Travel - Texas - Arlington - Six Flags Hurricane Harbor

Hurricane Harbor got a major improvement in 2025 with the new family-friendly Splash Island and my family thoroughly enjoyed it. We saw babies and toddlers in the splash area and bigger kids riding the slides in the multi-level play structure. Even adults were waiting on the 1,000 gallon bucket to fill and dump (be ware that the water is COLD). There are chairs and loungers all around this area. The map doesn't show that most of the chairs around the area have a partial fabric covering. However, toward the end of the day when the sun is lower in the sky, the covers are pretty useless for most chairs or loungers, but a lot of families tend to leave the park midday freeing up sections of chairs.

Splash Island has a row of 6 colorful, mini slides which have both minimum height and maximum height requirements (teens and adults can't ride). As you can see in this photo, children empty right out to the splash pad area for good parental visibility. My only complaint was the queue to get on the slides is not well marked and could be confusing for younger children - they need to go all the way around the orange slide toward the back and up a set of stairs carrying a large float. The platform connects all the slide entry points. Restrooms are located at the very back of this area (right next to the lazy river entry points) which is a bit of a walk from the splash area. There are also showers there and a first aid office. I highly recommend wearing shoes or flipflops into the restrooms especially toward the end of the day.

Families can also enjoy the lazy river which goes all around Surf Lagoon (right in the center of the park) with entry and exit points along the way. On the other side of the park, in the Tornado area, there is a fun pirate-themed area called Hook's Lagoon with a treehouse (Hook's Lagoon Slides has a min height of 42" but the Lagoon Crossing is good for young kids 36" up to 54").

There are plenty of slides for thrill-seekers such as Der Stuka, Dive Bomber, Geronimo, Tornado, Tsunami Surge, and Typhoon Twister all with a minimum height of 48".

The park is open the next few weekends from 11am until 6pm or 7pm - August 23-24, August 30-31 and September 1. Daily Tickets are dynamically priced and for the next two weekend range from $35 to $25 depending on the day. Sometimes you can search the web for cheaper tickets.

You can bring refillable water bottles. But if you plan to drink any sodas, I highly recommend buying the All-Day Sourvenir Bottle ($19.99). The system will force you to wait 15 minutes between refills, but you will break even if you get 4 refills. Considering how hot you might feel in the Texas sun, you will definitely get more than four refills. For those wanting to fill water bottles, do not use the ones at the lockers as the water is not chilled and is pretty nasty. Ask for water cups at the drink refill stands or restaraunts instead.

Outside food or beverages are not allowed into the park (except baby food or formula). The food options are typical park fare - burgers, fried chicken strips, pizza, nachos, pretzels, turkey legs. I personally didn't purchase the dining add-on because we only ate lunch inside the park and then ate dinner outside the park. If you'd like to see the food options, check out the Restaurants. Bring plastic bags to store any leftovers because birds will land on your chair and eat any food left sitting out.

General Parking is $35.00 and Priority Parking (closer to the entrance and right outside the exit) is $50.00.

Lockers are available on the left side when you walk into the front gate as well as restrooms and showers.

Printable Park map - https://static.sixflags.com/website/files/hhtx_park-map.pdf

For more information, https://www.sixflags.com/hurricaneharbortexas

Info - Walt Disney World's planned Disney Genie+ and how it compares to other parks

Well, the news that Disney is finally moving to a paid fast pass system just broke millions of hearts. It was inevitable considering all the other theme parks charge for fast passes, but with Covid and the millions of dollars in lost revenues, it was the perfect storm to implement it. You can still wait in stand-by lines, but we all know how much longer you will wait in there as fast pass purchasers will be ushered ahead of you making stand-by lines that much longer. It's almost a requirement to get a paid fass past if you want to maximize your ticket for the day.

So how will Disney's new paid pass system work and how will it compare to other parks?

Disney will offer 2 add-on options. One is the Disney Genie Plus(+) which will cost $15/ticket/person and offer fast pass for 40 tier-2 or lower rides. The second is the Lightning Lane for the Tier-1 popular rides (such as 7Dwarves Mine Train, Frozen Ever After, etc) whose prices will vary depending on crowd levels and be limited to 2 options per day per person.

Amusement Park	Fast Pass Name	Fast Pass Cost	Number of Uses
Disney World Orlando	Disney Genie+	$15/ticket/person	Unlimited per day?
Disney World Orlando	Lightning Lanes	$variable/person	Limited 2 rides per day
Universal Orlando	Universal Express	$79.99+ per person	Once per ride
Universal Orlando	Universal Express Unlimited	$109.99+ per person	Unlimited
SeaWorld	Quick Queue® Unlimited	$14.99+ per person	Unlimited
Six Flags	Flash Pass - Bronze	$50+ per person	Limited options
Six Flags	Flash Pass - Gold	$80+ per person	Limited options
Six Flags	Flash Pass - Platinum	$115+ per person	Unlimited

Hope that helps!

Review - Texas - San Antonio - Holiday in the Park Six Flags Fiesta Texas

The annual Holiday in the Park has started again at Six Flags Fiesta Texas and will continue through January 3rd.

You do need to make a start-time specific reservation on their website before arriving. Be sure to add parking to your purchase!

Six Flags is also offering a drive-through holiday lights experience. The cost is $14.99 per person if you purchase your tickets online or $20.00 per person at the gate, yet they still require a reservation to enter. Members get discounted tickets.

When you arrive, you will head toward the temperature-taking tent at the end of the parking lot and zig-zag through a long queue to get your temperature checked via a camera setup and then heading to the security station to have your tickets scanned and bags checked.

 

Holiday in the Park is basically Six Flags decorated with holiday themed props and lights as well as a few Christmasy shows. You can also find holiday-themed treats to purchase as well.

 

The crowds didn't show up until the sky started getting darker and the holiday lights were glowing, about 4pm (CST), just two hours before the holiday tree-lighting at 6pm (CST). There were decals placed on the ground around the tree for social distancing.

Six Flags has implemented many safety measures throughout the park in response to Covid. The restrooms, for example, all have "entry" and "exit" signs to create one-way flow in and out of the bathroom. Most people, however, don't really pay attention or follow it. One note if you have young children or babies is not every restroom has a changing table.

All the eating locations are set up with outdoor or open-door seating that is spaced out or with tables marked out. One note is we didn't see anyone cleaning the tables so be prepared to use napkins or wipes.

There were sanitizer stations throughout the park, however, the liquid smells TERRIBLE. Best to bring your own!

A few costumed characters from Looney Tunes do meet but in a socially distanced way. As you can see in this picture, Pepe Le Peu meets behind a bench area where you can sit for pictures.

 

Most of the rides were operating. The longest line seemed to be Wonder Woman. The employees were pretty diligent about spraying down the ride vehicles after every session (which adversely made lines feel longer).

Plenty of spaced out benches throughout the park to sit. Near the front is a mask-free zone where you can relax in cushioned chairs without your mask on. That was a nice area to rest for a bit with the younglings.

Overall, Six Flags Fiesta Texas is doing a good job with Covid safety measures and trying to offer a balance of fun and safety.