So I visited the Kalahari Water Park in Sandusky OH today..

and I was turned away, with my 2 sons. They had run out of day passes....

Very frustrating, 2 hour drive, etc..We passed 7 billboards saying 'Kalaharai- Day Passes!"

You cannot make reservations for a day pass, first come, first serve.

I feel like I got screwed, thought technically I did not. I called ahead last week and the guy I talked to said, 'yeah, head down, it won't be a problem'.

The guy who told me they were out at the entrance also told me, after I said this was going to make me want to go to the Great Wolf/Bear Lodge instead, says 'go on ahead, you won't be missed."...I just could not believe it...

So, do I book a room and go back with the kids? Call and grumble, having already grumbled to 'a' manager? She pretty much told no roomie, no swimmie....Fair enough, but, boy, did they give away BOTH day passes before I got there? How many are given? There has to be a number...It does piss me off cause they KNOW how high everything is....it is the Disney thing...$5.00 sodas, etc, but we did go to the Wolf lodge last summer and it was blast, and Kalahari looks even better.

What I find amazing about your post is...you guys are swimming in water parks in April in Ohio?

Man, out here in L.A the water parks don't open til June or something. The ocean might as well not be open either as it's w-a-y too cold in April.

Trying to do something that does not involve parkas...we had a week of global warming fake spring, then back to the 30's, rain, clouds, etc...I should have stayed in Florida, but even that daily beautiful weather gets monotonous after a bit.

You were in Florida? Should've called!

Barry

Maybe next time...I lived in Marathon, FL for about a year in the late 80's. worked at the Keys Music Center and Hawks Cay. I do miss the beaches (Bahia Honda/Sombrero Reef)

Write a cordial, detailed letter. Send it to the park's head of HR, and every level of management & management on which you can get details. Also to the investor relations people if it's not a privately owned corporation.

Gosh, I was in Upper Sandusky on Wed the 11th, you could have at least invited me...

I drove by the Kalaharai in Wisconsin today, they didn't look too busy, maybe you should scoot on up.

Sorry Super....Noted for next time..

I am gonna wait til Tuesday, let them catch their breath after the busy week, and basically tell them what happened, and explain that unless they handle these things better, they might be better off NOT offering day passes, because the back lash for being turned away does not sit well. We will see...No matter what, I'll end up taking the kids to that one or the other one..

Here in Kansas City, our water park facilities and public outdoor swimming pools do not open, by law, until Memorial Day weekend. Always before the parks have been scheduled to close on Labor Day weekend, but last year some closed as early as the 2nd week in August; it was a rip.

I can't imagine water parks in Ohio, which I always thought was a colder region than K.C., would be open sooner than our facilities. There are a couple of amusement parks in Ohio that are listed as being owned by the same organization as Worlds of Fun/Oceans of Fun and I've thought about buying season tickets to WOF/OOF again this year, allowing free access to partner parks, and maybe making the jaunt to Ohio with the kids while visiting at least one of the parks. My sister lives in East Liverpool, and I've yet to visit her since she moved up there 4 years ago. I'm hoping to make it up that way this summer and it would be nice to take in one of the other major amusement parks around the country while we are in Ohio.

Ohio/Michigan pretty much get a slightly colder version of KC's weather...IDK that the law thing....that is WEIRD...I used to go to WOF when I lived there.

Well, you have to keep in mind that these are indoor water parks, Ani. Actually they are more like waterpark resorts. You can make a whole vacation out of it and never leave the building. Everything you want is there. They are pretty impressive.

Ahhhhhhhh Now I see.... That makes all the difference in the world. With WOF and OOF right here in town and within 20 minutes of my home; we pretty much stay in place with the convenience of it all. We do have a Wolfcreek Lodge over in Kansas, but it's not a place that you can just visit without renting the whole package with the room. If I'm going to pay hotel expenses, I'm going to be traveling along with it. Some may call me prudish, but I'm not paying a mortgage payment to rent a hotel locally; that, IMO, is just foolish spending.

For what it would cost me to spend one night at the Lodge with my kids, I could pay for half of the cost of what it takes to buy season passes for the family at WOF and OOF combined; money much better spent. Plus, the season passes there permit entry into other theme parks owned by the same enterprise located throughout the USA; I think there are even some abroad that qualify.

Dean,

Memorial Day weekend opens the outdoor swim season for public facilities and Labor Day weekend closes the season..... been that way for many, many years here in K.C.