We were feeling a bit stir crazy during mid-winter break and needed to escape New York City. I searched for a quick getaway and the consensus for my kids and I was to find an indoor water park. There are several indoor water parks close to NYC. We’ve already visited Kalahari and Great Escape and were looking for a new place.
I’ve been wanting to visit Kartrite Indoor Water Park in the Catskills for a long time. Kartrite’s website lays the claim that it is the biggest indoor water park in New York. After visiting, I agree with this statement. It’s huge with a lot of water slides, a lazy river, surfing ride, outdoor heated pool, obstacle course, and water play areas. There’s plenty to do.
We spent one night at the resort, which gives you 2 days in the water park. 2 days is plenty. When we arrived at the resort, we were happy to find out our room was ready and we dropped off our stuff and quickly changed into our swimsuits. 10 minutes later, we were not-so-lazily floating down the lazy river.
Since it was mid-winter break in New York, it was packed. Not too packed that we didn’t have fun, but the lines for the slides were long. I’ve been in longer lines though, so we didn’t mind it too much. For an indoor water park, Kartrite has some amazing water slides. I had low expectations of how exciting the slides would be, but the slides far exceeded my expectations.
It was snowing outside, which made the outdoor heated pool a hit. There were many people, which made playing hide and seek fun. Finding an available jet for my poor old muscles was hard to do. Still, we had a lot of fun playing in the pool and alternated between the pool and the slides.
Each one of us had a favorite activity. For me, the water slides were the most fun. For my teenage daughter, she loved the lazy river. My son couldn’t get enough of body surfing. The youngest loved the obstacle course the most. By the end of both days, we were exhausted.
There’s more to Kartrite than water slides. There’s an excellent game room, an escape room, bowling, and billiards. There’s also a bar and restaurants. The kids and I dropped a lot of money having fun playing video games and trying to win prizes. I also dropped a lot of money on food, which was not fun, or good for that matter.
The food is my only complaint. We couldn’t get in to the restaurant, so we settled for the buffet. My biggest advice for visiting Kartrite is to stay away from the buffet. We spent over $120 for the four of us and the food was not good. And I couldn’t eat the desserts because I have a nut allergy and they covered all the desserts in nuts. I don’t know how good the food was in the other restaurant, so I don’t have an opinion there.
Our room was fantastic. I spent a bit more money for a suite that included bunk beds. The room was spacious and clean. The bunk bedroom was small, but they needed little space. The beds were comfy and I welcomed a good night’s rest after a busy day. The bunk bed option is great for big families. After being around my kids all day, it was nice to sleep in a different room and have some time away from them.
Here are my dos and don’t for Kartrite:
- Get there early enough even if your room isn’t ready. If you’re staying at the resort, you’ll be able to spend 2 days at the water park.
- If you can, upgrade for bunk beds. The kids will enjoy being away from you as much as you’ll enjoy being away from them.
- Budget for the arcade. The arcade is a lot of fun and a good way to get the kids more tired after a day of swimming and going up and down slides.
- Don’t eat at the buffet.
- Bring food and drink. I will return to Kartrite, but next time I’m going to bring a bunch of food and drinks. There is a microwave and a refrigerator in the room. Next time, I’m going to pack sandwiches and meals to make in the microwave. That would cut down on a lot of spending.
- Bring your patience. Sometimes, the lines can be long. That’s okay, you’re there to have fun.
The kiddos and I had a great time and I’m looking forward to visiting once again. I would like to see what the resort is like during the summer. There are hiking trails near the resort and I’d love to experience a day of hiking, then a dip in the pools.
To book your stay at Kartrite, click here.
@onegooddad Surfing at Kartrite Indoor Water Park. #kartritedoneright #kartrite #travel #waterpark #dadlife #travelblogger #kids #fyp #bodysurfing #fun #familytravel #iloveny #catskills #ny