Six Flags to Dramatically Transform Houston’s Largest Waterpark
Showcase New Thrill Slides go Far Beyond a Makeover
BY Annie Gallay // 02.17.19Wahoo Wave will be the six-story crowning jewel of Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Splashtown. (Photo courtesy of Six Flags)
Houston’s abuzz with theme park news. Mayor Sylvester Turner’s vowing to bring a brand new theme park to the nation’s fourth largest city to finally fill the AstroWorld void.
Then, there is Wet ‘n’ Wild SplashTown’s all-new look. Six Flags is taking charge and transforming the massive park in Spring into Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Splashtown. Six Flags bought the park last summer — and now it’s truly putting its imprint on it.
Just don’t call it a facelift and don’t call it a makeover.
“It’s even bigger than that. It’s really transformative,” Six Flags Fiesta Texas park president Jeffrey Sieber tells PaperCity.
“We want to know our guests know Six Flags is back in town. It’s the largest waterpark and we cannot wait to deliver a bigger, better, wetter, tropical island experience for guests of all ages. We’re excited to be back in a very big way.”
Wild New Rides
This comes just about five years after the Spring waterpark’s most recent rebranding. Six Flags is going big or going home, introducing an all-new Caribbean theme and adding new features to the 41 existing rides and attractions.
The major game-changer? The Wahoo Wave.
“There’s no doubt that Six Flags is synonymous with big thrills. The first thing we’re adding is the Wahoo Wave, a wide, huge six-story-tall water slide. It’s a big, over-the-top thrill ride,” Sieber promises.
An adrenaline surge-seeking quartet of riders will be sent down the slide and plunge 30 feet down before being swept upwards at extremely high speeds. Then, it’s another steep drop off the waterfall to the pool.
Wahoo Wave will be the focal point both in terms of rides and on the map. It’ll be the second thing you see as you enter the park — only after the brand new suspended Great White Shark photo opp.
“There’ll be the big slide behind that and all new seating,” Sieber says.
The whole park will come to life in a backyard, resort-style way. “It’s a vacation-in-your-backyard feel, like you’re in a tropical paradise in the new waterpark,” Sieber notes.
It’ll be one pretty tech-savvy paradise. Six Flags is removing the park’s existing technology and putting new technology in, meaning Wi-Fi throughout and many new amenities.
Global ordering means you can choose your restaurant, pick your food and select your meal time from the comfort of a lounge chair. Make the transaction through the app and go to the special window at the designated time and pick up the food you ordered, easy as that.
The perks don’t stop there. With a $6.66 monthly membership, you can visit Hurricane Harbor unlimited all summer long but also get year-round access to Six Flags Fiesta Texas and all the theme park giant’s other parks.
“For literally $6.66, you have access to a collection of all those big theme parks,” Sieber says.
Some memberships include free parking and unlimited soft drinks with a specialty commemorative bottle.
If you want to up the ante, you can sign up for Diamond or Diamond Platinum. That means an exclusive parking area, reserved lounging and more.
“If you want to feel pampered all summer long, we have special deluxe luxury lounger where you can just sit back and relax next to the wave pool,” Sieber says.
“It’s a whole different level of amenities that no park in Houston has ever offered before.”
The new season opens up in March.
Also, heads up — Sieber caught wind of Mayor Turner’s comments about Houston seeking a completely new theme park. He doesn’t have too much to say on the matter. But who knows? That could mean he actually has a lot to say, but he just can’t.
“I can share that the best days are still yet to come,” Sieber says. “There’s not really much more I can share as of right now.”