For the grand finale of our day at Water World, my friend and I hauled our tubes up the winding cement path to the entrance of the Voyage to the Center of the Earth, aka the dinosaur ride. In the wading pool, where the tubes queue up, you can hear the roars of animatronic dinosaurs that await in the caverns.
These days, the gravity-defying, high-tech water roller coasters and the Zoomerang (a supersized half pipe that you conquer in a tube) are the star attractions at Water World in Federal Heights. But for us millennials who grew up in the Denver area in the 1990s — and who anticipated an annual summer trip to Water World, painted in our zinc sunscreen and outfitted in our neon water socks — the dinosaur ride is a classic. It dials up nostalgia from an era when “Jurassic Park” movies were summer blockbusters.
I’m Water World’s self-proclaimed biggest fan, and have been since the Voyage to the Center of the Earth commanded the longest lines in the park. I’ve celebrated most birthdays (including, most recently, my 39th) at this 70-acre wonderland located 15 minutes north of Denver.
As a teen, I did my lifeguard training here. As an adult, I bought a home that’s a couple of miles away. And as a season pass-holder, I joke that my country club has a lazy river.
If you go
Water World is at 8801 N. Pecos St. in Federal Heights. Park hours vary by day, but typically it is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. or 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Get up-to-date information on park hours, including on days when there’s inclement weather, and more at waterworldcolorado.com or call 303-427-7873 (SURF).
All that is to say I’m well-suited (how’s that for a double entendre?) to share the ins and outs of the park, which reopened this summer after being closed for COVID in 2020. Water World’s slogan is: “We’re bringing back fun in 2021.”
On my most recent visit, and in line in front of us for the dinosaur ride, were a pair of sixth-graders who also were celebrating a birthday. The lifeguard sent their tube schussing down the burbling river and into the set inhabited by a taunting T-Rex. My friend and I wondered: “Would they love this ride, with its decades-old dinos, as much as we did when we were kids?”
At the end of the ride, as we disembarked from our tubes, the kids reported back to us that it was, indeed, awesome (“10 out of 10,” in fact!) and, before jetting off, informed us that scientists recently discovered a new type of dinosaur, the sauropod.
Here, a season pass-holder’s guide to Water World, where dinosaur rides, funnel cakes and wave pools have a timeless allure.
Plan ahead for your visit
Like much in 2021, a trip to Water World requires an extra layer of planning. A limited number of tickets are available to purchase in person at the gate each day. But to ensure admission and save money (and prevent any children from crying), your best bet is to buy tickets in advance online.
Here’s the pricing:
- General admission: $49.99 at the gate, $36.99 online
- Children (under 47 inches): $44.99 at the gate; $31.99 online
- Seniors (60 and up): $14.99 at the gate; $13.99 online
- Tots (height under 40 inches) are free
The ticket site has a calendar that shows when there’s limited availability of tickets. The value season passes that are good for Monday through Thursday are sold out for the season. However, other season pass options (starting at $129.99) are still available and come with extra perks, like food and drink discounts and weekend access.
Pick your upgrades
First, some good news: There aren’t many surprise costs at Water World. Parking is free, you can bring a cooler with your own lunch into the park, and lifejackets are available to use free of charge. There are some upgrades available:
Locker rentals: Do plan on getting a locker. The park has all-day locker rentals with unlimited access that are $12 plus tax for a large size and $20 plus tax for a family size. If you’re just stashing a phone, wallet and a few other belongings, though, a limited number of standard size lockers are available at Cowabunga Beach, Thunder Bay and Calypso Cover, and they cost a $1 token each time you unlock them.
Tube valet: This perk acts as a fast pass for some of the park’s most popular rides, and it significantly trims down on how much tube-carrying you have to do. On a recent Friday afternoon, we waited in line for about 40 minutes to ride the Mile High Flyer coaster, but those with the tube valet wrist bands were boarded in under 5 minutes.
The tube valet costs $79.95 and allows a maximum of four guests, plus one tot in the instances where they’re tall enough for the rides. This could be a good splurge if you’re looking to knock out the park’s most popular rides in a single day. A limited number of tube valet bands are available each day, and they do sell out.
(Tip: If you don’t purchase a tube valet upgrade and are lugging your own tubes, the most efficient way to do so is by carrying it overhead or in a parallel position with the other person in your group. It may seem intuitive to have one person carrying the tube from the front and another in the back, but lifeguards dish that this is a rookie mistake because it creates a bouncing effect that makes it tough to gain momentum.)
Bungalows and cabanas: Water World has lots of patches of grass that are shaded by trees where you can unfurl your towel and relax for free if you need a break from the sun. You can also upgrade to two-person bungalows ($49 a day) or rent a cabana, many of which are outfitted with fans (starting at $199 a day).
Know your food options
You can bring your own snacks, meals and non-alcoholic drinks to Water World. Coolers are limited to a max of 30 quarts in size, and one per guest. If you need to pick up last-minute items like sunscreen and snacks, there’s a King Soopers at 84th and Pecos near the park.
Inside Water World, you’ll find standard theme park fare: Pizza, chicken strips, burgers, hot dogs, nachos and treats like funnel cakes, soft serve, Dole Whip, Dippin’ Dots and more. Boozy frozen beverages and beer are also on tap at some outlets.
If you work up an appetite and want a post-park snack or dinner, Taqueria El Tucan (1550 W. 88th Ave.) is directly across the street from Water World and serves tasty pupusas, tortas and tacos.
Pick from 50-plus attractions
The Mile High Coaster, a hydromagnetic roller coaster, and The Revolution, which includes a six-story drop in a tube before spinning around in a big bowl, are the most popular rides in the park. The Zoomerang draws some crowds, too. If you’re a thrill-seeker, these are the rides you absolutely want to speed-walk your way to when the gates to the park open.
But, in all, Water World has more than 50 attractions, and some are wildly underrated. A personal favorite of mine that rarely has long lines: the Sunset Racer, which has a knack for pushing your adrenal glands into overdrive. With what can best be likened to a magic carpet with handles, you zip head-first and on your belly down a twisting slide. You’ll catch some air, and if you want to win the race — trust me on this — choose an outside lane.
The Wave, a surf simulator, is a popular hangout for surfers who somehow landed in our landlocked state. If you end up in line next to them, they will gladly share their secrets for riding the waves like a pro.
For those who want to eschew the lines, you’ve got options: Thunder Bay, a park mainstay, churns out some big waves. Or near the entrance of Water World, you can boogie board at Cowabunga Beach, and there’s not usually much of a wait to launch into the waves.
Families with small children have several play areas throughout the park so little ones can enjoy small-scale slides and water features. Minnow Creek, for instance, has a mini lazy river. Wally World has tiny tire swings in the water and Calypso Cove has slides and fountains.
What’s new in 2021
If it’s been awhile since you’ve been to Water World, you may notice some other upgrades. There’s a sensory-friendly area in the middle of the park for those who need to take a break. Shoe cubbies allow you to stash your sandals before entering rides.
Water World is also putting the finishing touches on one of its largest expansion projects to date, the Alpine Spring area, which will bring two new attractions to the park. Roaring Forks, a two-lane racing water coaster, will be the state’s second water roller coaster (the first is the Mile High Flyer), said spokeswoman Joann V. Cortéz. The other new ride, Centennial Basin, is a two-person tube ride that whirls through a bowl that’s designed to look like Colorado’s state flag.
The new rides are scheduled to open by July.
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