Our Wild Adventures travel guide is an all-inclusive first timer’s guide to Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta, Georgia. This Wild Adventures Travel Guide was created in partnership with Wild Adventures and Kia. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Every year my family and I head to Wild Adventures for 4th of July. It’s a tradition that I inherited when I started dating my husband. His family has been going for almost 20 years and it’s something that we love to do. This year I decided to put together a Wild Adventures travel guide because I always get so many questions about the theme park. A lot of people have never heard of Wild Adventures or Valdosta, Georgia so I wanted to share everything first timers need to know when planning their trip.
Wild Adventures Travel Guide
How to Get There
Wild Adventures is located in a small town called Valdosta, Georgia just 3 hours away from Orlando. This year, like every other year, we drove. I had only driven a hybrid car once before and for a short distance so I was excited to test it out. My family has been in love with Kia ever since testing out the Sedona so we were all happy when the car arrived. With our essentials in tow and packed into the Kia Optima Hybrid, we were ready to go.
The first thing we did once we hopped into the car was use the Google search feature to find the address for Wild Adventures. After we had the address, the GPS took it from there. We hit the road for a smooth 3 hour ride filled with old school jams on Sirius XM Radio. Tatiana loves listening to New Edition whenever we’re in the car so I loved that I could plug my iPhone into the usb outlet and turn on a New Edition playlist to make her happy.
What To Do
There are so many things to do at Wild Adventures. The park offers dozens of rides and attractions, a petting zoo, and even a water park. One of the reasons Tatiana loves Wild Adventures is that she has her pick of fun things to choose from. The exotic animals are one of her favorite attractions.
They even have an arcade, concerts, and other special events throughout the year. One of the reasons we go for 4th of July is of course because of the fireworks and thrilling rides but this year they had something extra special, the Harlem Globetrotters. The Harlem Globetrotters performed in 3 different shows every day during 4th of July weekend and definitely didn’t disappoint. Their show was filled with funny jokes, basketball tricks, and a few of the audience members even got a chance to participate. After the show, Tatiana was able to snap a few photos with the players.
Rollercoasters aren’t my thing but there are plenty of them for J and Tatiana to indulge in. The first time I went to Wild Adventures with my husband’s family he made me get on a rollercoaster. I got pretty sick after and had to leave the park. I haven’t ridden a rollercoaster since but gladly watch the adventurous bunch from the ground. Tatiana loves riding the Dizzy Dragons and the Adventure Carousel. I don’t think she’ll get tired of those rides no matter how old she gets. My husband loves every single rollercoaster the park has to offer. I think one of the benefits of going with a big group is that there will always be someone else who likes what you like and will ride with you. We shared a list of our favorite rides in our printable Wild Adventures Travel Guide.
Splash Island and Ohana Bay
Splash Island is the water park side of Wild Adventures and my favorite side of the park. Anywhere there is water you can probably find me. I’m afraid of heights but love water slides. Don’t ask. I don’t get it either. The first place we hit when we got over to Splash Island was the Polynesian Adventure, a giant “rain fortress.” The Polynesian Adventure is perfect for the entire family no matter what your swimming skill level is. There’s plenty of slides to choose from and lots of fun to be had especially when the giant water bucket fills and dumps to make a big splash. Catchawave Bay is our go-to for when we need to relax and cool of. Nothing is better than hanging out in the giant wave pool with our friends and family.
Ohana Bay was just added to the park this year as an addition and an expansion of Splash Island. This was our first time experiencing it and Tatiana did not want to leave. She’s still learning how to swim so she was in her comfort zone in Ohana Bay. There aren’t any big wave pools, just slides and a splash pad. It’s the perfect area for toddlers and babies to have fun in the water. With 7 slides, there’s something fit for everyone. The Uli Uli Twisters are great for older kids.
Where to Eat
My family loves to eat so it’s important to us that we’re able to find good food wherever we go. There are tons of options at Wild Adventures but we all have our favorites. My husband and I love Lonestar BBQ. The bbq is spot on especially the mac and cheese. The pulled pork parfait is a new offering that includes BBQ, mashed potatoes, baked beans, and macaroni and cheese. I saw it on the menu and knew that I had to try it. It has all of my favorites and definitely filled me up. Tatiana loves to eat anywhere there are chicken tenders which there are about a handful of places in the park that have them. It’s always easy to make her happy when we’re choosing a place to eat.
When we’re at Wild Adventures, we always have to get funnel cake and fried cheesecake. They’re known for their famous fried cheesecake and anytime funnel cake is available we get some. There are a few other great dessert spots throughout the park like Dippin’ Dots and Mayfield Market. The ice cream at Mayfield Market is a staple with all the toppings your heart desires. Our Wild Adventures Travel Guide has a full list of all of the places to find food in the park.
Start a Family Tradition
Wild Adventures is our annual family 4th of July tradition. My husband’s family has been going for almost 20 years. It’s a great way to get the family together to have fun without worrying about having to cook or clean after anyone leaves. We continue to go here every year for a few reasons. You can’t beat the Wild Adventures ticket options. It’s affordable for everyone with tickets starting at just $38 per person when bought online 7 days in advance. We love buying the Ultimate Family Adventure Meal Deal if we’re going for only one day because it includes one-day park admission, meal voucher, PLUS a bottomless soda wristband good for unlimited sodas all day long for each guest. They also offer special military pricing and two season pass options.
In case you need a few more reasons why to make Wild Adventures a family tradition, check out our Wild Adventures Travel Guide.
all Wild Adventures photos by Lindsi Jones Photography
P.S. you can download our Wild Adventures Travel Guide here.
Melissa Chapman says
That looks like a great trip and the hybrid has to be good on gas. That park has something for everyone and i have backed off from roller coasters too, lately
Liz Mays says
This place seems so cool! Spending a day there with the kids definitely sounds like a good idea. They have so many great attractions!
Jeni Hawkins says
What a COOL PLACE! Your family is adorable, too! 🙂 I think the merry-go-round would have my heart 🙂
Bianca Dottin says
My daughter loves the merry-go-round too!
Claudia Krusch says
This place looks amazing! Sounds great for a day trip! They have so many great attractions!
Mama to 6 Blessings says
I have never heard of Wild Adventures before. Looks like your family had a great time. I love how there is water at the end to cool off!
Sherry says
Wild Adventures looks like so much fun for the whole family. I’m not a fan of rollercoasters either but I would love to visit the waterpark.
Bianca Dottin says
It’s so much fun! There are a lot of other rides on the theme park side. There is definitely something for everyone.