By Maddy Vitale
After being one of the Ocean City Boardwalk’s star attractions for about 30 years, the OC Waterpark is adding new amenities to create a new dynamic to the park.
The gigantic waterslides will continue to be the centerpiece attraction at the park at 728 Boardwalk. But spacious cabanas, a larger area for birthday parties and other special occasions, as well as season passes, will cater as much to adults as the children who have been enjoying all that the waterpark has to offer for years, Assistant General Manager Billy Powell explained.
“We want to create a more memorable experience. You are the guest for the day,” Powell, 26, of Ocean City, said. “The biggest thing we want to do here is create an experience people won’t forget. They have the beaches and the Boardwalk. We want to give them something else to enjoy.”
Considered one of the resort’s most iconic amusement parks, OC Waterpark has water slides for all skill levels, from the expert swimmer to a child who can share some fun with a parent on a two-person adventure.
The towering Serpentine Body Slide, with its thrilling twists and turns, is touted by park personnel as one of the best body slides on the East Coast.
The Splashdown, another slide, takes experienced swimmers on a steep descent into the water. Depending on how you navigate the ride down, some people really build up momentum and soar off the 5-foot drop into 10 feet of water, while others just coast down, Powell said.
“It’s really fun to see,” he said, smiling.
For the kids, Lil Buc’s Bay is a pirate-style paradise, complete with a pirate ship and pirate’s cove. The shallow water that surrounds it offers splash time for children, while their parents watch from lounge chairs.
Another favorite for families is the water slide Sky Pond Journey. It takes two people in a tube on a ride that drops into a center pond called the Lazy River.
“It is really a good ride for a mother and daughter or father and son,” Powell said.
Even if you aren’t a water bug, there is a happy place for you at the OC Waterpark.
You could try out your rock climbing skills on OC Adventure Peak. If height, minus the water, is your thing, you could give OC Air Jumpers a try and soar 25 feet in the air. But if you want some fun on the ground, you could go to OC Adventure Golf and work on your miniature golf skills.
By the time you are done with all of that, you are likely to be hungry.
You won’t have to leave the park for a bite to eat.
Powell said the food, from pizza to chicken fingers to burgers and a variety of salads, rival the fare at any restaurant on the Boardwalk.
Powell noted OC Waterpark does a phenomenal business. But this year they really wanted to offer more for the families who faithfully come back year after year, and for new guests.
“We see tons of families here every summer who come through the park,” Powell said. “We have a lot of repeat customers.”
The park offers several different passes, but is adding a new season pass this summer. There are also two hour, three hour and all-day passes available.
Offering a season pass just made sense, especially for local customers, Powell said.
“We decided as a staff that we needed to implement this and cater to the locals,” he explained.
With an OC Waterpark card or pass, guests don’t have to wait in line to enjoy their favorite amusements.
“The nice thing about the season passes is the customers walk up to the hospitality entrance. Their card is scanned and there is no waiting,” Powell said. “People are already buying the season passes. It is really catching on.”
While the park specializes in high-energy fun, there is even something for folks who just want to relax. Twelve cabanas installed last year, complete with spacious seating, and your own server, offer a getaway experience for adults. The cabanas are also popular for parents and older children, Powell said.
“The cabanas are a great way to get away from the crowds, just lounge on a comfortable chair and be served,” Powell noted.
There is also a larger party pavilion for birthday parties, wedding receptions, fundraisers, corporate parties and other events.
Guests may book the venue for daytime events or after park hours from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
“It is very cool for people to have parties here after the park is closed,” Powell said, adding they have the entire waterpark to themselves.
OC Waterpark is open 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week through Labor Day. For more information call (609) 399-0483 or visit www.ocwaterpark.com.
