GRAND ISLAND, NY (WKBW) — Niagara Amusement Park and Splash World at Fantasy Island is scheduled to open next month, but a broken website and a lack of job postings have people worried.
The park's website lists a 2026 opening date of May 23, but season passes are not available. Clicking the link leads to an "access denied" page.
I met with some Grand Island leaders who are looking for answers about the park, located off Grand Island Boulevard. The 85-acre site sits in the middle of one of the busiest KOAs in the U.S.
"We're trusting what they're saying, but right now, we're hoping some of their feet move in a different direction, towards opening and having a really great season," Grand Island Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Eric Fiebelkorn said.
According to Fiebelkorn, management told him the park will open.
"They have plans to open this year. They're working towards it," he said. "They're working through some logistics right now internally, and that's their words towards it, nothing more than that. But they assured me that they're working towards opening. So, having such a good relationship, we want to take them at their word, but there's questions."
The park has also failed to advertise any job openings that many teens and college students apply for each season.
"Our kids are trying to apply and we're not hearing anything. So that was another one of my questions, and they said, all in good time," Fiebelkorn said.
Grand Island Supervisor Pete Marston tells me he has not heard anything about the park opening and worries about losing the major economic impact it provides each summer.
"That amusement park is part of our culture period," Marston said. "They augment other businesses, restaurants, you know, even small retail shops. They bring people here that wouldn't normally be here, therefore they're spending money on our local economy. Big thing.”
Grand Island Council Member Jose Garcia was not able to meet with me, but in a text, he said he is hoping the park opens because it is such an important part of the community.
For now, it remains a roller coaster ride for residents.
WATCH: Drone video above the amusement park
One Grand Island mother texted me saying that if the park closes, it will be “terrible” for those with young children.
We reached out to the park owners for answers, but have not received a response yet.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
