It's the start of a long holiday weekend plus it's just a few days before your birthday! What do you do?? Head to Orlando, of course! At least that is what I did this past weekend with my family. Orlando is the perfect "staycation" for us - it's far enough away that we see new sights but still close enough to home that we don't spend too much time traveling. I like to try out new hotels and for this trip we chose to visit The Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Suites – Waterpark (formerly the Nickelodeon Hotel).
This hotel boasts 777 newly renovated all-suite accommodations. My family stayed in the two bedroom suite, which was perfect for us! There was a master bedroom with a queen bed and a separate room for the kids with bunk beds. I loved this added touch of privacy for my husband and I, and the kids loved having their own space. What was really nice was that when they woke up at the crack of dawn they could turn on their TV and keep themselves occupied until we woke up. Our accommodations also had a living area with a pull out queen sleeper sofa couch and a kitchenette with microwave and small refrigerator.
After an easy check-in we were excited to explore the hotel, starting with the pool area! My kids LOVE swimming so when they saw the pictures of the waterpark they were all in. The waterpark is massive and includes lots of rope bridges, dump buckets, water sprayers and 7 slides. You can also enjoy a splash zone, zero-entry pool, small children's play area and two jacuzzis. There is always a lot going on at the main pool, including dance parties and contests during the day and dive in movies during the night. If this scene isn't for you - don't worry! There is another (quieter) pool as well.
The only thing I did not like about the waterpark is that it does not open until 11AM. The pools open at 9AM and I don't know how many times I had to tell my kids the waterpark isn't open yet. It would have been great if everything opened all at once.
All that swimming can make you hungry but never fear! There are a number of dining options available on property at the Marketplace. I loved the ease of grabbing a pizza from Antonio's Pizza & Grill or a sandwich from Subway. If you are looking for a sit-down restaurant, check out the Lakeside Café, where kids 12 and under eat FREE with a paying adult. Adults will love getting a drink at the Hideaway Lounge, a bar atmosphere with TVs and pool tables, or stop by for an ice cream cone or Starbucks at Cravings.
For the fraction of the time when we weren't swimming, there were a lot of other activities to keep us busy. There is a daily calendar jam packed full of things to enjoy during your stay from family karaoke to Bingo to air hockey tournaments and more. Our first night we participated in family game night, which is a super fun game show that gets the whole audience involved. The next night we enjoyed a magic show with some pretty amazing acts that left us all wondering how they did it. There is also a 3,000 square foot Arcade and Club Candy where (you guessed it!) you can stock up on some candy or participate in a social happy hour or a jellybean tournament. You might even run into the captain!
Another fun activity offered by the Holiday Inn is the Batman Laser Challenge. Stop the Joker and work alongside Batman to diffuse the Joker Laughing Gas devices that he has set off in a Gotham city warehouse. You can play one person or two people, from easy to expert levels. The object of the game is to crawl under, climb over, hop or whatever you need to do to make it across the room without touching any of the laser beams, touch a button and then come back and touch another button in the fastest time possible. My kids were obsessed with this and we spent quite a bit of time here. The cost for this was $7.95 + tax for a double play.
Check out the video of the kids taking on the challenge:
Another fun activity the whole family will enjoy is the 4-D Experience Theater. It is equipped with wind, water, bubble, scents and snow, which makes you feel like you are not just watching the movie but are actually IN the movie. There were 4 different movies playing, including an underwater adventure, a ride on a railway and roller coaster and adventures with Yogi Bear. Each movie is about 10 to 15 minutes long. The cost for this was $7.95 + tax for a single ticket or $15.95 tax for an all-you-can-watch 4-D Experience films wristband.
You also have the option to purchase a wristband that will let you enjoy unlimited 4-D experience films plus unlimited laser challenge for $19.95 + tax.
Yogi Bear was our favorite!
I definitely recommend this hotel as a great weekend getaway. There is so much to do at the resort that you don't even need to leave, but if you chose to do the parks the hotel is conveniently located just one mile from Walt Disney World. Complimentary transportation to the parks is provided as well.
Prices vary depending on the season but we paid in the low $100's per night which I thought was very reasonable, especially being that it was during a holiday weekend. This is a hotel that we would definitely return to. Thanks for the family memories The Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Suites – Waterpark!!
For more information on this hotel or to reserve your stay, visit them online HERE.
I received complimentary services for the purposes of this review. All opinions stated are my own.
