I received Castaway Bay accommodations to facilitate this post.
Last weekend we spent the night at Castaway Bay, an indoor waterpark in Sandusky, Ohio. We packed up the car and headed to 82-degree weather (indoors, of course). We’d ventured there in the past when Bear was just 17 months old. With two toddlers in tow this time around, I must say, the dynamic was mighty different.
Here are 10 tips for visiting Castaway Bay with toddlers that I found to be helpful during our visit.
1. Stay on a Sunday night. We arrived around 4pm, checked in, ate dinner and headed to the park before it closed. While it was crazy crowded when we checked in, the Sunday rush cleared out by the time we arrived in our bathing suits.
2. Buy tickets ahead of time. When we checked in, there was a sign that said “day passes sold out.” I would have been so disappointed to have arrived only to find out we couldn’t go to the waterpark. Luckily our hotel stay included park passes.
3. Eat dinner at Quaker Steak & Lube. Not only is the food tasty, but it’s attached to the hotel, which means winter coats, hats, and getting kids in and out of car seats not required. They also offer FREE Goldfish crackers for toddlers. All you have to do is ask. Plus, if you follow tip #1, kid’s meals will only cost you $1.99 each (Sundays only).
4. Stop by Club Castaway. Located on the 3rd floor, Club Castaway offers a variety of free crafts, karaoke, movies, and even a dance party! If you can’t make it there during your stay, they’ll happily give you a craft pack to take for the car ride home.
5. Visit the waterpark at night AND in the morning. Along with our hotel stay, our waterpark passes were valid from check-in to check out. We spent an hour at the park on Sunday night and returned again when it opened 9am the following morning until around 10:30, before check out. By breaking the adventure in half, the kids were able to enjoy the water twice, and I didn’t collapse from exhaustion chasing two toddlers.
6. Find the toddler zones. Yes, there is a toddler pool, but toddlers are also welcome in the wave pool (with a life jacket), on the playground area, in the activity pool (creature cove) with fun animal climbers and on 2 “tube” slides (depending in height).
7. Bring breakfast and drinks WITH you. We stopped at a gas station on the way and picked up milk along with juice and other perishables. Our hotel room had a fridge, which made morning breakfast-time stress-free.
8. Don’t make them sleep with the wristband. When we checked in, they said if we needed a new wristband during our stay, to just stop by the front desk and they’d print us a new wristband. This was great since Bear didn’t want to sleep with her “bracelet.”
9. Bring your own towels. If your kiddo has sensitive skin, you may want to bring your own beach and bath towels. Little Man has super sensitive skin and certain detergents affect him. Since I never know what detergent hotels use, I bring my own when we drive for vacations. (Side note: You may want to bring your own toddler life jacket as well)
10. Check in before parking the car. The resort has a large footprint, and while the lobby is smack dab in the middle, the guest rooms are spread out. Park near the front, check in, and then drive to the suggested door before unloading all your toddler gear.
Extra “good to knows”
While the hotel room has a clothesline in the shower, there is a laundry room on the third floor where you can dry your bathing suits for just $2.
There’s an arcade. While we didn’t make it there, there were a bunch of games where kids could earn tickets and cash them in for prizes.
Ask for late checkout. I received an email before the trip inviting me to “upgrade” to a late checkout for extra $$$, so I didn’t think this was even an option. BUT, I overheard another guest asking, so I did too. They generously granted us a noon checkout, giving us an extra 30 minutes at the waterpark.
Bring slippers or extra socks. The rooms are a bit outdated and I didn’t want the kids to step barefoot on the carpet.
Kids under 2 don’t need a wristband for waterpark entry.
Pick up the “Island Times” at the front desk, which includes a full list of daily activities.
Board games are available for free – just ask the front desk.
Naps on the way home are to be expected (well, hopefully!).
Looking to take a day trip with the kids? I’m giving away 4 Day Passes to Castaway Bay!
CLICK HERE TO ENTER TO WIN
Flash giveaway runs now through 3/20/16 at 11:59pm ET on the Spit Up is the New Black Facebook page and is open to US residents ages 18+. This giveaway is in no way associated with or endorsed by Facebook. By entering this giveaway you release Facebook of all liability. Winner will be selected at random and announced publicly on this post on March 21, 2016. Winner will be tagged if the winner’s Facebook settings permit. Winner will be mailed 4 Day Passes. Void where prohibited. Note: travel and accommodations are not included.
The post Tips for Visiting Castaway Bay with Toddlers + Giveaway appeared first on Spit Up is the New Black.
from Spit Up is the New Black http://ift.tt/1pMJdl6
No comments:
Post a Comment