For over 125 years in Erie, Pennsylvania, the first day of summer has been marked by the annual opening of Waldameer & Water World. As a family-oriented amusement park, it offers over 50 combined water, ride, and roller coaster attractions geared towards those looking for less nauseating thrills. It’s been operated by the same family since the 1940s, and with the small team of about 25 full-time employees, it’s important that everyone can play multiple roles and that includes using, managing, and maintaining their internal communication system.
Since opening in 1896, the park has gone through numerous updates: increasing areas for younger children in the 1950s and 60s, adding the Water World expansion in 1987, and the opening of renowned wooden roller coaster “Ravine Flyer II” in 2008, just to name a few. Waldameer & Water World is ever expanding, bringing the best new attractions to the surrounding communities every summer, which is why they need a new communication system that can fit their current needs as well as future ones.
In 1996, Waldameer & Water World installed an Aiphone TD intercom system for inter-park communication. There were roughly 60 call stations, connecting rides, water slides, and some dining locations to a command center in the administrative building. Using this system, employees would be able to contact administrative staff or security personnel to request breaks, relay questions on behalf of guests, and report emergencies quickly and efficiently.
Challenges
As times changed, much of the park’s infrastructure needed to be upgraded. The project began with replacing their existing wiring with fiber, creating a foundation capable of supporting newer technologies and future growth. While the TD system was still functioning, an IP solution offers them a more robust feature set that greatly improved operational efficiency, flexibility, and convenience.
Solution
Waldameer & Water World partnered with Aiphone to begin a phased transition from the TD intercom system to the IX | IXG system. Starting with one IX-MV7-HB video answering station replacing the command center in the administrative office, along with six IX-RS-B answering stations to replace the TD handsets located in attractions.
The IX | IXG Series supports SIP integration, allowing the intercoms to work seamlessly with the park’s existing desk phones. They’re also able to customize their speed dials to provide quick communication at a moment’s notice or trigger all-call and paging capabilities to mass notify the public in the event of an emergency, prioritizing customer safety and security.
Benefits
Reliability
Aiphone’s intercoms have supported Waldameer & Water World through peak and off seasons for more than three decades. This long-standing deployment demonstrates the durability and reliability of Aiphone solutions in a demanding, high-traffic environment.
With the upgrade to IX | IXG Series, the park has strengthened its infrastructure, knowing they can depend on consistent connection, communication, and functionality for many more decades to come.
Familiarity & Ease of Use
Although the TD and IX | IXG series are decades apart, it was an easy transition between the two. The programming and installation were straightforward, and they were already familiar with Aiphone’s reliability and customer-first interfacing, creating a smooth transition between the two systems.
Integrations
With growing changes in physical security, a solution that can scale to the park’s video and access needs is essential. The IX | IXG Series’ SIP and ONVIF compliant design allows for integration with many industry-leading security solutions, adding the option to expand it into a comprehensive security solution.
Efficiency
The IX | IXG Series has also increased efficiency for their team. Automatic dialing to pre-determined answering station significantly reduces the amount of time taken for attractions to call into the command center, and customizable speed dial buttons on the IX-MV7-HB allows administrative staff to easily reach attractions as well. Paging and all-call features allow for quick mass communication, saving time in critical moments.
Results
Since upgrading, Waldameer & Water World has been using their IX | IXG system to efficiently communicate between staff. Their system provides them with unmatched reliability, ease of use, and opportunities for expansion. This enables Waldameer & Water World staff to focus on what they do best: creating long lasting, fun memories for families.