From Shutdown to Startup: How Custom Covers Simplified Operations at Water World

Operating any kind of seasonal attraction comes with its fair share of challenges, but what if your water park only operates 90 days a year and deals with some of the country’s most extreme weather changes during the off-season?

That was the difficulty that arose for operators at Water World, located just north of Denver, Colorado. This long-standing water park is not alone in its off-season and startup season challenges, which included time-consuming equipment removal, risk of damage to digital assets and signage, and labor-intensive shutdown and opening procedures that ate up time and resources.

Fortunately, Equip provided a reliable solution to these end-of-season and startup woes: easy to install custom covers for digital signage, monitors, kiosks, and crowd control barriers.

In today’s article, we’ll explore how custom covers aided Water World in simplifying operations during two critical times of the year. First, we’ll give you a glimpse of the park’s problems before covers were implemented, then get into Equip’s custom-manufactured solutions to these issues. We’ll cover all the benefits that custom covers brought to Water World both with shutdowns and startups as well as operational advantages. Finally, we’ll dive into why Equip was the right partner for this project as well as key takeaways for attractions and water park operators.

The Pre‑Cover Problem: Time‑Consuming Shutdowns and High Risk

Water World is one of the longest-running water parks in Colorado, boasting two of the very first waterslides in the state when it opened in 1979. Since those early days of the park, a lot has changed, especially the technology that has been implemented to augment the guest experience and make operations easier and safer. This includes the addition of assets like digital screens and monitors, electronic kiosks, and digital signage.

Unfortunately, the introduction of technology came along with some downsides. Because this technology is often not water or weatherproof, it must be removed at the end of each season to ensure it will not be damaged during the off-season. And because it can be complex to set up and take down technology, the help of IT staff was required to ensure that nothing was damaged. Overall, this increased labor costs and led to longer shutdown and startup times.

The Solution: Implementing Custom Covers Across the Park

After meeting with Equip and learning about our offerings at a tradeshow in Orlando, Water World knew that custom covers could be the solution they needed. The first order of business was to ensure that closing would be easier each day, so Waterworld ordered custom-made turnstile covers as well as covers for soda machines to make them inaccessible to customers at the end of the day. In addition, Equip manufactured custom-printed crowd control barrier covers to control the flow of guests as well as covers for security scanners and ticket scanners to ease daily shutdowns.

As the season ended, it became clear that the TV screens needed to be protected during the off-season. Water World ordered seven covers fitted custom to each screen. Installing each was as easy as fitting the cover over the screen.

Custom Covers Simplified Seasonal Shutdown and Enabled Easier Startup on Season Return

Now that the covers are installed at the end ofeach season, equipment stays in place and no longer requires the labor of IT staff. Instead of a long and laborious shutdown process that required removing equipment entirely, the team can slip on a cover and go, ensuring fast and safer off-season preparation and less risk of damage to equipment and infrastructure.

Upon the season’s return, startup was also easier on staff and management. Rather than a full reinstallation, the team was able to slip the covers off, reducing labor hours and ensuring a faster readiness for opening day.

Operational Benefits Beyond Shutdown and Startup

Beyond the ease of installation and deconstruction, there were a few operational benefits to installing covers around Water World. These include:

Reduced Maintenance and Long‑Term Cost Savings

• Protection extends the lifespan of digital equipment and signage

• Lower maintenance requirements

• Reduced equipment replacement costs over time

Improved Operational Efficiency

• Staff‑friendly design (zippers, buckles, lightweight materials)

• Streamlined daily operations

• Covers are easy to store and reuse, year after year

Why Equip Was the Right Partner

When Water World chose Equip to partner with on this project, they considered a few things.

First, Equip is a US-based manufacturer, meaning faster response times and quicker turnaround times than overseas production teams. This was an important factor due to Water World’s limited operating season.

Second, Equip is experienced in designing and manufacturing covers with a high level of customization, a requirement that perfectly met Water World’s needs.

Finally, because Equip is also located in Colorado, we understood the unique environmental challenges the park faced. This allowed us to craft covers that were not only user-friendly, but weather-resistant to freeze-thaw cycles as well as rain, wind, and snow.

Key Takeaways for Water Park Operators

There are a variety of reasons to implement custom covers in a water park or other seasonal attractions, such as reducing labor and maintenance costs, simplifying seasonal transitions, and protecting valuable digital assets. Parks with short seasons and high environmental exposure typically need to protect technology from exposure to the elements, and custom covers are the best way to ensure that these assets are less likely to be damaged or need replacement at the beginning of the season.

FAQs

1. What types of equipment can be protected with custom covers?

Custom covers can be designed for a wide range of assets, including digital signage, TVs, monitors, kiosks, turnstiles, soda machines, crowd control barriers, and other operational equipment exposed to weather or seasonal shutdowns.

2. Are custom covers suitable for extreme weather conditions?

Yes. Custom covers are engineered to withstand harsh environmental conditions such as freeze-thaw cycles, snow, rain, wind, and UV exposure, making them ideal for parks operating in regions with significant seasonal weather changes.

3. Do custom covers eliminate the need to remove equipment during the off-season?

In many cases, yes. Custom-fitted covers allow equipment to remain safely in place during the off-season, reducing or eliminating the need for removal, storage, and reinstallation.

4. How long does it take to install or remove a custom cover?

Most covers can be installed or removed in just minutes. Features such as zippers, buckles, and lightweight materials are designed for ease of use by standard operations staff.

5. Are the covers reusable year after year?

Yes. Custom covers are built for durability and long-term use. With proper care and storage, they can be reused season after season, providing ongoing value and cost savings.

From Seasonal Burden to Operational Advantage

Although Water World has been around for some time, technology brought along unexpected challenges. Fortunately, custom covers transformed Water World’s shutdown-to-startup process, with various benefits like easing the amount of labor required to shut down and start up and protecting digital assets during the off-season. Custom covers aren’t just protection—they are a smarter way to operate.

Looking for custom covers for water parks, zoos, and other attractions? We specialize in custom commercial covers built for attractions.
📧 Email: info@equipinc.com 📞 Call: 719-599-0300
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