Waterworld, Stoke-on-Trent facts for kids

Waterworld is an exciting water park located in Festival Park, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. It's a popular place, welcoming about 400,000 visitors every year. The park first opened its doors in 1989. It is usually open all year round, but it closes for a few days during school term time.

Waterworld's Story: How It Grew

In 1999, a family trust led by Mo Chaudry bought Waterworld. At that time, the park was not making money. But later, Waterworld started to make a profit. In the early 2010s, a glass wall was changed. This made more space for the cafe, so more people could sit there.

In summer 2019, Waterworld celebrated its 30th birthday! To mark this special event, four brand new rides were added. Stormchaser and Hurricane opened on August 21st. A few days later, on August 24th, Thunderbolt and Cyclone also opened. These new rides in an area called Tornado Alley are now the tallest rides in the park. They are also the tallest water rides in England!

Awesome Rides and Attractions

Waterworld has many fun rides and attractions for everyone. Here are some of the cool things you can do:

• Thunderbolt
• Cyclone
• Hurricane
• Stormchaser
• Black Hole
• The Nucleus
• Space Bowl
• Super Flume
• Twister
• Python
• Rapids
• Medium Sized Flumes
• Toddler Slides
• Bubble Pools
• Outdoor Pool (open in summer)
• Interactive Jungle House
• The Lily pads
• Racing Slides
• Wave Pool
• Toddler Slide
• Assault Course

The Nucleus: An Indoor Water Rollercoaster

The Nucleus is a unique indoor water rollercoaster. You ride through 375 feet of twists and turns in a rubber ring. To ride, you need to be at least 1.1 metres tall. After you climb the stairs and get your ring, a lifeguard gives you a push. A special "blaster" pushes you into a tunnel. Then there's a drop to another blaster and tunnel. Finally, a water blaster slows you down at the end.

Space Bowl: A UFO Adventure

The Space Bowl looks like a UFO! You spiral down into a big, round bowl. Then, you drop into a 2-meter deep pool of water. This ride is for strong swimmers because you might drop into the water head first.

Rapids: Go with the Flow

The Rapids is a circular water feature. It has water flowing around and around, just like real river rapids!

Twister: A Classic Ride

The Twister was the tallest slide at Waterworld for a long time. But in 2019, the new rides in Tornado Alley became even taller. On the Twister, you slide down a tube very fast, going around corners. There are small water effects along the way. You create a wave of water that splashes into a pool at the end. You cannot wear goggles on this ride.

The Three Flumes: Super, Python, and Black Hole

The Super Flume, Python, and Black Hole are three slides located next to each other. They all end up in the same pool, which is 1.2 metres deep.

Tornado Alley: New Thrills for 30 Years

Tornado Alley opened in 2019, celebrating Waterworld's 30th anniversary. It has four exciting new rides: Stormchaser, Hurricane, Cyclone, and Thunderbolt.

Thunderbolt is the tallest waterslide in the UK! It stands 55 feet tall and is also the fastest, reaching speeds of 40 kilometres per hour (25 mph).

Another thrilling ride in Tornado Alley is Cyclone. You go down a dark tube with cool light effects. Then you enter a round room that rocks from side to side. After that, you speed into a "cyclone" where your raft spins around before dropping into the middle and reaching the end of the slide.

Hurricane and Stormchaser are also great slides. Stormchaser uses a raft, while Hurricane is a body slide where you go without a raft.