What to Prioritize at Your Park Between Now and Opening Day

It might be the dead of winter across the majority of the mainland US right now, but soon summer will be upon us and it will be time to reopen your waterpark! While the waterpark builders at Splashtacular are eagerly awaiting the day we get to take our first ride of the season, there is still plenty to do while we wait.

Memorial Day might feel like a long way away right now, but as waterpark builders and industry leaders, we know better. One blink and it will be here! 

To help you get prepared for the upcoming season, the waterpark builders at Splashtacular have prepared a month-by-month guide for you. Below we are sharing exactly what you need to focus on between now and Memorial Day to get your park back in action!

Your Waterpark Between Now and Opening Day

January

January is when you will need to finalize your plans for the next summer to ensure that you have ample time to prepare, organize, and reach your goals. Sit down with your waterpark’s leadership team, discuss what worked last year and what did not. Go over areas for improvement, delegate responsibilities over the coming months, and set goals and metrics that each team member will be responsible for achieving.

You should also take the time in January to make sure all of your operating permits are up to date and if they are set to expire be sure to take the time to renew them. This includes not only the permits for your rides, but your food and beverage licenses, insurance, and employee tax information as well.

Recommended: HOW TO MAKE YOUR WATERPARK PROFITABLE IN THE OFF-SEASON

February

If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to really start advertising for summer tickets and season passes! With Christmas and winter break behind them, parents are already starting to plan their summer getaways. Work with your internal marketing team or digital agency to ensure that your waterpark is noticed by the right people in time for the season!

March

With only two or so months until opening day, it is time for you to start hiring your seasonal employees! Place job ads on sites such as Indeed or Monster and begin reviewing applications as they come in. Conduct interviews for each of the seasonal roles accordingly and plan to begin extending offers by the end of the month. Doing so will give you enough time to conduct background investigations and onboard your new team members in April!

April 

If your waterpark went under any major renovations over the summer or you added any new attractions, you will want all construction to be finished by now. Having everything completed by early April gives your team plenty of time to do complete safety tests, understand how things operate, and ensure any bumps that arise with the changes are ironed out by opening day.

You will also want to spend time onboarding your new employees in April and making sure they are fully trained by your Memorial Day grand opening!

May

It is finally here, with Memorial Day Weekend upon us, it is finally time to open the doors to your waterpark for the summer! Spend the first few weeks of May making sure that everything is ready for the grand opening. Rides are operating smoothly, any repairs that needed doing while you were closed are complete, fresh coats of paint are dry, and your park is looking spic and span! 

If you are hoping that the new season will bring a new attraction to your park, the waterpark builders at Splashtacular are here to help. Contact our team of waterpark builders as soon as possible to discuss how we can help get you a new feature before opening day!