Fountains of Youth: 5 Water Parks Where Grandparents Can Make a Big Splash with Their Grandkids! Joseph Decibus May 23, 2017 Family Travel, Interests This post was last updated on August 30, 2023. Whether you’re best friends with your grandkids or just beginning to bond, treating them to a day at a water park can be a great way to dive into a summer full of good times together. A water park is a trusted source of fun. If racing along with your grandkids down a five or six story water slide isn’t your cup of tea though, no worries. There are plenty of tamer options as well. (Can you say, “lazy river”?) Just check out our water park picks below and then call your grandkids — and your “kids” too! — to drink from your favorite fountain of youth together! Universal Volcano Bay — Orlando, FL “Volcano Bay (36829605694)” by Paulo Guereta is licensed under CC BY 2.0 If you think that sliding into a sea that contains the secret of time and that was created by the tears of a heartbroken goddess will enchant your grandkids (and you), then head to Volcano Bay at Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida. It’s themed on an imaginative South Pacific island tale dreamed up by the folks at Universal Creative. The whole experience revolves around a man-made volcano that spouts waterfalls by day and faux lava by night! Volcano Bay features 18 attractions, ranging in style from daring to serene, in four differently themed areas of the park. So there’s something for the whole family, young and older alike. Just some of the attractions include a multi-directional wave pool with sandy beaches; a lazy, winding river; twisting multi-rider raft rides; and speedy body water slides that drop from the top of the volcano. The Waturi inhabitants of the park will present you with an exclusive TapuTapu wristband to pre-schedule your activities. For example, you can set up a time for your body water slide with a few taps of your TapuTapu on a ride’s totem and then go off and do something else until it’s your turn to slide. Cedar Point Shores — Sandusky, OH “Cedar Point Soak City entrance with slides (1545)” by Gregory Varnum is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 The legendary amusement park Cedar Point declared in 2016 that its Soak City water park was all washed up and that it would revamp, redevelop, and rename it. And so in 2017, Cedar Point Shores Water Park debuted in its place with new attractions, expanded changing and cabana facilities, and updated food venues. Other features include a poolside bar, additional shade areas, enhanced landscaping, and a beautiful view of Lake Erie. Just some of the new aquatic amusements include Point Plummet, which has four massive, six-story water slides down which you plummet in a near vertical free-fall. Then there’s Starboard Surge and Portside Plunge, which are five-story tube water slides, and Lakeslide Landing, which is a family splash ground with 12 kid-sized water slides. Noah’s Ark Water Park — Wisconsin Dells, WI “Noah’s Ark 071” by Jeremy Thompson is licensed under CC BY 2.0 Noah’s Ark is the largest water park in America, according to the official website of the Wisconsin Department of Tourism. The park is spread over 70 acres and has more than 50 water slides and attractions. what’s more, Noah’s Ark is only one of twenty-plus water parks in the Wisconsin Dells area, which proclaims itself the “Waterpark Capital of the World.” So if you want to take your grandkids water park hopping, the Dells is probably one of the best places to do it, with Noah’s Ark making a fine starting point. Noah’s Ark has a range of aquatic rides and adventures, from thrillers like Point of No Return — a nearly vertical plunge slide that blurs the line between thrill and pure terror — to group rides like the Time Warp, in which several members of your family can ride together. But if you prefer to only get splashed with images, you can also take in a movie at the 4D Dive-In Theater. Waldameer and Water World — Erie, PA “Six Lane Rally Racer” by Bigtime Boy is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 Waldameer and Water World is a historic family-owned amusement park in Erie, Pennsylvania that has been entertaining people of all ages since 1896. When it comes to summer fun, Waldameer provides the best of both wet and dry amusement park attractions, including roller coasters, a Ferris wheel, merry-go-round, flying swings, and thrill rides on the dry side. The water park features 19 different water slides of varying thrill levels, a new interactive area for families, and one of the largest wave pools in this part of the country. Water Country USA at Busch Gardens — Williamsburg, VA “Colossal Curl at Water Country USA” by Inside the Magic is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Part of the SeaWorld archipelago of water parks, Water Country USA is associated with nearby Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia. Attractions include the Hubba Hubba Highway, a 1,500 foot long, not-so lazy river that people of all ages can just jump right into and ride along on its current for a 3.5 acre trip through the park. This water park also offers about 11 slides and rides of varying thrill levels, including ones that are designed for family adventure. For the more daring among your family, there’s the Nitro Racer slide and the Jet Scream, and for colossal family refreshment and fun, there’s the Colossal Curl slide. This park also has a wave pool, a rock ‘n’ roll area, and a kids area. Of course, another big advantage of this park is that you can also buy a ticket to go to Busch Gardens if you like! You may also like: 5 Tips to Get Senior Travel Deals A Few Tips to Consider Here’s some advice you might want to consider prior to bringing your family to a water park: ► Many of the rides at the parks have restrictions that include height and weight minimums/maximums. So you may want to review these on a park’s website to ensure that you and your grandkids will be able to do all that you want to do. ► Bring water shoes to protect your feet as you explore a water park. ► If you have special needs, contact the water park in advance to see if arrangements can be made for you. ► For an extra fee, you can usually buy fast lane passes at some of the parks that enable you to skip the regular lines, including virtual ones. ► At some parks, the hours of operation vary depending on the day. So always check a park’s online calendar for the most up-to-date information. Also, opening and closing times can change without notice due to variables such as weather or attendance. Did we leave out your favorite water park? Tell us about it in the comments below!
