Real Mom Review: Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor Water Park

By Sandy DeJesus & Jessica Ratcliff, CertifiKID Subscribers
Posted Jul 04, 2019 Real Mom Reviews Things to Do DC/MD/VA

Located just eight miles east of Washington, D.C., Six Flags America amusement park is home to over 100 rides, shows and attractions for visitors of all ages. The on-site Hurricane Harbor waterpark is also included with admission. 

We sent two of our MOM Squad ambassadors and their families to experience a day of family fun at Six Flags America. They received free admission in exchange for an honest review of their experience.  

Jessica: When we first arrived, we went to get my girls' height checked and picked up a park map. Both of my girls got wristbands that had their heights marked so we knew which rides they would be able to ride.

Sandy: Six Flags is a family amusement park that offers thrill rides, shows and water rides for all ages to enjoy. As soon as you enter the park, you are greeted by helpful attendants. They are available to guide you to the many happenings of the theme park. 

Jessica: The first ride we rode were the swings, which were pretty close to the front of the park.

Sandy: My family and I went straight to the giant carousel...

...followed by the mini roller coaster, Looney Tunes Land and Whistlestop Park Playground in the Looney Tunes area. My children ages 1 and 2 enjoyed this part of the park very much.

Jessica: There really isn’t a general flow of traffic at the park, so we just walked to the next closest area, the Looney Tunes Movie Town kids area.

Jessica: My girls rode The Great Chase roller coaster, it was themed after the Roadrunner and Coyote cartoons.

Sandy: As a family, we ended this section with a visit to the Looney Tunes Prop Warehouse. It is surrounded with a fun slide, climbing obstacle course, hundreds of soft foam balls that tumble out of every corner, and an open safe play area for little ones to run around while parents can play along or rest.

Next, with virtually no lines, we rode the big roller coasters such as Superman, Roar, The Voodoo Drop and The Wild One.

Following this we rode a free fall ride...

...and met characters Bugs Bunny and Sylvester the cat. My 11 and 12-year-olds had a great time in this section.

Jessica: After the Looney Tunes area, we went to Mardi Gras. There were bigger thrill rides in this part of the park, and my girls loved the Ragin' Cajun ride. After that, we were hungry, so we decided to eat at Primo's Pizzeria. The food was really good, and the portions were huge!

After we ate, we decided to go to the water park. The day we went it was 80 degrees. We went on the lazy river first, and even though I thought the water was a little cold, my girls didn’t seem to mind. After the lazy river, we went to the wave pool for a little while. We rode a few more rides, and my kids were hungry again, so we got Dippin' Dots for a snack after we changed.

Sandy: After all that fun, who doesn't love to cool off? So we made our way to Hurricane Harbor. Our first stop was to Splashwater Falls. It's like a water playground with tons of water rides throughout, this is a winning attraction for kids of all ages. We then went to Buccaneer Beach, which is perfect for a calmer atmosphere but still suitable for all ages. It has two pool areas, beach chairs with plenty of shade, and water slides throughout.

My older children rode the Tornado Gigantic Funnel Water ride, Shark Attack Hammerhead water slides and lounged in the wave pool. This (water) part of the park closes earlier than the thrill ride area does. We ended the night with ice cream and funnel cakes! We will definitely visit again soon.

Jessica: We then went to the Gotham City area and rode a few rides there. We realized it was almost time to go, and my girls wanted to ride the Ragin' Cajun again. This time the line was longer, so it was the last ride for the day. We really liked the roller coasters. My youngest is 48 inches, so she was happy she was able to ride some of them.

Sandy: I have to say that we enjoyed both parks on this very hot day. My younger children enjoyed the theme park very much because there were so many rides for them to go on. Most parks only have 2-3 rides for their age range. My older children were finally old enough to ride any ride of their choosing. It was great to visit the water park immediately after! The water rides were both refreshing and fun. 

Getting There and Getting In

Jessica: We drove to Six Flags from Yorktown, Virginia. We used the Maps app on my iPhone, and it took us right to the park. It was very easy to find. Once you get close, there were signs directing the way.

There is a fee for parking - $20 for regular parking or $25 for preferred. You can prepay for parking online, which I chose to do. I just showed them my confirmation on my phone, and they let us through. Pass members do get free parking.

We went on a Friday and got there around noon. We had to wait about 10 minutes to actually get into the park. There were separate lines for pass holders and day tickets. I had my tickets on my phone, and while they were able to scan from my phone, the girl was having a little difficulty. I would recommend printing tickets if you can to make it a little quicker.

Sandy: There was more than enough parking available close to the entrance, which cost $20. There is additional VIP parking that will allow you to park within the first couple of parking rows, those spots are an additional fee on top of the parking cost.

We visited on a Thursday around 2:30 p.m. and there was a very short wait to enter. It took us less than 8 minutes in total to wait in the line, go through the metal detectors, and put our large gym bag through the X-Ray screening machine. Once we made it through we were ready to start our fun journey at Six Flags America.   

Time Recommended to Enjoy Experience

Jessica: I would definitely plan to spend the entire day here. They opened at 10:30 a.m. and closed at 9 p.m. the day we went, and we still could have spent more time there. 

Sandy: We visited for about six hours. We definitely did not complete every single ride the theme park had to offer so I would recommend a longer day in order to see every single ride if that is the goal.

Recommended Age Range

Jessica: My children are 9 and 6-years old. I think they were at a good age to ride most of the rides, even though they were both too small for some of the bigger rides. There were plenty of rides for us to ride together.

Sandy: My children range from 1, 2, 11 and 12-years-old. Six Flags America had rides geared to each of these ages for both the theme park and water park.

Tips for Families

Jessica: They do not allow outside food in the park, but you could pack a cooler and keep it in your car and go out for a picnic. But, I believe they do make exceptions for food allergies.

There are different types of restaurants as well as snack carts throughout the park. I prepaid for the all-day meal plan online. It was $34.99 and included a refillable drink bottle (Icees are not included), lunch, snack, and dinner. You will need to get your wristbands at the Colonial Cupboard snack cart near the entrance of the park. Also, pay attention to the dining times for each meal category. Snacks and dinner were over at 7:30 p.m., even though the park stayed open until 9 p.m. We probably could have gotten by with having my girls share a meal. They did not order kids meals, and the portions were definitely big enough to share. 

My only complaint is that we found the bathrooms to be very dirty, every bathroom we went in throughout the park was filthy.

Sandy: There is plenty of food all around the theme park and water park. They have deals, coupons, and family meal plan options to choose from that include pizza, burgers, hot dogs, salads, chicken and more.

Food is not allowed into the park. There is a picnic area located right outside the entrance that you may bring food and eat prior to entering the park or after visiting. You can re-enter the park as long as they stamp your hand at the exit. We do always bring in water bottles. Water and ice are free at any concession stand. If you purchase their souvenir cup you can refill it for free during the rest of your visit. 

Would Your Family Visit Again?

Jessica: We definitely plan on going back. My girls had a blast, and we want to ride some of the rides we did not get a chance to. We will bring our refillable drink bottles, which will cost 99 cents to refill the next visit.

Sandy: My family does plan to visit this location again because it catered to all of the ages of my children, from an age range of 1-years-old to 12-years-old. We also love that you pay one price and have access to both the theme park and water park. The perfect combination.

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Tags: Six Flags America Family Kids Amusement Park Rides

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