve very suspect to getting it again. So I’m very careful with things in the winter. I even go as far as scarf over mouth and nose for the 50 foot walk to the car.