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Joie De Viv

finding the joy in every day

SoCal Kid Spot: Great Wolf Lodge & Tips

March 11, 2018 ·

A couple of years ago, Great Wolf Lodge opened a new location in Garden Grove, CA, JUST down the street from Disneyland! We have just spent our second “staycation” at the resort, and I hope I can share some of our experiences and tips we’ve found with other families who are considering this super fun family attraction!

The 105,000-square-foot indoor water park is exclusively for hotel guests and boasts over 600 suites. Our first trip was for Kaitlyn’s 4th birthday. We booked a standard suite and invited family to come along. We were able to purchase guest visitor passes for $50/pp and kids with 4 little toddlers, 3 of whom did not require a wristband. Despite their young age (3 under 3), the kids all had a blast! This year, we booked 2 suites for both families and the kids (5 under 5!) – and again all throughly enjoyed the park!

For the toddlers, we’ve always packed their Puddle Jumpers, because they are all familiar and comfortable with them. The resort does provide complimentary life vests and suggest all children under 48″ wear them.

The water park itself is indoors, heated to a comfortable 84F, with water temp at 82F. Fresh, dry towels are limitless – my how this was important with so many kids! The large number of employees and life guards on watch was reassuring as well.  With our group’s young ages, we typically spent a lot of time in the Cub Paw Pool.  Even our littlest (10 months) enjoyed the shallowest of waters, with a beach style-slope entry, water fountains, water tables, and the tiniest of slides.  The older toddlers also loved the slides in the Cub Paw Pool and overall semi-freedom of being able to bob, walk, and paddle in the shallow waters.  Our toddlers also LOVED Fort Mackenzie and all the water slides it offered. Even our 2 year olds could slide down solo, with a parent waiting at the bottom.  The lazy river and wave pools were also a huge hit with the older toddlers, accompanied by adults of course.  The adults took turns supervising little ones and going on the big slides for some thrills as well.

We made a point to attend their famous Bedtime Storytime in the main lobby. We had missed it on our first trip because we were still playing in the water. Plan accordingly if you want to attend this FREE nightly event. We set enough time to get up to the rooms, shower, get the kids in PJs, and scope out good seats. The kids got a kick out of going downstairs and seeing everyone else in their jammies as well. The stage involved moving characters, screens, a live storyteller, and a large character for meet-and-greet afterwards. If your child is timid, it may be better to choose a spot further back from the stage.

To save some serious dough, book a weeknight stay. The second best alternative, as we have done both times – book a Sunday/Monday stay. Groupon also regularly has deals for Great Wolf, so be sure to check it out. You are allowed to use the waterpark as early as 1pm on the day of your stay, with check-in typically around 4pm. You can also pre-check in and they will send a text to let you know when your room is ready. For the day of checkout, check out is at 11am. You may pay an additional fee for a later check-out if space is available. You are also able to use the water park the FULL day until closing, on your check out day. Plan ahead and pack a change of clothes and toiletries. There are showers and changing rooms in the water park.

We have yet to try the interactive MagiQuest game that is a huge hit with the resort, but we did see many groups throughly enjoying it! Be warned though, if you decide to partake, from my “interviews in the elevators”, the game requires a lot of elevator trips, and approximately 6 hrs to complete in entirety. It is also not free. I heard it cost about $40 ($20 per wand, and $20 for the game). It was conclusive by all participants we saw, that they thought it was completely worth it! When our kids are old enough to enjoy, I am sure it will be an activity we do as a family!

Additional Tips:
* A refillable souvenir cup for drinks can be purchased for $14.95 plus tax and includes free refills for the duration of your stay.
* Dunkin Donuts (on main lobby level) also has a refillable coffee cup for $9.95 plus tax.
* Guests celebrating birthdays can request a special “wolf ears” headband, as long as available. Our first year, they were all out. All children guests receive complimentary wolf ears.
* There is a Target within 1/2 mile down the street for anything you may need or forget.
* McDonald’s is across the street.
* The Great Wolf “story” and an accompanying episode can be found in animated version on the in-room tv station.
* There is a refrigerator, microwave, and coffee maker in the room. We also received a couple of free bottles of water.
* Though the signs state no outside foods can be brought in, we never had any trouble with the snacks and milk we packed for the kids.

* GWL provides a limited number of complimentary shuttles to and from Disneyland Resort.

 

Years ago, we never would have thought we would have needed or found a reason to stay locally at an indoor water park.  However, Great Wolf Lodge really has become such a treat that we’ve all fallen for.  Have you stayed at a Great Wolf Lodge?  Please feel free to share any of your tips as well!

***ALL OPINIONS AND TIPS ARE MY OWN.  NO COMPENSATION WAS PROVIDED FOR THIS REVIEW.***

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Filed Under: Baby/Kids, mom life, review, So Cal Kids Activities, Southern California kids activites, things to do with kids, travel Tagged: Anaheim, california, disneyland, great wolf lodge, review, Southern California, staycation, things to do with kids, vacation, water park

Kingston Files: Terrific, Terrible, Tremendous TWOs!

October 24, 2017 ·

TWO – oh yes, we are firmly in the second year now!  Kingston turned 2 last month and I wanted to document it with a photoshoot at our home away from home, mainly focusing on his current OBSESSION: the CARS franchise.  We’ve been spending A LOT of time in CARSLAND, so it was a no-brainer!

 

TWO is moody, is fun, is completely unpredictable.  Two also means you want to wear what you want to wear, no matter what mom may have planned.  Heat contributed to some not-so-happy faces, but I found it captures the true spirit of Kingston at 2.  We also managed to document a prominent bump on the head from all the running and falling you do.  hehehe #reallife

Hey buddy, I hope you know how much your mama loves you and how much effort it took to get these pics!

At age 2, RUNNING is your jam!

Dinosaurs are also the second coolest things, so this Cars Dinoco cup is a prized possession.

A lollipop break is ALWAYS a good idea.

You are sweet one instant, and then a little devilish smirk the next.  Oh how that face just gets me!

When you’re done, you’re DONE. lol

You might exude a tough-guy attitude, but your mama knows you’re a softy inside. 🙂

Love you to the moon and back my little man!  As long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be!  Here’s to a terrific, tremendous, and twist-turning year two!

 

Photos by Alicia P. Photography

Filed Under: Baby/Kids, Disney, mom life Tagged: birthday, cars land, disney, Disney cars, disneyland, Kingston, Pixar, Pixar cars, two, two years old

Travelogue

October 15, 2017 ·

We’ve started the Fall off with a bang; almost 2 weeks in the PNW, home for a short bit, and off to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for a week (where I am actually posting from now).  I hope to share with you some of our adventures and tips for traveling with little ones!  I often get asked about traveling with the kids, especially as I have done quite a few trips on my own.

With my previous site now defunct, I’d also love to recap on our family trips here, if not just for my own memories.

Hasta Luego!

Filed Under: Baby/Kids, mom life, travel Tagged: travel, travel with kids, traveling with kids

KIDSPACE!

August 31, 2017 ·

Kidspace Museum in Pasadena (CA), has been on my must visit list for well over a year.  We finally had the right window period to squeeze it in today, despite the 100 degree heat wave!  It was well worth the wait for us because Kingston was able to fully enjoy it just as much as Kaitlyn!

Kidspace is a children’s museum specifically designed for younger children (ideally 10 y/o and younger) and their caregivers.  CAREGIVERS.  I kid you not, this is exactly how it is worded at the museum and on their website.  The live up to that claim.  Shade. Air conditioning. Comfortable seating. They really took into account the giants that accompany the littlest visitor.

My little monkeys could spend hours climbing the various climbing structures at Kidspace.  Was I surprised my kids had zero apprehension about the heights and racing up and down alone?  Not one bit.

The outdoor space is what I had seen tidbits of and the bait for my visit and it lived up to its promises.

Reminder, this museum is designed for younger children.  I could see older children steamroll through all the little wonders Kidspace offers in a flash, but for the toddlers, oh my.  This was heaven!  Play structures, tricyle paths, watering cans and garden planters, a treehouse, musical instruments under the trees, a greenhouse, fishing, and THE RIVER.  I mentioned in my IG Stories how I wish I could have been a toddler at that moment.  I was serious.  Who wouldn’t love to just splash, climb, and roll around in this adorable water feature? Too bad it would have looked foolish for a 30-something y/o woman to do that. lol

The kids and I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would have stayed longer had we had the time!  Kaitlyn was begging to come back before we even walked back through the mosaic hall!

Info:  The museum is located in Arroyo Seco valley, right next to the Rose Bowl stadium.  Brookside Park is also next to the museum with a great play structure, and parking is free!  The museum is shut down on certain dates related to Rose Bowl events, so be sure to check before you go.  Admission for adults and children 12 months and older is $13/pp. I couldn’t find any coupons on our date, but I noticed there have been Groupons in the past, and locals might love the family annual pass package!

Tips:  You can bring in your own food and beverages.  I suggest bring an insulated cup with lots of ice! Waterproof shoes for the kids (and advisable for yourself to fish out wet kids), swimming clothes, change of clothes, and a towel.  Hats, sunscreen, coins for the spinning donation thing (Kingston was enthralled), and of course, a camera! 🙂

Let me know if you decide to check it out, or if you’re a fan!

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Filed Under: Baby/Kids, mom life, So Cal Kids Activities, things to do with kids, Uncategorized Tagged: california, childrens museum, kids, local, Los Angeles, mom life, museum, Pasadena, things to do with kids

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Hi! I'm Vivian, and this is my creative space to share snippets from our life in Orange County, CA and some of my favorite things!
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