Premier parks acquires wild water kingdom water park near Toronto
By amusementtoday | July 22, 2016
LAKEWOOD, New Jersey — Premier Parks, LLC, an operator of multiple theme and waterparks across the United States, has acquired Wild Water Kingdom. The 100 acre water park and entertainment facility, which has not operated since 2014, is located in Brampton, Ontario, in the Greater Toronto Area.
Premier Parks is led by Kieran Burke, former Chairman and CEO of Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, and operates 12 theme and water parks including two resort properties with lodging, marina, and an adventure park. This portfolio also includes Wet ‘n’ Wild waterparks in Hawaii, Palm Springs, Phoenix and Houston.
“Premier Parks is excited about the opportunity to completely rebuild Wild Water Kingdom into a first class water park that Canadians can be proud to call their own,” said Kieran Burke, CEO of Premier Parks. “Design teams have been hard at work and we look forward to announcing our specific plans for the park in the very near future.”
The enormous population base of the Toronto market, lack of stand-alone waterparks, and the Canadians’ fondness for a resort experience were all contributing factors in the decision to purchase Wild Water Kingdom. Premier Parks also has familiarity with the Canadian market due to the advertising and sales efforts of its theme and waterpark resort, Darien Lake, just outside Buffalo, NY, which attracts hundreds of thousands of Canadian visitors annually.
