Water World Ocean Park opens today! We’ve been fortunate enough to go twice already, so we’re practically experts. Here’s our insider tips for what to prepare and where exactly to beeline for when you arrive.
Getting there
The entrance to Water World is located at 33 Ocean Drive in Aberdeen – so, not the regular Ocean Park Main Entrance.
If you’re arriving by MTR, get off at the Ocean Park station, and there’ll be a complimentary shuttle bus for ticket holders that run in 15-30 minute intervals. It’s hidden behind the carpark so it can be a little hard to miss. Unfortunately, carpark operations will be suspended and private car access restricted until further notice, so this will be the only way in for now.
Lockers
Lockers are available on a first-come, first-served basis, which can be troublesome for larger families. Definitely pre-book your lockers prior to arrival. We’d suggest nothing smaller than the Family Storage ($200) size as the Standard Locker ($120) sizes can barely fit a tote.
What to bring
- Waterproof phone case that can also fit an Octopus/credit card for food or water purchases
- Towel for showering
- Face wash and conditioner (they provide a brandless 2-in-1 body wash and shampoo combo in the showers)
- Sunscreen
- Extra face masks for after the swim (if not, you’ll be able to purchase face masks at their souvenir shop at $20 for 3 pieces)
What to wear
Alright, the floors are very slippery inside the park. You can wear flip flops, but you’d look ridiculous holding them in your hands while going down the rides so we definitely suggest strappy water sandals like Tevas or even fully covered water shoes the likes of what you wear when kayaking.
For the ladies, heed my words! I would highly suggest wearing a one-piece swimsuit as bikini tops have been known to flip up or fly off while going down some of the high speed rides.
Rash guards are also great as you’ll be spending quite a bit of time queuing outdoors in the sun for the 10/10 rides, and let’s be honest – the majority of y’all won’t be re-applying sunscreen every 2 hours, so this is the best way to prevent sunburns.
Insider tips
- Most rides have a height requirement of 130cm so do keep that in mind if you’re coming with younger children.
- Lather up on sunscreen prior to arrival! The queues for the best rides start fast so you want to check in, stuff everything into your lockers and speed-walk straight to either Skyhigh Falls or the Vortex. Those are the two rides that require a bit of an uphill climb to get to – but they are well worth the effort. Queues for these glorious, adrenaline-inducing options can go up to an hour during peak times, so definitely head there first and get your fill in.
- For the board enthusiasts, Surf Striker is great for solo players, but don’t even bother if the queue’s started to snake around the bend. Each person gets allotted 1.15mins on the board, but throw in all the instructions and you’re looking at at least a 45-minute wait time, staring at a concrete wall for the majority of it.
- Start leaving about 30-60 minutes prior to the park closing time, or you’ll be shivering in the shower line for ages, waiting for stalls.
So, that’s it from us about Water World! Have fun, get splashy, and don’t forget to half-heartedly hook your mask back on when the attendants come around to remind you.
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