Lagoonfest Texas — Attraction in Texas City

A very special weekend celebrating our daughter Nicole's 30th birthday, so my wife went all out, after she purchased tickets through Groupon she found out she could get a cabana for the family for a mere $500 (a huge price to pay but it was for a special occasion). It was supposed to include water, towels and a waiter to bring food and drinks to our table as we played. We drove from Conroe to Texas City and we were greated by the longest bag check I have ever been evolved with. Our son-in-law had to go back to the car many times because certain things are not allowed to be brought in. Nicole had her 5 year old daughter with her and they agreed to let certain food and drink in for her as she is special needs and had to have food and medical supplies with her at all times. Once inside they tried to put us right beside the band that was playing way too loud! Our granddaughter was holding her ears because loud noise and her just don't get along! After two more moves we ended up in a cabana behind one of the bar/concession stands which helped block some of the noise coming from the band. The band said they would be done soon so we decided we could put up with the noise for a little bit. I went to the bar to get an over priced beer and the girl there asked in I had a Cabana, I told her yes and she said she couldn't serve me that I had to order from our waiter, I told her we haven't seen anyone to wait on us for food or drinks or even the towels and water that are supposed to be included! She called over a manager for us and her got one of the waitresses to start taking our drink orders, then I told him that the bar would not let me get a beer because we were in a Cabana! He said that's not right and asked me to come with him to the bar and he explained to the girl that it didn't matter cabana or not I could order drinks from there. I ordered and paid for a $10 beer and she said she was just following the rules that they had told her! We finally got to take our granddaughter into the water which she enjoyed for a little bit because we got even farther away from the noise of the band. Back at the Cabana drinks were being brought out and our youngest daughter was served a drink she didn't order, when she told the waitress she insisted that the two drinks were made the same way, however the menu said rum for one and vodka for the other, so the waitress begrudgingly said she would bring the right drink, birthday girls drink did not come the way it was described and neither did her husband's! My wife and I and birthday girl went down the beach to check on the bumper boats and if our granddaughter could ride them. When we got back our granddaughter was cowering in her dad's lap covering her ears again as the next band had started to play (no one said there was going to be another band). We were expecting our food to be there but no one ever came back to take a food order after the drink mess up.

That's about the time my wife said she couldn't take it anymore, that she just wanted to get a refund and leave! So we found a manager, General manager and told him our horror story! After my wife Raquel and our daughter told him everything that had been going on he agreed to refund the money paid for the Cabana but we all had to leave right now, and pay our drink bill of $79 (plus my earlier beer made $89 spent on drinks), so he walked us to the gate gave my wife her refund and we all went to Buc-ee's, where we all had more fun and spent less money, plus our granddaughter got to meet Buc-ee himself!

We then drove to Kemah and had a wonderful dinner at...

We planned a fun-filled day at Longfest Lagoon in Texas, only to find that the reality fell significantly short of our expectations. Even though we made it a point to arrive at the opening hour, we were met with an immediate and extensive 20-minute queue due to rigorous bag checks. While we appreciate the importance of maintaining safety and security, the level of scrutiny felt overly tedious and served to dampen our initial enthusiasm for the day. Adding to our frustration, we encountered confusion around what types of swimming aids were allowed in the park. We were told to return our children's inflatable swimming vests to the car due to the material they were made of. The park's policy regarding what types of floatation devices are acceptable remains unclear, causing further inconvenience right at beginning.

Upon entering the park, we were immediately struck by the inflated prices of the food. The cost of even a modest meal or a simple snack seemed quite steep, diminishing our interest in partaking in any of the food options. Regrettably, the quality and assortment of the food did not justify these high prices. A case in point was when we attempted to order a veggie wrap, only to be informed they weren't preparing any at the time. We instead order french fries and to our dismay 20 minutes later, we were served two exceedingly small paper plates, costing us $10. Each plate held only about six semi-cooked, soggy French fries, hardly a satisfactory or fair exchange for the price we paid.

The main attraction, the lagoon itself, was also a letdown. Despite its size, only a quarter of the lagoon was available for general swimming. This made for a crowded and uncomfortable environment as around 200 guests were packed into this limited space. The remaining part of the lagoon was dedicated to kayaking activities, costing an additional $40 per hour, which further limited the area for casual swimming.

Seating was another challenge. The policy is first-come, first-serve, which in theory sounds fair. However, due to the crowds, finding seating proved to be a difficult task unless you arrived extremely early. The alternative option was to rent a cabana, but with a steep price of $300, it didn't feel like a justifiable expense.

Lastly, parking was another issue. Luckily, we managed to park in the resident parking lot for the community. If we hadn't, we would have been forced to park nearly a mile away and take a shuttle to the park's entrance.

The experience at Longfest Lagoon was deeply disheartening. The exorbitant prices, the overcrowding, the subpar food quality, and the limited access to facilities severely marred the overall visit. Consequently, I find it challenging to endorse Longfest Lagoon as a pleasant place to spend the day. Frankly, given the extent of these issues, I would advise against anyone visiting until significant improvements are made. As it stands, it seems unfit to be open to the...

Highly Disappointing 4th of July Experience

Our recent 4th of July experience was extremely disappointing, especially considering we purchased tickets a week in advance. There was no clear communication that certain amenities or attractions would be unavailable for the holiday, which was a significant oversight.

Upon arrival, the lack of clear signage or direction for entrances caused immense frustration. We were directed to one entrance, only to be turned away and told to use another. After walking a considerable distance to the second entrance in 100-degree heat, we were then redirected back to the first. This chaotic and unorganized entry process was a major inconvenience.

Once inside, finding our reserved cabana was another challenge. There was no clear designation or signage for reserved areas. We were simply told to "go down the pathway and look for Randy," which felt incredibly unprofessional. When we finally located Randy, he refused to give his name despite repeatedly asking for ours. After asking multiple staff members, we were eventually escorted to our cabana. We then endured a long, agonizing wait in the scorching heat for a waitress to arrive. While the cell phone ordering system itself worked fine, the initial wait was unacceptable.

The biggest frustration came when we went for our pre-purchased boat ride, only to be informed that all boat rides were canceled for the holiday. Again, this crucial information was not disclosed at the time of purchase or at any point before our arrival. Having to walk to the ferry only to be turned away was incredibly frustrating. While Guest Relations did provide an immediate refund for the boat tickets, the constant inconvenience of wasted time, unnecessary walking in extreme heat, and the expectation of enjoying attractions we paid for only to be denied significantly soured our visit.

Adding to the frustration, be prepared to bring absolutely nothing with you unless you are a resident or have a cabana. We witnessed more than half of arriving guests being turned away at the gate because they attempted to bring in basic items like food, coolers, speakers, or even Crocs. This policy was not clearly communicated beforehand, leading to widespread disappointment and further delays. Ironically, if you have a cabana, you are permitted to bring in these items, creating an inconsistent and confusing policy.

Furthermore, our "Paradise Cove" reservation, despite its promising name, offered none of the amenities we anticipated or requested. It felt far from a "paradise." We ultimately found ourselves wishing we had spent most of our time at Lagoon Fest, where the music, food, and beverage selections (including a full range of liquor) were significantly better. The lack of clear communication, organization, and the unexpected restrictions made what should have been a festive day a very...