Wanna Get Wet? Check out the Audubon Zoo Cool Zoo Water Park!

*** Thanks Audubon Zoo for the Twitter shout out for this post ***

 

The Cool Zoo is the new water splash park at the Audubon Zoo. It opened in April, but we just have not had a chance to go enjoy it, as when we were at the zoo, it was too cool, or we didn't have enough for Kiddo to enjoy it.

So this past weekend, we finally got her there! The Cool Zoo is inside the zoo, to the left of the carousel, and behind the petting zoo.  You can buy admission when you come in the zoo, or at the ticket booth by the carousel ($5 non-members/$4 members).

The Cool Zoo area includes jumping water spouts, a huge alligator water double slide, a spider monkey soaker, water-spitting snakes, water wheel sprayers, small regular water slides, climbing ropes, and a huge alligator soaker. There is SOME shaded seating, convenient family restrooms, a small concession stand and The Cool Shop (which carrys a variety of summertime necessities, INCLUDING swimsuits and towels, for last minute water fun!). Lockers are also available for a fee.

The positive:

• Kiddo had a BLAST! Because everyone has to pay to get into the fenced in area, your kids are pretty safe, as their are guards on both gates, monitor everyone coming in and out. Plus there are PLENTY of lifeguards around, should there be any rough horseplaying or landing in too much water! 
• They only allow 500 people in at one time, so it is not overcrowded. Now if too many people stay in for too long, they may rotate people out, so others can enjoy the fun (didn't happen while we were there)

• Seeing the HUGE smile on her face the first time she went down the small slide was priceless!
• They check the water levels on a daily basis, so you know it's safe for your kids.
• The HUGE alligator SOAKS the entire front of the slides/jungle gym, about every 10-15 minutes. HInt: when you see the red wheel speeding up, you know it's getting ready to soak. By the end of the day, Kiddo was standing with all the other kids directly underneath the dump area, getting slammed with water. I can best describe it like going down a rapid in a boat and meeting that first wall of water! 

• You can rent one of the 3 pavilions to have a birthday party for your child at the Cool Zoo. Prices are pretty decent, and they have the best seating and shade, so it might be something to consider.
• The Cool Shop offers a great air conditioned respite for adults, who aren't getting wet, a needed a cool breather during 100 degree weather!
• The concession stand has pretty decent food- the chicken strip dinner for $5 is a bargain as the strips are huge and really good and you get a decent amount  of fries. You also get a decent amount of nachos and cheese sauce for $3. And the hot dogs are excellent Kosher dogs! So if you do need to eat lunch there, it's not bad!

Now for the BAD-

• 500 people sounds ok, when you look at the space. UNTIL you realize that the adults will be taking their TODDLERS down the slides and all over the equipment, or just flat out going down it THEMSELVES (count all the adults on the gym on the right, then go back to the first pick and see how FEW there were when we got there on it). Between the adults and older teens, Kiddo got knocked around some, bandaids were all that was needed, but they really need to put an AGE LIMIT  (ie 4-13) on the small slides/jungle gym, to help keep them safe for the littler kids, and up to 18 for the twisty slides. There is one area specifically for toddlers and younger kids- we only saw about 4 adults and preschoolers (and under) using it- most were older kids. SIGH
• Speaking of adults, people PUHLEASE- you are there as a PARENT, not to show off your itty bitty bikini. Pre-adolescent boys do NOT need to see you hanging ALL out of your top, and your bottom NOT covering one fourth of your rear (see pix below). THINK people-if you're going down the slides, you may NOT want to have an itty bitty bikini bottom on that goes to 2 inches of material in your crack, when you slide, with no shorts to cover it! And no, I'm not being a prude- she held up the kids on the slides because she couldn't get off the slide until she pulled material back to semi covering her butt!
• "Available shaded seating" (also see picture on right) is GONE within the first 15 minutes they are open. And pretty much stays that way. Once people claim tables they do NOT let go of them! While the steps to the tables is shaded, it gets WET from the alligator dumps, so unless you want to be WET, it's a no-go. And palm trees offer VERY minimum coverage for the raised seating areas by the concession stands. it would have been better to leave the trees out and put more covered seating!
• Like elsewhere in the park- concession food is pricey. the good news is they have PB&J for $2 and you can get a slurpie in the Zoo kids cup for $3, that gets free refills of soda at all the park concessions (as long as you show receipt). And naturally, you are NOT allowed to bring ice chests/food in.
• Concession stand t-shirts with the Cool Zoo logo are $15. FOR KIDS! Like all shirts at the zoo, they are really pricey for what you get. 

Overall, Kiddo had a REALLY FUN time and she didn't want to leave, but it was getting so crowded she wasn't enjoying herself as much, plus we had a book signing to get to! For kids under 7, I would really recommend that one of the parents, or an older sibling be with them, getting wet, if only to supervise and help if they get rushed by the older kids/adults, as the lifeguards have a lot to control when it gets crowded.


We will definitely go back!




Disclosure / Disclaimer: No compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about the Cool Zoo.