Watermania in Kissimmee, FL closing on September 5

[BarryH]

Here's the news from OrlandoSentinel.com:

 

Kissimmee water park is sold, will close Sept. 5

 

Danielle De Pari | Sentinel Staff Writer

Posted August 26, 2005

 

KISSIMMEE -- Water Mania, Kissimmee's first water park, will close on Labor Day. The family-owned company on West U.S. Highway 192 has been sold along with the Country Hearth Hotel next door.

 

The 36-acre park, which has been a Kissimmee tourist destination since 1986, was owned by Gary and Randy Larson of Kissimmee. The hotel, formerly known as Larsons' Lodge, is on 9 acres and was owned by the brothers and other members of the Larson family.

 

Both properties are being purchased by the same buyer. Closing is set for next month.

 

"We did not put it up for sale; we were approached by buyers back in January," Vice President and co-owner Randy Larson said Thursday.

 

Larson would not disclose the selling price or the buyer's identity. Nor would he say what the buyer plans to do with the property, which is across from the entrance to Celebration.

 

He said the sale is not due to a lack of business.

 

"We had our best July ever, and August has been good," senior Vice President and General Manager Robert Keane said.

 

Water Mania employs 96 people -- 15 are full time and the rest are seasonal.

 

The company plans to hold job fairs and place employees in other sectors of the tourism industry. Wet 'n Wild will hold a job fair on Sept. 5, Water Mania's last day of operation.

 

Other employees will be given jobs in other companies owned by the Larsons, such as Eagles Wings, an athletic- and inspirational-products store in Kissimmee.

 

The hotel had employed about 40 people, and all but 15 have found other employment since the company announced it was selling the hotel two months ago.

 

Single-day and season passes for Water Mania may be redeemed for admission at Wet 'n Wild, the company said in a news release.

 

Larson said he is proud that a family-owned company such as his has been able to be successful in the area's tourism industry for so long.

 

"We're moving in a different direction," he said of his family's business interests. "But I'm proud we've competed for 20 years against some of the biggest attractions in the world."

 

Larson said he and his family are planning some real-estate endeavors, but said that doesn't mean they may not return to the tourism industry.

 

"We love tourism; we've been successful in it for 30 years," he said. "It's in our blood."

 

Tim Hemphill, executive director of Osceola's Tourist Development Council, said the closing is sad because the Larson family and Water Mania are a part of the area's tourism legacy.

 

"They will always be a part of the fabric of the tourism community, there is no doubt about it," he said.

 

Throughout the years, Water Mania has worked with school districts across Central Florida, donating more than a quarter-million dollars to Parent Teacher Associations, Keane said.

 

Danielle De Pari can be reached at ddepari@orlandosentinel.com or 407-931-5951.

[Jose Eber]

We heard about this a bit ago.

 

Answers to my prayers. Was tired of the huge discrepancy in aesthetics just across the street. This style hitler has spoken.

 

Not that we are doing any better on property some would argue:

 

 

What does this thread have to do with theme parks? Oh Water mania closing right -- that can be seen as a good and bad thing.[/img]

[Mind Eraser]

Every visit to Kissimmee, when we drive by that decrepit old waterpark, first I laugh, then I wonder why they're still open.

 

Peace out, nasty park! You won't be missed by me.

 

 

-kip-

[JT3000]

Answers to my prayers. Was tired of the huge discrepancy in aesthetics just across the street. This style hitler has spoken.

 

No offense, but I hate seeing Celebration residents complain about this kind of thing. They voluntarily chose to live in a sprawly subdivision that's right across the street from one of the crappiest areas in the entire Orlando metro.

 

Can't say I'm a fan of Water Mania. I remember going there when I was little, and it was still decent looking. Not exactly the case now. That entire street needs to be revamped. Hopefully whatever gets built on that land is somewhat classier than it's surroundings and it catches on. Right now it's just a poor man.... make that a homeless man's I-Drive.

[ChrisZer0]

I remember driving by the place some time back, it was a dump then and I could see why celebration citizens have a beef about the place. The whole area is evolving and becoming a new creature.

[socalMAN123]

I looked at the website, and it looked pretty nice but after hearing what you guys are saying about it, maybe it isn't. I trust you guys, so it's probably a very big dump. Well, then I've never been there, so I can't miss it!

---Brent 8)

[Homer]

To prove to you how ghetto this place must be, all of the slides are that generic blue color and the site has not been updated since 1999.

 

Eh, won't be missing it, it was a part of the mid-80's boom of waterparks and tourist traps on US 192.

[doom1001]

Even though I only went to this park once several years ago I will miss it in a sentimental way.However, my realistic side will admit that it was sorta ghetto, small and old and needed to go.They however had that simulated wave machine that you ride on a body board that I couldn't ride it no matter how hard I tried.With Sea World announcing their new waterpark that will be a one of a kind park and Ron Jon surf shop in the Festival Bay mall opening a surf park with huge pools to actually surf, you knew Watermania's days were numbered.

 

If the rumors of Wet nWild closing in a few years due to an increasing lease are true then I will be sad since this is my favorite Orlando waterpark and It's location on International Drive is something that for me has always been there and whatever they were to put there would seem out of place and weird.I've heard rumors Universal would move the park and all the slides to somewhere on their site and that would be great, they would probably theme it and it would be right on property along with IOA and USF. The corner of Universal Blvd. and I-Drive without Wet n wild would still be something I would miss and even moving the park it probably won't have a lake for knee-skying which is my favorite thing at the park.

[jarmor]

Personally I feel a little sadden when any park, good or bad, closes. Water mania was my first stand alone water park and It was fun to me. Every park doesnt have the capital to be BB or TL in quality especially if its family owned. I appreciated them for being open for as long as it did.

[Imhotep]

^agreed. I applaud them, especially since they arent closing the park due to poor attendance. Sometimes you got to just move on, and Im glad to see they were able to keep their family establishment open for so long, especially in the competative tourism market central FL has.

[SLUSHIE]

Maybe Disney baought it.

 

Maybe they are buying stuff in the area that looks ugly, just like what they are doing at Disneyland.

[CoasterJunkie]

The local radio said they were bought by someone, just didnt say who. I highly doubt it was Disney. Probably a local hotel or condo. More than likely it will be ripped down and a new hotel will be put in its place. Becasue 192 needs another hotel.

 

That park hadn't been doing well for a while. It would close at 5pm in the middle of summer. Thats never a good sign

[shepp]

 

Other employees will be given jobs in other companies owned by the Larsons, such as Eagles Wings, an athletic- and inspirational-products store in Kissimmee.

 

Wow, you gotta love it. Wrestling With the Devil singlets, Hail Mary Pass footballs, Sacred Blood paintball gear, and, course, Loaves and Fishing rods...

[Jose Eber]

 

No offense, but I hate seeing Celebration residents complain about this kind of thing. They voluntarily chose to live in a sprawly subdivision that's right across the street from one of the crappiest areas in the entire Orlando metro.

 

Can't say I'm a fan of Water Mania. I remember going there when I was little, and it was still decent looking. Not exactly the case now. That entire street needs to be revamped. Hopefully whatever gets built on that land is somewhat classier than it's surroundings and it catches on. Right now it's just a poor man.... make that a homeless man's I-Drive.

 

No offense . . . but you're a hypocrite. You don't even live near Watermania and you complain.

 

lol

[YoshiFan]

I can't say I am surprised it is closing. With Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach and Wet n Wild in the area, I couldn't see why someone would go there unless they were a huge waterpark fan. I'm sure it was a nice little water park but it seemed like it would fit in an area without other big waterparks as competition.

[KrakenKing]

Hey, it's closing on my b-day... interesting. That waterpark isn't all that bad, the body slides were fun, and so was the slide "Anaconda".

[disneygurlz2s]

I started reading the article and when I got to the name "Larson" I started to laugh, because it all came back to me.....

 

Back in 1987 I stayed at Larson's Lodge with my older brother and his family when we stopped for a couple days at Disney enroute to my sister-in-law's parent's house in Nokomis. We had driven through the night, so it was about 1:00 in the afternoon when we got there. We were given a room number and told our room would be ready in a couple of hours. We decided to go and check where our room was, and when we got there, we looked in and it was a DISGUSTING mess....food, dirty diapers, etc EVERYWHERE. I can't remember if Mike and Lynn got us a different room or what, but I do remember that it was kind of a ghetto place.

 

Shari

[freestylenut]

Hmm...I just posted on ioacentral.com about Kissimmee attraction closings & was wondering if this was still open. I see it is....but not for much longer.

 

I only been there once, and it was on a date with my now wife. So it was a good memory. I don't remember it being "ghetto" at all, but damn, that was about 8-9 years ago now, so things change as they often do in Kissimmee.

 

Kinda sad what's going on on 192.