Castaway Bay: Our Ohio Waterpark Experience!

Castaway Bay, Sandusky Ohio - 2011

I was given the opportunity to check out Castaway Bay indoor waterpark (Sandusky, OH) and the Spa at Castaway Bay this past weekend - it was amazing to think that my opinion might be of value to someone! It was a special "mommy blogger" event with several amazing woman from Ohio, Illinois and Michigan - OK who am I kidding, it wasn't the networking aspect so much as it was a free night away and waterpark passes for the family. I've wanted to stay at Castaway Bay for some time, so this event was the perfect opportunity!

REVIEW of CASTAWAY BAY

Castaway Bay is a family destination, especially families with younger children. It is large enough for everyone to enjoy, but not large enough to worry about where your children are. There are many amenities to enjoy too, including a full service spa, the waterpark with lots of slides, a toddler area and a wave pool, an arcade, and family activities including the kids club with daily activities such as karaoke, face painting, arts & crafts and much more. There are also several restaurants on property with reasonably priced resort food - I consider that higher priced than heading to fast food, but worth staying in for! I'll admit, we did not get to explore everything during our brief stay but I did get a chance to visit the spa; During the blogger event, I got a full tour of the spa and was even a lucky recipient of a spa treatment.

OUR ROOM: As my husband and I are both former employees at Cedar Point, I should remember that the entire staff tries very hard to please their audience - And please them they do. Our room was spotless and immaculately prepared for us with two double beds, a small table and a amoire with a TV, fridge and microwave in addition to the typical bathroom amenities. It was not overly small nor overly large, it was just right for my family of 4 - Don't expect to pop a jumbo bag of popcorn in the in-room micro though and consider bringing your own pillows. (I'm picky about my pillows.)

The kids were safe exploring all that Castaway Bay waterpark had to offer!
It's perfect for families and would make a great family reunion destination.

THE WATERPARK: The waterpark was the perfect temperature, both in and out of the water. The entire family loved hanging out in the indoor/outdoor spa, watching the steam gently swirl around us almost as much as we loved the water slides and the wave pool. I think my husband especially liked escaping to the hot tub as he was left with the kids while I was at the blogger event!

Their snack bar is also conveniently placed within the pool area for easy access, and there was PLENTY of seating available. Seating is so important and from experience not available at other waterparks; typically you scramble for chairs to plop down on and that was not the case at Castaway Bay! As this was President's Day weekend, I expected many people at the resort, however it was not overly crowded. For families with younger, less patient children, I would suggest hitting the slides early or late in the day though for the shortest wait times!

Zach and Linus - The entire staff at
Castaway Bay Staff tried really
hard to make our vacation
wonderful!

DINING: We opted to grab a quick bite Saturday morning at Ebb & Eddy's instead of waiting the whopping 10 minutes for Mango Mike's. It offered us the changes to quickly grab some coffee, fruit, yogurt and donuts for the kids. Everyone was simply so anxious to get to the waterpark, that I had to quash the whining quickly. In the afternoon, after burning a few calories, the family ate pizza and pulled pork at Big Daddy's Snack Shack, located within the waterpark - The food was good, nicely prepared and we were waited on by friendly, happy staff. 

THE STAFF: From the gal checking us in, to the lifeguards, to the foodservice professional's, everyone was smiling - We had fabulous service from everyone that we met. My kids enjoyed meeting some of the Peanut's gang too, although I'll admit, we must be slacking as good parents because neither child know Linus or Lucy!

THE SPA: The mom blogger event was held on the deck of the private pool at the spa. We toured the facilities, the massage rooms, pedicure room and pool; the entire environment surrounded us with relaxation and pampering, which is what we needed. Even the upstairs waiting room was nicely appointed with plants and a tranquil fountain. My spa treatment Saturday was of course fabulous too - It was very relaxing and left my skin soft and glowing! The spa would make a nice addition to a girls weekend or even a family reunion being held at the resort - let the mom's get out and play while everyone else is enjoying the waterpark or arcade.

The spa was a relaxing
tranqil treat!

For all that was wonderful, there really was nothing to complain about - And that isn't because the vacation was free, but because it is evident that the everyone employed at Castaway Bay takes pride is their service, the cleanliness of the resort and ensures that the families who visit have fun! My biggest complaint was the route our GPS took us across the scenic rural roads of Ohio, but that's another story... 

Since Ann Arbor Mom likes to offer money saving ideas for families, I'd like to highlight that the resort often offers up special pricing throughout the year, and even gives kids a free waterpark day pass for their birthday when they join the kids club.

As an added bonus, Ann Arbor Mom blog readers should check out the special Castaway Bay pricing for your next waterpark vacation at Catsaway Bay. So when the Michigan weather gets to you, head to the indoor warmth and relaxation of Castaway Bay, you won't be disappointed!

I would like to thank the ThunderTech marketing group for the private viewing of the Spa at Castaway Bay and the vacation/waterpark passes for my family. We enjoyed ourselves and will be back!