If you are planning a family reunion in Ohio or other group travel in Ohio, check out Fort Rapids Indoor Waterpark Resort. Centrally located in Columbus, Ohio, Fort Rapids is easy to get to from anywhere and offers 82 degree temps, 60, 000 sq ft waterpark, conference center, dining, and a variety of rooms and suites to fit your group’s outing.
Fort Rapids Indoor Waterpark Resort Video Tour
Family Travel with Fort Rapids Indoor Waterpark Resort
There is no better family travel destination than a waterpark. It is like a complete escape from the day to day, to a warm resort any time of year. What a great place to get your siblings and families or a group of friends together for a weekend escape. Better yet, why not plan to have your entire family reunion at Fort Rapids Indoor Waterpark Resort. The family that plays together … stays together and has a Lot of Fun!
We had the opportunity to visit Fort Rapids last month with my brother and his family and my sister and her family. This was the first time we have ever traveled together as a family. Family travel with Fort Rapids Indoor Waterpark Resort was super fun, convenient, and affordable.
Family Suites at Fort Indoor Waterpark Resort
There are a variety of lodging accommodations at Fort Rapids Indoor Waterpark Resort. Choose from standard rooms with your choice of king beds, queen beds, sleeper sofas, bunk beds. Family suites can sleep 6-12 people comfortably with queen, king, and bunk beds.
We were able to stay in the Bright Angel Point Grand Canyon Family suite. This suite sleeps up to 12 people and includes 12 waterpark passes. This was like an entire apartment with 2 floors of living spaces.
Family Suite Video
Upon entering the family suite, there is a kitchen with an island bar. The kitchen includes a mini-fridge, microwave, coffee pot, and cabinets to store all your snacks. Our kids loved sitting at the bar to enjoy their evening snacks.
The main living area had a small table with chairs, a couch, chair, flat screen TV and fire place. This was the hub of activity. It was nice for the adults to sit and chat while the kids ran all around the suite. There was even time for the cousins to cuddle with the new baby cousin, something that there is never enough time to do.
[slickr-flickr tag=livingforraids]The Bright Angle Point family suite had 4 bedrooms connected to the main living area. Two bedrooms were on the first floor, one had a king size bed and the other had 2 queen size beds. The third bedroom was upstairs and overlooked the entire downstairs living area. The fourth “bedroom” was a small room with bunk beds for kids. Each bedroom had a flat screen TV. There were 2 full size bathrooms downstairs and 1 upstairs. I thought the kids would stay in rooms with their families but it ended up that 4 of the 6 kids stayed in the bunk beds because it was such a fun room! However, by morning, only 1 kid was left in the room while the others went to their parents room during the night. LOL
[slickr-flickr tag=bedfortrapids]Although you can get a couple rooms to connect at Fort Rapids, staying in a family suite is the way to go. So much connecting and fun happens after the excitement of the waterpark and dinner out. Hanging out as a family was such a fun, memorable time. The cousins had a great time playing while us adults enjoyed relaxing and catching up. Whether you are having a family reunion or getting friends together, the suites at Fort Rapids are the way to go.
Ohio Indoor Waterpark
Our kids couldn’t wait to get to the waterpark (and then didn’t want to leave!). Fort Rapids Indoor Waterpark is the largest waterpark in Central Ohio with 60,000 sq ft of waterpark fun! Each stay gives you 2 days of waterpark fun – on day of arrival and day of departure. We had kids from 1- 13 years old. I have been to Fort Rapids before, so I knew there was plenty for every age to enjoy. I just didn’t know how much we would all be together as this was our first group travel experience.
Fort Rapids Indoor Waterpark Video
Fort Rapids Rascal Round Up is home to the 1,000 gallon tipping bucket, as well as a multi-level structure of bridges, rope walls, and 4 water slides. Be aware, you WILL get wet at Rascal Round Up either by the spraying water or the long range squirting guns or tipping buckets that your follow waterpark go-er uses to drench you!
Our kids enjoyed playing here together because there was just so much to do here. You can’t get bored! Every 10 minutes, it’s time for the 1,000 gallon bucket to dump too. Check out the video below of another group travel getting soaked by the bucket all at once!
Tipping Bucket Video
In addition to the water slides at Rascal Round Up, there are additional slides for the more adventurous! Ambush Alley, Raging Bull, Black Out Pass, and Shoot Out Racer all have height requirements, so not all kids could go. My 5 year old daughter was only able to go on the Shoot Out Racer but my son, who is 7 could go on any he wanted. Our favorite was Black Out Pass where you go down a closed black tunnel and then are released in a spiraling tunnel and then dumped out into the lazy river below. It was the first year that my son could go on it, so it was so exciting for him. He talked almost all of his aunts and uncles into going on it with him!
Black Out Pass Video
Fort Rapids Kiddie Korral is perfect for the little ones. My sister and her family hung out here a lot of the time with their 12 month old and 4 year old. I was surprised that my 5 year old had fun playing here with her younger cousins. I was even more surprised that my 9 year old nephew also enjoyed playing in the Kiddie Korral, to be with his cousins. It was very neat to see how a “big boy” helped the younger kids on the slides, getting in line, etc. Of course there is plenty for kids to do in the zero depth entry pool, slides, small tipping buckets, geysers, water table, and more.
Another big deal is that if you have your own life vest and it is US Coast Guard approved, you can bring it. I know my kids always liked their own life jackets best.
Kiddie Korral Video
Cowboy Creek Lazy River
Who doesn’t like a lazy river? Fort Rapids Indoor Waterpark has one of the best lazy river. It is decorated like the Old West, making it a little adventure each time you float by. Plus, the river comes to a fork and you have to decide to go the short easy route or the longer, your-gonna-get-wet route. There are plenty of spraying water and tipping buckets on the latter route.
[slickr-flickr tag=cowboycreek]It is so fun to push others into going the wet route – I’ve been known to even push my brother that way! 🙂
Eating at Fort Rapids Waterpark Resort
You don’t have to leave the resort even for dinner at Fort Rapids Waterpark Resort. While inside the waterpark, Sidewinder Cafe is a great place for hot pizza, nachos, snacks, and drinks. It’s priced good too, only about $20 for pizza for a family of 4. For breakfast and dinner, I recommend the Branding Iron Grille & Copper Star Saloon. This is a great option for the large group travel as they will set up tables to accommodate any party. It was so fun to sit as an entire family of 12 at every meal. The kids had fun sitting together and next to their aunts and uncles.
[slickr-flickr tag=foodatfortrapids]Arcade Video
After drying off, head over to the Gold Rush Arcade where you’ll have 5,000 sq ft of arcade fun!
The Gold Rush Arcade gives competitive visitors the chance to win LOTS of tickets for little money. We gave each kid a $5 in tokens and it took forever for them to go through them all. That says a lot about an arcade. They are in it for the kids to have fun! Lots of fun!
[slickr-flickr tag=videofortrapids]Fort Rapids Cold River Mining
This was a favorite activity for my kids when we were at Fort Rapids last year. They couldn’t wait to mine for gems again.
It is a fun, inexpensive activity for kids to mine for their own gems in the water. Plus, the gems make for a nice souvenir for kids to take home.
[slickr-flickr tag=gemsfortrapids]Our Family Travel in Ohio Geatway
I don’t know what we liked the best. Our Family Travel in Ohio Geatway was amazing at Fort Rapids. We have visited many waterparks in the past as a family of 4 and have had great fun. However, there is a whole new level of fun to be had when you go with several families or even more. Walks to the waterpark, trips in the elevator, hanging out in eachother’s bedrooms are just as fun as splashing in the water for the kids. It is an all-out adventure!
[slickr-flickr tag=hotelfunfortrapids]For me, it was a great time to connect with my niece and nephews and with my siblings and their spouses. It was fun. It was hectic and crazy at times and I still don’t understand why both my brother and my sister sleep with their TVs on all night, but it was fun. It was a family getaway. Our weekend at Fort Rapids was a memory maker, it is a time that we will all remember.
Our Family Storytime Video
An impromptu sentence by sentence storytime with our family.
It is fun time hanging out and relaxing together that makes Fort Rapids so special. Sure, the waterpark is amazing fun. The food was delicious. The accommodations were outstanding. Having a place where all of this is wrapped up in one place is…priceless. Truly it is.
Group Outings at Columbus Fort Rapids
Find out more about Group Outings small and large on the Fort Rapids Website. Although we didn’t actually have a “group” outing with just 3 families, I can easily see how accommodating and fun it would be for a church, sports team, company outing, rehearsal, school, scouting group, youth group, 4-H club, family reunion, or FFA group.
Visit Fort Rapids Indoor Waterpark Resort
Check out special deals and packages at Fort Rapids before planning your next trip!
4560 Hilton Corporate Drive
Columbus, OH 43232
877-331-SPLASH (877-337-7527) or 614-868-1380
Like Fort Rapids on Facebook
Follow Fort Rapids on Twitter
This was not a paid post. My own opinions were used based on my perceptions and experience. Thank you to Fort Rapids Indoor Waterpark who provided accommodations and dining for the review.
