Ahhh, the joy of careening down a water slide never gets old! How many of these Wisconsin Dells water slides have you tried? P.S. Don’t miss the list of waterslides for little kids at the end of the post.
Best Water Slides in the Wisconsin Dells for Big Kids
It would be near impossible to put together a definitive list of all the different indoor and outdoor water slides and water slide names in Wisconsin Dells. Why? Because there are so many different water slides! To make this post an easier read, we’re going to focus on 10 Best Water Slides for Big Kids. And by “big kids” we mean tweens, teens, and grown-ups too. This list of 10 different types of water rides is followed by specific water slide names and locations so you can map out your next vacation in “The Waterpark Capital of the World!®”
- Rotating Water Slide Medusa’s Slidewheel, which opened this summer at Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park, is the first rotating waterslide in the United States. This two to four-person raft ride combines the movement of a Ferris wheel with the speed of a waterslide, spinning three full rotations every minute as riders slide forwards and backwards while experiencing speed, g-force, and airtime.
- Plunge Slides You could say the nearly vertical drop slides are what put Wisconsin Dells on the extreme waterslide map. Try the Sahara Sidewinders at Kalahari Resort and the classic Point of No Return at Noah’s Ark Waterpark. At Chula Vista Resort, Durango Drop is a feet-first slide.
- Trapdoor Slides On the heels of the plunge slides came Wisconsin Dells’ entry into the trapdoor water slide phenomenon, with a 3-2-1 countdown only elevating the fear factor as the floor drops out from below you. Scorpion’s Tail at Noah’s Ark Waterpark is a looping variety. You won’t want to miss Screaming Hyena at the Kalahari Resorts & Conventions, or the Cosmic Drop and Lunar Loop at Wilderness Resort.
- Water Roller Coasters Even if you’re not a roller coaster enthusiast, you will be thrilled with the water roller coasters in the Dells that make use of conveyers to speed you uphill and downhill. Word of advice: Just don’t look down! There’s the Flyan Mayan at Chula Vista Resort, the Master Blaster at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions, and Black Anaconda at Noah’s Ark Waterpark.
- Funnel Rides Lots of waterpark fans like to call these toilet bowl rides for their whooshing configuration. The Howlin’ Tornado at Great Wolf Lodge is a must-try. At Kalahari Resorts & Conventions, there are a trio of these funnel slides – The Smoke That Thunders, Swahili Swirl, and the Tanzanian Twister. The Wilderness Resort calls their family thrill funnel ride the Hurricane.
- Winged Slides Slide high from one wing to the other when you ride the double slide known as Stingray at Noah’s Ark Waterpark. Or hold on tight as you fly down Switchback Canyon in Chula Vista’s Outdoor Waterpark.
- Racing Slides For all you competitive types, check out the Raja racing slide at Noah’s Ark Waterpark and Halley’s Comet Racers at Wilderness Resort. Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park’s side-by-side racing slide is called Triton’s Challenge. At Chula Vista Resort, you can satisfy your need for speed on the Matador Mat Racers slide.
- Surf Machines Who needs the ocean when you can get a feel of bodysurfing riding the Flowrider at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions and Surfin’ Safari at Noah’s Ark Waterpark.
- Slideboards Here’s an interesting category – it’s not a waterslide with tubes or mats but rather slideboards. And you’ll find one at the Wilderness Resort. There are buttons on the slideboard that correspond to colors, with the goal to press the correct button when you pass that light in the slideboard tube. By the way, scores are kept!
- Spiral Slides You’ll certainly be zipping your way down the Zimbabwe Zipper in the Zambezi Outdoor Waterpark at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions. At Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park, Triton’s Fury has twists, turns, and drops starting three stories high. Black Thunder at Noah’s Ark Waterpark twists you into total darkness.
Bonus - Wave Pools: Not a waterslide but definitely a water ride that shouldn’t be missed. The huge wave pool named Poseidon’s Rage at Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park sends out one towering nine-foot wall of water after another. Under the see-through dome at Wilderness Resort, you’ll find The Great Wave, the nation’s largest indoor wave pool.
Add On a Cabana Rental: You’ll need a break from all that waterslide exhilaration, so consider a cabana rental. At Chula Vista Resort’s outdoor waterpark, the cabanas come complete with loungers, oversized towels, TV, a fridge, and a personal attendant. Ask about cabana rentals at the other large waterpark resorts too.
Waterslides for Kids
Take a moment now to catch your breath as we launch into the list of the best water slides and water attractions for kids. We’re talking toddlers and grade schoolers with this list of different Wisconsin Dells water slides and waterpark play areas at the major resorts.
- Noah’s Ark Waterpark – Tadpole Bay has big thrills for little squirts, with an eight-foot dump bucket, kiddie slides, and more than 50 swings and dancing springs to keep them busy. There are also several shallow kiddie pools with fountains and slides.
- Chula Vista Resort – The kiddie winding river is a manageable six inches deep. There’s an outdoor splash pad and adventure play structure with smaller waterslides, a giant dump bucket and geysers galore, making it a sure hit with the smaller ones. The inside waterpark’s sized-right attractions include Mount Montezuma’s Mayan Temple and the Incatinka Kiddie Play Area.
- Wilderness Resort – Make your first stop the New Frontier outdoor waterpark, where there’s a “sprayground” reserved for children under 48 inches and their parents and a zero-depth play area with smaller slides and bubbling geysers. At their sister property, Wilderness on the Lake, Cubby’s Outdoor Waterpark also has a zero-depth play area.
- Kalahari Resorts & Conventions – The Splashdown Safari outdoor waterpark attraction is a multi-level water tree fortress. In the indoor waterpark, Tiko’s Watering Hole play area has hands-on activities, slides and a lazy river made just for little ones.
- Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park – The Lost City of Atlantis anchors one end of the outdoor waterpark and features a giant dump bucket and different waterslides for kids. Toddler-friendly options in the indoor waterpark include Serpent’s Pool with splash zone and interactive water features and Medusa’s Shipwreck with waterspouts, slides, and geysers to entertain the little ones for hours on end.
- Great Wolf Lodge – The indoor waterpark at this resort is toddler paradise, with Fort Mackenzie water fort treehouse, the Crooked Creek lazy river, and Cub Paw Pool with interactive activities just a few of the different types of water rides. Outside, the Raccoon Lagoon has kiddie slides and fountains.