Funworld March 2011

If ever there was a perfect place for an indoor amusement park, it is Edmonton.

The Canadian city in Alberta has a wide-ranging climate. Winters in this location—the most northerly city in North America with a metropolitan population greater than 1 million—are brisk. Temperatures regularly drop to 3 degrees Fahrenheit in January, with the record being a bone-chilling -47.9° F! The usual six months of winter (November-April) are offset by hot summers, where the mercury can get as high as 94.1° F.

So it is not surprising the Ghermezian brothers seized the opportunity back in 1981 to open an indoor facility. Enter Phase I of West Edmonton Mall (WEM). Since that time, WEM has expanded three more times, reaching a total size of 5.3 million square feet. Within this covered space are more than 800 stores and restaurants—and even two hotels.

But it’s the draw of the attractions that keeps the crowds returning. They include WEM’s Galaxyland Amusement Park (29 rides and play areas); World Waterpark, with the world’s largest indoor wave pool and bungee-jumping tower; and Sea Life Caverns aquarium with 100 species of fish. There are also the Ice Palace with its NHL-sized skating rink; “Deep Sea Derby” bumper boats on the world’s largest indoor lake; a full-sized, exact replica of Columbus’s Santa Maria; and mini-golf, bowling, billiards, and arcade games.

“Our philosophy is to provide attractions that can be enjoyed by the whole family,” says Jim Winters, director of operations for WEM Parks & Attractions. “The key is to keep these rides fresh and interesting so that [guests] come back time and again. This is why we are always updating the attractions at WEM. Plus we are open 365 days a year. That’s the advantage of being an indoor amusement park in Edmonton.”

Apparently the strategy works: More than 2,190,000 million people visit WEM’s attractions annually.

A Look at the WEM Attractions
Galaxyland is arguably the biggest draw at WEM (about 600,000 visitors annually), and its star attraction is the “Mindbender” roller coaster. Designed by Werner Stengel and built by noted coaster engineer Anton Schwarzkopf, the “Mindbender” features three vertical loops, a number of twisting drops, and a double-upward helix at the ride’s finish. This is a twisting, turning steel beast with a 127-foot drop and a maximum speed of 60 miles per hour. “Even though the ‘Mindbender’ is one of the world’s largest indoor coasters, it fits within a relatively small 400-foot-by-400-foot space,” says Harry Hanly, WEM Parks & Attractions’ operations manager. “This matters, because space is at a premium in Galaxyland. Every time we want to bring in a new ride, a key decision is the footprint.”

WEM has three other coasters packed into Galaxyland, including the new Gerstlauer-built “Galaxy Orbiter,” whose four-person cars spin horizontally during the ride. “One of the striking features of the ‘Galaxy Orbiter’ is that its 69 steel support pillars are all filled with sand,” Hanly says. “This deadens the sound of the ride, resulting in an eerily quiet experience for the riders.” Galaxyland is also home to the “TurboRide” 3-D motion simulator theater and the “Funhouse & Haunted Castle.”

World Waterpark is also a major draw, thanks to its 2.7 million-gallon wave pool, waterslides, and bungee tower. “We remain the world’s largest indoor waterpark,” says World’s manager, Todd Reade. “Our new 6,000-square-foot Caribbean Cove children’s waterpark features a suspended 263-gallon bucket that regularly drenches the play area every four to six minutes.” By the way, the water temperature is a nice 89.6 degrees F; a great relief during the cold days of an Alberta winter!

The Ice Palace remains a popular attraction—although the crowds are not as big as they were in the 1980s, when the Edmonton Oilers led by Wayne Gretzky practiced there. Also popular is WEM’s indoor lake with its “Deep Sea Derby” bumper boats. Sitting silently in this basin are four submarines, which used to offer underwater tours until maintenance costs became too prohibitive. In the subs’ heyday, Canadians would joke that West Edmonton Mall had a larger Navy than the country did—Canada only had three.

New Ways to Keep People Coming Back
Change is a constant theme at West Edmonton Mall. The people in charge know they have to keep updating their attractions to keep customers returning.

"We continually upgrade our attractions with new features and programs based on customer requests, the latest trends, and our own studies,” says Winters. In making these decisions, WEM’s staff ask themselves the following questions: Do we need an adult thrill ride, a family-friendly ride, or a kiddie ride? Will the new ride fit into our marketing and promotional campaigns? Are we replacing an existing ride or do we have current space available? And how will WEM price this new ride into its admission rate to make it profitable without raising prices too high and thus affecting attendance?

“We are always looking to bring in different attractions every couple of years,” adds Winters. “In Galaxyland we are planning to add a Moser Musik Express, which we will be branding as the ‘Cosmic Revolution.’ This is a classic ride consisting of 12 two-person cars all connected on an undulating circular track. They travel back and forth at extremely high speeds.”

“When choosing new attractions, the mix in the parks is very important,” says Sheri Clegg, WEM’s media and public relations coordinator. “We want to ensure there is something for everyone. Roller coasters, for example—we have four in Galaxyland to meet every taste for thrills. [These range from] the kiddie dragon wagon to family ‘Autosled’ to the unique ‘Galaxy Orbiter,’ to the enthusiast’s ‘Mindbender.’”

Meanwhile, in World Waterpark, two of the water slides are being replaced with White Water West’s Aqua Loop models equipped with Aqua Launch removable floor systems. “In the Aqua Loop, the floor falls away at the start—allowing you to hurtle down a near vertical drop and pick up speed extremely quickly,” says Reade. “To add to the thrill, one of our AquaLoop slides will drop you into a dark hole. You won’t see light until the ride ends!” Close to World Waterpark, a three level ropes course is being added to the mall’s common area.

At WEM, drawing crowds isn’t just about changing technology. It also encompasses innovative ways of doing promotion. A case in point: WEM hosted country star Keith Urban for a free show at the Ice Palace on Nov. 30, 2010. Considering how expensive tickets typically are for such A-list performers, seeing Urban for free was a huge draw. According to the Edmonton Journal newspaper, “An estimated 10,000 people showed up Tuesday, about 2,000 more than country group Lady Antebellum drew for their free Ice Palace concert in March.”

WEM has also leveraged the “free” card to bring people in during off-peak hours, under the banner of “Customer Appreciation.” “Thursday, Nov. 25, is Customer Appreciation Day at Marine Life, and West Edmonton Mall invites Mall guests to spend time enjoying all that Sea Life Caverns and Sea Lions’ Rock, have to offer at no charge,” trumpeted the WEM news release. In addition, guests can take in a show at Sea Lions’ Rock where they will learn about and be entertained by WEM’s talented and crowd-loving California sea lions.”

“Customer appreciation is a great way to get people coming in,” says Winters. “It keeps our facilities busy during off times—we recently got 4,000 people into Galaxyland during a Customer Appreciation event—and drives sales of other elements in the park.

“This is why we have signed up with Groupon.com, the website that negotiates discounts with attractions and retailers in exchange for pre-sold attendance by consumers,” he continues. “We recently did a promotion with Groupon where we sold World Waterpark admissions for $12, as opposed to the usual $36.95. We sold about 15,000 tickets; that promotion drove attendance for us, and it gets people into the mall where they will likely spend money on other attractions and services.”

To generate additional revenue, WEM is renting out park facilities to the public. “’Exclusives’, where people or groups rent a park for their own event, are becoming increasingly popular,” says Clegg. “Often these events are fundraisers for groups. WEM’s Group Sales team is increasingly marketing this option.”

Finally, WEM keeps a close eye on its training and facility upkeep to keep customers satisfied. “Today’s consumers want more customer service, which is why we have trained our staff to be more responsive to their needs,” says Harry Hanly. “They also like things to be shiny and well kept, which is why WEM has around-the-clock cleaning and maintenance of our attractions 365 days a year.”

The bottom line: Even at 30 years old, West Edmonton Mall continues to bring the crowds into its shops, restaurants, and many attractions. WEM’s strategy for achieving this—keeping customers coming back by constantly changing attractions and enticing people with great free events— clearly works.

James Careless is an experienced freelance writer with credits at BusinessWeek, NBC News, and NPR. (Despite claims to the contrary, he does not yelp like a terrified beagle on roller coasters— unless they are very fast.)