Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows review

January 3, 2019 By

Can’t get to Hawaii or Mexico to escape the winter and don’t love Las Vegas? Head to Pheonix Arizona’s cozy neighbor, Scottsdale, for a relaxing, family-friendly and tranquil desert getaway at Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows. A Hyatt property tucked away on 20+ acres in the shadow of lovely Camelback mountain, the Andaz has a vibrant personality and friendly vibe. Upon arrival, guests are shown into the comfortable ‘guest house’ instead of a lobby, where they’re checked in by team members with iPads instead of going to a counter, then offered a complimentary beverage including wine. The mood is set right then and there.

Instead of rooms, guests are situated in bungalows (about 4-6 units to each adobe-style building). Each bungalow building is spaced nicely apart, and each has a small outdoor seating area (some with tables and chairs, others with outdoor beach seating). There are three room types in addition to suites; the largest room is where I was situated, in a Saarinen King (485 square feet, including a huge bathroom and back enclosed patio area in addition to the front patio). If you have kids with you and want to really splurge, opt for the Saarinen with cabana, for a private cabana looking out on the main pool. There’s also a more private enclave of the resort, called the Retreat. These rooms are situated around a private pool near the fitness center and spa.

andaz

In addition to the pool and hot tub, there’s a nice fitness center with some complimentary classes (yoga was offered during my stay) and a full-service spa with private spa pool. It’s worth looking into a day pass even if you don’t get a treatment. Other complimentary amenities included in the resort fee includes a wine happy hour and libations class, where guests learn how to make one of the signature cocktails at the resort (then get to sip them). You can also ask for a complimentary ride in the resort’s Tesla, within a 2-mile radius, I believe. I used this service to meet a friend for drinks at a resort about a mile away. The Tesla service doesn’t bring you back (because they can’t be certain of availability) but it does save you one way of your Uber. There’s also a golf concierge on site included in your rate.

The resort has only one restaurant, but it’s amazing. The Weft & Warp Art Bar is open, airy, friendly and inviting, with an artsy vibe to go with the partnership the Andaz Scottsdale enjoys with the art studio enclave, Cattle Track. (Local art is also on all the bungalow walls.) The food is fairly expensive, but it’s inventive and fresh, and the cocktails and wine list are creative and expansive. Enjoy a happy hour small bites menu each day from 3-5 pm to save some cash, or go to the pool bar in the day time. Definitely plan to eat at least one breakfast and one dinner at Weft & Warp, however, and enjoy some drinks there.

Certainly, the Andaz Scottsdale is set up to be a destination resort: you can certainly play all day here and not leave the property, soaking up the desert sunshine. If you do decide to head further afield, ample hiking, golfing, mountain biking, art gallery-hopping and shopping is in the area. Several additional restaurants are within walking distance, including a loud but casual taco place and a more reserved steak house.

In addition to the Andaz Scottsdale’s unique ambiance and relaxing setting, the Hyatt hospitality is what you’ll remember most. During my three day stay, every interaction I had with the service team was pleasant and the wait staff remembered me by name multiple times.

Rates are best in the off-season and shoulder season, and when I visited in late November, the resort felt comfortably busy but not crowded. Come even earlier in the fall or last spring for the best weather while snagging decent rates.

 

Lakedale Resort: San Juan Islands glamping

July 11, 2018 By

After a stay in 2015, we listed Lakedale Resort at Three Lakes as our #1 kid-friendly resort pick on San Juan Island Washington. And guess what? In the years since, they’ve only improved their offerings. New this summer, Lakedale has become the premier location for San Juan Islands glamping, as well as continuing to offer a diverse list of additional accommodation options.

Located conveniently between Friday Harbor and Roche Harbor (less than a ten-minute drive from both), Lakedale began humbly as a private campground and has been adding to its offerings ever since. Visitors can now choose between a lodge stay (16 years and up), a cabin stay, canvas tent cabins and cottages, tent camping spaces, a vintage Airstream, or, new this year, glamping yurts. Here’s what you need to know about all your options:

Glamping yurts:

The yurt village is located at the far end of the property, tucked away past an area called ‘the meadow’ by Fish Hook Lake. All seven 24 foot-diameter yurts feel secluded enough, and private. You get 450-square-feet of room, and inside and out, it’s all luxury.

The living room area includes a full sleeper sofa, rocking chair, dining table and chairs for four, and a flat-panel smart TV (just log in with your own Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon account). Adjacent you get a kitchenette, including a wet bar and mid-sized fridge. The bedroom area (all open concept) has a king-sized bed that’s extremely comfortable. And yes, you get a bathroom inside the yurt, with full plumbing. It’s roomy and equipped with everything you need, from towels to a hair dryer.

Each yurt has full electricity (though no air conditioning…don’t worry, you don’t need it) and a big deck with a hot tub (yes, truly!), two chairs, and an outdoor dining area with table and four chairs, plus a barbeque. All your linens, blankets and towels are at the ready, including hot tub/beach towels, and there’s a communal fire pit for the yurt village adjacent. The kitchen area is fully equipped with dishes, cups, a coffee service, and a microwave.

Additional lodging options:

Log cabins:

When our family came in 2015, we stayed in one of Lakedale’s two bedroom, two full bath cabins, with a sofa bed that sleeps six. If you need a full kitchen and lots of space, this is the place to be. Outdoors, you get your own fire ring, and there’s a communal hot tub for the cabins.

Canvas cottages:

Lakedale’s original glamping option is found in the canvas cottage village, located in the middle of the property.  You get 350 square feet of space, with king-size pillow top beds with flannel duvet covers, your own bathroom complete with shower, daybed sleeper (extending to king-size) a chandelier (yep!), a table with four chairs and a fire ring. All cottages are lakefront, which might make them even more popular for families than the yurts.

Canvas tents:

Want a hybrid between tent camping and glamping?  The smaller canvas cabins feature a queen-size bed with pillow-top bedding and flannel duvet, a table and four chairs, a cordless lantern, bath linens, as well as a full-size futon that sleeps two. You get turn-down service in both the cottages and the tents, during which Lakedale will deliver two fleece-covered hot water bottles to keep you warm. Note: there is no electricity or running water in the canvas tents, but the shower building is located right across the way.

With both the canvas cottages and tents, your nightly rate includes a complimentary breakfast in the Mess Hall Tent, located in the heart of the village. You’ll find a pancake machine, granola, oatmeal, yogurt hard-boiled eggs, cereal, fruit, danishes, and coffee, tea, and juices.

Note: the Airstream is bundled with the canvas village and enjoys the same continental breakfast offerings in the Mess Hall Tent.

Tent camping sites:

There are a wide variety of campsites, which all share a shower building and bathroom, with additional port-a-potties throughout the meandering campground. I love that each site is different, and many are tucked away (it is easy to find privacy, usually hard to come by at a large campground). The classic campsite accommodates one tent (four people) and one vehicle. Every campsite has a fire pit and picnic table. Family campsites are larger and can fit more than one tent and two vehicles. You can also upgrade to a lakeside campsite in either size, which I recommend. There are a few really large group sites and some hike-in/bike-in sites for ultimate quiet and privacy.

Tip: for an extra $45, Lakedale will set up a two-person tent, two cots, and two chairs for you before you arrive. It can be difficult to bring all your camping gear with you if you’re not driving over (walk-on ferry passenger), so this is a great option.

If you don’t want to be near a neighbor, I recommend a site in the 200-loop (there are not 200+ sites; they are simply numbered this way) on the outer edge of the ring. Site 110 and site 30 are also ideal.

Note: there are only five RV sites in Lakedale. There simply isn’t space, as their camping sites are all different shapes and sizes to fit the natural surroundings.

Lodge stay:

Lodge rooms are limited and for adults only (each sleep two). You get a full breakfast in the lodge included in your stay, and the back deck of the lodge is a very tranquil place. I recommend coming to Lakedale with kids, then returning in the off-season to enjoy the lodge as a grown-up getaway. The lodge and log cabins are open year-round at Lakedale, but camping and glamping is currently seasonal.

Lakedale Activities:

There is so much to do on-site! Bring bikes, as you’ll want them cruising around the resort (or borrow one of the bikes available on a first-come, first-served basis). The General Store is the central hub of activity, where watersport rentals are offered (water trikes, paddleboards, kayaks, etc) and fishing gear can be procured. You can also grab lunch here, plus ice cream, fire wood, and gourmet items for the grill, such as pre-made kabobs and burgers.

Swimming is popular at Lakedale, and there’s a nice beach area with shallow entry for young kids. Lawn games such as horseshoes, bocce ball and giant chess are plentiful. The activities tent always has activities for kids, such as boat races, birdhouse building, t-shirt tie-dying, and more. Some activities come with an added cost, but most are free. And of course, you’re close to all San Juan Island has to offer. Check out our suggested two-day itinerary, which could be stretched to 3-4 days while staying at Lakedale.

For pricing on lodging options at Lakedale, we suggest calling the friendly front desk of the lodge, as prices do vary by season and they can help you find just the right option for your family.

Disclosure: I experienced San Juan glamping at Lakedale as a guest of the resort, for the purpose of review. All opinions remain my own.

Skiing with a Tween at Sierra-at-Tahoe

December 29, 2014 By

This post was originally published as part of our Home (Away) for the Holidays series.

It’s easy to find kid-friendly skiing in Tahoe, but what about those hard to please tweens and teens? I spent an extra day at Sierra-at-Tahoe last week with Nate, during which we noted what worked for his age group (middle school) and ability level (advanced).

Terrain parks are located all over the mountain.

Sierra at Tahoe is not too big, and not too small…it’s just right! Because of its manageable size and centralized layout, it’s easy for older kids and teens to split off with friends or siblings and meet back up with parents. All runs end in a major lift, lodge, or restaurant, a design element that would give me the confidence to let him explore a bit without an adult.

huckleberry-gates

It’s challenging. I love that Sierra intermixes beginning runs with intermediate and advanced; it allows all members of a family to ride the lift and spend the majority of their day together. But the best part of this feature is the way terrain parks, trails, and tree skiing branch off from easy and intermediate runs. I don’t know how it is in your family, but my older kids love these features, and it’s nice that they’re so accessible. Each terrain park at Sierra is clearly marked as containing Small, Medium, or Large elements, and each place we cut off a run to powder ski through trees fed easily into a trail or run below. Nate and I especially loved exploring the Huckleberry Gates section of the mountain, a truly challenging series of back-country chutes that felt like an entirely different experience every time! This area is not open all day, so be sure to check signage or ask lift operators for updates.

Sierra at Tahoe powder skiing

It knows how to feed your tween. Ski resort food is expensive, and tweens and teens can eat their weight of it after hitting the slopes all morning. I loved that Sierra at Tahoe offers affordable options. We ate at the 360 Degree Smokehouse BBQ at the Grandview Lodge, which was great for several reasons. First off, due to its location at the top of the mountain, it was easy to access and uncrowded. Secondly, the food was fantastic, and generously portioned (my two younger kids could have easily shared an entree). Better yet, if you’re feeding the entire family, their Family Meal Deal is truly a deal for $45. Families pick three types of BBQ meat entrees, then get four huge sides and four drinks. (We ate at the tasty Aspen Cafe in the Main Lodge during our first ski day, and paid over $50 to feed the same amount of people.) Best of all, this top of the mountain lodge offers complimentary boot warming while you eat. Just hand the attendants your boots on the way in, grab a pair of cozy slippers to wear in the restaurant, and trade them back in when you’re ready to head back outside. Great, right? Yeah, we could hardly believe it, either!

Grab a pair of slippers…they have your size!

It’s clear to us why we kept hearing the same thing from Sierra guests while riding up the chair lifts and hanging out in the lodges…that Sierra at Tahoe truly is a local favorite: it has just enough of everything–at a decent price–to keep everyone in your group happy, including those notoriously hard to please teens. What’s more, during our time enjoying their slopes, we never came across a Sierra employee who wasn’t cheerful, helpful, and willing to go out of his or her way to make sure we were having a good time. I can see why locals and traveling guests alike feel they’re getting a lot of value for their vacation dollar here. And best of all, when paired with one of the HomeAway vacation properties right at the base of the mountain, you can forget the commute: you’re only five minutes away from Sierra at Tahoe!

As stated previously, Sierra at Tahoe generously hosted us during this portion of our Tahoe Holiday. This compensation came with no expectation of a positive review. Read all our articles in our Home (Away) for the Holidays series!

Where to stay in Tofino BC: a review of MacKenzie Beach Resort

August 24, 2012 By

As you might guess, the outdoor excursion, storm-watching, and surfing mecca of known as the west side of Vancouver Island offers more lodging in Tofino than anywhere else we visited on our July 2012 Vancouver Island trip. Families can choose from B&Bs, five-star resorts, vacation home rentals, and our favorite, beachfront resorts with individual cottages for let.

mackenzie beach resort

We made the MacKenzie Beach Resort our home base while exploring Tofino, and loved its laid-back atmosphere, can’t-beat-it beach access, and comfortable cottages. Located directly on MacKenzie Beach, the resort is the oldest in the Tofino area (though is now joined by several more along the same strip of sand). Families can choose between campsites or cottages, some of which are directly on the sand. We stayed in Cottage 3, which is a two-bedroom unit with a living room area, wood-burning stove, full kitchen, bathroom with whirlpool tub, and two bedrooms (one of which has bunk-beds). It slept five comfortably, and while the decor is not new and the furnishings have seen a few summers, we found the cottage to be just perfect for a relaxed stay.

mackenzie beach

MacKenzie Beach itself offers constant entertainment for busy kids: when the tide is low, it’s one of the best for Tofino tide pools, and families can even walk out to a small island to spot literally hundreds of sea stars and sea anenome. MacKenzie Beach does get some waves, though the south end is protected. In addition to beach activities, MacKenzie Beach Resort offers an indoor heated pool and hot tub (great for warming up after a dip in the ocean) and grass space for outdoor activities. There’s a small corner of the office that’s been made into a bit of a convenience store, but for most things, you’ll want to head into town (5 minutes away).

mackenzie beach resort

mackenzie beach resort

We loved experiencing Tofino during the day, and returning in the late afternoons for long evenings on the beach. At night, camp fires can be built on the sand, and the Tofino sunsets are amazing.

Date last visited:

July 2012

Distance from the interstate:

Right on Highway 4.

Rates:

At the time of my visit, peak summer rates were $399 for a two-bedroom cottage. In winter, families can certainly snag a deal. I found it interesting to note that rates for comparable cottages in the resorts adjacent to MacKenzie Beach Resort were listed as approximately $25 less per night. This is not significant, but does bear mentioning. Expect accommodations at MacKenzie Beach to be comfortable, but nothing fancy. Note:: maid service is not included in a stay. Fresh linens and towels are available.

mackenzie beach

Dining options:

Cottages have full kitchens (but no dishwashers) and a communal BBQ pit outside. Guests are expected to clean the kitchen up before departure.

Directions:

From Highway 4 heading into Tofino, follow signs to MacKenzie Beach. A large sign will point the way!

As I disclose whenever applicable, I experienced MacKenzie Beach Resort free of charge, for the purpose of review. While I appreciate this opportunity to bring a review to my readers, it came with no expectation of a positive review.

A stay at the Westin Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, CA with SPG Kids’ Pass

August 2, 2012 By

The desert oasis of the Westin Mission Hills is located adjacent to Palm Springs, CA in Rancho Mirage, CA. While it may seem slightly on the crazy side to visit this part of the California desert in summer, we had a wonderful stay here, even in July. Our plan of action: tackle Palm Springs family attractions in the morning, then spend every afternoon near the pools! The Westin Mission Hills is a Starwood Preferred Hotel, which means families can earn SPG points here and kids can take part in the Starwood Kids’ Pass program during their stay.

Westin Mission Hills

SPG Kids’ Pass:

The Starwood Kids’ Pass eases parent vacation stress by putting the kids on an all-inclusive dining plan for the duration of their stay. Kids 6-12 are eligible (kids under age 6 usually eat free anyway), and for one daily price (which varies by property), they are entitled to breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks and drinks throughout the day. At the Westin Mission Hills, we found the program to run smoothly for the most part, with hotel employees understanding how it works. The only confusion came at poolside, where we’ were told Kids’ Pass requests of smoothies or sodas needed to be accompanied by a food purchase (not so). It was straightened out easily. At the Westin Mission Hills, the Kids’ Pass price is $29/day. After some calculations, I concluded this is a good value for families planning to eat three meals per day on property.

Family-friendly activities on the Westin Mission Hills property:

The Westin Mission Hills hosts a handful of outdoor pools, including a few adult-only and their Las Brisas Family Pool, located adjacent to the main dining and lobby spaces. This pool features a waterside (kids need to be 48″), two hot tubs, and a free-form pool with volleyball net, plenty of floaties, and organized poolside games. Food service is available from the snack bar and bar, and if families are overheating, they can dip into the Oasis Den, a sports-TV media room broadcasting the latest games as well as foosball and pool.

Las Brisas pool

While you’re enjoying the Kids’ Pass at Westin Mission Hills, also consider entering kids ages 4-12 in the Westin Discovery Room. This kids’ club is open in three-hour segments throughout the day (usually a morning and evening session), but parents can pay less for one hour sessions as well. The club utilizes an interior space filled with games, arts and crafts, and computer games, and occasionally ventures outdoors as the warm weather permits. Toby (age 7) and Homer (age 4) enjoyed an hour in the club while we packed up and sat poolside sans kids, and weren’t ready to leave when we returned to pick them up!

Westin Mission Hills

Golf and tennis at Westin Mission Hills:

The Westin Mission Hills is a golf resort, though you certainly don’t need to golf to enjoy the property. If you do golf on the Gary Player Signature Course, you’ll want to make an early morning tee time during the summer months (it can be uncomfortably warm by noon even as early as March in the Palms Springs area). Tennis lessons and court time are also available, and a full-scale fitness center is located near the lobby.

westin mission hills

Date last visited:

July 2012

Distance from the interstate:

Right off I-10.

Room rates:

At the time of our visit, rates for our 1 bedroom suite started at a reasonable $159 (depending on season). Suites include kitchenettes to allow for in-room dining. Villas are also available, as are standard hotel rooms. When making reservations, bear in mind that buildings spread out from the main lobby, dining, and pool areas: you’ll want to snag rooms in Buildings 1-5 to walk to the main pool (more distant buildings are connected to the main hub by free shuttle).

Dining:

The Bella Vista restaurant is open for all meals. We ate a wonderful (but pricey) dinner and breakfast here (the breakfast buffet is included for kids in the Kids’ Pass). The staff is very family-friendly, and it’s lovely to eat out on the warm patio with views of the mountains and golf course. Should you want something more casual, the Season’s Grill and Fireside Lounge are open for lunch and dinner, and the poolside snack bar has some nice (and healthy) dishes to see you through the day.

Directions:

The Westin Mission Hills is located at 71333 Dinah Shore Drive, Rancho Mirage, CA. It’s only a few miles from Palm Springs on I-10, or two hours from Southern CA beach cities.

Rancho Mirage on Dwellable

A stay at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

April 16, 2012 By

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is one of our family’s favorite–if not thefavorite–DisneyWorld resort. When readers ask me, “Why pay to stay at a DisneyWorld resort?” I always cite Disney’s impeccible attention to detail, from the in-room touches to the grand lobbies to the on-site restaurants…always themed to perfection. No where is this attention to detail more evident than at Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Animal Kingdom Lodge

From the moment you pull up outside Jambo House (the main lodge), you’re greeted by sweeping thatched rooftops, the vast lobby with its four-story high beams, tapestries, and woodwork, and more than one smiling Cast Member saying, “Welcome home!” Inside, Disney has paired their (let’s face it, sometimes romanticized) take on safari Africa with real artifacts depicting African tribal life and wildlife. Guests can take tours of the property to learn more, but just a wander around the lobby and hallways will yield an interesting cultural lesson.

And then there are the animals. Roaming three separate 30 acre expanses within the resort property, they can be viewed from the observation decks off the lobbies and hallways (a great way to see them if you’re simply touring the resort or enjoying a meal at one of the Animal Kingdom Lodge restaurants) and from ‘Savanna View’ room categories. Before staying in a Savanna View room (on average, $65 more expensive that a pool view room and $85 more expensive than a standard view room), I wondered whether the upcharge would be worth the money. Answer: yes. If you can budget for the extra expense, do so. Waking up to giraffes, wildebeests, or elephants outside our balcony never got old. (Though in full disclosure, I think I got a bigger kick out of it than the kids!) If a Savanna View room is not in your budget however, a stay at the lodge is still worth your consideration; the animals can be spotted throughout the resort, including adjacent to the pool!

Animal Kingdom Lodge animal observation

Animal Kingdom Lodge room amenities:

Room amenities obviously vary by room type, but all will include split bathrooms and either two queen beds, one king, or a queen and a set of bunk beds. Our Savanna View room comprised of two queen beds, but it was the extra balcony space (and views) that made it worth it. (Other room categories also feature balconies…just without the animal views.) All rooms come with free daily coffee, a mini fridge, hairdryers, Disney’s signature H20 spa products, and available laundry service. (The standards you’d expect.) We especially loved the effort Animal Kingdom Lodge goes to in their recycling efforts. Separate recycling bins are located throughout the resort, and even within the rooms, so it’s easy to do your part even while on vacation.

Animal Kingdom Lodge savanna view

What you get with the Disney ‘deluxe’ category:

Because Animal Kingdom Lodge falls within DisneyWorld’s ‘deluxe’ category of resorts, a childcare facility, Simba’s Clubhouse, is located on-site (for an extra hourly fee), and the resort hosts not only a cafeteria-style counter service restaurant, but a sit-down restaurant and one signature dining restaurant. It also features two fitness centers and a spa, two Animal Kingdom Lodge pools (one in the main Jambo House and one in the newer Kidani Village), both with hot tubs (important to my family). Room service is available, and there’s a full bar poolside (as well as a shaded playground). Activities are led every afternoon by a live DJ at the main pool (my kids loved playing Disney trivia and a Disney version of a ‘cake walk’ where small prizes could be won), and additional kid-oriented activities are scheduled daily in the lobby. During our visit, a Cast Member was leading crayon rubs of the African emblems and art on the lobby floor.

Animal Kingdom Lodge exterior

What cannot be measured in room rates or vacation value is how truly ‘apart’ Animal Kingdom Lodge feels. We’re Disney fans, but after we leave the parks for the day, we don’t like feeling like we’re still in one…Animal Kingdom Lodge has those small Disney touches, but doesn’t feel overly ‘Mickey-i-fied’. You really do feel away from it all, tucked into your own imaginary corner of a Disneyesque Africa.

 

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Animal Kingdom Lodge restaurants:

In addition to room service, Animal Kingdom Lodge features their counter-service cafeteria, The Mara, which is located adjacent to the main pool. We ate here for both breakfast and lunch during our stay, and never paid more than $7 per person for a well-made entree. The lodge also hosts one of DisneyWorld’s most touted signature dining restaurants, Jiko, The Cooking Place, and two moderately priced (by Disney standards) family restaurants: Sanaa (in Kidani Village) and our family’s favorite, Boma: Flavors of Africa. Everyone in our family, from the picky seven-year-old to the adults, love this African buffet. It’s not cheap, but worth the price to try so many unique and delicious dishes. (You have to try the coconut rice!) Tip: visit Boma on the dining plan to get the most value!

Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge

Date last visited:

March 2012

Room rates:

Room rates at any Disney resort vary drastically by room type and season. Value season pricing for Animal Kingdom Lodge generally starts at $265 for a standard view room, but better deals can certainly be had by going through a Disney-specific travel agent (our recommendation is Dreams Unlimited).

Animal Kingdom Lodge poolside activities

On-site perks:

No matter what DisneyWorld resort you stay in, you’ll enjoy certain perks, such as Disney Transportation (both to and from all parks and resorts during your stay), Disney’s Magical Express (which picks you up from and returns you to the airport, as well as handles all your bags…you can ‘check’ them right at the resort!), the option of the Disney Dining Plan (worth it!), and early and late entry into the parks during Extra Magic Hours. And since Animal Kingdom Lodge is a deluxe resort, you can take advantage of the on-site concierge, who can not only find you reservations for dining and other activities, but can print your boarding passes before you depart.

Directions:

If you use Disney’s Magical Express, you don’t need to worry about directions, but if you’re driving, the resort address is 2901 Osceola Pkwy Lake Buena Vista. Signage is easy to follow (follow directions to Animal Kingdom and the Blizzard Beach water park).

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge hosted Pit Stops for Kids at no charge, as part of the Disney Fantasy media preview cruise. While we appreciate their hospitality, all opinions of the resort are our own. Photo credit: BestofWDW and Pit Stops for Kids.

Disney done right: Finding the right Disney resort for your family

January 27, 2011 By
Walt Disney World Resort

When visiting Disney, we recommend fully immersing yourself in the magic of an on-site resort, but as a family of five, we also know the frustration families of five or more experience when seeking accommodations at a reasonable rate. Below are our ways to sleep in comfort, style (and within budget) at a Walt Disney World resort as a family of five (or more):

Know your options. At first glance, you may think the only way to get a low rate at a Disney hotel is to stay at one of their ‘value’ resorts. While that may be a great option (especially with the opening of All Star Music’s family suites), it’s not your only one. Disney Vacation Club members enjoy yearly points at Disney resorts and villas, and you don’t have to join to enjoy the savings: it’s possible (and entirely ‘above board’) to buy points from a DVC member for a discounted room rate at any of Disney’s deluxe studio, one room, two room, and even three room villas.

Learn the layout. (Of each resort, that is.) Not all Disney resort rooms are created equal. For instance, Port Orleans’ Alligator Bayou rooms include an extra trundle bed, allowing five people per room. (But note that anyone over age five is going to be mighty uncomfortable on that pull-out bed.) The Grand Floridian and the Contemporary (deluxe category) both sleep five in a standard room…but the Contemporary’s room layout offers a significantly larger square footage for less money per night.

Think outside the (single room) box. Consider booking two connecting rooms at a moderate or value resort for the same price of one deluxe room. Or opt for a value resort family suite; what you’ll sacrifice in resort ambiance and amenities you’ll gain in space for your family (as well as a kitchenette!). All Stars Music currently offers such suites for as low as $190 a night in the value season, and in summer of 2012, Disney will offer families another suite option at the brand new Art of Animation. If you want to stay off the beaten path (as much as that’s possible at Disney!), Disney’s Fort Wilderness cabins sleep six.

Above all, do your research. Check our favorite source for Disney resort room discounts, and plan your trip around a Disney ‘value’ season if possible. Of course, the easiest resort solution for a family of five or more is simply to splurge: reserve a suite or connecting rooms at a deluxe hotel or deluxe villa and ignore the cost. If you can do so, by all means: be my guest! (Or rather Disney’s.) I envy you!

More Disney Done Right articles are located on our Family Vacations page.

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Extensive Great Wolf Lodge review: Grand Mound Washington

July 1, 2009 By

This past week, my family and I spent two nights and two days at The Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound, WA.

We arrived at the resort at approximately 9 pm on a Sunday night. The lobby was still filled with children watching the evening animatronics show by the Grand Hall’s main focal point, the clock tower (more on that later), but there was no wait to check in.

Great Wolf

Get our top Great Wolf Lodge tips here, good for all locations!

As a family of five, we had booked a Kid Cabin Suite, which consists of a room with a queen bed, a pull-out sofa, and a framed off cabin compartment with a kid-sized bunk bed and day bed. Based on photos from the website, my boys had wanted a Wolf Den Suite (similar but with a faux rock wall to simulate a cave), but as it’s designed for a family of four, booking one would have required purchasing an additional water park ‘Paw Pass’ for our youngest to the tune of $40 a day (a detail I only realized after booking¦luckily it was easy to change). For our family, the Kid Cabin Suite was a better deal.

And the kids were very happy with it.

The rest of the room was spacious and clean. We were pleased with the corner fireplace and flat screen TV, and it was also very nice to have a fridge and microwave (enabling us to eat breakfast in our room and store drinks and snacks). Within the kid cabin was a second flat screen TV with a Game Cube (games can be ordered for $6.95 an hour). We opted to skip that feature, and used the TV only for free channels in the mornings. I was slightly worried about noise level at night with so many kids afoot throughout the lodge, but at least in our section of the lodge, the ‘Hibernation’ hours of 10 pm to 7 am were well adhered to. We never heard a peep after putting the kids to bed at 9 pm each night.

great-wolf-lodge-kidcabin

On Monday morning, we ate our own breakfast in our room, and I checked out the fitness center. It was smaller than I had expected, but at 7:30 am, I was easily able to get an elliptical machine. There were also treadmills and weight machines.

Great Wolf Lodge activities:

MagiQuest:

By 9 am, the water park was open and MagiQuest was activated for the day. This bears explaining, because trust me, your kids will want to do it.

Tip: get all our MagiQuest tips here!

MagiQuest is an interactive activity installed throughout the lodge. The official website explains it better than I can: Armed with high-tech wands, your family must solve magical challenges throughout the resort to gain powers (and points) and move to higher levels of the game. Even if this doesn’t sound like your sort of thing, you won’t be able to avoid it. Everywhere you go (on the public areas of the first four floors), kids will be waving wands and bringing various fixtures in the hallways and ceilings to life. I know it sounds annoying, but it’s actually quite good fun. We encountered older children stopping to give hints on the game to younger ones and while kids occasionally bumped into us in their excitement to find their next clue, the general chaos wasn’t unmanageable.

MagiQuest

But onto the nitty gritty: wands start at $14.99 (you can pay substantially more for fancy toppers) and then an additional $9.99 is necessary to activate’ your game. I am not one to spend money on overpriced souvenirs or gimmicks, but let me say: it’s worth it. Every penny. It took my kids their entire stay to complete the quest (playing on and off as time allowed), and then several more games opened up…they continued playing right up until the moment we left, and could have played for another day at least. They took their wands home as keepsakes, and if we come back for a return visit, they can reuse the same wands (paying only the $9.99 activation fee). All in all, it was a great activity, and good exercise too!

ShadowQuest:

shadowquest

ShadowQuest is a brand-new interactive wand game, available at Great Wolf Lodge’s Grand Mound location, as well as at several other Great Wolf Lodge locations. In this live-action adventure game, your family takes on the task of helping to save the light of the sky before it vanishes. Players follow clues in a guidebook and explore the halls and stairways of Great Wolf Lodge to find hidden objects and complete quests.

The game is 12 stages long and can be completed over multiple visits to Great Wolf Lodge. My family played for about 3 hours and had a great time finishing the first four stages. My kids loved that their wands could be used not only for playing the game, but for opening treasure chests and activating statues and animals all over the lodge!

Howl at the Moon Miniature Golf:

Another new attraction at Great Wolf Lodge is the very cool Howl at the Moon miniature golf course. This golf course is a 9-hole course located near the arcade. It is decorated with lots of woodland creatures and has simple obstacles to work around on your way to the holes.  The whole course is lit with blacklights for a fun effect.

Waterpark:

The main attraction of The Great Wolf Lodge, however, is the water park. My first impression was that it actually smelled less chlorinated than most indoor water parks, which was a huge plus for me, since that heated, chemical-based smell really bothers me. I learned later that I wasn’t imaging it: The Great Wolf takes green’ measures to use less chlorine.

But of course my kids didn’t care about any of that. They were off and (not) running (that’s a big rule) from the moment we stepped through the doors. They were initially disappointed in the lack of a lazy river, but were quickly enamored by the wave pool. There was an excellent zero-depth entry splash and slide area for toddlers (the deepest section went up to my four-year-old’s waist) and a huge fort with dumping bucket and more slides. My husband and one of my kids spent most of their time in the pool with basketball hoops and moving floatation pads in the shape of animals, and my favorite feature was the indoor/outdoor hot tub. The thrill rides were fairly mild, but plenty thrilling for my family (oldest child at age 10). Two of the slides have a minimum height requirement of 48 inches, much to my preschooler’s disappointment, but there was plenty else to distract him. During our two day stay, we spend two whole mornings in the water park.

Northern Lights Arcade:

The kids were quite happy with the medium-sized arcade (and I was quite unhappy, because I hate arcades.) That said, this one was clean and the staff was very friendly. The kids were all able to redeem tickets for prizes, and came away with the usual assortment of arcade junk, which they greatly enjoyed.

Dining at Great Wolf Lodge Ground Mound:

On that first day, we ate an adequate lunch of hot dogs and hamburgers at the Spirit Island Snack Shop, which came to a total of approximately $30 for five people (this did not include drinks, as we brought in our own). Outside food is allowed in the water park, which was a great cost saver. I saw some families bringing in whole coolers. I wish I had been that organized!

For an afternoon break, the older boys continued their MagiQuest game, and I took the preschooler to the Cub Club, where he was able to color and play simple computer games for free. For additional fees, kids could decorate their own Great Wolf Lodge t-shirt or choose from a number of other art projects. We found it quite peaceful…and there was no pressure to purchase anything.

We opted to leave the lodge to eat dinner at La Tarasca in nearby Centralia, which I cannot recommend enough. We were back in time for the nightly clock tower show and story time, which was geared for ages perhaps 2-5. I took our four-year-old, and when we arrived right at 8 pm, we had trouble finding a place to sit. The show was a combination of song and animatronics, and ended in an appearance from Wiley the Wolf (GWL’s mascot) and a bedtime story read by a lodge employee (called a Pack Member). The message was very environmental in nature, and I’ve read other reviews criticizing the heavy emphasis placed by GWL on the outdoors when everything they offer is in fact indoors, but I was willing to let it pass. Perhaps that’s because our family spends enough hours out-of-doors backpacking and camping that I wasn’t concerned my children would mistake the woodsy d’cor of the lodge for the real thing.

Throughout our stay, I made mental comparisons between The Great Wolf and Silver Mountain Resort, where we had stayed the previous summer. They both have their pros and cons, and of course both are family friendly and have family suites. For a compatible room rate (based on the best available public rate at each), you get substantially more room for your money at Silver Mountain, with ‘true’ suites with separate rooms and a full kitchen and the ambiance of an established ski and mountain resort, but Great Wolf provides more for families to do on-site with their Cub Club, Gr8 Space (night club for kids 12 and older), and MagiQuest. The water parks are very compatible: Silver Mountain lacks a wave pool, but boasts a lazy river and surf simulator. My kids couldn’t decide which was better. Undoubtedly, Great Wolf is more centrally located for most people in the Pacific Northwest, and they are definitely geared solely toward families with young children.

We found the service staff to be excellent throughout our stay, with Pack Members’ never failing to say hello, smile, or ask if we needed anything. A Magi Master’ was always on-hand to answer quest-related questions, and I didn’t count the number of life guards in the water park, but it was teeming with them.

I’d definitely recommend The Great Wolf Lodge for a kid-centered getaway.

As I will disclose whenever applicable, we did receive significant compensation in the form of reduced rates and gift vouchers for review purposes, as is standard in the travel industry; however, these compensations came with no strings attached. As always, no less than my honest impressions will be present in this review.