I've been wanting to make this post since it happened, but every time I try, I've been hit with a rollercoaster of emotions.
Last weekend, I took my two boys, my cousin Nicole, and her son to Splash Universe Dundee . We had booked a Family Fun Suite for spring break but had to postpone due to illness. When I called to reschedule, the woman I spoke with said everything would stay the same--same room, same rate.
However, when we got there, the price had mysteriously jumped $150. I was too tired to argue, so I let it go, just wanting to get the kids settled and into the water.
Once in the room, we noticed a few things:
The bunk bed railings were super wobbly
A light above the bed was burned out
The soap dish in the bathroom was still dirty from the last guest, etc
Again, we let it go and headed to the waterpark.
There was no staff at the entrance--we just walked in. Found a locker, and went about our business. Nicole stayed by the kiddie slide, and I stood nearby on the walkway while Hunter (my 2-year-old) made loops going down the slide.
He slipped a few times, which wasn't surprising since the surface was slick, but then I noticed he fell and didn't get back up. I rushed over and found he had fallen THROUGH a broken plastic drain grate in the floor. He was holding his knee and screaming in pain.
No staff in sight. I picked him up and carried him out of the waterpark, looking for any staff, and ended up going to the gift shop window and said:
"Hey. My kid got hurt, I can't find any staff to help, I don't feel safe continuing our stay. I'd like to talk to a manager."
The employee called someone, and I was told, "Go get a bandaid from a lifeguard, and a manager will be here soon."
Turns out, a man sitting silently on a nearby couch was a manager. No badge. No introduction. Never even looked up at me when he saw my kid crying and heard me asking for help. Instead he let me walk back into the waterpark looking for a lifeguard feeling more confused. No empathy. No concern, nothing.
After getting a bandaid, he finally approached us and He basically said:
"Because you want a refund, go pack your things. Another manager will meet you at the front desk."
We packed up our things while trying to comfort our disappointed kids (who didn't even get to try the big slides--they kept shutting them down).
At the front desk, a woman handed me $300 cash and said the rest of my refund would be processed later, because "the managers weren't on the property."
Nicole stepped in and said:
"A kid got hurt in your waterpark, and you're telling me the managers left? Get one here now or we're calling Dundee Police."
About 10 minutes later, a young guy showed up with a printed receipt showing the rest of my refund, and walked off like that was the end of it. No apology. No concern. No offer to help or even check on my child.
Throughout the park, we saw multiple broken or missing grates, and even a construction cone placed next to another unsafe area--right by where Hunter had his fall. The lack of staff and supervision made it feel like nobody cared.
I thought staying local would be a great way to make memories with my kids, but instead we felt unsafe and completely disregarded. It's clear the owners care more about money than safety or guest experience.
Not one manager ever asked if my son was okay. No one offered a sincere apology.
I will never spend another dime there, and I'll make sure to share my story so others can stay safe and go elsewhere.
It's been a week and the scratch is healing, but he's got a pretty gnarly bruise. I wish I had pictures of some other areas and of the grates when they originally broke, but I had my phone stored in a locker. An employee had tried putting the peices back into place. read more