Immersion Meets Inclusion: Inside the Magic of Morgan’s Wonderland

Interview conducted by Spencer Bollettieri, lead freelance writer for Theme Park Magazine

Theme parks and attractions across the United States are as diverse as they are abundant, but Morgan’s Wonderland in San Antonio, Texas, stands out as truly one of a kind. At Theme Park Magazine, immersion is often the focus, examining how theming, storytelling, and interactivity allow guests to lose themselves in another world. Yet while immersion invites guests into those worlds, it is inclusion that ensures everyone can become part of them. That’s why Theme Park Magazine recently spoke with Morgan’s Wonderland president Richard Pretlow to learn more about the park’s mission, its innovative approach to accessibility, and the magic of their world where superheroes soar, memories are made, and imagination is unleashed.

The Genesis of an Ultra-Accessible Dream

Theme Park Magazine (TPM): What inspired the creation of Morgan’s Wonderland, and how did that vision evolve over time?

Richard Pretlow (RP): So, the vision of Morgan’s Wonderland…the park itself is 15 years old, but the vision and inspiration for it began about 18 or 19 years ago.

So, our founder, Gordon Hartman, was a very successful home builder here in San Antonio. And his daughter, Morgan, who is the inspiration behind the park, she was born with physical and cognitive special needs. Wonderful girl, great girl, and she’s a dancer and, you know, loves fashion, all the things. She’s just a wonderful person with a beautiful spirit.

About 18 or 19 years ago, Gordon and his family were visiting a very famous park resort in Orlando. But Morgan, at the time, she was non-verbal. She was non-speaking. And Morgan’s also very tall. She’s 6’4…they were in a pool and Morgan saw some children who were playing with a ball and she wanted to go play with those kids. But unfortunately, those children, just not knowing how to interact with someone who was as tall as Morgan, someone who was non-verbal, non-speaking, they very quickly got their ball and they exited the pool. And that really left an impression on Gordon, and he wanted to build a place where everyone of all abilities could come and play together. And that’s what Morgan’s Wonderland is all about.

So, if you look at all of our rides and all of our attractions, they are all designed to be wheelchair accommodating. Where someone who is in a chair does not need to exit out of their chair. Their chair can just fit right along in the ride.

Like, if you look at our wheelchair gondola on our carousel, it looks like it’s supposed to be there. It looks like every other gondola. If you look at our gondola on our Happy Swing, on our Magic Bikes, our Ferris Wheel, it just looks like it’s supposed to be there. So, we design it so that everyone can play together. Everyone can be together. Someone with special needs or disabilities is not isolated in a section for other people. You can do everything together. So, that’s really the inspiration behind the park and why we do all the things that we do.

Overcoming Design Hurdles for Universal Play

TPM: That’s beautiful. What were some of the biggest challenges in designing a park that’s fully inclusive from the ground up?

RP: So, I’ve only been here three years. So, in some cases, I can only go by what Gordon tells me. But I have been in the theme park business for 18 years now. One of the challenges that Gordon often talks about, you know, to build something like this, you really have to be curious.

You really have to ask a lot of questions. And you have to think in a manner that’s different than the traditional standard of thinking.

And so, Gordon often tells a story of when he first went to the IAAPA Expo, and I believe it was 2007 or 2008. And he spoke with many ride manufacturers and said, Hey, we’re building this park in San Antonio, and we want to be able to put a wheelchair on whatever kind of ride you can build. And he says that most people at the Expo laughed him out of the room. And now you look 18 years later, Gordon is in the IAAPA Hall of Fame, and when he walks on the show floor, he’s honestly a celebrity.

So, you know, that curiosity is really how the park started. Nobody thought about, you know, a carousel that can accommodate someone who’s in a wheelchair. No one thought about the fact that if you look at our carousel, I know I keep referencing our carousel, but if you look at it, it’s actually built into the ground so that you don’t actually have to step up on it like you have to do a traditional carousel.

Even a lot of the hydraulic components that we have for our rides, you know, you go to a traditional park, all those components are out in the open making all types of noise. We actually build structures around those devices so that that noise, I mean, you still hear it. You know it’s there, but it’s not the super loud, you know, hydraulic system that you would see at another park there. So we think about all those things.

I mean, lights, movement throughout the park. You’ll notice that there are really no ramps or no stairs in this park. We make everything here accessible. And, you know, I often get the question about what can parks do to make themselves more accessible. And, you know, me coming from Six Flags, coming from SeaWorld, being in, you know, those executive positions, controlling capital, accessibility really has to be a discussion that happens in the forefront rather than afterwards.

Unseen Innovations: The Power of Inclusive Staffing and Design

TPM: Can you walk us through some of the park’s most innovative features that guests might not notice at first glance?

RP: I would say something that’s unique that most people might not notice unless they’re really looking hard, and you all probably may notice this today. Take a look at our staff.

About 20% of our staff identify as having a disability or a special need, and many of them are doing jobs that somewhere else they might not be able to do. We have a great ride supervisor who operates all the rides in the park, including the train. He’s in a wheelchair, and every single ride here he can operate.

We actually had a visually impaired ride attendant, and you just really don’t think about it, and, for us in the theme park business, safety is such a high priority…but he used his other senses to know where things were, you know, on the track, and he knew exactly how many people were in the gondola. He knew exactly where the exit gate was, I mean, it was a thing of beauty like I’ve never seen before, but you don’t think about the fact that their other senses compensate, and, you know, we had a living, breathing example of that here.

And what also makes it unique is, you know, about 20 percent of our guests identify as having a special need or disability, and representation is so important. You know, when we have a guest who identifies as having a special need…when they see somebody working in positions that, in a traditional theme park, they may not be able to work in or they may be excluded from. They see it happening here. In a lot of cases, that gives folks hope, and it shows the world that, you know, you can have a ride operator or a ride attendant that might not be able to see that well. You know, you can have a ride operator or a ride attendant who’s in a wheelchair, and they can still operate that ride to the standards of safety that, you know, that we expect.

So that’s one of the cool things about the park that I like telling people about.

Transforming Lives: Stories of Joy and Connection

TPM: That’s incredible. So how has the park changed the lives of visitors and their family? Are there any stories that stand out?

RP: There’s one story in particular. So I started here in 2023. I came from SeaWorld San Antonio. I think we were just past spring break, and we weren’t super busy or anything like that, but I was out and about walking in the park near our butterfly playground. There was a gentleman who was an adult, and he was in a motorized wheelchair. He was kind of off to the corner, and he was crying.

I mean, he looked like he was just, you know, upset, distraught. I’m like: “Oh my goodness, what’s going on?”…And just approach him, you know, say: “Sir, you know, is everything okay? Is there something I can help you with?” And he says: “No, I’m really, really happy.” And he goes on to tell me his story about, you know, he’s a wounded warrior, so he had been deployed, and he had a son who was born while he was deployed. And so unfortunately, he came back and was permanently restricted to a wheelchair.

He said: “This is the first time that I’ve been able to play with my son.” Because if you look at, when you go out in the park, you look at our playground, it looks like an ordinary playground, because it is an ordinary playground. But it’s so wide that a wheelchair can actually get up and down, and as a matter of fact, two wheelchairs can actually cross paths with each other. That’s how incredibly wide it is.

And so he was saying, you know, they live in an apartment, and there’s a playground there where, you know, his son plays all the time, but he usually has to sit and watch because of two reasons. Number one, the playground is not wide enough or accessible enough for him to get up in there with his son.

But also one thing you’ll notice about our playground, you know, one thing you see in traditional playgrounds, they’re usually surrounded by sand or mulch. Well, ours, we have a pebble flake flooring, so he was able to just drive his wheelchair, you know, right across it versus sand or mulch. I mean, you know, a wheelchair is not an all-terrain vehicle. So he was restricted in how much he could play with his son, but he came here, and he was able to have a good old time with his son.

So those are some of the moments that we get really happy about because you have someone who, you know, left the United States one way, came back another way, who did not get to experience the birth, you know, of his child, nor has he been able to play with his son in the way that a fully able, you know, father might be able to play with their son. And we gave him the ability here to be able to.

Fostering Community and Advocating for Accessibility

TPM: That’s touching. So here’s another question: How do you engage with the local San Antonio community and disability advocacy groups?

RP: So, you know, Morgans, we’re so much more than just a theme park. (14:08) You know, we have our multi-assistance center. We have our camp, our inclusion institute. There’s the Morgans Hotel that’s out and about.

As an organization, we engage as a whole with the special needs community. My job here at the park is to really make sure that folks know that we are a place for everybody. We’re not just for, you know, folks with special needs. We really want everyone to play together.

So my involvement is really more in like hospitality, theme park, those types of trade organizations, making sure that I get the word out to those organizations, to those theme park professionals, that we are a place where everyone can come and play together.

Not just that. This is a great place for those attractions to come and learn how they can be more accessible.

A Blueprint for the Industry: Lessons in Inclusive Design

TPM: In fact, that was another question we wanted to ask you: What do you think the broader theme park industry can learn from Morgan’s Wonderland?

RP: So I’ll go back to just being curious and just asking questions. Just asking questions and challenging what the norm and what the standard has been for so long now. Big priority for us in this business is always safety.

You ask any theme park executive what’s their number one priority, they’re going to say safety. So safety is always our number one priority, which makes the design of accessible attractions more challenging, but it also makes the concept more intriguing.

Weaving Immersion and Inclusion: A Seamless Experience

TPM: At Theme Park Magazine, we’re all about immersion, storytelling, that kind of thing. How do you create an immersive experience where all guests feel emotionally and physically included?

RP: We are a guest services business, and so if you look at some of the projects that we’ve done here, we actually consult with folks who identify with having a special need.

I’ll give you an example. One of our ride operators, that I was telling you about, when we were designing or coming up with the concept for our Happy Swings and our Magic Bikes…we asked him flat out: “You being a permanent wheelchair user, what are things that you need to make this ride more accessible for you from a team member perspective? And also from a guest perspective? And he just told us all that.

It was things that we don’t really think about, but it’s like: “Oh, that’s actually a great point”. So, getting people involved who identify with those needs really helps you to create those experiences, because they have the lived experience.

I can tell you what I know based on what people have told me, but someone who utilizes a wheelchair, somebody who identifies as having autism, somebody who has a cognitive disability, they can tell you about their lived experience far better than I can.

The Wonder Squad: Crafting Original Heroes for All

TPM: So I wanted to ask you, a lot of theme parks are wide on popular IPs. You created your own unique characters. Can you tell us more about them?

RP: The character IPs, those were created back in 2010..so our goal over the next few years is to have more rides that are themed around the WonderSquad, merchandise, food, just experiences in general that kind of capitalize on that immersive intellectual property experience.

And so we’ve started to do some of that. Like, for example, our zipline is Rocket Skyflight Adventure. It’s named after one of our WonderSquad characters. Our Magic Bikes is Jette’s, a magic bike we’ve themed that around that particular character. But we do have a lot more growth opportunity with that intellectual property there.

Thoughtful Spaces: Sensory-Friendly Design in Action

TPM: What are some examples where sensory elements are used to enhance immersion without overwhelming guests? Like, you know, sight, sound, touch, that kind of thing.

RP: Yeah, sight, sound, touch. So we have a great area called Sensory Village. And so when you walk into that facility, one thing you’ll notice is that the lights in that room, in that area, are dim.

There’s very minimal sound. Like, we have a theater in there that kind of, you know, produces some boom, boom, boom. But for the most part, it’s very quiet in there.

We also have a space that I’m very proud of. We have a sensory quiet room that has some really great acoustics in that room. So…you know, we do have guests, especially on the younger side. That sensory space allows for the parent or guardian to take their child into that room for it to be cool, for it to be calm. The acoustics absorb all the sound so that you don’t have to end your day right then and there. We’re really excited about that because I’ve seen, you know, like we have nursing stations and we have like quiet spaces, but we didn’t really have a room that had comfortable seating, you know, really strong, you know, acoustic devices that just absorb every bit of sound

The Butterfly: A Symbol of Unity and Hope

TPM: Can you talk more about the butterfly I’ve been seeing around everywhere? Because we saw the big walls of butterflies and the maps, and all the butterflies that you made. What’s the story behind the butterflies?

RP: You know, Morgan loves butterflies, and the butterfly is our symbol of inclusion. So, everything Morgan’s related has the, you know, has the butterfly on it. So, if you see the butterfly, you know it’s Morgan’s. And even our one character is Joy the Butterfly. You know, she’s a butterfly.

We do tend to have, not so much this year…I think there was an issue with migration, but we usually have a pretty good flock of monarch butterflies that come up from Mexico.

Peeking into the Future: Exciting New Horizons

TPM: Okay, last question. Are there any new projects, features, or expansions in development you’re excited to share with us?

RP: We have a couple of things in development. I’m not really ready to share, but I will tell you, we’ve got a new attraction coming next year. And then we’ve got another new attraction coming the year after that. And we’re already developing our 2028 attraction.

We will have a lot to talk about. But out of respect for the design process that’s still going on, I’ll just say wait and see. As a matter of fact, are you guys going to be at the IAAPA Expo?… Well, there may or may not be an exciting announcement at the Expo.

TPM: Seems like we’ll have a lot to talk about. Thank you so much for meeting with us.

RP: Of course, of course.

Immersion and Inclusion: The Morgan’s Wonderland Model

From there, Theme Park Magazine was escorted into Morgan’s Wonderland, where we were introduced to the park’s resident team of superheroes: The Wonder Squad. Out and about, greeting guests and interacting with the park’s delightfully charismatic zoologist, Professor Fluttering, the team brought energy and heart to every corner of the park. The squad includes Morgan, a butterfly-winged empath and healer; Rocket, a mechanically gifted speedster who zips through the park in a supercharged wheelchair of his own design; X-Ray and his loyal super service dog, Uno; and Jette, a stylish and brilliant hero who takes flight with the help of jet-propelled crutches engineered by Rocket.

Meanwhile, attractions throughout the park range from gentler experiences like the Sensory Village, the Wonderland Express, and the peaceful, drop-line fishing area, to more adventurous offerings such as Rocket’s Sky Flight Adventure, a wheelchair-accessible zipline offering stunning views of the park’s eight-acre lake. And for those looking to cool off, Morgan’s Wonderland is also home to Morgan’s Inspiration Island, the world’s only ultra-accessible splash park.

Although designed with individuals with special needs in mind, Morgan’s Wonderland proudly identifies as a family park. Visitors from around the globe often comment on how ideal it is for young children and multigenerational families alike. It’s a place where innovation meets intention, where technology and design come together to ensure no one is left out of the fun.

At its heart, Morgan’s Wonderland proves that immersion and inclusion are not opposites, but partners. Immersion brings guests into a world of imagination; inclusion ensures that world belongs to everyone. And in a place built on love, joy, and accessibility, the magic truly is for all.

Feature image courtesy of Morgan’s Wonderland.

Explore More: Videos

CBS News: Texas dad creates fully accessible theme park inspired by daughter

Morgan’s Wonderland 2025 Teaser

Great YouTube Short Video on Morgan’s Wonderland

Explore More: Resources

• Website: Morgan’s Wonderland (official)
• Website: Visit San Antonio (official)

As a biologist, journalist, and writer, Spencer Bollettieri has written for sites such as Screen Rant. Although mostly based out of New York, he’s traveled the world in pursuit of new stories.