Bringing this back up for more up to date input. I am thinking of going with my daughter and grandkids. Any new tips or suggestions?? Anywhere to find deals? thanks!

I don't particularly like it either, but my kids do. I go for them, not for me.

I hate the place

Yuck, it's like an overpriced, overcrowded Days Inn with greasy food and an overwhelming chlorine smell.

I LOVE GWL. We're leaving to go there for our annual trip on Sunday - Tuesday. We'll be there for only 1 full day, 2 nights, but we'll get to use the park for the day we arrive as well. That's generally enough time to thoroughly get sick of the pool.

If you have a toddler as your oldest, I'd say "don't waste your money". The slides on the large playset are not tandum...one at a time, so if you have a baby, you wont be able to go down these slides with him/her.

There are 2 slides that use tubes. You can go single (in a ring tube) or go double (in a tube that looks like a figure 8). They are fast and fun.

Then there are also the bigger, more thrilling slides. One is a large raft that you can sit in. You can take a baby in that because it is a very enjoyable ride down and you're not touching the water...you are IN the raft. The most extreme ride there is the Howling Tornado. My 9 YO DD screamed in fear and cried afterwards. It is fast and furious and you have to be able to hold on in order to go down this slide.

So, yes...there is something for everyone!! I'm a kid at heart, so I enjoy the slides tremendously with my kids.

Other water fun includes a wave pool, a lazy river, 2 hot tubs, and other pools to play around in. There is a large toddler pool also with smaller slides.

It can be spendy if you go unprepared. If you go, come with hotdogs, sandwich ingredients, and a large jug of water. There is a small frig and a microwave in the room. If you go to the restaurant with the food bar for every meal, you'll double what you expected to pay at this place. There are ways around it though. There is a Pizza Hut in the lobby, and there is a shop downstairs that sells salads and sandwiches at a better price than an all-you-can-eat bar.

I typically let my older children go off by themselves to play MagicQuest. If you have young kids, you'll be stuck walking the hallways to do this with them. My 11 YO might actually get sick of it this year though.

If you're going to make a reservation, sign up for their emails and wait for the emails to come with the big coupons. The room that we're getting this weekend is the largest suite and generally goes for over $700 per night. We got it for $350 due to the sales that they offer. The first year we went, we payed $500 for a mediocre room...we did not know about the specials that they offer at the time.

I love this place. Especially around Christmas...they have Santa there for photographs and do lots of festive things around the holidays.

We went to a GWL type place and the only thing I saw that was for adults was the bar.

I have 4 sons, we went to GWL last winter when they were ages 3, 5, 8, and 10. My kids had a blast both at the water park, and with the magic wand thing. We went the year before when they were 2, 4, 7, and 9--but I think my youngest was too young to fully appreciate it at that point. There were a few slides he was too small for, etc. We only stayed one night, and really only did the water park and magiQuest thing--we didn't go to their arcade, spend any time in the gift shop, etc.

I can see us continuing to go to GWL for at least a few more years, probably by the time my oldest is 12-13 he won't be as enthusiastic about it.

As for "things for adults"--we didn't even bother visiting the spa. We saw it strictly as a "for the kids" stay. HTH

We took our youngest when she was three and she loved it. She loves water though. They have life vests for the non swimmers. My oldest is now 11 and looking forward to going back.

Not much for adults as far as I can tell. Bring a bottle of wine and sit by the fireplace after the kids are asleep? With three kids we always get the kids Cabin suite so they have their own area.

I don't think it's run-down either. I have a 6 year old and a 2 year old and we've been going every year since my oldest was 2. He loves it and I think that my youngest will enjoy it when we go back this spring (he wasn't so into it this past Feb when he was 22 months). I think that if your child loves water, then you can start going around age 3. If they're at all hesitant around water and don't like being splashed, I'd wait a little longer.

I was there recently and would not say that it was rundown. I was impressed with how clean the place was.

I think it is best geared toward about 8 year olds who can enjoy the magic wand game thing, too. Issue I have heard (not experienced) is that it is getting a little run down. Massanutten just put in a new water park that just opened ... my 10 year old went and liked it. I have not seen it, but that could be another option perhaps for older kids.

Anonymous wrote:Is the resort totally geared towards kids or are there things for adults, too... Both in the water park and in the hotel portion? What ages is the park best geared towards?

I'd like to know this, too. Anyone?

Just keep telling yourself that you are there for the kids and realize you are only there a short time. It is not a high-end hotel but the kids enjoyed it.

There's an overpriced spa.

Is the resort totally geared towards kids or are there things for adults, too... Both in the water park and in the hotel portion? What ages is the park best geared towards?