Thank you to Dutch Wonderland for hosting us so I could share these insider tips to visiting Dutch Wonderland with you!
I grew up going to Dutch Wonderland from a young age, and it’s been such a thrill over the past several years to visit with my own kids. Many of the rides and attractions are still the same and with visiting every year as a Dutch Wonderland Royal Ambassador, I have come to know the ins and outs of this super-family-friendly amusement park. Planning a visit with your own crew? Read on for my top insider tips for visiting Dutch Wonderland!
Insider Tips for Visiting Dutch Wonderland
- If you can swing it, go mid-week. The crowds are far lower, so your wait time will be less.
- Make sure to check for discounts and deals before your visit. There are many available for Dutch Wonderland–some on the park’s site itself! You can also get a cheaper price for simply purchasing your ticket online ahead of time.
- Plan to arrive about 30 minutes before opening. This will allow you time to park, get sunscreen on and get yourself to the gate to be ready for opening.
- Speaking of parking, no need to pay for premium parking, unless snagging a super-close spot is a concern for you. The parking lot itself is very close to the entrance, so you won’t have far to walk from wherever you park.
- Prepare yourself and your kids that you will be walking through the gift shop to get to the entrance. The gift shop is full of lots of fun items! I find it important to set clear expectations about what we will or will not be purchasing ahead of time.
- If your kids are into the coasters (Merlin’s Mayhem and Kingdom Coaster), hit those first, then make your way over to the water park. We like to land at the water park early so we can snag chairs in the shade and enjoy the area before it gets crowded (most people go for the dry rides first and wait until it gets hot before getting wet).
- With this agenda in mind, we usually wear our suits with a cover-up and bring dry clothes to change into so we only need to change once during the day. PRO TIP: We have started packing these towels whenever we visit a waterpark and it has made all the difference in being able to pack compactly in one backpack.
- After we are done at the water park, we usally head out to the car to drop off our wet stuff and grab our picnic lunch. Dutch Wonderland has a nice picnic area right beside the parking lot (also very close to the entrance), and packing food versus buying it there saves us a lot money!
- If you bring refillable water bottles, you can fill them up in the park, but pack a large water cooler with your lunch so you can easily refresh your water at lunchtime.
- Make sure to check the showtimes for the diving shows (amazing!) and any other shows you’d like to see and set an alarm on your phone for 15 minutes before the show start so you can head over in time to get a seat.
- If you have older kids, make sure to read this post for a must-do list and be open to staying through the late afternoon. Dutch Wonderland attracts a young crowd, so I find the things tend to clear out as the day goes on and families head home when little ones tire out.
- Dutch Wonderland is full of yummy snacks, so our agreement is usually that we pack lunch, but the kids can get a treat towards the end of the day if everyone has been on good behavior.
- BONUS TIP: Don’t be afraid to visit off-season! Dutch Wonderland has one of the very coolest Trick-or-Treat trails we’ve ever visited. Crowds are often lower, and given the cooler temps, the waterpark and diving shows are closed, so it’s easier to focus your visit and enjoy a fun fall/winter family outing!
Have you visited Dutch Wonderland? What tips do you have? Make sure to share them below–I would love to hear them! And here’s to having a super day in the Kingdom for Kids whenever you visit!
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Meredith blogs at The Mom of the Year, where she dedicatedly earns her title one epic parenting fail at a time, offering quick, relatable laughs for fellow parents and all their empathizers. She has been part of several best-selling anthologies, featured on prominent sites such as Huffington Post, In the Powder Room and BlogHer, and loves her role as the Executive VP/Operations Manager of The BlogU Conference. When she's not breaking up fights over Legos and juice boxes, she remains fully committed to sharing a less serious look at the world of parenting.
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Meredith says
Looks like a fun time!
Meredith says
Dutch days are always great! 🙂
Brianne says
Thanks for these awesome tips! We are headed there tomorrow.
Meredith says
Oh, glad you checked in! How was your visit?!
Kelly says
What are Dutch days?
Meredith says
Kelly, I was Googling this trying to figure out what you meant, then I realized I wrote it in my comment above (laughing at myself for missing this!). I just meant any day at Dutch Wonderland 🙂 I think we often call it Dutch for short. Hope you have a wonderful time if you go!!
Karen L Feister says
Do you HAVE to pay for parking? There is a charge on the website when ordering tickets online, but I wasn’t sure if it was totally necessary. Thanks for the info!
Meredith says
It has always been required when we went. I think there are 2 lots though, and you can definitely go with the cheaper option. It’s not very far to walk!