We spent a couple of days checking out the new Kalahari Resort in Round Rock and we had the best time! There is plenty to do here for the whole family and for kids and adults of all ages (even babies and toddlers)!
The Resort
When we first got to Kalahari, we went straight to the check-in desk. The line was very long and we waited quite a while. We got there at noon on the Thursday of Memorial Day weekend, which I heard was their busiest weekend yet. The nice thing about staying here is that they let you swim at the waterpark even if your room isn’t ready for check-in yet. We were here with 3 other families, and we were able to get 4 rooms all right next to each other which was amazing! You have to make sure you check in at the same time as the other people you’re there with if you’d like the best chances of getting rooms next to each other.
The rooms were the perfect size for our family of five. We had two queen size beds and a queen size pull out couch! It was so nice to have plenty of space to spread out. They also have 2 and 3 bedroom suites available if you have a larger family/group.
Waterpark
The waterpark is the main draw of Kalahari, which claims to be the biggest indoor waterpark in America! Inside the waterpark, you’ll find 223,000 square feet of slides, waves, and more.
My older boys are 11 and 9 and enjoyed riding the slides with their friends and all the dads. The thrill-factor of the slides range from easy to terrifying, and everything in between. There are even mini-slides in the toddler areas for those too scared (or too small) to ride the big ones.
I spent most of my time with my 3 year old in the toddler sections. Yes, I said sections, plural! There are two huge sections inside the waterpark just for babies and toddlers! These include water swings, slides, and even a mini lazy river! It was just about the cutes thing ever.
The rest of the indoor waterpark includes a huge wave pool, a decent size lazy river, a section with smaller/medium size slides, water cannons, and the giant water dump bucket. There is also a place to order food and drinks from and even an adults-only grotto (bar).
There is also a whole outdoor section of the waterpark that we didn’t have enough time to explore.
Tom Foolery’s Arcade & Amusement Park
We spent a lot of time on our second day there at the arcade/amusement park. Tom Foolery’s rides were included in our wristbands that got us into the waterpark. We had to pay extra for certain things like the video games, escape room, etc. There was even a toddler/baby play area within Tom Foolery’s with little rides and games for them to play. If you plan on doing the ropes course, remember to bring closed-toe shoes.
Austin Active Kids Opinion
Despite some minor issues, we all had a blast. We didn’t have time to explore the entire place (it’s so huge!) but what we did do, we thought was great! They are still new and working out the kinks (for instance, room service never worked), but if you have a good attitude and lots of patience, you will have a great time.
Pro Tips
Bring closed-toe shoes like sneakers if you want to do the ropes course! We didn’t consider this and none of the kids could do it.
If you have sensitive skin, bring your own towels. The towels they offer for you to borrow for free are very small and rough and scratchy and made my son’s legs very red and itchy. They also frequently run out of towels, so you might not get one at all.
If you are going back and forth between the waterpark and Tom Foolery’s, make sure you have the kids dry off completely. They wouldn’t let my son and his friend ride one of the roller coasters because the ride attendant thought they were still wet (they weren’t).
Sometimes they check bags when you enter the waterpark, sometimes they do not. They say you can not bring outside food or drink inside the waterpark, but we saw lots of people getting it in somehow.
There are not clocks inside the waterpark, so make sure everyone in the group knows where to meet. Lifeguards can help tell you what time it is.
If you want to do the escape room during your stay, remember to book it in advance! It was all booked up when we went and we couldn’t get a time slot.
Location
501 Kenney Fort Blvd, Round Rock
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