By Scott Cronick
When Showboat Hotel Owner Bart Blatstein announced he would build a $100 million waterpark a couple of years ago, my response on my radio show was skeptical, to say the least.
“I will believe it when I slide my fat ass down a slide,” is what I said, which made Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small challenge me to a race, ensuring me it would happen.
I didn’t believe it. Blatstein and the Mayor were right, but I heard so many big promises of things in Atlantic City – and at the time didn’t have a good relationship with Blatstein – and I just couldn’t imagine something so awesome could ever happen in our great city.
Well, the mayor and I have not raced, but I can tell you that my “fat ass” did slide down a bunch of slides recently, and I am happy to eat crow on this one.
The Island Waterpark at Showboat is not just great, it’s a fantastic, mind-blowing, game-changing attraction for Atlantic City that not only exceeded my expectations but blew them away.
The indoor waterpark – the biggest on the ocean in the entire world – is simply magnificent. If you walk in and don’ t say “Wow!” … you are numb to life.
“It’s even better than I hoped,” said Blatstein, who financed the waterpark privately with no taxpayer money or incentives. “There are larger indoor waterparks overall, but pound for pound, this is a better product. I spent an enormous amount of time visiting waterparks around the country and designing this one, and it’s just a dream come true. It’s just great, and I am enjoying every minute of it. But the most important thing is people are loving it.”
Built with a Purpose
While the Island Waterpark has that “Wow!” factor visually, it wouldn’t have any success if it wasn’t fun to experience.
And, damn, is it fun!
I was able to take a 5-year-old relative to the park, and it was so thrilling to see her eyes glow with excitement for the hours we were there. But the adults, including those who I was with, had just as much fun.
Whether you want to just relax on the Island Drift Lazy River, be a daredevil on the Wild Wave Flowrider for those wanting to bodysurf that constant perfect wave, play volleyball or a sports activity in the Adventure Pool; or go down a variety of slides – some enormous, some more manageable for the kiddies – the Island Waterpark has it all.
Slide lovers will love the Barracuda Blaster, a tube slide with crazy acceleration; Sonic Serpent, another tube slide that wraps around the building and other waterslides; Electric Eel, a slide full of tight corners and high-banking turns; Slide Island, featuring five waterslides for the youngsters that are pretty wicked; and Tidal Racers, dueling, head-first mat racers looking for speed that goes indoors and outdoors and has some very cool light features.
There’s also the Kids Cove, a perfectly sized kids retreat with slides and interactive water activities; and the gorgeous Blue Cascade Waterfall, one of the largest custom aqua forms in the world.
“I hope people who have been to indoor waterparks before realize that the layout is purposeful to explore as an adventure, not just to walk in and see everything but to explore and go into the different neighborhoods of the waterpark and experience them, Blatstein said.
The design of the waterpark hinges around the ability for the roof to retract and for the sides and front of the clear structure to open, which is not only magnificent to see but to experience.
“It’s very airy … it’s the most extensive structure you can have for a waterpark,” Blatstein said. “The roof opens like (Dallas) Cowboys Stadium, and the front opens, so there is a lot of fresh air in the place. It’s all white, it’s all sunlit, and it’s just fun to be there. I love spending time there, and I hang out there. I haven’t heard one complaint. People say they can’t believe it’s there.”
I’m one of them.
Perhaps the coolest part of Island Waterpark for me is Paradise Adult Island, which features the Tree House, a 30-foot-tall indoor tree house and exclusive tropical escape with its own bar in the heart of the action available for private parties; Bliss Pool, a pulsating, adults-only pool facing the ocean with two dry bars, swim-up bar and DJ; a complimentary masseuse who is worth the visit alone; and a huge lawn area with Astroturf that features a private area to sunbathe plus lawn games.
The VIP area, which costs extra to enter, also features its own cabanas that are on a first-come, first-serve basis, along with plenty of cushioned chaise lounge chairs, private work areas and even Peloton bikes to exercise.
“The Tree House cost more than my house,” Blatstein joked. “It’s 20 feet up in the air and has a capacity for about 40 people that will be used for VIP and specials events, and if we have a famous DJ, that’s where they would spin records or whatever they do.”
One thing very noticeable on your visit to the waterpark is its lack of chlorine smell.
“It was important to me that you felt comfortable,” Blatstein said. “A lot of waterparks have a strong chlorine smell, and I don’t like that, so the ventilation system is state of the art, and it has more openings than any waterpark since the roof, sides and front open. On a nice day, when they are all open, it feels like you are outdoors … it feels like an outdoor waterpark.”
Island Waterpark also features a Boardwalk that lines the entire side of the waterpark opposite of the slides and water activities. The Boardwalk, modeled after Blatstein’s childhood days hanging in the Chelsea section of Atlantic City, particularly Hi-Hat Joe’s, a popular hot dog and birch beer joint that was adjacent to Dick’s Arcade, features a food court, retail shops, an arcade and more.
“I gave it my all and put everything I have into the waterpark,” Blatstein said. “It’s the only waterpark with a boardwalk. It’s modeled after where I used to hang out as a kid. It’s the only indoor waterpark with an arcade in it, the only indoor waterpark with a dedicated adult section where adults can be adults and grab a drink, watch a game, get a massage.”
Also, just the ambiance is worth seeing, including the tropical plants, palm trees and other touches that make you feel like you are in Hawaii or Aruba. The idea is you are not in A.C. anymore; it’s a whole other world that Blatstein created.
Blatstein’s Vision
Blatstein, the owner of the Philadelphia-based Tower Investments, is no stranger to major developments, particularly in the Philadelphia area.
But his investment in Showboat has been impressive to say the least. Not only is the waterpark one of the greatest single investments made by a private developer in Atlantic City, but the Showboat also boasts: the Lucky Snake Arcade, now the world’s largest arcade with a slew of modern and classic games, including an impressive pinball selection; the Raceway at Lucky Snake, one of the largest indoor go-kart tracks in the United States featuring go-karts imported from Italy that can hit speeds of 50 mph; state-of-the-art convention, meeting and event space that holds everything from boxing to mixed martial arts to celebrity conventions; a variety of restaurants that will continue to evolve; and several towers of rooms, many of which have been converted into family suites to coincide with the waterpark opening.
“The waterpark is a result of recognizing that in order to do this huge family resort, it needed an anchor tenant just like a mall or shopping center would need an anchor tenant,” Blatstein said. “And I realized the best anchor tenant would be an indoor waterpark. It’s nothing I invented. Indoor waterparks have been around for 50 or 60 years, but I thought I could do it better, and I am hoping when people walk in, they say, ‘This rocks!’”
It certainly does, and Blatstein believes that attracting families will increase visitorship not just to Showboat, but Atlantic City overall.
“More families are coming to A.C., and it’s just a different feel than we are used to here,” Blatstein said. “A.C. used to have kids, and now the kids are coming back. People wil travel up to seven hours for a waterpark, and we are in Atlantic City, so people have so much more things they can do with nine casinos, 20,000 hotel rooms, world-class conventions and events and a nearby airport. The casinos have been reaching out to me and sending business to the waterpark, so it’s been a great experience.”
More to Come
Of course, Blatstein’s vision is not done, not by a long shot.
“I can’t tell you what I have planned, but I can tell you that the waterpark is just the beginning, not the end,” he said.
There are some things we know. For starters, the waterpark will soon feature the first-ever zero-gravity coaster and zipline inside an indoor waterpark with panoramic views of the waterpark and ocean.
For an extra cost, visitors will also soon experience Coconut Zero Gravity Coaster, a thrilling, single-rail suspended coaster that features a bird’s eye view of the entire waterpark; and Rip Tide Zipline, featuring a 300-foot zipline through the waterslides and water activities.
Also, the adult section will become a nightclub and special events center, and the 4,000-person-capacity waterpark will also become a concert venue.
“We are already getting a lot of offers for entertainment to come here,” Blatstein said. “When promoters see this, they say they have to be in here. There have already been buyouts of the waterpark. It’s having the desired impact. Rain or shine, it’s a fun place to be. We will keep adding things and adapting … it’s a loving thing that will keep on improving. People have to see it to believe it. It’s almost something you can’t describe.”
Why Atlantic City?
When you see Blatstein’s investment and bullishness on Atlantic City, you have to ask one simple question: Why?
“Because this place is wild,” Blatstein said with a laugh. “Of all the places I have developed in for 45 years, Atlantic City has the most to offer: the beach, boardwalk, 24-hour town, nine casinos, 25 million visitors a year, infrastructure to build new things. There are already developers from Philly and elsewhere here in Atlantic City buying real estate. I am fully convinced this is going to happen. I have done this before and developed neighborhoods before, and the momentum is far above what anyone really realizes. Atlantic City is going to see a massive transformaton. I just know it.”
(The Island Waterpark is located at Showboat Hotel Atlantic City, with parking right off Pacific Avenue, Atlantic City. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Tickets are available at IslandWaterparkAC.com.)
Scott Cronick is an award-winning journalist who has written about entertainment, food, news and more in South Jersey for nearly three decades. He hosts a daily radio show – “Off The Press with Scott Cronick” – 4 to 6 p.m. weekdays on Newstalk WOND 1400-AM, 92.3-FM, and WONDRadio.com, and he also co-owns Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall in Atlantic City, while working on various projects, including charitable efforts, throughout the area. He can be reached at scronick@comcast.net.
