When we decided to do a short theme park trip to Orlando, Florida over a long weekend in September, we wanted equal parts adventure and relaxation. The back-to-school hustle in our house with a fourth-grader and a toddler was exhausting enough, and we absolutely couldn’t return from this trip fried, depleted and craving a vacation from our vacation. Where we decided to stay and how we structured our time there were the two most important parts of our plan.
The impetus for visiting Orlando was two-fold: First, we surprised our 10-year-old son with a one-day pass to the brand-new Universal Epic Universe in his Easter basket last spring, so we had to deliver on that. Epic Universe is a new immersive park that Universal Studios debuted with five separate themed lands ranging from Super Nintendo World to Dark Universe (think Frankenstein, werewolves) to Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic where you can feel like you are traveling by floo powder to the trial of Dolores Umbridge. Our Harry Potter-obsessed overachiever who read all seven books in third grade had already experienced Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure – twice – but was dying to check out their new offering.
The second reason: we wanted to take our 2-year-old daughter to the Magic Kingdom for one day to celebrate her love of everything Minnie and Disney princesses - and my love of having a daughter after all these years of being a boy mom and struggling through crippling infertility to have her.
In the past when we have visited Disney parks, we have stayed at Disney resorts. When we have visited Universal parks, we have stayed at Universal resorts. But this time was different. We were spending one day at the Magic Kingdom and one day at Epic Universe – and we were bringing Grandma and Grandpa along, so roomier accommodations were a must. We wanted a resort in a serene setting – away from the circus of the theme parks - with an amazing pool, lazy river, water slides and excellent dining options.
Situated on 106-acres overlooking picturesque Lake Austin, The Grove Resort and Waterpark Orlando is secluded and quiet. It placed just the right amount of distance between us and the theme parks when we needed to decompress away from the action. But it was also conveniently close, which made early-morning on-time park arrivals stress-free. In 15-minutes in our rental car, we were at Walt Disney World and in 30 minutes we could easily get to both Universal Studios and Orlando International Airport.
Here are three reasons to book The Grove Resort for your next Orlando vacation if you’re traveling with kids:
1. The Accommodations: We stayed in a 3-bedroom suite that was modern, spacious and the perfect size for our family. Two bedrooms had en suite bathrooms, and one had a full-bathroom just across the hall. A full kitchen and dining table gave us the flexibility to order dinner into the room the first night we arrived because we were too exhausted to go out. It also allowed us as to feed the kids in the morning before we headed out to the parks so no one arrived starving and we could head straight to the rides.
My favorite part, however, was our screened-in balcony overlooking Lake Austin. We saw turtles, alligators and birds of every kind from our own birds’ eye view. Morning coffee out there was a serene, much-needed stark contrast from the crowds and noise of the parks.
2. The Water Park: Our “resort” day where we stayed on-property was a welcome respite after spending 12 hours at the Magic Kingdom the day prior. Yes, 12! We arrived at the gates at 8:15am and didn’t exit until the parade and fireworks show concluded at 10 p.m. The next day, the adults in our party were exhausted, but the kids still had loads of energy to release.
Luckily, Surfari Water Park had something for everyone, including plenty of activities to keep the kids busy.
Our poolside cabana included a dedicated server (who never left us waiting by the way), a cooler stocked with water bottles, and a much-needed shaded area complete with a TV, ceiling fan and dining table where we could escape the hot September sun. My husband and son enjoyed the Flowrider double surf simulator where they both took a surfing lesson and actually got up on their boards like true pros. My daughter and I loved the splash pad with tipping buckets, water blasters, fountains and slides. The Lazy River – 695 feet of fun – was a fun activity we could all do together until the boys decided it was time to hit the big water slides.
The food from Longboard Bar and Grill was delicious, and the drinks were a fam fave: frozen watermelon jalapeno margaritas for me and for my husband and mango smoothies in the cutest souvenir cups with a turtle top for my daughter and an alligator top for my son. They still talk about those smoothies in those cups more than they talk about the actual theme parks, which pretty much summarizes being a parent.
3. The Kids’ Activities: There was so much for our kids to do at The Grove, and I cannot say my son has ever gone fishing – one of his favorite hobbies! – at a Disney or Universal hotel. Steve at Lake Austin Pier provided everything my son needed to lure and catch fish with excellent instruction, and he was a wealth of knowledge about Lake Austin marine life.
Flip Flop’s Family Fun Center was another highlight of the trip for my kiddos. Even though there more arcade games than they actually had time to play, they both won their fair share of tickets and cashed them in for trinkets and candy prizes. Indoor glow-in-the-dark mini-golf was a welcome break from the heat and sun, and so was the kids’ activity center where sand art, build-a-buddy (like Build-A-Bear) and Slime time were all on the schedule.
The minute we checked into The Grove Resort and I saw our kids coloring at the mini table in the play area adjacent to the desk, I knew we were going to have an amazing weekend – and I was right!
To Book Your Stay at The Grove Resort and Waterpark Orlando, visit: https://www.groveresortorlando.com
