News: Six Flags America expands water park

Posted at 11:19 AM EST (1619 GMT)

Feb. 24th, 2005 -- Get ready to be swept away on a tropical adventure! Six Flags America announces the largest expansion in the history of its popular water park! The park's ultimate makeover includes three exciting new attractions, new restaurants, new shops and a facelift so dramatic, the park needed a new name - Six Flags Hurricane Harbor!

Making its public debut on Saturday, May 28, 2005, the new Six Flags Hurricane Harbor will feature not one but TWO new, high-adventure family thrill rides - Tornado and Bahama Blast - and an all new interactive kid's section called Buccaneer Beach plus a fun, tropical Caribbean theme throughout the park. Ya Mon, it's going to be a great summer!

From the moment Guests walk through the gates at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, they'll be amazed by the transformation! Bold, bright colors, expanded retail areas, enhanced Guest services, and Caribbean-themed restaurants and snack shops will greet park-goers. The entire water park will have an “island-feel,” putting sun-seekers in the mood for fun in the sun all summer long!

“This truly is an ultimate makeover,” said Janet Porter, vice president and general manager of Six Flags America. “Our creative team has selected three huge new attractions that can be enjoyed by family and friends and designed a whole new look and feel for Hurricane Harbor.”

For thrill-seekers, two new wet and wild adventures highlight the Six Flags Hurricane Harbor makeover. Tornado, the award-winning attraction that has the entire industry abuzz will hit land Memorial Day weekend. Uniquely designed, Tornado resembles an enormous 60-foot tall household funnel turned on its side. The experience begins 75 feet in the air as riders who are willing to brave the storm, journey down a 132-foot-long tunnel in 4-person cloverleaf-shaped tubes. These unique tubes navigate the inside of the tunnel, splashing back and forth on 5,000 gallons of swirling water. When riders arrive at the vortex of the Tornado, they're sent through the "eye of the storm" into a cool catch pool below! Ride the Ultimate Storm...Tornado!

Bahama Blast is the second new extreme tubing experience that will have Guests cheering for more! This 4-passenger inner tube adventure begins at the top of a 55-foot-tall tower. The wild, wet fun sends riders twisting and splashing along a 517-foot-long, triple-dip course as they maneuver through a spiraling slide of mammoth proportions. The fun is intensified by a serpentine section of closed, dark track that bursts into an equally exciting and adventuresome section of sunny, open track, culminating in a refreshing splash into a cool catch pool. It's a blast...a Bahama Blast!

Also new this summer at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor is a one-of-a-kind children's area with two pools just for toddlers and families! Designed especially for the little fish in the crew, Buccaneer Beach will feature unique, interactive water activities that Mom, Dad and the kids can all enjoy together! Buccaneer Beach will include a pirate ship perfect for would-be explorers, a tiki water curtain, lush palm trees, whimsical slides, rain curtains, spouting interactive water features and a tipping bucket filled with gallons of water play. There's even a treasure-load of deck space and new lounge chairs so adults can relax while their tiny pirates look for gold. Every attraction in Buccaneer Beach is tailor-made for our tiniest guests!

As part of the ultimate makeover, Six Flags America is adding a unique feature never before seen in this part of the country — private water park cabanas! Guests will have the opportunity to rent a private cabana poolside for the day, enabling them to have wait service for food and beverages, personal shade structures and reserved seating at the area's largest water park, Hurricane Harbor.

“This renovation represents the single biggest expansion in the history of our water park and is in direct response to consumer demand for a bigger, better water park,” said Porter. “Renaming the water park Hurricane Harbor not only allows Six Flags to bring the Caribbean experience directly to the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. markets, but also continues the evolution that began with the park's transformation to a Six Flags branded theme park in 1999.”

With the addition of Tornado, Bahama Blast and Buccaneer Beach, the new Hurricane Harbor will feature more than 25 fun-filled water attractions including Hurricane Bay, a million gallon wave pool; Mako and Hammerhead, two high-speed water slides; and the popular Crocodile Cal's Caribbean Beach House. With so much to see and do, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor will be the largest and most thrilling water park in the mid-Atlantic region!

Admission to Hurricane Harbor is FREE with theme park admission. Six Flags America will be open weekends beginning April 9th. (Operating times vary; check sixflags.com for exact times.) Weekend operation continues in May, with additional operating days on May 13, 20 and 27th. Daily operation begins May 27 and runs through August 28, plus September 3-5 and 10-11. Hurricane Harbor water park is open May 28-30 and daily June 3 - August 28 and Sept 3-5.

With the ultimate makeover at Hurricane Harbor plus an amazing lineup of roller coasters, rides, shows and attractions, a summer like no other is brewing at Six Flags America. For Guests who want to get the most fun for their money, Six Flags America Season Passes are now available by calling, 1-877-941-4FUN or online at sixflags.com. Season Passes are on sale for a limited time for only $54.99 plus tax.

Six Flags America is located 15 minutes east of Washington, D.C., 40 minutes south of Baltimore, MD and 20 minutes west of historic Annapolis, MD. Six Flags America is easily accessible to guests from all over Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and our nation's capital, Washington, D.C. For more information call 301-249-1500 or visit sixflags.com.

Story Posted By Kyle Rehm