Water park not ready to dry up for good

Richard N. Velotta

Tuesday, June 6, 2006 | 7:12 a.m.

Wet 'n Wild, the Las Vegas water park that closed two years ago, may be returning.

"We get an awful lot of questions about Wet 'n Wild," said John Cora, the chief executive of the company that owns the franchise. "Because of the response, re-entering the Las Vegas market is high on our to-do list."

So, for those who used to seek relief from triple-digit temperatures this time of the year by escaping to the Strip attraction known for such rides as Der Stuka, the Royal Flush and Willy Willy, there is some light at the end of that aquamarine-colored water tube.

Palace Entertainment, Wet 'n Wild's parent company, was bought out this year by MidOcean Partners, a London- and New York-based private investment group. Since that deal closed in April, MidOcean has been focusing more on developing its corporate team than worrying about the operational side of the business.

But Cora said the company has identified a couple of Southern Nevada sites - he wouldn't disclose their locations - for a new park. He said the company needs about 30 to 35 acres to accommodate the park, grounds and parking. Because of the cost of land, the company would lease it.

Wet 'n Wild leased land just south of the Sahara but was forced out when the landlord pursued other business options. A banner hanging at the water park when it closed at the end of the 2004 season said, "See you in 2006." But when Palace Entertainment was sold, the future of the park became clouded.

"I've been monitoring comments from the park's fans and it's really pretty unbelievable that it has had such a following," Cora said. "To them, I say hang on. We think we're coming."

Remote baggage check-in returned to Las Vegas this week after a hiatus that began with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Guests of the Venetian who fly on Southwest Airlines can check their bags and suitcases for $20 per passenger for up to three bags at a counter in the hotel's convention area.

Bags to Go, a company contracted by McCarran International Airport and the airlines, delivers bags for security screening before being transported to their respective planes.

A Las Vegas company, Certified Air Passenger Service, had developed a remote baggage check-in business, but tighter security measures after the 9/11 attacks forced its closure.

The new service, called SpeedCheck Plus, will be introduced at other hotels and will include other airlines after the bugs are worked out .

JetBlue Airways, the upstart low-cost carrier that has developed a loyal following in its New York base and has 10 flights a day to and from Las Vegas, may soon bring its new aircraft type to McCarran.

David Neeleman, founder and chief executive of JetBlue, in an interview with In Business Las Vegas, a sister publication of the Sun, said the company plans nonstop service between McCarran and Burbank, Calif., and expects to use the airline's new Embraer 190 twin-engine jets on the route.

JetBlue is buying 100 of the 100-passenger jets to drive traffic in developing markets. Unlike most regional jets that critics say are cramped and uncomfortable, the E-190 has a normal-sized fuselage that offers more room than JetBlue's standard Airbus jets.

JetBlue started operations in Las Vegas with flights to and from Long Beach, Calif. Neeleman said the new Burbank flights would broaden the company's reach to Southern California.

Neeleman's full interview will appear in the June 9-15 issue of In Business Las Vegas.