Slide into summer: Water Wizz to open June 19

Water Wizz will open for the 2021 summer season, following the state’s shift to the next stage of reopening — Phase 4, Step 2. 

Jackie Pierce, the operations manager at Water Wizz, said that hearing Gov. Charlie Baker’s May 7 announcement that outdoor water parks would be able to reopen at 50 percent capacity was “beyond exciting.” 

The park must submit a covid-19 safety plan to the state’s Department of Public Health before opening, and the 50 capacity restriction will remain in place through August 1. At that point, Massachusetts is set to remove capacity restrictions entirely for all industries, provided vaccine distribution and public health data indicate it is acceptable.

“We are really looking forward to seeing all our customers and guests and employees, and just having a great family fun summer,” Pierce said. 

Pierce has been with the park 21 years this year, and said it was “so bizarre” not opening last summer. She said people have stopped her when they’ve seen her wearing Water Wizz gear around town to ask if the park was going to open this year.

“We are pumped,” she said of the reopening. “We’re wicked excited.”

The park will open June 19 — Father’s Day weekend — which is typical, according to Pierce. 

“Any earlier than that, it’s too cold weather-wise,” she said, adding that many kids are still in school at that point. “People aren’t really ready — they’re not in that summer mentality earlier than that.”

In addition to the overall 50 percent capacity for the park, Pierce said there would be capacity restrictions for each pool as well. She explained that attendants would monitor the number of people in each pool.

Picnic tables and pool chairs will be set up in small clusters that allow social distancing between groups on the patios. Pierce said the ground and stairs will also be marked with “visual cues” that remind guests to social distance while on their way around the park or up the towers.

The park will follow state guidelines about mask-wearing. While masks won’t be required in the water or when guests are outside and can safely social distance, they will be required for indoor spaces like restrooms.

Pierce said the park also highly recommends people purchase their tickets online this year. With the park at 50 percent capacity, she said buying a ticket online ensures people can avoid lines at the park and guarantees them “a place in the park,” Pierce said.

The park will continue allowing food into the park, Pierce said. When Water Wizz had hoped to open last year, they’d planned to prohibit food entering the park to reduce the need for interactions between staff and guests to conduct cooler checks for prohibited glass or alcohol. But this year, the staff has a plan for cooler checks. 

“The patrons, they’re going to have to move their stuff around inside their cooler so we can look at it,” Pierce said. “We’re not going to touch it.”

Currently, Pierce said employees are finishing cleaning the pools, staining picnic tables and applying fresh coats of paint. “It is really becoming real this week,” she said. “It’s cool — like it’s finally here.” 

Water Wizz is hiring for all positions, Pierce said. Applications can be found on their website at https://www.waterwizz.com/employment-2/. Completed applications can be emailed to office@waterwizz.com or mailed to Water Wizz of Cape Cod 3031 Cranberry Highway, East Wareham, MA 02538. The park’s office will open May 17 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

“We’re just so excited to see everyone,” Pierce said. “[We’re] looking forward to having them come and enjoy their day here with us.”