Former Disney and Universal types launch Vegas waterpark trainwreck. In their dreams.

[MickeyMania]

Every now and then, someone comes to Las Vegas with an utterly ridiculous idea that the city could never accomodate and/or they could never get funding for. The last one of these was a few years ago when a guy from Canada thought that there should be a 10,000-room hotel dedicated entirely to the moon. Prior to that have been ideas for a Titanic casino, a full-sized Starship Enterprise placed adjacent to downtown, etc.

And now...

http://www.lasvegaswet.com/index.php

This year's circular file project is to build an overblown waterpark somewhere in the tourist corridor. The developer has a plan for anything and everything. Just what I always wanted: a family entertainment complex and a nude beach in the same location!

Atmosphere entertainment — walk around characters, roving musical bands, strolling entertainers, and the like — will appear throughout the complex to delight and entertain guests of all ages. And throughout the park, guests will be treated to scrumptious dining opportunities and themed retail. The Project features a roster of highly unique attractions that can provide anything from a few hours of excitement to a multi-day palette of diversions:

* State-of-the-art water park with themed “lands”
* Dining, Retail, and Entertainment district
* Sprawling Family Entertainment Complex
* Two upscale 600 room Hotels
* Dazzling tropical themed Casino
* State-of-the-Art indoor ski area
* Exclusive European style spa and beach club
* Multiplex Cinema with high-end reserved seating component
* Contemporary 5000 Seat Arena for concerts and sporting events

Whether you want to zoom down a hair-raising water slide, lounge on an exclusive “European” beach, enjoy a wild round of mini-golf, or dine and shop in a stylish but relaxed atmosphere, The Project is your escape to a world of fun and enjoyment.

And who are some of the people behind this bad idea?

Steven Dooner, Co-Founder, Proteus Creative and Co-Founder of Las Vegas WET, LLC. A 30-year development and operations veteran of the theme park industry (Disney, Universal, Paramount Parks, Raging Waters, and theme parks worldwide) who has helped create icons and brands like Chuck E. Cheese and Discovery Zone, he also has an extensive track record in developing unique concepts including Club Disney, DisneyQuest, ESPNZone, and Universal Studios Japan.

Craig Hanna, Chief Creative Officer, Thinkwell Design, formerly the chief visionary for Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Universal’s Port Aventura in Spain.

Mike Finney, Technical Director, Thinkwell. Former Technical Director Universal’s theme parks division.

Randy Ewing, Design Director, Thinkwell. Two decades as a theme park designer.

Terry Palmer, Area Development. Responsible for the area development/space planning for Walt Disney World’s Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach waterparks

Habib Yasharel, AIA. Served as senior architect on multiple theme park projects for Disney and Universal.

Sara Mitchell, Pepperdine MBA in International Finance, operations veteran from Disney, operations and financial analyst at Universal Studios.



Uh... Yeah.

Thanks guys, but NEXT!

[kcnole]

Re: Former Disney and Universal types launch Vegas waterpark trainwreck. In their dreams.

I'm sure Walt heard that quite a bit in his time as well. There's quite a bit of very bright people in that group. While it may not work just due to being overly ambitious, I'm not sure that the idea doesn't have merit in a slightly scaled down form.

[Cousin Orville]

Re: Former Disney and Universal types launch Vegas waterpark trainwreck. In their dreams.

It's ALMOST as ridiculous as putting a Mountain from Switzerland (with a rollercoaster in it) and a Castle from Bavaria across from a Submarine Lagoon and a Mississippi Riverboat in the middle of an Orange Grove in Anaheim. Now THAT'S lunacy.

At least this idea will be across from the Eiffel Tower, a Sphinx and a Volcano. Now that's reasonable.

[ekester]

Re: Former Disney and Universal types launch Vegas waterpark trainwreck. In their dreams.

I actually kinda like it. But hasn't history shown that people going to Vegas aren't interested in "family" entertainment (generally speaking). Other than a couple of niche locations, seems a tough road to create a huge complex with themed entertainment in a place where people go to throw their money at more decadent pursuits.

[kcnole]

Re: Former Disney and Universal types launch Vegas waterpark trainwreck. In their dreams.

I know tons of people who go to vegas for just a vacation and rarely gamble. I think it could work. Notice it's not just a family park however, they have plans for a private area of the water park that allows many vegasy things such as topless swimming and sunbathing and other things, so much that cameras and cell phones will not be allowed.

[TacAlert]

Re: Former Disney and Universal types launch Vegas waterpark trainwreck. In their dreams.

I don't understand why the OP is against this. Sounds like a good idea.

[MickeyMania]

Re: Former Disney and Universal types launch Vegas waterpark trainwreck. In their dre

I don't understand why the OP is against this. Sounds like a good idea.

Mostly because it costs a lot of money to get involved in the local economy here. That's why there's no singular guys who own a casino with their name on the door anymore, even Trump and Wynn just sit on top of a giant public company that just shares their name. There's no way the funding exists for this to be built, and while Vegas could use a water park (Wet n Wild closed in 2004?) this is no way to do it. Especially since, as someone mentioned, the whole all-ages bit is way over.

Someone compared it to Disneyland, but Disneyland was in the middle of a field presumed to soon be a family suburb. If they scaled it down, there's a chance they could actually do it.

[kcnole]

Re: Former Disney and Universal types launch Vegas waterpark trainwreck. In their dreams.

Oh I'm sure it'll be scaled down, plans like this always are. They shoot for the moon when discussing the initial planning and concepts and then when they see what kind of money they can actually get they change them and do the best they can with what they have.

[TDLFAN]

Re: Former Disney and Universal types launch Vegas waterpark trainwreck. In their dreams.

Sounds more intriguing than anything Disney has done at DLR/WDW in the past 5 years. I especially am all in favor of the nude beach concept.

[disneytim]

Re: Former Disney and Universal types launch Vegas waterpark trainwreck. In their dreams.

I'm in favor of just about any new concept for entertainment in Las Vegas. Do they all catch on? No--most don't even make it off the drawing board--but the ones that do continue to attract visitors and make Las Vegas the premiere tourist destination it is.

And, oh yeah, all those tourists help pay my salary and ensure I don't have to pay state income taxes.

I say give it a shot.

[JerrodDRagon]

Re: Former Disney and Universal types launch Vegas waterpark trainwreck. In their dreams.

looks cool to me...I like the lands better than any water i've been to...

[Tom Chaney]

Re: Former Disney and Universal types launch Vegas waterpark trainwreck. In their dre

Many years ago, when Long Beach was considering dumping the Queen Mary, I had the notion that... if it could be transported over land... it would make a marvelous casino in Las Vegas.

Of course, that never happened.

How fun would it be to have a classic cruise ship floating on "The Strip?"