Castaway Bay (CP) Opens...w/ Pics

http://castawaybay.cedarpoint.com/public/photogallery.cfm?gallery_category_id=1

Cedar Point has posted some pics of the new Castaway Bay Indoor Waterpark that recently opened. The lighting inside seems dark, and the pictures don't show too much, but from what I can see, it looks like it turned out pretty nice. The wavepool looks really nice with the big rock wall face behind it. If anyone has any more pictures, I'd love to see...

One of these days I've got to ride one of those master blaster water raft rides! That wave pool looks small to me.

Well, you have to consider it's indoors...there's only so much space...

I just realized Castaway Bay's Waterpark, not including other indoor facilities, is 38,000 sq.ft, and smaller than the size of Splash Lagoon's Waterpark, not including other indoor facilities in Erie, PA(55,000 sq.ft before recent expansions)...probably one of many reasons why they are making you stay at the hotel to get into the park.

At Splash Lagoon, you have your choice of 4 hotels to stay at, and have the option of trying to get in thru a non-guaranteed DayPass.

Castaway Bay resembles Splash Lagoon's interior...did the same company design both?

*** Edited 11/8/2004 4:38:33 AM UTC by midwave***

Castaway Bay has a space problem! ;)

Well, it should be assumed that the Master Blaster will have completely sunk when they're ready for another attraction, thus leaving them with oodles of space! ;)

ON TOPIC... *cough*. Is the wavepool in Castaway Bay the first to be constructed indoors in the USA? I'm aware that there are indoor wavepools at larger parks such as Edmonton Canada, and on the other side of the world, but I don't recall anything like this for such a compact waterpark. Neat feature! *** Edited 11/8/2004 4:46:24 AM UTC by PhantomTails***

Is there a website devoted to Indoor Waterparks in the USA? Is there a section on this site somewhere?

I wouldn't say that this site is devoted to indoor waterparks but is a great resource for locating one and does have some articles, reviews, pics, etc.
http://themeparks.about.com/od/usindoorwaterparks/site

i bet Great Bear lodge, or whatever it's called, in Sandusky feels the bite already...
That place was way too overpriced...

Well, if Great Bear Lodge (actually, it's been renamed if I'm correct to Great Wolf Lodge) is feeling the pressure now, then they will really be feeling the pressure when Sandusky's third indoor water park opens late 2005 right down the street at the currently under construction Kalahari Resort...

http://www.kalahariresort.com/sandusky/index.php

It's the battle of the indoor water parks, though the Kalahari might win out...seems their waterpark will not only have the Masterblaster water slide, but it will also have a lazy river, just as many slides, and one of those surfing simulator things...not sure what else is planned though...

Sandusky Ohio: soon=-to-be AKA WaterWorldsky Ohio...

Word on the street is that even now there's not a lot of worry about booking this place.

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Jeff said:
Word on the street is that even now there's not a lot of worry about booking this place.

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Do you mean early bookings haven't been strong?

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That place was way too overpriced...

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We'll see what the market supports. For now, the Castaway prices are very comparable to the Great Wolf prices. And, based on my first-hand experience with Cedar Fair as hotelier, I'm thinking that Great Wolf has a lot more to worry about from Kalahari than it does Castaway.

from what i could see, checking both websites, they run about 61 a nite cheaper at Castaway, which doesn't include the coupons on the CP webpage.

You must be looking at different dates than I was. For example, the weekend of 12/17-19, CB's cheapest room has 2 doubles and goes for $201 per night, and GW's cheapest room has 2 queens, plus a pull out sofa and more space for $239. The room at CB most comparable to this is the Anglefish, which is going for $251.

Actually there is a wave pool in the Kalahari Resort which that seems like the place that Castaway is based on the most.

OMG KALAHARI IS COMING TO CEDAR POINT!? I WILL BE IN HEAVEN THIS SUMMER!

Brian: off hand, don't remember the dates from GW's. I couldn't get their reservation system to work... probibly my 'puter here at work...

Kalahari is not coming to Cedar Point, it is being built in Sandusky.

Great Wolf is a beautiful hotel, but the water park is a little on the weak side. Castaway has a superior water park but I can't tell if they upgraded the Radisson rooms to be as nice as Great Wolf.

It will be interesting to see how the market plays out. For me, the Master Blaster is reason enough to pick Castaway.

I know Castaway has a tiki bar themed fast food restaurant, but do they have an actual swim up bar like Soak City? If they don't they really dropped the ball on that. I know lots of adults who would rather sit at the water bar while the kids play than anywhere else in the park.