Author: Mredd6
Date: 2012-02-09 22:24:45
Our family is just finishing our stay in one of the two bedroom lower units. We rented the unit from an owner on Redweek.
The entire unit was very large and immaculate. The king bed was great and our 3 kids had plenty of room with the two twin beds and pull out sleeper sofa. Our unit was never more than a few minutes' drive from any of the resort amenities (indoor/outdoor pools, recreation center, mini golf, go karts, playgrounds, etc.). The resort itself is only a few minutes from the Water Park. We've been there before during a shorter stay when only the indoor section was open. The outdoor section is equally fun. Our kids could not get enough of the lily pad "water bridge" (you'll see what I mean). The wave pool was great fun, too, as were the giant outdoor slide, all of the indoor slides and the wave board ride.
I would recommend getting a 3-Day pass to the Water Park rather than the 6-Day pass, though you do get 3 extra days for less than a 1-Day pass by purchasing the 6-Day pass. It's just that after a few hours, the kids were wiped out. We would go ealry, leave when they got tired and grab something to eat, then go back again in the late afternoon. But they also enjoyed all the activities at the resort - especially the indoor pools and diving boards. I think a 3-Day pass gives you plenty of time to enjoy everything without feeling like you have to go to the Water Park to make the pass worthwhile. Also, don't buy food at the Water Park - it's ridiculously expensive (though obviously more convenient if you're hungry and not ready to leave).
We also went to Luray Caverns. That was fun and educational - kids and adults both had a good time. It's a 40 minute drive from the resort and it doesn't take much longer than that to go through the caverns, so it's not something that will take a whole day. I wouldn't waste your money on the garden maze, though. From the car, going through the entire maze with 3 kids, buying ice cream and returning to the car, it only took 25 minutes. It cost was $19 and would have been $25 if our daughter was one year older. Even at the reduced price, it's just not worth it. The "prize" for finding the 4 "clues" in the maze is a coupon for $1 off a t-shirt, hat or poster in the gift shop. Our maze experience was underwhelming at best. We've been through other mazes near where we live and on other vacations, so it's not that we just don't like them. This one just wasn't that interesting in our opinion.
Nonetheless, the entire family had a great time and we'll definitely be back again in the future. I would highly recommend this resort for families or anyone looking to have a relaxing, fun time. It's also great if you love wildlife - we saw deer all over the place almost every day. There was also the occasional groundhog and other smaller animals. The trash receptacles are bear-proof, but we never saw a bear (for which I personally am very grateful). Definitely bring a camera - the deer are very used to people and you can get pretty close to take great shots of them.
The only negative comment I would make (the garden maze notwithstanding) concerns the limited kitchen. Because we rented a lower unit, there isn't a stove or oven - just a microwave and a grill on the deck. We knew that ahead of time and came prepared. However, the microwave was not very good. It would stop rotating in the middle of cooking which made it difficult to time things properly. We burned several bags of popcorn before deciding to just buy popcorn at Food Lion. But honestly, the microwave issue was a minor annoyance at best. We never even bothered complaining about it, though we will let the staff know at check-out.
Anyway, if you're considering staying here, we highly recommend this resort. This comes from a family of 5: mom, dad and 3 kids (ages 12, 8 and 5). The next time we visit, we're going to rent an entire upper and lower unit so that my mom, brother and niece can come, too. Based upon what we've told them already, they can't wait until next year!
-------
Report it Here
Add a Listing
