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provide a mighty boost when it comes to winning the Internet reserva-
tion game. “Especially if the resort activates video of other owners and
guests having fun,” says Craycraft. “Our equipment has a proven ability
to turn website lookers into bookers.”
ROI in Less Than a Year
Central Florida’s
Westgate River Ranchrecently installed an Extreme
Engineering–designed amusement center that features a rock-climbing
wall, in-line bungee jumper, and a 300-foot-long (91 meters) zip line.
By all accounts — and certainly by the most important one: the bot-
tom line — it’s been a huge success. “Owner and guest response has
been phenomenal,” says Mark Waltrip, chief operating officer at
Westgate Resorts. “And we’ve achieved a full return on our invest-
ment in less than one year.”
Obviously, then, from a purely business standpoint, adding the
attractions was a smart move. What’s more impressive, though, is
that the River Ranch resort was not one of those under-amenitized
developments looking for a boost. Far from it, actually.
“It’s a unique dude ranch resort that provides a
variety of outdoor experiences, including golf,
horseback riding, a petting zoo, a 5,000-foot
(1,524 meters) paved and lighted airstrip, the
largest trap and skeet shooting range in Florida,
and a full-service marina with boat rentals, fishing,
and airboat rides,” explains Waltrip.
Still, the Westgate folks recognized an oppor-
tunity to expand on even that comprehensive
roster of vacation pastimes. Part of the resort’s
appeal is that it’s located in Florida’s quiet interi-
or — far from any hustle and bustle — some 90
minutes south of Orlando. But once the sun
goes down on the countryside, much of the day-
time-focused recreation had to come to a close
and visitors were left with evening hours to fill.
“We decided to build our new Activity Park to
provide a variety of amenities that our guests can
enjoy both during the day and at night,” Waltrip
says. “It’s located at the entrance to our Rodeo
Arena and River Ranch Saloon, and in its entirety,
it includes an outdoor dance hall, putt-putt golf
course, and mechanical bull, along with the
bungee jumping, climbing wall, and zip line. The
idea was to create a wide variety of amenities that
would appeal to all age groups in a safe and con-
trolled environment.”
Based on the initial response and results, it’s
evident that Activity Park certainly appeals to near-
ly everybody who calls on the River Ranch, yet,
Waltrip does concede one fun fact. “By far, the zip
line is the favorite attraction, especially among the
teens and young adults.”
Sweetening the Value Proposition
According to Craycraft, the zip line is the over-
whelming favorite at the vast majority of their
installations. “That’s the one everybody wants,”
he says.
Admittedly, it’s also the most expensive
stand-alone feature. A dual-rider that stretches
up to 330 feet (100 meters) starts at US$85,000.
Other costs range from about US$19,000 for a
simple, two-person in-line jumper to approxi-
mately US$250,000 for a complete park, which
would include the in-line jumper, climbing wall,
rope course climbing tower, and the zip line.
Developers, though, seem to be much more
focused on the potential market gains than the
TRENDS
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JANUARY – MARCH 2016
20
“By far, the zip line is the favorite
attraction, especially among the
teens and young adults.”
— Mark Waltrip, Westgate Resorts.