Wet'n'Wild SplashTown

Wet'n'Wild SplashTown
Location Spring, Texas, United States
Coordinates 30°04′13″N 95°25′55″W / 30.070167°N 95.431935°W / 30.070167; -95.431935Coordinates: 30°04′13″N 95°25′55″W / 30.070167°N 95.431935°W / 30.070167; -95.431935
Owner EPR Properties
Operated by Six Flags Entertainment Corporation
General Manager Chris Thomas
Opened 1984 (1984)
Previous names Hanna–Barbera Land
Splashtown USA
Six Flags Splashtown
SplashTown Houston
Operating season May - September
Area 48 acres (190,000 m2)
Pools 2 pools
Water slides 9 water slides
Children's areas 2 children's areas
Website wetnwildsplashtown.com

Wet'n'Wild SplashTown is a water park located north of Houston in the Spring CDP of unincorporated Harris County, Texas, United States.[1]

History

In the early-1980s, the land that Wet'n'Wild SplashTown now occupies was a theme park known as Hanna-Barbera Land.[2] Hanna-Barbera Land only operated for two seasons before its owners, Kings Entertainment Company, sold the park to private investors. The amusement park had all its rides removed, with the new owners installing a water park with several water slides. Much of the park's Victorian buildings, street lights and landscaping remained.[2] Splashtown USA opened to the public shortly after.

In the 1990s, the park changed owners twice: first to the Morris Family in 1994, and then to Six Flags in May 1999. The acquisition was made by Six Flags to eliminate the park from being a competitor to its Six Flags WaterWorld water park, also located in Houston.[3] The park was renamed Six Flags SplashTown in 2000.[4]

Following the closure of Six Flags WaterWorld and the adjacent Six Flags AstroWorld in October 2005,[5] Six Flags engaged in a restructuring of Six Flags SplashTown, which resulted in the termination of the park's General Manager, Operations Manager and Food Service Manager in early November 2005. In January 2006, it was announced that the former Operations Manager of WaterWorld would be the new Splashtown Operations Manager. Several of WaterWorld's attractions were relocated to SplashTown.[5] The park underwent a "facelift" as well as general cleaning to prepare it for its opening day, April 28, 2006. The entrance received a new sign, with the addition of renovated buildings and ticket booths.

In January 2007, Six Flags announced that SplashTown, along with six other parks, would be sold for a total of $312 million. The agreement saw Six Flags sell the properties to PARC Management, who in turn sold the properties to CNL Lifestyle Properties. CNL would then lease the properties back to PARC Management under a 52-year triple-net lease.[6] However, after less than three years into the 52-year contracts, CNL terminated their agreements with PARC Management in November 2010.[7] In early 2011, CNL appointed Premier Attractions Management, LLC (now Premier Parks, LLC) as the new operators of the park. The limited liability company is led by former Six Flags employees Kieran Burke, the former chairman and CEO, and Gary Story, the former president and chief operating officer.[8]

In November 2013, CNL Lifestyle Properties acquired rights to the Wet'n'Wild brand in the United States from Australian firm, Village Roadshow Theme Parks.[9][10][11] In the months to follow CNL rebranded several of its properties to Wet'n'Wild water parks, including SplashTown Houston, which became Wet'n'Wild SplashTown.[12][13][14] The park itself received a multimillion-dollar renovation.[15].

in 2018 the park was bought by Six Flags and in 2019 it will change its name to Hurricane Harbor Splashtown.

Slides and attractions

  • Alien Chaser: Built in 2017. stands a skyscraping 60’ tall and takes thrill-seekers on two-person tubes that speed through dark tunnels and rocket into the wide-open expanse of massive saucers. Height requirement 48"
  • Stingray Racer: Built in 2010. A six lane water slide. Located near the entrance. Height requirement 42"
  • RipQurl: Built in 2008. A cross between the Tornado and the Big Spin, in a way. It was put where the Hydra used to stand. Height requirement 48"
  • Tornado: A ProSlide Tornado involving a tube that fits four people that makes 360°s around a blue-and-yellow checkerboard "tornado". Height requirement 48". Added in 2005.[16]
  • Texas Freefall: The flagship ride, a very tall slide. Height requirement 48".
  • Brain Drain: Built in 2013. Twin looping slides that sit side to side. Enter in the inclosed casule and the floor inside the capsule drops, sending the rider down the slide and into a pool below. Height requirement 48"
  • Water Works/Big Spin: Slide around and down this unique round slide. Height requirement 48".
  • Zoom Flumes: Slide down the 95-foot (29 m) flume or try one of the two semi-enclosed slides. Height requirement 42".
  • Wild Wave Pool: A half-million gallons fill this huge pool of wild, wave-floating fun.
  • Wala Wala Falls: Challenge a friend and race each other down two thrilling 30-foot (9.1 m) slides. Height requirement 48".
  • Blue Lagoon Activity Pool: Play in the sun with tons of water fun including swings galore, geysers, a diving rock, water stairs and a glorious waterfall. Cool off from your day of play!
  • Runaway Rapids: Travel as riders float through this enclosed tube ride. Height requirement 42".
  • Treehouse Island: Three stories of highly interactive fun! Climb net ladders, slide down slippery slides and blast your friends with water cannons. Height requirement of under 50".
  • Crystal Creek: A lazy river attraction.
  • Big Kahuna: A slide installed in 2014 by ProSlide Technology. It was added to the existing Tornado slide tower.
  • FlowRider: A Wave Loch FlowRider installed in 2014.
  • Wet'n'Wild Jr.: A children's area featuring smaller versions of the park's slides. It opened in 2014 and it was designed by ProSlide Technology.

Defunct Slides and Attractions

  • Leaky Pipes: A smaller kid's play area. Height requirement of under 50".
  • Hydra: A waterslide on the western part of the park. It had three difficulty levels and had a tri-head dragon sign. Today the dragons rest on the side of Crystal Creek. It had 3 slides: Screamicles: A free-fall cliff dive. (54-degree drop, 66 feet (20 m) tall, 223 linear feet), Weaknesicles: Speed Slide, (66 feet tall, 320 feet (98 m) long), Longdropicus: (66 feet tall, 320 feet (98 m) long). Built in 1985. Currently the three dragon heads are viewable from the lazy river.
  • Blue Beast: A one-person body slide. It was accessible from the stairway to Texas Freefall. Due to its outmoded and very narrow design, it was later removed.
  • Kids' Kountry: A kid's play area. It featured a large ship but was removed due to safety problems (see below). It was later replaced with Crocodile Isle.
  • SoundWaves Amphitheatre: Existed until 2000, then was removed to make a more hospitable atmosphere for Crocodile Isle.
  • Rampage: Replaced with Thunder Run. Thunder Run was actually built on the same platform as Rampage and you can see where the slides cutouts once were when climbing the slide tower.
  • Thunder Run: Experience wild twists and turns as you speed down this inline tube slide. Height requirement 42". Converted from Rampage in 1999.
  • Crocodile Isle: An interactive children's play area equipped with a pirate ship, water cannons and slides. Height restriction of under 50".

Eateries

Season Pass Meal Deals are available for purchase for an additional cost.[17]

  • Dippin' Dots: Flash-frozen small ice cream pellets. Located near Wild Wave Pool.
  • Fajita Tent: Various tacos, nachos, and sausage on a stick. Located next to FreeFall and the Brain Drain.
  • Icee Mix-it Up: Icees and Fountain Drinks. Located near Wave Pool and Activity Pool.
  • Island Bob Funnel Cakes and Soft Serve: Funnel cakes and soft serve ice cream cones. Located near the front gate across from The Blue Lagoon Activity Pool.
  • Ocean Breeze Cafe: Chicken tenders, pretzel sticks, pizza or hamburger and fries in an air-conditioned area. Located next to tubes and lockers.
  • Paradise Grill: Hamburgers, hot dog and chicken tenders. Located next to Paradise River.
  • Sharky's Bar: Tortilla chips, queso & alcoholic beverages. Located next to FlowRider.
  • Sweet Shop: Fudge, cookies, popcorn, and novelty ice cream. Located at the Front Gate.

References

  1. ↑ "Spring CDP, TX." United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on May 5, 2009.
  2. 1 2 O'Brien, Tim (5 October 1998). "Water attractions: Tropical theming gives way to local schemes". Amusement Business. 110 (40): 21.
  3. ↑ O'Brien, Tim (17 May 1999). "Six Flags makes acquisitions in Atlanta, Houston and Mexico City". Amusement Business. 111 (20): 37.
  4. ↑ O'Brien, Tim (29 May 2000). "Six Flags Events produces 'Celebracion,' draws 150,000". Amusement Business. 112 (22): 36.
  5. 1 2 Dawson, Jennifer (18 September 2005). "Six Flags pulls plug on 37-year ride at AstroWorld theme park". Houston Business Journal. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  6. ↑ "Six Flags sells seven parks". Park World Magazine. 6 February 2007. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  7. ↑ "CNL ends lease deal with PARC Management". Park World Magazine. 25 November 2010. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  8. ↑ "CNL announces new management for eight parks". Park World Magazine. 25 January 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  9. ↑ "Hawaiian Waters sold, to be renamed Wet 'n' Wild Hawaii". Pacific Business News. 7 May 2009. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
  10. ↑ Silverstein, Stephanie (21 November 2013). "Premier Parks to take over operation of Wet 'n' Wild Hawaii". Pacific Business News. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
  11. ↑ Shanklin, Mary (21 November 2013). "CNL buys Wet 'n Wild Phoenix". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  12. ↑ Descant, Skip (17 December 2013). "Knott's Soak City to become Wet 'n' Wild Palm Springs". The Desert Sun. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  13. ↑ "Splashtown will undergo multi-million dollar transformation to Wet 'N' Wild brand". The Rancher. 24 January 2014. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  14. ↑ Pulsinelli, Olivia (21 January 2014). "Water park launches rebranding, new attractions as competition heats up". Houston Business Journal. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  15. ↑ Alexander, Heather. "Houston waterpark to reopen with millions in renovations and new name." Houston Chronicle. April 30, 2014. Retrieved on May 12, 2014.
  16. ↑ Zoltak, James (April 2005). "Parks in Bloom: Will Business Blossom?". Amusement Business. 117 (4): 6, 24.
  17. ↑ "Season Pass Meal Deal". Wet'n'Wild SplashTown. Retrieved 6 June 2015.

CNL Terminates agreement with PARC

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