Most North Texas water parks plan to reopen May 29

Water parks around North Texas are preparing to reopen on Friday with new rules in an effort to keep people safe during the coronavirus pandemic.

The parks are allowed to reopen at limited capacity after Gov. Greg Abbott issued a proclamation on Tuesday allowing the venues to do so.

Hawaiian Falls reopens Friday in Roanoke and Mansfield, with its locations in The Colony and Garland reopening the following week.

Hawaiian Falls said safety protocols include all employees being required to wear masks and a six foot distance required for seating and people waiting in lines. 

Epic Waters in Grand Prairie is limiting the number of guests allowed inside and suggest for season ticket holders to make reservations before coming to the park. All guests will be asked if they feel sick or if they have been in contact with anyone tested positive for COVID-19. If turned away any purchased tickets can be switched to a different day. Epic Waters recommends wearing shoes and masks, but doesn’t recommend swimming with the mask on.

“We are here to help you survive, just kind of forget what is going on, in a clean and safe environment for your family,” said Chelsea McClain, with NRH20.

NRH2O Family Water Park is waiting to open on Monday, June 15. The park has not listed out specific guidelines, but stated in a Facebook post that they have updated their safety and cleaning protocols.

Each staff member will wear a mask and be screened for symptoms, rules not required of guests.

“We are training all of our staff. All how to sanitize, the proper way to do it, the amount of time to wait,” McClain said.

NRH20 is used to having as many as 3,500 guests in its 17-acre park.

The park has yet to establish exactly how many people will be allowed at once to meet the 25 percent occupancy rule, but parkgoers will have to go online and schedule a time to come.

At the park, social distancing is encouraged, with tables and chairs spaced and limited numbers on attractions, like the Green Envy water slide.

“We’ll have a limited number of tubes available in our wave pool and in our river,” McClain explained.

All of the parks are encouraging cashless payments, to minimize interactions between staff and customers.

The biggest park in the area, Hurricane Harbor in Arlington, has not announced its opening date yet. Bahama Beach in Dallas has not decided if it will open for the season.