Sun Splash offers free admission for dedication of slides; Discount on weekend
Sun Splash Family Waterpark is having a ceremony at 4 p.m. today to officially dedicate the three new slides and is offering free admission after 2 p.m.
Former Councilmember AJ Boyd, along with Councilmember Eric Grill and Mayor Eric Feichthaler, will be taking the plunge down The X-celerator. Boyd plans on wearing a tuxedo while zooming down the new speed slide.
“I’m ready to go,” Boyd said. “I told them if they got the slides done and up and running, that I would definitely go down in a tux.”a
The new slides each have their own unique features.
The X-celerator is a free fall slide that drops 40 feet per second. The Terror Tube is an enclosed flume slide that gradually descends, then surprises riders with a sudden drop, and the Thunder Bump is an open chute slide with 264 feet of speed bumps.
During his time on the City Council, Boyd said that he viewed Sun Splash as one the Cape’s truly unique amenities. From his first day in office, he saw the opportunity to make the park a bigger and better attraction.
“We have everything that other Florida communities have. We have the sun, the water, but one thing I saw we had that other communities didn’t was Sun Splash,” Boyd said.
The former council member added that a decade ago, Sun Splash was known only as a “kiddie park.” He urged the City Council to commit to making the park a real attraction by spending money, or sell it off to a private party.
Ten years later the new slides, especially The X-celerator, are aimed at pumping up the park’s muscles by helping it to ascend to the ranks of other Florida water parks like Wet n’ Wild in Orlando.
“I really wanted the free fall slide to compete with other water parks,” Boyd said. “They (the Department of Parks and Recreation) worked really hard to get it done, and get it done fast.”
Boyd said long-term plans for Sun Splash might include more expansion, along with the possibility of a music venue that might attract some “big bands.”
As for his ceremonial trip down the The X-celerator, Boyd had some stitches removed just in time for the event. He even put off another surgery to take the plunge.
“I’m hearing good things about the slides, now that they’re up and running,” he said.
To continue the celebration of the new slides opening, Sun Splash is offering a reduced general admission of $5 for all guests throughout the weekend. Normal parking fees apply.
Michelle Dean, of the Cape Coral Parks and Recreation Department, warned that people should arrive early for the free admission and reduced admission days. After Sun Splash reaches full capacity of 1,600, it will not admit anyone else into the park.
“For anybody who wants to come in for free tomorrow, the earlier they get there the better,” Boyd said on Thursday.
“We’re planning on a full house for this weekend,” Dean added.
For more information, contact Sun Splash Family Waterpark at 574-0557.