SOUTH WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — Recent visitors to Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom may have noticed many of the water attractions were not operational.
But nearly all of those delays in opening have been rectified, officials said.
And the one that has not may result in a new water attraction.
“I was there on Tuesday [June 4], and I saw that a lot of the back half of the park was closed."Dorney spokesman Ryan Eldredge
One of the visitors who noticed the non-operational attractions was Dorney spokesman Ryan Eldredge.
“I was there on Tuesday [June 4], and I saw that a lot of the back half of the park was closed,” Eldredge said.
That included the wave pool, some of the water slides and the children’s areas.
Eldredge said those closures were temporary, and a lot of them were because of training.
The park’s aquatic staff have to be trained in the actual rides during the day — meaning it’s difficult to do when visitors are not there.
“Since the park is open seven days a week, it’s hard to find time,” Eldredge said.
Staffing shortage
Eldredge said another reason was a staffing shortage in the first weeks of Wildwater Kingdom's season.
Many of the staff are students, and many have had to attend graduation events and final days of classes. International staffers also have only begun to arrive, he said.
“You don’t open things if you don’t have enough aquatic staff to manage them,” Eldredge said.
Eldredge said he does not anticipate more staffing shortages or training interruptions in the rest of the season.
Anyone who was disappointed with their visit to Wildwater Kingdom recently should speak with guest services, Eldredge said.
Coming in 2025
As of this weekend, all of the Wildwater Kingdom attractions have reopened — except for one.
Lighting Falls and Cascades, the waterslide in the center of the park, has reached the end of its usable life, Eldredge said.
“She’s too old,” Eldredge said.
Eldredge said the park is working with a manufacturer to build a completely new water attraction to replace it. He could not yet say what it would be like.
Wildwater Kingdom will be open until Sept. 2 this year.
