Ocean Park‘s HK$4 billion Water World opened in September 2021. It is now the first water park in Asia to be designated as a Certified Autism Center (CAC) by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES).
The HK$4 billion Water World is an inclusive, accessible and sensory-friendly attraction for visitors with autism or other sensory sensitivities.
In a phenomenally beautiful setting, ‘Asia’s first and only year-round, all-weather seaside waterpark’, as the website calls it, features five zones, and experiences across a spectrum from relaxing to adrenaline-fuelled.
The park’s executive director, Bryan Fish, is a water park veteran. He tells blooloop:
“At 16 years old, I wanted a job that I could enjoy and make a little money from for the summer. I’ve always loved the water, so I thought lifeguarding would be a great thing for me. I got certified and applied for and got a job at my local waterpark. It was initially meant to be just a fun summer job, and it was. But, lo and behold, summer after summer, it evolved into something I really liked.”
A lifetime in water parks
When he finished university the park offered him a full-time job, which, at the time, was paying marginally better than an entry-level position in his area of study:
“I thought, ‘Why not? I’m enjoying it.’ The rest is history.”
Beginning in Las Vegas, at one of the top 10 water parks in the US, he served various roles in water parks across the United States from Nevada to Georgia and Florida. He says:
“In 2012, I took the leap to expatriate life and went to the Emirates. I was part of the pre-opening team for Yas Water World, the largest water theme park in Abu Dhabi.”
He was then general manager for the world’s first women-only water park, in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia.
“That was an exciting pre-opening project,” he comments.
“I was then lucky enough to come over to Hong Kong for Water World Ocean Park. This has been a thrilling adventure in and of itself.”
Ocean Park’s Water World
Water World has been open for a year. Fish comments:
“The last few years in Hong Kong, just as in the rest of the world, have been challenging. In terms of opening a new water park, however, this one has been nice and smooth. It has so many positive points. We are in Hong Kong, for a start, which is only just beginning to open up, post-pandemic, to the rest of the world. So, this first year has effectively been a preview for Hong Kong residents themselves. It has given us the opportunity to break the waterpark in, and to allow it to mature as an operation.”
The reception over the park’s first full summer in operation was very positive:
“It’s been great,” he says:
“Every park has its nuances. Some things you predict, some things are surprises, and it’s, it’s a fun journey every time. We’ve been really happy with the first year, and really look forward, now that Hong Kong is able to start opening up to the rest of the world for visitors, to being able to introduce Water World to the world at large.”
A unique design
The terrain surrounding the attraction presented some unique challenges to the designers.
Water World Ocean Park Hong Kong is a proven inclusive and sensory-friendly facility for adventurers with autism or other sensory sensitivities. The staff team has been trained to understand the specific needs and preferences of guests from their perspective.
Fish explains:
“It’s probably hard for someone that isn’t familiar with the area to appreciate it. Although people tend to think of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Island as a great metropolis, this location is a genuine natural gem. There’s one way in, on a two-lane road. The access, therefore, was challenging.
“Then, in terms of topography, the site itself was challenging. It is in a valley amongst the hillsides, right on the water of the South China Sea. The design was incredibly challenging, but the opportunities and potential offered by the location and the views were immense. Everything had to be designed and then executed precisely. There was really very little margin for tolerance or error. We were really happy with the way the main contractor managed to execute and deliver that.”
Building Water World
From a design perspective, it was not only important that the design should integrate seamlessly with the natural surroundings, but, in terms of conserving and protecting the environment, something that is high on the Ocean Park Corporation’s agenda, the impact on the natural environment had to be minimal.
“Although the water park has been constructed right on the sea – in fact, it gives the illusion of being immediately on the sea – it has been purposefully constructed in a way that didn’t impact the natural coral environment there,” he says:
“The design takes advantage of the topography and minimised the excavation that needed to happen. It’s a tight footprint in the park. But the design is clever, maximising the area and also integrating with the topography through these terraced areas that are throughout the park. The park is on multiple levels.
“I feel it sets a new standard as far as what a state-of-the-art water park can look like. We’re proud of the architectural beauty of it, and the way that architectural beauty harmonises with the beauty of the natural surroundings.”
Something for everyone
Outlining what he envisages concerning annual visitorship and demographics as the world opens up, he says:
“The park is built on a small footprint. But it is creatively done to enable it to be considered a major water park in size,” he says.
“We’re able to handle a daily capacity that would enable us to have a nice yearly attendance. Right now, COVID has softened this. As we open up, depending on the recovery rate of tourists coming back, we expect that to grow exponentially over the next couple of years as people come to re-explore Hong Kong and get to know Water World.”
Diving into the design, he explains:
“It’s a spacious environment that adventurers of all types can enjoy. The unique topography really differentiates us from other water parks. When you’re in Water World, you’re surrounded by these lush green hills and amazing sea views. And, more often than not, we have blue skies. It’s a perfect environment to unwind, enjoy nature, and be socially engaged.”
On the subject of the layout, he adds:
“There are five themed zones with a mix of facilities designed with different levels and accommodations of stimulation, depending on people’s tastes. Each zone has its own personality and unique spirit, lending to the fun for our adventurers, which is what we call our guests. They come in as adventurers, and are guided on their respective adventures.”
Attractions at Water World
Within the five zones there are 27 attractions:
“They are a mix of indoor, outdoor and combination attractions,” he says. “We have things like Hong Kong’s first-ever indoor surfing simulator, Surf Striker. We have nine dynamic major water slides in the park. Then, there are areas that we designed specifically for kids – the little adventurers need their place to play.
The journey starts at the Splendid Reef zone, a nice expansive area right on the South China Sea. Guests come through the Water World Plaza and enter our Reef Lobby. From there, they can jump into our four other zones: Torrential River, Hidden Village, Adventure Coast, and Thrill Valley.”
Waterslide enthusiasts love the Torrential River zone, where many of the major water slides are situated:
“For the adrenaline junkies, the Thrill Valley zone blows their minds with its speed slides. There is also one of our more extreme family raft runs here.”
Indoor adventures
Then there is Adventure Coast:
“Adventure Coast is that laid-back area outside where you have stunning views of the sea. You can be bobbing along in our big wave pool or in our action river, which is called Riptide.”
The Riptide river has a variety of interactive water features. This includes water bubble jets, dump buckets and arch sprayers, and features an infinity pool with magnificent ocean views, at the end.
Alternatively:
“If you’re looking for the indoor bit – maybe the weather’s not great, or you’re one of the adventurers that like to adventure away from the sun – we have the Hidden Village. This is our indoor area with Hong Kong’s first-ever all-weather indoor wave pool. It is also home to our Surf Striker, our Lazy Cruise, and multiple other attractions.”
Water World becomes autism-certified
Water World is the first autism-certified water park in Asia.
“As far as being autism-friendly is concerned, part of the accreditation involved training. All of our guest-facing staff went through specific training that was provided by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES). That is the body that provides the overall certification.
“We had the training and a facility inspection provided by them to help guide us in what else we could do to be more inclusive. It was also an opportunity for them to learn about our park, and then provide sensory guides. These rate each of our attractions individually on the five senses on a scale of one to 10.”
This means the parents of children with sensory issues can plan their visit before arriving at the park.
“We had to make some adjustments in terms of being able to provide some quiet spaces. There are some areas which can offer respite and a break from their adventure if someone does get overwhelmed by sensory overload,” he adds.
“It gives them the space to have a moment of calm so they can collect themselves and be able to reengage in the park.”
“The right thing to do”
Stella Tse enjoys splashy fun in the sun at Water World Ocean Park Hong Kong with her son Pok Pok. Pok Pok is quite sensitive to environmental stimuli but manages to explore the water park in a progressive manner, says Stella.
He explains the background to the decision to make the park autism-friendly:
“As a corporation, we are committed to providing the best in guest service for everyone. For Water World, we challenged ourselves, asking if there were people in the community that we could do better in serving. There has, I feel, been a growing awareness in the industry worldwide and in general about the segment of people with sensory sensitivities and on the autism spectrum. It really felt like the right thing to do, and to know that we could proudly say that we truly are a park for everyone.”
According to early feedback, people in Hong Kong are thrilled to have this option:
“It has really been a humbling and overwhelming experience to have that feedback. We love to see the genuine excitement and appreciation of families where members have sensitivities.
“It’s a segment of the population that hasn’t previously really been heard. Often, these are children who have not gone to attractions. They’ve been kept at home because of overwhelm. It’s wonderful to see them being served and catered for.”
Year-round enjoyment at Water World
Water World is an all-season park. Fish explains:
“From the beginning, we knew that there would be a period of education. For the people of Hong Kong, traditionally, water is a summer activity. It will take some effort over our first few winters, to spread the good news that water activity is great year-round at Water World.”
In short, he adds:
“In my almost 30 years in water parks, Water World is unique in the world of water parks. It’s probably the one park that is as beautiful to look at as it is to look out from. It’s just an amazing combination.”
Top image: Stella Tse with her son Pok Pok at Water World Ocean Park Hong Kong
