These Tips for Spending the Day at the Theme Park are brought to you through a partnership with Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park. I received tickets in exchange for coverage on my site, all opinions are my own.
These Tips for Spending the Day at the Theme Park will help you remember what to pack, what rides to hit first, and what extra charges you can avoid!
When you are visiting any Theme Park it is always best to arrive early and head to your favorite ride first.
Usually the roller coasters are jam packed throughout the day and it only gets worse with time so if you enjoy the thrill rides, don’t waste any time, head right to your favorite.
As I get older I realize how I seem to worry more about heading to the theme park rather than anticipate the fun I will have. I think a big part of this is that most of the time when I was a kid visiting the local theme park we were not prepared to spend the day and often forgot important items.
Now that I am the one in charge of planning the day at a theme park or water park, I always make sure to pack everything I will need and then some.
So before heading out make sure you have these important items packed to make the most out of your day at the theme park.
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Extra Clothes if you plan on hitting the water rides
- Bathing suit for the water park
- Poncho if you don’t want to get wet
- Towel for the water park
- Lunch
- Drinks
- Hair brush & extra hair scrunchies
- Sandwich Bag for holding items that you don’t want to get wet
- Quarters for a locker
- Extra Cash for Games, Souvenirs, and Food
Of course, if you have medical needs be sure to bring an extra supply in case you get locked out of your locker or if your items get wet.
If you are like me then with age came all kinds of changes like getting motion sickness from certain rides that you once loved.
The Tilt-A-Whirl was my favorite ride as a kid and now my daughter loves it too. Unfortunately I am unable to ride with her because I get really dizzy and really sick whenever I attempt it these days.
Luckily they make medicines that can combat this sort of thing so if you are anything like me and get dizzy easily, I would pack some motion sickness medicine to make sure you can enjoy ALL of the rides!
My daughter was lucky because my husband was brave enough to ride the Tilt-A-Whirl with her and they had a lot of fun spinning while I enjoyed the stability of just taking pictures while observing their fun.
I was able to ride the Tea Cups with her and to my surprise it was actually a lot of fun. I like that you control how much you spin in circles and by the end of the ride we were spinning pretty fast!
Another ride I really enjoyed when I was a kid was the swings! They are perfect for enjoying the breeze and cooling off if you visit the theme park on a really hot day.
The swings at Elitch Theme Park are the highest and fastest I have ever seen in person. I love that you can bring someone else along for the ride with the two seater option.
Some theme parks have a fast pass or rapid ride pass available to let you skip lines and beat the crowds no matter what time you show up to your ride. Unfortunately not all parks offer this option and even worse is when the theme park you visit sells the rapid pass but the employees aren’t trained on the use of it so it really does no good.
If you are heading to Elitch Theme Park in Denver, I would be sure to check which rides the pass works for before making a purchase. It only covers certain rides so be sure to find out if the ones that you want to ride are covered and also find out about the path you are supposed to take to the front of the line because this is different for each ride.
We all know that carnival games tend to be dishonest and that most of them can’t be won but that is not the case with the games at Elitch Theme Park.
My family had a blast playing the Water Gun Fun game and I am proud to say that I won a purple monster for my daughter. I love being able to bring home a souvenir from the theme park, so this was perfect and totally worth the $6 for my whole family to play.
I don’t usually win the gun games, my husband is the family expert in that area but I even put him to shame! This theme park brought out the best in me because when we rode Ghost Blasters, I also got the highest score!
I really enjoyed that ride and it is nice to get out of the heat for a little bit to enjoy a fun game with the family.
Anytime a theme park combines a fun ride with a game, count me in. All of the fun decor and props really made this ride more fun!
Another ride we really enjoyed was Shipwreck Falls, we got soaked after flying down the steep hill this ride has at the end.
Even if you don’t like to get on the rides but you want to cool off, there is a bridge that you can wait on and when the ride hits that steep hill, the bridge gets soaked with a giant splash.
If you time it just right, you can hit the hill on the ride then head to the bridge and get soaked again within a couple of minutes.
Save this post for later by pinning the image above or share it on your favorite social media network so your friends can be prepared for their next theme park trip, too.
I hope these tips have helped you plan a day at the theme park, click here for more information about planning your trip to Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park in Denver, Colorado.
About Thirty Something Super Mom
My journey started after a Crohn's disease diagnosis, inspiring a commitment to well-being. This site shares my distinctive approach to healthy living with my collection of nutritious recipes that boast authentic flavors, mimicking the indulgence of traditional dishes. I love sharing guilt free recipes for low carb, keto, gluten-free, paleo, and the specific carbohydrate diet. I also share tips on natural living, including homemade cleaners and cleaning hacks. I also share my experience as a veterinary technician and pet groomer, to integrate pet health tips, homemade dog food recipes, and grooming insights to ensure your pets thrive.
Elitch Gardens sounds like a great place to hang out as a family. I love that it’s a theme park AND a water park. That’s so much fun!
My wife and I would love to take our grand kids to a theme park that’s only a couple of hours away once our grand son gets a little older (he’s only 2). These tips will come in handy when that day comes! I bookmark all my comments for several reasons, one being for future reference!
You are the queen of the water parks. All of your tips were right on the money. I can’t do the spinning rides anymore they make me sick. Leave it to the younger crowd.
Excellent tips and Elitch Gardens seems to be filled with excitement and adventure! Super fun for a family indeed. Those swings are especially insane!
That looks like a fabulous day!! When I go to theme parks, I like to map out the rides that the kids want to go on most, then create a plan of attack that way!!
Oh! This looks like a super fun place to visit! I’ve never heard of Elitch Gardens, but it definitely looks like something my family would love!
What great tips and I wish I was there because this looks like my kind of fun. From now on when we go to theme parks, I’m going to arrive early and head to the kid’s favorite ride first. I should have thought of that myself.
This sounds like so much fun! I’ll keep these tips in mind. I always forget about sunscreen and I need to stop that! I’ve never been to Elitch Gardens.
Looks like a fun time but I agree anymore I have more anxiety than excitement about going. Your list will help!
This is a great list of things to bring at the water park. I always forget something whenever we go, so it’s very important to have a checklist.
Theme parks are very popular during the summer and it’s important to make sure that you have everything you need before you go to a theme park you’ve been planning to go to! I think this is a lovely guide for anyone, especially parents! It’s good to have water and sunscreen with you at all times!
I have to share this. Spending a day at a theme park does take a lot more planning than people think. You covered a lot of problems in your post. Great job.
We love to visit theme parks. You’ve got some great tips and reminders of things people may forget. We’ve been giving the kids gift cards for their souvenirs so they have a strict budget.
I haven’t been to a theme park in a very long time. Now that I can’t ride roller coasters, it is kinda pointless to go. Maybe one day, I will take my son so that he can experience it one time. But I will wait until he is tall enough to ride the rides.
These are great tips. We visit our local theme parks often (Disney World!) and recently went to six flags over georgia!
I feel like I’m the only person that has never been to a theme park. Can’t wait for when I can finally go. These must-have items and tips will be very helpful.
Sounds like you really had a great time at the theme park and had it all planned out! I think I would get dizzy with the rides too.
I love these tips! The last time that I took my son to a theme park, he was only 3. I don’t think he even remembers, but it was a lot of fun.
Sunscreen is so important, even if it’s not in the middle of the summer. I always have one in my bag just to make sure! I also have a list to that I won’t forget the things that we need especially since we go to theme parks mostly during the summer!
Having a checklist is a must! It would be a bummer if you forget to pack something really important. I always forget to take ziploc bags! The Elitch Garderns look like a great place to spend a day with the family! Glad to see you guys had fun.
I found your tips very useful and helpful. Great post, Melissa!
this is so true espically the ziploc bag for electronics i know i made that mistake and forgot i had my phone it was a noooooo moment