Wet 'n' Wild Review
After 3 visits to Wet 'n' Wild Sydney, I believe I am quite a veteran lol and can now solidly write a review.
Visit 1:
My first visit was on the 19th of December, exactly 1 week after its grand opening. I had to go collect the MyBands for a friend and myself, and it only took around 20 minutes, which was pleasantly fast as even on my latest visit I saw a queue of people still waiting to collect their bands. After that I had to wait and hourish for my friends who were running late, but it was ok, cos I bumped into some other friends who were there. So, I arrived around 3:30pm and my friends got there around 4:30. We stayed till around 8:30, when I had to catch the free shuttle bus back home. In the span of those 4 hours we managed to go on 6 rides, the H2Go Racers, 360 Rush, The Curler, Double Bowlseye, Tantrum and Bombora, while also spending some time relaxing at Boomerang Bay and The Wave Beach. Most waiting lines were approx. 30 minutes per ride, however, we waited for the Tantrum for over and hour I believe. It is a really good idea to wear a waterproof watch if you want to time the wait. I will offer a review of each ride at the end. Overall, I was quite satisfied with the day, as I expected worse crowds. I do believe however, that it is not the biggest water park in the world, because to me it looks average, you can see everything from the entrance.
Visit 2:
My 2nd visit was on the 22nd of December, and this had to be my worst visit by far. I went with a different bunch of friends who still had to collect their myband. We arrived at the park around 6pm and finally got in at 7pm, because they weren't able to find the bands under the purchasers name, not sure if this error occurred for all people that used the coupon deal of buy 3 get 1 free for gold passes. Anyway, that wait really frustrated me as I feel like a lot of the staff are ill-equipped and weren't trained properly, due to the rushed opening. The first ride we lined up for was the Tantrum and after over an hour of waiting, we were so close to getting on when they shut the park down due to weather warnings, but half an hour later we were allowed on all rides again. So a lot of time wasted thanks to Wet 'n' Wild Sydney. By then it was already almost 10pm and we only managed to go on the Tantrum and H2Go Racers. I felt like that was an unworthy night spent at Wet 'n' Wild, but afterwards we had buffalo wings, which was nice.
Visit 3:
I feel like this was my most enjoyable visit, on the 12th of January. I got there bright at early at 10:30am and left around 6:30pm, but stopped going on rides after 5:30. I managed to go on 6 rides again, the Tropical Cyclone, Typhoon, Half Pipe, Aqua Tube, Riptide and T5, and thus have been on all the rides in the park except for The Breakers, which I will tackle on my next visit. All the rides on the 2 people tower took less than 30 minutes which was amazing, however the T5 had a massive wait of 2 hours. It seemed like the 2 group rides we went on were the most popular, for some reason not many people wanted to go on the Bombora or Tantrum and the lines for Bowlseye and Curler were also shorter than Riptide. However, due to the shortness of the other lines, I am able to forgive the T5 wait.
Overall:
On every visit, there has always been a ride not working, on the first visit, some of the 360 rush slides were broken and the T5 broke down also. On my 2nd visit the whole groups tower containing Riptide, Double Bowlseye and The Curler was closed, which I assume was the reason for massive lines at other towers. Finally, on my 3rd visit the 360 Rush kept changing from open to closed and I kept seeing people have to switch between the 4 available. While 2 of The Breakers were also not operating until afternoon. I personally do not like the idea of ride towers. I prefer Jamberoo, where all the rides are individual, because it reduces the chaos and inefficiency causes by no labels and no separate lines, leading to people cutting queues and having no clue where to go. Also, I am quite a thrill junkie and not many of the slides are fast nor scary, but this makes the park very family and kid orientated which is good for attracting all demographics and therefore more moola.
Slide by Slide:
Group Tower 1: contains the Riptide, Curler and Double Bowlseye. All photo rides for groups of 3-5.
Riptide - one of the fastest but also shortest rides in the park. Definitely a must for thrill seekers.
Curler - longest ride on the tower I believe, half enclosed and half covered, leading to an enjoyable, exhilaratingly tame ride.
Double Bowlseye - very similar to the curler but all in the open with 2 massive bowls, as the name suggests, that you spin around. I believe slightly less fun than the curler because I like the darkness.
Group Tower 2: contains Tantrum, T5 and Bombora. Groups of 2-4, all photo rides
Bombora - similar to the half pipe but longer and I believe more fun. You go around a circle and then down a drop, only to be flung up the "surf deck", I will call it. The initial part is slow, which only makes the end more thrilling.
T5 - mainly enclosed in darkness, you travel along a tube before being dropped into the big, open cone where you get swished back and forth until the exit pipe. I really loved this one and again recommend it to thrill seekers
Tantrum - my favourite ride of all I think. Similar to the T5, but instead with 3 smaller cones, travelling in darkness for the entire ride, minus 1 cone. May be the longest ride in the park. Fast and scary, I definitely recommend for the thrill seekers.
Pairs Tower:
The Breakers - will add review later
Typhoon- again one of my favourites, you enter a bowl and get flipped backwards for the rest of the ride.
Half Pipe - somewhat disappointing, after hearing all the hype. I preferred the Bombora, very similar except the pipe is enclosed until the drop.
Aqua tube - One of the longest rides in the park. Moderately fast and completely in darkness. It takes you around many twists and turns but with no surprise splashes.
Singles Tower:
H2Go racers - fun for any age, getting to race your friends in colourful tubes with foam mats. I believe 8 people at a time.
360 Rush - the infamous vertical drop, that definitely made me feel like my heart went out my mouth. However, as I was close to the minimum weight of 45kg, I didn't make it through the loop and had to use the escape hatch. I would definitely recommend this for the more daring though and plan to go on it again, hopefully next time coming full circle. The only protection you receive is a backboard.
Wave pool - first time I went, waves lasted 10 seconds, last time I went, waves lasted at least a few minutes and were much bigger which was pleasing!
Boomerang Bay - definitely a favourite place to chill after all the exhilarating rides. There is no wait, just grab any available donut floatie, there are plenty, and ride the gentle tide through a water fountain and bubbling spas. A great place to relax, with beach chairs also available on the grass.
Wet 'n' Wild Junoir - especially for the kids. Full of mini rides and a water park that even includes a tipping bucket!
Pay to ride:
Sydney Skycoaster - a giant swing that will have you soaring above the crowds. At $30 for 1 person and cheaper for more, max 3.
Surf Deck - a simulated surf pool. Just jump on the board and try stay on. Price unknown sorry.
In conclusion, if you have a season pass, definitely try to go as many times as you can. I suggest arriving early as all my longest waits have been late afternoon/night time. Big lockers are about 40x40cm square and definitely more worth it at $12 than the small, which are half the size and cost $10. However, if you plan to drive, then leaving things in the car is an option and buying a small locker for the keys and sunscreen will suffice. ALWAYS REMEMBER: Bring sunscreen, a towel and food, which is now allowed, unless you plan to buy from their overly priced menu.
NB: Most photos belong to the Wet 'n' Wild Sydney Website, as I have lost my phone and therefore all photos sadly.
My first visit was on the 19th of December, exactly 1 week after its grand opening. I had to go collect the MyBands for a friend and myself, and it only took around 20 minutes, which was pleasantly fast as even on my latest visit I saw a queue of people still waiting to collect their bands. After that I had to wait and hourish for my friends who were running late, but it was ok, cos I bumped into some other friends who were there. So, I arrived around 3:30pm and my friends got there around 4:30. We stayed till around 8:30, when I had to catch the free shuttle bus back home. In the span of those 4 hours we managed to go on 6 rides, the H2Go Racers, 360 Rush, The Curler, Double Bowlseye, Tantrum and Bombora, while also spending some time relaxing at Boomerang Bay and The Wave Beach. Most waiting lines were approx. 30 minutes per ride, however, we waited for the Tantrum for over and hour I believe. It is a really good idea to wear a waterproof watch if you want to time the wait. I will offer a review of each ride at the end. Overall, I was quite satisfied with the day, as I expected worse crowds. I do believe however, that it is not the biggest water park in the world, because to me it looks average, you can see everything from the entrance.
Visit 2:
My 2nd visit was on the 22nd of December, and this had to be my worst visit by far. I went with a different bunch of friends who still had to collect their myband. We arrived at the park around 6pm and finally got in at 7pm, because they weren't able to find the bands under the purchasers name, not sure if this error occurred for all people that used the coupon deal of buy 3 get 1 free for gold passes. Anyway, that wait really frustrated me as I feel like a lot of the staff are ill-equipped and weren't trained properly, due to the rushed opening. The first ride we lined up for was the Tantrum and after over an hour of waiting, we were so close to getting on when they shut the park down due to weather warnings, but half an hour later we were allowed on all rides again. So a lot of time wasted thanks to Wet 'n' Wild Sydney. By then it was already almost 10pm and we only managed to go on the Tantrum and H2Go Racers. I felt like that was an unworthy night spent at Wet 'n' Wild, but afterwards we had buffalo wings, which was nice.
Visit 3:
I feel like this was my most enjoyable visit, on the 12th of January. I got there bright at early at 10:30am and left around 6:30pm, but stopped going on rides after 5:30. I managed to go on 6 rides again, the Tropical Cyclone, Typhoon, Half Pipe, Aqua Tube, Riptide and T5, and thus have been on all the rides in the park except for The Breakers, which I will tackle on my next visit. All the rides on the 2 people tower took less than 30 minutes which was amazing, however the T5 had a massive wait of 2 hours. It seemed like the 2 group rides we went on were the most popular, for some reason not many people wanted to go on the Bombora or Tantrum and the lines for Bowlseye and Curler were also shorter than Riptide. However, due to the shortness of the other lines, I am able to forgive the T5 wait.
Overall:
On every visit, there has always been a ride not working, on the first visit, some of the 360 rush slides were broken and the T5 broke down also. On my 2nd visit the whole groups tower containing Riptide, Double Bowlseye and The Curler was closed, which I assume was the reason for massive lines at other towers. Finally, on my 3rd visit the 360 Rush kept changing from open to closed and I kept seeing people have to switch between the 4 available. While 2 of The Breakers were also not operating until afternoon. I personally do not like the idea of ride towers. I prefer Jamberoo, where all the rides are individual, because it reduces the chaos and inefficiency causes by no labels and no separate lines, leading to people cutting queues and having no clue where to go. Also, I am quite a thrill junkie and not many of the slides are fast nor scary, but this makes the park very family and kid orientated which is good for attracting all demographics and therefore more moola.
Slide by Slide:
Group Tower 1: contains the Riptide, Curler and Double Bowlseye. All photo rides for groups of 3-5.
Riptide - one of the fastest but also shortest rides in the park. Definitely a must for thrill seekers.
Curler - longest ride on the tower I believe, half enclosed and half covered, leading to an enjoyable, exhilaratingly tame ride.
Double Bowlseye - very similar to the curler but all in the open with 2 massive bowls, as the name suggests, that you spin around. I believe slightly less fun than the curler because I like the darkness.
Bombora - similar to the half pipe but longer and I believe more fun. You go around a circle and then down a drop, only to be flung up the "surf deck", I will call it. The initial part is slow, which only makes the end more thrilling.
Tantrum - my favourite ride of all I think. Similar to the T5, but instead with 3 smaller cones, travelling in darkness for the entire ride, minus 1 cone. May be the longest ride in the park. Fast and scary, I definitely recommend for the thrill seekers.
Pairs Tower:
The Breakers - will add review later
Tropical Cyclone - again fully enclosed in darkness, I would describe it as a mild version of the Tantrum, even the colours are the same lol. Definitely more kid friendly
Singles Tower:
H2Go racers - fun for any age, getting to race your friends in colourful tubes with foam mats. I believe 8 people at a time.
360 Rush - the infamous vertical drop, that definitely made me feel like my heart went out my mouth. However, as I was close to the minimum weight of 45kg, I didn't make it through the loop and had to use the escape hatch. I would definitely recommend this for the more daring though and plan to go on it again, hopefully next time coming full circle. The only protection you receive is a backboard.
Boomerang Bay - definitely a favourite place to chill after all the exhilarating rides. There is no wait, just grab any available donut floatie, there are plenty, and ride the gentle tide through a water fountain and bubbling spas. A great place to relax, with beach chairs also available on the grass.
Wet 'n' Wild Junoir - especially for the kids. Full of mini rides and a water park that even includes a tipping bucket!
Pay to ride:
Sydney Skycoaster - a giant swing that will have you soaring above the crowds. At $30 for 1 person and cheaper for more, max 3.
Surf Deck - a simulated surf pool. Just jump on the board and try stay on. Price unknown sorry.
NB: Most photos belong to the Wet 'n' Wild Sydney Website, as I have lost my phone and therefore all photos sadly.
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