Case Study: Exhilarating Water Slides in Hilly Terrain—Water World Ocean Park

Asia’s First All-Weather, Year-Round Seaside Water Park

Nestled in the hills and facing the sea, the mention of “Ocean Park” will evoke smiles and fondness in the Hongkongers. Since 1977, this theme park has been a dear part of the collective psyche for locals and a draw for regional tourists. It even had a modest outdoor water park, which operated for only about 100 days a year and was closed in 1999.

The nostalgia for splashing away the summer heat at a water park never faded. In September 2021, a fresh, highly-anticipated iteration opened to the delight of this “Asia’s World City.” Twice the size of the original, the new Water World has both outdoor and indoor areas, thus making it a year-round attraction. With the opening of the first Fullerton resort worldwide, Ocean Park now aims to become an international destination.

While WhiteWater provided water slides and aquatic play equipment for the park, the company worked closely with Water Technology, Inc., which led the technical master planning and aquatic engineering design, including for ten bodies of water on this terraced site.

Unique Landscape, Unique Challenges

The location of Ocean Park encompasses the best of two worlds: the mountains and the sea. The landscape, while beautiful, also presented enormous challenges. WhiteWater’s professional team of slide designers and structural engineers worked to leverage the slopes to strategically distribute four water slide complexes across Water World with minimal disturbance to the natural environment.

The four slide complexes are set on different levels of the mountain, terraced to start and finish on various platforms and heights. Whether from a distance or in the middle of the park, guests can feel the overall dramatic visual effects of the water slides. The unique aesthetics also enhance the ride experience, generating excitement and sliding in the midst of lush hills overlooking the boundless sea. The harmonious integration of water slides into the hills looks seamless, but there is much more than meets the eye. The design work overcame building challenges on gradients and the demands to withstand intense typhoons frequent in South China and mitigate the drainage needs.

Altogether, the special terrain, the high environmental standards, and the drainage requirements make the completion of this project a feat of engineering.

Rich Experience in Tight Footprint

The tight footprint available to Water World does not hinder a superb ride mix to create a rich experience for guests of all ages. Each slide has been engineered to fully utilize the natural topography.

“Thunder Loop”, “Daredevil Drop” & “Bravery Cliffs” – Flatline Loop, AquaDrop & Freefall

High-Speed Body Slides

This thrilling water slide complex hosts three high-speed attractions. Flatline Loop (“Thunder Loop”) and AquaDrop (“Daredevil Drop”) both start in an AquaLaunch capsule. The Flatline Loop whizzes the rider through a 360-degree tube, AquaDrop is a plunge straight down. Freefall (“Bravery Cliffs”) is not any less scary, dropping directly from an open flume with a majestic view of the sea.

“Cyclone Spin”, “Tropical Twist” – Giant AquaTube

Giant AquaTubes Inner Tube Ride

Riders in 1-2-person inner tubes twist and turn down these twin Giant AquaTubes, called “Cyclone Spin” and “Tropical Twist.” One is dark inside while the other is translucent, giving two distinctive, fun experiences.

“Rainbow Rush” – Whizzard Twist

Whizzard Twist 8-Lane Mat Racer

Before the first water park closed in 1999, one of the most memorable attractions was a five-lane racer called “Rainbow Slides.” With a spectrum of colors, the new edition, a Whizzard Twist called “Rainbow Rush,” pays homage to the original and is bigger and better with three more lanes. On head-first mats, eight competitors dive into pitch black twisting tubes before emerging into the open, straight into a drop to see who finishes first.

“Skyhigh Falls” – Boomerango Squeeze

Boomerango Squeeze + Constrictor Fusion

Having been around for two decades, Boomerango, with its iconic wall, has become a must-have for many water parks around the world. Here at Water World Ocean Park, a new version of Boomerango makes its debut—Boomerango Squeeze.

While the Boomerango wall is usually the major finishing feature of a ride, Boomerango Squeeze, with the slide path tapering after the vehicle comes down from the wall, allows the attraction flexibility in height, as it is required for Ocean Park’s landscape, and the ability to build this feature upstream, followed by other elements. In the case of this slide, called “Skyhigh Falls,” the 6-person raft continues the excitement with high-banking turns down two massive coiling Constrictors, one of which has a jagged top, giving the feeling of travelling through a spinning sawblade.

“Whiskers’ Splash” – AquaPlay 1050

Custom AquaPlay 1050

Themed with cute animal mascots, a custom AquaPlay 1050 named “Whiskers’ Splash,” offers multi-level aquatic fun for children, including interactive water play features and jets, four slides, and a giant tipping bucket. With an instantaneous capacity of 246, this attraction is essential for parks with a small footprint.

A New Chapter for Ocean Park

“Water World Ocean Park has set new standards in a state-of-the-art water park. We are proud of building a world-renowned water park that stitches Hong Kong’s beautiful and natural topography as designed to offer the most unique guest experience to adventurers.” – Willie Choy, Head of Design and Engineering, Ocean Park Corporation

See the Water World Ocean Park project page here.