Waterparks are Brie’s favorite activity on a vacation. When she was younger, we had to take her to a waterpark at least once a year. If it had been a while since we’d gone to one, she’d start repeatedly asking to go. I started just making sure we had a waterpark stop on every trip.
So, of course, last summer when my mom and I took my kids on an East Coast Canada road trip, we had to include a waterpark. And with Calypso being Canada’s biggest outdoor waterpark, it was the perfect choice. This wasn’t the first time the kids and I had gone to Calypso. We had actually visited on our first trip to Ottawa, when they were 7 and 9.
If you want a more detailed look at Calypso to help you plan your day, you can read the full Calypso Waterpark review on my sister site. In this review, we’ll share our autism-friendly ratings for noise level, safety, sensory activities, and break areas. Plus, I’ll share how Brie’s day went and what she enjoyed the most.
Top 4 Hotels in Ottawa for Kids
Here are the best hotels in Ottawa and the surrounding area for families:
- Chateau Cartier Hotel & Resort ($): read why we loved it here
- Delta Hotels by Marriott Ottawa City Centre ($$): a 10-minute walk to Parliament Hill, with an indoor pool and playroom
- Brookstreet ($$$): a 23-minute drive to Parliament Hill, with soundproofed rooms, indoor pool with kiddie pool, outdoor “Jazz Garden”, outdoor games, and mini golf
- Fairmont Chateau Laurier ($$$$): right next to Parliament Hill, with an indoor pool and outdoor garden
Planning a Day at Calypso Waterpark
A visit to a waterpark, amusement park, or any busy tourist attraction with an autistic child requires some planning. If this is your first big trip with your child and you want extra tips to help things go smoothly, read my full guide to travelling with an autistic child. Also, make sure you check out my post on what to pack in an autism travel sensory bag.
Calypso Waterpark: Quick Facts
Location: 2015 Calypso Street, Limoges, Ontario (about 40 minutes from Ottawa and 1 hour 40 minutes from Montreal).
Parking: $21 + tax (debit or credit only, no cash).
Calypso Hours: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM / 6:00 PM depending on the day (check online here before you go).
Calypso Waterpark Tickets (Online prices are cheaper than buying in person):
- Weekdays (and June): $54 (under 1.32m/52”), $59 (1.32m/52” and over), Free (under 1 metre).
- Non-dated and Weekend Tickets: $57 (under 1.32m/52”), $62 (1.32m/52” and over), Free (under 1 metre).
Locker Rentals: Small (10” x 16”) for $17 + tax, and large (16.5” x 22.5”) for $25 + tax.
Life Jackets: Provided for free throughout the park. If you choose to bring your own, only government-approved life-saving devices are permitted (no pool floaties).
Towels: Not provided, so don’t forget to pack your own!
Beachside Boutique: Sells the basics if you forget anything (swim diapers, sunscreen, glasses strap, camera bag), but prices are higher.
Spending Money: Calypso is entirely cashless. However, there are cash-to-card kiosks on-site if that’s all you have.
Calypso Attractions
I share a detailed look at all the attractions in my full Calypso Waterpark review, but here’s a quick breakdown of what you need to know about each attraction:
Kids’ Play Areas
- Zoo Lagoon: For kids under 52” (some slides require kids to be over 36”).
- Pirate’s Aquaplay: For kids 40”+.
- Funtana: For kids under 52”.
- Jungle Challenge: Ages 3+.
Rivers and Pools
- Jungle Run: Ages 3+.
- Kongo Expedition: Ages 3+.
- Calypso Palace: Swimmers under 48” must stay behind the black line.
Family Rafts (Up to 6 people)
- Canyon Rafting: 42”+.
- Boomerango: 42”+.
Double Rider
- Black Hole & Turbulence: 42”+.
- Zoomerang: 42”+.
- Accelerators: 42”+.
- Acid Test & Steamer: 52”+.
Single Rider Only
- Family Twisters: 40”+.
- Fast Track: 52”+.
- Vertigo: 52”+.
- Adrenaline: 52”+.
- Frosty Drop & Hot Dip: 52”+.
- Aqualoops: 52”+ and riders must weigh at least 99 lbs.
My Calypso Waterpark Autism-Friendly Rating
Overall rating: 5/10
When it comes to being autism friendly, Calypso doesn’t do anything that stands out from other waterparks, but it isn’t any worse either.
To be honest, I have yet to find a truly autism-friendly waterpark. Unfortunately, none of the waterparks we’ve visited offer an accessibility pass like Disney or Canada’s Wonderland do. That means you have to wait in a physical line for every attraction. For a child with autism, waiting in a small, cramped space can become overwhelming fast.
Brie usually does all right with the lines at a waterpark, but I’ve learned to alternate between a slide with a long line and a line-free attraction like the wave pool or splash pad.
Sensory-wise, there are pros and cons to waterparks. Water can be amazing for sensory input. But big water slides make a lot of noise, which can be a trigger. Plus, you have to deal with loud crowd noise everywhere. For some kids, like Brie, the fun and positive sensory input outweigh the sensory overload. Because of that, she can handle a full day just fine. Other kids may need a quiet spot to decompress before taking on more. And some kids simply might not last long at all.
Of course, safety is another huge factor. Waterparks are crowded, and there’s open water everywhere. If your child is prone to taking off, you have to stay on high alert and keep your eyes on them every second at a waterpark.
Tickets
Rating: 8/10
You can buy tickets online or at the door. Buying them online ahead of time means a shorter wait at the entrance. Waiting to get into a park is usually the hardest part for our kids, so cutting down on that is always a must for me.
Calypso also accepts the Access 2 Card, which allows one accompanying support person to enter for free. You do have to make an extra stop at the information desk for it, but there was no wait when we went.
Safety For Children with Autism
Rating: 5/10
The biggest issue with safety at waterparks is that a lot of our usual safety measures don’t work in water. I’ve started getting Brie to wear an AirTag when we’re somewhere busy like this. But I hadn’t looked into a waterproof case for it yet, so we couldn’t use it on our day at Calypso. Safety harnesses are another common safety measure that won’t work at the waterpark, since you have to take them on and off all day.
Calypso Waterpark is huge and very crowded, so this is a place where one-on-one supervision is a must for any child who’s at risk of wandering or running. I could never have brought a young Brie and Zen here by myself! Thankfully, the free Access 2 support ticket means you won’t pay more for the extra adult you’ll need.
Like any waterpark, safety risks vary by attraction. In some spots supervision is easy, and in others you’ll need to be your child’s shadow. The kids’ play areas aren’t designed with autistic children in mind. Oh, how I wish I could find a waterpark that actually fenced in the kids’ areas with only one entrance and exit, so we could let our kids have a bit more freedom.
- Zoo Lagoon: Supervising your child in this area is pretty easy, though it is very open, so you’ll need to keep your eye on them. The toddler slides in the wading pool and larger double slides off to the side are the easiest to supervise your child on. At the back of the pool, there are slides for the taller kids (36” and over). I had no problem letting Brie go up on her own on our first trip. The entire area is visible from the bottom, so I never lost sight of her.
- Pirate’s Aquaplay: This playground is huge. Even with Brie being older now, I did not feel safe letting her go up alone. Keeping an eye on your child from the ground is very difficult. It’s busy, and there are slides on both sides, so you won’t know where your child will exit. Plan to go up with your child here. For some kids, you may need two adults so one can go down the slide to wait for the child at the bottom and the other can wait with them at the top.
- Funtana: This playground wasn’t busy at all. I could easily watch Brie from the ground. If only it were fenced off so parents could relax in a lounger.
- Calypso Palace Wave Pool: The wave pool is huge and crowded. It’s definitely not somewhere I would send a child in alone, even if they were a strong swimmer. It’s just too hard to keep an eye on them with the crowd.
- Jungle Run River: You ride around on boogie boards in this lazy river, so it’s very easy to stay close to your child.
- Kongo Expedition: Supervision can be a bit harder in this lazy river. It splits into two near the start, so make sure you’re holding onto your child’s tube. While it does merge later, you may not get to that point at the same time. It’s also easy to get separated near the end in the wave part. Zen and Grandma got stuck in the waves longer than Brie and I did, finishing about 5 minutes after us.
- Big Waterslides: There are lots of slides you can ride in pairs or groups, which makes supervision easy. The Family Twister slides are single-rider only, but there are four slides and not long lines so it’s possible to ride at the same time as your child and meet them at the bottom (if that will work for your child. Some families may need to have one adult at the top and another at the bottom). I can’t comment on the bigger single-rider slides since we didn’t try any.
Staff
Rating: 6/10
There are lots of lifeguards, but obviously, their job is to watch for water safety issues. There really aren’t many staff around that a lost child could approach for help. The uniforms are not consistent throughout the park, which makes it harder for a child to recognize who is a staff member.
The staff I interacted with were all friendly, and we had no issues. The lifeguards at the slides were all very patient with Brie and seemed to realize right away that she had a disability.
Noise Level
Rating: 5/10
Like any busy waterpark, there is going to be a lot of noise. There’s the constant flowing water, screams from the thrill slides, and just the general noise of a crowd. Being outdoors does help disperse the sounds a bit, but it can still be a lot for some kids.
Brie didn’t seem bothered too much by it, but when I asked her how she’d rate the noise level, she gave it a thumbs down.
We always have her headphones in her travel sensory bag just in case she needs them. Usually, she would just wear her Loop earplugs. But it’s harder to do that on the waterslides, so she went without them for most of the day.
Quiet Spaces
Rating: 5/10
Splurging on a cabana for this visit was a great choice. It gave Brie a quiet break area, and there was even a curtain if she needed a full sensory break. The only downside was the loud group right next to us. If you’re getting a cabana, choose one on the end to reduce the chances of having loud neighbours.
If you don’t have a cabana, there really aren’t many places to take a child who needs a sensory break. While many attractions, and even amusement parks, are starting to add sensory or quiet rooms, it’s still not standard practice.
Midday, the change rooms may work since they’re less likely to be busy, but there is no guarantee they’ll be quiet enough. While there are tons of picnic areas throughout the park, most are pretty busy or in high-traffic areas that would not make good spots for a break. If you do choose one of the more popular picnic areas, get a spot near the back where it’s a bit quieter.
However, I recommend avoiding those more popular picnic areas and instead heading to the one at the back of the park near the Funtana Splash Pad. I noticed this area a bit later in the day, and there was pretty much no one there. That splash pad also isn’t very busy, so it could be a helpful spot to take a child who isn’t quite overwhelmed yet but needs a quieter activity to prevent it.
Sensory Friendly Times
Rating: 4/10
I’ve never seen a waterpark offer true sensory-friendly hours with the lower capacity some of our kids need to enjoy an attraction like this.
But Calypso does at least offer a “Quiet Time” a few times during the summer. They run for a couple of hours in the morning. During this time, background music is turned off, intense attraction lighting is disabled so there is only steady light, and some sounds and light effects are lowered.
Sensory Friendly Activities
Rating: 8/10
Brie loves the sensory input from water play, and I know other sensory seekers can enjoy that too. For her, the motion from the slides, floating in the rivers, going up and down in the wave pool, and playing in the splash pads all have a calming effect. For her, that seems to balance out some of the negative sensory input from the noise.
Of course, some of the sensory input at a waterpark can also be too much for some kids, like getting water in your face from slides and the lazy river. While that’s not something that bothers Brie, that sensation may feel unbearable for some. The water is also a bit cooler than comfortable. It’s refreshing on a really hot day, but some kids may find it uncomfortable.
Eating Area
Rating: 10/10
We didn’t check out any of the restaurants, but Calypso automatically gets a 10/10 from me because they allow outside food. Instead of worrying about finding your child’s safe food, you can just pack a cooler full of things you know they’ll eat. If you rent a cabana, it comes with a decent-sized minifridge, too, which made it even easier for us to bring our meals.
Brie’s Experience
We got there right at opening, so there was already a big line. The first line was for a bag and cooler check. It was long, but it did move quickly, so Brie did all right with it. Then we went to the information booth to use our Access 2 Card. There wasn’t much of a line there, so it was pretty quick.
Since we rented a cabana, we went to the information desk inside the park to pick up our wristbands and cabana number. I had looked over the map and Google Maps satellite view before going, so I knew how to get to our cabana. We quickly set up the cabana and headed straight to the lazy river right across from us, since Brie was anxious to get in the water.
The park is huge and very busy, so lines were long for the popular attractions. I knew we wouldn’t be able to do everything, but my kids still managed to do a lot.
In the morning, they did a couple of slides on Pirate’s Aquaplay, checked out Zoo Lagoon, spent some time in the wave pool, and rode the Family Twisters. After a break for lunch, we did the Kongo Expedition. Then the kids did Zoomerang a couple of times and rode Black Hole and Turbulence. We went back to the wave pool for a bit, and then they did a few laps around the Jungle Run River while Grandma and I got dinner ready.
After dinner, we did another lap on the river, and then the three of us rode Boomerango. Brie and I went to check out Funtana, and she sprayed people on Kongo Expedition. Finally, she and Zen went back to the Family Twisters while Grandma and I packed up the cabana.
There were more slides Brie would have liked to do, but neither Zen nor I were willing to go on them. Since I can’t send her up alone, she couldn’t ride. She was really interested in the bobsled slides and even said she would go on Vertigo. Next time, we’ll need to bring someone who doesn’t mind heights so they can take her on the big slides.
Overall, she did great, which is typical for her at waterparks. Despite the noise and crowds, water is her happy place. Combine that with a slide, and her noise tolerance level goes way up. We’ve honestly only had one bad waterpark experience with her, and that was at an indoor park that tried to compensate for the noise by blasting music (which was overwhelming even for me).
According to Brie, the wave pool (as always) was the best part, though her favorite ride was the Kongo Expedition River. Her only complaint was the crowd. She gave the noise level a thumbs down, but gave the park a thumbs up overall.
Final Thoughts
Overall, our day at Calypso was great, and Brie did just fine lasting from open to close.
Having the cabana definitely helped. This was our first time renting a cabana at a waterpark, and it really was a game changer. If you’re considering renting one, I recommend the Panorama location. They’re set back a bit away from everything, so it’s about as quiet a space as you’re going to find in a waterpark.
While many autistic children will love a day at Calypso, I know from visiting when Brie was younger that it’s not always an easy outing. You won’t want to bring a child who is a flight risk unless you have enough adults to have one-on-one supervision for them.
While I could never say a waterpark is 100% autism-friendly, with enough planning, knowing your child’s tolerance level, having a spot to go for a break, and ensuring proper supervision, it is doable.
But if you aren’t sure how your child will handle a waterpark, Calypso isn’t the best place to start. It’s huge and gets super busy. A smaller, quieter park is a much better test run. For a first waterpark trip, I’d recommend Americana in Niagara Falls or something similar during off-season.
If you’re looking for more sensory-friendly activities and autism-friendly travel ideas, take a look at the autism-friendly events, attractions, and hotels we’ve reviewed so far. You can also follow us on Facebook and TikTok to see what else we find.
If you’ve visited Calypso Waterpark with an autistic child, let me know how your day went in the comments on my Facebook post, or join our new Autism on Vacation Facebook group to share tips, reviews, and travel advice with other autism families.
More Autism Travel Planning Resources
Ottawa
- Sensory Friendly Activities Ottawa
- Is the Canadian Museum of History Autism Friendly?
- Is the Museum of Nature in Ottawa Autism Friendly?
- Is the Château Cartier Hotel Autism Friendly?
- Things To Do in Ottawa with Kids
- Kōena Spa Review + Tips
- Château Cartier Hotel Review
Travel Tips
- Autism Travel Tips: A Parent’s Guide for Traveling with Autism
- Tips for Traveling with Autism: Road Trips
- Finding Autism Friendly Hotels
- Travel Sensory Kit for Autism
Ontario Destinations
- Niagara Falls Travel Guides and Reviews
- Ottawa Travel Guides and Reviews
- Toronto Travel Guides and Reviews
- London Travel Guides and Reviews