Orlando vacation: Lake Buena Vista Resort & Spa

Hey peeps.  The weekend is almost here!  I wanted to go back a touch and give a little more info from my previous post of our little getaway with the kiddos.

If you are looking for a romantic getaway for two...this is not your spot.  If you are looking for a family spot with more room than a hotel, keep reading.  I did lots of research and decided this was a good spot to try.  It's not at Disney, but it's nearby.

 I believe they said there are seven buildings.  Some have pirate pool views, some have views of Disney fireworks.  We were on the east side of the complex and have a smaller pool as our view.

 

There is a combination of covered parking and pull-up parking outside your building.

It's fairly secure.  You have to have a room key to get into any building.  

Bonus: parking is complimentary.  I didn't see any valet though.

We got a 3/2 with a little more than 1400 square feet.  

These are the resort's online photos but our room was exactly the same.

The main benefit of a resort setup like this is bringing your food and enjoying more of a home/condo getaway with all the home essentials versus a swanky hotel.  We ate dinner out but packed snacks, drinks, breakfast, and some desserts.

 

The sofa in the living room has a pull out bed.  Linens of course are provided.

Bowls, flatware, glasses, coffee maker, tea pitchers, dishwasher (and detergent), and fridge are all there for you in the room.  

Bed #2.  The kids loved the telephones since they are used to only cell phones.

Bed #3 

 

Master bedroom with tub, shower, and walk-in closet

Our balcony

 

The amenity center is where it's at.  The kids were in heaven.  Towels were provided.

 

It's so big, it's almost hard to take in.  The pirate ship is huge.

Full bar and restaurant with covered seating

Lots of areas to rest with many cabanas for the family to hang together.

Upstairs roof deck overlooking the pool

No timeshare tours to make, no upselling at check-in, free parking......it was great.  You gotta check it out next time you (or family) come to Orlando.  If you are looking for nightlife, wrong part of town.  Perhaps you can find some fun at Downtown Disney but you are 20+ minutes from International Drive and 25+ minutes to downtown Orlando.  

Have fun!  We will be back for sure. 

Packing & Planning for SeaWorld Aquatica

I just got back from my second visit to Aquatica.  Packing and planning for theme park visits can be tricky.  You are stuck with your choices, good and bad...all day long.  A lot of people have the tendency to over pack for all those "just in case" items.  My tips for Aquatica.  One note, the child I had with me is 10 years old.  Adjust your kiddie stuff accordingly.

First, the DO-NOT list:
No water shoes - Many rides do not allow them at all
No loose cover-ups - Again, many rides make this a no-go
Camera - If you have someone not swimming and sitting on the sidelines, this is okay.  Otherwise, there are lots of photographers there.  They will give you a wrist band to scan to purchase photos at the end of the day.  Most rides do not allow loose items to be carried on.
Sunglasses - I didn't take them in line and was fine.  Some of the rides are pretty fast and there is a good chance you will lose them at some point.
Food - This won't even make it thru the entrance.  No outside food is allowed.

The DO list:
Credit card - (versus cash) I was just saying, all parks really should go the Disney way and use a wristband to make purchases.
To my surprise, Aquatica offers this.  The park is huge.  The LAST thing you want to do is keep going back to your locker to get money.  You can link a debit/credit card to a wristband and any money you don't use goes back on your card at midnight.
Sunscreen - Obviously.  Hello...it's Florida.  Temps are already in the "feel like" at 100+  The park does a good job of providing lots of shade while you wait in line though.
Backpack - Carry everything in a typical size backpack and you are good to go with a small sized locker
Grocery bag - Stash a couple of these in your backpack to carry out wet swimsuits.
Towels - We took towels and they fit in the locker fine.  You can rent them if you want to pack light so towels can go either way.
Travel size/hotel size body wash & shampoo - There are free showers in the bathrooms by the lockers.  They do have some all-in-one body wash in the showers so you are covered it you want to pack light.

Lunch plans - Lunch is so so.  There are several spots to duck-in buffet style and grab food but the temps are FREEZING if you are wet.  It was so hot that we didn't have a big appetite and opted for hotdog and a drink.  We got fries but they were cold so we tossed them.  The prices are as you would anticipate, a little on the high side. 

We did see some all-day dining signs posted but didn't check into it.  I believe the signs said $20 or so but check the website for that info. 

My niece loved the Dippin Dots stations.  This little treat was perfect for a quick cool down and there are three different sizes.  These were $5-$8 or so and there were several spots throughout the park. 

If you are planning a trip, Aquatica is in a great spot in Orlando.  Nice hotels and lots of dining nearby.  Wet-n-Wild is a nearby waterpark.  It's a little lower priced but not nearly as nice.  It's about 40 years old and is closing next year.  

Cabana Bay is another nearby waterpark.  It's tiny in comparison to the major waterparks but huge for a hotel pool.  It's inside a hotel so it's much more temperature controlled.  It's really reasonably priced.  I took my nieces when they were 5 or so and they loved it.  

Have any fun summer trips planned?  I want to take a long weekend with my husband.  No theme parks for us but something outside to enjoy the water for sure.  :)