I have been getting a lot of dehydration and heat exhaustion issues questions lately. Simply put, water and rest are your friend, people. 12-14 hours at an amusement park in 80+ degree weather will tire out anyone. Add long lines and screaming kids to the mix and you’re on the brink of running amuck. Believe me, we have all be there.
Here are some tips to assist you:
- Drink water before, during, and after your visit to an amusement park. Never rely on thirst to start drinking water.
- Take breaks during your visit. If you’re staying at a hotel, go back to your room and take a nap, drink some water, take a cool shower, change your clothes, and grab something to eat.
- Not staying at a hotel? Find a shady spot and sit down, go to an indoor restaurant and relax, find the park’s first aid center and get some ice cold water and A/C. Most first aid centers will allow you to sit and gather your thoughts.
- Visit in the early morning and go right to the back of the park — less lines and hassle. Many times you’ll be able to ride a particular ride 2 or 3 times without any lines and near empty trains.
- Stay away from sugary drinks during your visit.
- Apply sun block to yourself and children.
- Wear a hat if possible
- It can be hit or miss, but many parks allow you to bring in your own bottled water. Most require that the bottle be factory sealed. Below, a list of the more popular amusement parks and what we have found with regard to bring in your own water:
Amusement Safety Organization compiled a list of amusement parks and how they handled bottled water being brought into their park 4 ways: Using a Kleen Kanteen, unopened bottle of water, opened bottle of water, and using a Camel Bak. You can view the results below:
Bringing water into Six Flags parks is hit or miss — below is what we found with their parks:
- Great America: Water allowed – no restrictions.
- Discovery Kingdom: Water allowed – no restrictions.
- America: Water not allowed in.
- Great Adventure: Mixed – Only Camel Bak was allowed in.
- St. Louis: Water allowed – no restrictions.
- Over Texas: Mixed – Only unopened bottle of water and Camel Bak allowed in
- Fiesta Texas: Water not allowed in.
- New England: Water not allowed in.
- Over Georgia: Water allowed – no restrictions
- Magic Mountain: Mixed – Only Kleen Kanteen let in.
Water was allowed into all Busch Gardens parks in the form of Camel Baks, Kleen Kanteens, opened bottle of water, and unopened bottle of water. Busch Gardens parks include:
- SeaWorld – San Antonio
- SeaWorld – Orlando
- SeaWorld – San Diego
- Busch Gardens Europe
- Busch Gardens Africa
Water was not allowed into all but two Cedar Fair parks:
- Dorney Park: Water allowed – no restrictions
- Cedar Point: Water not allowed in.
- California’s Great America: Water not allowed in.
- Valleyfair: Water not allowed in.
- Worlds of Fun: Water not allowed in.
- Michigan’s Adventure: Mixed. Only unopened bottle water allowed in.
- Knott’s Berry Farm: Water not allowed in.
- Carowinds: Water not allowed in.
- Kings Island: Water not allowed in.
- Kings Dominion: Water not allowed in.
Water was allowed into all Disney parks in the form of Camel Baks, Kleen Kanteens, opened bottle of water, and unopened bottle of water. Disney parks include:
- Disneyland
- Disney’s California Adventure
- Animal Kingdom
- EPCOT
- Hollywood Studios
- Magic Kingdom
Water was allowed into all Universal parks in the form of Camel Baks, Kleen Kanteens, opened bottle of water, and unopened bottle of water. Universal parks include:
- Islands of Adventure
- Universal Studios – Orlando
- Universal Studios – Hollywood
