Wonderland park opens 73rd season this weekend
The Wonderland Amusement Park is egg-cited to announce it will be kicking off its 73rd season this Easter weekend.
The park will open its doors for the season on Saturday, from 1 to 6 p.m., and will be open on Easter Sunday from 1 to 8 p.m. With the opening, thrill seekers are invited to enjoy the roller coasters, water rides, slides and more, with the park offering more than 30 attractions, including games, prizes, treats, an 18-hole mini-golf course and more.
According to Rebecca Parker, controller of the the park, Wonderland is prepared to open this weekend, but they are wary of the incoming forecast and its prediction of cold weather.
"As far as we have seen, there is going to be beautiful weather this weekend. However, it hasn't been over this past week, so there is a chance that not all of our water rides will be open this weekend, due to the fact that we have to wait for the freezing weather to pass completely before we put water in the water rides," Parker said.
Some additional rides that may not be available this weekend due to inspection and part needs include the Fiesta Swings, Drop of Fear, Rainbow, and the Shoot the Chute. However, Parker said that the family-owned park will have all of the rides the community knows and loves, including the Texas Tornado, Pipeline Plunge, Wonder Wheel, Himalaya and more, some with a different look.
"My sister is a painter, and she came out this past spring and she repainted a few signs - the Frog Hopper, a few helicopters, the cars on the Cyclone, the cars on the Tilt-A-Whirl, the Rattle Snake sign, the Rainbow - and she has now begun on the Himalaya mural," Parker said.
The first week, the park will have a special guest and longtime Himalaya operator, J.J. Jorishie, from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who has been running the ride since he was a teenager and is now in his 60s.
"He is one of our special guests. Each year, he helps out to train some of our new employees and is usually here at the first of the season, sometime in the summer and the final weekend, so it's always a special treat when the community gets to see him," Parker said.
Parker said that throughout her life, she has seen children enjoy the park, including herself, and she is excited to see the community return during the warmer months each year.
"This place is pretty sad and lonely during the winter," Parker said. "You don't hear the rides or the screams and squeals, so it's nice to hear it again and know that they are having a good time, because that is what this place is for, for people to have fun."
According to the Wonderland representative, the park has seen a dip in attendance since the COVID-19 pandemic, but they hope this year will be the year they return to the average crowd attendance.
A new guest relations booth has been added to the park at the north end, located near the Pipline Plunge. Parker said that beginning this year, the park will no longer offer spectator passes. Visitors 65 years or older are allowed free admission. Children under 36 inches in height will receive free admission, but children under 32 inches will not be allowed on any rides.
Wonderland is currently accepting reservations and school night events. To apply for a position at the park, view their pricing or see more about their hours, visit them online at https://www.wonderlandpark.com/ .
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Wonderland Amusement Park opens 73rd season on Easter weekend
