Some rides to open at noon Friday at Schlitterbahn

Schlitterbahn Waterpark’s spokeswoman has released a statement that the park will be open from noon to 5 p.m. Friday, May 25, the park’s original opening date.

The rides and attractions that will be open at the waterpark in Kansas City, Kansas, include the Torrent, Torrent Beach, Torrent Cove, Kinderhaven, Pirate Ship and Henry’s Hideout, according to the statement. None of these rides was mentioned in the Kansas Department of Labor auditor report that came out only days before the park’s scheduled opening.

According to the Schlitterbahn spokeswoman, the hours this weekend will be:
Noon to 5 p.m. Friday; and
11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday through Monday.

“We are glad to say that we have addressed the bulk of the issues in the report and we are fully confident that our rides and park are safe and ready,” Schlitterbahn’s spokeswoman stated. “However, the attorneys, inspectors, consultants, and staff for KDOL and Wyandotte County still need to complete their process. Until that process is complete, we will not open the other rides.”

Schlitterbahn issued a statement and sent a letter to KDOL on May 23 concerning an audit by the state. Many of the items in the audit report contained citations about paperwork and documentation. The rides are safe and there are no mechanical failures on the rides, according to Schlitterbahn, but they will wait until the issues in the report are fully addressed before opening the rides that were mentioned in the audit.

Schlitterbahn’s letter to the KDOL is available at https://schlitterbahnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/KCWM-letter-to-M-James.pdf.