With warm summer temps on the horizon, Southwest Florida’s largest waterpark will again welcome the community to its grounds for a cool day in the pool.

SunSplash Family Waterpark opens for the 2023 season this Saturday for its longest season ever, remaining open through Nov. 26.

The park will be open daily for Spring Break (March 18-26) and will feature foam cannon parties and Ohana games.

Ron McKenzie, chief marketing officer for ProParks Attractions Group, now in its second year of operating the city-owned water park, said it should be season jam-packed with something for everyone to enjoy.

“We’re really excited for the season, especially after what occurred in the fall with Hurricane Ian. We had to end our season about a month earlier than we wanted to. So, we were definitely, as soon as we could, anxious to get back at it and get the park up and running.”

Season Passes are now on sale for $69.99 plus tax and come with a variety of benefits including:

• Unlimited visits

• One Bring-A-Friend Free ticket (good for a one-time visit)

• Early entry 30-minutes before opening

• Cabana discounts based on availability

• Discounts on food and beverages

• Special pricing for events and other in-park offers

A portion of the proceeds from each pass sold will go to United Way’s SWFL Hurricane Ian Hospitality Relief Fund.

New this year is the Pineapple Pass ($169.99) which offers all the perks of a Season Pass but allows the passholder to bring a friend with them for every visit to the park plus provides the passholder with an unlimited (non-alcoholic) drink wristband on every visit.

“It’s essentially two passes for the price of one,” McKenzie said.

As for how the park fared during the hurricane, SunSplash sustained damage similar to many businesses in the city, but nothing too major. The biggest challenge was having to replace the roofs on some of the buildings. He gave SunSplash employees credit for working hard to ensure the park would open on time for the 2023 season.

“We had the things that you would expect,” he said. “We had some wind damage, we had some flooding — very little structural damage. Most of the stuff was fairly easy to repair and fix. There is nothing that is non-operational going into our season that is hurricane-related.”

ProParks has lots in the pipeline this year, and hopes to further establish a relationship with the community.

“Our plan is to just make the park fun throughout the course of the season, and we put together a pretty robust lineup of events that kick off here this week with our Spring Break,” McKenzie said.

Special events taking place this summer include: Spring-Break-Out Extreme; Easter Celebration; Mother’s Day Weekend; Memorial Day Weekend; Father’s Day Weekend; Champion’s Day; World’s Largest Swimming Lesson; Independence Day Weekend; July Family Fun Fridays; Aloha Fest; National Water Park Day; Aloha Back to School Supply Drive; Spooky Splash Bash; and more.

“We want to make the experience fun every time you come,” McKenzie said. “We know it’s been a rough-go for Southwest Florida, so we’re kind of hoping to be that beacon of escape and family fun from all the tough stuff that area residents have been dealing with.”

The park will be open every day of Lee County Public Schools’ Spring Break from March 18 to 26. Then, SunSplash will follow a Thursday to Sunday schedule from March 30 to May 24.

In addition, Cape Coral residents will receive $5 off one-day admission when they purchase at the gate with an ID noting residency.

The park goes to summer daily hours of operation from May 25 through Sept. 4 and returns to a Thursday through Sunday schedule from Sept. 7 through Oct. 29 and weekends only Nov. 4 through the 26.

SunSplash offers various slides, pools, flumes, food, and fun for all ages, and is at 400 W. Lake Kennedy Drive 2.5 miles north of Veterans Parkway in Cape Coral.

For additional information, visit SunSplashWaterpark.com.

–Connect with this reporter on Twitter: @haddad_cj