Silverwood Package Express: What It Is and How to Use It!

Have you ever wanted to be one of the lucky winners of those enormous stuffed bears from the carnival games…but hesitated because you didn’t want to lug it around the park all day? (‘cause you would win it, of course…I mean, duh!) Or maybe you found that perfect gift to take back home to the family…but didn’t end up buying it because you weren’t sure what you would do with it while you ride Aftershock? This was always a reoccurring problem with my family because we would see something we liked or wanted early in the day, told ourselves we would buy it later so we wouldn’t be hauling a bunch of things around a theme park, and then forgot to buy them later on.  Thankfully those days are over and Silverwood has you covered! But first, a quick family story.

The day started out the perfect weather for a day at Boulder Beach, the sun was shining and a pleasant breeze was blowing through the surrounding trees. We were so excited that it was warm outside (but not too warm), and we had perfect timing as we were headed that way right as the gates were opening. We completely avoided the initial rush into Boulder Beach, no lines and nothing in our way for the loads of fun that was waiting for us… then the unthinkable happened. My son had a blow-out and just like that our initial bliss was rapidly fading as we pictured our day being over before it had even started. A true modern-day tragedy! The good news is it wasn’t the type of blow-out you’re probably imagining, I had just accidentally stepped on the back of his flip-flop and they broke. #momfail

Immediately I went into mom panic mode. A day without shoes really isn’t a problem for Boulder Beach, but we’d only planned to spend half the day there. I was stuck scrambling trying to fashion together his shoe to hopefully make it last through the entire day. 

Boulder Beach Gift Shop to the Rescue

On a whim, we popped into the closest gift shop we could find (thankfully it’s right outside of Boulder Beach) and to our luck, we found an entire wall of flip flops (thanks Boulder Beach Trading Co.!). I was shocked, even more so because the prices were actually reasonable. What was nearly a ruined day turned into nothing more than a minor setback. But that’s not where the magic ends.

On a previous Boulder Beach trip, we’d forgotten to pack a swim diaper for my youngest (a rule we should all be thankful for at Boulder Beach). Thankfully, we found one of those for purchase as well! The Silverwood gift shops never cease to amaze me, they’re filled with practical and memorable items with all price ranges imaginable. My daughter bought an adorable little keychain filled with sand and mini shells for her friend for less than $5. My son bought a wooden sword for $6. Those flip-flops? I only paid $11!

The Magic of Gift Shops at Silverwood

Whether you’re planning to visit the park for the first time or the fiftieth, I can’t recommend enough to pop into at least one of the eight gift shops located throughout the Silverwood Theme Park. Now, if you’re anything like me, you’re not doing ANY shopping until it’s near time to leave because someone has to carry the loot around for the day (and by “someone” I mean Mom or Dad!).

That was, of course, until a couple of weeks ago when our family took a last minute trip to Silverwood to take advantage of smaller crowds and shorter lines due to rainy weather. The rain turned out to be a bit heavier than we bargained for and it kept driving us inside (not normally an issue because there’s plenty to do INDOORS at Silverwood, too!). After a few obligatory roller coaster rides in the rain we stopped in at High-Moon Saloon for lunch. The fish and chips are delicious and their homemade sarsaparilla root beer is out of this world! (Quick tip: For under $10 you can buy a reusable souvenir cup and get FREE refills all day long!) After lunch, we made an obligatory stop at The Candy Store (their truffles are a MUST for this pregnant mama!) and later we popped into my favorite Silverwood Gift Shop, The Toy Store. It’s a must for a quick picture with Garfield and to squeeze all the amazing stuffed animals.

It was about this time that our kiddos allowance money started burning holes in their pockets and the questions of “Can I get this?” and “Can I buy that?” started flying. “Not yet!” practically flew out of my mouth faster than I could contemplate the question, mainly because I wasn’t about to cart a giant stuffed dog around for the remainder of the day.

Silverwood Hidden Secret: Package Express

That’s when we learned one of the coolest Silverwood tips ever! PACKAGE EXPRESS! Buy your loot now, fill out a quick form and your goodies will be waiting for you at the exit of the park for pickup!

WHAT??? Seems too good to be true, right? But it’s not! The staff at Silverwood are truly looking out for everyone, especially Mom and Dad!

How Does Package Express Work?

If you’re wondering how the amazing Package Express works (because, quite frankly, it DOES seem too good to be true, am I right?) here are all the details:

1. Shop any gift shop (or carnival games!) in the park.
2. Buy all your goodies, no matter how big or small.
3. Fill out a Package Express form with your name, phone number and the approximate time you’d like to pick up your souvenirs.
4. Keep the yellow slip with you and, when you’re ready to leave for the day, take the slip into the Front Coffee House right at the exit of Silverwood (and grab yourself a latte to go while you’re there!).
5. Pick up your goodies and head on home!

That’s really all there is to it. I was floored we just learned about this awesome Silverwood hack, and after chatting with some of the employees, they really want more people to take advantage of it because they understand that riding Thunder Canyon with a giant stuffed dog just isn’t everyone’s idea of family fun!

Stop By All the Gift Shops

Don’t think that all gift shops are the same! When visiting Silverwood this year, be sure to pop into them all, each one offers a unique variety of goodies, and don’t worry about having to cart around all your amazing finds, just fill out the Package Express slip and grab them at the General Stuff Mercantile on your way out of the park.

ABOUT THE CONDUCTOR

My name is Kelsey Steffen. My husband and I have been married for 13 years and moved to North Idaho nearly 11 years ago. Five years ago, we started a blog called Full of Days where we document and share all of our tips and tricks for living life to its fullest. In the summertime, our family tradition is making weekly trips to Silverwood. We split our time equally between the water park and the rides — but if we had to favor one side, it would be the water park. We all love the water!

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