Summer vacations are almost over but the heat is still on. My boys still have a couple of days left before going back to school and, my middle child is having surgery and won't be able to be out in the sun for a few weeks, so we decided to take one last short road trip with some friends to Gulf Island Waterpark.
Gulf Island Waterpark is located in Gulfport, Mississippi just about an hour from New Orleans. The park has many attractions including 5 big water slides, several smaller slides, a lazy river, a wave pool, and splash pad. They have several cafes to satisfy your appetite, they also have cabanas and lockers for rent and several tables with umbrellas for your use. .
My kids and their friends were thrilled and could not wait to get in the water. They have so many things to do that we had a hard time deciding what to do first. Most rides have a minimum height requirement of 42".
Waveland Wave Pool is over 12,000 square feet with room to swim, ride the waves in an inner tube or sit along the shore. It connects to the Lazy Pearl River, which is longer than 3 football field and takes you around the park.
This mom found a shady area and sat in the wadding pool watching her kiddo have a great time at Lil' Pelicans Bay. This 200-square foot wadding area is the perfect place for small Pelicans and Parents. My 3 year old and his friends spent a lot of time here. The area has ten different aqua toy featuring water cannons, giant squirt guns and two open flume body slides totaling over 140 feet long. It’s topped off by a huge bucket of water that fills and tips continually throughout the day. The little kids also enjoyed Ship Island Wreck's 2 water slides that also lead to the wading pool of Lil Pelican Bay. He also loved going through Padscagoula a kids crossing area for toddlers-tweens, it is a 27 feet slippery course in the water!
The older boys, who are 10 and 12, enjoyed the water park mostly at their leisure. My older son says his favorite was the Riptide Racer. Racers lineup with a mat at a 45ft height and ride the swells through a checkered run-out. My middle child says his favorite was The Camille Cutter which is a 400-plus foot rafting adventure. Thrilling fun for up to three people! The whole family can slide together in one giant raft on an 84-inch open flume.
As I spent most of my day with my youngest son, I did not venture on the slides until almost time to go when I got the courage to ride The Cat Island Catapult. A tube slide for young and old alike, as this twisting waterway plunges you almost 155 feet. It’s a thrill-rush for all to enjoy. I do regret not taking the time to go on more slides but that just means I will definitely have to go back and go on all of them!
This was our first visit to Gulf Island Waterpark and we had a great time. We definitely plan on going back next summer. Gulf Island Waterpark will be open Saturdays and Sundays until the second weekend of September (Sunday, September 10th) from 10 am to 6 pm. They will be opened on Labor Day, Monday, September 4, 2017, from 10 am to 5 pm.
I received complimentary admission tickets to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.
