Raging Waves Waterpark, Illinois, United States

3JustMe9975 5:00 PM Jul 6, 2019

Good but could be better.
We went in early July for the 2nd time. Last year we rented one of the premium cabanas and really enjoyed this option. So this time around we opted for the new Great Barrier Reef which was advertised as their newest and best cabana. There were 8 of us in our party including adults and teenagers. The good: 1) They opened the park about 10 minutes early to start the line moving so we were not standing out in the parking lot baking in the sun. 2) The park was very clean on our visit. 3) It had rained that morning and the forecast was for 80s with scattered showers. So, the park was pretty empty and the kids rode the slides all day without much wait time at all. And it never rained! 4) Our attendant (Alex) for our cabana was responsive and very friendly. The Not so Good: 1) Some basic customer service training for the staff would improve the overall experience. I opted for the Preferred Parking so followed the signs and parked. I then immediately exited my car and had my money ready for the "attendant". She marched up to me from across the parking lot and said "Hey this is the PREFERRED parking lot". YEP! Here's my money that I'm holding out to you. I mean really...this was her one job. A better approach would've been appreciated. 2) This was the 2nd year we've rented a premium cabana and were told right after checking in to wait for an escort to our cabana. And it's the 2nd year in a row we've all stood around waiting 5-10 minutes with No One showing up. As we did last year, we finally gave up and made our way there ourselves. We certainly never thought an escort was at all necessary but didn't want to be rude by just walking away. I would suggest getting rid of this perk. 3) So the Great Barrier Reef cabana.....there was nothing premium at all about this cabana. Save your money!! It's brand new and that's all. It's up high so you get a nice view but you can see nothing unless you're standing because the bamboo railing is built up so that's all you see when sitting in the lounge chairs. Also as compared to the UpHigha cabana, there is no ceiling fan, no mini fridge, and no outlets. It also was barely big enough for the 8 of us although it's advertised to accommodate almost twice as many guests. Not sure where everyone would go or sit? It was obvious to us that this cabana had been rushed to completion for the high price. When I mentioned the lack of amenities to a staff member the reply was "Yeah, this cabana is still a work in progress." Seriously? Then why rent it out at full price when it's clearly not completed? And finally...the way this cabana is positioned expect it to be entirely without shade by late afternoon. We were constantly moving our chairs around to chase the shade and realized after 3pm that we'd all be frying in the sun exposed in <1 hour. Shade is an important reason why people opt for the cabana experience. Fail! So we left early to avoid any further frustration. Do not waste your money. The UpHigha is less expensive and is SO much better. 4) The food. Ugh. Mediocre and small portion sizes. A pizza "slice" is about the size of a poptart...maybe. Most everything we ordered was bland and small but very expensive. I wouldn't mind at all paying more for a better quality meal that's more filling. Also on the food note: wait staff for cabanas is only available 11-2. I do not know the staffing situation well enough at this park to understand why this is so limited. So you basically get lunch brought to you which is unfortunate because the park closes at 6pm. Seems like a wasted opportunity for this place since we then ate fast food on our drive home. 5) Without a doubt the biggest complaint we have is that the pavement at this park gets incredibly hot and for those riding rides and standing in long lines and on hot wooden ramps, expect blisters. This has never been an issue at any other water park we've visited but happened during both our visits. The walkways are lined with rope fences so the guests cannot walk on grassy areas to cool their feet. I understand not wanting tramped grass but maybe investing in water sprinklers to cool the walkways would be a safe option for your guests?

3Val U 5:00 PM Aug 13, 2014

Largest Doesn't Mean Best
I am giving Raging Waves 3 stars with the thought that it could readily be 5 with some easy fixes. Raging Waves (RW) proclaims itself to be the largest water park in Illinois. While that sentiment may be meant to entice, the reality is that it feels more like an overly spread out theme park and not a water park (we were there a full 2 hours before even finding the wave pool!). Attractions are spaced apart so much that much (most) of our time was spent traveling between them. We were at the park for 5+ hours and left feeling like we really hadn't seen or done much. While the expansive layout may not be an easy fix, other things are. Here are some of the "pros": The park is clean. Though I don't recall seeing staff tending to garbage cans and the like, I also didn't see trash lying about or undesirables floating in the water. I wasn't crazy about seeing (uncovered) pretzels restocked via a wagon being pulled though the park, but I've seen worse in other water parks. There are attractions/rides not found in other area parks Members of my party loved playing in the sand on our first visit and lots of repeat, in-the-know visitors came equip with buckets and shovels, etc. The pedal car attraction was also a stand out with some members of our group. The dive shown was an entertaining attraction, though I'm not sure how many times a "regular" would want to watch it. Also, the grandstands are unshaded, so if you're looking to take a break from the sun while watching some high divers, this isn't the place to do it. The "cons": No outside food or beverages This is a big one for me, as there are 2 locations to purchase food (excluding popcorn, ice cream and other typical water park snacks that just aren't going to cut it when you're hungry and/or in need of "food") and the lines are painfully long and slow moving. They allow picnicing in the parking lot, but on a 90 degree day do you realistically expect to pop out with your entire group just for water or a snack, especially if you're hauling yourself from a spot you've secured at the back of the park? Bottled water inside is $2.50 and quite simply is a necessity on an activity-filled, hot day. Being in chlorine filled water does not keep you hydrated, and has the potential to be even more dangerous as one may not realize the need to drink water and/or will be less inclined to do so at $2.50/bottle. Also, when hot dogs are the healthiest offering in the entire park, there's something wrong with the menu. And be forewarned, this place is literally surrounded by cornfields, so don't naively think you can just leave the park for a little while for a quick bite in town or to grab some snacks, like we thought. (Neighboring farmers take note! If you have more than corn to offer, a seasonal farm stand nearby with fresh fruit/produce would thrive!). I'm not a hippie and don't eat tree bark, but I don't see how a few grapes and some water allowed in with patrons will spell the demise of a water park. I'm not asking to bring in a grill or a pop up camper-o-food, for Pete's sake. GROSS lack of seating and shade Perhaps the park looks so tidy because most of the neatly manicured lawn areas are roped off to patrons. While aesthetically pleasing, more seating and shaded areas are desperately needed! I saw people huddled outside of the bathroom entryways and on landscape bricks, jockeying for scant spots of shade while they scarfed down a snack because of the lack of accommodations available (but not due to lack of room to provide it!) My group ate cross legged on the concrete in a chair-less, table-less gazebo just to get out of the sun for a few minutes. Fortunately we were able to do this, but plenty of others would not be physically able to do so. And given the amount of space available in the park, this is entirely inexplicable to me. Perhaps the park architects got over zealous with the Australian Outback theme and erroneously thought that very little reprieve from the hot, scorching sun adds to the charm of the park. For clarity, no. It does not. Lack of directories/maps The park has meandering trails and pathways, and multiple exits/entrances from the lazy river. The problem is, they're not marked. The ONLY park directory is stationed in the front of the park, and I exasperatedly happened upon a paper map in the gift shop. It was only by overhearing someone on the lazy river that I found out you could exit it at a certain point to get to the wave pool. RW, I'll be happy to make the simple signage for you to remedy this. I'll even keep it consistent with your design theme. Call me. Regarding the last two points, cabanas are available to rent. Some looked fabulous (there are several types and prices to choose from) so I wanted to learn more. I pulled out my newly-found map to look up the ones I liked, but none were not represented (RW, you're not making any return plans easy...or even desirable!) I'm a 30+ year veteran of another Illinois water park, and I really am trying to approach this review of my first time visit to Raging Waves objectively. There are some great ideas in play here. I love that the four-seat cloverleaf tubes are fed by conveyor belt by the guards to the top of some of the water slides (a tricky, 2+ customer job up several stairs at other parks) so all you need to do is get in line. I like the sandy areas and other "dry" attractions. I could do without your micro-management and penny pinching restrictions in some areas and complete oversight and indifference in others. And please stop boasting your "free parking." It should be free. Incidentally, I'm handy with a sewing machine too. So while you're thinking about adding some signage in the park, put me on your short list to sew up a few awnings and canopies to sprinkle about here and there so people can get a bit of a reprieve from the that fiery orb in the sky and actually enjoy your Midwest Outback. If you're not going to spring for chairs, then at least patrons will have a common shady area under which we can commiserate, or at least attempt to avoid passing out. Truly easy fixes that may mean not only the difference between 3 and 5 stars, but also between enjoying more seasons to come and closing indefinitely.