Challenge
Web Adventure Park in York approached Adventure Parks to help it adapt when the Covid-19 pandemic forced the closure of its indoor soft play areas.
The Web Adventure Park wanted to future proof its business by improving the outdoor offering and allowing more customers to stay for longer on site. Another aim was to increase the activities available for older children in families, providing something to hold their attention while attending what was predominantly a young children’s activity centre.
The provision had to deliver high-quality entertainment while maintaining an affordable ticket price for families.
Solution:
Over a period of nine months, our team worked closely with Web Adventure Park to realise their vision for the future of the park.
Both teams agreed on creating an extensive outdoor funfair ride and attractions area, which would increase footfall, increase dwell time and appeal to a wider market of families with older children.
We collaborated with the Web team to develop a plan of action, including timescales, logistics, contracts, staffing and full site preparation.
We were fully responsible for the build of the site over a period of six weeks, which included all groundworks, stabilisation of the area for rides, maintenance workshops, staff rooms, fencing, tarmac, building a Crazy Golf area, planting, CCTV, generators, power cables, water points and fire extinguishers. We organised a Sky TV advertising campaign and arranged for York Mix Radio to present from the site on the opening weekend.
Once all groundworks were completed, we brought 13 funfair rides and attractions onto site over a short time frame. We also began a programme of training staff to operate the rides safely – working to Fairgrounds and amusement parks: Guidance on safe practice (HSE 175).
We employ around 20 local staff to provide all ride maintenance and operation, including HR, Technical Manager, Ride Manager and Deputy Manager to ensure a continuous excellent customer experience.
Result:
After months of planning and many late nights preparing the site, the Web Adventure Park opened its new ride area in July 2020. It was officially opened by the York Town Crier – Ben Fry.
The ride area is open every weekend throughout the year and all school holidays, offering fantastic value for families with children of all ages.
The rides have increased the dwell time at the park, as well as capacity. Along with the new and improved animal zone and the extended indoor soft play area, it means many more families now spend the whole day on site.
In addition to its previous offering of indoor soft play and outdoor water play areas, the Web Adventure Park now hosts:
- Crazy Golf
- Twister
- Formula
- Balloon ride
- 50ft helter-skelter
- Double height carousel
- Cup & Saucer
- Miami
- Pony express
- Apple roller coaster
- Chair ‘o’ planes
- Mini Ferris wheel
- Hook-a-duck
"We decided that we had to diversify during Covid to allow us to offer a greater attraction outdoors- we contacted Events by Cynosure and negotiated bringing in a variety of rides to the park.
This enabled us to offer something that would have been otherwise unaffordable, and was so successful that we have formed a permanent agreement with EBC with 12 rides and hopefully more to come.
It has been a great asset to the park and increased visitor numbers and dwell times. We have expanded the park, doubling the outside space, becoming a full day visitor attraction.
Looking forward to seeing what the future holds and working with John and team."
Janice Dunphy – Owner and MD of Web Adventure Park, York
