The ambitious rollout of Mattel-themed indoor waterparks has reached a major milestone with the selection of a lead attraction supplier.
This partnership aims to provide a standardised yet creative aquatic experience across all five planned international locations.
Global partnership for immersive destinations
American Resort Management, the official licensor for the Mattel Wonder Indoor Waterparks project, has confirmed that Vancouver-based manufacturer WhiteWater will serve as the exclusive global water attraction vendor. The agreement covers the entire scope of future sites, ensuring that the toy company’s intellectual properties are represented through a consistent engineering lens.
WhiteWater was selected due to its extensive portfolio, which includes water slides, aquatic play structures, waves, and surf technology. The manufacturer also brings guest engagement software to the project, which will be integrated alongside the physical attractions to enhance the visitor journey and streamline operations. The company has a demonstrated history of working with major IPs to express well-known narratives through themed engineering.
Scaling the guest experience
The project involves the integration of household names such as Barbie and Hot Wheels into various water-based activities. Rick Coleman, CEO of American Resort Management, noted the importance of selecting a market leader for this scale of development. “We are excited to collaborate with WhiteWater on the development of these parks, where guests will experience unique attractions together with their favourite brands,” Coleman stated. He added that bringing the manufacturer to the team ensures fans can expect a high-quality experience from location to location.
Specific attention is being paid to the mix of attractions, which will cater to both families and high-adrenaline seekers. The lineup is expected to include competition slides and wave pools, alongside two entirely new ride concepts. Notably, one of these new rides will be exclusive to the Mattel Wonder brand, offering an experience unavailable at any other waterpark globally.
Collaboration and innovation
Onno Meeter, WhiteWater’s President of Water Parks, expressed enthusiasm for the creative challenges presented by the partnership. “With a history of successful projects with both Martin Aquatic and American Resort Management, we’re thrilled to be collaborating with them again,” Meeter commented. He noted that designing a never-before-seen slide for the parks makes the project particularly special for the manufacturing team.
The design process will see WhiteWater working closely with Florida-based aquatic design firm Martin Aquatic. Josh Martin, President and Creative Director for Martin Aquatic, highlighted the established working relationship between the firms, suggesting that their shared history will prioritise the guest experience. “Our team looks forward to the design process with a partner that understands how to deliver the best guest experience,” he said.
By consolidating the equipment supply with a single vendor, the developers aim to maintain brand integrity while managing the operational complexities of a multi-site global rollout. This follow-up announcement adds further technical detail to the project following the initial targeting of Orlando, Florida, as the first destination.
