Hawaiian Falls Garland

Infobox Water park
name = Hawaiian Falls Firewheel


caption = The Waimea Bay slide complex contains 2 body slides & 2 tubes slides
location = Garland
location2 = Texas
location3 = United States flagicon|USA
coordinates =
address = 4550 North Garland Avenue
phone_numbers = 972 675-8888
homepage = [http://www.hawaiianfalls.com/cgi-bin/gx.cgi/AppLogic+FTContentServer?pagename=FaithHighway/10000/6000/443HA/home# Official Website]
owner = Hawaiian Falls
general_manager =
opening_date = May 2003
closing_date =
previous_names = Hawaiian Falls Adventure Park
season = May through September
area = 12 acres
pools =
slides = 10
slogan = Bringing Families Closer Together

Hawaiian Falls Firewheel (Also known as Hawaiian Falls Garland) is a small waterpark located in Garland, Texas. The park is the first Hawaiian Falls Waterpark in the Hawaiian Falls Waterpark chain and officially opened on May 24, 2003. The waterpark sits on roughly 12 acres adjacent to the Spring Creek Forest Preserve and is visible from the George Bush turnpike. It consists of ten attractions: 6 water slides, a lazy river, an interactive water treehouse, a wave pool, and an activity pool, as well as a few food stands. The park was built for roughly $5.5 million by David Busch of Horizon Family, Inc., now Hawaiian Falls Waterparks.

History

Construction

Ground broke for Hawaiian Falls Adventure Park on December 18, 2002. The convert|6|acre|m2|sing=on waterpark was being built by Horizon Family Inc, a California based company that has worked with other waterpark properties in a few states, including Hawaiian Falls' sister park located on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. The City of Garland City Council and the Parks and Recreation Board helped provide the land on which the waterpark was to be built. Construction for Hawaiian Falls began in January 2003.

Opening Day

The park was rushed to be completed in time for the Saturday, May 24, 2003, grand opening due to a rainy Spring. The park failed to open at 10:30am on opening day, and only remained open for a few hours. Grass had not been planted in the park and, as a result, mud washed into many of the attractions. The City of Garland Health Department ordered many of the attractions to be closed. Hawaiian Falls decided to close the park early on opening day. Much of the park was still recovering in the days after the opening day fiasco.people were complaining when it was going to open.

2003 - First Season

The park opened for its first full day on Sunday, May 25th, 2003, with two body slides, two tube slides, one racing slide, a lazy river, a half-pipe slide, a cafe, a small gift shop, and changing rooms. The park offered free parking, life jackets, and inner tubes, but did not allow outside food or drinks. At one point in the season, lightning struck the ticket booth at the park, causing many guests to panic. The 2003 season ended on Monday, September 8, 2003.

2004 - Second Season

In 2004, Hawaiian Falls expanded by adding Splashwater Harbor, an activity pool which opened in mid-June. The park also changed its policy and allowed outside food and drinks into the park. The 2004 season lasted from May 20 through September 6. June 2004 was at the time the wettest month on record for the Dallas/Fort Worth MetroplexFact|date=August 2007 which likely resulted in lower ticket sales in the second year.

2005 - Third Season

Hawaiian Falls opened for the 2005 season on May 20th under new management with the motto of "Bringing Families Closer Together". The park introduced Private Cabanas which offered private shaded areas to guests for an additional fee.

2006 - Fourth Season

The season opened on May 26th and ran through September 4. The park also introduced the VeggieTales characters, Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber. Online Ticket Sales also began.

2007 - Fifth Season

Hawaiian Falls opened its fifth season by adding Waikiki Beach, a family wavepool. The park opened on May 25th. Waikiki Beach opened on June 8, 2007. The park also put stricter rules on outside food and drinks by only allowing small coolers and charging for large coolers. The park also added a Pizza Hut Express to the cafe. In June 2007, the area experienced another record breaking month of rain which resulted in lower attendance despite the addition of a new wavepool.

2008 - Sixth Season

Hawaiian Falls opened on May 24th. The park has increased adult ticket prices and made minor changes to their Saturday operating hours. This season seems to primarily focus on new entertainment like the "Texas Country Music Series" as well as showcase local music groups. In late July, a child infected with Cryptosporidium swam and infected a small area of the pool. An overnight Hydrochlorination eliminated it.

Attractions

*Waikiki Beach is a family wavepool that only goes to a depth of convert|4|ft|m. Opened in 2007.

*The Flyin' Hawaiian is a yellow convert|60|ft|m|sing=on tall single-rider body slide that features a series of small humps. Opened in 2003.

*The Waikiki Wipeout is a yellow convert|60|ft|m|sing=on tall body slide that features one giant drop. Opened in 2003.

*Pipeline --two tube slides (one blue and one green). Pipeline: Monsoon is an entirely enclosed blue tube slide. Pipeline: Typhoon is a partially enclosed, partically open tube green tube slide. Opened in 2003.

*Keiki Cove -- an interactive children's water treehouse filled with fountains, slides, climbing nets, water jets, and a giant bucket that drops gallons of water every few minutes. Opened in 2003.

*The Pineapple Express -- a red and orange 4 lane downhill racing slide. Opened in 2003.

*The Kona Kooler Adventure River -- a circular pathed lazy river with zero entry level beach with a portion of the river that contains waves making it an adventure river. Opened in 2003.

*The Hawaiian Half Pipe -- a white u-shaped slide patterned after a skateboard or snowboard halfpipe. Opened in 2003.

*Splashwater Harbor -- an activity pool the contains water falls, a log cross, and a zero entry level beach area. Opened in 2004.

*Pineapple Pete's Island Cafe -- a small cafe located in the park that serves a variety of food choices including Pizza Hut pizzas and other snacks. Opened in 2003. Pizza Hut Express opened in 2007.

*Island Trader's Gift Shop -- a small gift shop that rents lockers and sells a few other items. Opened in 2003.

ee also

*Waterpark
*Hawaiian Falls Waterparks
*Garland, Texas

References

* [http://www.hawaiianfalls.com/cgi-bin/gx.cgi/AppLogic+FTContentServer?pagename=FaithHighway/10000/6000/443HA/home# HawaiianFalls.com]

External links

* [http://www.hawaiianfalls.com HawaiianFalls.com]