A First Look Inside Mattel’s Indoor Waterparks, and Where the Orlando Project Stands

Mattel’s Oct. 1 announcement was about Nebraska, yet it is the clearest picture so far of what the toy company wants to build in Central Florida. The concept art shows Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price and Mattel Games woven into pools, slides and a lazy river under one climate-controlled roof.

We read those designs as a preview of the brand rather than a promise for Orlando. In its Oct. 1 news release, Mattel says the waterparks “will share a common vision while offering unique experiences at each location,” and the attractions it describes are for Bellevue.

Where things stand for the Orlando park

Mattel introduced the Mattel Wonder Indoor Waterparks in a November 2025 announcement: five destination waterparks, launch dates to be announced, developed with aquatic design firm Martin Aquatic, waterpark management firm American Resort Management and developer I-dentity Group. At that point, Mattel said Orlando was targeted as the first of the five.

The order has since changed. The Oct. 1 release names Bellevue as the first park planned to open, at the end of 2027, and confirms four of the five locations: Bellevue; Orlando; Bradley, Illinois; and Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. The fifth has not been named, and neither release gives an Orlando opening date.

The Orlando site sits along State Road 535, also known as Kissimmee-Vineland Road, in the Lake Buena Vista area. For background, see our August update, Mattel’s toy-themed indoor water park near Disney keeps growing, and our February roundup of new Central Florida attractions.

What the Orange County land development plan shows

Orange County records show a land development plan filed Sept. 17 for about 13.5 acres along SR 535. The plan lays out four main pieces:

• An indoor water park of about 95,000 square feet
• A back-of-house building of about 45,000 square feet
• A 2-story parking garage with about 375 spaces
• A surface parking lot with about 500 spaces

The rendering at the top of this story labels those same figures on an aerial view of the site, with outlet shops next door. No construction start date has been announced. County planning and permit records can be searched through Orange County’s Fast Track portal.

Inside the park: how Mattel describes its waterparks

Cutaway illustration of an indoor water park with cabanas, a lazy river, an activity pool, a slide tower, racer slides and a surf simulator.

Image: Mattel / Orange County (AI-enhanced)

Mattel calls the Bellevue park a year-round, multi-brand destination of approximately 100,000 square feet, with attractions, play areas, food and shared experiences built around Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, UNO and other Mattel brands. A signature retractable roof lets the climate-controlled building operate all year while letting in natural light and fresh air, and the release says the park is designed for a wide range of ages and thrill levels.

American Resort Management, which also operates Epic Waters and Wild Rivers, will oversee day-to-day operations, according to Mattel. The four Bellevue concepts Mattel has released so far are below; none has been announced for Orlando.

Barbie activity pool and surf simulator (Nebraska concept)

Barbie pool area concept for Bellevue, Nebraska, with a surf simulator, pink lounge chairs, an ice cream stand and a bar.

Image: Mattel, artist conceptual rendering (AI-enhanced)

Mattel lists a Barbie activity pool with a FlowRider surf simulator among the Bellevue features. The rendering leans all the way into Barbie pink, with a surf wave at the center, rows of pink lounge chairs, palm trees, an ice cream stand and a bar along the deck.

UNO, Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots and Magic 8 Ball lazy river (Nebraska concept)

Lazy river concept for Bellevue, Nebraska, with giant Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots, UNO cards and Magic 8 Balls.

Image: Mattel, artist conceptual rendering (AI-enhanced)

The lazy river draws on Mattel Games favorites UNO, Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots and Magic 8 Ball. In the concept art, the red and blue robots tower over the water and spray riders in tubes, while oversized UNO cards and Magic 8 Balls line the banks.

Fisher-Price water play structure (Nebraska concept)

Fisher-Price water play concept for Bellevue, Nebraska, with giant Rock-a-Stack rings, small slides and sprinkler hoops.

Image: Mattel, artist conceptual rendering (AI-enhanced)

Mattel’s release includes a Fisher-Price water play structure. The rendering shows the play area for young children: giant Rock-a-Stack rings spraying water, a multilevel structure with small slides, sprinkler hoops and friendly animal figures.

Hot Wheels “Challenge Accepted” slide tower (Nebraska concept)

Hot Wheels “Challenge Accepted” slide tower concept for Bellevue, Nebraska, with flaming hoop graphics and a Finish Line banner.

Image: Mattel, artist conceptual rendering (AI-enhanced)

Hot Wheels gets a “Challenge Accepted” multi-slide tower. The entrance art borrows from the toy packaging and track sets, with flaming hoop graphics, orange track-style slides and a Finish Line banner. The release also mentions themed food and beverage offerings to go with the attractions.

What is still undecided for Orlando

Several big questions remain open. Mattel has not announced an Orlando opening date, a construction start or which attractions the Orlando park will include. The Sept. 17 plan gives a sense of the building’s size and parking, but the final design and lineup could still change before anything is built.

A light real estate read

For now, the Orlando park is a plan on paper in a busy tourist corridor. The roughly 875 parking spaces in the site plan give a sense of its scale, and anyone who lives or works along SR 535 will want to watch Orange County’s review of the plan and any construction schedule that follows.

If you are following change across southwest Orange County, our guides to Dr. Phillips real estate, what’s new and coming soon in Dr. Phillips and Windermere real estate cover nearby areas, and the Winter Garden and Horizon West real estate hub collects our West Orange coverage. Other projects we are tracking include the Orlando Surf Park proposal in Horizon West and the Cypress Sound condos near Disney Springs. For the bigger picture, see which Orlando areas are growing the fastest in 2026 and our Orlando real estate page.