Beat the Heat at Valleyfair

In Minnesota, it’s not out of the question to cancel plans due to the brutal cold. And sadly, in the summer, it’s also not abnormal to want to stay inside due to the extreme heat. Let’s be honest – our “hearty Minnesota” blood just isn’t the best at adjusting to 95 degree temps shortly after wearing three parkas to the bus stop, like, two months ago. It’s a state of extremes, no denying that.

But we can’t let that stop us from getting out and enjoying the beautiful outdoors. Sometimes you just have to find somewhere you can beat the heat at its own game. For our family, Valleyfair is just that place!

Valleyfair, located in Shakopee, is one of Minnesota’s greatest amusement parks, with more than 75 rides (including water rides), and an entire water park called Soak City. Our family gets our monies worth out of our season passes every year because – even on hot, hot days – we find plenty to do to help us keep cool.

Do you want to plan a day at Valleyfair but worry about the sun blistering your fun?
Here are 5 helpful tips to help you beat the heat once inside the gates:

1) VISIT SOAK CITY

This is the biggest ‘duh’ of them all. If you’re hot, water is always the answer. And Soak City has something for everyone! I have three kids, ages 10, 7 and 3, and our favorite spots include:

Breakers Bay Wave Pool
If your kiddo is under 48″, be sure they’re wearing a life jacket if their toes are going to step foot in the wave pool. The waves don’t go too terribly high so I trust my oldest two in here basically on their own. And it’s easily their favorite spot in all of Soak City. It’s the only place to really submerge your entire body in water on a sweltering day so it’s my favorite spot too!
Panic Falls Body Slides
My oldest two just tried these out this year for the first time (you have to be 46″ to ride) and absolutely loved them. There are three winding slides, all pretty speedy and last a nice long time. They think they’re so cool doing them alone and went on them time after time after time. The line can get a little long on hot weekends, but worth the wait!
Ripple Rapids
This is basically a lazy river that winds around the water park. All ages can enjoy it, but under 48″ must wear a life jacket and sit on a parent inside their tube. I do love that lifeguards line the river making sure punk 10-year olds (ahem, mine) can’t jump in and out of their tube and splash everyone around them without getting a whistle blown at them. It’s called Ripple Rapids, but it’s relatively ripple-free. I could lounge in these tubes all day if my kids weren’t so restless.
Barefoot Beach
While my kiddos aren’t too keen on climbing through spraying water mechanisms, they still do enjoy this splash pad. But it’s definitely going to get you wet – there’s no getting around that. Their favorite spot to stand is under the giant bucket and my favorite place to sit is in a lounge chair watching them scream, play and get utterly drenched.
Splash Station
If you have really little ones, definitely don’t miss the Splash Station. It’s a zero-depth play area with some less-than-intimidating water elements. I also enjoy just soaking my behind in the shallow water here without my kids pressuring me to “just go under already!” In fact, putting your face underwater in the Splash Station is actually against the rules. So take that, kids! Love, Mom.

If you have older kids (or kids who love a good challenge), be sure to also check out:

Hurricane Falls
This family tube ride allows up to four people to sit in one giant raft and soar down a 70-foot winding slide together. Each rider must be at least 46″ tall.
Raging Rapids
I remember this one the most from my childhood. Grab an individual inner tube and shoot down some raging rapids, under waterfalls, and through tunnels. Riders must be 56″ tall.
Breakers Pipeline and Breakers Plunge
Both of these are far too vertical for my taste, but if I had more adrenaline running through my veins, these would be super rad. For both rides, you need to be 48″. The pipeline is a 3…2…1 drop chamber slide and the plunge is an open-air vertical drop slide. Both = scary. Young me would’ve loved these and I’m sure my kids will once they get up the courage to try them once.

Tips for making Soak City an enjoyable experience:

Bring your own life jackets if you have kids under 48″. Life jackets are required on the lazy river and in the wave pool for kids under 48″ and, if you’re like my kids who are extremely picky about our life jackets, be sure to pack your own. They DO offer them for rent – completely free, just grab one and go – but they’re a little stiffer and “not as comfytable” (to quote my toddler).
Snag a chair early if you’ll want a place to sit. On hot days, seating can go quickly – especially by the wave pool. There are some umbrellas to offer shade, but those chairs go first, so don’t bank on getting one of those.
The water park is spread out, but is fenced in. So even if your kids are in two different areas (assuming they’re old enough), they won’t easily be able to escape back into the main part of Valleyfair.
I’ve never used a locker here. I know they’re available, but we just toss our bag under a chair, cover the chair with our towels and assume the best of people. Maybe that’s presumptuous, but I like to think Minnesota Nice is really a thing. If you feel more comfortable with your goods in a locker though, go ahead and grab one near the bathrooms. They cost about $15 and are good for all day.
Oh, and bathrooms – there are boys, girls and family changing rooms and restrooms near the body slides as well as near the splash pad. Wear your shoes in and don’t slip. They keep them pretty clean but it’s still a bathroom, ya’ll.

2) SPEND TIME IN PEANUTS PLAYHOUSE

It can be hard to find air conditioning at an amusement park. But at Valleyfair, our favorite indoor spot to cool down with blasting A/C has to be Peanuts Playhouse. This tucked-away playhouse is basically a huge Nerf-ball war zone with toy cannons and sling shots and huge dangling baskets that fill up with balls and then release them onto your head. It’s easily the loudest spot in the park, but it allows the kids to run, scream, play and really have a good time – safely – in a super cold space. Peanuts Playhouse is located between the souvenir shop and the Peanuts stage just inside Planet Snoopy.

3) HIT UP SOME WATER RIDES

Not every water option lies inside Soak City. You can also cool off by braving one of my favorite rides – The Wave – or heading to the very back of the park and doing the raging rapid ride Thunder Canyon.

For both rides you need to be 46″ and you will. get. wet. I repeat: YOU WILL GET WET. If you just want to experience some sprinkles, consider standing just outside the gate by The Wave. If you stand in the right spot, you’ll still get decently wet but not nearly to the level you would on the ride or standing on that dreaded bridge (actually, I really like the bridge, but it does scare the bejeesus out of me).

4) GET SOME WIND IN YOUR HAIR

Maybe you don’t want to get soaked, but you do want to feel like a dog with its head sticking out the window. Well, I totally feel you on that. Here are the rides (excluding the obvious rollercoasters) we like best to accomplish that exact feeling:

5) EAT, DRINK AND BE SMART

Eat: Yes, take breaks to eat. And if it’s hot, I suggest treating yourself to one of Valleyfair’s indoor dining options such as Chickie & Pete’s or Coaster’s Drive-In. Heck, even the Subway is nice and cool if you just want some R&R for a hot minute. Try the crab fries at Chickie & Pete’s. And bring me some.

Drink: If it’s hot, ya gotta drink to be safe, right? I strongly advise you purchase the $11.99 bottomless drink bottle for the day you’re going (buy it online to save!). You guys, I swear we refill our bottle a dozen times a day when we’re there. Individual drink purchases add up SUPER fast at Valleyfair, and while you can bring in water bottles, then you’re running to the bathrooms to refill and refill and it’s just not as cold and refreshing.

Be Smart: Just like any hot day, you want to take breaks, sit down, duck in and out of stores and restaurants and attractions with air conditioning, wear sunscreen, and find shaded spots to chill. We like the Peanuts stage for some shade and entertainment for really little kiddos. Or the Family Care Center for an air-conditioned potty stop or diaper changing room (they also have a TV room playing Peanuts cartoons if you really need a break).

Why is a Valleyfair Season Pass worth it?
The bonus of a season pass is that you can pop in and out for the water park or just a few rides, relieving the pressure to stay all day to get your monies worth. Plus, season passes include parking fees, ValleySCARE, Dinosaurs Alive, bring-a-friend discounts and food and merchandise discounts.