Letting Loose at Jungle Rapids Family Fun Park in Wilmington, North Carolina

By Meg Brunson

While we're traveling, we often seek out attractions that will be educational for the kids - but we also like to let loose and have fun every once in a while. That's why we chose to visit Jungle Rapids Family Fun Park in Wilmington. 

We visited "off season" so the waterpark was closed, which I worried would be a disappointment for my kids. Now, I'd be lying if I said they didn't have that initial "aww, man!" - but once we got started exploring other areas, they forgot all about the waterpark!

"Fun Park" is definitely a good way to refer to Jungle Rapids - because it's more than a waterpark or an arcade. There are lots of ways to enjoy Jungle Rapids off-season, we grabbed a "Triple Play" for each person in our family which got us each 2 dry activities and a fun card. At the time of our visit the cost was $25.99, but that certainly may change at any time.

The dry activities they offer include mini-golf, rock climbing, laser tag, go-karts, bumper cars, and an indoor play center. We knew we wanted to experience mini-golf with the family. The 18-hole mini-golf course was great. Perfectly challenging for everyone, but also very managable. The kids loved all the different obstacles and we even had a couple hole-in-ones! 

After mini-golf, we split up to enjoy one more dry activity each. My oldest (12 years-old) and my husband were eager to drive the go-karts, whereas my younger three (4, 6, and 8) wanted to spend time in the indoor play center.  The indoor play center was impressive - we've attended similar play centers with far less to offer than Jungle Rapids did! The kids loved jumping on the bouncy castle, climbing through the play structure, sliding into the ball pit, and zip lining. They seriously could have played here all day!

I was super impressed by the arcade at Jungle Rapids - they had some of the biggest and coolest games I've ever seen. They had mini-bowling - where the balls and lanes were about 1/2 the size of a normal alley for $3 per play... a 4-person air hockey table, unlike anything I've ever seen before... and a huge version of my childhood favoritem, Connect 4! Talking to one of the staff there, I learned that they purchase new games annually at a trade show (or something like that) and you can tell that they take a lot of pride in the quality of the games and activities they offer.

While we did not participate in any of the other dry activities, we did check them out - laser tag looked amazing, the bumper cars were circular and also spin (how cool!)... definitely something for everyone!

Tips for an Extra Fun Visit

• Seasonality - the water park is only open in the warm summer months (June-August). There are a ton of amazing dry activities to entertain you year-round!
• Meals/Snacks - There is a cafe onsite that is open Saturdays and Sundays year-round, and everyday in the summer months! 
• Planning to get wet? Bring your own towels - the park does not supply them.
• Budgeting for the arcade - There were a lot of games that required $1-2 per play, but these are not your average games, so we did not mind spending a little more than usual!
• Age matters - Some of the activities have age restrictions. I know the indoor play center was "under 8," and the bumper cards were "7 and up." Go-Karts also had an age limit, which I think was 12 and up. You will want to check with the venue for age restrictions on any specific activities that interest you.

Check out their latest activities and start planning for a TON of family fun at: https://junglerapids.com!

Read about some of the other adventures we're having on our Year-Long Road Trip!

© 2019 Meg Brunson

Thanks to Wilmington and Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau and Jungle Rapids. for sponsoring this review. All opinions expressed are my own. See more on Instagram!

Meg is a mommy blogger, Facebook marketer, and much more. She is a mom to four kids who live full-time in an RV exploring the US! As a former Facebook employee, Meg remains a Facebook addict and handles KidsOutAndAbout.com's Social Media Marketing in addition to providing freelance services for other small businesses on how to best leverage Facebook as a part of their marketing strategy. Meg also hosts the FamilyPreneur Podcast, a podcast for parent entrepreneurs raising entrepreneurial children. Learn more about Meg at MegBrunson.com!