The Herald-Zeitung

Schlitterbahn Waterparks are venturing upstream and opening a new waterpark more than 700 miles away from home territory.

Water is flowing through the proposed $750 million Schlitterbahn Vacation Village in Kansas City, Kan., and Schlitterbahn officials Friday said they were moving toward an official opening date.

Crews started filling the park at the beginning of the month, Schlitterbahn spokesman Jeffrey Siebert said.

“We’ve completed the first phase of the outdoor waterpark,” Siebert said. “Now we’re just waiting for the Kansas team to give us an opening date.”

Attractions and rivers will be connected throughout the resort. If park goers want to remain in the water all day, Siebert said they had that option.

“Schlitterbahn Vacation Village takes that transportainment idea that’s so popular and incorporates it throughout the whole park,” he said. “If you’re in the torrent river, you can head one way to a tube chute that will put you on their Master Blaster — which is called the Storm Blaster there — which will dump you out into the crystal river... The big attractions are all connected.”

The vacation village will be the operation’s first park built outside of Texas.

“We’re excited to start a new Schlitterbahn experience in a new state,” Siebert said. “We hope this brings people driving down (Interstate) 35 to see where it all began, here in New Braunfels, Texas.”

Officials expect a large opening when they do set a date.

“We’re most excited about swinging the gates open and letting everyone have a good time,” Siebert said. “So many folks are anticipating this opening ... We’re just excited to get it open to the public.”

For information and pictures of the new park, go to Schlitterbahn’s blog at http://schlitterblogkc.blogspot.com/