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I have 20 Kalahari Resorts-Round Rock tips that will make your first visit to Kalahari Resorts and Conventions in Round Rock a stress-free and comfortable trip! (Pssst! Looking for Kalahari Round Rock Photos? Scroll further down! Enjoy!)

Our first visit to America’s largest indoor water park, Kalahari Resorts and Conventions in Round Rock, Texas, was thanks to our decision to book a double-bed sofa room. We used a group code discount from the US Chess Federation because my son was competing in the Middle School Nationals competitions hosted at the Kalahari Convention. 

We decided to travel up to Round Rock as a family, and yes, prior to our trip did as much research as possible and, while there,  made sure to make notes of tips to share with you to make your first-time visit to Kalahari completely enjoyable.

20 Kalahari Resorts- Round Rock Tips You Should Read Before Your First Visit

I hope to cover as much as possible to ensure your first visit, or your return visit after a long while, is as stress-free and comfortable as possible.

1. Best room location in the Kalahari Round Rock Resort?

When making your booking, make it a point to call the Kalahari Round Rock reservations line (1-877-525-2427 or 512-651-1000) or text their very responsive text message number (512-582-4800) and request a room in the 2500 wing. 

You will be told your request will be noted but not guaranteed.

So when you do get to the resort, on day 1 of your vacation, though the kiosk self-check-in is quicker, opt to check in with the front desk and request this again. 

We did this and loved where our room was situated.

We didn’t need to use the elevator (dependent on the season/time of year; waiting for the elevator could take some time.),

and this is the wing closest to the water park and Java Manjaro.

(Yes, they do serve Starbucks coffee and quick breakfast grabs.)

In the mornings, you can also get a quick breakfast from the Java Manjaro Express, set up opposite the Java Manjaro.

2. Set aside time to explore this Kalahari resorts property

Walking through the property, you can’t help but admire the gorgeous custom-crafted African-inspired art-

pieces on the wall, stunning stone and metal sculptures, and exquisite woodwork in every nook and cranny.

Don’t miss making the most of the many photo opportunities Kalahari provides.

Check out the attention to detail!

The best time to capitalize on this, without the concern of people in the background, is first thing in the morning.

Definitely worth waking up early one of the mornings you’re there!

And don’t miss exploring the length and breadth of this property.

You won’t be disappointed!

KALAHARI RESORTS- ROUND ROCK ROOM TIPS

3. Bring your soap, shampoo, and dish soap. 

While your bathroom comes outfitted with a body soap, shampoo, and conditioner dispenser, I missed having my own.

I found it hard to get my hair to lather and also realized it would have been smart to bring dish soap to wash my microwaveable bowls and mugs.

I did remember the hand soap, though.

Having our own hand soap was such a great idea, especially as our room was designed with a sink outside the bathroom.

P.S. How cute is the way they’ve arranged the hand towels?

Don’t forget!!- Hand soap, bath soap, shampoo, conditioner, dish soap.

4. Bring snacks, water, and even cold or microwaveable breakfast options.

Your room has a mini fridge and a microwave, plus HEB and Walmart are a few short minutes away, so you can have breakfast in the room or even a few quick meals.

Don’t forget!!- Bring a case of bottled water. 

5. Housekeeping requests

Request housekeeping to bring extra towels and their plush, ever-so-soft, golden yellow blankets for each of your beds.

You will get one with the sofa bed, but we requested two more as they’re so comforting and help make for a good night’s rest.

Also, request extra trash bags when you see the housekeeping carts go by.

This way, you have clean, compact bags ready to throw away each morning versus an overspill, especially if you have a large family or young kids!

6. Bring a white noise machine

It’s really quiet in the room; at least, it was in our room at night. You could hear a pin drop. No joke!

So if your family is like mine, we’re used to listening to the blades of the fans in our room spin when we sleep, so to cut the thick silence, we had to play some white noise on my husband’s phone to fall asleep!

7. Carry your credit or debit card!

Kalahari resorts have gone cashless, so you cannot pay anything with cash while on the property.

P.S. The resort will put a hold on your card while checking in. 

If you booked independently, a hold of $400 is set aside for incidentals. If not used, this amount will be released 3-5 days (after check out if you used a credit card. If you used a debit card, it will take over 7-10 days for this to be released.)

If you booked with a group code, the hold is only $100.

8. Deactivate charging on your kids’ wristbands

This would need to be done at the front desk upon check in unless, of course, you have teens or adult kids who would be responsible with the charging privilege.

9. Should I pay extra (More Time, More Fun, or VIP packages) if I arrive before 4 pm and want to use the waterpark?

I would say no especially if you’re reaching the resort around noon or a little before. 

Summer 2023 update: The earliest a guest waiting to check into a room can go to the water park is 12pm.

Even if your room isn’t ready or you need to check out by 11 am, you can still get your wristband/use your wristband to enjoy the water park all day.

10. Should I eat on-site or eat off-property if trying to stay within a budget?

I recommend eating at restaurants/eateries close to the hotel. (Look for an upcoming post with recommendations.)

The food is on the pricey end, as expected for a resort.

We did try Sortino’s Italian Kitchen the day we checked in only because there was a crazy storm accompanied by loud claps of thunder and lightning.

(Can you tell I’m a chicken when it comes to storms?)

I will say, though, three things are worth trying at the resort-

-The Zulu Grill’s XL very generously sized pizza at the waterpark-

great bang for your buck.

– The B’Lux shakes.

FOR SURE!

These were so good and so generously sized. You can totally split one between two people.

Delicious! 

Watch the reel to get a visual taste of this tall glass of frozen goodness!

– The ice cream at The Last Bite – personal recommendation: try the Kalahari Crunch!

Talking about ice cream, check out this neat ice cream dispenser near the Fitness Center.

11. Bring supplies to make s’mores

The resort has two fire pits right outside the Baobob Social area on level 1.

We bought our s’mores supplies from the H-E-B Plus at 1700 E Palm Valley Blvd, Round Rock but skip getting the bamboo skewers from there as they’re too small.

You will want to get the large skewers before your trip to the resort because the pits are wide.

Thankfully Marrakesh Market had a 4 pack of long skewers for under $4 that we used.

(These sell out quick so don’t bank on getting these. If you can, plan ahead!) 

Did you see what I was thrilled to discover the morning we were getting ready to check out?

KALAHARI RESORTS- ROUND ROCK WATER PARK TIPS

Do I need to pay extra to use the water park while staying at the resort?

Access to the indoor and outdoor water parks is a complimentary perk guests staying at Kalahari Round Rock enjoy.

You do not need to stay at the resort to use the water park. The water park is accessible to day guests upon purchase of a day pass.

Guests to the resort can use the indoor waterpark and limited areas of the outdoor water park,

while renovations and expansions to the latter are set to be complete by Summer 2023.

12. Bring a cover-up or one of those towel ponchos

You won’t need a cover-up or towel poncho while walking into the water park, but walking back to your room through Tom Foolery’s Arcade can get pretty nippy!

Yes, you will get complimentary towels to use in the water park against your wrist band, but if you walk up to your room with a towel and forget to bring it back before the end of the day, you will get charged a “towel fine” of $20 per towel.

13. Should you bring a life jacket for your child to use in the water park?

All kids under 48″ are required to wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life vest.

The water park does have varying sizes of life jackets for kids, so I would say skip bringing any unless your child has an affinity to her life jacket and is more comfortable wearing the same.

I didn’t see any for itty little ones, so I recommend bringing your infant a life jacket.

14. Get a waterproof phone pouch for your phone

The waterproof phone pouch allowed me to get some fun photos of the kids while in the pool and as they whooshed down rides. 

Plus, it helped me coordinate with my husband when my son was heading in for competitions, or they were headed to the water park.

It saves spending money to lock everyone’s phones in the locker when you head into the water park.

15. Avoid the water park rush

Hit the water park right when it opens or an hour or two before it closes, as the crowds seem thinner.

(The water park opens at 10 am and closes at 8 pm on weekdays and some Sundays and at 9 pm on Fridays, Saturdays, and a few Sundays.)

And if you plan to hit the FlowRider (yep, similar to the Boogie Bahn) do that as soon as you get to the park as the lines only grow as the day progresses. 

16. Use the spin water dryers in the changing room right outside the water park. 

This nifty gadget allows you to squeeze out the excess water from your clothes at no charge.

To save getting a cover-up or towel poncho, you could just walk in with your dry clothes in a bag, change out of the wet clothes, and squeeze-dry them before heading through the arcade.

17.  Can I self-park at the resort, or do I need to pay valet fees?

You can self-park and skip the valet fees of $39.99 plus tax.

Also, it may be important to note that you will be charged $15 + tax if you need to charge your electric vehicle. (This is not inclusive of the valet charge.)

Day guests to the resorts are charged $25 + tax per day.

18. Refillable Cups- Yes or No?

Now this totally depends on your family. Buying the cup is worth it if your kids enjoy a fountain drink with each meal or in between or love slushies.

After you purchase the refillable cup, you will get free refills of any fountain drink and slushies at the park for the remainder of your stay. The cup also doubles as a sweet souvenir.

19. Other must-packs before the trip.

• A mini first aid kit to include swimmers’ ear drops and eye drops for irritated eyes after hours in the pool. (This depends on how sensitive your child/family member is. We didn’t need to use ear drops or eye drops, but I had them on standby, in case!)
• An extra set of swimwear, especially if your kids plan to swim in the morning, take a break, and then head back again in the evening.
• Suction hooks or laundry hooks to hang up your wet clothes. There aren’t enough hooks around the room to hang clothes or hangars in the closet. These helped!

20. Don’t miss checking out the Fitness & Training Studio

The Kalahari Fitness Center is one of the nicer ones we’ve seen at any properties we’ve visited. This was a great stop for my son to unwind between grueling chess matches. 

You can work out independently or make an appointment to work with a certified personal trainer.

The one big thing we skipped on this trip was Tom Foolery’s. 

Read more about what Tom Foolery’s is all about.

Bonus any trip, every trip tip: Bring a wagon!

This is something I stress on every trip my family takes. It just makes things so convenient.

Bringing your own collapsible foldable wagon saves waiting for a luggage cart and allows you to help pull tired little ones around when taking your leisure tour of the property.

For more details, contact this Kalahari Resorts property directly: