Wet'n'Wild Hawaii
{{Short description|Water park in Kapolei, Oahu, Hawaii}}
{{Infobox Water park
| image =Wet'n'Wild Hawaii logo.jpeg
| name = Wet'n'Wild Hawaii
| previous_names = Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park
| location = Kapolei
| location2= Hawaii
| location3= United States
| season = Year-round
| opening_date = May 1999
| slides = 10
| pools = 2
| children_areas = 3
| owner = EPR Properties
| operator = Village Roadshow Theme Parks (2008-2013)
Premier Parks, LLC (2014-)
| homepage = {{url|wetnwildhawaii.com}}
| coordinates = {{Coord|21|20|06|N|158|05|16|W|type:landmark_region:US|display=inline,title}}
}}
Wet'n'Wild Hawaii (formerly Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park) is a Hawaiian water park, located in Kapolei in the City and County of Honolulu on Oahu. The park occupies {{convert|29|acre|m2}} of land and has more than 25 rides and attractions. It is currently the only water park in the state of Hawaii. It is one of six water parks operating under the Wet'n'Wild brand globally.
Wet'n'Wild Hawaii was defined in the Makakilo City CDP in the 2000 U.S. Census but for the 2010 U.S. Census was redefined as being in Kapolei CDP.{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/GUBlock/st15_hi/place/p1547600_makakilo/DC10BLK_P1547600_001.pdf|title=2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Makakilo CDP, HI|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|accessdate=2020-10-10}}{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/GUBlock/st15_hi/place/p1530300_kapolei/DC10BLK_P1530300_001.pdf|title=2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Kapolei CDP, HI|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|accessdate=2020-10-10}} - Compare this map to addresses of schools to see which ones are in the CDP.{{cite web|url=https://www.wetnwildhawaii.com/|title=Home|publisher=Wet'n'Wild Hawaii|accessdate=2020-10-10|quote=400 Farrington Hwy Kapolei, HI 96707 }}
History
On October 6, 1998, construction began for the {{Convert|25|acre|adj=on}} Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park.{{cite journal|last=Zoltak|first=James|title=Construction begins on Hawaiian Waters Park|journal=Amusement Business|date=October 26, 1998|volume=110|issue=43|page=21}} The water park was the first venture by limited liability company, Waters of Kapolei.{{cite news|title=Hawaiian Waters sold, to be renamed Wet 'n' Wild Hawaii|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2009/05/04/daily43.html|accessdate=23 November 2013|newspaper=Pacific Business News|date=7 May 2009}} Owned by dentist Jack Harrington and lawyer Brooks Cutter, Waters of Kapolei, LLC invested $14 million in the park.{{cite journal|last=Emmons|first=Natasha|title=Hawaiian Waters Park attendance exceeding expectations|journal=Amusement Business|date=June 28, 1999|volume=111|issue=26|page=14}} The park officially opened on May 28, 1999.{{cite web|title=Wet'n'Wild Hawaii|url=http://www.parkz.com.au/parks/US/Kapolei/Wet_n_Wild_Hawaii/|publisher=Parkz|accessdate=January 9, 2014}} In the park's first month of operation, it experienced 20% higher-than-expected attendance, resulting in a total of 440,000 visitors in its first year of operation.{{cite journal|last=Emmons|first=Natasha|title=Hawaiian Waters draws 440,000 in first season|journal=Amusement Business|date=June 19, 2000|volume=112|issue=25|page=22}} This saw the park add a new attraction just one year after opening.
File:Wet'n'Wild Hawaii view from Farrington Highway.jpg
In May 2007, Wet'n'Wild Hawaii opened Island Adventure Golf, an 18-hole high-end miniature golf facility. The miniature golf course features lush tropical landscape, nine ADA-compliant holes, a putting green, surfboard hazards, water ways, waterfall, large ocean and beach area, mock fish and sea turtles, lava rock formations and coral reef displays.{{cite news | title=Adventure park sold | url=http://starbulletin.com/2008/03/05/business/story01.html | work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin | first=Nina | last=Wu | date=2008-03-05 | accessdate=2008-03-05}}
In March 2008, an agreement was announced in which the park would be sold to Village Roadshow Limited, making Wet'n'Wild Hawaii the Australian company's first theme park in the United States. The $27 million deal closed in May that year.{{Cite web|date=March 19, 2008|title=Australian theme park operator buys Hawaii attraction|url=https://www.post-gazette.com/life/travel/2008/03/20/Australian-theme-park-operator-buys-Hawaii-attraction/stories/200803200328|access-date=2022-02-22|website=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|language=en}} In early 2009, the company announced the park would open under its new name, Wet'n'Wild Hawaii.
Village Roadshow's ownership of the park was short-lived. The park was sold to CNL Lifestyle Properties for an undisclosed sum in 2009. Village Roadshow Theme Parks, however, continued to operate the park on a lease which concluded in November 2013.{{cite news|last=Silverstein|first=Stephanie|title=Premier Parks to take over operation of Wet 'n' Wild Hawaii|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news/2013/11/21/premier-parks-to-take-over-operation.html|accessdate=23 November 2013|newspaper=Pacific Business News|date=21 November 2013}} Premier Parks, LLC took over operations for the 2014 season.
Rides
File:WetnWild Hawaii - Hawaiian Waters.jpg]]
Below is a list of rides at the water park.
- Big Kahuna
- (Cutter's Island) Closed
- Da FlowRider
- Hawaiian Waters Wave Pool
- (Island Adventure Golf) Closed
- Kapolei Kooler Lazy River
- Keiki Kove
- Lil'Kahuna Beach
- O-Hana Highway (Formerly "Raging River")
- Shaka
- Surfsliders
- Tornado
- Volcano Express (Formerly "Island Racer")
- Waianae Coasters
- Waimea Whirl
- (Water World) Closed
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.wetnwildhawaii.com/ Official website]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080324221140/http://www.daflowrider.com/ Da FlowRider]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080512155540/http://www.islandadventuregolf.com/ Island Adventure Golf]
{{PremierParks}}
{{CNL attractions}}
{{Village Roadshow Theme Parks}}