University of Central Florida STARS
Dick Pope Sr. Institute Publications Dick Pope Sr. Institute for Tourism Studies
6-1-1989
Wet N' Wild Marketing Study Part II: In Park Survey
Ady Milman University of Central Florida, [email protected]
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Recommended Citation Milman, Ady, "Wet N' Wild Marketing Study Part II: In Park Survey" (1989). Dick Pope Sr. Institute Publications. 74. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/dickpope-pubs/74
WET N 1 WILD MARKETING STUDY
PART II: IN PARK SURVEY
May 1989 Data
Prepared by:
Dr. Ady Milman Dick Pope Sr. Institute for Tourism Studies University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida 32816
June 1989 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page
PART II: IN PARK SURVEY
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1
I. METHODOLOGY 2
A. Sampling 2
B. Data Analysis 2
C. Limitations 4
II. FINDINGS 5
A. Demographic Profile of the Respondents 5
B. Central Florida Vacation Travel Behavior 17
C. Perception of Wet N' Wild 26
1. Previous Visits to Wet N' Wild 26 2. Decision to visit Wet N' Wild 29 3. Facilities used at Wet N' Wild 32
4. Consumption of Food & Beverage at W.W. 37 5. Shopping activities at Wet N' Wild 38 6. General perception of Wet N' Wild 40 7. Level of Satisfaction with Wet N' Wild 42 D. Experience with other water parks 46 E. Exposure to Wet N' Wild Advertising 48 1. General Exposure to Advertising about Wet N' Wild 48 2. TV Watching Habits 49 F. Predictors of Likelihood to revisit Wet N' Wild 51 G. Perceptual Differences between Groups of Respondents 52 III. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 54 Part II: IN PARK SURVEY
May 1989 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. The majority of the respondnets had not been to Wet N' Wild previously. 2. Most respodents decided to visit the park a day prior to, or on the day of their visit. 3. Repondents were influenced to visit the park by brochures, their previous experience with Wet N' Wild, and word of mouth recommendations. 4. The most frequently used facilities were the Wave Pool, Raging Rapids, and Lazy River. 5. Most respondents purchased food and beverage in the park and were quite satisfied with quality, prices, and service. Over one third of the respondents visited the Surf Shop and were satisfied with its merchandise and prices. 6. The majority of the respondents were very satisfied with their visit and said that they were likely to come back. 7. Familiarity with other water parks was high; half of the respondents visited other water parks. 8. Billboards, brochures, and TV were the top advertising tools remembered by Wet N' Wild visitors. 9. A very high proportion to tourists watched TV while in Central Florida. 10. Those who were more likely to visit Wet N' Wild had the following characteristics: a. Thought that the food quality, price, and service were good. b. Thought that the Surf Shop merchandise selection and prices were good. c. Thought that Wet N' Wild was the best value for money of all other water parks. d. Did not .think that Wet N' Wild lines were long. e. Did not think that the admission fee to Wet N' Wild was high. f. Thought that Wet N' Wild employees were polite and courteous. g. Had previously visiterd Wet N' Wild.
1 h. Had made the decision to visit Wet N" Wild while in Central Florida.
i. Arrived in Florida by car.
j. Were local residents (Central Florida residents).
I. METHODOLOGY
Sampling
The population sample consisted of Wet N' Wild visitors during the month of May 1989. Interviews were conducted in a period of seven days between May 8-15, 1989 (Table 1). The respondents were intercepted at the exit gate of Wet N' Wild, briefly rescreened for age (13 or over) and were asked to participate in the study. After elimination of disqualified respondents, a usable sample of 304 visitors was obtained. An additional sample of 300 visitors was obtained for visitors' zip code analysis.
Data Analysis
The majority of the items in the questionnaire were structured. Several open-ended items were used to explore additional information of "other" categories not included in the structured questions.
Interviews lasted between 3 and 16 minutes with an average length of 10 minutes. Completed questionnaires were coded and the data analyzed at the University of Central Florida.
Frequency distributions were computed for all questions, as
2 well as Pearson Correlations, t-tests, and one-way analyses of variance for various predicting variables of park attendance. The results are shown in the findings section of the report.
Table 1: Day of the Week when Interviews were Administered
Day of the week May June July August Sept
~0 ~0 ~0 ~0 ~0
1. Monday 12.7
2. Tuesday 14.7
3. Wednesday 14.4
4. Thursday 14.4
5. Friday 14.0
6. Saturday 15.4
7. Sunday 14.4
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
3 Limitations Several limitations in the research methodology are noted here. The practice of interviewing only willing respondents may create problems of representation. Since there was no control over who participated in the study the results could have been biased by either favorable or unfavorable participants. In addition, some questions related to behavior intentions of the respondents rather than actual behavior; that is, those respondents who reported willingness to revisit Wet N' Wild, would not necessarily translate it into actual behavior. Furthermore, the study is limited to a particular month of the summer season, and may not necessarily represent the "typical" summer visitor to Wet N' Wild.
4 II. FINDINGS
Demographic Profile of the Respondents The median age of the respondents was between 25 and 34 years. One half of them were married and the other half were single. Their median 1988 annual income was $30,000-40,000 and their gender distribution was equal between males and females (Tables 2-5). The majority of the respondents (76.3%) were tourists visiting Central Florida (Table 6). Most of the respondents were U.S. residents (73.7%), However, a small proportion of the sample lived in Canada (3.3%) and other foreign countries (23.3%) (Table 7). Zip code distribution of U.S. cities is presented in Table 8). Canadian respondents originated in Ontario, Quebec, and Manitoba (Table 9).
5 Table 2: Age of the Respondents
------Age May June July August Sept ------% % % % 1. 13-17 8.9
2. 18-24 33.6
3. 25-34 30.9
4. 35-54 23.4
5. over 55 3.2
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Median: 25-34
Table 3: Marital Status of the Respondents
Marital status May June July August Sept
1. Married 51.0
2. Single 49.0
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
6 Table 4: Respondents• 1988 Household Income
------Household Income May June July . August Sept
% % ------1. Under $10,000 6.3
2. $10-20,0000 15.2
3. $20-30,000 20.8
4. $30-40,000 23.4
5. $40-50,000 18.2
6. $50-60,000 8.2
7. $60-70,000 3.0
8. $70-80,000 3.0
9. Over $80,000 1.9
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Median ( 1 ooo) 30-40
Table 5: Gender Distribution of the Respondents
Gender May June July August Sept
% % %
1 . Males 49.7
2. Females 50.3
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
7 Table 6: Respondents• Central Florida Residency Status
------Residence Status May June July August Sept
% % % % 1.------Tourist 76.3
(a) 2. Local resident 23.7
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
a Note: Residents of Orange, Seminole, and Osceola counties.
Table 7: Respondents• Place of Permanent Residence
Permanent residence May June July August Sept
1. U.S. 73.7 2. Canada 3.3 3. Other foreign 23.0 countries
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
8 Table 8:
Respondents• City of Residence (U.S. respondents only)
City of residence May June July August Sept
%
San Juan 0.4
Springfield MA 0.2
Worcester MA 0.2
Boston MA 2.7
Middlesex MA 1.0
Brockton MA 0.4
Buzzard's Bay MA 0.2
Providence RI 1.0
Manchester NH 0.4
Portsmouth NH 0.2
Portland ME 0.2
Brattleboro VT 0.2
Burlington VT 0.2
Hartford CT 0.2
New Haven CT 0.8
Waterbury CT 0.6
Stamford CT 0.8
Newark NJ 1.0
Jersey City NJ 0.2
Paterson NJ 0.6 ------
9 Table 8 (continued}: Respondents• City of Residence (U.S. respondents only)
------City of residence May June July August Sept ------% % % % Red Bank NJ 0.2
Summit NJ 0.6
South Jersey NJ 2.1
Camden NJ 0.8
Trenton NJ 0.2
New York NY 0.4
Westchester NY 1.1
Monsey NY 0.2
Queens NY 0.4
Brooklyn NY 0.6
Flushing NY 0.2
Jamaica NY 0.4
Hicksville NY 1.5
Albany 1.0
Poughkeepsie NY 0.2
Birminham NY 0.4
Binghampton NY 0.2
Buffalo NY 0.8
Rochester NY 0.4
1.2 Pittsburgh------PA
10 Table 8 (continued): Respondents• City of Residence (U.S. respondents only)
------City of residence May June July August Sept ------% % % % Greenburg PA 0.2
Altoona PA 0.4
Harrisburg PA 0.6
Lehigh City PA 0.2
Scranton PA 1.4
Wilks-Barre PA 0.8
Philadelphia PA 1.2
Southeastern PA 0.2
Wilminton DL 0.4
Government DC 0.2
Suburban MD 0.2
Baltimore MD 1.4
Frederick MD 0.2
Northern 0.2 Virginia VA
Arlington VA 0.2
Richmond VA 0.4
Winchester VA 0.2
Huntington WV 0.2
Clarksburg WV 0.4 Raleigh------NC 0.2
11 Table 8 (continued): Respondents• City of Residence (U.S. respondents only)
------City of residence May June July August Sept ------% % % % % Rocky Mount NC 0.2 Charlotte NC 0.4 Ashville NC 0.4 Columbia SC 1.0 Greenville SC 0.6 Charlston SC 0.2 Florence SC 0.2 Augusta GA 0.8 Albany GA 0.8 Jacksonville FL 2.6 Tallahassee FL 0.2 Pensacola FL 1.0 Gainesville FL 1.3 Orlando FL 25.7
Miami FL 1.0 West Palm Beach FL 0.6 Tampa FL 1.6 st. Petersburg FL 0.6 Lakeland FL 2.5 Fort Meyers FL 0.6 ------
12 Table 8 (continued): Respondents• City of Residence (U.S. respondents on1y)
------City of residence May June July August Sept
~ ~ 0 % % 0
Montgomery AL 0.2
Dothan AL 0.2
Nashville TN 0.2
Knoxville TN 0.2
Memphis TN 0.2
Lexington KY 0.2
Frankfort KY 0.2
Bowling Green KY 0.2
Columbus OH 0.4
Toledo OH 0.8
Cleveland OH 1.0
Akron OH 0.4
Youns town OH 0.2
Canton OH 0.2
Cincinnati OH 0.2
Dayton OH 0.4
Gary IN 0.6
South Bend IN 0.2
Fort Wayne IN 0.2
Royal Oak MI 1.7 ------
13 Table 8 (continued): Respondents• City of Residence (U.S. respondents only)
City of residence May June July August Sept
~ ~ 0 0 ~0 % %
Detroit MI 1.0 Flint MI 0.4 Saganaw MI 0.6 Lansing MI 0.2 Kalamazoo MI 0.4 Grand Rapids MI 0.4 Des Moines IA 0.2 Davenport IA 0.2 Milwaukee WI 1.8 Green Bay WI 0.2 Eau Claire WI 0.2 Oshgosh WI 0.2 Minneapolis MN 0.6 Rochester MN 0.2 North Suburban IL 1.4 South Suburban IL 0.8 Chicago IL 1.7 Peoria IL 0.2 Carbondale 0.2 Poplar------Bluff MO 0.6
14 Table 8 (continued): Respondents• City of Residence (U.S. respondents only)
------City of residence May June July August Sept ------% % % Chilicothe MO 0.2
Topeka KS 0.2
New Orleans LA 1.2
Lafayette LA 0.2
Alexandria LA 0.2
Little Rock AR 0.2
Dallas TX 0.2
Midland TX 0.2
Houston TX 0.2
Pasadena TX 1.7
North Hollywood CA 0.4
San Diego CA 0.4
Oakland CA 0.2
San Jose CA 0.2
Honolulu HI 0.2
Portland OR 0.2
Everett WA 0.2
Ketchitkan AK 0.2
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
15 Table 9: Canadian Respondents• Province of Residence
------Province of residence May June July August Sept
~ ~ ~ 0 0 0 % %
1. Ontario 70.0
3. Quebec 20.0
4. Manitoba 10.0
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Number of observations: 11
16 Central Florida vacation Travel Behavior
The tourist respondents who visited Wet N' Wild had a median total party size of three people. The typical party consisted of two adults. Respondents who came to Central Florida with families reported a median of two teens and two children (Table 10). The tourists arrived in Florida by plane (72.7%), by private car {22.7%), tour bus (2.5%), recreational vehicle (0.8%), and rented car (0.4%). Other modes of transportation (0.9%) included the Amtrak rail service and a private bus (Table 11). Most of the tourist respondents stayed in hotels or motels (82.1%). Other accommodation facilities included: friends and relatives (8.1%), rented apartments or condominiums (5.1%), and campgrounds (2.1%). Time-sharing and Navy accommodations were also used by Central Florida tourists (2.6%) (Table 12). Respondents mainly stayed in the International Drive area (34.6%), Disney World area/Route 192 West (18.2%), and East of I-4 (16.5%). Tourists also stayed in downtown or north Orlando (8.2%), South Orange Blossom Trail (5.6%), Lake Buena Vista (5.2%), and the Airport (1.3%). Other respondents (10.4%) stayed in Space Coast locations like Daytona Beach, Cocoa Beach, Melbourne, and New Smyrna Beach. The majority of the respondents used the services of travel agents (69.7%) (Table 14). Respondents stayed in Central Florida an average of 8.3 and a median of 7.0 days (Table 15). On the average the interviews took place on the fourth day of their stay (Table 16).
17 Table 10: Respondents• Party size
------Party size May June July August Sept
M E D I A N 1. Total 3 2. Adults (over 18) 2 3. Teens (13-17) 2 4. Children (under 12) 2
Table 11: Mode of Travel to central Florida
Mode of Travel to Central May June July August Sept Florida
1. Plane 72.7
2. Private car 22.7
3. Tour bus 2.5 4. Recreational vehicle 0.8
5. Rented car 0.4
6. Other 0.9 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
18 Table 12: Respondents• Type of Lodging in Central Florida
------Type of lodging May June July August Sept
% % % % % 1. Hotel/Motel 82.1 2. Friends/ relatives 8.1
3. Rented apartment/ condominium 5.1
4. Campground 2.1 5. Other 2.6 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 ------'
19 Table 13: Location of Respondents• Lodging Facility
------Location of lodging May June July August Sept
% % % 1.International------Drive 34.6 2.Disney World area/ 192/West of I-4 18.2 3.Disney World area/ 192/East of I-4 16.5 4.Downtown Orlando or north 8.2 5.South Orange Blossom Trail 5.6 6.Lake Buena Vista 5.2 7.Airport 1.3 a.other 10.4 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Table 14: Respondents• Usage of Travel Agent Services
Traveling party May June July August Sept
~ ~ ~ ~ 0 0 0 0 %
1. Yes 69.7 30.3 ------2. No 100.0 100.0 100.0 Total------100.0 100.0
20 Table 15: Total Number of Vacation Days Spent in central Florida
------Number of vacation days May June July August Sept
~ ------0 % % % % 1 2.1
2 2.1
3 5.1
4 12.5
5 9.9
6 6.9
7 25.3
8 6.8
9 1.3
10 2.1
11 0.4
12 0.4
13 2.1
14 16.3
15 1.3
16 0.4
18 0.4
21 3.8
22 0.4
49 0.4
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Mean: 8.3 Std Dev: 5.4 Median: 7
21 Table 16: Position of Interviewing Day within Total vacation Days
------Sequence number of vacation day May June July August Sept
% %
First------5.1
Second 20.9
Third 17.9
Fourth 19.8
Fifth 14.5
Sixth 10.7
Seventh 5.1
Eighth 0.4
Ninth 1.3
Tenth 0.9
Eleventh 0.9
Twelfth 0.9
Thirteenth 0.4
Fourteenth 0.4
Seventeenth 0.4
Forty ninth 0.4
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Median: 4
22 Tourist respondents' top six attractions visited were: The Magic
Kingdom, EPCOT Center, Sea World, Disney/MGM Studio Tour, Church
Street Station, and Busch Gardens (Table 17). The top six attractions intended to be visited on their current trip were:
Disney/MGM Studio Tour, EPCOT Center, the Magic Kingdom, Sea
World, Busch Gardens, and Church Street Station (Table 18).
23 Table 17: Central Florida Attractions Visited by the Respondents
------Attractions visited May June July August Sept ------% % "l. WOW- Magic Kingdom 86.2 2. WOW-EPCOT Center 69.1
3. Sea World 52.1 4. WOW-MGM Studio tour 31.4 5. Church St. Station 16.0 6. Busch Gardens 11.7 7. Cypress Gardens 8.5 8. Boardwalk and Baseball 6.4 9. WOW-Pleasure Island 4.3 10. Watermania 1.1 11. Other 5.4
Note: Total Percentages exceed 100% due to multiple response.
24 Table 18: Central Florida Attractions Intended to be visited by the Respondents
------Attractions intended to be May June July August Sept visited % % % % ------1. WOW-MGM Studio tour 54.3
2. WOW-EPCOT Center 41.3
3. WOW- Magic Kingdom 34.8 4. Sea World 31.9 5. Busch Gardens 28.3 6. Church st. Station 24.6
7. Boardwalk & Baseball 12.3 8. Cypress Gardens 11.6
9. Watermania 3.6
10. WOW-Pleasure Islan.d 2.9
11. WOW-Typhoon Lagoon 2.9 12. Universal Studios 2.2 13. Other 2.9
Note: Total Percentages exceed 100% due to multiple response.
25 Perception of Wet N' Wild
1. Previous Visits to Wet N' Wild The majority of the respondents {70.1%) had not visited Wet N' w1·1d previous· 1 y. {Table 19). About one half of the respondents who had previously visited Wet N' Wild did so less than a year ago, while the other half visited the park over two years ago {Table 20). The majority of the respondents who had previously visited Wet N' Wild had a median of two visits {Table 21).
26 Table 19: a Wet N' Wild Previous Visiting Experience
Previous visit to Wet N' Wild May June July August Sept
% % %
1. Yes 29.9
2. No 70.1
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
a Note: "Have you visited Wet N' Wild on a previous Florida visit?"
Table 20: a Length of Time Since Last Visit
Length of time May June July August Sept
% %
1. less than a month ago 13.3
2. A month to six month 6.7
3. Six months to a year 30.0
4. 2-4 years ago 30.0
5. 5-10 years 20.0
------100.0 100.0 100.0 Total------100.0 100.0 Number of observations: 90
a Note: "How long ago did you visit Wet N' Wild?"
27 Table 21: Number of Times Respondents Visited Wet N' Wild
------Number of times May June July August Sept
~ ~ ~ ------0 % 0 % 0 1 34.9
2 25.8
3 7.6
4 7.6
5 6.1
6 1.5
7 1.5
8 1.5
10 1.5
30 3.0
35 3.0
40 3.0
50 1.5
99 1.5
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Median: 2
Mean: 7.6
Std Dev: 15.9
Number of observations: 80
28 2. Decision to Visit Wet N' Wild When asked whether the decision to visit Wet N' Wild was done before or after leaving home, the majority of the respondents
(60.6%) indicated that they decided to visit Wet N' Wild before leaving home (Table 22). The majority of the 93 respondents who decided to visit Wet N' Wild after leaving home made their decision on the day of the interview (41.3%) or a day before it
(26.1%). About one third (32.6%) made their decision between
2 & 14 days before their visit (Table 23).
The major sources of influence to come to Wet N' Wild were
(in a descending order): brochures (30.7%), previous visit to the park (23.3%), recommendations of friends and relatives not residing in Florida (18.7%), recommendations of friends and relatives in Florida (15.3%) and travel agents/tour organizers
(10.3%). Billboards, TV advertising, driving by the park, discount coupons, radio advertising, and flyers were also a source of influence to visit Wet N' Wild (Table 24).
Table 22: Tourists• Decision Timing to Visit Wet N' Wilda
May June July August Sept
~0 ~0
1. Before leaving home 60.6 ------2. After leaving home 39.4 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Note:a------"Did you decide to visit Wet N' Wild before or after leaving home?" (Question asked of Tourists only)
29 Table 23:
Decision Timing of those who responded: "After leaving home"a ------May June July August Sept
~ ------% % % 0 1. Today 41.3 2. Yesterday 26.1 3. 2-7 days ago 29.3 4. 8-14 days ago 3.3
5. More than 14 days ago
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
a Note: "When did you decide to visit Wet N' Wild?"
30 Table 24: a ------source of Influence to Visit wet N' Wild May June July August Sept
9.!- % % % % 0 ------1. Brochures 30.7 2. Previous visit to Wet N' Wild 23.3 3. Recommendations of friends or relatives elsewhere. 18.7 4. Recommendations of friends or relatives in Florida. 15.3 5. Travel agent/ tour organizer 10.3 6. Billboards 7.0 7. TV advertising 6.3 8. Saw the park while driving by 3.0 9. Discount coupons 2.0 10. Radio advertising 1.3 11. Flyers or posters 1.0 12. Other 9.5
a Note: "What or who influenced your decision to come to Wet N' Wild today?" Total percentages exceed 100% due to multiple responses.
31 3. Facilities used at Wet N' Wild The most widely used facilities of Wet N' Wild included (in a descending order): Wave Pool (81.9%), Raging Rapids (75.9%), Lazy River (71.6%), Blue Niagara (67.2%), Mach 5 (63.9%), Kamikaze (62.5%), and Cork Screw (60.5%). The least used facility was the Bubble Up (28.8%) (Table 25). Respondents were asked to indicate which feature or facility they had enjoyed most. It appeared that the Raging Rapids, Der Stuka, Blue Niagara, and Lazy River were the facilities enjoyed most (Table 26). Respondents were asked if they understood the Innertube rental policy. The majority of the respondents (84.0%) understood this policy (Table 27), however, only 39.9% rented the Innertube or raft (Table 28). The majority of the Innertube renters (61.5%) thought that it was a good value for money (Table 29) .
32 Table 25: a Facilities Used at wet N' Wild
------Facilities used May June July August Sept
% ------1. Wave Pool 81.9 2. Raging Rapids 75.9 3. Lazy River 71.6 4. Blue Niagara 67.2 5. Mach 5 63.9 6. Kamikaze 62.5 7. Cork Screw 60.5 8. Hydra Maniac 51.5
9. Der Stuka 49.8 10. Surf Lagoon 41.5 11. Knee Ski 38.8 12. Pepper Park 37.1
13. Bubble Up 28.8 ------·------a Note: "Have you utilized the following features and facilities of Wet N' Wild today? Total percentages exceed 100% due to multiple responses.
33 Table 26: a Wet N' Wild Facility that was enjoyed most
------Facility enjoyed most May June July August Sept ------% % % % 1. Raging Rapids 22.5 2. Der stuka 11.7 3. Blue Niagara 11.1 4. Lazy River 11.1 5. Wave Pool 9.7
6. Mach 5 8.4 7. Cork Screw 7.4 8. Kamikaze 5.4 9. Hydra Maniac 4.7 10. Knee Ski 4.7 11. Pepper Park 1.3 12. Bubble Up 1.3 13. Surf Lagoon 0.7 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
a Note: "Which feature or facility did you enjoy most?" Total percentages exceed 100% due to multiple responses.
34 Table 27: a Inner Tube Rental Policy Understanding
------Policy understanding May June July August Sept ------% % % % % 1. Yes 84.0
2. No 16.0 ------Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
------a Note: "Wet N' Wild provides free innertubes on rides that require them. However you may rent them for your personal day-long use. Did you understand this policy?"
Table 28: a Inner Tube or Raft Rental
Inner tube or raft rental May June July August Sept
~ ~ 0 0 %
1. Yes 39.3
2. No 60.7
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
a Note: "Did you rent an innertube or raft?"
35 Table 29: a Perception of Inner Tube/Raft Rental Value for Money
Perception of value for May June July August Sept money % % % % %
1. Yes 61.5
2. No 38.5
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
a Note: "Did you feel that the tube or raft was good value for money?"
36 4. Consumption of Food and Beverage
The majority of the respondents (71.5%) purchased food and beverage at Wet N' Wild (Table 30). Respondents were also asked to evaluate the quality, price, and service of the food and beverage outlets located on Wet N' Wild premises. They were given an evaluation scale ranging from 1 to 5, where 11 1 11 indicated "very poor" and 11 5 11 indicated "excellent." The respondents' overall evaluation indicated that food and beverage
"service", "quality", and "prices" were above average. The
"service" component scored the highest (Table 31).
Table 30: a Purchasing of Food and Beverage in the Park
Purchasing of food and May June July August Sept beverage % % % % %
1. Yes 71.5
2. No 28.5
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
a Note: "Did you purchase any food or beverage during today's visit to Wet N' Wild?"
37 Table 31: a Respondents• Evaluation of Food and Beverage Purchased
------Respondents evaluation May June July August Sept of .•• Mean Std Mean Std Mean Std Mean Std Mean Std Dev Dev Dev Dev Dev
------1. Service 3.9 1.0
2. Quality 3.5 0.9
3. Prices 3.4 1.0 ------ascale:
Very poor Excellent 1------2------3------4------5
5. Shopping Activities at Wet N' Wild
Over a third of the respondents visited the Beach Connection
Surf Shop (Table 32). Respondents were asked to evaluate the merchandise selection and prices at the shop. They were given an evaluation scale ranging from 1 to 5, where 11 1 11 indicated "very poor" and 11 5 11 indicated "excellent." The respondents' evaluation indicated that merchandise- selection and prices were evaluated above average (Table 33).
38 Table 32:
Respondents• Visit to the Beach connection surf Shopa
------Visit to . ---- the surf May June July August Sept shop % % % % %
1.------Yes 37.2
2. No 62.8 ------Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
------a Note: "Did you visit Wet N' Wild Beach Connection Surf Shop?"
Table 33:
Respondents• Evaluation of the Beach connection surf Shopa
Respondents evaluation May June July August Sept · of •.. Mean Std Mean Std Mean Std Mean Std Mean Std Dev Dev Dev Dev Dev
1. Merchandise 3.9 0.8 selection
2 .. Merchandise 3.3 1.1 prices ascale:
Very poor _ Excellent 1------2------3------4------5
39 6. General Perception of Wet N' Wild Respondents were asked to indicate the extent of their agreement or disagreement with statements describing their Wet N' Wild visit. They were given a scale ranging from 1 to 5 where "1" indicated total disagreement and "5" indicated total agreement. Overall, Wet N' Wild visitors thought that the park's employees were polite and courteous, and that the park was the best value for one's money from all other water parks. They neither agreed nor disagreed that admission fees to Wet N' Wild were too high. Wet N' Wild visitors disagreed that the lines were too long and that Wet N' Wild was always crowded.
40 Table 34:
Perception of Wet N 1 Wild
------~------statement May June July August Sept ------Mean Std Mean Std Mean Std Mean Std Mean Std Dev Dev Dev Dev Dev ------1. Wet N' Wild employees are polite and courteous. 4.2 0.9 2. Wet N' Wild is the best value for money from all other water parks. 3.7 0.9 3. Admission fees to Wet N' Wild are too high. 3.0 1.1
4. Wet N' Wild lines are too long. 2.6 1.1 5. Wet N' Wild is always crowded. 2.5 0.9 Scale:------· ------
Strongly Disagree Neith~r Agree Strongly Disagree agree nor agree disagree
1------2------3------4------5
41 7. Level of Satisfaction and Likelihood to Revisit Wet N' Wild Both satisfaction with the current experience at Wet N" Wild and likelihood to revisit it were extremely high. The majority of the respondents said that their visit to Wet N' Wild was much better (32.9%) or somewhat better (25.2%) than what they had expected (Table 35). Wet N' Wild visitors were also very satisfied (46.1%) or satisfied (47.3%) with their visit (Table 36) • With regard to future likelihood to visit Wet N' Wild, the majority of the respondents said that they were very likely (45.2%) or likely (25.9%) to revisit Wet N' Wild in the next two years.
42 Table 35:
Fulfillment of Visiting Expectations to wet N' Wild Visita
------Level of expectation May June July August Sept fulfillment % % % % %
------1. Very disappointing 0.3 2. Slightly disappointing 5.0
3. About what I expected 36.6
4. Somewhat better than I expected 25.2
5. Much better than I expected 32.9
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 ------J------Hean: 3.8 Std Dev: 0.9
a Note: "Compared to your expectations, what has been your reaction to Wet N' Wild so far today?"
43 Table 36: a Level of Satisfaction with Wet N 1 Wild Visit
------Level of satisfaction May June July August Sept
% % % % %
------1. Very dissatisfied 0.3
2. Dissatisfied 1.3
3. Neither satisfied 5.0 nor dissatisfied
4. Satisfied 47.3
5. Very satisfied 46.1
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Mean: 4.3 Std Dev: 0.7 a Note: "Overall how satisfied are you with your visit to Wet N' Wild?"
. 44 Table 37:
Level of Likelihood to Revisit wet N' Wilda
------Level of ------Likelihood May June July August Sept
% % % % % ------1. Unlikely 17.9 2. Somewhat unlikely 11.0 3. Somewhat likely 25.9 4. Very likely 45.2
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Mean: 3.0 Std Dev: 1.1 a Note: "How likely is it that you will visit Wet N' Wild in the next two years?"
45 Experience with Other water Parks
About one half of the respondents (52.8%) had visited other water parks (Table 38). Specific parks thae were visited are indicated in Table 39. A large proportion of the respondents reported additional parks clustered in the "other" category.
Among them were: Wild Water Kingdom PA, Ocean City MD, Wet N'
Wild Dallas TX, Riverview Park WI, Water World AL, Water World
Houston TX, and Action Mountain PA. A large proportion of the respondents could not recall the name of the park they had visited but could report its location (for example: Denver,
Montreal, Michigan, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Virginia Beach, and Greece, Denmark, Spain, and Portugal).
Table 38: a Other Water Parks Visiting Experience
Previous visits to Water Parks May June July August Sept
% % ------~------% % % 1. Yes 52.8
2. No 47.2 ------. ------Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
a Note: "Other than Wet N' Wild, have you ever visited another water park?"
46 Table 39: Water Parks Visited by the Respondents
------Water parks visited May June July August Sept
% % % % %
------1. River Country 16.3
2. Watermania 11.9
3. Wild Waters 10.0
4. Atlantis/6 Flags 8.8
5. Adventure Island 6.9
6. Action park 6.3
7. White Water 3.1
8. Typhoon Lagoon 1.3
9. Other 58.2
Note: Total Percentages exceed 100% due to multiple response .• pa
47 Exposure to Wet N' Wild Advertising
1. General Exposure to Advertising about Wet N' Wild
Respondents were asked to report the type of Wet N' Wild advertising they noticed. As can be seen from Table 40, billboards (75.3%), brochures (72.2%), and TV (36.8%) were the major forms of advertising respondents noticed. Radio, newspapers, and magazines had a lower exposure (12.0%, 4.7%, and
3.3%, respectively). Other type of advertising for Wet N' Wild included "word of mouth" of friends and relatives, Daytona Beach
Chamber of commerce, a travel agent, and driving by the park
(Table 40).
Table 40: a Respondents Exposure to wet N' Wild Advertising
Type of Advertising May June July August Sept
% % % % %
1. Billboards 75.3
2. Brochures 72.2
3. Television 36.8
4. Radio 12.0
5. Newspapers 4.7
6. Magazines 3.3
7. Other 3.3 ------~---- a Note: "Now please think about different kinds of advertising. -Please tell me all the different types of advertising that you have seen or heard on this trip, featuring Wet N' Wild?" Total percentages exceed 100% due to multiple responses.
48 2. TV Watching Habits
The majority of the respondents (71.7%) watched TV while in
Central Florida (Table 41). Popular TV watching periods were 8
- 11 P.M., 11 P.M. - Midnight, and 6 - 9 A.M. (Table 41).
Table 41: a TV Watching while in Central Florida
TV watching May June July August Sept
% % % % %
1. Yes 71.7
2. No 28.3
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
a Note: "Have you watched television while in Central Florida?"
49 Table 42: a Time Periods of TV watching
------Time periods of TV watching May June July August Sept
% % % % % ------1. 6 A.M. - 9 A.M. 25.5 2. 9 A.M. - 5 P.M. 6.1 3. 5 P.M. - 8 P.M. 18.9 4. 8 P.M. - 11 P.M. 62.7 5. 11 P.M. - 12 Midnight 28.8 6. 12 Midnight - 6 A.M. 10.8 a Note: "During which of the following time periods have you been watching television while in Central Fl·orida?"
Total Percentages exceed 100% due to multiple response .• pa
50 Predictors of Likelihood to Revisit wet N' Wild A statistical technique called Pearson Correlation was conducted to determine what factors affect respondents' overall likelihood to visit Wet N' Wild. The correlation coefficients indicated that those respondents who were more likely to revisit Wet N' Wild had the following characteristics: 1. Thought that the food quality, price, and service were good. 2. Thought that the Surf Shop merchandise selection and prices were good. 3. Thought that Wet N' Wild was the best value for one's money from all other water parks. 4. Did not think that Wet N' Wild lines were long. 5. Did not think that the admission fee to Wet N' Wild was high. 6. Thought that Wet N' Wild employees were polite and courteous.
51 Perceptual Differences between Groups of Respondents A series of statistical techniques called one-way analysis of variance and t-tests were conducted in order to test whether there were any significant differences between respondents' various socioeconomic and profile characteristics regarding their: (1) Level of meeting visitors' expectations about Wet N' Wild. (2) Level of Satisfaction with the Wet N' Wild visit. (3) Level of likelihood to visit Wet N' Wild within the next two years. Sub-groups of the respondents were defined by the following profile and socioeconomic variables: 1. Previous experience with Wet N' Wild. 2. Decision Time to visit Wet N' Wild. 3. Perception of value for money of innertube or raft rental. 4. Type of transportation used by tourists to travel to Central Florida. 5. Previous experience with other water parks. 6. Residency status (Central Florida residents vs. tourists)
Only significant findings are reported below. It was found that:
1. Respondents who had previously visited Wet N' Wild were more likely to revisit the park in the next two years (mean=3.6) than respondents who had not previously visited Wet N' Wild (mean=2.7).
52 2. Respondents who had decided to visit Wet N' Wild a day prior to their visit were more likely to revisit the park in the next two years (mean=3.3) than respondents who had decided to visit
Wet N' Wild more than 14 days prior to their visit (Mean= 2.7)
3. Wet N' Wild visitors who had thought that the innertube or raft rental was a good value for money fulfilled their expectations better (mean=4.0) than respondents who had not thought that the innertube or raft rental was a good value for money (mean=3.5). Furthermore, Wet N' Wild visitors who had thought that the innertube or raft rental was a good value for money were more satisfied with their Wet N' Wild visit (mean=4.6) than respondents who had not thought that the innertube or raft rental was a good value for money (mean=4.0).
4. Respondents who traveled to Central Florida by car were more likely to revisit the park (mean=3.2) than respondents who traveled to Central Florida by plane (mean= 2.6).
5. Respondents who had not visited other water parks were more satisfied (mean=4.5) with their Wet N' Wild visit than respondents who had visited other water parks (mean=4.3).
6. Central Florida residents were more likely to revisit the park in the next two years (mean=3.7) than tourists (mean=2.7).
53 III. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
The Wet N' Wild Visit:
The majority of the respondents had not been to Wet N' Wild previously. Of the 30% or so who had visited the park, about one half came back within a year, while the other half came back within a period of over two years. Past visitors to Wet N' Wild had already visited the park once or twice. Most of the tourist respondents decided to visit the park before leaving home.Those who made the decision after leaving home usually decided on the day of the visit or on the day before it. They were influenced to come to Wet N' Wild by brochures and by previous visits. Word of mouth advertising was also found to be an important influential tool.
Wet N' Wild Facilities and Services used: The most frequently used facilities included the Wave Pool, Raging Rapids, Lazy River, Blue Niagara, Mach 5, Kamikaze, and Cork Screw. Raging Rapids was the most enjoyed ride at Wet N'
Wild. Most of the _respondents understood the Innertube rental policy. About 40% rented it, and thought it was a good value for money. Most of the respondents purchased food and beverage in the park and perceived its quality, prices, and service to be better than average.
54 Over 37% of the respondents visited the Surf shop and thought that its merchandise selection and prices were above satisfactory.
General Perception of Wet N' Wild: Wet N' Wild visitors thought that the park's employees were polite, and that their visit was a good value for money. Most respondents perceived the admission price to be neither too high nor too low. They did not think that the lines were too long nor that the park was crowded.
Level of Satisfaction and Likelihood to Revisit Wet N' Wild: The majority of respondents were satisfied with their Wet N' Wild visit and said that they were likely to revisit the park within the next two years.
Experience with Other Water Parks: About one half of the respondents visited other water parks around the country. River Country, Watermania, and Wild Waters were the most visited parks by Central Florida tourists.
Exposure to Wet N' Wild Advertising: Billboards, Brochures, and TV were the top Wet N' Wild advertising tools Central Florida tourists noticed. Almost three quarters of the respondents watched television while in Central Florida, mainly during the evening prime time (8-11 P.M.), late night (11-12 Midnight), and early morning (6-9
A.M.).
55 Predictors of Likelihood to Revisit Wet N' Wild: Respondents who were satisfied with Wet N' Wild food services and the surf shop were more likely to go to Wet N' Wild. In addition, respondents who thought that Wet N'. Wild was a good value for money, not crowded, and that its admission prices were not too high were also more likely to visit the water park.
56