More Ways To Play: Mattel Splashes into Indoor Waterparks

The iconic toy company has long sought to deliver themed entertainment. Waterparks appear to be next on the shelves.

Intellectual property (IP)-driven waterparks are a relatively rare commodity compared to amusement parks, where branding has exploded now more than ever. The most prominent example would be DreamWorks Waterpark at American Dream Mall in New Jersey as well as Columbia Pictures Aquaverse in Thailand (previously itself licensed to Cartoon Network). Studio 100 has also quietly integrated their branding to Plopsa Group’s Plopsaqua Indoor Waterparks in Europe.

Mattel carries their own firepower with recognizable franchises like Barbie, Hot Wheels, and Fisher-Price. Amid recent news of their desire to launch branded Mattel Wonder Indoor Waterparks — and further steps taken this week to realize them — it may seem questionable as to how well their IP can be integrated into aquatics. With all that said, what has Mattel been up to?

Adventure Parks Remain Dry

Two Mattel Adventure Parks are under development in Glendale, Arizona and Bonner Springs, Kansas. We were able to chat about the parks last year with Cindy Emerick, their VP of Attraction Development. The muscle behind the projects is EPIC Resort Destinations, who seek to include them as apart of wider entertainment districts. But how have they progressed?

Arizona’s VAI Resort was originally set to open in 2023, but remains under construction as of this writing with no clear opening timeframe available. Mattel Adventure Park itself appears mostly complete, but the wider development has been marred in legal disputes, regulatory battles, a voter referendum, and even a fatal workplace accident last December.

Bonner Springs’ Destination KCK on the other hand was first announced to open in 2026, although the timeline was quickly scuttled and a recent development plan has scheduled its opening for no later than May 2031. Construction has yet to begin.

It’s not clear when we’ll see Mattel Adventure Parks open their doors to guests. In the meantime however, Mattel is seeking yet another sandbox to play in.

Creating Waves

Mattel initially filed a fateful trademark at the beginning of October, raising the eyebrows of watchdogs. Neither of the amusement parks were anywhere near operation; were the developers pitching further projects?

At the onset of IAAPA Expo last month however, all became clear when Mattel formally announced their intent to develop five Mattel Wonder Indoor Waterpark locations, with the first being targeted for Orlando, Florida. Partnering with the company are I-dentity Group, Martin Aquatic, and American Resort Management, the latter of whom has proven most consequential to the initiative.

Sharing Someone Else’s Toys

The first two locations have been revealed this month.  Within a week of each other, the Municipal Councils of Bellevue, Nebraska, and Bradley, Illinois signed ten-year licensing deals with Mattel for their future indoor waterparks. These are not new venues conceived by Mattel, but rather existing developments that have been in motion for years.

Both projects are extremely similar in nature. Each was developed from the ground up through a partnership with American Resort Management, designed in collaboration with Martin Aquatic and manufacturer WhiteWater West, and separately secured financing at the local level.

It’s of course much faster and easier for Mattel to jump onto the bandwagon of existing developments. Each municipality has touted the deals as a win though, bringing some much-needed brand recognition onboard; the company states that the deals will drive revenue up by as much as 30%.

What’s Next?

As of this time in December 2025, only two of the five planned Mattel Wonder Indoor Waterpark locations have been confirmed. Further clues may lie elsewhere within American Resort Management’s portfolio.

Rocky Mountain Grand Resort is their third known waterpark project, set to be apart of the planned $1.1 billion Catalyst District in Greeley, Colorado. Although initially expected to debut in 2028, City Council has recently punted the development to a February special election as a sign of good faith to opposing residents. Disregarding termination, any changes will need to wait until afterwards.

American Resort Management’s flagship destination is Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark in Grand Prairie, Texas. It first opened at the beginning of 2018 to immense success and has served as a model for the new waterparks in Bellevue and Bradley. It would likely prove jarring however if Mattel’s IP’s were crowbarred into an existing waterpark.

As for the potential Orlando location, details have remained under wraps. An opening is anticipated for around 2028 but American Resort Management has no known foothold in that market. CoCo Key Hotel & Water Park is located on International Drive and comes closest to meeting the established criteria… imagine that now!

Overall, it’s difficult to categorize this development. These waterparks could be regional game-changers that bring exciting destinations to new locations and boldly mesh toy franchises with waterslides… or it could come off as a gimmick that fades into the history books of theme park experiments. Regardless, Mattel’s continued efforts will undoubtedly prove interesting for years to come.

What attractions could you see at a Mattel Wonder Indoor Waterpark? Let us know in the comments below!