Morgan's Wonderland Informations

Morgan's Wonderland is a 25-acre non-profit theme park in San Antonio, Texas for guests of all ages and abilities. The ultra-accessible park, which opened in spring 2010 on the site of the former Longhorn Quarry, was developed by Gordon Hartman, a former homebuilder from San Antonio; his daughter, Morgan, now 24, who deals with cognitive and physical challenges, inspired creation of the park.

Morgan's Wonderland is the first theme park of its kind in the world, and has welcomed more than a million guests from all 50 states and 71 other countries. Completely wheelchair-accessible, the $34 million park features more than 25 elements and attractions including rides, playgrounds, gardens, an eight-acre catch-and-release fishing lake, 18,000-square-foot special-event center, 575-seat amphitheater, picnic area and rest areas throughout the park.

The organization's mission statement is: “To provide a safe, clean and beautiful environment free of physical and economic barriers that all individuals – regardless of age, special need or disability – can come to and enjoy,” and is often accompanied by the motto, “Where Everyone Can Play!”

Admission for guests with special needs is free; and admission fees for accompanying family members, friends, caregivers and the general public are nominal.

In 2005, Hartman sold his successful homebuilding business to establish The Gordon Hartman Family Foundation so he and his wife, Maggie, could pursue their dream of helping children and adults with special needs.

During a family vacation, Morgan wanted to play with kids tossing a ball in a hotel swimming pool, but when she approached them, they abruptly took their ball and vanished. “I’ll never forget the look of anguish and dismay on Morgan’s face, so I decided there had to be a way to bridge the gap of misunderstanding about people with special needs. That incident was the tipping point for Morgan’s Wonderland and ultimately Morgan’s Inspiration Island,” Hartman said.

On March 3, 2010, Morgan's Wonderland opened, followed by a grand opening celebration on April 10, 2010, with NBA legend David Robinson and actress Eva Longoria as special guests.

On June 17, 2017, Morgan's Wonderland unveiled a major addition -- Morgan's Inspiration Island splash park.

Because of the emphases on inclusion, the two parks have earned national and international acclaim. In 2017, the World Waterpark Association bestowed its Leading Edge Award on Morgan's Inspiration Island for ultra-accessible design and revolutionary waterproof wheelchairs. Morgan's Wonderland was proclaimed "Park of the Year" at the 2017 Golden Ticket Awards presented by Amusement Today, a publication covering the international theme parks and amusements industry. Both parks received the 2018 Barrier-Free America Award from the Paralyzed Veterans of America organization headquartered in Washington, D. C. In August 2018, Morgan's Inspiration Island was named one of "The World's Greatest Places" courtesy of TIME Magazine.

Rides custom-designed to accommodate wheelchair riders means that every family member can enjoy the fun. Adapted rides include the Wonderland Express train, with a half-mile of track that wraps around the park's scenic lake; the Off-Road Adventure, where guests can test their driving skills in sporty all-terrain-type vehicles; the Whirling Wonder™ Ferris wheel, with a dozen brightly colored gondolas that rise up to 5 ½ stories high for panoramic views of the park; and a carousel, offering all kinds of horses and other animals ready to be ridden. The latter sits flush with the ground and has “chariots” that move up and down as the carousel turns, giving those in wheelchairs the same sensation as guests riding horses.

At The Wharf that juts out into the lake, guests can captain their own remote-controlled pirate ships or enjoy catch-and-release fishing for catfish or bass. There's also the Sensory Village™, a cluster of storefronts with activities to encourage imaginative play and stimulate all the senses.

After playing in either of two expansive, shaded playgrounds or on a large variety of swings (including wheelchair swings), guests can enjoy a family picnic at the covered Picnic Place. Families have the option of purchasing snacks and drinks at Morgan's Wonderland or bringing food with them to the park.

Everyone can play at Morgan's Wonderland, and everyone can enjoy the park's live entertainment, which demonstrates and celebrates inclusion. On select days of operation guests can expect meet-and-greets with park mascots and characters, live-action stage performances, interactive performances, street performers, and more.

In the fall of 2015, Morgan's Wonderland added The Wonder Squad to their in-park entertainment lineup. Composed of four super-heroes - – accompanied by “super-eye dog,” Uno – The Wonder Squad is known for “turning disabilities into SUPER abilities.”

Early in the design of Morgan's Wonderland, the public was asked to identify the most important thing the park should focus on. The number one response was safety. Safety was taken into consideration not only in designing the custom rides and playgrounds, but also in ensuring everyone (including special-needs guests and caregivers) stays within the park boundaries.

Thus, Morgan's Wonderland uses RFID (radio frequency identification) technology within each of its GPS Adventure Bands and its Location Stations. Each arriving guest is offered the option to wear a GPS Adventure Band; each band has a unique identification number that's electronically assigned to the guest and his or her group. Scanning the band at either of the two Location Stations in the park displays the exact real-time location of each group member.

The band also enables guests to take part in electronic activities. For example, scanning the band at the Auto Shop in the Sensory Village will enable a guest to use a finger to “paint” an onscreen vehicle and forward the finished graphic to an email address. Similarly, scanning the band at the Off-Road Adventure will result in the taking and sending of a photo of riders in a vehicle to the guest's email

On August 28, 2012, Toyota was named presenting sponsor of Morgan's Wonderland. Toyota shares a keen interest with Morgan's Wonderland in helping people with special needs. Various vehicles adapted by Toyota to help physically challenged individuals can be seen on display in the park.

Each spring and fall, Morgan's Wonderland hosts more than 8,000 elementary school children from over 130 schools for structured educational field trips that are tailored specifically to state-mandated TEKS requirements.

The park also works closely with Cub Scouts in helping them complete requirements and electives, and it serves as a Girl Scouts Community Partner. All scouts who visit the park with their groups receive complimentary Morgan's Wonderland patches.

Complete article available at this page.