Tips for Visiting Kalahari Resort in Round Rock, Texas

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My family recently stayed at Kalahari Resort in Round Rock, Texas over spring break. I previously wrote a post comparing Kalahari Resort vs. Great Wolf Lodge. Now, here are some tips for visiting Kalahari Resort.

Book One Night to Enjoy Two Days

Let’s be real: a night at Kalahari isn’t cheap. However, you can book one night and still enjoy two days at the resort. On your check-in day, you can start using the water park as early as 10:00 a.m. On your check-out day, you can keep enjoying the water park until it closes that evening.

Authorize Your Wrist Band for Charges at Check-in

In order to use your room key/wrist band for resort charges, you must put a $400 credit card deposit down at the front desk. I was not aware of this during the check-in process. When I tried to charge a drink to my wrist band inside the water park I had to leave the water park and wait in line at the front desk first. If you don’t do this, you can bring your credit card into the water park for charges.

Skip the Resort Food

At the Kalahari Round Rock location, there’s no reason to eat the expensive resort food. The rooms have a refrigerator and microwave, so bring your own breakfast and snacks. Also, several inexpensive restaurants are located just a short drive away from the resort (Rosa’s, Culver’s, Chick-Fil-A, etc.).

Hold Off on Buying Tom Foolery Passes

For my family’s stay, I pre-purchased a 4-pack of unlimited Tom Foolery passes. In retrospect, I wish I wouldn’t have. My teen boys just wanted to play arcade games (which aren’t included in passes), and my daughter was mostly interested in the ropes course. We could have saved a a lot of money by simply buying the ropes course a-la-cart ($15). The resort also tried to up-sell us passes that included bowling. During our stay, many people purchased these passes but could not get bowling reservations due to crowds.

Head to Water Park Early in the Day

Get to the water park right at 10:00 a.m. when it opens. The water slides have no lines for the first 45 minutes or so, plus you can grab chairs at any location within the park.

Bring Towels

Kalahari has towels available for “rent”, but you have to return them before leaving the water park. Plus, who wants to wait in line for a towel when you can start swimming instead? I recommend bringing your own large beach towels.

Free Water Available

No outside food or drinks are allowed in the water park. Inside the water park, the water fountains were turned off during our visit. However, at the bar, there are cups and water coolers with free self-serve water.

Seek Out the Adults-only Grotto

Parents, take turns watching your children while the other one spends time in the adults-only grotto. It’s hard to find because it’s not well-marked. But, it’s worth it.

Join the Tips and Tricks Facebook Group

Join the Kalahari Round Rock Tips and Tricks Facebook group (not an official group of the resort). This is where frequent guests post advice, discount codes, trip reports, etc.

If you have stayed at Kalahari Round Rock, share your tips in the comments.

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