How long to spend at a waterpark?

[mrsabbott]

So, we have been given tickets to Wet&Wild water park and are going over spring break. Our kids are ages 9, 7, 6, and 2. How long would you typically spend at a water park?

I am trying to plan our itinerary and I don't quite know what to do because we have more we want to do then time to do it in.. we were hoping to surprise DD with dinner at Medieval Times as a birthday present but would have to cram it in a day where we do something else..

So.. Thoughts? Water park for a few hours then dinner or would that be too much? Factoring in drive time and showering before dinner.. I just don't know!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

We tend to find the waterparks very physically taxing....a combination of all that water and sunshine . So we try to arrive at park opening, but are usually spent by about 3 in the afternoon. For my family, if we book a late-ish dinner, we could easily do a waterpark and a dinner show in one day, with enough time between for showering and changing.

 

[mrsabbott]

Yeah, I know the kids are going to be exhausted! They have 6p and 8:30p dinner shows. The water park opens at 10a.. So if we stayed until 2 or 3p.. Surely 4 hours would be enough time there. I just worry about them getting too tired and cranky.. Especially my youngest.

 

[jeff968]

We get there at 10 and usually leave at 4. Weather is a big factor, and temp of the water. Aquatica keeps the water warm.

 

[Ametista]

Depending on how hot it is we are often done by 2:00 and ready for a rest/naps/showers. Also, if it is really crowded we leave about 2:00, if its a light crowd day we will typically stay til 4 or 5 and make the most of the short lines.

 

[DOOM1001]

I'm there most of the day,from like 10-6 at least but that's just me.I'm sure others are fine only spending 4-5 hours there.But I agree that waterparks wear you out,especially if you do a lot of the slides.

 

[mrsabbott]

Thanks!
We will probably not stay until closing but we decided to not do the dinner show the same day. I think we will do the dinner show the day we arrive.

 

[crazelion]

We only spent about 4-5 hours at water park before kids holler they are hungry.

I know we going sometime this summer. So far I only Busch Gardens, US, and Sea World plan.