Schlitterbahn Vacation Village in Kansas City, Kansas
Reaches New Milestone as Development Continues

KANSAS CITY, Kansas – There is plenty of icy weather to endure throughout the winter months ahead, but summer fun at the Schlitterbahn waterpark in Kansas City is starting to surface—literally! The waterpark at the Schlitterbahn Vacation Village in Kansas City, Kansas, continues to grow with site work nearly complete, equipment arriving and prep work for waterpark attractions under way.

The Schlitterbahn Vacation Village development group is proceeding with all facets of the project. The grounds are groomed for additional phases of construction with 90% of the site work complete and 100% of the underground stormwater system finished.

The first phase of the waterpark is scheduled to open in 2009 with more than a dozen state-of-the-art attractions including the world’s largest tidal wave river, an uphill Master Blaster™ water coaster, a hot tub with swim-up bar, several mammoth tubing rivers and chutes, giant water slides, an interactive area for smaller children and more. The signature Torrent Tidal-Wave River® is 70% complete and is the world’s longest at more than 1,600 feet. Prep work for the Kinderhaven children’s water activity area and the Henry’s Hideout hot tub with swim-up bar is also in progress.

Truckloads of equipment have already arrived, including three new 50-foot pump screws that circulate water through the immense interconnected river system found throughout the entire complex. Two giant ferry boats are onsite and ready to be refurbished and retrofitted with clean natural gas engines, demonstrating Schlitterbahn’s continued commitment to green practices. Many other attractions are also on property awaiting assembly at the waterpark.

Another notable achievement is the unanimous approval of the building design for the 216,000 square-foot Scheels store by the Planning Commission of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County. The Scheels all sport store anchors the Riverwalk retail area with construction beginning spring 2009 for a spring 2011 opening. Schlitterbahn also continues to work with several other potential retailers.

“We have reached a milestone in the construction process of the Schlitterbahn Vacation Village,” proclaimed Michael Catcott, project executive for the Schlitterbahn Vacation Village. “As site work nears completion and materials continue to arrive, we are enthusiastic about shifting our focus to construction of the waterpark attractions in anticipation of a summer opening.”

Waterpark General Manager Keith Fontenot is also at the Kansas City site to oversee all waterpark operations at Schlitterbahn Vacation Village. He has worked for Schlitterbahn Waterparks since 1994. He serves on the Advisory Board for Ellis & Associates and also sits on the Waterpark Committee for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions.

New retail, lodging and other entertainment elements will be introduced during additional phases through 2011 as planned. The exact opening schedule of the waterpark will be announced soon.
Schlitterbahn Beach Waterpark, South Padre Island.

The 26-acre park opened in 2001 and features more than a dozen family attractions including the state-of-the-art Transportainment® river system. Schlitterbahn Beach Waterpark has received the industry’s top awards for design innovation.

Schlitterbahn Vacation Village Background
The Schlitterbahn Vacation Village is a $750 million year-round, trend-setting, retail entertainment destination comprised of multiple shopping, dining, lodging and entertainment venues connected by a Transportainment® River System. In the Vacation Village, manmade rivers carry guests between lodging units, a world-class waterpark, and a Riverwalk with shops, restaurants and other entertainment.

World-Class Shopping
Scheels All Sport Retail Destination
The Schlitterbahn Vacation Village Scheels store will feature 216,000 square feet of sophisticated specialty shops ranging from technical running gear and the latest fashion sportswear to spectacular hunting and fishing shops. The sport shoe, hiking boot and casual footwear selection is designed to be the largest in Kansas accommodating everyone from toddlers to serious hikers, and with anything from beach sandals to fashion boots for women. Interactive shopping includes a world-class golf shop, bike shop, ski shop, canoe and kayak shop and fishing shop. The gun and hunting shop boasts the largest selection of guns in Kansas, ranging from everyday shooters, to $20,000 collectible firearms displayed in the Scheels Collectible Gun Room.

Special attractions include a 65-foot operating Ferris Wheel, two huge 16,000 gallon aquariums, a home décor and gift lodge, shooting galleries and laser-shot shooting simulators. Visitors are able to test their golf, soccer, hockey, baseball, football and basketball skills in the sport simulators. There is a walk of US Presidents featuring two fully animated, talking presidents. No Scheels’ shopping experience is complete without tasty treats found at the deli and fudge shop which serves gourmet soups and sandwiches, Starbucks coffee and specialty drinks, 24 flavors of homemade fudge and 18 flavors of gelato are sure to make the shopping adventure something unlike Kansas City has ever experienced.

World-Class Attractions
Schlitterbahn Water Resort
The waterpark will be one of the world’s largest tubing parks with miles of interconnected rivers and signature attractions such as the Master Blaster® uphill water coaster and Torrent Tidal Wave River. The first phase of the waterpark is scheduled to open in 2009.

The Riverwalk with its lush foliage and winding walkways will feature year-round destination shopping, dining and other entertainment. The river that runs through the Riverwalk area provides a memorable setting for dining and is navigated by ferry boats that transport guests throughout the resort.

The Vacation Village will feature more than 1,100 lodging accommodations including a unique Treehaus Resort with elevated pods, waterfront cabins, and a full-service hotel– all integrated within waterpark attractions.

The Riverwalk and lodging elements open in future phases.

SkyVenture™ Indoor Skydiving
Located in the Riverwalk area of the Schlitterbahn Vacation Village, SkyVenture encapsulates the sprit of skydiving with a state-of-the-art controlled flying experience. Completely enclosed in an enormous clear cylinder, guests soar on wall-to-wall airflow created by multiple overhead fans providing the safest and most realistic freefall simulation imaginable.

Additional Project Information
The Kansas project is the first expansion outside of Texas for the popular Schlitterbahn group of waterparks. Widely recognized as the leader of waterpark innovation and as the first family of American waterparks, Schlitterbahn currently operates three Texas waterparks – Schlitterbahn Beach Waterpark in South Padre Island, Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Waterpark in Galveston Island, and the award-winning flagship waterpark at Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort in New Braunfels.

Family-owned and operated, Schlitterbahn Waterparks has been a leader in family water entertainment since 1979. The parks offer family amenities that include free parking and free inner tubes. Guests are also welcome to bring a family picnic basket, excluding alcohol and glass containers, into the parks.

Schlitterbahn Beach Waterpark, South Padre Island
The 26-acre park opened in 2001 and features more than a dozen family attractions including the state-of-the-art Transportainment® river system. Schlitterbahn Beach Waterpark has received the industry’s top awards for design innovation.

Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Waterpark, Galveston Island
Ranked the best indoor waterpark in the world! The world’s first convertible, climate-controlled indoor/outdoor waterpark features more than 30 family attractions including three interconnected rivers, two uphill water coasters, and the signature Boogie Bahn surfing ride.

Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort, New Braunfels
The 70-acre park features more than 40 family attractions, miles of tubing adventures and 238 overnight accommodations. Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort is the most popular summertime waterpark in the United States and has been rated the World’s number one waterpark by the Travel Channel. It has been the top-attended seasonal waterpark in the United States since 1995, according to industry rankings.

For more information, contact the Schlitterbahn Vacation Village office in Kansas City, Kansas, at 913.334.5200 or visit schlitterbahn.com/kc.###

Editor’s Note: Images and an electronic version of this release are available for media use at schlitterbahn.com/news