Triple digit Texas weather finds Texans scrambling for relief and one place to scramble to is Hawaiian Falls Waterpark located in North Garland, The Colony or Mansfield Texas. If you are planning to go to this waterpark you might want to consider the height of your children and read this review to see if it would be worth the trip and the cost.
While our trip to Hawaiian Falls was to the one located in North Garland off of Garland Rd.TX, it would seem likely that the other two locations would be the same in quality, scenery and attractions however, according to the website, they do differ a little bit.
The cost of the tickets seemed pricey at $19.99 per person over 48 inches and $13.99 for persons under 48 inches however, it was half the cost of my all time favorite water park, Schlitterbahn. An adult ticket to Schlitterbahn cost $37.99. I expected to experience half the fun since we were paying half the price and I was right. However, being located in the DFW vicinity, Hawaiian Falls was only a 30 minute drive in compared to atleast 5 – 7 to get to Schlitterbaun in Galveston.
So what can you expect from Hawaiian Falls WaterPark? If you bring in a cooler that is larger than 12x12x12 you can expect to pay $10.00 to get it through the doors. Your cooler will also be thoroughly checked for alcholic beverages (absolutely not allowed), knives and any other illegal substances. If you will be needing a locker, it will cost $8.00.
When you enter the park, if you have children under 42 you will be limited to the Kona Kooler, Keiki Kove and The Wave adventures and The Pineapple Express at this particular waterpark. (The other waterparks may have different names for their rides). However, we spent hours riding the Kona Kooler which was a blast.
The Kona Kooler is a continuous river that scoots you along with artificial currents. Big Inner tubes are provided although when it is crowded, if you want a tube, you have to wait for one to be discarded. Children seem to prefer swimming on their own while adults liked to lounge lazily in the huge tube. This was very relaxing and fun.
Keiki Kove is also an adventure for younger children with interactive water rain-fortress with pulleys, rope ladders, water buckets, geysers, three 40-foot slides and a 1,000-gallon dumping bucket. This reminded me of a larger scale McDonalds Playland in water.
The Wave Pool is a large pool area with large powerful waves that get stronger the deeper you go. It is about 5 ft deep. Inner Tubes also provided. This was a lot of fun when we first arrived however once the crowds arrived the pool was too crowded to really enjoy the waves.
Pineapple Express is a waterslide for children atleast 42 inches in height.
For the adults, there are a few big slides that are entertaining and dare devilish.
There is one main place to dine called Pineapple Pete’s Island Café. This food court restaurant has everything from pizza and cold drinks to hot dogs and nachos. There is also a sno cone vender in the park.
Because I have a child barely 42 inches tall so she could not ride the big rides and we were limited to the wave pool, river and Keiki Kove, River and one slide. Although we had originally planned on staying all day, we stayed only 4 hours due to the repetition of remaining in the same few places all day. However, the picnic areas are wonderful and shady so we had a delightful picnic lunch and did truly enjoy the time we were there. Had we driven a further distance or were bound and determined to make a day of it, I can see that we could of easily shut the place down. However, we went with a huge group and our tickets were only $10.00 so, the amount of time we spent there seemed sufficient and worth it. Had we paid full price…. I imagine we would of stretched it out to the whole day. But, all in all, 4 hours was all we needed for a great day.
I would and will probably go back but only with discounted tickets. The cost of $19.99 per ticket per big person and $13.99 per little person is simply to hefty for me and especially since we were so limited in rides with having a small child under 42 inches.
