Wild Adventures has something for Everyone

What: Wild Adventures Amusement Park
Where: 3766 Old Clyattville Road, Valdosta, GA 31601

When: Check the date you plan to attend here.
Cost: $45.99 ages 10 – 54 and $40.99 for under 10 and over 55. However there are numerous deals available including a second day free for full priced admission and an internet special on single day admission. Search the web for 2 for 1 specials too. Parking is an additional $7.

On our recent trip to Tampa, we took a side trip to Wild Adventure Amusement Park in Valdosta, Ga. Wild Adventure is about three and a half hours from Atlanta and only four miles off I-75. When I told friends what I was doing, several said they had seen the billboards on their way down to Florida and always thought about stopping. Well, you should.

Wild Adventure is smaller than Six Flags, but still offers plenty of fun for everyone, without the long lines (at least on the day we went). My oldest is a thrill seeker, but my youngest is hesitant to even go up in the air on one of the kiddie airplanes. We found a nice mix of both types of rides and I liked the layout because the kiddie rides were interspersed with the thrill rides, so I could send the older ones over to the ride next door and keep the younger one engaged on something that was more his speed.

In addition to the rides, Wild Adventure has a safari with elephants, giraffes and other animals, several shows and a water park called Splash Island. Mischa Hogan, the PR rep for Wild Adventure recommended heading to the water park first. She said after 12 noon, it gets quite crowded. The lifeguards confirmed that too. Splash Island doesn’t open until 11, so if you head here first, you can do a couple of the rides on the way and still arrive in time for opening.

Based on my discussion with Mischa, the tips for Wild Adventure are pretty much the same as most amusement parks – get there early and go left rather than right. In addition, don’t let the “characters” in this case live animals, distract you right inside the gate. Go straight to the thrill rides where lines will form and come back to see the animals later.

The day we went it rained around 2 pm, so lots of the big rides were closed for a while. The good news was that the rain seemed to empty the park, so when the thrill rides did open, we were able to ride again and again. We didn’t eat at the park, opting for a picnic outside the gate instead. We did however indulge in one amusement park treat on the way out — funnel cakes. mmmm.