Well, it’s here. The unofficial start to summer - Memorial Day Weekend! Ok, so maybe that sentence didn’t warrant an exclamation point at the end considering this atrocious weather we’re having. But … it won’t last forever. The sun and summer fun will be here soon enough! Yes, exclamation point there.

If you’re new to Wildwood or Wildwood Crest I wanted to share with you one of my favorite things to do here in the summer. Perhaps you’ve done this before but perhaps not. If not, it’s certainly worth the experience and if so, you know how much fun this can be. What am I talking about?? ..Pause for dramatic suspense….. The water parks at Morey’s Piers.

I’m sure most people have been on the pier for food, games, and rides but have you taken the time - a morning, afternoon or the entire day - to spend at the water park? Yes, yes I know the ocean is filled with water and it’s free and it’s just a short walk away but trust me when I say that the water parks at Morey’s Pier are just so much fun. We’ve been making trips there since my adult children were very young. I’ve been to other water parks and have yet to find one, indoors or out, that beats Morey’s. They have a ton of variety - tube slides - both singles and doubles, body slides, rope swings…you get the point. There’s just a lot to do there to have a ton of fun. I guarantee that if you experience one of their water parks it will be one of your best memories of the summer.

Ok, before I go any further I have a confession to make. Morey’s actually has two water parks - Raging Waters and Ocean Oasis. Here’s the confession…I’ve only ever been to one of them! There, I said it. Yes, I know I’m telling you how awesome the water parks (plural) are but I’ve only ever been to one. So here’s why…You know when you go out to eat at your favorite restaurant and find something that never disappoints and you almost always order it? Then one day you say let’s try something different and when the food gets there and you start eating it you wish you had stayed with your favorite? Or maybe you’re at Starbucks or your local coffee shop and you decide to try a new flavored latte or cappuccino and when you get it you’re just not as happy with it as you had hoped? Well, I guess I just don’t want to take the chance on missing out on what I consider the best water park I’ve ever been to. The other park might be just as good but I’m just not willing to take the chance since there is usually only one day per summer that I can wrangle the whole family together for a day at the park.

So now I imagine you are wondering which park I go to. Wait for it…..Raging Waters. Yes, I’m happy with just going there. I’ve never been disappointed and probably never will be.

Here are a few tips that I’ve learned over the years…

Go early. If you get there when they open you’ll have a good 45 minutes to an hour and a half without having to wait in line much - at least that’s been my experience. You might have to stand in line for 10 minutes or so when getting up to the ticket booth but it’s worth it to get there even before they open so you are definitely one of the first through the gate.

Buy tickets for the morning session only. I think the morning session is about 3 hours long. The advantage here is that the tickets are cheaper - probably 30-40% cheaper than a full day pass (check their website for pricing). They also have afternoon session tickets available but it’s almost always more crowded in the afternoon so we avoid the afternoon session. Also, I’ve found my family and I are ready to leave after two or three hours. We get in early, hit tons of slides before it gets crowded and head home once the masses start coming in.

Go on days when others don’t want to go. What does that mean? Cloudy or slightly rainy days work well. Not as many people are there. Early in the season - the first couple of weeks in June - or late in the season - the last couple of weeks in August aren’t as busy. And here’s one we found out last year… go on super hot days. I know that sounds like the opposite advice I should be giving but we went last year during the hottest heat wave of the summer. The temperature was in the upper 90’s for three or four days straight. We thought it would be refreshing on super hot days to get on the slides and in the water. But to our surprise not many others seem to think that. People probably just didn’t want to move that much on super hot days - there are quite a few steps up to the slides. The other upside to going on such hot days is that you’re never cold or chilly walking all of those steps when you’re wet.

Ok so there are my tips. I will be buying morning tickets this year on the hottest day I can find to once again make some really fun memories with my family. And yes, I’ll probably be going to Raging Waters again! Give it a try!!

Rich