Cannibal. Colossus. Rattlesnake Rapids. Sound familiar? Of course, they’re all thrill rides at the ever-popular Lagoon amusement park.  If you live in Utah, you’ve likely been to Lagoon. Or maybe you have a season passport and go frequently in the summer. Even if you only visit Lagoon once this season, you’ll benefit from some tips to make your trip more enjoyable and economical. For general information about Lagoon, located in Farmington, Utah, visit www.lagoonpark.com. Read on for tips that you won’t find on the website, that myself and others have learned through trial and error.

Park and walk.

Info for season passes and priority parking is on the website. The parking lot gets full—even in spring. If you have to park out in the south lot, just know that the white roller coaster has a pedestrian walking bridge beneath it, so you can “cut through” to the park entrance. When I was younger, goats were housed under the ride. Now you and your “kids” can pass through easily.

Beat the crowds.

Visit the park early in the season. It opened for weekends in April. Go. Now. Before. School. Gets. Out.

Go early or go late. Arrive a few minutes before the park opens, or go late and stay until the park closes. Either way, crowds tend to be less in force early or late in the day.

Did you know that on July 4 we generally have the park to ourselves? Go figure! Everyone else is off barbecuing and visiting other community events, while Lagoon is pretty much vacated. They no longer offer a fireworks show, which may be why other community events draw the crowds on this day.

Also, rainy/windy days are the best! While others stay home, you can don some rain gear and enjoy Lagoon. Just know that some rides and Lagoon A Beach may be closed due to weather restrictions.

Avoid a long line for season passport photos.

The wait at Guest Services for season passport photos can be really long when the season starts. The day we went, the wait at its peak was 1 ½ hours!! Don’t stand in that line. As a season pass holder, you can still enter the park once with just your voucher. Return to Guest Services later in the day when there’s no line for pictures. You can also get pictures taken at the main office. It’s located nearby but offsite.

Bring outside food and drinks.

Unlike practically every other amusement park in the world, Lagoon lets you bring your own food and drinks. Seriously! All they ask is that you don’t bring glass bottles. So feel free to pack in a cooler or just a few snacks. Everybody does it, so you won’t feel silly.

Get cold drinks for cheap.

You’ll want ice-cold beverages on hot days. So if the drinks you brought are getting warm, you can still get inexpensive drinks. Refillable mugs can be purchased at many of the food spots. Refills are just $1. And if you have a Lagoon mug from prior years, bring it. You’ll still get the cheap refills.

Just want ice water? I’ve been told you can buy tap water with ice at any of the concession stands for just .25. This beats paying for bottled water.

Bring a disposable rain poncho.

If you ride Rattlesnake Rapids, you WILL get wet! If it’s a warm day, that’s what you want, of course. But if the weather is cool, you’ll wish you had a rain poncho. There are a few rides in Lagoon that will get you wet, but RR is the big one.

We visited Lagoon for the first time this 2015 season on the second weekend in April. These tips are based on that and previous visits last year and prior years. Facebook friends also contributed ideas. Our family has season passes this year, so we’ll visit the park several times and share more tips along the way. We have yet to visit Lagoon A Beach but won’t be staying at the RV park. So if you have ideas for the RV park, please share, and check back for ongoing ideas to enhance your visit to Lagoon. After all, “It’s What Fun Is!”

What tips do you have to share about Lagoon and any of its amenities?