Are you planning a trip to Kalahari soon? Before you go, here are the top tips for visiting Kalahari Resort Poconos.
Every December, my family and I hop in the car and take a two-hour drive to America’s largest waterpark, Kalahari Resort Poconos. Over the years, we have made this our go-to waterpark for all our fun-filled winter adventures.
Although there are other waterparks in the area, we have found Kalahari to be the best place to visit for our indoor waterpark needs. First time visiting Kalahari? Below, you will find everything you need to know before you embark on your upcoming trip to Kalahari Poconos.
Kalahari has four water park locations:
Round Rock, TX
Spotsylvania, VA
Wisconsin, WI
Kalahari Resort Poconos Check-In Process
Once you arrive at the resort, having one family member check-in for your group is best. By doing this, it will make the process very easy and less stressful. I’m sure the last thing your children want to do after a long car ride is to stand in line.
Kalahari Resort Poconos now offers a self-service kiosk in the main lobby for you to use to check yourself in. You will need your reservation number, a photo ID, and a credit card to check in at the kiosk.
If you need help, there is an attendant who will be able to help with any questions you may have. I have to admit I did have a little trouble with this process. I quickly realized that if I had taken my time to read through the prompts, I could have easily figured it out.
Security Deposit at Kalahari Resort Poconos
Once we checked into the resort, they required us to pay a $200 refundable security deposit. If you use a credit card for a deposit your funds will be released after 2-3 business days. For a bank card, the deposit could take up to 14 business days to show back to your bank account. If you have a credit card, it’s better to use it that way to get your money back quicker.
Check-in time
Check-in starts at 4 pm, but you can pay an additional fee to check in earlier. Great news, you can start to access the waterpark on the day of your check-in as early as 10 am.
Check-out time
Check-out time is at 11 am, which is enough time to get your kids up and ready for the day. If your family would like to sleep in a little longer, there is an option to check out later. Want more time at the waterpark after check-out? Kalahari Resort Poconos allows you to access the water park until 3 pm.
Kalahari Poconos is now a cashless facility
In recent years, Kalahari has become a cashless facility, which can be great for your stay. Cashless makes it more convenient for you, so you don’t have to worry about where to store your money.
Kalahari takes a $400 deposit and electronically adds it to your wristband if you use the cashless option. This wristband is color-coded blue, so you and others know you can pay for items with your wristband. Any money you have not used by the end of your stay will be credited back to your credit card.
Kalahari still allows purchases with your credit card. Great tip: use the same card during your stay, to keep track of what you have spent at the resort.
Waterpark
Kalahari waterpark passes are included in your stay at the resort, This way have to worry about purchasing these separately.
Day passes can be purchased to use Kalahari Resort Poconos waterpark, but if you can, I feel it’s better to stay at the resort overnight.
Lockers
Lockers, which are located at the entrance of the waterpark, are available for an additional fee. You can store all your items like phones, clothes, or wallets by getting a locker.
Changing rooms
Kalahari has changing rooms in their waterpark aside from the bathrooms. This is great because some families will arrive at the waterpark before they have their rooms. My family usually packs a separate beach bag with our swim clothes to change once we get to Kalahari.
Yes, we can wear our swimsuits under our clothes before we get to Kalahari, but I know that will be an uncomfortable 2-hour car ride. Could you imagine having to stop for a bathroom break before you get there and having to take off your one-piece bathing suit to use the bathroom in a Walmart bathroom? That said, it’s best to change once you get to the waterpark.
Towel Rentals
Kalahari now has a system where you can rent towels from them for the day while in the waterpark. Just walk up to the towel rental desk and request the towels you need for your group. Once the towels are given to you, you must scan your wristband to confirm you have checked out the towels.
Once your wristband is scanned, a text message will go to your phone to inform you that you received Kalahari towels.
After you are done with your towels, you have to go back to the towel rental desk to return them. You will receive a text message showing your returned towels.
***Make sure to scan your wristband after you have returned the towels.****
*If you do not return the Kalahari towels, you will get charged a fee of $30 plus tax for each towel not returned. I know this because somehow, I was charged $127.20 for not returning 4 Kalahari towels.
I’m not exactly sure how this happened because I returned all our towels, and we received a confirmation stating that we returned them.
As of now, Kalahari said they found the error and have issued us a refund. I love Kalahari, so this is not at all a complaint. I want to make visitors aware to return your towels.
Kalahari Cabana Rental
Our family usually rents a Cabana the first day we arrive at Kalahari. You can access the waterpark on check-in day as early as 10 am. Getting a Cabana is great so you can relax and unwind.
The parks can get crowded on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, so having a cabana is excellent so you don’t have to scurry around looking for a place to sit.
Cabana pricing can start at $199, depending on when you make your reservations.
If you planning on visiting Kalahari and would like to book a cabana, reserving one when you book your room is best. If you wait, they may be all sold out.
Click the following link: learn more about Kalahari Cabanas.
Kalahari Water Park
Kalahari has done a great job separating the play areas in the waterpark by the height of each guest. If the lifeguards see a child playing in an area, they are too tall. They will politely let the children know they need to be in the proper section. This is great, so smaller children do not get toppled over by bigger children.
Our family has been going to Kalahari since the ages of 6 months and 2 years old, so when they found out they had grown out of the toddler section they were used to, they were a little sad. In order to get them comfortable with other areas, Dad and I went to the newer section with them just as we did when they were babies, to show them that this section of the waterpark was just as fun as the toddler section.
Our children are 7 and 9 this year, and we found ourselves doing the same thing. We slowly introduced our children to the big tubes and slides, and they loved it—no more babies.
Things to do at Kalahari Resort Poconos
Yes, Kalahari has all the fun things to do, like laser tag, mini golf, mini bowling, arcade games, and all that good stuff, but there is always something new.
We have been going to Kalahari for six years now, and for the most part, we have found new activities always available. When planning a trip, we recommend scanning the QR codes at the check-in kiosk to check out what activities or events are taking place while you are there.
Also, if you are in the waterpark, pick up a map to see all the rides you can go on and where they are located. This was our first year of picking up a map in the waterpark, and we found it very useful; we could find attractions that we did not know Kalahari had.
Click here for more great tips about your stay at Kalahari Resort Poconos
In conclusion
Kalahari has been our go-to waterpark since it opened, and it still is. If you’re trying to decide on Kalahari or another waterpark, Kalahari should be your pick.
