Mount Olympus Wisconsin Dells

The gods must be smiling on Dells' Mt. Olympus

Wisconsin Dells - Nick Laskaris, owner of one of the Dells' largest tourist attractions, traces the origins of his multimillion-dollar business to a small stash of cash his mother had bundled away and forgotten.

His parents, the late Jim and Fotoula Laskaris, had moved to Wisconsin Dells from the Chicago area in 1970 to open a hot dog and hamburger stand. But their Big Chief restaurant had such sparse sales that the couple were soon running out of cash. They decided to return to Illinois.

That's when they discovered a windfall: $700, wrapped in a sock, hidden in a desk and forgotten by Fotoula Laskaris, who had a habit of storing cash around the house. The couple used the money - worth about $4,000 today - to keep their business afloat.

More than 40 years later, Nick, and his wife, Eva, own Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park, as well as the Top Secret attraction, Hotel Rome and other properties totaling 220 acres. The Laskaris family in recent months bought and remodeled six other hotels along with a campground, a $22 million investment that makes them the second-largest owner of Dells-area hotel rooms.

"With that $700, we are where we're at today," said Nick Laskaris, who keeps the small desk in his office. "That's what kept us here."

Laskaris was just 4 years old when his parents moved to the Dells. He and Eva operate businesses that stretch over a mile along Wisconsin Dells Parkway, the 5-mile strip of hotels, restaurants, waterparks and attractions in the state's largest tourism destination. The Laskaris family's businesses, which have about 1,000 employees during the peak season, provide a more affordable choice for vacationers than the large waterpark resorts that are popular in the Dells.

At Hotel Rome, a family of four staying during a late June weekend would pay an average nightly rate of $223. But at other Laskaris-owned hotels, daily rates on the Mt. Olympus website recently were much lower, ranging from $117 at Poseidon's Village to $155 at Mykonos Resort. Hotel guests get free daily passes to Mt. Olympus, which has waterparks and amusement parks, featuring roller coasters and go-carts, and is known for its 65-foot Trojan horse and other Greek mythology décor.

At Great Wolf Lodge waterpark resort, rates for the same June weekend started at $220. At Kalahari resort, the starting room rate was $260, according to online searches.

Great Wolf, Kalahari, Wilderness Territory and Chula Vista Resort are the largest resorts in the Dells area. Their indoor waterparks over the past 15 years have transformed the Dells into a full-year tourism destination, helping generate more than $1 billion in annual spending by visitors to Sauk County, according to the state Department of Tourism.

*Closed*Contest: Mt. Olympus Water Park Passes – WI Dells — Slop Swap

Alright Slop Swap readers – for being such loyal fans, we are going to have our very first ‘test’ GIVEAWAY!! Since this is our first contest, bear with me if there are any kinks!

You might notice that this contest is a semi-local type prize. Don’t worry – I’m also going to offer up a second contest for those of you who may not want to travel to Wisconsin Dells …I’ll post that one separately!

This contest is going to have a fairly short time span simply because these tickets have to be used by July 1st and I want the winners to be able to have enough time to use them! Now, on to the PRIZE!

3 Lucky Winners will win Mt. Olympus Water Park Passes in Wisconsin Dells!

Each Pass is good for up to 4 FREE Water Only Passes Valid now through July 1, 2011!

You can also upgrade to a Theme Park Pass for only $10 + tax per pass! This would be a fun way to celebrate getting out of school and the start of summer! We took the kids to Mt. Olympus Water Park last year and we had a blast! The kids could have stayed in the Poseidon’s Rage wave pool the entire day!

Here’s how you enter:

1. ‘Like’ Slop Swap on Facebook – come back and comment below saying that you did or already do.

2. Subscribe to Slop Swap via Email – come back and comment below saying that you did or already do.

3. Subscribe to Slop Swap via Twitter – come back and comment below saying that you did or already do.

Each comment will count as an entry so make sure to comment separately for each task you complete so you get  the correct amount of entries. Then 3 comments will be randomly selected as the winners!

This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook or Mt. Olympus Water Park. It is sponsored by this blog only.

Contest will end on Monday, June 6th, 2011 at 11:59pm CST! Don’t forget to comment below as one of your many entries!!! Winner will be notified via e-mail and have 48 hours to reply. Must be 18 to enter.

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