hurricane harbor

Hurricane Harbor at Six Flags Over Georgia is a Family-Friendly Oasis!

June 10, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 6 Comments

I serve in a compensated role as a Six Flags Supermom. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own, as always.

Last weekend my family took a little trip to the hottest “cool down” spot in the Southeast.

We spent close to 5 glorious hours splashing around at Hurricane Harbor, the latest addition to Six Flags Over Georgia (which has turned an already amazing park into a one-of-a-kind experience!).

Tucked away in the far side of the park from its main entrance, you’ll find turnstiles into Hurricane Harbor. Admission to this part of the park is included with your ticket price (woo hoo!) but the guarded entrance and exit is there to ensure that visitors don’t head back into the main park area wearing just their swimsuits. I really appreciate their forethought on that one! 🙂 Once inside, you feel like you’ve stepped into a laid-back beach-side community, complete with very clean bath houses for changing, a grab-and-g0 eatery, and the ultimate in relaxation: deluxe lounge accommodations!

Cabanas at Hurricane Harbor: 5 Reasons to Try Them

We stayed in one of 11 private cabanas that are available to rent ($150 weekdays and $175 weekends). Now, as fabulous as my life is, it isn’t so fabulous that this is a price I would pay without careful consideration. After giving it a whirl, though, I’ll tell you why I think it could very easily be worth it.

1. Party time! If you are having a special event like a birthday party, you’ve just rented your party area. Fees for renting party rooms are normally around that rate, anyway, so that actually makes a lot of sense!

2. Cabana renters get private access to the wave pool. And you guys, my family spent probably 75% of our entire day at the park in this fun private area. It was SO nice having all that space in the pool that wasn’t crowded and where the girls could freely splash around without bothering anyone else.

3. Dedicated staff are on hand just for you! We had folks checking in on us regularly to make sure we were comfortable and happy, and offering to do things like snap family photos for us and clean up in our cabana. It was insanely awesome service. And speaking of awesome service, when you get hungry, you just place an order with your server, and s/he goes straight into the kitchen at the Tidal Wave cafe to place your order, where you have VIP status. In most cases, your food is back in your cabana within about 5 minutes of you placing your order, and you didn’t even have to move a muscle to make it happen. That means more time for this:

5. Luxury and security. Each cabana is equipped with a refrigerator that has 6 complimentary waters inside, as well as a HUGE lockable storage trunk. Our stroller fit in there with absolutely no problems. You also get a lock and a key. I had my nicer DSLR camera with me, and I really appreciated being able to lock it away before heading out into the waves. Hurricane Harbor does have other locker facilities for rent for any guest who wants them, but again, this one was HUGE and was right there in my cabana. I would have spent A LOT of time walking back and forth to the locker area for my camera if I hadn’t been in a cabana.

Was it an indulgence? Of course it was. Was it worth it? I think yes! It’s not something that my family could afford to do every time we visit, but it is a GREAT option for groups of folks (up to 6, I believe, for the standard cabanas) or for special occasions, or even just for an occasional splurge. You will be treated like royalty, I guarantee it.

So right outside of the cabana area you will find Calypso Bay wave pool. If you don’t want to do the cabana thing, there is still plenty of seating area around the entrance. We found the crowds to be very manageable (it was a Friday, so I’m sure weekends are busier) and the lifeguards to be abundant and vigilant. As a parent, I always appreciate knowing that the staff are on top of their game, especially as it relates to matters of safety.

Behind Calypso Bay you’ll see Tsunami Surge. We were told that it required at least 2 people to ride, so since we had small kids with us, we didn’t get to try it out. But it includes a zero-gravity element, so if you are able to do so, I’m gonna go ahead and say this is a MUST RIDE!

Not far away from the cabanas, but on the other side, you’ll find the Bonzai Pipelines. These are a series of 3 different slides that can each hold 1 or 2 riders together. Tim really enjoyed them and they are a fun option for anyone in your party who might not be feeling that zero gravity business!

And finally, closest to the Hurricane Harbor entrance and exit, you’ll find Paradise Island. This element of the park actually existed last year, and was such an enormous hit that it was one of the reasons that Six Flags decided to expand its water ride offerings. It is a great location for the younger set, and has fun slides, rope bridges, and plenty of spraying water features.

My family was thoroughly entertained at Hurricane Harbor for almost our entire visit to the park. For some folks, it might be the primary desination for the entire day, and for others, it might just be a place to go cool off for an hour or two. Either way, it is an AWESOME offering and I think it makes the park even more family-friendly (for families of all sizes and ages!) than it was before.

Save Some $ By Going for a Season Pass

The way to do Six Flags Over Georgia is definitely to get a season pass. We are season pass holders, and we weren’t the least bit concerned that we didn’t ride many non-water rides on this trip. We know we’ll be back, so there was no pressure to see and do it all. We just fully enjoyed where we were and what our kids wanted to do. It made for a more relaxing visit and frankly, when you are more relaxed you have more fun, anyway! Plus, we know we can go back as many times as we want this season; the entrance fee is already covered! Season passes are a tremendous value, so take a moment and check out all the great season pass options!

Do you have plans to visit Hurricane Harbor this season???

59 Days Until Hurricane Harbor Opens at Six Flags Over Georgia!

March 24, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 6 Comments

I serve in a compensated role as a Six Flags Supermom. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own, as always.

I spent this past Saturday looking long at hard at the place where Hurricane Harbor is being constructed at Six Flags Over Georgia. I even got to get up close and personal and see how everything was coming along. As of two days ago, it looked like this:

Oh my, they certainly have their work cut out for them! But the crew I met was confident about their progress, even with all the setbacks that the tough winter provided this year (we don’t do snow in the South, y’all!).

Let me show you around a bit!

This is Paradise Island (formerly Skull Island) and it is a place that kids of all ages absolutely love! This interactive water play area serves as the entrance to Hurricane Harbor, and has dozens of slides, water elements, and lots of fun. Last year my kiddos spent the better part of the day in the park right here!

But starting this year, there will be SO MUCH MORE when it comes to water fun at Six Flags Over Georgia.

As you pass Paradise Island, you’ll come to Tradewinds, which will have some fantastic shopping (forgot your swimsuit or your towel? No problem!). You’ll also see Tidal Wave Cafe, which will offer a fun variety of yummy things to eat. After all, you work up an appetite when playing in the water! This area is also going to have a bath house for changing, as well as locker areas if you want to rent one to stow away all the things you don’t want to get wet.

The Six Flags Supermoms were all pretty excited about what we saw next. The centerpiece of the 7 acre Caribbean getaway inside Six Flags has got to be Calypso Bay, the GIGANTIC wave pool. It has 38,000 square feet and will hold 800,000 gallons of water and produce 4 foot waves. It is going to be THE place to have fun in the sun at Six Flags this year. You can find me there on one of their loungers, to be sure!

For all you brave souls out there, this is going to be the ride for you. Tsunami Surge will be a tower of slides up against this hill. It will include a 5 story drop and a moment of zero gravity. Who needs to go to space camp? Just head down Tsunami Surge to experience weightlessness! 🙂

If you head to Six Flags Over Georgia in the next few weeks, be sure to ride on the Sky Buckets, as you’ll get a great birds-eye view of many of the slide pieces for Tsunami Surge, as well as for the Bonzai Pipelines, which is another awesome water slide element you’ll find at Hurricane Harbor. I’m sure glad I’m not in charge of putting those puzzle pieces together!

Hurricane Harbor may look like this today, but it is coming together VERY quickly, and in just 59 days, it will be an incredible tropical oasis right outside of Atlanta, Georgia. And the best part? Hurricane Harbor admission is included with your park ticket price. Are you ready to make some waves???

You Won’t Believe What is Coming to Six Flags Over Georgia!

August 29, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 4 Comments

I am serving as a Six Flags Super Mom with Six Flags Over Georgia, which is a compensated opportunity. As always, all opinions shared are my own.

I have been on pins and needles waiting for this morning for about a month now. I finally get to let the cat out of the bag on some BIG news.

No, it isn’t a baby.

No, I’m not moving.

No, I’m not the Powerball winner that hasn’t claimed their millions yet.

My news is EVEN MORE AWESOME! (Ok, maybe the Powerball thing would have been slightly more awesome…)

Today Six Flags Over Georgia has announced a MASSIVE park expansion that is going to surprise and delight everyone who sets foot in the park.

Oh friends, I was so excited about this idea from the moment I heard about it and tried to envision it. And when I saw this beautiful rendering of what it will look like this time next year, I swooned! This all-new water park element of Six Flags Over Georgia is going to be yet another AWESOME answer to the worry some have about just how much fun Six Flags Over Georgia can be if you either have young kids or if you just aren’t a roller coaster person. I already mentioned some of my findings when visiting Six Flags Over Georgia with young kids, myself, but Hurricane Harbor is going to take the fun factor to a whole new level!

You are looking at 7 acres of space that Six Flags Over Georgia is turning into a Caribbean landscape. This is a place to go, kick your shoes off, and RELAX! One of my only disappointments about living in Chattanooga is how far we are from a beach. But if I just head 2 hours south to Six Flags, I can get a tropical getaway, right inside the park.

Opening Memorial Day 2014

My calendar is already marked for opening day of Hurricane Harbor. And what a perfect choice: the unofficial first day of summer! If you live within driving distance to the park, I hope you will check it out next year, as well. One thing I can guarantee you, based on what I already know about how Six Flags Over Georgia runs its business, is that you will be absolutely delighted by your experience. They insist on providing nothing less!

Hurricane Harbor Attractions

I wanted to give you a run down of the new elements that will be in this part of the park (which is replacing the old amphitheater/concert area of the park…no roller coasters will be harmed in the making of Hurricane Harbor!).

Gigantic Wave Pool – Hurricane Bay

This 38,000 square foot pool will have rolling waves up to four feet high!

Dual Slide Complex – Calypso Cobra

You have to be at least 48 inches to ride this thrill ride, which incidentally, is the first of its kind in the world! Four riders at a time will barrel down an enclosed 5-story drop before plunging into a 40-foot wide bowl. But that’s not the end of it! Right at the end, you’ll be sent perpendicular to the ground and will be suspended in a moment of ZERO GRAVITY! Omg, I can’t wait!!!

Multi-Slide Complex – Bahamas Blaster and Runaway Pipeline

Two riders at a time will go down a dark watery tunnel that twists and turns with 180 and even 360 degree turns for the Runaway Pipeline. Riding with their family and friends in an inner tube, guests will careen down a dark watery decent through the enclosed tunnels and soar down 180 and 360 degree curves. Also part of this complex, the Bahamas Blaster takes you down a four-story drop into a gigantic bowl and hurls you around before dropping you through a corkscrew chute into the splash pool below.

Children’s Activity Area – Paradise Island

This is the place for the little adventurers to get a taste of adventure! Paradise Island is an interactive water playground that includes three giant water-dumping towers and hundreds of interactive water elements. Island-goers will also find water gadgets, climbing nets, tipping buckets and six slides!

I Want to Go!

I bet you want to know where to go to get your 2014 season passes, am I right? Just click on the link to purchase Six Flags season passes (and check out the AMAZING deals they are offering the 2014 season pass early birds. They have never offered more extra perks than they are offering this year!).