The Result:
Ocean World: Two Wave Rivers Are Better Than One
Vivaldi Park Ocean World is one of the most popular summer destinations in Korea. Their diverse collection of waterpark attractions sprawl over 120,923,200 sq. ft. and can accommodate up to 23,000 people at once. Numbers released in the 2014 TEA-AECOM Attendance Report have Ocean World ranked #5 out of the top 20 waterparks worldwide with an annual attendance of 1.6 million visitors. In 2013, Ocean World was ranked #4 and have consistently sat amongst the top 10 waterparks worldwide in terms of attendance since 2010.
It’s not without strategic growth that Ocean World has been able to host this many waterpark visitors at one time. They have invested and reinvested in growing their capacity by adding WhiteWater wave products.
The expansions have resulted in increased annual attendance and extended staying time of their customers which in turn boosted ticket sales, food and beverage sales and overall revenue.
An Opportunity for Growth
Ocean World was facing record-breaking annual attendance, which was posing to be a challenge as congestion was at an all-time high. An expansion solution was needed because the in-park congestion was starting to damage their public image. Ocean World required a solution that allowed them to expand the capacity of their park again and again, while boosting the guest experience and the park’s public image. Wave products offer multiple opportunities to grow capacity, increase access to all areas of the park while providing a fun and exciting experience.
An Evolution of Waves
Ocean World added their first and only wave product to the waterpark in 2006, the Extreme River. The 5m wide river with hydraulic wave equipment created waves all along the wave channel and became hugely popular. The Extreme River was added to increase Ocean World’s competitiveness because the majority of the other parks in the region only had Lazy Rivers; it was a huge success among park guests and was the first step in putting Ocean World on the map.
In 2007, Ocean World expanded yet again with another way for their guests to enjoy waves. This time it was in the form of a Surf Wave Pool. The hydraulic wave equipment creates 3 meter high waves that visitors can surf on. This addition was added to compete directly with other waterparks quickly gaining popularity in the area; the uniqueness of the Surf Waves encouraged waterpark goers to choose Ocean World over its competitors.
After experiencing record-breaking attendance numbers at the popular Korean waterpark, Ocean World had to take action to expand their capacity even more as congestion increased. In 2014, a 2nd Extreme River (dubbed the Super Extreme River) was added because of the success of the original river. This second river allowed Ocean World to not only expand their capacity but to improve guest flow within the entire park as the river weaves around attractions, passes food & beverage options and provides access to the different park areas, thus improving the congestion issue.
It’s not without strategic growth that Ocean World has been able to host this many waterpark visitors at one time. They have invested and reinvested in growing their capacity by adding WhiteWater wave products.
The expansions have resulted in increased annual attendance and extended staying time of their customers which in turn boosted ticket sales, food and beverage sales and overall revenue.
- Annual attendance of the overall park has been increased
- Length of waiting time has been shortened
- Staying time of the customer has increased
These factors created an upward trend in sales of ticket and F&B; total sales and guest perceptions of Ocean World increased – overall wave additions have had very positive outcomes!
