Wild Wadi Waterpark reopens on Sunday 1 November, with tickets from Dh149
Dubai's original waterpark beside Burj Al Arab is back from 1 November with its 30 rides, weekend entertainment and a new Mexican food stand, Surf & Tacos.
Wild Wadi Waterpark, the waterpark at the foot of Burj Al Arab in Jumeirah, opens its gates again on Sunday 1 November. Its operator, Dubai Holding Entertainment, announced the date on 28 October, and the reopening is part of Truly Amazing, the group's first yearly entertainment season.
All 30 rides and attractions are back. They include Jumeirah Sceirah, the tall speed slide the park is best known for, the Tantrum Alley funnel ride, the Burj Surj and the Wave Pool. The park says there will be live entertainment and activities for children and families at weekends, and seasonal events later in the year for World Children's Week, Movember and the festive season.
There is one new place to eat. Surf & Tacos serves Mexican food, and it joins Surfer's Burgers (burgers and hot dogs), Firecrust Pizza, Dhow & Lagoon Kitchen (shawarma and salads) and Wave View Café for snacks and drinks.
Wild Wadi opened in 1999 and was Dubai's first big waterpark. Since then the city has gained several larger ones, including Aquaventure at Atlantis The Palm and Legoland Water Park, but Wild Wadi remains the one with the Burj Al Arab view, and it is a short walk from Madinat Jumeirah and the public beach at Umm Suqeim.
On prices, the announcement gives tickets from Dh149. On the park's own website on 29 October, a day pass for UAE residents was listed from Dh179 for adults and Dh169 for children under 1.1m, with infants free, and Dh269 and Dh220 for visitors from abroad. Annual passes start at Dh495, and a private cabana from Dh3,000. The website also shows a Monday offer for UAE residents from Dh129, marked as coming soon.
If you plan to go, book on wildwadi.com, where you choose the resident or non-resident day pass; residents will need their Emirates ID at the gate to get the resident rate, so take it with you. The website gives opening hours of 10am to 6pm every day. The cheapest prices are online and in advance, and it is worth checking the date you want before you leave, since weekend days in the first weeks after a reopening tend to be the busiest.