Castaway Cove reports flat attendance, modest revenue gains and names new ride “Riptide Racer”

Managers for Castaway Cove presented their annual season report to the Wichita Falls City Council on Feb. 18, describing a mostly flat financial year and announcing a new attraction for 2025.

Season summary: Jimmy Holmes and Steve Vaughn of H2 Management said Castaway Cove marked its 20th anniversary in 2024 with special events and anniversary merchandise. Attendance declined about 1% compared with 2023 while per-capita spending at restaurants rose about 2%. Overall revenue increased roughly 1% and expenses increased nearly 2%, in part because the park faced unexpected maintenance issues tied to aging equipment. Management reported an operating profit of $218,430 for 2024.

Guest-experience investments: The park added a specialty pizza outlet (Paradise Slice), three upgraded cabanas, an expanded tropical bar menu and restaurant monitors to speed service. Management said cabana service will expand because it was well received in testing.

New attraction: Castaway Cove announced a four-lane mat-racer attraction that park officials will call Riptide Racer. Management said public voting favored that name and that the attraction includes an electronic timing system at the finish to support competitive rides and repeat visits. Staff said they plan a ribbon-cutting grand-opening event and expected the ride to help draw visitors from outside the immediate market.

Operational notes: Park managers said they are addressing maintenance on legacy attractions (for example, repairs to hoses and UV-damaged components on Pirates Plunge) and will test systems in March before the season opens.

What’s next: Management said Riptide Racer will be promoted on branded merchandise and that a grand-opening date will be set; park operations will include expanded cabana offerings and dynamic pricing strategies for ticketing in 2025.