Day 9 (2023) Abu Dhabi: Yas Waterworld

April 13, 2023

Day 9

Today, it's vacation mode again with sleeping in. We want to go to the Yas Waterworld Waterpark, but it doesn't open until 11 o'clock. So, sleeping in it is. After breakfast, we drive to Yas Island and find a parking space in front of the waterpark entrance (just kidding, it's all free, about 20 cars are parked here). This is our 7th time in Abu Dhabi and probably our 10th time in Yas Waterworld. While in previous years there was always a voucher in the 'Entertainer', a coupon booklet (now available as an app for your phone), unfortunately the park is no longer included in the Entertainer. Last time we bought the 3-day combo pass for all 3 Yas Parks (Warner Bros, Yas Waterworld, and Ferrari World), which was much cheaper than buying each entry individually. During our first visit, we paid about 50€ per person for the daily ticket. Prices have increased not only in Yas Waterworld.... we were already 'impressed' by the high entrance fee at Warner Bros, where the daily ticket was supposed to cost 90€ 😱
This year we tried the Dubai City Pass for the first time. We opted for the 5-parks pass variant (which also includes the Abu Dhabi parks). With an Easter discount, we now pay 43€ per person for each park. So there is a significant difference compared to the regular daily tickets.
So, if you want to visit all 3 parks in Abu Dhabi, you should buy the 3-day / 3-parks combo ticket. If you want to add parks in Dubai, like us, I recommend the Dubai City Pass (which includes Aquaventure, IMG, Duabi Parks Bollywood, Legoland, Motiongate, etc).
Well, high entrance fee. Okay, we get in 'cheap'.
The first few times we were in the park with our relatives, so we got 'local resistence' discounts, but it was always very crowded on weekends.
So while a few years ago we were greeted by locals with falcons on their arms (taking falcons on your arm and taking a photo was encouraged, free of charge if you took the photo yourself) and received a nice big towel for the day at the waterpark, this time we didn't see any of that.
We are greeted - as always - by the ladies who search the bags for drinks or food at the 'bargain table' with sticks (also a measure at Ferrari World and Warner Bros.). You are not allowed to bring your own food into the park. So you have to rely on buying the totally overpriced offers on site (in our case a combo meal of pizza and a drink for about 18€).
Okay, that has always been the case. We are surprised that we no longer get a wristband, now only guests who have bought a Fastpass get one (absolutely nonsense in all parks during the week, as you have to wait a maximum of 5-10 minutes). We enter the park after exchanging our QR code for tickets and look for the towel rental. We don't have towels with us because we used to get them for free for our entire stay in the park for 6 years. So it's a rude awakening at the information desk where small white towels are rented out for 10€ each. Nooooo, really???
I can't believe it. 70€ admission and then you still have to pay 10€ for a towel and almost 20€ for lunch??? Unbelievable!
We decide against towels. We should dry off without them at +39 degrees 🤷🏻
We find sun loungers and a parasol at the wave pool and start the adventure of water slide tubing. Our favorites are the serpent slides and the falcon's nest. In between, we go to the lazy river and the rafting river (although compared to Aquaventure, it's also a lazy river). Our son loves the roller coaster and our daughter and husband dare to go on the looping slide with the drop door. Not for me. We stay in the park until 6 p.m., until the pedometer shows over 16,000 steps and we are completely exhausted.
Yas Waterworld is really worth a visit!!!