Water Park of America: worth the price

If you’re looking for a thrill, check out the Family Raft Ride at Water Park of America. And the good news is you can bring the whole family on it, young to old. During a recent visit, we assumed that my 3-year-old wouldn’t be able to go on any of the waterslides outside the Fort Snelling Kids area. We were happy to learn that even kids under 48 inches can go on every water slide — from the body slides (which I would never send my 3-year-old down alone) to the tube slides to the phenomenal 10-story-tall Family Raft Ride. The wee ones just need to be accompanied by an adult. Hey, it is so much fun I hauled by 8-month-pregnant self up the 10 flights of stairs twice! (I confess, I did wish for an elevator the entire hike.)

This promotional photo shows how much fun the Family Raft Ride is. The tube flies down 10 flights of stairs, dashing in and out of the building as it goes, flinging riders up on the sides and splashing them. It's quite the thrill.

We have been to a fair amount of indoor and outdoor water parks. (Click here for a reviews). Many I’ve disliked because they don’t actually offer much for little kids. Chaos Water Park in Eau Claire was the worst; there was one tiny slide for toddlers. There was plenty at the Water Park of America to keep all of us busy for the day: two hot tubs; a long, lazy river that cut through the wave pool; the Fort Snelling Zero Depth Activity area; an activity pool with basketball hoops; and the aforementioned body/tube/raft slides. During the safety breaks, we headed over to the Cascade Falls Flowrider® to watch the staff exhibit their surfboarding skills.

My toddler loved the Fort Snelling Zero Depth entry area with its three large water slides, bucket, fountains and numerous splash zones. The water slides were large enough that adults could slide down, although you couldn't ride down with your kid.

Whosh! All I could see of my husband when he arrived at the bottom was his foot sticking up. We spotted teenagers going down these medium-sized slides, as well. For those who don't want to send their wee toddlers down alone, there are smaller, open slides.

Many water parks annoy me with (what I deem to be) ridiculous rules. I don’t feed my toddler greasy or sugary foods, so I’m not going to frequent concession stands. I want to bring in my own snacks and not be hassled. Although there’s officially a no-outside-food policy at the Water Park of America, no one yelled at us when we ate our own fruit and protein bars. Nor did we have to work around other strange and annoying rules regarding the use of tubes. At Bunker Beach in Coon Rapids, I have to use a double tube to go around the lazy river with my toddler, even though she’s in my lap; the result is an exceptionally uncomfortable ride because with that front spot empty the whole tube is off-kilter. All in all, the staff at the Water Park of America were pretty laid back. That was such a nice experience for a change. Maybe it was because we were there on a Friday before 5 p.m.?

The lazy river was relaxing without being too slow; we stayed on for several trips and just hung out.

The lazy river ran through the wave pool, which was occasionally turned off. It was a bit tough to stay in the "river" and not get caught up in the waves, but they were fun.

Kids were allowed in the hot tub (like you could keep them out). My daughter loves the warm water and could hang out in a hot tub all day. I make sure she doesn't overheat, of course.

The one thing that was obnoxious was the locker room situation. Apparently, the park designers didn’t actually expect many non-hotel guests to use the water park. I have never seen a locker room more poorly designed. To get to the toilets, you have to walk either through the shower area or a narrow hallway outside the tiny changing rooms; you have to walk back through that area to get to the sinks. The sink area is across from the lockers, and there’s almost no space to change to get ready. So, we used the one available family locker room, hidden near the entrance. It wasn’t much better, although there was at least enough space to manuever. The shower head didn’t work at all, and there were no benches or hooks so the only space for our bags and clothes was the wet floor. I really wanted a shower before I left; my skin had been itching since I first got wet. Understandably, they use a lot of chlorine.

Tickets range from $19.95 to $39.95 for a full day, with the average being $29.95. Half-day prices range from $14.95 to $34.95. Thursday and Sundays are cheapest. The waterpark is closed Monday to Wednesday, and is only open from 3 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays.

Someday when my daughter is older, I’d love to get a room and hang out on the overlooking balcony all day while she splashes around with a friend.

We got two lockers to fit all of our stuff. They were tiny. Each cost $6, and were the type with keys so you could get in and out of them all day.

IF YOU GO

- Bring your own beach towel. The ones provided are tiny and coarse, although they will do if you don’t have anything else.

- Lockers are $6 each, and they are really small. We got two for the three of us (shoes, coats, swim bags, snacks, water). They only accept credit cards for the lockers.

- Kids 11 months and under are free.

- Children under 13 years of age must be accompanied by an adult age 18 years or older while visiting the water park. Children age 13-17 may enter the park without an adult, but must have the Assumption of Risk Waiver signed by an adult who is 18 years of age or older prior to entering the park.

- Bring a life jacket if your little one/s can’t swim. The water is deep enough and the lazy river fast enough that a life jacket will provide peace of mind. There are some available for free at the park.

- Complimentary wireless internet is available throughout the Radisson Hotel and water park.

- Strollers aren’t allowed inside.

- Expect to be slightly inconvenienced if you don’t actually stay at the waterpark hotel. The locker rooms are poorly designed, and not everything works.

WATER PARK OF AMERICA

1700 American Boulevard East  Bloomington, MN 55425

(952) 229-5753

www.waterparkofamerica.com