Families seeking fun in the Kansas City, Missouri area can find it at three area water park hotel resorts. All offer comfortable accommodations, as well as the added bonus of a water-filled, year-round escape from the Midwest's hot summers and frigid winters.
The Holiday Inn located in the southeastern section of Kansas City features CoCo Key, a 55,000-square-foot indoor water park. The hotel has more than 300 single rooms, as well as five suites that are ideal for families. Room amenities include a 32-inch flat-panel HDTV and free Wi-Fi internet access. Kansas City's two sports stadiums are a half mile from the hotel. The Holiday Inn's main attraction is the adjoining CoCo Key water resort. CoCo Key, acclimatized at a constant 84 degrees Fahrenheit, exudes a tropical island feel. Water park amusements include the Parrot's Perch, a series of water slides with a zero-depth entry area, water cannons and an enormous, deluge-creating splash bucket. Other body and raft water slides are the Shark Slam, Gator Gush, Barracuda Blast and Pelican Plunge. The indoor/outdoor Palm Grotto spa features several large whirlpools. Admission to the water park is free for hotel guests who purchase the Water Resort Hotel Room Package. As of October 2010, day passes during peak periods are $15 for adults and children older than 2, with free admission for younger children. Day pass availability depends on water park capacity.
The rustic Great Wolf Lodge, which features an enormous water park, is in Kansas City, Kansas, a suburb right across the border from the Missouri city of the same name. Accommodations include nine types of suites, each with a cabin-like ambiance, ranging from the basic Wolf Den Suite to the spacious Royal Bear Suite. Suites sleep four to eight people. All suites have balconies and patios. Some also include Jacuzzis or fireplaces. Great Wolf also offers the Elements Spa for adults and Scooops Spa for kids. The centerpiece of Great Wolf Lodge is its water park, which includes both the outdoor Thunder Bay, open between Memorial Day and Labor Day, and an huge indoor water facility, open all year. The indoor park includes Fort Mackenzie, a four-story treehouse that has slides, suspension bridges and cargo nets. A 1,000-gallon soaker bucket sits atop Fort Mackenzie and, at the sound of a bell every few minutes it dumps its contents below. The Howlin' Wolf is a three-person, toboggan ride that winds throughout the park. The water park is free to hotel guests. Day passes are not available.
The Monkey Cove Water Park is at the Ramada Inn in St. Joseph, Missouri, just 30 minutes away from Kansas City. The hotel's comfortable rooms feature complimentary Wi-Fi Internet access and cable TV. Hotel amenities also include a free breakfast buffet, full-service restaurant and bar, and a fitness center. The Monkey Cove indoor water park offers water fun for all ages. Children can enjoy the giant water slide, as well as a several story play structure. Adults can lounge in an oversized hot tub or float down the park's lazy river. The water park also has a concession stand, which offers snacks, refreshments and souvenirs. Monkey Cove Water Park is open year-round. As of October 2010, water park rates at $10 for adults and children older than 6, and $7.50 for kids 6 and younger.
