We had anticipated the trip for a week prior and were fully prepared the day of…minus the fact that I left the sunscreen at home and we had to stop and grab it before we got to the park! MomFail! We got to the park about 15 minutes prior to opening and waited outside the gates. The weather was perfect already and the forecast for the day was sunshine and a little cloud coverage. It was our littlest first trip to a big waterpark and we were ready to make it a great family day!
We decided to rent a bungalow for the day (they were half off, who could pass that up)! This was the best choice we made. We had a semi-private area to keep our things, shade all day, a great view of the wave pool and very close access to the big family rides. It was perfect and we will totally rent a bungalow again.
Another thing that we purchased was Tube Valet and the Pharaohs feast. Tube Valet is something that anyone with little ones needs. You basically pay to have the park bring the large tubes to you and you also go in shorter lines and get on rides faster. Less wait, less carrying and less whining from the kids. This was the second time we have done this and it is the only way for us to go. The Pharaohs feast is an all you can eat, all day, buffet. This was our first time trying this and we would likely do it again. No need to carry around money, just scan the barcode and grab a snack, lunch, ice cream or a drink whenever someone was getting hungry. We looked at the prices around the park of food and items we would have purchased and it was much cheaper for us to do the buffet then it would have been to purchase individual items. The food was good too!
We decided that our first ride would be the Journey to the Center of the Earth ride, which we called the “dinosaur ride”. It was close to our bungalow and had tube valet, so we jumped right in and went for it. The picture above was about 2 minutes before we got on the ride. The little one is very unsure as she was watching other people get in the large tube and go into a dark cave! When our turn came, we all got in and she slightly freaked out, but then went on it another couple times. She loved it and really had a good time.
One thing that I love about Water World is the kid areas have really expanded. There are several different areas of the park and in each area there are small kid friendly places to enjoy. This meant that mom or dad could take in a bigger ride, while the kids played in their areas.
Our kids were all about the water slides and were not exactly rule followers…as you can see by the little one coming down backwards on her belly. We definitely had to chat them up about safety and they were better, but they truly had the best time. We also checked out the mini wave pool they just put in recently, as well as the circus area that had tube water rides for the little ones and a small lazy river. When we were kids, all Water World had for little kids was Wally World which was a small area with a few tiny slides and about 6 inches of water. Now there are so many areas where the entire family can enjoy the entire park.
About half way through the day, our little one was exhausted and told us she needed a nap and she sure did. She crashed out for about 40 minutes in the bungalow. This gave me some time to relax and get a little tan time in and the boys took off, grabbed a tube and hit up the large wave pool at Thunder Bay.
I was cracking up watching my little guy hang out in the tube and hit the waves. My husband was having a blast with him, spinning him around and pushing him into the waves. I would say that the wave pool was probably the favorite “ride” that day. They spent an hour in there and came back just for a drink ready for more. I had to talk them both out of that so we could see and play in more of the park.
We truly had the best time at Water World and are already anticipating our next trip. I know we will be getting season passes in the upcoming years because we just had the best time. Everyone left with a smile on their face, stories to tell, and tired from all the fun! If you are in Colorado, grab your tickets and get to Water World for a day of unlimited fun in the sun!
