Typhoon Texas, at 555 Katy Fort Bend Road, Katy, will open for the 2020 summer season May 29, according to a May 26 press release from the company.
The announcement comes the same day Gov. Greg Abbott issued a proclamation allowing water parks to reopen May 29 at a 25% capacity of the park's normal operating limits as determined by the park venue owner.
To ensure it follows this capacity guideline, Typhoon Texas will require guests to make advance reservations online, per the release. Once a party arrives, they can choose a seating area. Walk-up ticket sales and park entry will not be offered.
“The online reservation system is the smart way to offer a safe experience for our guests,” Typhoon Texas President Evan Barnett said in the release. “Plus, it ensures adherence to state capacity guidelines.”
Other changes the local water park will enact to follow social distancing guidelines include adding hand sanitation stations throughout the park as well as cleaning and disinfecting cabanas, lounge chairs and other seating areas as groups of guests depart.
Update 7:09 May 21
Typhoon Texas will not open for the 2020 summer season on the Memorial Day weekend, May 23-25, as previously planned, a spokesperson confirmed.
The water park, located at 555 Katy Fort Bend Road, Katy, was waiting for Gov. Greg Abbott to issue guidelines about how it should reopen because of the coronavirus pandemic, but he did not, said Bernard Kaplan with Kaplan Public Relations, in an email on behalf of Typhoon Texas. Kaplan did not provide an alternative opening date.
"The water park will open as soon as the state of Texas leadership permits us to do so," according to Typhoon Texas' website.
In a video uploaded to Facebook on May 21, two employees reiterated the team is ready and working behind the scenes to clean the park, but they must wait for approval from state and local officials.
If a guest has purchased a 2020 season pass, they will receive one additional day during the 2021 season for each operating day Typoon Texas is closed in 2020, per the website. The water park is not issuing refunds.
Typhoon Texas President Evan Barnett said in a May 4 email that Typhoon Texas planned to open for its fifth season during the holiday weekend with enhanced sanitation and social distancing measures. In a May 5 email, Kaplan said these procedures included disinfecting restrooms every hour and ensuring the water is properly filtered every hour to two hours. Kaplan also stressed that if it is not safe for guests or employees, the water park will not open.
Typhoon Texas offers 13 main attractions, a 25,000-square-foot wave pool, a 1,345-foot lazy river and eight dining options. For the 2020 season, Typhoon Texas plans to expand its late-night programming and movie showings, Barnett said in a March phone interview.
Meanwhile, Big Rivers Waterpark & Adventures in New Caney plans to allow 2,020 guests at a time to enter its park May 23-31, according to a May 21 Facebook post. However, Hurricane Harbor Splashtown has not announced an opening date on its website or its Facebook page as of 6 p.m. May 21.
