Laguna Mamas - Laguna Waterpark with the Kids

When I first received the press release, I laughed and thought – they must have read every mum’s mind. Good job for being the first to introduce this in Dubai. Aquaventure – I actually emailed you over the summer to let mums in to your Splashers area earlier, remember? 😉

So, today was the opening day and the first 100 mums to arrive will get it for free. A good deal is to be shared, so when I sent it to our group, I had second thoughts. Crap, what if everyone turns up? It’s going to be a disaster looking for my 2-year old among 100 other 2-year olds. Imagine that! Good thing when I turned up at 9am, I was only number 12 or so. Hip hip hooray, it was going to be a good day, and a good day it was 🙂

So, what is ‘Laguna Mamas’?

Very briefly :

Where is it? Laguna Waterpark, that new waterpark at the ‘Central’ part of La Mer.
What’s so special about it? Every Sunday, before it opens its door to everyone else at 10am, mums and kids get to get in at 8:30am for a buffet spread and access to the Splash Pad (good for under 2’s), and the Aquaplay area (slides, that giant bucket thing, lots of waterplay).
What age is it suitable for? The difference between this place and the other waterparks is that there is NO minimum height for using the slides in Aquaplay. That is awesome for the very daring 2-year olds! If you have a non-walking baby, you can still stay with them at the Splash Pad.

What do you get at the buffet? Yummy waffles, fruit bowls, croissants, banana bread, yoghurt and omelette cooked at request. Orange juice, tea and coffee. Fab. Note, this finishes at 10am.
Where will the buffet be held? It’s on a terrace on the first floor, right next to the Kid’s area.
Is there a lift to get to the restaurant? Yes!
Is it air-conditioned? No, it’s an open terrace – but the weather is just fabulous now for going to the waterpark!

The girls enjoying lots of fruit. There was even mango!

Mucking around, getting ready for lots of waterplay

How much does it cost? 99 AED for adults, 49 AED for 2-year old and over.
Do we have to pay for nannies? Yes, they will be charged 49 AED and they can enjoy the breakfast buffet too (Yay!)
Are there changing rooms near the kid’s area? Literally behind the loungers. Properly equipped with baby changing stations.
Where will I park if I go there? We actually parked right outside the Central part of La Mer, and as advised by the attendant today, it was free. I saw signs where you can park in basement and be entitled to 4-hours free parking if you go to Laguna Waterpark.
How long does it take to walk to the waterpark from there, and it is buggy-friendly? About 5 minutes I’ll say, and minus a small area of sand between the car and the pavement, the entire route was buggy-friendly (phew!)
If I came out to have lunch during the kid’s nap time, and then came back after 2-3 hours, will they let me in? Yes! Your pass is valid for the entire day which is AWESOME 🙂

For the price tag, absolutely worth it. Even if you just go there for the breakfast and then a little bit of waterplay afterwards!

What I liked about it other than the obvious pointers above :

There is a lot of shade where the loungers are, and as you can see in the photo above, at the Splash Pad as well. That’s something Aquaventure’s Splasher’s Island is missing (and I have emailed them previously when we bought the 3-months pass, to install more shade!)
As the area isn’t all too big, you can literally sit there on the lounger and watch your kid muck around in the Splash Pad or Aquaplay.
Outdoor shower and bathrooms are easily accessible.
Easy to park and get to. Free parking

Any suggestions for things that could be better?

A sign up front, to show parents how to get to the lift should they need to use them to get to the terrace.
It would be good if 2-year olds are given complimentary access to the waterpark, similar to all other waterparks in Dubai (Wild Wadi, Aquaventure, Dubai Parks and Resorts). C’mon, they’re 2! 🙂
Less sugar in the waffles, please.
Going forward, possibly introducing an annual pass with a competitive pricing. It’ll be great for business in La Mer in general as everyone will just spend money on food there afterwards. It’s the same distance for the folks in the marina to go to Dubai Parks and Resorts, as well as to get to Laguna Waterpark. So make it cheaper. My suggestion? Around 395-495 AED. What about 495 AED for mum and dad inclusive? Ha! 🙂
Can’t think of anything else, really. Get in touch if you want me to add on any other suggestions!

So, that’s all folks. Please go spend a day there. 99 AED is the same price tag as a 1 hour music class with your toddler in a mall 🙂

Book tickets to Laguna Waterpark here.

Laguna Mamas
Sundays – Starts at 8:30 am, breakfast ends up at 10 am, with early access to Splashers and Aquaplay, though you can stay for the rest of the day!
Cost : 99 AED for mums, 49 AED for 2 years old and above / nannies