Ask most parents and they’ll tell you that they’d do anything for their children. While that may be a sincere feeling in our hearts, “anything” doesn’t always translate in the practical world. In reality, we need material resources to make things move. Thankfully, Gordon Hartman, father of a daughter with special needs, had access to those resources, the experience, and the determination to put a smile on his daughter’s face.
His drive to create a space for her came when they went to a public pool and Gordon his daughter unable to make friends while there.
Gordon created the world’s first theme park for special needs kids.
Gordon’s daughter Morgan is autistic and was born with cognitive and other special needs, Upworthy reported. So after that family vacation, he began searching for a theme park that made accommodations for her needs. The place did not exist. So Gordon went about the work of creating it. That is the origin story of Morgan’s Wonderland, the world’s first ultra-accessible theme park, designed specifically for special needs kids. Located in San Antonio, Texas, Morgan’s Wonderland is designed for people with and without disabilities to be able to have fun together.
The initial park cost $35 million.
“It’s a park for 100 percent of the people, not one for 90 or 80 percent of them, it’s for everybody, no matter how acute their special need may be,” Gordon told People. “That’s what my dream was.” That dream became a reality when the park opened in 2010, but it took years of sacrifice.
In 2005, Gordon, the owner of San Antonio’s largest homebuilding and land development company, quit his job to devote his time to building this park for Morgan. Today, the $35 million facility is entirely wheelchair accessible, boasts 25 attractions including rides, playgrounds, and more.
There are built-in features to service their guests.
Seven years after its initial opening, the park added a $17 million water park area called Morgan’s Inspiration Island, People reported. The park has a Ferris wheel, an accessible train, a river ride, warm water areas for people with muscular conditions, and special wrist bands that can track the location of visitors for guests with autism who may run from their guardians.
Parents are grateful for Gordon’s efforts.
More than just a haven for its visitors, one-third of the park’s staff are people with special needs. The park runs on donations and fundraising, and admission for anyone with a mental or physical disability is free. In 2017, the park was operating at a loss, losing around $1 million each year. Still, for Gordon it’s worth it.
Once during a walk through of the park, a father took Gordon’s hand and started crying. The man drew Gordon’s attention to his adult son playing in the water. He told Gordon he’d never seen his son play like that before.
Another couple said Morgan’s Wonderland gave their daughter the chance to participate instead of just spectate. “So many people told us that this would be an opportunity for our daughter to finally have a place where she wouldn’t have to sit on the sidelines, she could actually do everything,” they told Gordon. “That’s exactly right,” he said in response. “That’s exactly what this whole place is about.”
