Faqs

We have a fantastic brand new online booking system which allows you to easily book and tailor your visit with extras! 

Standard admissions can't be booked via the phone, only on our website.  We have no on the door tickets you will be directed to book online if you do not have a ticket, they may not be available at that time - we strongly recommend that you book in advance, at least 48 hours.

We manage the number of visitors in the waterpark and there is a limit to how many people are allowed in at any one time.. 

Advanced online booking allows us to understand much better and manage the flow of visitors through our changing village and into the waterpark which helps us offer the best experience to our visitors.

Unfortunately, not, all admissions must be purchased online before arrival. However, if you wish to book a Group visit you will need to enquire before hand by calling our groups and parties co-ordinators on 01202 711570 or via email at [email protected]

Our fully priced admissions have arrival windows in 15 minute time slots, however under 5’s and spectator tickets are different. They both have arrival windows, you should match this with the 15 minute time slot on your other tickets. Both under 5 tickets and spectators can then stay for the duration of your fully priced tickets.

That depends on what tickets you are purchasing. All tickets have the option to add a meal deal, which is cheaper if purchased online compared with on site. Regular admissions you can also add a souvenir locker token so you don’t have to worry about that £1 coin when you arrive or glasses bags

Glasses are NOT permitted to be worn on the slides, for the safety of yourself and others. If you wish to wear them while moving around poolside, in queues or in the jacuzzi/bubble bench you will need to purchase a glasses bag so you can safely contain them when on the rides. We do not make any money on the sale of these bags. If you rely on your glasses we would strongly encourage you to wear prescription goggles.

On under 5 tickets you can add on swim nappies and armbands as extras, we have various sizes available on site.

We charge a nominal fee per (opposed to per ticket) to cover the cost of providing the booking system. It has been a big investment to bring in this ticketing system and we for this reason we have chosen to make a small charge.

Yes, babies-in-arms (under 1) are free, you will just need to purchase a ticket for yourself at the reduced rate of £9. Children under the age of 5, who are not using the slides can use our other facilities for the reduced rate of £9 and their accompanying adult will be charged the same, £18 in total for the two admissions. You can see a further breakdown of our under 5 ticket types here.

Essential Companion Ticket

We recognise that some guests may require the support of an Essential Companion to enjoy their visit to Splashdown Waterparks.

If you hold an Access Card displaying the +1 symbol, you may be eligible for a complimentary Essential Companion Ticket.

Please click HERE for full details on how to request this ticket.

Splashdown Poole is a family experience and so we encourage all the family to take the plunge when they visit. We do offer limited seating in our cafe and on our seasonal sun terraces. However, lots of spectators affects our building capacity and restrict the number of people we can allow in who want to use the flumes, and so we do charge a Non-Flumer (spectator) admission of £6.50 per person. This does include a complimentary hot drink, dispensed fizzy drink or bottle of water.

These are ‘dry clothes’ admissions with no wetside access except to the outside sun terraces. Non-Flumer (spectator) tickets can be purchased online. Please note, there is only limited availability for these tickets, if there are none left online they are sold out. No more can be purchased and you will need to select a different admission time.

If you create an account when making your booking, you will be able to amend the date and time of your visit up to 120 hours in advance of your visit. If you wish to change closer to your visit or if you have not made an account, at the management’s discretion, with a minimum of 24 hours notice, emailed requests to [email protected] to alter date and time of visit will be considered.

If you do not communicate with us in good time we will not be able to help you change. No shows will NOT be refunded under any circumstances.

Tickets purchased are taken from an allocation that has a maximum and your purchase will prevent them from being purchased and used by other visiting customers if you change your mind after booking.

No, your email confirmation will include a barcode which we will scan on arrival. This can be scanned from either a printed confirmation or on your smartphone. We can also locate your booking via using the name or email it was booked under, although scanning the barcode will always be preferred. If you have not received your booking confirmation, please check your junk/spam folders before calling us. You can also contact us via Google or Facebook if you have any issues outside of the hours of our phone service, we are often able to answer these out of normal office hours.

We ask for you to choose what food item you want with your meal deal in order to help our team accurately prepare food each day and minimise food wastage. If on the day of your visit, you wish to have a different item of food and it's available you may swap. 

Essential Companion Ticket: +1 Access Ticket

We recognise that some guests may require the support of an Essential Companion to enjoy their visit to Splashdown Waterparks.

If you hold an Access Card displaying the +1 symbol, please follow the steps below to request a complimentary Essential Companion Ticket. The companion must be 18 years or older and must accompany the Access Card holder, including entering the water if necessary. No other forms of evidence will be accepted.

With the nature of our facilities, we have ratios in place whereby supervision is required in the water on a 1:1 basis for children aged under 5. Children 5-8 need an adult on a 2 child:1 adult basis. If you have access cards stipulating +1 for children aged under 12, this would mean that they have been awarded a carer in addition to parental supervision.

How to Request a +1 Access Ticket:

1. Book all standard tickets (excluding the Essential Companion Ticket) through our usual booking system.

2. Email [email protected] with:

   • A clear image of your Access Card (showing the +1 symbol)

   • Your order number

3. We will verify your Access Card and add the Essential Companion Ticket to your booking.

4. A new confirmation email will be sent to you with all updated tickets for your visit.

You will still need to bring that card with you on the day to show reception, if asked. 

YOU MUST VALIDATE YOUR ELIGIBILITY FOR A CARER ADMISSION BEFORE ARRIVING AT THE WATERPARK - TO ENSURE YOU HAVE THE ACCESS +1 CARD (This is the ONLY card we will accept) this will save any queries on arrival.

This is a paid for card and you can find more information and application HERE. Other attractions also accept this card and we are sure you would find it useful. We are sorry but no other concessions are available at this time for anyone with special needs.  If you do not already hold this card, you will need to apply for this card in advance of your visit to allow time for it to be assessed.

If you need additional accessibility information please follow this link. 

At Splashdown waterpark, Poole we offer a great selection of facilities suitable for our younger visitors, under-confident or novice swimmers to enjoy. , Under 7's can splash about in our interactive water play area, Buccaneer Splash and enjoy our seasonal outdoor splash area, Buccaneer Beach.

Please not the closure of Ricky's Reef toddler pool.

We recommend that families with small children visit at the quieter periods of the day during school holidays i.e. first thing in the morning or later on towards the end of the day, by buying a Sunset Splash ticket in peak times or visit during off-peak seasons – this will ensure your maximum enjoyment. For more information please see our VISITING WITH UNDER 7s page.

Under 5 tickets do NOT give access to the slides. 

Visitors must be at least 1m tall to ride the flumes and 1.2m to ride Infinity.

No, but we do offer advice on the slides based on the individual's BMI. If an individuals BMI exceeds 35 we recommend checking with us first before purchasing tickets to the waterpark. A BMI of 35 or more may make the individual more susceptible to injury and compromise the rescue procedures outlined in our emergency action plan. 

Participation in waterpark activities has inherent dangers due to the extreme nature of the activity.  By entering the waterpark you are given to understand the risks involved and freely accept that risk. We take care to provide a safe environment, but injury cannot be entirely ruled out. 

Our rides are not suitable for visitors who are pregnant, recovering from recent surgery, injury or suffer from heart, back or neck problems, recurrent or pre-existing condtions. Visitors who have recently suffered from sickness and diarrhoea symptoms should wait 48 hours since their last episode before visiting the waterpark. 

The waterpark is a physical environment and you should be reasonably fit to enter the slides.

Visitors who have recently suffered from sickness and diarrhoea symptoms should wait 48 hours since their last episode before visiting the waterpark. 

Ideally yes, we strongly recommend that visitors using the flumes have an adequate swimming ability but you can still have fun and be safe if you feel that you are confident in the water. We have a variety of flumes with water depths ranging from 0.5m - 2m.

We strongly recommend that weak swimmers  do not ride Infinity as it has a 2m deep exit tank and make sure that you check the water depth at the exit of any other slide before you ride. Black Thunder, Colorado Coaster, Baron’s Revenge all have deeper water exits and Mississippi Drifter is just over 1m deep throughout.

All other slides empty into shallow catch trays and are more suited to those who are less confident. Red River Roller is a good flume to start with. However, only you can decide how confident you are in your swimming ability in relation to the slide information provided, if in any doubt please speak to a member of the team.

Yes, if a child is not so confident in the water then armbands are the best option. 

Children aged 12 and above may enter the waterpark unaccompanied at the risk of their parent /carer

Children aged 9-11 may use the slides at the waterpark where they have an adult in the spectator area.  We recommend that you know where your child is and make regular communication with them, during the currency of your visit.

Children aged Under 9 must be supervised everywhere in the waterpark including the slides by an adult (18+) as the supervising adult you should not be directly supervising more than two children 5-8 at one time

Children aged Under 5 must be supervised on a 1:1 basis everywhere in the waterpark at all times

While we suggest you don’t wear goggles, as it can worsen impact injuries, goggles may be worn at the management's discretion. 

Unfortunately, we cannot allow you to wear glasses on the flumes as they can cause damage if sliders collide and can be easily lost. If you wish to wear glasses while moving around poolside, in queues or in the jacuzzi/bubble bench you will need to purchase a glasses bag from reception or online with your ticket.

Prescription goggles are allowed. Please see wearing goggles above.

No, both must be removed before entering the waterpark.  We recommend that you leave jewellery and any loose piercings at home. Please do not be offended if we ask you to remove these items. It is for your safety.

Cut off jeans and trousers, baggy shorts beyond knee length and transparent/inappropriate costumes are not permitted and we ask that you do not wear swimwear with zips or buttons as these may damage the flumes. Please be aware that bikini tops can be dislodged.

We prefer that you do not wear t-shirts as it can slow you up on the flumes. However, in certain circumstances, discretion by the Duty Manager may be given, and should you ask about wearing a T-Shirt when entering, you will be given a disclaimer to sign. 

If you have specific dress requirements for religious reasons - speak to a Duty Manager. Any alternative attire must be appropriate to swim in e.g. Burkini

Please be advised white and luminous coloured swimwear does have a tendency to go transparent, management will ask those they feel to be dressed inappropriately to get changed. We also cannot guarantee the fastness of the colour of your swimwear, although we use normal pool chemicals it may affect the colour. Some costumes are simply not for swimming pool use.

Yes, we stock a limited range of swimming costumes, towels, armbands and swim nappies which can be purchased from our café. If your child is not regularly asking for the loo or has ‘accidents’ please make sure you do not enter the water without them wearing a swim nappy.

Splashdown Waterpark is located on Tower Park Leisure Complex, just off Dorset Way (A3049), north of Poole town centre and approximately 20 minutes from the centre of Bournemouth. Follow the brown tourist signs from all approaches to Tower Park. SAT-NAV should use the postcode BH12 4NY. Not travelling by car? Check out our Find Us section for details of public transport alternatives.

No, Tower Park provides FREE car parking day and night with 24 hour CCTV in operation. However, on busy days it can be difficult to find a space, and we advise that visitors arrive in good time for your visit to the waterpark to allow for parking congestions.

This depends on the time of year you wish to visit. Our waterpark has a capacity which we manage to ensure that we offer the best visitor experience.

However, during the Dorset School Holidays we would always expect the demand to be high. It is not unusual for whole days to sell out often a few days in advance. If you have a time and date in mind when you wish to visit, we would recommend booking in advance, at least 48 hours.

If you are visiting with younger children, we would recommend visiting first thing as soon as we open before we reach capacity, when it is usually quietest, at least to start with.

When you book your visit, you will have selected a 15-minute arrival time slot. Please aim to arrive within that time window to help us manage entry smoothly and avoid overcrowding.

For example, if your arrival slot is 11:00–11:15, you should arrive during that time, not earlier or later.

This helps ensure a great experience for everyone and keeps queues to a minimum. If you're running late, please speak to a team member on arrival, and we'll do our best to assist.

You’ll need to bring swimwear, a towel, and a £1 coin for the lockers (which is refundable). If you happen to forget any of these items, don’t worry, we sell swithese onsite so you can still enjoy your visit without any hassle.

Yes, we have lockers available onsite where you can securely store your bags and valuables. Each locker is large enough to fit around two average-sized bags. Lockers require a £1 coin, which is refundable at the end of your visit.

Yes, we have lockers available onsite where you can securely store your bags and valuables. Each locker is large enough to fit around two average-sized bags. Lockers require a £1 coin, which is refundable at the end of your visit.

You can pay using both cash and card/contactless throughout the park, so feel free to use whichever payment method is most convenient for you.

Yes, we have Wi-Fi available at the park! You can find the network name and password displayed on signs around our café area.

If it rains or the weather is bad, we still operate as usual! Most of our park is indoors, so you can enjoy your visit regardless of the weather. We’re confident you’ll have a great time no matter what.

Unfortunately, no. We don’t allow leaving and re-entering the waterpark on the same day. However, we do have an onsite café area where you can purchase food and refreshments during your visit.