We are SO EXCITED about Summer 2019 that we wanted to take you behind the scenes again to show what our teams have been doing this Spring in preparation for YOUR arrival (we can hardly contain our excitement)! June 12th can’t come soon enough for our team…
Preparing Appearance: Painting / Refurbishing / Renovations
When the snow finally melts (we’re pretty sure we’re done with snow for a while), the teams can get out in the park to begin the huge undertaking of preparing the water park for visitors come mid-June. This usually happens sometime in April to late April, only giving our teams a quick 1.5 months for it all to happen!
The Grounds Team begins cleaning up the Water Safari property (over 60 acres that is) with removing fallen debris, and clearing flowerbeds, then ordering and planting flowers (usually mid to late May). Barnyard animals are prepared for, barn cleaned, then they arrive just before park opening. Picnic tables and garbage cans are placed closer to opening day – and we have hundreds of them – to make them conveniently accessible throughout the park.
The Art Department checks all signs and touchup paint where needed – to ensure things look great after a long, cold winter. Some signs that were taken in out prior to the winter [to protect their integrity] are returned to their places. Our internal Paint Team refreshes as much as they can across all properties (the arch just got repainted and looks great!)
Our Dry Rides team is putting finishing touches on any refurbishment projects and mechanical needs at our shop. Then prepares all dry rides that were taken inside for winter, returning them to their spots and making them guest ready.
Preparing for Water
The water park has the biggest job, they must drain and clean all pools, pressure wash everything, make repairs to pipes and pumps and any pools that have just been through a harsh winter. Repairs to slides are made and then the pools are filled. Tons of water is poured into our systems and then the fun begins. Rides are ready for testing. It sounds simple, but it’s a huge undertaking!
Preparing to Serve Well
Our Human Resources department continues to interview and hire new team members, all while coordinating onboarding, training and orientation sessions, start dates, scheduling, and a million other things! With over 400 team members, it’s a big task, but we know they’re up to the job!
Office teams are preparing to welcome groups who have reservations. As well as printing and shipping discounted tickets to locations across Central New York to be sold. Phones are ringing, guests getting season passes, and questions about the upcoming season are being managed.
Our Marketing Department focuses on creatively informing our guests of our offerings, changes, and opening day (June 12th – remember, June 12th – did we say June 12th?) Imaginatively applying creative messages that will resonate with our guests, they prepare exciting, new campaigns for billboards, digital media, and much more, which takes much planning, coordinating, and creating.
Final Touches
Road-side Arch Enchanted Forest Water Safari Sign, worked on April 2019
Employees managing our stores are busy unloading the boxes upon boxes of new merchandise that must be organized, folded, priced and stocked on shelves. Oh, and lots of yummy candy for the candy store. Displaying all merchandise takes exceptional talent.
Our food stands and stores are busy being cleaned including all snack bars, ordering food items, setting prices and menus and maybe even testing some food here and there! The games department is getting ready cleaning up all arcade games, ensuring everything is working properly, and, of course, preparing prizes.
All bathrooms must be cleaned and stocked; those are tested for use as well. Then, right before we open, the circus families arrive to town and begin to set up their acts. They practice in the ring, time out their performances, and perfect the execution in their new surroundings.
Calypso’s Cove, which was open Memorial Day weekend, has a shorter window to get cleaned up and ready for their early opening, doing most of the things you read about above! They open daily for the season on Saturday, June 22nd. Water Safari opens June 12th – it’s so close, we can feel the sun on our shoulders and the splashes from the rides!
Do you like to look ‘behind the scenes?’ Did you enjoy our blogs “What happens at Water Safari once the park closes?” and “What goes on during the winter at Water Safari?”
