Hawaiian Falls Garland

Hawaiian Falls Firewheel
The Waimea Bay slide complex contains 2 body slides & 2 tubes slides
Location	Garland, Texas, United States
Coordinates	32°57′23.2″N 96°39′3.9″W
Address	4550 North Garland Avenue
Website	Official Website
Owner	Hawaiian Falls
Opened	May 2003
Previous names	Hawaiian Falls Adventure Park
Operating season	May through September
Area	12 acres (49,000 m2)
Attractions	11 water slides
Slogan	Bringing Families Closer Together
Amusement Parks Portal

Hawaiian Falls Firewheel (Also known as Hawaiian Falls Garland) is a family-friendly 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 (49,000 m²) adjacent to the Spring Creek Forest Preserve and is visible from the George Bush turnpike. It consists of fifteen attractions: 11 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 6-acre (24,000 m²) waterpark was built by Horizon Family Inc, a Dallas based company that worked with 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 completed in time for the May 24, 2003, grand opening in spite of a rainy spring season.

2003 - First Season

The park opened for its first full day Sunday, May 25, 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. 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 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 Metroplex^{[citation needed]} which likely resulted in lower ticket sales in the second year.

2005 - Third Season

Hawaiian Falls opened for the 2005 season on May 20 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 26 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 25. 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 24. The park increased adult ticket prices and made minor changes to their Saturday operating hours. This season primarily focused on new entertainment like the "Texas Country Music Series" as well as showcasing local music groups.

2009 - Seventh Season

In the seventh season, Hawaiian Falls added customer service elements including DJ’s, dance parties and daily parades to enhance the atmosphere and engage guests.

2010 - Eighth Season

Hawaiian Falls added the Torpedo, a new thrill ride that is the first of its kind in the world. The Torpedo was launched at each of its three waterparks, and features two speed slides coming off a 4-story tower. Riders step into a capsule at the top of the ride as anticipation builds with a countdown and special effects. When activated, a hatch opens under their feet, turning them into human torpedoes as they free fall at speeds up to 40 mph down the slide.

Attractions

• The Torpedo has two speed slides coming off a 4-story tower. Riders become “human torpedoes” and race down the slides at speeds up to 40 mph.
• Waikiki Beach is a family wavepool that only goes to a depth of 4 feet (1.2 m). Opened in 2007.

• The Flyin' Hawaiian is a yellow 60-foot (18 m) tall single-rider body slide that features a series of small humps. Opened in 2003.

• The Waikiki Wipeout is a yellow 60-foot (18 m) tall body slide that features one giant drop. Opened in 2003.

• Pipeline has two twisting, turning inner-tube slides for 1 or 2 riders from a 45-foot (14 m) high tower. One slide is enclosed, the other half and half.

• Keiki Cove is an interactive children's water treehouse filled with fountains, slides, climbing nets, water jets, and a giant bucket that drops 1,000 gallons of water every few minutes. Opened in 2003.

• The Pineapple Express is a red and orange 4 lane downhill mat racing slide. Opened in 2003.

• The Kona Kooler Adventure River is a circular 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 is a two-person innertube ride that propels riders straight up, then backwards from a 40-foot (12 m) drop. Opened in 2003

• Splashwater Harbor is 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 is 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 is a gift shop that rents lockers and offers snack items, sunscreen, Big Squirt water toys and Hawaiian Falls souvenirs. Opened in 2003.

See also

• Waterpark
• Hawaiian Falls Waterparks
• Garland, Texas

References

• HFalls.com

External links

• HFalls.com