My family and I had a blast at Zoombezi Bay which is one of the best waterparks in Ohio a few weekends ago! It was the perfect weekend to enjoy the waterpark with both of my kids. Zoombezi provided tickets for my family. We were so excited to share the day together enjoying the water slides!
You may remember that my four year old was struggling to get rid of the pull-ups at night. His reward for being all undies all the time was a trip to Zoombezi Bay! He made his goal in two short weeks! While we are members of the Columbus Zoo, we’ve never been to Zoombezi bay. I remember enjoying it as a child when it was under a different name. To be honest, just like my Cedar Point trip last month, I was really interested to see what was available to kids.
Well, there’s plenty! Not only do the kids get tired out, there’s plenty to do. Our favorite thing at Zoombezi bay was the new Baboon Lagoon. It’s a huge tower that is filled with slides for all ages – including adults. I loved that I could do the slides with my four year old and even my two year old. Again! Again! That’s all I heard for hours. 🙂
Besides Baboon Lagoon, Zoombezi Bay waterpark also has a kid area that has much smaller slides. I loved it with my kids because it was easy for them to play together there since they’re at varying degrees of waterslide height requirements.
Because of our jam-packed day there, I came up with some tips to make any waterpark easier with kids. There’s a few things to prepare yourself for so that you’ll have an easier day.
1. Get a puddle jumper.
My number one thing to take with you is the puddle jumper. We don’t leave home without this every single time we go to the pool, let alone the waterpark. The puddle jumper is United States Coast Guard approved! It’s also non-restricting. My kids have such freedom with it and it gives them confidence. For this mom, it also gives me peace of mind. Of course, I still keep my eyes on my kids but since they’re going down waterslides and riding the lazy river – I know they’re protected. I was asked a number of times while we were there, where I got the life vest. (I got it here.) It’s amazing, folks!
2. Pack a lunch and a snack.
Before you head to the waterpark, check the rules to see if you can bring food in. If you can, do it. Prices can be high. If you can’t, think about putting a cooler in your car. When my parents took us to a theme park when we were little, they would pack a cooler in the car. When it was lunch time we would venture out to the car and eat it. I vividly remember doing this, and it was no big deal to me. What a savings!
If your waterpark doesn’t allow food inside, they may have special circumstances where you can bring food in. Zoombezi Bay allows you to store your cooler near the entrance and use the zoo that is attached to picnic. Here’s what their rules are.
Due to limited acreage Zoombezi Bay does not offer public picnic areas. Guests are not permitted to bring food into Zoombezi Bay however, we do provide a cooler storage area for guests located at the entrance to Zoombezi Bay. Your admission to Zoombezi Bay will allow you to exit the park to enjoy your packed meal at the Zoo and re-enter when you finish. Guests are permitted to bring in bottled water.
With a little flexibility you can save a lot by bringing your own food!
3. Bring a wagon.
When we visited the waterpark we made the mistake of not bringing a stroller or a wagon. Thankfully, we live close to Zoombezi Bay where we were visiting. We went home for naps and on our way back that afternoon made sure to grab our wagon. It was so much easier to bring the kids in with all the stuff like their puddle jumpers, towels and sunscreen.
4. Dress and put sunscreen on before arriving.
I don’t know about you, but once the kids saw the waterpark they wanted to run right in and play! Putting sunscreen on them at home, was a winner. Not only did the sunscreen have time to soak in, but it cut down on the amount of time the kids had to wait until we could play. Above is a picture of my kids telling me to “HURRY UP!”. They were ready to go! As you can see, they were also dressed head to toe in their swim outfits. The only thing we had to change was my two year old swim diaper. (Don’t forget that swim diapers don’t keep everything in – you don’t want them riding in their swim diaper in the car. Trust me.) If you don’t live close to the waterpark, I would suggest dressing the kids at the car before getting into the waterpark.
5. Get discount tickets.
If you’re looking for discount tickets, check the website of your waterpark often. During specific holidays they may run promotions that will help you save. If your dates are flexible, keep an eye on their facebook page as well. It also never hurts to call and see if they have select discounts for specific holidays or for the military.
The waterpark is a great place to take the kids to wear them out! It’s also a favorite of mine because it’s fun to do it all together as a family.
What are some tips you have when you’re headed to the waterpark?
I did receive tickets to Zoombezi Bay in Columbus, OH in return for sharing my experience with you. All opinions are 100% mine all the time!
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