Operational Readiness

Staffing, guest experience delivery, education programming, and daily operations.

250,000

Estimated annual attendance used throughout the model

Planning projection

~$243

Estimated average off-site spending per overnight visitor

Planning assumption

$24.3M

Estimated annual off-site visitor spending

Planning projection

~$5.6M

Estimated annual museum operational activity

Planning projection

21

Opening-year full-time employees

Staffing plan

~$1.49M

Opening-year full-time salaries

Planning projection

Supporting sections

How Will the Museum Operate and Deliver an Exceptional Guest Experience?Every guest journey is designed to begin before arrival and continue after families return home — from trip and field-trip planning through arrival, self-directed exploration, hospitality, and year-round operations serving both local families and Orange County’s tourism economy.How Will the Museum Support Education and Community Engagement?The museum combines immersive experiences with school partnerships, early childhood education, student support, family access, and workforce pathways. 8 Waves serves as the museum’s community impact arm, extending programming into schools, classrooms, and families across Orange County.What Planning Assumptions and Methodology Support the Projections?All figures in the supplemental document are preliminary planning estimates developed from national benchmarking of comparable children’s museums, Orlando tourism data, the museum’s operating model, and standard economic impact planning practices. The document states that a final economic impact analysis would be completed during final project development using an accepted economic modeling methodology.Who Will Govern, Lead, and Oversee the Museum?The Board of Directors provides fiduciary oversight, governance, financial accountability, and long-term stewardship of 8 Waves and the I AM Children’s Museum. An Executive Committee is dedicated exclusively to planning, development, and implementation, supported by a Museum Advisory Council and Project Task Force of community leaders.

This is part of this portal — the full supplemental resource document lives here in the portal.

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