Wild Waves and Enchanted Village

36201 Enchanted Pkwy S, Federal Way
www.wildwaves.com

I believe I mentioned in a previous post that Federal Way leads the pack when it comes to swimming holes. The King County Aquatic Center is a state-of-the-art swimming facility which has hosted the Goodwill Games, Pac 12 swim meets, local competitions and, most recently, the Olympic diving trials. The Federal Way Community Center has the largest recreational pool complex in the state. But if you ask anyone outside of Federal Way what there is to do here, nine times out of ten, they will mention Wild Waves.

The beloved theme park just celebrated its 35th anniversary this summer and is still as popular as ever. I absolutely love the optimism of an outdoor water park in Western Washington - there are approximately 3 (non-consecutive) weeks per year where the high temperatures get above 80 degrees. However, Wild Waves is packed throughout the summer with people who won't let a little chilliness stand in their way of having a good time on the water slides.

I recently went here with a group of friends, most of whom are from out of state. After the initial shock of being cold in our swimsuits in August wore off, we had a great time! Although waiting in line while wet is cold when it's 70 degrees out, the water in the slides is heated and they are mostly worth the wait. When we couldn't get warm anymore, we dried off, hit the beer garden and then moved on to Enchanted Village.

Enchanted Village is the dry side of the park and has a little bit of something for everyone. My husband and daughter enjoyed the Kiddie Land (which still has some of the great rides I remember from my youth) and my friends and I hit the roller coasters which, while few in number, are very thrilling. The Thunderhawk: Ride of Prey, is a big wooden roller coaster with tons of drops and an Old West theme, while the Wild Thing is a more modern ride with a big loop and a very scary corkscrew. They also have some more traditional fair rides like the Scrambler and the Ring of Fire. In addition, they have two rides that you have to pay extra for but look like they would be worth it if you aren't a big chicken like I am. One is a zip line that carries you 700 feet over the park and the other is the I-5 Dive, which is basically a big bungee cord that drops you 125 feet and then lets you swing for a while.

Here are some things to think about before you go: you can rent a locker and the cheapest ones are $14.00 but if you have a big group, think about renting a cabana. If you come wearing your swimsuit under your clothes and it's not 90 degrees, bring dry underwear to change into. If you go on the speed slides, take a moment at the bottom to take care of your inevitable wedgie before you hop up in front of the teenage lifeguard...