Buccaneer Bay at La Mirada Splash
I think Buccaneer Bay in La Mirada is Los Angeles’s best water park. It might be SoCal’s best water park. And you’ve never heard of it, have you? We took my three girls there yesterday for the second time and we had a blast! Yes, even mommy and daddy had fun. Well, most of our fun came from seeing how much fun the girls had, but isn’t that always the case?
Due to the fact that it’s a water park and phones/cameras do not fare so well getting soaked, I was only able to take a few photos. One series was about 20 pictures of my youngest getting hysterical (in a good way) stepping on the jets that come out of the shallow end of the splash pad.
I mean, seriously, that face! She stepped on those jets for a good 20 minutes, spraying everyone that happened to walk by and loved it. The only other picture I was able to take was the obligatory selfie with my girls.
Tough to get us all in the frame #growinguptoofast #buccaneerbay #ssandswings A photo posted by Seashells (@seashellsandswings) on
Don’t judge me that it took a bribe to get them to sit still for 30 seconds for this picture. Immediately after the photo they were right back in the pool. We tried Buccaneer Bay last summer and had a good time. There were I think six families with us last year – all with kids ranging from 2 to 5 years of age. It was tough with my two year old at the time. She got really cranky at nap time and we didn’t stay for very long after lunch. This year, at three, she was fine from 10:30 (when it opens) to around 4 when we finally left.
Pros
- Super clean
- Geared towards 2 – 8 year olds (in my opinion)
- Snack bar with decent prices and choices (as long as you’re ok with kid/snack bar kind of food – chicken nuggets, cheeseburgers, fruit salad, etc.)
- Plenty of shady spots – there are umbrellas surrounding the main splash pad/pool area. Just arrive right when they open or even a few minutes before opening in order to secure the best / most convenient spot
- Clean locker room with warm showers for rinsing off before driving home
- Slides and a splash pad for the littlest of kids and three larger slides for older kids (my six-year old tried all three big slides this time and LOVED them; even the enclosed slide that drops you straight down)
- Lazy River – who doesn’t love a lazy river?
- Price – $19 for anyone over 4 ft. tall and $14 for kids under 4 ft. tall. For a fun, clean water park, I think that’s an awfully good deal.
- Lifejackets for the kids are provided and are required for kids under 4 ft. tall.
Cons
- It gets super crowded later in the day – arrive early!
- Not enough inner tubes in the lazy river – what a ridiculous thing to write, right? But I think this is a problem. It took us 10 minutes sometimes to secure one or two inner tubes for our family to share. In the grand scheme of a water park, how much can a few extra inner tubes cost?
- Cool water, rather than warm – again, kind of nitpicky – this place is awesome on a really warm sweaty day, but the water (I don’t think) is heated at all. So if it’s at all overcast or windy, young kids and some adults won’t enjoy it so much.
- No outside food – I totally understand that they don’t want people bringing entire meals in from PF Chang’s and that their snackbar is probably where they make most of their money, but if you stay an entire day like we did, the cost of food and admission can get a little pricey. You are allowed to bring in sealed water bottles, however.
One last thought
Life jackets are required for all kids under 4 ft. tall, and they are provided by the water park. However, they are big, bulky life jackets. We purchased three of these Stearns Kids Life Jackets on Amazon last summer and our girls love them. A lot less cumbersome than the traditional life jackets and perfect for a water park.
Choose from a bunch of colors and silly designs on Amazon
What are you waiting for? Check out Buccaneer Bay at La Mirada Splash for yourself. All additional information you’ll need is on their website.
If you’re looking for more fun, family-friendly outings in Southern California? Check out my Family Fun in Southern Calfornia pinterest board.
Have you been to Buccaneer Bay? Did you love it? How does it compare to other water parks here in Southern California? We’re always looking for more adventures, where should we go next?
The post Buccaneer Bay L.A.’s Best Water Park appeared first on Seashells and Swings.