Waterworld
Waterworld
3.4
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
Closed
Thursday
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
The UK’s No.1 Tropical Aqua Park is based in the Heart of the Midlands. Waterworld is an epic adventure for the whole family to enjoy. A great day out in Staffordshire. Prepare yourself for our breath taking white knuckle rides. Experience 375 feet of ups and downs in a single raft. Race family and friends with exciting twists and turns. Descent into our plunge pools or just relax in our Bubble Pools. Jump and ride the waves in our beach effect wave pool or dare you brave the dark cave of our rapids ride with family and friends. In late 2019, we wanted our loyal guests to be the first to know our gigantic new wave system had been installed. This complements our four brand new super thrill rides in Tornado Alley, featuring Thunderbolt, Cyclone, Hurricane and Stormchaser. The tallest, fastest water slides in the UK… Ride them if you dare! We have a large restaurant, which offers a full range of freshly prepared meals, including halal, gluten-free, and nut free choices.
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3.4
4,457 reviews
Excellent
1,542
Very good
947
Average
642
Poor
504
Terrible
822
Jess
3 contributions
Feb 2025 • Family
I felt compelled to write a review because I’d read so many negative comments before we visited, and actually I have to say this place is AMAZING and well worth the money!
I think we planned our visit carefully to make sure we weren’t queuing for anything for a long time, which meant we arrived at 9:40 for a 10:00 slot and only stayed for 2.5 hours (visited with our impatient 4 year old son so queuing would not have been ideal for any of us!)
We booked for the first Monday of February half term and managed to book easily the night before. When we arrived there was already about 30 people queuing outside the door, so I got straight in the queue while my husband parked up. You don’t need to display your parking ticket in your car which helped speed things up a bit! The queue moved quickly once they opened the doors at 10 and the staff were friendly and helpful, trying to move things along as quickly as possible.
The changing rooms were lovely and clean with large lockers that could fit plenty in! £5 refundable deposit is needed for these and I think it’s quicker to get your refund at the end if you pay cash over card.
We managed to get on all of the main slides in the first 30 mins without queuing at all. It was lovely and quiet and this included doing the slides that needed rubber rings which seemed the most popular (slightly annoying that you have to get the rubber ring separately and then walk round to the slide itself). It then started to get a little busier around 10:30 but the queues for most slides were still moving fairly quickly and efficiently. When the queues started to get longer we spent time in the wave pool, the toddler area, and the ‘family slide’ which seemed to have the quickest queue. All of the slides were great fun, our 4 year old had an amazing time, and we felt like we totally got our moneys worth.
Despite what the negative reviews say, it really is NOT cold at all and the 3 of us were pleasantly surprised at how warm we were.
We didn’t eat in there so can’t comment on the food, but it looked nice from what we could see!
All in all it’s a brilliant water park and there really is something for all ages. Thank you Water World, we will definitely be back soon!
I think we planned our visit carefully to make sure we weren’t queuing for anything for a long time, which meant we arrived at 9:40 for a 10:00 slot and only stayed for 2.5 hours (visited with our impatient 4 year old son so queuing would not have been ideal for any of us!)
We booked for the first Monday of February half term and managed to book easily the night before. When we arrived there was already about 30 people queuing outside the door, so I got straight in the queue while my husband parked up. You don’t need to display your parking ticket in your car which helped speed things up a bit! The queue moved quickly once they opened the doors at 10 and the staff were friendly and helpful, trying to move things along as quickly as possible.
The changing rooms were lovely and clean with large lockers that could fit plenty in! £5 refundable deposit is needed for these and I think it’s quicker to get your refund at the end if you pay cash over card.
We managed to get on all of the main slides in the first 30 mins without queuing at all. It was lovely and quiet and this included doing the slides that needed rubber rings which seemed the most popular (slightly annoying that you have to get the rubber ring separately and then walk round to the slide itself). It then started to get a little busier around 10:30 but the queues for most slides were still moving fairly quickly and efficiently. When the queues started to get longer we spent time in the wave pool, the toddler area, and the ‘family slide’ which seemed to have the quickest queue. All of the slides were great fun, our 4 year old had an amazing time, and we felt like we totally got our moneys worth.
Despite what the negative reviews say, it really is NOT cold at all and the 3 of us were pleasantly surprised at how warm we were.
We didn’t eat in there so can’t comment on the food, but it looked nice from what we could see!
All in all it’s a brilliant water park and there really is something for all ages. Thank you Water World, we will definitely be back soon!
Written 17 February 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi,
This is a fantastic, detailed review, covering all aspects of your day, and useful recommendations for other people visiting during busy school holiday periods. Thank you, it is much appreciated.
The first or last session of the day is always the best time to visit during busy periods, we are looking forward to seeing you again!
Written 5 March 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ClareB91
Staffordshire, UK15 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
Visited during the school summer holidays, not really knowing what to expect with reading mixed reviews.
Booked for 10am, arrived at 9.45 with a queue already outside the door. I was worried that it was going to be too busy but once we were inside, it was fine and for the first hour there were hardly any queues for anything. Past 11 am, it began to get busier and busier - but even so we didn’t queue longer than 20 minutes for anything and they tend to move fairly quick.
The slides were fantastic, this was my son’s first time at a water park like it and he had so much fun as did we. I was pleasantly surprised at how clean and hygienic everywhere was.
The only areas for improvement in my opinion:
1) The queue which goes up the winding stairs to get to 5 different rides - extremely narrow and even though it says at the bottom to queue to the left or right depending on which ride you want to go on, some people either didn’t read these or just ignored them, so at one point I was accused of pushing past even though I was following what the signs said. They either need a separate stair case or need to separate the queue to make it obvious you need to go one side or the other
2) It was a bit confusing going for the first time where to get the tyres from for certain slides, and which direction to go for others. We worked it out but maybe some extra signs making it clearer would be helpful.
Overall, we had such a good time - no, it’s not the cheapest when paying the same price for a child as an adult but you do get a fair amount of time inside, and it was so much fun. I’d definitely go again and book the early slot as I’m not sure you’d get as much use of the slides arriving in the afternoon when it’s already full of people.
Booked for 10am, arrived at 9.45 with a queue already outside the door. I was worried that it was going to be too busy but once we were inside, it was fine and for the first hour there were hardly any queues for anything. Past 11 am, it began to get busier and busier - but even so we didn’t queue longer than 20 minutes for anything and they tend to move fairly quick.
The slides were fantastic, this was my son’s first time at a water park like it and he had so much fun as did we. I was pleasantly surprised at how clean and hygienic everywhere was.
The only areas for improvement in my opinion:
1) The queue which goes up the winding stairs to get to 5 different rides - extremely narrow and even though it says at the bottom to queue to the left or right depending on which ride you want to go on, some people either didn’t read these or just ignored them, so at one point I was accused of pushing past even though I was following what the signs said. They either need a separate stair case or need to separate the queue to make it obvious you need to go one side or the other
2) It was a bit confusing going for the first time where to get the tyres from for certain slides, and which direction to go for others. We worked it out but maybe some extra signs making it clearer would be helpful.
Overall, we had such a good time - no, it’s not the cheapest when paying the same price for a child as an adult but you do get a fair amount of time inside, and it was so much fun. I’d definitely go again and book the early slot as I’m not sure you’d get as much use of the slides arriving in the afternoon when it’s already full of people.
Written 22 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jamie & Alice Our Adventures
Essex, UK92 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
Travelled up from london so was just over 3 hours drive.
Arrived to car park and had to pay £5 which found bit steep.
Got into queue and had to pass through “security” my partner was asked to check her hand bag for food she had cigarettes in there and was asked not to take in so she walked back to car and put them inside.
Walked to Reception and the lady said its £5 deposit for a locker with a wristband which i found to be a great idea! You then get this amount refunded to you when you leave
Got to family changing rooms and was packed and adults in there vaping. Didnt seem to have enough lockers or changing rooms for guests. Went into the main area and the kids was surprised about how much there was to do!
Weird set up though you go up stairs and have no idea what slide your going on and you cannot get a dinghy for love or money, when you get to top of slides you have to guess which slide your getting on
Family’s here though are pi$$ takers they take photos of your children and theres and act like they cant hear the life guards telling them to stop, people brought BIG food bags with food from outside and leaving rubbish on tables. Then people taking rafts to tables 🤦♂️, people hogging whole tables chairs and not sharing.
The restaurant queue is a joke one hour queue for a coffee but food looked good value for money if prepaid, would suggest a different counter like fast track drinks icecreams only as seen plenty of people go to queue or leave the queue due to waiting.
Eating area could do with more sweeping mopping we seen cleaner sweeping food of table onto floor so mushy chips blue roll tissue on floor.
Kids enjoyed though so only for that will return
Arrived to car park and had to pay £5 which found bit steep.
Got into queue and had to pass through “security” my partner was asked to check her hand bag for food she had cigarettes in there and was asked not to take in so she walked back to car and put them inside.
Walked to Reception and the lady said its £5 deposit for a locker with a wristband which i found to be a great idea! You then get this amount refunded to you when you leave
Got to family changing rooms and was packed and adults in there vaping. Didnt seem to have enough lockers or changing rooms for guests. Went into the main area and the kids was surprised about how much there was to do!
Weird set up though you go up stairs and have no idea what slide your going on and you cannot get a dinghy for love or money, when you get to top of slides you have to guess which slide your getting on
Family’s here though are pi$$ takers they take photos of your children and theres and act like they cant hear the life guards telling them to stop, people brought BIG food bags with food from outside and leaving rubbish on tables. Then people taking rafts to tables 🤦♂️, people hogging whole tables chairs and not sharing.
The restaurant queue is a joke one hour queue for a coffee but food looked good value for money if prepaid, would suggest a different counter like fast track drinks icecreams only as seen plenty of people go to queue or leave the queue due to waiting.
Eating area could do with more sweeping mopping we seen cleaner sweeping food of table onto floor so mushy chips blue roll tissue on floor.
Kids enjoyed though so only for that will return
Written 4 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Jamie & Alice,
Thanks for your review. We are a no smoking venue, so people vaping in the changing rooms is not allowed at all.
We have over 1000 electronic lockers; next time you come, try heading right to the back of the changing rooms, as people naturally take up the lockers closest to the entrance first.
There are signs at the bottom of every staircase showing the relevant rides and their rules & requirements. We pack loads of features into our venue, so we understand that it can be quite confusing, but these signs should help significantly next time.
We do also have a separate 'drinks & cold food' queue at the cafe, which is for items like coffees to be purchased more quickly. We apologise if this was not made clear on the day of your visit.
Next time please ask for a Manager or Supervisor and we'll happily talk you through the various options at the venue.
Hope to see you again soon!
Written 7 August 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
NBA
Staffordshire, UK3 contributions
Oct 2024 • Family
Waterworld is a favourite fun indoor activity to enjoy on a rainy day in autumn. We arrived for the 10am session and enjoyed two hours here. It was a good price, £37 for two, which I felt was very reasonable. The queue went down really quickly, and the reception staff were very helpful. There are plenty of lifeguards on duty to make you feel safe. The outdoor pool was closed on this visit. I visited with my 12 year old daughter; she has autism and ADHD. Usually she loves Waterworld, but on this visit, she got too overwhelmed and we had to leave early. I would recommend Waterworld.
Written 9 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi there,
It is great to learn that we are your favourite fun indoor activity! There are some amazing indoor attractions about so it makes us proud to hear we are your favourite! We appreciate that some guests with additional needs can feel overwhelmed during our usual operating hours. This is why we host additional needs evenings with a much quieter ambiance. If you fancy giving it a try our next one is on 7th December 2024. We look forward to seeing you again and thank you for taking the time to share your experience on Tripadvisor.
Written 13 October 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Stephen W
8 contributions
Feb 2025 • Family
Made to queue for 35 minutes in the cold outside the centre while 1 security guard checked all bags.
Once inside, the queue to check tickets and gain entry was approx 10 minutes. The staff were efficient, courteous and very helpful.
Change facilities aren’t really big enough and we had to wait a while for cubicles to become vacant. Similarly the lockers aren’t very big - especially if you need space to store winter coats!
The kids section of the centre was good for our 5yr old with no waiting time for smaller slides. He loved it.
We didn’t go on any of the adult slides as the 30 minute queue time felt a bit too long, but that’s just our preference.
At lunch, we ordered a kids pizza slice meal, an adults chicken burger meal, a tea and a donut, which came to over £30.
The kids pizza was nice and fresh but the adults ‘gourmet’ chicken burger was cold and the bun was so stale I struggled to bite through it. Disappointing given the price. It was also far too cold in the food area so we had to go and get dressed to eat, which seems to defeat the point of having the food area poolside.
At the end of our 3 hour session we found that the showers were mixed and communal which was unexpected, and all the vacant change cubicles were full of litter and smelled of wee. They don’t seem to be checked/cleaned often.
We then had to queue for 15 minutes at reception on our way out to collect our locker deposit.
All in all a disappointing experience but our child had fun so it wasn’t all bad. I feel some extra staff and some additional facilities to cater for busier times would improve the customer experience. Definitely need to organise the security/entry process better!
Once inside, the queue to check tickets and gain entry was approx 10 minutes. The staff were efficient, courteous and very helpful.
Change facilities aren’t really big enough and we had to wait a while for cubicles to become vacant. Similarly the lockers aren’t very big - especially if you need space to store winter coats!
The kids section of the centre was good for our 5yr old with no waiting time for smaller slides. He loved it.
We didn’t go on any of the adult slides as the 30 minute queue time felt a bit too long, but that’s just our preference.
At lunch, we ordered a kids pizza slice meal, an adults chicken burger meal, a tea and a donut, which came to over £30.
The kids pizza was nice and fresh but the adults ‘gourmet’ chicken burger was cold and the bun was so stale I struggled to bite through it. Disappointing given the price. It was also far too cold in the food area so we had to go and get dressed to eat, which seems to defeat the point of having the food area poolside.
At the end of our 3 hour session we found that the showers were mixed and communal which was unexpected, and all the vacant change cubicles were full of litter and smelled of wee. They don’t seem to be checked/cleaned often.
We then had to queue for 15 minutes at reception on our way out to collect our locker deposit.
All in all a disappointing experience but our child had fun so it wasn’t all bad. I feel some extra staff and some additional facilities to cater for busier times would improve the customer experience. Definitely need to organise the security/entry process better!
Written 18 February 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review on TripAdvisor. We take all constructive feedback very seriously in order to constantly monitor and improve on all levels of customer service. We pride ourselves on our guests enjoying our fantastic facilities and clearly during your visit we did not meet these expectations. We would like to apologise for the issues you faced during your visit. We will ensure that your feedback is passed onto the relevant management teams in order to help improve the guest experience.
Written 5 March 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lauren
Manchester, UK1 contribution
Dec 2024 • Family
I initially had high hopes for our day out at Waterworld, but it quickly took a turn for the worse as we arrived . While I get the importance of security, I certainly didn’t expect to start our fun-filled day standing in the pouring rain, waiting for a bag search. It was borderline comical, with strong winds blowing rain sideways into our bags, turning the experience into quite the soggy affair!
To lighten the mood, I made a half-hearted joke to the security guard about searching our bags inside the building since it felt like a deluge outside. To my surprise, he shot back, “How do you think I feel working out here all day?” Well, I never claimed it was easy for anyone, but a little empathy goes a long way!
Then things took a bit of a nosedive when he opened up our picnic bag and grumpily declared we couldn't bring in our treats. Totally my fault for not checking the rules ahead of time; I own that. But the whole interaction could've been handled with a bit more cheer given the miserable weather. Being rained on while dealing with a less-than-stoked staff member isn’t exactly how I envisioned setting the day’s tone
The atmosphere could aptly be described as “polar” Upon entering, I was shocked to discover how cold the entire place was! There we were, two adults shivering on the sidelines, and my poor little toddler ended up with blue lips after just a short swim! We eventually had to leave the pools to warm up in the changing rooms, making use of their heat/drying machine for what felt like an eternity.
Now, let’s talk about the cost. At £72 for two adults and a three-year-old, I definitely expected a warmer (and more enjoyable) experience. They kindly refunded us £4 for the toddler’s ticket, but honestly, I felt the ticket prices were steep. As if that wasn’t enough, the car park feels like a money-grabbing scheme—surely it should be included in the entry fee?
In short, if you plan on coming, just make sure to bundle up! It’s not all bad—once you brace yourself against the chill, there are several fun features to enjoy as a family. Just be prepared to take some warm-up breaks and maybe leave your wallet a little lighter than expected!
To lighten the mood, I made a half-hearted joke to the security guard about searching our bags inside the building since it felt like a deluge outside. To my surprise, he shot back, “How do you think I feel working out here all day?” Well, I never claimed it was easy for anyone, but a little empathy goes a long way!
Then things took a bit of a nosedive when he opened up our picnic bag and grumpily declared we couldn't bring in our treats. Totally my fault for not checking the rules ahead of time; I own that. But the whole interaction could've been handled with a bit more cheer given the miserable weather. Being rained on while dealing with a less-than-stoked staff member isn’t exactly how I envisioned setting the day’s tone
The atmosphere could aptly be described as “polar” Upon entering, I was shocked to discover how cold the entire place was! There we were, two adults shivering on the sidelines, and my poor little toddler ended up with blue lips after just a short swim! We eventually had to leave the pools to warm up in the changing rooms, making use of their heat/drying machine for what felt like an eternity.
Now, let’s talk about the cost. At £72 for two adults and a three-year-old, I definitely expected a warmer (and more enjoyable) experience. They kindly refunded us £4 for the toddler’s ticket, but honestly, I felt the ticket prices were steep. As if that wasn’t enough, the car park feels like a money-grabbing scheme—surely it should be included in the entry fee?
In short, if you plan on coming, just make sure to bundle up! It’s not all bad—once you brace yourself against the chill, there are several fun features to enjoy as a family. Just be prepared to take some warm-up breaks and maybe leave your wallet a little lighter than expected!
Written 7 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, thanks for taking the time to leave us a review. Security checks are in place for the health and safety of all of our guests, this is obviously important to help to keep everyone safe. I will of course pass your comments onto the security management team, as this is not the behaviour we expect from any staff members. We keep the air temperature and water temperature around 29 -30 degrees and our temperatures are checked and recorded every hour throughout the day. When the weather is colder outside, it can take a little longer to heat up. Some of our rides do go outside the building, despite them being covered these rides in particular may feel colder at this time of the year.
We hope you will visit us again.
Written 9 January 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Daniel M
Stoke-on-Trent, UK9 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
My first point would be that I think it's unreasonable that Waterworld don't offer a family pass to the venue to help reduce the cost for families. Our trip cost over £100 for a family of four.
Also, it is worth noting that Waterworld are behind the curve in their provision for people with disabilities; they offer a £4 discount for disabled people, whereas other major venues in the area (such as Alton Towers) offer a free carer pass for guests. This is something the company really needs to consider from an ethical point of view. My stepson is autistic and such policies have a real effect on our family.
Finally, I know several other reviewers have mentioned this and I think it's worth adding to the chorus of voices on the matter in an attempt to make Waterworld reconsider their approach: the bag searches by security at the door.
I don't have a problem with bag searches to make sure dangerous items are not being brought onto the premises, but it is clear from the experience that the security team are just as, if not more, interested in finding food and drink items. This is because Waterworld is strictly enforcing a policy of not allowing customers to bring their own food and drink onto the premises (because Waterworld clearly don't think it is enough that you pay £100+ to visit the venue, and are determined to make you pay even more for their own food and drink; which, I can tell you from experience, is of questionable quality).
Please do read some of the other reviews on the bag searches because they make for interesting reading. One family were prevented from bringing food onto the premises for their child with a severe peanut allergy. In their reply to this review, Waterworld showed no regret, and suggested they could have accommodated the allergy, though how exactly they could have was not made clear.
From my own experience, I witnessed chaotic scenes at the door, with numerous customers being denied entry for such evil things as crisps and biscuits being found by the eager security officials rummaging through their bags. I saw one young girl attempting to chug a smoothie just outside the doorway after a security guard sternly told her she could not enter with the bottle. More worryingly, I saw a mother emptying the contents of a toddler's beaker before she was allowed in by security.
I must say I found this whole experience to be deeply unpleasant, and I could not believe that a company would go to such lengths to compel people to buy their own food and drink - that is, would go to such lengths to maximise their profits.
I am really curious to know how far Waterworld would push this policy to pursue their bottom line. Please do tell me, Waterworld, would you:
- Insist a person cannot enter if they had baby milk or food in their bag?
- Insist a person cannot enter if they just had tap water in a bottle?
- Do you even provide tap water in the venue? From my trip, I saw no indication that you do.
Also, it is worth noting that Waterworld are behind the curve in their provision for people with disabilities; they offer a £4 discount for disabled people, whereas other major venues in the area (such as Alton Towers) offer a free carer pass for guests. This is something the company really needs to consider from an ethical point of view. My stepson is autistic and such policies have a real effect on our family.
Finally, I know several other reviewers have mentioned this and I think it's worth adding to the chorus of voices on the matter in an attempt to make Waterworld reconsider their approach: the bag searches by security at the door.
I don't have a problem with bag searches to make sure dangerous items are not being brought onto the premises, but it is clear from the experience that the security team are just as, if not more, interested in finding food and drink items. This is because Waterworld is strictly enforcing a policy of not allowing customers to bring their own food and drink onto the premises (because Waterworld clearly don't think it is enough that you pay £100+ to visit the venue, and are determined to make you pay even more for their own food and drink; which, I can tell you from experience, is of questionable quality).
Please do read some of the other reviews on the bag searches because they make for interesting reading. One family were prevented from bringing food onto the premises for their child with a severe peanut allergy. In their reply to this review, Waterworld showed no regret, and suggested they could have accommodated the allergy, though how exactly they could have was not made clear.
From my own experience, I witnessed chaotic scenes at the door, with numerous customers being denied entry for such evil things as crisps and biscuits being found by the eager security officials rummaging through their bags. I saw one young girl attempting to chug a smoothie just outside the doorway after a security guard sternly told her she could not enter with the bottle. More worryingly, I saw a mother emptying the contents of a toddler's beaker before she was allowed in by security.
I must say I found this whole experience to be deeply unpleasant, and I could not believe that a company would go to such lengths to compel people to buy their own food and drink - that is, would go to such lengths to maximise their profits.
I am really curious to know how far Waterworld would push this policy to pursue their bottom line. Please do tell me, Waterworld, would you:
- Insist a person cannot enter if they had baby milk or food in their bag?
- Insist a person cannot enter if they just had tap water in a bottle?
- Do you even provide tap water in the venue? From my trip, I saw no indication that you do.
Written 25 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thomas K
5 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
Ok this place isn't worth the cost. Normal cost £24 kids pass £18 that includes if you want to sit and watch. No consesions. From the moment you walk in you will get the sense of lack of staff in the place, reception had one guy working he looked really fed up. Then you get some members of staff asking if he wants a hand..
Change rooms not kept clean and reminds me of some sticky school changing rooms. £5 refundable for a locker.
Pool side , this is where it gets worse, very very overbooked even if you have a time slot pointless if you're not going to clear people after the 3 hours. Bearing in mind this place is meant to be geared for families not one member of staff deals with the incorrect swimsuit girls in thong swim suits tracksuit teashirt etc they don't seem to care. Not enough people to safely cover the pool area we had several incidents of young teenagers trying to push ahead the staff just seemed like no care especially when u have waited over 30 minutes for a ride. Be prepared to deal with if on your own. People walking around with phones taking random pictures again no member of staff interested when spoken to.
I would say you be happy to pay £9 for couple of hours not what they are asking for. I understand the cost to run a place of this size but it does require substantial investment to keep going. It reminds me of Rhyl aqua park.
Change rooms not kept clean and reminds me of some sticky school changing rooms. £5 refundable for a locker.
Pool side , this is where it gets worse, very very overbooked even if you have a time slot pointless if you're not going to clear people after the 3 hours. Bearing in mind this place is meant to be geared for families not one member of staff deals with the incorrect swimsuit girls in thong swim suits tracksuit teashirt etc they don't seem to care. Not enough people to safely cover the pool area we had several incidents of young teenagers trying to push ahead the staff just seemed like no care especially when u have waited over 30 minutes for a ride. Be prepared to deal with if on your own. People walking around with phones taking random pictures again no member of staff interested when spoken to.
I would say you be happy to pay £9 for couple of hours not what they are asking for. I understand the cost to run a place of this size but it does require substantial investment to keep going. It reminds me of Rhyl aqua park.
Written 5 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Thomas,
We're sorry you didn't enjoy your visit. We usually get excellent feedback on our staff engagement and customer service, so we apologise that you did not get that impression. The Poolside staff, for example, regularly pick up on customers taking photographs in the Aqua Park and intervene.
We have staff in the changing rooms cleaning constantly throughout the day.
We've also recently invested £13m in the facility and have a continuous programme of renovations and upgrades: https://www.thesun.co.uk/travel/25889676/waterworld-staffordshire-waterpark-uk-tropical-13m/
We'd love to see you again in the future and convert you to a 5-star review next time! Please come and visit again soon.
Written 7 August 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Michael T
1 contribution
Aug 2024 • Family
we visited today and had a really lovely time with our 4 children although not a cheap day out we all had a fantastic time just one complaint which did let us down, we spent a total £62 on food and the wait for it was ridiculous, i was stood at the end of the line waiting with some of my food under the hot counter and id say roughly 6 families paid and got their food and left before id been given mine, i was waiting for about 20 minutes which as you can imagine is stressful when you have children waiting impatiently for food! staff were just chatting behind counter in the end a man wearing all black asked what i waiting on and it was just a child burger, so he made it within 2 minutes and i could take it all away! food was warm, not hot specially the platter (garlic bread hard) we ate it purely because of what we paid but very disappointed having spent so much on it!
Written 16 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi,
Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback about your visit.. It is nice to hear that you had a fantastic day out. I am sorry to hear that your experience at the café didn't live up to our usual high standards., but I'm pleased that one of our staff members stepped up to help you. We do hope you will visit us again soon, and really enjoy the whole Waterworld experience! Waterworld Customer Service Team
Written 21 August 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Angela E
3 contributions
Apr 2024 • Family
We were staying in Birmingham to visit Cadbury World so planned this as a trip on the day before. We had booked an 12am entry slot but were let into the pool a bit early at 1030 at which time the queues were not too bad.
However, the whole place quickly became extremely crowded by about 11am and the queues for a water slide were upwards of 30-40 mins. For the ones where you ride on a tyre you can double that as you have to queue at the ride exit for a tyre and then walk across the complex to the ride entrance to queue again for the ride.
We were there for 4 hours and went on 6 waterslides. So at £24 a person it worked out at £4 per slide.
The pool was cold too. My 13 year old son wanted to go home after an hour as he was so cold.
The on site cafe is expensive and the food is edible but not very nice. My daughter had a panini, salad and slushie. The ham in the panini was like rubber so she left most of it. My son had nachos and a slushie. Total cost for the kids food was £18.
I ordered a jacket potato and waited for ages. The potato arrived and was given to a person behind me in the queue that had also ordered one. I pointed this out to the catering manager and was told the customer behind me had ordered a ‘deluxe’ meal whatever that means. So I asked for a refund and skipped lunch since my kids had finished eating by this point anyway. The catering manager literally could not care less.
There are signs up everywhere saying only food and drinks bought on site is allowed but if you are going to go I’d ignore this and bring a packed lunch and drinks. There is nowhere to fill up water bottles either so bring plenty of drinking water.
On the website they claim they hardly ever have to enforce the 3 hour wristband, but they were enforcing it on the day we visited.
Parking costs £4.50 for 8 hours or £3 for 2h 15 mins. Bloody cheek considering the cost of the ticket.
When I booked there was a 15% off code (15OFF) which I stupidly forgot to enter at checkout - prefictably the staff at reception couldn’t do anything about refunding me the difference on site. No NHS discount either.
Lockers are via a wristband that is a £5 deposit. Have yet to see whether it is refunded to my bank account as paid by card for this. There is also a big queue to return locker wristbands at the end.
Overall for the price I was expecting something like fantaseas or center parks but this was cold, overcrowded, and understaffed. Wasn’t worth a trip tbh. If you are thinking of going I’d say DO NOT go in school holidays, take a packed lunch and only bother if this is local to you (we came from Essex so a 4h drive).
However, the whole place quickly became extremely crowded by about 11am and the queues for a water slide were upwards of 30-40 mins. For the ones where you ride on a tyre you can double that as you have to queue at the ride exit for a tyre and then walk across the complex to the ride entrance to queue again for the ride.
We were there for 4 hours and went on 6 waterslides. So at £24 a person it worked out at £4 per slide.
The pool was cold too. My 13 year old son wanted to go home after an hour as he was so cold.
The on site cafe is expensive and the food is edible but not very nice. My daughter had a panini, salad and slushie. The ham in the panini was like rubber so she left most of it. My son had nachos and a slushie. Total cost for the kids food was £18.
I ordered a jacket potato and waited for ages. The potato arrived and was given to a person behind me in the queue that had also ordered one. I pointed this out to the catering manager and was told the customer behind me had ordered a ‘deluxe’ meal whatever that means. So I asked for a refund and skipped lunch since my kids had finished eating by this point anyway. The catering manager literally could not care less.
There are signs up everywhere saying only food and drinks bought on site is allowed but if you are going to go I’d ignore this and bring a packed lunch and drinks. There is nowhere to fill up water bottles either so bring plenty of drinking water.
On the website they claim they hardly ever have to enforce the 3 hour wristband, but they were enforcing it on the day we visited.
Parking costs £4.50 for 8 hours or £3 for 2h 15 mins. Bloody cheek considering the cost of the ticket.
When I booked there was a 15% off code (15OFF) which I stupidly forgot to enter at checkout - prefictably the staff at reception couldn’t do anything about refunding me the difference on site. No NHS discount either.
Lockers are via a wristband that is a £5 deposit. Have yet to see whether it is refunded to my bank account as paid by card for this. There is also a big queue to return locker wristbands at the end.
Overall for the price I was expecting something like fantaseas or center parks but this was cold, overcrowded, and understaffed. Wasn’t worth a trip tbh. If you are thinking of going I’d say DO NOT go in school holidays, take a packed lunch and only bother if this is local to you (we came from Essex so a 4h drive).
Written 5 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, are the rapids actually rapids or is it a lazy river. A lot of people call the lazy river rapids but they’re very different. Thanks
Written 1 January 2024
It is a lazy lazy river good for smaller kids but definitely not rapids
Written 2 January 2024
How do you use the gift cards? Do you not book online but instead just show up and book on arrival? And do they accept walk-ins even if the online seems to be full at that time slot?
Written 1 September 2023
We used a voucher, we rang to confirm you can just show up and you can. We did with no issues.
Written 27 October 2023
greg
The Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, United Kingdom
Can you buy armbands at the park?
Written 26 December 2021
Hi there was a little shop at reception so possibly. Why don’t you ring them to check.
Written 28 December 2021
Pretty sure it’s £3.50 for the car park according to the web. But I’m a Blue Badge Holder
Written 2 November 2019
Stingly
Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom
We are hoping to visit here during a "peak period" (ie tomorrow!) and are travelling a long way to do so. I'm confused, however, by the "session control" described on their website - will we be paying the full amount of money to be kicked out after half the amount of time?
Written 31 August 2019
Yeah if it’s busy it’s 10am til 1.30 then 1.30 til 5.we went today won’t be bothering again. Dirty overcrowded the new slides the main one everyone wanted to go on apparently broke so that was out of use. 1 to 2 hour wait for the other slides stood in the freezing cold it clearly isn’t finished but they thought they’d just open it. A lot of people saying still looks like a building site.
Written 31 August 2019
Hi,
I visited here around a year ago and just wanted to know if it’s cleaned up at all or tidy now? As when we visited it was disgusting, the water was cloudy, was dirt and all sorts floating around in the water, kids eating food in the shallow area, changing rooms were absolutely vile dirty nappies everywhere.. and the outdoor poor looked like it had all of stokes rubbish in it.
As this is literally the only water park for hours & hours just wanted to know if they have upped there standards at all??
Written 27 August 2019
vijayasri s
Derby, United Kingdom
Is swimming costume compulsory or can I go with t shirt and shorts ?
Written 26 July 2019
A good answer but I find the policy very Racist, I am all for Muslims being able to follow their beliefs but there are many reasons why non-muslims would not wish to expose so much of themselves either, so the policy should be the same for everyone.
Written 19 August 2019
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