Mattel plans five indoor waterparks in US with first site opening in 2027

Rollout plan across five United States locations

American toy manufacturer Mattel announced on Thursday a diversification initiative into location-based entertainment, launching a chain of indoor waterparks across the United States. The venues will operate under the brand name Mattel Wonder Indoor Waterparks, each covering an area of approximately 9,300 square meters. The company plans to construct five venues in total and has selected locations for four of them: Bellevue in Nebraska, Orlando in Florida, Bradley in Illinois, and Roanoke Rapids in North Carolina. A site for the fifth park remains to be announced. Construction on the initial facility in Bellevue has already started, with the opening scheduled for late 2027.

Year-round operations and branded attractions

The waterparks are engineered for year-round visitor attendance and will feature retractable roofs to adapt to seasonal weather changes. Each facility will center on attractions, interactive experiences, and food and beverage menus derived from Mattel's catalog of toy properties. In the Bellevue venue, visitors will have access to a Barbie multi-activity pool, an artificial wave simulator, and a multi-lane Hot Wheels waterslide. The park layout also includes a lazy river themed after tabletop games such as Uno, as well as an aquatic play structure dedicated to the Fisher-Price line. The company designed the attractions to accommodate visitors across multiple age demographics, ranging from toddlers to adults.

The opening of the first park in Bellevue, Nebraska, is a significant step in this strategy and an important opportunity to show what happens when we bring together so many of our brands in one place.

Management partnership and regional footprint

To oversee daily venue operations, Mattel entered into an operating partnership with American Resort Management, a firm specializing in the development and administration of aquatic leisure facilities. American Resort Management currently oversees other waterpark destinations, including Epic Waters and Wild Rivers, and will manage daily staff, maintenance, and guest experiences across the new sites. Through this rollout, Mattel is placing facilities in both destination resort hubs like Orlando and mid-sized regional markets such as Bellevue, Bradley, and Roanoke Rapids. Company leadership stated that the geographical spread is intended to bring location-based entertainment directly to consumer bases outside standard entertainment capitals.

We see a real opportunity to deliver this kind of immersive entertainment, traditionally concentrated in major markets, in regions where our fans are located.

Entertainment diversification after box-office expansion

The waterpark project represents the latest step in Mattel's ongoing push to convert its physical toy properties into broader lifestyle and entertainment formats. The group broadened its corporate focus in 2023 with the release of the live-action Barbie feature film, which received eight Academy Award nominations and generated the largest box-office revenue in the history of Warner Bros studios. By entering the waterpark sector, the company aims to monetize its intellectual property portfolio through permanent physical infrastructure, pairing legacy brands like Uno and Fisher-Price with long-term hospitality revenue.