Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Phoenix, and Ways to Save. Six Flags Hurricane Harbor is a 35-acre waterpark in North Phoenix, offering 14 different water experiences for all ages! Long-time Phoenix residents may know this waterpark as Wet ‘n’ Wild. The park was acquired by the Six Flags franchise in 2019 and renamed it Hurricane Harbor. The operating season is usually mid-March to mid-October each year.
We shied away from Hurricane Harbor for years because it didn’t appear to have much to offer young children. But we were pleasantly surprised! Our visit started as a media invite, to check out the newly opened Paradise Island area. But after an hour, we joined the other families visiting the park, and had an amazing stay! We only said goodbye mid-afternoon because we had a prior engagement that evening. The kids did not want to leave! And with the toddler napping in the stroller, we could have easily stayed until closing.
The Attractions
So what will you find at Hurricane Harbor? You can view a list of all the rides here. Not all were operating during our mid-week visit, but maybe it changes during the weekend. For a quick rundown, here are the rides by height:
NO MINIMUM
- Adventure “Lazy” River (under 42” need life jacket)
- Hurricane “Wave Pool” Bay (under 48” need life jacket)
- Paradise Island
- Splash Island (over 60” with child)
- Splashwater Beach
MINIMUM 36”
- Coconut Bay
MINIMUM 42”
- Anaconda
- Big Kahuna
- Mammoth Falls
- Wahoo Racers
MINIMUM 48”
- Bahama Blaster
- Bonzai Pipelines
- Tornado
- Typhoon Twister/Serpentine Complex
What we appreciated was the employees measuring the children after the security checkpoint, and giving them an appropriate height wristband, clearly indicating which areas they could or couldn’t enter. Also, each water activity is marked with a sign showing which color wristbands are allowed on the ride.
One other huge prop to the park was the number of lifeguards. They were everywhere, which is as it should be! They were attentive and thorough in their sweeps of the water areas. It gave us peace of mind about letting our kids run around in the huge Splash Island area especially because it’s impossible to always keep eyes on them. That said, please watch your children as much as possible.
Due to having only one adult in our group the day we visited, we did not get to try any of the bigger water slides as our older children weren’t comfortable going solo. Plus, the lines were long. So be prepared for a wait even on weekdays, and definitely on the weekends. There is a map of the waterpark here. We will have to come back with another adult and try the bigger rides!
What our kids did experience, they loved! There was something enjoyable in each area. The wave pool was a small disappointment, but only because the kids were expecting big, ocean-like waves. It’s more gentle, continuous waves – and note that they don’t start up until about half an hour or so after the park opens. You will hear a horn blast when the waves are going to start!
The lazy river was fantastic. You may need to wait a bit for a tube to become available, or you’re welcome to walk right into the water and swim/walk until you find one. There are numerous water features along the way to cool you off too! Our toddler was so happy to just ride and watch the world go by.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Phoenix, and Ways to Save
Paradise Island is the newest addition to Hurricane Harbor. This 42,000 square foot pool has a zero-depth entrance on one end plus a water umbrella and mini splash pad, perfect for littles. There is also basketball towards the center, with the deepest pool depth being just over 4 feet. You’ll also find lots more seating, including lounge chairs, and a fabulous new restroom with outdoor showers, and a new cafe!
Splash Island and Splashwater Beach are near each other, making it great for families. Splash Island is the epic three-story playground-like structure you likely see in most photos of this waterpark. There are numerous slides, a huge dumping bucket, and endless space to stay cool in the water mists! Our older kids loved this spot! Our toddler wasn’t too keen on the busyness, but there was a short slide near the entrance that she did multiple times. Parents are welcome to join their children on this structure, including the slides.
Splashwater Beach was fun for our three kids as well, but mostly for our 6 and 2-year-olds. Shallow water and two short slides are in the play structure, and next door you’ll find a mini hurricane slide and five short side-by-side slides. Another slide section was blocked off during our visit. We spent almost an hour in this area! Our toddler LOVED the slides. (And props to the lifeguards who were very patient with her and other littles who didn’t always follow the posted rules.) There’s some nice shaded seating here, plus a nursing mom’s area.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Phoenix, and Ways to Save
The Basics
You can save time and money by purchasing admission tickets online! Pricing starts at $44.99/person ($34.99 online) for a day pass, and same-day re-entry is allowed with a hand stamp. A season pass is $49.99/person. There are also add-ons like a parking pass (this is an additional cost to your visit), meal passes, renting cabanas and special lounge chairs, and more. Learn more here.
The park is open 10:30 am to 8 pm, Sunday-Thursday, and to 9 pm on Friday and Saturday. Open season runs from about mid-March to mid-October, and note that early/late in the season the park is usually open only Friday-Sunday 11 am-6 pm. You can view open days and hours here.
There are numerous restroom facilities, lockers to rent, lots of seating (but they are claimed fast!), and some shade.
Food-wise, there are a variety of options. You can view all the dining here, and note there are options ranging from snacks to full meals to beer. We tried the burger meal and chicken tenders meal, both with fries as well the brisket sandwich ($11-15 each). There are several cafes spread around the park. The unlimited refill cup looked like a great deal!
Our Thoughts
There are mixed reviews online on Hurricane Harbor, which was another reason we hadn’t visited yet. People have said the waterpark is dirty and trashed, parking is insane, service is horrible, lines are long, etc.
While we did get free admission for our visit, we did not have any special media treatment other than the advantage of entering the park an hour early. Our experience at Hurricane Harbor was great! The three restrooms we visited were clean and stocked, especially the one at Paradise Island, and we saw employees actively cleaning them. We purchased our own food for lunch, and it was quick in service, and average in quality. As stated, we didn’t try any of the bigger water slides.
Our take? It’s worth a visit. Definitely go on a weekday vs a weekend if you can to cut down on wait time and crowds. Wait time for the bigger slides ranged from 15-30 minutes, according to some friends that also went. And weekends can be CRAZY. Go during the week, or be prepared for lots of patience on the weekends.
Pre-purchase tickets, including parking. Utilize the app to order food to cut down on wait time in line. Again, patience is the key. If you live nearby, a season pass might be the best option because you could just stay a couple hours and then return the next day!
There really is something for all ages at Hurricane Harbor! This was probably our biggest takeaway – toddlers, children, teens, and adults will have fun at this waterpark. We could see a season pass especially being a fantastic way to pass the summer days!
Ways to Save at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Phoenix, and Tips
- Get a season pass! A pass pays for itself in 2 visits. And you can apply your day’s admission towards a pass at the end of the day.
- Did you know that a membership pass is good for other Six Flags locations? Might be helpful for those coming from out of state, or if you plan to travel.
- If you’re staying nearby, taking an Uber or Lyft might be cheaper than parking, which is a separate fee from the entrance fee. Alternatively, prepurchase parking for season passes and memberships. Consider what might be best for your family!
- Outside food and drinks are not allowed. You can bring water bottles (there are refill stations) and we were also allowed snacks for our toddler. To save, pack a cooler of food and leave it in your car. You can go out to the parking lot for lunch or eating time, and then return. Just get your hand stamped on the way out of the park! Hurricane Harbor also offers meal plans which can help save.
- Strollers and wagons are allowed. We felt safe keeping our wallet in the stroller but did bury it around diapers. For older kids/adults, a waterproof phone case can also hold cash or a card. Backpacks, etc, are not allowed on rides.
- Lifejackets are provided free on a first-come, first-served basis. We saw the biggest collections near the wave pool, and by Paradise Island. If you have your own lifejacket or puddle jumper, bring it!
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor is located at 4243 W Pinnacle Peak Rd, Glendale, AZ 85310.
2 Responses
Did you have the chance to look at the Cabanas? I was wondering if they are worth paying for.
We didn’t get a look at them, unfortunately. Sorry!