Hurricane Harbor 2009

[tp41190]

I'm assuming it will be $35 for just the water park or $55 for a combo ticket. So if your not planning on going into the water park you would have to still pay the $55.

[coasterkidd100]

^ That sucks! Why should we have to pay the same amount of money if you don't want to go to the waterpark?

[FParker185]

I dont think it would matter for the majority of us. I'd venture to say most of us here on this board/group get a season pass anyways.

I'd say there is a slight chance they'd discount admission to the dry park only if people choose to go that route.

One bonus with this is if you get a combo pass or something and do want to go to the water park, with a separate gate there will be a heck of a lot less people in there. Shorter lines would definately lead to a far better guest experience. Haven't been in there since opening year, but it is/was a really nice waterpark.

[CoasterNick3157]

^ I think you're absolutely right they would have a combo for like $60 or something like that.

[Ilovthevu']

The problem with the waterpark is that they purposely don't have enough tubes for the rides. There is hardly anyone in that Lazy River per area, and all the yellow tubes are gone. The slides aren't that filled for the smaller raft slides, and you can't get a tube because you have to wait, and everyone hates waiting. For the 6 slide complex, you usually can't just get to the 2 raft slides that are not bowls because all the people are always blocking the stairs. For the 4 slide complex in the back, they have 4 slides, and it's 2 people at a time, or sometimes one at a time.

This year, you go to the side that shows the blue and another color slide, and the lifeguard for that side is doing the other two slides. It's easier for the lifeguard that way. They need a single rider line for the Bahama Mama, and Bubba Tuba. For the Tornado, again not enough rafts for people to walk up the stairs. I rather have a raft in my hand going up the stairs than wait for another one.

It's a poorly managed low capacity waterpark because they make it that way, and they are going to expand it. How does that help? Go to Rockford waterpark, and they have plenty of tubes for everything in there. They even sell the tubes which are mostly for the wavepool. You have no idea how many times those Mat Racers weren't open this year at Hurricane Harbor.

For a combo season pass at some of the other parks, it's like $110.00, but this is later in the season. It could be cheaper the earlier you buy.

[coasterkidd100]

Does anyone no why the Mat Racers were closed so much this year?

[Coastermonkey61]

It's a poorly managed low capacity waterpark because they make it that way, and they are going to expand it. How does that help? Go to Rockford waterpark, and they have plenty of tubes for everything in there. They even sell the tubes which are mostly for the wavepool. You have no idea how many times those Mat Racers weren't open this year at Hurricane Harbor.

In fairness, Magic Waters in Rockford has a lot of tubes because, at one point, the place was jam packed every day. Now, you can go on a Saturday afternoon and the place is relatively deserted. It is a well-managed low capacity park, because at one point it was a high capacity one. With less people coming, things run extremely smoothly.

Can't say I can compare MW to HH since I've never been to HH, but the reason Magic Waters is so well stocked is because they responded too much to supply and demand a few years ago. Economically, the park is not doing well at all.

[Ilovthevu']

I went to Magic Waters on a weekday, and it wasn't as bad as it was on the weekend I went last year, but it's a different day. Still on a weekday, there were about 10 lines going back and forth for the water coaster. It was quite a long line. The other raft slides had lines, and no walk-ons until the very end of the day. I would say each line has maybe 12 people, and that's 120 people for the water coaster alone.

Enough tubes were gone from the lazy river, but it wasn't full like it was on the weekend last year I was there. The wavepool was pretty full. They almost used all those tubes for the Lazy River last year on a Sunday, so I don't know how you can say no one is going. A $115 season pass doesn't sound like a struggling waterpark to me.

They are getting this waterslide called the Tornado Alley next year. There is more competition in the area, and they need to up the ante. I really like Magic Waters. I just hope they don't get rid of the 2 tan raft slides for this new ride.

[Coastermonkey61]

Yeah, I saw where they plan on putting Tornado Alley and have no idea how they're gonna fit it in there. Magic Waters has always been slow to react, but some of it does have to do with the lack of significant competition in No. Illinois. Now there's Hurricane Harbor, not to mention people willing to drop everything to head to the Wisconsin Dells. Let's see if Magic Waters will start pouring more money into attractions. They certainly have the room to grow around the park.

[Ilovthevu']

Magic Waters is so much fun. I really like the water coaster. That's my favorite water attraction after the Black Lightning at Noah's Ark. The wavepool is more like a choppy lake, kind of like Lake Michigan compared to a surfing type of wavepool. It's okay, but nothing like Hurricane Harbor's in my opinion. The lazy river I would say that it is comparable to Hurricane Harbor, but it is smaller. Overall, in my opinion it's a great park, but so is Hurricane Harbor. My problem with Hurricane Harbor is operations, and that's it.

The funny or weird thing last time I was at Hurricane Harbor was that I think people were just taking blue tubes from that place because there was no one there, and they were putting them in the lazy river. After they went in the lazy river, they just left the tube in there, or either the park put them in the lazy river. I didn't get it, but it sure helped the line move faster even though they could have put a bunch more in.

[Trailblazer Tony]

Once again, nothing confirmed but i'll assume for the sake of replying that it does come true, think of all the possiblities. Season Pass sales could rise with a catch phrase like "with a purchase of a Season Pass get FREE admission to Hurricane Harbor." In addition, it gives a slight hope that the ticket gate for the theme park will drop a little, not that it really costs $56 for most anyways, given Coke and countless other discounts. As for the connection inside the park, there exists currently a small kiosk style gate you have to pass through, so that will take care of any questions about "getting in for free".

A couple things i'm wondering will happen though if this does happen. For starters, in terms of parking, what do you guys think will happen with this? Can you imagine paying more to park for the waterpark than it costs to GO to the waterpark? At a current $25 price, the waterpark should have cheaper parking. With the addition of a seperate gate (which I can only assume will take the place of the now vacant SSA spot, I wonder what will happen in terms of crowds. I take it more people will pay for the waterpark on hot days, meaning the park should be even less crowded than it is normally now. Also, what about park capacity? Does the waterpark still hit that once and a while? Would they have to turn people away with a seperate admission?

Lastly, for a comment, if this were to happen next year, and the gate were to be placed by SSA, then a rumored Go-Kart move could be possible and an addition of a new water ride to the actual park to replace the current waterpark would also make sense. Just putting two and two together, nobody chew my head off for spreading these rumors....

[coasterkidd100]

I think that parking for the waterpark should be lowered if it is seperate addmission next year. $25 for parking at a waterpark, I would rather go to the waterpark by my house and get parking free.

[FRD714]

^The parking lot will not be separate admission. And nobody said you had to pay $25. They do offer $15 parking in the back lot.

[coasterkidd100]

^ I am not saying it will be but I think it should be.

[Ilovthevu']

Once again, nothing confirmed but i'll assume for the sake of replying that it does come true, think of all the possiblities. Season Pass sales could rise with a catch phrase like "with a purchase of a Season Pass get FREE admission to Hurricane Harbor." In addition, it gives a slight hope that the ticket gate for the theme park will drop a little, not that it really costs $56 for most anyways, given Coke and countless other discounts. As for the connection inside the park, there exists currently a small kiosk style gate you have to pass through, so that will take care of any questions about "getting in for free".

I really doubt that the waterpark will be "free" at all if they have separate admission with a season pass. Other parks that have separate waterparks have combo season passes which would make sense to me for Great America to do. I think this way the waterpark will be less packed because it's an extra fee in people's minds. For Great Adventure it's $49.99 regular for the amusement park. At Great Adventure, the waterpark is $29.99. You still have to pay for parking over there too. Just the waterpark alone season pass at Great Adventure is $99.99. The 3 park combo over at Great Adventure is $129.99 which also includes the Safari park which we don't have. I think our park would be more on par with Six Flags Over Texas though.

[coasterkidd100]

It would be cool if the waterpark was free with a season pass, but I don't think that will happen.

[CoasterCruiser]

Has anyone been to Raging Waves in Yorkville? I went there yesterday, and it was pretty nice. They claim to be the largest waterpark in illinois, but it honestly doesn't look as big as hurrican harbor. It's very fun though, you guys should check it out.

[DejaVuGurl1203]

I plan on going to Raging Waves on Labor Day. I wanted to go to Raging Waves on Sat. or Sun. and SFGAm and HH on Labor Day, but don't think I can do both, so I'm choosing Raging Waves instead.

And every time I've gone to HH this year, it was never crowded.

[Trailblazer Tony]

Once again, nothing confirmed but i'll assume for the sake of replying that it does come true, think of all the possiblities. Season Pass sales could rise with a catch phrase like "with a purchase of a Season Pass get FREE admission to Hurricane Harbor." In addition, it gives a slight hope that the ticket gate for the theme park will drop a little, not that it really costs $56 for most anyways, given Coke and countless other discounts. As for the connection inside the park, there exists currently a small kiosk style gate you have to pass through, so that will take care of any questions about "getting in for free".

I really doubt that the waterpark will be "free" at all if they have separate admission with a season pass. Other parks that have separate waterparks have combo season passes which would make sense to me for Great America to do. I think this way the waterpark will be less packed because it's an extra fee in people's minds. For Great Adventure it's $49.99 regular for the amusement park. At Great Adventure, the waterpark is $29.99. You still have to pay for parking over there too. Just the waterpark alone season pass at Great Adventure is $99.99. The 3 park combo over at Great Adventure is $129.99 which also includes the Safari park which we don't have. I think our park would be more on par with Six Flags Over Texas though.

Maybe not, but it would be a nice idea at least for the first year of seperate admission, because eventhough it's custom at other places to have seperate costs for the waterpark, it will still be a new concept for our park and the idea of keeping it included with a season pass might be a nice thing to do for the transition year. Nevertheless, i know it won't happen with the need for money lately, but it's a nice thought.

[coasterkidd100]

^ That is a great thought. It should still be free with your season pass and wouldn't that help sell season passes? It would help them sell more season passes because they could advertise that the waterpark is free for people with season passes only.