Justin M.
Yelp
Quick question when summertime comes, the heat is unbearable and you live near Austin, what are you going to do? You can take those little "summer demons" (my kids turn evil when they're bored) to Chuck-E-Cheese for the umpth-teen time or try a more grown up yet kid appropriate adventure just north of Austin at Austin's Park!
Located about 15 miles north of Austin, conveniently located just off of I-35, Austin's Park has ample parking and a huge facility to accommodate a large crowd. I arrived right as they opened at 11am on a Tuesday in July and there were 6 or so other families of varying sizes. The patrons were all very polite and fun people, save one 10 year old kid who incurred my wrath (in a playful way) but more on that later. Once you enter, hit the front desk first to get your tickets, depending on what package you want. The prices here are pretty steep depending on what you like. I opted for the $50 package which included all unlimited attractions and the buffet but not arcade games. As an adult, the buffet is not very good. They did have salads, not very good pasta, and pizza with unlimited fountain drinks. I recommend it if on a budget and have a small crew of "smurfs" on your hands.
I'm not going to mention every activity b/c you can check the website for all that info, rather I'll give my impression of what we participated in to shed some light. The arcade is literally everywhere inside a very well air-conditioned facility. Games range from "skill games" (honestly, they're rigged but yet, the term skill is used). Some of the games like the large claw run as much as $4 and other games like Galaxian are $1. They're pricy but hey, it's about those "little amped up sugar bandits" we call kids right? There's a decent little roller coaster inside which does two passes per ride. My 15 and 12 year olds said it was slow, but there again they've been to Cedar Point which has the worlds fastest coasters, for comparison.
Outside grab thy sword aka a putter and enjoy two 18 holes courses of putt putt. Since my kids were complaining I had to lay the royal smackdown and beat they by at least 10 strokes. The layouts are fun and challenging while not being overly difficult. Remember the 10 yr old? Lets address that little fart bandit now. I was getting my kids in their bumper boats as I feel rain on a cloudless day. I look over and this blonde haired turd monkey shooting me and looking me directly in the eyes with an evil satisfaction. Game on little one. I get in my bumper boat and proceed to rain down a hailstorm from heaven. I drenched that little pest so bad he was complaining to his mom, which at that point, joined me in drenching that little punk. Yes, revenge can be in the form of millions of H2O molecules.
After getting wet on a hot day, my little mini-me's and I did one of the race tracks, not the beginner or slick, but the fastest one. They're very safe and S-L-O-W. I couldn't pass anyone and never took my foot off the gas. Since I was pretending to be a racecar driver, I was cutting every corner but I still lagging behind. Alas, this ride is for kids who are developing road rage, not a parent imposing their dominate driving skills upon those whom he'll soon share the road with. All in all it was fun for the family.
We went back in for some Laser tag. Since this is an open carry state I had no problem carrying a futuristic laser and blasting all those little pests around me in dominate fashion. Lots of fun and plenty of room in the arena while hiding behind pillars, walls and sneaking up on those who don't pay attention. Finally we tried a shooter/ride game which was surprisingly entertaining. You sit with up to 7 other people and the ride shakes, fans blow air, and the huge screen has animated videos, in our case clowns, with a nice speaker system to envelop everyone into the experience. Since I'm former military I scored first over the things that follow me around and call me "dad" as well as some other mutants about their height. Check my pics for the evil in my eyes!
In summary, Austin's Park is a very fun place with a LOT of activities for the family. I only touched on what we did and there were tons more activities to enjoy. Also, there are two other bar areas for parents who need an adult beverage after kids give migraines for no reason at all as well as a better food options at the bars. I would suggest Austin's Place as an alternative to other more worn out options that parents might be accustom to leveraging. The only draw back is the sticker shock but I suppose it the facility is a "Park" thus higher prices.