Review of Atlantis Waterpark
June 28, 2009
by Amy VanDenburg
Bull Run Regional Park
7700 Bull Run Drive
Centreville, VA 20121
703.631.0552
Google Map
Breaking news! The Lost Continent of Atlantis has been discovered in Bull Run Regional Park. Well, maybe not quite, but the existing pool at the park has been remodeled into an enormous, incredibly fun re-imagining of the mythical island. Our recent weekday visit elicited the remark “This is the BEST DAY EVER!” from our 7-year-old Our Kids reviewer, which prompts Our Kids to strongly suggest including a visit to NVRPA’s Atlantis Waterpark on your must-do list this summer.
Big Splashes
We were sure that Atlantis was lost again, or that we were, on the long drive (2 miles) through the park to get to the pool area. Just when we were certain it had sunk back to the bottom of the sea, it rose grandly through the trees in front of us. The Atlantis Waterpark has an Ancient Greece theme that uses Greek architecture and images of Neptune, tridents, mermaids and sea creatures to portray the Lost Continent. The theme was quickly lost on our group of reviewers as we entered the pool area after check-in and were happily overwhelmed by the vast size of the facilities and the choices it offered.
The pool deck is expansive and offers seating around each pool section and along the fences, although chairs were in short supply. Large, permanently fixed umbrellas and awnings are located throughout the deck and provide shade to large groups. The seating area along one side of the fence provides some shade as well. The wading pool, Sand Pit and Splash Pad areas are fenced off with MagnaLok doors for safety. Several spigots for washing hands and feet are located along the fence.
The main pool resembles a four-leaf clover, with each leaf harboring a different attraction and water depth. Our OK reviewers didn’t miss a beat while this mom searched in vain for a chair; they headed right for the 2-feet depth pool and the Shipwreck Slide. This was the most crowded section of the main pool, but the line at the slide went quickly and had a soft landing. There are no zero-depth entries at this pool, but the 2-foot depth seemed a safe bet for those just learning to swim. All parts of the main pool have lifeguards, and as a precaution, two lifeguards walk in a constant circle around the Splash Pad. Each section is roped off to separate them from the deeper pools.
We swam over to the 3-foot depth pool which features a Play Island in the middle. This area is a draw for many kids, but the location of the island is far from the sides of the pool. It is hard for children less than 48” to touch bottom, so we recommend this area for kids with stronger swimming skills. The lifeguard asked a few children who were clearly struggling to touch bottom to leave the area and head back to the 2-foot depth pool. The island itself has 3 slides and water jets. We didn’t venture much into the 4/5-foot-deep section, which was the least crowded and the location of choice for teens and adults.
Our 7-year-old reviewer had been eyeing the two waterslides since we arrived. Formerly water-averse, it would have been impossible to tell from the way he bounded up the stairs to wait patiently and fearlessly in the long line. Watersliders must be at least 48” tall to enjoy the 230 feet of curving open slide, or the (gulp) 170 pitch-black feet of the enclosed slide. This line also moves quickly even though only one person may go down at a time. The watersliders are deposited into a 3-foot depth pool, which is monitored by an in-pool lifeguard, and must exit via stairs to the side.
Even the toddler wading pool was interesting enough to draw in our “older” reviewers, who usually think they are too cool for the “baby pool”. A small slide decorated with sea creatures (which gently sends sliders onto a soft, cushioned pad under the water), jets and fountains adorn this large, 1-foot deep pool.
The toddler pool is located right next to the Sand Pit, another unique feature of this waterpark. Our reviewers would have been happy to dig all day, once they read the poster that explains that if you dig and find a token, it can be redeemed for a prize at the admissions desk. Perhaps all the tokens had been found (or it was just a ruse), but several minutes of impassioned digging using the available shovels and bulldozing apparatus turned up nothing. They still had a great time fashioning “sand pies” using the series of troughs, pipes and pans in the middle of the pit.
We saved the best part for last. The Splash Pad is the centerpiece of Atlantis. This 25-foot high play structure is crowned with a 500 gallon dumping bucket that can be heard from the parking lot. The Splash Pad is not in the pool, but stands alone on the side of the pool deck surrounded by spray jets and fountains (and every few minutes, a flood of 500 gallons of water. Listen for the bell, and beware.) The structure boasts water cannons, squirters, waterfalls, kid-activated “showers” of different strengths, three different slides, and all manner of levers, pulleys and gewgaws designed for a child, or an unsuspecting friend or family member, to get absolutely drenched.
Any Bellyflops?
On a beautiful summer afternoon, especially after weeks of drenching rain, one would expect a newly renovated, popular waterpark to be crowded (check); filled with daycare and camp groups (check); lacking in chair availability (check); and locker room and snack bar facilities to be a little sticky and grimy at the edges (check, and check). These were all minor inconveniences in comparison to the exciting activities and the high level of safety measures offered at the waterpark.
Bottom Line
We have been to several local waterparks that are geared toward younger children, but Atlantis Waterpark offers something for people of all ages for a fairly low admission price. Toddler? Splash in the wading pool and cool off in the fountains or on the clamshell slide. Teen or adult? Swim in the “deep end” or try the waterslides. Learning to swim? Paddle in the 2-foot pool, zoom down the Shipwreck Slide, and then swim out to the Play Island with an experienced swimmer. Landlubber? Dig for treasure in the Sand Pit. Kid at heart? Stand under the bucket at the Splash Pad, listen for the bell to ring, and then - well, you’ll have to visit to find out!
Hours of Operation and Fees
- June 18 – August 16: M-F, 10:30am to 7pm; Weekends, 11am to 7pm.
- August 17 - September 4: M-F, noon to 6pm; Weekends, 11am to 7pm
- September 5 - 7 (Labor Day): 11am to 7pm
- Individual (48” or more: $8.00
- Individual (Less than 48”): $6.75
- Age 55+: $6.75
- After 4 pm weekdays: $5.00
Note: There is a $7 fee per non-jurisdiction car at the entrance to the park. Cars with county stickers that are NVRPA jurisdiction members are free (Alexandria, Arlington, City of Fairfax, Fairfax County, Falls Church, Loudoun). On the weekday afternoon that we visited, the gatehouse was closed and all cars were allowed to enter the park for free.
Additional Information
- Food and drinks cannot be brought in from outside, although we did see some families with contraband picnics. A snack bar is located near the Splash Pad. Offerings are limited; cheese pizza, nachos and hot dogs are main dish offerings, from $2 to $4.75. Drinks include water, soda and Gatorade. Popsicles and ice cream are $2-3 and were the most popular offering. All food must be consumed in the sticky Snack Bar area (limited outside seating) or outside the black line along the deck.
- Picnic tables are located in the park, just outside of the pool facility. A wristband is required for reentry; inquire at the admission desk.
- There were no breaks on the day we visited; all pools and attractions were open the entire time.
- Locker rooms with bathrooms and showers are located just off the admission area. You must walk through the locker room to reach the pool area. Lockers are 50 cents and require quarters. The cleanliness of these facilities is about what one would expect from a crowded waterpark attraction.
- U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets are the only flotation devices allowed at the waterpark. Noodles, rafts, inner tubes and water wings are not allowed.
- Children under 12 must be accompanied by someone older than 16.
- Parking is plentiful and a short walk from the admission building. The pool deck area is sprawling and can make for a long walk to the bathrooms, so those with younger children may want to find chairs near the smaller pools and main building.
- Birthday party packages are available, beginning at $18/child.
- Bull Run Regional Park also offers camping facilities, playgrounds, picnic areas, and Disc Golf.
