Since I wasn’t able to visit Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park on my last trip to Denver, the day pass for my friend was carried over to this visit.  I emailed in advance and staff were able to reissue a new day pass.  I was finally able to activate my annual pass for Elitch Gardens.

Getting There

My friend and I stayed at TownePlace Suites Downtown, which is about a 12 minute drive to Elitch Gardens.  We were trying to get a wheelchair taxi or Uber and was not successful.  Instead of wasting any more time, we just ordered an Uber XL and headed out to the theme park.

About Elitch Gardens

It started out as Elitch Zoological Gardens in 1890 and went through several different names and ownership.  Since 2012, it has been known as Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park.  On 65 acres, this park is open from April to October.  There is 40 attractions that includes 6 roller coasters and 2 water rides.

We picked up my friends ticket from the regular ticket booth then had to go to the season pass booth to activate mine.  There was an option to pay $10 for the season pass to be linked to an EZ-Band.  This is used for admittance to the gates, rides and can be linked to a credit card to pay for purchases throughout the park.  I did get one.

After entering the park, we went directly to Guest Relations.  A lady gave us a Ride Accessibility Pass, which allows us to go to the shorter line for rides or get a return time if ride lines are too long.  It is only valid for the day and is issued to the both of us.  The water park was not open yet on the day we went, as it opens the week after.

Here is a summary of what we did for the day:

Carousel

Listed as wheelchair accessible on the park map, the Carousel was the first ride we did.  It was located right beside Guest Relations, so went did this ride right away.  Staff actually had to bring a portable ramp for a wheelchair to get on the carousel platform.

There wasn’t much room to fully open the ramp for my wheelchair to get on so my friend just picked up the back of the wheelchair to get me on the platform.  There weren’t any specific spot nor tie downs for a wheelchair.  I was just parked where there was space and just locked my brakes.  The ride spun slowly so it was safe enough for me.

Around the Park

After the carousel, we just wandered around the park to check out the grounds.  We took pics in front of a big flower garden that was directly in front of the Ferris wheel.  It was never that busy when we went which made it even easier to wheel around the park.

Meow Wolf’s Kaleidoscape

When I saw the sign: Meow Wolf’s Kaleidoscape, it intrigued me to what type of ride it would be.  I recognized the name Meow Wolf as I enjoyed this attraction on my last visit to Denver.  My friend rode this ride first to let me know if it is worth transferring me onto the ride vehicle for.

The ride is a casual ride that requires holding a toy gun shooting targets throughout the ride.  My friend did transfer me to a ride vehicle as it was still enjoyable even though I couldn’t hold the gun.  It was still cool to see the art pieces and all the neon colors.  The ride never goes really fast, twist or turn upside so everyone can enjoy this easy ride.

KiddieLand

We then explored KiddieLand just to see if there were any wheelchair accessible rides.  Unfortunately, none of the rides were.  It was still good to see and browse this area so I could comment on what I saw.  We left KiddieLand and my friend did get to go on a couple more adult rides while I just rested and waited.

Shopping

We then checked out a few souvenir shops and a lady told us that annual pass members got a 15% off discount the total bill.  We weren’t interested in any snacks or souvenirs but I did see a nice Colorado ball cap that I liked.  It was only $20, but the discount did help out.  We didn’t bother getting a taxi or Uber as we headed to eat somewhere on the way walking back to the hotel.

Final Thoughts

Elitch Gardens was still fun even though there weren’t any wheelchair accessible rides.  The carousel was hard to wheel on using the portable ramp so it wasn’t really accessible.  Meow Wolf’s Kaleidoscape was worth transferring into and I would ride it again.

Too bad there wasn’t any entertainment shows or any parades or fireworks the day we went as they only occur on special holidays or events.  We did spend over 4 hours at this theme park.  Admission is less than half the price of Disney or Universal so it might be worth checking out. 

An annual pass was slightly more than a day pass so I did buy an annual pass.  I may return as it also included a few bring a friend for free tickets.