Inside the ‘world first’ water elevator and what it looks like A water elevator is a world apart from the tedium of most lifts as it floats passengers to the top of a huge water park.
The view from the top of the elevator looks out over the 40-acre resort’s canyon activity area, which includes seven waterslides, waterfalls, caves, white water rapids, a whirlpool, an adults-only pool, a ‘baby beach’ and a sauna.
The ‘world first’ feature at Hawaii’s Grand Wailea Resort was originally built to help the attraction owner’s physically disabled son to get back to the top of the flumes.
One operation of the water elevator alone is said to require 16,000 gallons of water.
Water then gradually fills up the chamber as a round seating platform rises to the top of the park under the watchful eye of an operator.
