Case Study: Retrofitting New Thrills in Funtasia’s Indoor Water Park

Only 20 minutes north of Dublin Airport sits Pirates Cove Waterpark at Funtasia Theme Park, one of Ireland’s largest indoor water parks and a beloved family staple since 2007. After nearly two decades of operation, Director Bernard McCormick saw an opportunity to refresh the experience, not by rebuilding from scratch, but by adding new signature attractions that would broaden the park’s appeal and boost its attendance figures. 

Funtasia approached WhiteWater with a simple question: What can we fit into the box we already have? The goal was to introduce high-adrenaline experiences, especially a speed slide, without compromising guest comfort or operational efficiency. What followed was a collaborative design process where creativity and practicality met in the middle. 

Engineering Complex Change in a Confined Indoor Envelope 

Indoor retrofits require a different mindset than ground-up development. Before sketches were produced, WhiteWater’s Slide Path team used a laser scan of the building to compile a full 3D point-cloud model of the indoor water park. From there, designers began puzzling together potential layouts that accounted for: 

– Guest circulation & congestion points

– Inner tube and mar racer vehicle storage

– Stair access and egress routes

Because Pirates Cove already has a full floor plan of attractions, the expansion’s success depended on thinking vertically. New attractions were threaded across the mezzanine, weaving above and around existing architecture to maximize elevation changes and conserve footprint. This process even required building modifications, including selective roof expansion, to accommodate the new slide geometry and maintain guest sightlines. 

The result was a two-phase program that not only added thrills but also improved how the building presents itself to the outside world. Phase 1 introduced a Master Blaster + Constrictor Fusion and Parallel Pursuit, refreshing the indoor guest experience. Phase 2 will see the installation of a High-Speed AquaTube that exits the building envelope, giving Funtasia the opportunity to have built-in marketing promoting its water park year-round to people driving by. 

Three New Attractions, Three Different Experiences 

The final layout introduced three distinct water slide experiences tailored to Pirates Cove’s audience and operational needs: 

Parallel Pursuit 
With a top speed of 31 km/h, this dual racing mat ride crosses itself twice, creating a dynamic sense of competition and encouraging repeat ridership. The attraction winds above the AquaPlay structure below without creating claustrophobic sightlines and includes translucent sections to support rider visibility and orientation during head-first racing. 

Master Blaster + Constrictor Fusion 
A combination of two of WhiteWater’s most popular attractions, guests board the 1-2-person inner tubes and begin an adventure around existing Boomerango and Super Bowl water slides. It also goes through three walls—out of the indoor water park and into another indoor activities zone—and back, for a total of 154 meters of thrills. With exciting blasts and the sound of laughs and screams, this Master Blaster is the perfect way to promote Pirates Cove Waterpark to those who have not yet gotten their tickets in this pay-as-you-go family amusement park. 

High-Speed AquaTube (Phase 2) 
Designed as the final upgrade, this speed-oriented slide extends outside the building, creating strategic external visibility for guests who may not realize the indoor water park lies within. 

Retrofitting for the Future 

Expansions like Funtasia show that revitalizing an indoor water park doesn’t require a blank slate, just a willingness to innovate within constraints. By adding to the existing rides, Pirates Cove now offers a more competitive attraction mix, a stronger appeal to thrill-seeking teens, and a refreshed narrative for both locals and tourists. 

Indoor water parks across Europe and North America are adopting similar strategies as they chase longer seasonality, higher occupancy, and more durable family experiences. Learn more about how you can boost your indoor water park attractions at www.whitewaterwest.com/en/venue-types/indoor-water-parks