Calypso Theme Waterpark — Attraction in The Nation

In short, we have been bringing our children to calypso for many years. This year, our family of 6 spent $550 for 45 mins of actual fun. The experience at Calypso was more expensive than ever despite shorter hours of operation, longer lines, fewer rides, rides in subpar condition, and absolutely horrible “food”. We won’t be returning as the value for the money has decreased while the cost has climbed.

Read on for more details.

My cousin and I have been taking our kids to calypso every year for 6 years and it is sad to see how a place we have enjoyed many times has fallen into disrepair. Although calypso has always had challenges due in part to its VERY young staff (despite their best efforts). They are lovely for the most part to interact with but, it’s clear they have absolutely no leadership, problem solving skills, or decision making authority. You’d think by this stage of the game with all the feedback they have received (and legal dealings), Calypso would have remedied their issues vs sliding further and further away from a quality establishment.

Prices went up this year. Fine. Everything is getting more expensive. I get it. I don’t mind paying for value but, there just wasn’t any today. It cost $402 and change online in advance for 6 people (2 adults/4 kids) to go. We arrived at 10:10 a.m. just after the park opened but, waited to get into the parking lot ($22) for over half an hour because there was no one directing traffic. We then waited nearly an hour before actually passing the front gates due to absolutely pointless half hazard “bag checks” and broken scanners not being able to authenticate tickets/wrist bands.

After finally passing the threshold, we found out lockers were no longer by deposit for a key but, are now a pay-to-use PIN system. (Another $15.)

We head in to find many of the attractions are closed so even though the park is significantly under capacity, lines for attractions are very long. 40 mins to an hour. The entire reason we waited until the last week of the season is because it’s usually much quieter and we benefit from shorter wait times despite taking a risk re:weather in late August. This plan, that’s served us well for years, backfired today because of the closures. The lines would have been entirely reasonable had all the attractions been available.

We managed to squeeze in 5 slides (out of 35!), 2 lazy river runs, and 12 mins of wave pool time (WAY too crowded) even though we were there from open to close (which is 5 pm this week instead of 6). We had no time for anything else like the pirate play area, or the group rides, etc.

We brought lots of snacks because we know the prices are steep for food. We usually eat lunch at a restaurant though and this year was nothing short of abysmal. Significantly fewer options, NO vegetarian options (because buying side fries wasn’t even an option -they had to come with a meat entre option). Poutine is beef gravy. Etc.

Ended up receiving 3 shrivelled little chicken tenders, a pathetic pile of undercooked fries, served with a “fruit salad” (see: a few tiny slices of honeydew melon, a sad looking chunk of frayed pineapple, and one measly grape that was all entirely inedible because it was clearly packaged many days prior. It tasted awful) and 3 fountain drinks. No plum sauce available. No ketchup available. That’s one chicken tender combo and 2 extra drinks for $30. …which took over an hour of waiting in lines to receive. My cousin spent $44 on poutine, and a burger & fries. We wasted well over 2 hours of the day just getting in the park and waiting for food. Not to mention attraction lines.

Attractions that were actually open had MANY broken features, there was a distinct smell of sewage while waiting in several LONG lines in the heat of the day (with no shade might I add), the bathroom I used was disgusting, the lazy river was cloudy and the walls felt/floor felt slimy -it needs to be better maintained. The foam boogie boards in the lazy river all have visible mould on them. All of them.

We have decided not to return...

Me and my wife have had a tradition over the past decade where we always go to Calypso once every summer (excluding in 2020 due to COVID lockdowns), and this summer was no exception. We went to the park last week but I have to say it was quite a letdown compared to our previous visits.

First and foremost, several of the rides were down/not operational. Namely, the Black Hole/Turbulence and Kongo Expedition. Thankfully, the Black Hole/Turbulence was opened later in the day so we were able to go on that, but the Kongo was closed for the entire day and I was told would be closed for the next few days at the earliest. This was a MASSIVE disappointment as the Kongo is one of our favourite rides. I was also under the impression that the park opened early June, a few weeks before we went. How were there STILL rides that were not functional?

Second, the Wave Pool, another one of my favourite attractions at the park. I have no idea if the wave machine was broken or something, or if they were just holding back for whatever reason, but the "waves" this year were PATHETIC. The waves were really small, and reached only a FRACTION of the height that they did in previous years. Not only that, but the waves only last like 30 seconds, with large pauses of 10+ minutes with no waves at all. Definitely NOT what I expected at all.

Third, the other park attendees (non-employees) in the park. 90% of the people I encountered were extremely rude with absolutely no concept of personal space. I get that the park staff/lifeguards cannot control the behaviour of the park attendees, but from what I saw, they don't even TRY to enforce the rules. In the Lazy River/Jungle Run, I saw countless incidents of excessively boisterous and rambunctious behaviour, like kids and teens pushing, shoving, and tackling each other, yet almost every time the lifeguards are either not paying attention or don't even try to intervene. The ONLY exception I witnessed was a lifeguard tell three young boys who were being boisterous to get out of the Lazy River and then he promptly took them aside and scolded them on their behaviour. I did not catch his name but I commend that lifeguard for NOT enabling that kind of behaviour!!! Good on him.

In addition to all that, the food prices have gotten insane. The food itself is thankfully pretty good, but the portions are not big enough to justify the cost. ELEVEN dollars for a SIX pack of chicken nuggets!!!?!!? And also there's the bathrooms, where I noticed that the doors do not actually LOCK PROPERLY, forcing me to HOLD THE DOOR CLOSED while using the bathroom!!!

To sum it all up, Calypso, PLEASE do better. I love the park, I have gone every summer for YEARS and I look forward to our annual Calypso trip all year every year, and this is the first time I left feeling dissatisfied and like I did not get my money's worth. I sincerely hope this was just a fluke/bad day for the park, because if THIS is your new standard of quality, then it definitely will not be worth...

The majority of the park's attractions were closed, and even the ones I attempted to access were shut down while we waited in line. Despite the fact that a significant portion of the park was inaccessible, the admission fee remained at $67 per person, with no mention of this fact on the park's website. Furthermore, parking incurred an additional $20 fee, with no complimentary parking options available.

The dining experience at the park's cafeteria prompted me to file a complaint with the relevant food safety authorities, and I sincerely hope that an inspection will be conducted. The food was stored at unsafe temperatures, and the staff resorted to using brooms to swat away wasps that were hovering over the food.

I regret to inform you that I have fallen ill after consuming the food at your establishment, exhibiting unmistakable symptoms of food poisoning.

As a certified food safety professional and former manager of a large tourist site, I feel compelled to express my concern regarding the apparent lack of food safety practices and overall customer service at your park.

It is disheartening to have paid for access to a park that was largely closed, with limited services and no access to the slides that were advertised. This experience has undoubtedly been one of the most disappointing and wasteful amusement park experiences of my life. Given my extensive experience visiting numerous parks across North America, I believe I have a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter. Please note that I am directly involved in this industry and am confident in my knowledge of how parks like this should be managed. It is important to prioritize both customer satisfaction and guest safety.

I strongly advise potential visitors to reconsider their decision to spend money at your establishment, particularly in light of the concerning food safety issues and lack of customer satisfaction. It appears that the primary focus is on financial gain rather than ensuring a positive and safe experience for guests.

During my recent visit to the park, I attempted to obtain a refund upon noticing the closure of several attractions. Unfortunately, an employee responded in an unprofessional manner, stating that I should have anticipated these closures due to the end of the season and to just "deal with it"

If I were the manager of this park, I would express deep concern regarding the quality of services provided, the cleanliness of the park, and the behavior of staff members towards guests. It is essential to maintain a positive and welcoming environment for visitors.

Regrettably, I cannot recommend this park to others based on my experience. It stands as the most disappointing amusement park I have visited in North America. The refusal to issue a refund after observing the numerous closures further exacerbated the situation, leaving me with a sense of dissatisfaction and the impression of being taken...