Atlantis is the Disney of water parks. There are 18 water slides spread over a 141 acre park called Aquaventure. Not all of them are as thrill seeking as the Leap of Faith (which I have never done, and never will). There are kiddy water slides, slides you can do in tubes and the lazy river, which isn’t really lazy, it has some pretty fun rapids.
Before you go, check out What to Pack for Atlantis, the water park is HUGE and you want to make sure you have everything you need so everyone has fun.
To ride the Leap of Faith you need to be at least 48″ tall, measure your kids before you leaven home so there are no tears of disappointment, they will get turned away if they aren’t tall enough. Macie rode the Leap of Faith for the first time when she was 9 she then proceeded to go on it as many times in a row as her little legs would allow. Keaton went once for the photo and declared he will never go again. It’s a 60 foot almost vertical drop. I prefer the slides like the Surge where you can ride in a tube.
Sea Lions and Dolphins
If you can only book one, I recommend the Sea Lions. These creatures are really marvelous and this is the only place I’ve ever seen a chance to interact with them in such an intimate setting. Insider tip: If you are looking at the dolphin experiences know that deep water doesn’t mean super deep and scary, the shallow water is a lot less fun and should only be booked for tiny kids.
Sting Ray Experience
Easily the most freakishly terrifying and amazing thing I’ve done in a while. You climb into waist deep water with a pile of raw shrimp to feed the sting rays.These sting rays are no fools, they know it’s mealtime and immediately surround you, a few even started sucking on the back of my knees. My 13 year old was stung by a ray in South Carolina last summer so I was terrified. No need, they are really harmless unless you start the fight. I learned so much about sting rays just on this little outing to Atlantis. Their barbed stinger is actually covered by skin so you can pet them without fear of injury. For them to sting you they have to not only break their own skin, but lose their barb as well which is excruciatingly painful for them. As long as you don’t step on them, and you won’t because they have you shuffle in, it’s actually very safe.
Hit the Beach
There are three white sand beaches at Atlantis and cocktails are easy to find. It can be easy to forget that you’re in the Bahamas when you’re in the water park, take a break, grab a Pina colada and go for a walk, the water is warm and the sand is soft.
A few tips for hitting the water parks:
- Wear a sun shirt, you don’t want to chase your kids with sunscreen all day. Reapplying to faces is enough work.
- Wear water shoes, it’s a big park and the ground is hot.
- Rent a cabana if you can, it’s a great way to have a home base and you can lock up your valuables.
- Establish a meeting spot and time, no matter how well you plan, at some point you’re going to get separated.
Here is a video we made with Atlantis about all the fun things there are to do in and around the water park:
We were hired by Atlantis to create a video series aimed at helping families plan for their perfect vacation. The Luxury Travel Mom editorial is not sponsored.