Typhoon Texas Waterpark in Katy is a great destination for Houston families looking for cool summer fun but who are also concerned about safety.
You’re Never Too Old!
This week my kid turned 13. I knew that a “traditional” birthday party with all her friends from school was probably not gonna happen in our new world of social distancing, but I still wanted to make her day special.
Her criteria: something fun, something we hadn’t done in a while, something she could do with a friend or two…and mostly, something which supported her new-found age 13 independence {aka minimal parental engagement and/or involvement}.
My criteria: just one word…SAFE.
After a bit of online research, a few chats with parents and admittedly a drive-by {or two}, we decided to celebrate the big 13 at our local Katy water park: Typhoon Texas!
We had SO MUCH FUN y’all, and cannot wait to go back! More on this later, but during the week the park is virtually empty at 10:30am.
No lines! No wait! No worries!
And get this…their current promotion gets you a FULL SUMMER PASS for the price of a regular admission Day Ticket {$44.99}. Yep, pay to go just once and you get to go FREE the entire summer!! Guess what? We are already planning our next visit!
I know, I know…but is it SAFE?
I had similar concerns, so I checked their website’s updated safety protocols, I also took a look at recent Facebook reviews and finally, I asked a few friends. In the end, I was totally convinced and comfortable that appropriate safety measures were fully in place and being adhered to.
- Park attendance is limited to the state-mandated capacity each day.
- Reservations are required in advance {super easy to book online} and you MUST take the reservation confirmation with you to the park.
- Tickets are also purchased online {in advance}. Here’s where you’ll see the Day Ticket and Summer Pass are the exact same price! You can even use your NCD wristband to virtually queue for rides and slides, or to order and pay for food!
- I observed excellent “social distancing” protocols at the entrance {space decals} and in bathrooms, restaurants and slide queues. All the lounge chairs, tables and umbrellas were spaced appropriately.
- I witnessed exceptional cleaning and disinfecting protocols throughout the park: bathrooms, picnic tables, locker rooms, lounge chairs, hand rails and tube/float stations.
- There are regular shutdowns of rides/slides/pools to check chlorine levels and to further disinfect touch points.
- All the main pools have upgraded filtration systems.
- All employees are required to wear masks.
- Drink re-fill stations are no longer “walk-up,” but instead are managed by park employees.
- There are lifeguards everywhere!
[Related Post: Birthday Party Places in Houston]
So how does this work?
Great question!
Your first step is to make a reservation online; there’s no charge for this but it does appear that it’s added to your cart at $0.00 charge. You pick your date and preferred time of entry. If they’ve reached their maximum occupancy for that timeslot it won’t be available to reserve. After you’ve confirmed, you’ll receive an email with your approved reservation. You’ll need to either print this or have it handy on your smart phone at the park entrance.
Your next step is to purchase tickets online. Remember, the Day Ticket and Summer Pass are the exact same price, so why not take advantage of the promotion? After your online purchase, you’ll receive a second confirmation email. Yep, you’ll need this one as well at the entrance.
Note:: You’ll need to get your ticket “pass processed” on your first visit. You’ll need a photo ID for all members and proof of purchase. At the walk up counter they’ll input your name, birthday and take a quick picture that links to your NCD chip band. These bands can also be used for ‘virtual queuing’ and for contactless payments of food and beverage.
We rented a cabana for our birthday party visit just to have some comfortable lounge chairs, a table and complete shade when we’d had enough sun. It was well worth it! The hostess that served us was fun, friendly and always available when we needed something. We ordered our lunch food directly from her! You can find the cabana rental info on the same reservation link posted above.
One final tip. I highly recommend getting there BEFORE your reservation time to get your pass processed and get checked in if you haven’t done so yet. The earlier your reservation, the cooler it is, and like I said previously, the park was pretty much empty! We were able to ride, slide, splash and dash without virtually any queuing!
Don’t forget your towel, plenty of sunscreen {applied often}, goggles, water shoes or flip-flops, your hat and sunglasses! You’re allowed one bottle of water per person, so add that to your pack as well!
[Related Post: Houston Birthday Party Ideas]
What all can you do at Typhoon Texas?
There are tons of options for both little and big kids {including high school kids and yes, even parents!}. There are dozens of slides; some that drop you vertically for {what seems like} minutes, that are not for the faint of heart. Other slides allow your entire group to “race” down the individual tube slide into victory. Still others toss and spin you in total darkness for several minutes!
The “wave pool” is my all-time favorite where you’re gently tossed to and fro’ whilst relaxing on your tube. It’s great fun for all ages, though parental supervision is required.
We leisurely floated the Lazy River at least 4 times and pretty much had it to ourselves for the better part of the day.
The picture above is where our cabana was located, near the Gully Washer. That humungous bucket of water dumps its load every three minutes {yep, this scientist recorded it}, much to the pleasure of the kids {and us} below. This area and several others are well-suited for parents with younger kids. There are lifeguards located throughout these areas advising kids to be mindful of the rules.
The food and drink options were all good! We had BBQ, and the girls had chicken fingers. It’s a lot of food and the prices are reasonable.
I’m so glad we chose Typhoon Texas to celebrate the big 1-3! Even in the middle of a pandemic, she had so much fun with her friends to kick-off summer.
I just noticed on the Typhoon Texas event website they’re having extended hours on July 3rd and 4th, complete with Fireworks at dusk! It sounds like a blast {see what I did there?}.
Be sure to book your online reservations early – hope to see you floating down the Lazy River!
Connect with Typhoon Texas
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Pin this post and be sure to follow Houston Moms Blog on Pinterest!
