Review: Wild Wadi Waterpark in Dubai
Dubai is more than just skyscrapers and malls. There is a lot to do – whether you’re with kids or without, visiting a waterpark in Dubai is a good way to spend a day.
Dubai has two extraordinary waterparks that are the perfect places to spend a full day with family, friends, or even yourself.
One of them is the Aquaventure Park in Atlantis Hotel on the Palm, and the other one is the Wild Wadi Waterpark, which is part of the Jumeirah Group (to which Burj al Arab and several other luxury hotels in this area also belong).
Read my review of the Dubai Wild Wadi Waterpark, and at the end of the post, you can also read my comparison between the two where I will answer the question: Which waterpark is better: Aquaventure or Wild Wadi?
Looking for more tips for things to do in Dubai with children? Then click here to find my recommendations.
Location Wild Wadi Waterpark – How to Get There
Wild Wadi is located in Jumeirah, just next to the famous Burj al Arab and the beautiful area of Madinat Jumeirah.
The closest metro station is the Mall of Emirates, but it will take forever to walk there. So either take a taxi from the Mall of Emirates (if you let the taxi driver know that you are going to Wild Wadi Waterpark, he will know where to drop you off) or take a bus from there.
The sightseeing buses also stop at Wild Wadi.
Wild Wadi Ticket Prices / What is Included in the Ticket Price
Tickets are not cheap, especially if you visit with your whole family. Spending a day at the beach is definitely cheaper and as a family, I can understand if the prices might scare people off. Also, you have to pay extra for towels, lockers, and (of course) food and beverages. Also, cabanas cost extra. So you basically get access to all the pools, and everything water-related, and you can use sunbeds for the price.
However, this is a full-day activity, and spending a day at the beach might not be a great alternative in the summer when the weather is too hot (read more on things to do in Dubai in summer).
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Prices for Wild Wadi Waterpark
All entrance fees are based on height, except children under 2 years – they have free access (must bring a valid ID).
People under 1.1 meters pay a little less (some rides are not for people under this height) but calculate around $60 and people above 1,1 meters pay a bit more than $72.
If you book your tickets at the ticket counter, tickets are about AED 334 ($90), but booking online will save you quite some money (almost $20) + you can skip the lines.
You can either book your tickets via their website, or via GetYourGuide or Viator (two websites that I normally use to book tickets, as the prices are about the same, but the cancellation policy is more generous).
If you book online via GetYourGuide or Viator, you can book tickets for kids.
However, that applies only to someone who is smaller than 1.1 meters (if you book the wrong tickets, you have to pay the difference at the ticket center).
Lockers cost extra (the smallest lockers are about 11€, the biggest about 22€), towel rentals are extra (about 10€ for a towel), drinks and food are extra (not cheap), and cabanas are extra.
Click here to get the best rates for your Wild Wadi Waterpark Day Pass
Note: If you are an overnight guest at any of the Jumeirah hotels, you will have free access to the waterpark for as long as you stay there. So, if you plan to visit more than once or you are there with a family, you might be better off booking a room at one of the Jumeirah hotels to save money (Jumeirah Creek Side is a nice hotel and much cheaper than the Jumeirah hotels in Jumeirah).
Wild Wadi Waterpark Opening Hours
10 am – 6 pm (might change depending on the season)
It is also open during Ramadan (the special month for Muslims)
Ladies’ Night Dates: Every first and third Thursday night of each month, starting from April until September (excluding Ramadan) is Ladies´ Night.
Attractions at Wild Wadi
More than 30 slides and rides, including:
- Flood River
- Lazy River
- Tantrum Alley
- Burj Surj
- Wipeout
- Riptide
It is a good mix of attractions for those who like to relax and take it easier and for those who enjoy more thrilling activities and rides. If rides are not suitable for certain people (pregnant women or people under 1,1, meters you will find signs that tell you so). So, please keep an eye on the sights to keep safe.
Food and Drinks
You are not allowed to bring your own food and drinks (except for one bottle of water). Several restaurants and snack stalls sell food (as a bog eater, I must confess that it did look very appealing though). Also, it was mostly fast food, which kids probably love, but if you enjoy healthy (and probably even vegetarian food) options seemed limited – there is Leila’s Fruits and Snacks that sell healthier options but mostly it is fast food.
Personally, I also thought it was a bit over-priced (given the options) but since you can’t bring your own food (unless you try to sneak in some snacks) there is no other choice to buy your food when you get hungry.
More Things to Know
Babies: If you visit with your little ones, you need to bring swim diapers for those who still wear diapers Regular ones aren’t permitted.
Diarrhea: Also, the info on the website says, you should not swim if you have diarrhea (just thought it was a fun fact to share 🙂
People with disabilities: Wild Wadi tries to make it as convenient as possible for people with disabilities (including people in wheelchairs). If you are worried, that you might have problems because of your physical condition you probably don’t have to. You can also bypass any queue at rides (please ask at the ticket counter if that applies to you, too).
Pictures: You can take photos with your camera (GoPro or your smartphone). You can buy a waterproof case at the Wild Wadi shop – totally overpriced though. Buy them cheaper in advance.
Shop: There is a shop that sells souvenirs, swimwear, and swim toys. However, it is really overpriced and I would make sure to have everything you need with you (including towels if you don’t have to get around after or before your visit for long).
Wild Water Waterpark – Conclusion
I visited in March and it was quite busy. I had problems finding a sun lounge in the shade (or even one that was standing under an umbrella) and it was not close to the pools.
However, when I finally found one, I left my bag (including my camera, laptop, ID, etc.) there and explored the waterpark (spoiler alert: Dubai is the only place in the world where I feel safe enough to leave my expensive stuff behind and not worry, even if my bag and travel gear is worth several thousand euros).
So, the question is: “Do you really need a locker?” No, in my opinion, especially if you are with several people and not everyone is in the pool at the same time.
I am not the biggest fan of waterparks, but I do enjoy them occasionally. The pools were very crowded, and the lines for some of the slides were quite long.
But somehow, I managed to do all the things that I wanted to do, though the relaxing part, especially in the lazy river was gone as there were tons of unused floating rings going by that made easy floating quite difficult.
The staff took away only a few of the unused ones, so most of them were just floating in the pool, which was quite annoying, but oh well. It is not a big deal but if paying so much, I expected perfect service and a perfect waterpark. In the pictures, you will not see many people because I made sure not to photograph people’s faces and waited until I got a quiet moment to take pictures.
The place is extremely fun for kids and adults who enjoy waterparks and slides. While I spent way more time at the Aquaventure, I had a great time here, too. I was, however, bothered by the crowd and felt it was smaller than the park at Atlantis. After talking to some locals, I was confirmed that Aquaventure is more fun. However, since Aquaventure is located on Palm Island it is also more difficult to get there and this is perfect to visit if you are in Jumeirah.
Click here to check out prices for Atlantis Aquaventure – Waterpark.
What I really enjoyed, though children and most adults probably care less about, was the fantastic view of Burj al Arab. The view was probably my highlight but of course, splashing in the pools was fun, too (I doubt, you can really swim there with all the people around).
Read more: Best things to do in Dubai
Another tip: Just recently a new waterpark opened in one of my favorite areas – La Mer. There is a new waterpark I haven’t visited myself yet and though it seems smaller than Wild Wadi Waterpark it might be a great alternative (great location with beach access plus cheaper admission fees!). Check out Laguna Waterpark for more info,
