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Summer vacation is over halfway over and we are trying to pack in as much fun as possible into the next 4 weeks! On Thursday I surprised the kids with a trip to Wild Adventures in Valdosta, Georgia. This all-in-one theme park, water park, and animal park has been on our bucket list for a while now and it did not disappoint!
We were provided with complimentary media tickets for our visit but all opinions, photos, and content shared here are our own.
Wild Adventures in Valdosta, Georgia
The kids have had Wild Adventures on their bucket list for quite some time. I knew that it was a theme park but didn’t quite realize all that they had to offer until we visited this week. I was impressed!
Not only does it have a full theme park complete with over 40 rides and attractions, but it also has a full water park (rated one of the top 30 waterparks in the country), and offers a zoological experience complete with animal encounters. It really is 3 parks in 1 and they are all included with your ticket!
The above map will give you a pretty good idea of how it is laid out including all of the great dining options and shopping opportunities!
Where is Wild Adventures?
A favorite among the locals for over a generation, Wild Adventures has been operating since 1996 and is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year!
The park itself is located in south-central Georgia, a few miles south of Valdosta, Georgia, where Highway 84 intersects Interstate 75. Located just north of the Florida-Georgia line and on a popular route for visitors heading to and from Florida, Wild Adventures is a great place to stop and spend a day while on a road trip. We were visiting from Dothan, Alabama and it took us just over 2 and a half hours to get there.
Estimated distance & approximate driving time:
From Tallahassee, Florida: 78 miles / 1 hour and 20 minutes
From Jacksonville. Florida: 117 miles / 1 hour and 45 minutes
From Dothan, Alabama: 139 miles / 2 hours and 30 minutes
From Orlando, Florida: 209 miles / 3 hours
From Atlanta, Georgia: 233 miles / 3 hours and 30 minutes
Wild Adventures Theme Park
The theme park at Wild Adventures is home to over 40 rides and attractions including some pretty impressive roller coasters! The kid’s top two thrill rides were the Boomerang and Twisted Typhoon and they even got me on both of them!
We arrived at the park on Thursday at 3 pm and stayed until they closed at 7 pm and then spend a full day at the park on Friday. We really didn’t have to wait in any lines. The couple of times we have to wait it was for under 10 minutes so this was a huge plus for us.
The rides at the park are tailored to kids (and adults) of all ages and you can see a full list here. There is a pretty large selection for pre-K children which is always great for families traveling with young kids. In addition to the popular thrill rides, you will find some fair favorites like the Yo-Yo and the Scrambler (known as the Whirling Wildcats)!
Wild Adventures Water Park
Splash Island Waterpark is located within Wild Adventures and is open every summer, as well as some select weekends in the spring. This large water park is home to a 20,000 sq ft wave pool and a variety of slides. The waterpark also has a great section for pre-k age kids. I personally loved the Kona Rapids and Kona Cliffs!
Splash Island hosts dive-in movies on Friday evenings in the summer, and we were lucky enough to be there for one. The kids enjoyed watching Trolls World Tour on a big screen and all of the slides stayed open a few hours later than on normal days.
When I asked the kids what their favorite part of Splash Island was, Jake said the Bonzai Pipelines, and Abby says the Paradise River!
Wild Adventures Animal Park
This was the biggest surprise for me! I knew to expect the coasters and the water slides but I didn’t realize that Wild Adventures is home to a large number of local and exotic animals. Expect to see a lot of birds, snakes, and gators but also plan on riding the Safari Train to see the rhino, giraffes, zebras, alpacas, and more.
Visit the Fennec Fox and the Lemurs while you are there. We sat and watched the Ring-Tailed Lemurs forever because there was a little baby that was seriously cute. It rode along on its mother’s back and it was pretty captivating to watch.
You will also encounter a black bear, lions, and a number of tigers. Twice daily you can enjoy the Tigers of India show which was not only entertaining but very informative. And don’t forget to stop by the brand new Liberty Farms Petting Zoo.
While viewing the immersive animal exhibits is included, there are additional opportunities available to purchase a la carte or by purchasing the Ultimate Animal Feeding Package. You can even feed the giraffes!
Plan Your Visit to Wild Adventures in Valdosta, Georgia
Unlike some major theme parks, a trip to Wild Adventures doesn’t require a lot of planning and advance notice. We planned our trip a couple of days in advance and had a fantastic low-stress getaway. However, there are a handful of things that you should take note of prior to arrival to make sure that you get the most out of your visit to Wild Adventures in Valdosta.
Their website is the best place to go for updated and accurate information, but I will include some general information and some of my own tips for visiting Wild Adventures below.
Hours of Operation, Tickets & Important Info
HOURS: Operating hours for both the Theme Park and Water Park change daily so please click through to this Wild Adventures calendar before you visit! They are generally closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. In addition to their regular hours, there are often special events held throughout the year that will be included on the calendar.
TICKETS: Ticket prices start at $41.99 for advance online admission. But the best value (in my opinion) would be the General Admission at $51.99 for adults / $46.99 for kids & seniors because it includes two consecutive days of admission. Please click here for current Wild Adventures ticket pricing. They also have special offers for military families and a McDonalds Monday promo for June & July.
SEASON PASSES: If you plan to visit more than once, you may want to look into a season pass to Wild Adventures and if you have a child in pre-K you may even get theirs for free!
PARKING: Parking is available at $10 per vehicle and $12 per RV.a
Please click here to check for current Covid-19 related protocols.
Enhance your Visit to Wild Adventures
Listen up! Because I want to share something that I wish I would have done in advance to make our visit even better. I wish I would have rented loungers. By the time we got there and I thought about it, they were sold out for the Friday we wanted them.
Basically, in addition to regular locker rentals (which we ended up doing), Wild Adventures offers the option to reserve loungers and cabanas within Splash Island Waterpark and a Lakeside Lodge within the park. You can reserve these in advance online and I would highly recommend that you do!
LOUNGERS: Renting loungers looked perfect for us because it’s actually a gated and guarded little area in the middle of the waterpark with maybe a dozen sets of 2 lounge chairs, a table, and an umbrella. They are good for 3 people and cost $30 which is not much more than our $17 family locker cost.
CABANAS: Accommodating up to 8 people and starting at $119, the cabanas include a mini-fridge, TV, wifi, table, and more and are also secure / guarded. This is a great option for a larger family or two families traveling together.
LAKESIDE LODGE: The largest of the special accommodation, these lodges are in the main theme park and hold up to 15 people. They are priced at $199 but include 2 of the Animal Feeding Packages (worth $50) and include wifi, charging stations, a fridge /freezer, a safe & more. I actually think this is a pretty good value if split among families and if you are visiting with grandparents or young children this is a great way to secure a spot for some downtime throughout the day.
In addition to these rentals, you can enhance your Wild Adventures experience by purchasing the Ultimate Animal Feeding Package that I mentioned above, a photo package, a dining pass, and more. You can click here to learn more.
For no additional charge, your family can Live Your Wild Life and participate in a fun scavenger hunt for a chance to win 4 Gold Season Passes.
Special Events at Wild Adventures in Valdosta, Georgia
The day after our visit, the band Train was going to be performing at Wild Adventures! This is just one in a number of summer concerts that include Z Z Top and more. If visiting in the summer you will want to check out their All Star Concert Series.
In addition to the concerts, there are seasonal festivals such as the Great Pumpkin LumiNights, Wild Adventures Christmas, La Fiesta, and more!
And don’t forget about those Dive in Movies on Friday nights at Splash Island!
Tips for your Visit to Wild Adventures + FAQ
So, there are a few things I had to google before our visit and in case you are wondering about the same things, here are a few questions that I asked along with their corresponding answers.
Do you need to wear closed-toed shoes?
No, we packed both but sandals were fine on everything!
Are towels included or available to rent at the water park?
No. Pack your own! You can purchase them in the gift shops and I think they were 2 for $25.
Can you wear swimsuits in the main park?
No. You are supposed to have shoes, a shirt, and shorts on when leaving the water park section. That said, a lot of people kept suits on underneath and just threw on a tank + shorts or a coverup.
Are the concerts free with park admission?
Yes! You also have the option to purchase reserved seating.
Can you bring food and drink into the park?
No outside food is permitted and guests are allowed to bring one opened bottle of water. More able the water situation there below.
Do they serve alcohol at Wild Adventures?
No, and it’s not permitted to be brought in.
These are just things that I wondered about before our visit and that I wanted to answer for you. You can view all of their FAQ and answers here.
Tips for visiting Wild Adventures in Valdosta, Georgia
Here are some tips that I want to share based on our experience!
- Water – There are very few water fountains in the park and while the food/drink places will give you a cup, you will have to wait in line. This was the most (and really the only) frustrating part of our visit. It was in the mid-90s and we were so thirsty all day. Buy the large waters and if you see a fountain then fill it. Don’t let it get empty because we had multiple meltdowns while in line trying to get some water. I really wish there were hydration-type stations and places that encouraged you to fill a reusable water bottle versus having to constantly wait in line to buy $5 smart waters just to stay hydrated.
- Swimwear – If you plan to do the waterpark and theme park on the same day, wear comfortable swimwear and a light pair of quick-dry shorts and a tank. It’s not necessarily the place for cute cover-ups and sunhats as you are always up and down the stairs for the slides and in and out of the park.
- Sunscreen – Do not forget to pack ample water and sweat-proof sunscreen.
- Lockers and Loungers – As mentioned above, the loungers are where it’s at! If you can’t get one of those, rent a locker right away. We did a family size one at Splash Island and barely had enough room for all of our stuff.
- Plan to Buy Shirts – The souvenir t-shirts and tanks were very reasonably priced and they had a lot of cute options!
- Check the Schedule – Look at the daily schedule in advance so that you can plan to see the shows, do the animal encounters, etc. Most (like giraffe feedings and the tiger show) are run twice daily.
- Wear Comfortable Water Shoes – We did tennis shoes the first day and they got wet at the two water rides in the main park which led to a lot of complaining from the kids. Shoes like KEENS and Natives are probably ideal and I preferred to wear flip flops the next day.
- Pizza Party – We shared a large pepperoni pizza ($21) at the pizza place and it was air-conditioned making it a nice place to take a break on a hot day. This is probably the best dining value in the park!
Hotels near Wild Adventures Theme Park
We stayed in a hotel for two nights while visiting Wild Adventures and I couldn’t imagine having to drive home after a long day at the park.
Being that Valdosta is a smaller community, there are a number of affordable hotel options and most are around 15 minutes from the park itself. We are pretty loyal to IHG (we love the IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card) and always look for their properties whenever possible. We ended up staying at the Holiday Inn Valdosta which was fine. Based on the properties themselves and reviews, I actually wanted to stay at the new Holiday Inn Express in Lake Park but they were sold out for one of our two nights. We just like that breakfast is included at the Holiday Inn Express and since the park opens at 11 am most days, having the opportunity to fill up before heading there is always a good idea! I don’t think that you can do wrong anywhere!
Click here to check out hotels near Wild Adventures along with reviews via TripAdvisor!
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