Summer fun at Wet ‘n’ Wild Hawaii

Before summer ended, we decided to have a family day at Wet ‘n’ Wild Hawaii water park. It was a real treat, because we’re so busy (year-round!) with work, school (yes, summer school!), sports events, music lessons, community service, and whatever else life throws at us.

We planned for a whole day at the Kapolei water park, which turned out beautifully – weather and all. We all enjoyed the rides, and we had a cabana which was luxurious to relax in while having lunch. We spent six hours there! The kids were happy, so the parents were happy.

Here are a few tips I’d like to share to make your visit smoother or more enjoyable.

1- If you have an only child, as we do, bring along a friend. Olivia and Maya took off the moment we got settled, and we didn’t really see them again until lunch and then the end of the day. (We closed the park.)

2- Spring for the cabana. It may seem extravagant at $180 starting cost (goes up to $300 for one that is not really a cabana but an actual little house with air conditioning- wow, that looked good), but it is well worth it. I could not have tolerated six hours in the summer sun and heat without a very comfortable place to relax in between rides, or while waiting for the kids. If you think about it, if you spend all that money for tickets, it’d be a shame to want to leave after just a few hours because you’re tired. (I’d be that mom.) We had Terrace Cabana, and it came with a little fruit bowl and water. I liked that I could pull the curtains and block the sun.

That was a good location, near the bathroom, food, and lockers. We found ourselves returning to the locker a handful of times to get phones, money, etc. All the locations seemed good, but that’s the one we had, and I can definitely recommend it.

Also, the cabanas come with two inner tubes, which you can use on the rides that use inner tubes (versus rafts or mat slides.) This is key. On many of the rides, you wait in two lines. One line at the bottom of the ride, where you collect the tube from someone who just came down a slide. Then you walk to the top of the ride and wait in the line to use the ride. If you use your cabana tubes, you’re bypassing one set of lines.

3- Spring for lockers. It’s about $20 for a large rental, but we still used it for our valuables while we were on the rides. There really isn’t a great way to safeguard all your wallets and phones while on the roller-coastery rides. I also suspect you can’t take a lot of stuff on the ride, even if you had it in a water bag, because it’s probably a safety hazard that can fly off on the drops. The lockers have a keypad so there is no key for you to carry.

4- Bring water shoes or water sandals. You have to leave your slippers on the side, and there is often a long walk up to the top of the ride, plus some waiting on the hot pavement in the high noon sun. Your feet will burn. I’m not sure if they sell them in the gift shop, but that seems very likely.

5- Do not bring food. There is a TSA-like security check (which makes the lines slow at the entrance). Outside food and drink are not allowed. They mean it. Water is OK but they’ll uncap it and smell it if it’s in a hydroflask.

6- Bring sun protection. This should be obvious given that we live in Hawaii and the sun is strong, but I’m glad I reminded my reluctant daughter to get her rash guard. Pack your sunblock. I brought my sunglasses and cap, though I left it in the locker on the rides. It was very bright at high noon so I should have asked it if was OK to wear it. Seems like it might have withstood the velocity of all the rides except maybe the Volcano Express (our favorite.)

7- There’s free WiFi for the moments you are on your phone.

The girls (age 12) were on the rides all day, non-stop, with only a short break to eat. I, on the other hand, made it a point to try every ride, then after I did (all proud of myself), I sat in the cabana for the rest of the day because the sun fizzled me out. My husband sat with me for most of it, but then went on a few with the girls because they asked him to. He’s the active parent.

It’s funny how I’ve become my mother. When we used to go to Disneyland or other theme parks, my parents would sit a lot of rides out and I would never understand why old people were so tired and boring. Until I became that person!

So those are my mom tips. We will go back, and I’m going to take my own advice. I hope you have a nice time when you go!

More at: https://www.wetnwildhawaii.com/