Exciting Summer Story Angles

Looking for the perfect summertime story but looking for just the right angle? Here’s some fun ideas that capture unique angles of all the fun at California’s Great America and South Bay Shores waterpark! Great America welcomes media for stand ups, in depth reporting and live shots. For scheduling assistance, please contact PR@cagreatamerica.com. Want to just have fun? Learn more about our media admissions policy.
Beat the Heat at South Bay Shores Waterpark
We all know that summers in the South Bay bring intense heatwaves. What better way is there to beat the heat than to hop in a massive wave pool or splash—and scream—all the way down a freefall water slide? When most of the Bay Area hunkers down in air conditioning during our summertime heatwaves, our waterpark comes to life. Come see all the activity taking place at South Bay Shores on those warm summer days. We are ready to assist you in live remotes from within the waterpark, or in-depth stories about our waterpark’s summer operations.
2021 Park Enhancements
Great America’s year-long closure in 2020 was the perfect time for amazing park enhancement projects. From midway improvements and landscaping improvements to refurbishment projects on our legacy rides, our crews were hard at work (more than six feet part, of course!) throughout the pandemic closure. We invite you to explore all the enhancements at the park, including a new Panda Express location, new theming on our 40-year-old looping Orbit ride and the return of classic on-ride effects aboard our Demon roller coaster.
Summertime Safety
Keeping kids safe in waterparks is as simple as Float, Splash, Slather and Supervise! Here are four tips from the experts at California’s Great America:
Float – Floatation Required! South Bay Shores waterpark offers free life vests to every visitor. If your child doesn’t know how to swim or lacks confidence in the water, put them in a life vest. Keep in mind teens and tweens who don’t know how to swim will not always consider their safety when they are with their friends. A non-swimmer might not wear her lifejacket when none of her friends wear one. If you have a non-swimming teen or tween, make sure they have an adult with them who can help them make safe choices. Or better yet, sign them up for swimming lessons early this summer!
Splash – South Bay Shores offers great splash and play areas, so even the littlest ones can have fun without getting in water any deeper than your ankle. Prepare by bringing water shoes and consider a life jacket anyway, which can double as mega sun protection.
Slather – Slather on the sunscreen and hydrate. Just because you are in the water doesn’t mean you can’t get burned and dehydrated! Apply sunscreen every few hours and make sure everyone stops and takes a drink often. The summer sun can really do a number on both the inside and outside of a kid.
Supervise – No one knows your child’s behavior better than you! Whether you have a daring shark or a shy minnow, the best safety device for your child is your attention. Make sure you keep an eye on every child, particularly weak swimmers.