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WhiteWater is to open more than 60 projects over the course of 2025, with the openings spanning several sectors of the attractions market, including waterparks, hotels and resorts and cruise
Lauren Heath-Jones | Planet Attractions | 20 May 2025
Among the openings is the highly-anticipated Yas Waterworld expansion in Abu Dhabi Credit: WhiteWater
WhiteWater, a leading waterpark manufacturer, has revealed details of more than 60 new project openings worldwide in 2025. Spanning six continents, these openings include indoor and outdoor waterparks, hotels, resorts, and cruise ships.
“The volume of projects WhiteWater delivers each year speaks to the quality our team produces,” said WhiteWater’s waterparks president, Onno Meeter.
“Time and again we fulfil our client’s ambitions to elevate their guest experience. Across various venue types including over a dozen hotels and resorts, these projects show that creativity comes in different forms.
“Sometimes that’s about creating the biggest and the fastest; more often it’s about providing the best overall experience with the right ride mix for everyone, as well as making operations smarter,” Meeter added.
One of the standout projects is the world’s first Wall Runner ride at the Soaky Mountain Waterpark in Sevierville, Tennessee, US. The ride combines thrills with extreme speed, zero G moments and lateral drifts.
Bavarian Blast at the Bavarian Inn in Michigan, US, features 16 water slides CREDIT: Bavarian Inn Frankenmuth, Michigan
US
Wall Runner is one of several WhiteWater projects opening in the US this year. Another exciting new addition is at Bavarian Blast at Bavarian Inn, Michigan’s largest indoor waterpark. The new waterpark features 16 water slides, including WhiteWater’s first inner tube Parallel Pursuit, a racing water slide offering a dueling experience.
Additionally, the San Antonio Zoo in Texas is implementing Vantage, the company’s guest engagement and attractions management platform, to improve the visitor experience and optimise operations.
In Florida, the Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Suites is adding three new slides, a FlowRider Double, and a RainFortress 3 play structure.
Elsewhere in the US, WhiteWater is supplying high-impact installations to a range of parks and resorts. These include two open and enclosed waterslides at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, Pennsylvania; a Blaster Battle at Soak City Water Park in Mason, Ohio; a Whizzard 4-Lane Mat Racer at Castaway Cove Waterpark in Wichita Falls, Texas; a FlowRider Double at Surf Shack in Colorado Springs, Colorado; and two High Speed Aqua Tubes at Wet ‘n Wild Hawaii in Kapolei, Hawaii.
Latin America
The company is continuing to expand its reach in Latin America with two thrill rides in Brazil, including Surreal, the world’s tallest Master Blaster water coaster, which launches from a height of 92ft (28m) at Beach Park in Aquiraz. While Thermas dos Laranjais, a water park resort in Olímpia, has welcomed Nações, a tower attraction that features two six-person raft rides. Each ride begins with a Family Blaster before guests are sent through a variety of water slide features.
In Mexico, several resorts are enhancing their properties with aquatic amenities. The Hotel Xcaret Mexico in Riviera Maya is among them, developing a tower with five water slides, as well as expanding its guest suites.
Europe, Middle East and Africa
Among its 2025 hotel and resorts projects, WhiteWater has highlighted several in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, including the Cheval Blanc Seychelles, a luxury resort in East Africa. Opened earlier this year, the resort offers a FlowRider Double, a skill-based surfing attraction that can accommodate two riders per cycle and between 240 and 480 riders per hour.
The Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort in Antalya, Turkey, meanwhile, has enhanced its offering to include 13 new water attractions, including two towers, covering body slides, inner tube slides, raft rides, as well as children’s rides and an AquaPlay 1750 decked with WhiteWater’s Life Floor safety flooring solution.
While in the UAE, the Grand Hyatt Dubai is set to open a 215,278sq ft (20,000sq m) ‘urban oasis’ offering 15 attractions including water slides, a splash pad and a FlowRider Triple.
Also in the UAE, Yas Waterworld in Abu Dhabi will open its highly-anticipated expansion. Spanning 181,910sq ft (16,900sq m), the expansion will boast 18 new rides, including the world’s first water-based amusement ride, known as Shoot the Chute, which will be integrated into a water slide complex, as well as the country’s highest water slide.
Additionally, Pirates Cove Waterpark, part of the Funtasia Drogheda leisure complex in County Louth, Ireland, will open Master Blaster and Parallel Pursuit attractions later in the year.
Two of WhiteWater’s inner tube slides at the Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort in Antalya, Turkey CREDIT: WhiteWater
Asia-Pacific
In China, the Shanghai L+SNOW Indoor Skiing Theme Resort will formally open outdoor Water World, after having launched the park’s indoor section in 2024.
Dream Space Water Park in Chongqing, meanwhile, is set to become the city’s largest water park, offering 40 water slides, a 118ft (36m) Double Wave Pool, an AquaCourse 180 and a FusionFortress 17 aquatic play structure, all supplied by WhiteWater.
Also in the Asia-Pacific region, the Water World at Ocean Park Hong Kong is retrofitting its aquatic play areas with WhiteWater’s Life Floor solution, which, according to a release, showcases the region’s shifting focus on the refurbishment and enhancement of existing attractions.
The company is also set to open three water slides at Waterbom Bali in Indonesia, following the opening of its Mini Boomerango, a child-friendly version of WhiteWater’s thrill ride, which serves as a complement to the park’s Boomerango attraction.
While in New Zealand, the company has already launched three AquaTubes at the H2O Xtream municipal aquatic centre in Upper Hutt.
Cruise
WhiteWater’s portfolio of cruise ship projects has expanded to include attractions aboard the Aroya cruise ship. Operated by Aroya Cruises, Saudi Arabia’s first cruise line, the ship undertook its maiden voyage in December 2024, with several WhiteWater attractions, including an AquaForm 5 play structure, Aqua Splash toys and Life Floor, onboard.
Opening in July is Celebration Key, an exclusive destination in the Bahamas. Owned by Carnival Cruise Lines, the destination has been purpose built for Carnival guests and will feature a splash pad with Life Floor safety surfacing and two AquaTube slides built into the Suncastle, the centrepiece of Paradise Plaza.
Launching in August is Royal Caribbean Cruise’s newest ship, the Star of the Seas. It will feature a FlowRider Double, with the project marking WhiteWater’s 24th collaboration with the cruise liner.
The company’s cruise projects also include an Adventure Trail aboard the MSC World America.
Water World at the L+SNOW Indoor Skiing Theme Resort will open in 2025 CREDIT: WhiteWater
The news comes on the back of a successful 2024 for WhiteWater, which saw the company open 60 projects, including water slides, aquatic play and surf experiences, around the world.
More recently, the company partnered with the IAAPA Foundation to launch the WhiteWater IDEA Scholarship, an initiative that seeks to promote inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility (IDEA) across the attractions industry.
Waterparks
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