Island H2O Live! Water Park to reopen May 23 with safety guidelines

Island H2O Live! Water Park has announced that it will reopen for operation on select days beginning May 23, 2020 with new safety guidelines in place.

As required by the State of Florida, the water park submitted a reopening plan that included a proposed date to resume operations, alongside proposed guidelines to ensure the safety of guests and staff.

“We are excited to reopen and provide an entertaining break from the day-to-day world,” said Jim Kunau, general manager of Island H2O Live! “We look forward to providing wonderful memories for our guests and their families. Our entire team has been working hard to prepare the park and welcome our guests back.”

“The health, safety, and well-being of every guest and team member is our utmost priority,” said Kunau. “To ensure the safest experience for everyone, we also need our guests to help by adhering to social distancing practices, washing and sanitizing hands frequently, and following safety guidelines provided by our trained staff.”

The water park will implement new “Safe-Splash Guidelines,” which include:

• Manage Park Capacity – The number of guests admitted each day will be limited. Guests who arrive after park capacity is reached are not guaranteed admittance to the park and may be asked to wait or come back to visit on a different day.
• Implement Daily Wellness Checks – Team members and guests will undergo a verbal screening upon arrival each day. Team members will also receive a temperature check and will be sent home if their temperature exceeds 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Require Face Masks – Team members will be required to wear a face covering in virtually every area of the park. Between rides and attractions, guests are recommended to wear face coverings as well. Due to safety constraints, face coverings are not allowed while in the water or on slides.
• Practice Social Distancing – Signs and ground markers will be provided to assist guests with social distancing practices while in line at the park entrance, attractions, restrooms, food service locations, and more. Deck layouts will be modified to ensure distancing in all lounging and dining areas.
• Promote Hand Hygiene & Respiratory Etiquette – Additional hand sanitizing stations will be placed throughout the water park, and signs will be on display that encourage all employees and guests to wash their hands often and cover their coughs and sneezes.
• Clean, Disinfect and Sanitize on a Continuous Basis – The water in all attractions at Island H2O Live! is double treated with chlorination and ultraviolet light to maintain the healthiest water conditions. All water that circulates through the park is exposed to UV light in the filtration process, which disrupts the DNA or RNA of specific organisms, like viruses, which kills or inactivates the virus completely. Team members will also be assigned additional duties to support cleanliness throughout the park, including the disinfection of handrails, loungers, tabletops, tubes, mats, door handles, and other surfaces.
• Encourage Electronic Payments – Guests will be encouraged to purchase admission online prior to their arrival, as well as use cashless payment methods while visiting.
• Manage Use of Indoor Areas & Communal Spaces – Homeland Security’s biodefense research laboratory states that “sunlight seems to be very detrimental to the virus,” and “within minutes, the majority of the virus is inactivated on surfaces and in the air in direct sunlight.” Guests at Island H2O Live! spend their entire day outdoors in the sun or in shaded areas, except for restroom buildings and other minor service areas, which will be disinfected regularly.
• Provide a COVID-19 Response Team – A team of supervisors and managers will be available to respond to concerns from guests or employees. The team will train staff on all safety protocols and ensure that they are socially distanced during meetings and training.

You can find a complete list of all the water park’s health and safety measures here.

The park will continue to coordinate with local, state, and federal agencies along with public health officials, and will make adjustments as necessary, now and after reopening.

“We know the finances of several of our guests have been impacted, so we are extending a special discount on our season passes this summer,” said Kunau. “A 2020 Season Pass is currently available for just $10 more than a one-day admission ticket, and guests can even split their purchase into 2-monthly payments when they buy online by May 31.”

To learn more about park hours, season passes, events and offers ahead of its reopening, visit IslandH2OLive.com.