Yes/No Detroit on the Road and a GIVEAWAY: Castaway Bay Resort, Sandusky, OH {ends 2/16}


*Disclosure: I received a free 1-night stay at Castaway Bay, as well as waterpark tickets. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own.

 This past weekend, I was able to experience Castaway Bay, a resort and waterpark in Sandusky, Ohio, that is owned by Cedar Point. I'm definitely a frequent Cedar Point visitor, and I'm also a big waterpark fan, so I was excited to try out Castaway Bay.

Because my stay was Friday through Saturday, and I wanted to get to the resort before nighttime on Friday, I ended up carpooling with fellow blogger Amber (Metro Detroit Mommy) and her family.
(huge shoutout to them for "adopting" me for the weekend!)

We arrived at the hotel on Friday afternoon, and soon I found my way to my Starfish room, which included two double beds (one of which I used for my bags) as well as a balcony.



The balcony had a lovely view of the rest of the resort and the lake (which, of course, was frozen). I could see the balcony being a fun place to sit when it's warmer out, during the spring or summer.

The awesome part about Castaway Bay is that when you stay there, the waterpark passes are included in your room. I'm a bit of a waterpark snob enthusiast but Castaway Bay has many different sections to keep both kids and parents interested and on-the-go.

images courtesy of Castaway Bay

Castaway Bay has 3+ water slides, and what's funny is that after my first day there, I thought I had already rode them all ... nope! I later looked at a map that I found in my room's "welcome" booklet, and realized I had completely missed a few that were hidden over by the snack bar area. (which I then, of course, promptly went on the next day)

The park has a few "regular" water rides (top left picture), one raft ride (top right), and a playhouse (bottom left) for kids. To get to the raft and one of the regular slides, you go up through the playhouse until you reach the top.


If you look at the map above, you'll notice that they also have a wave pool, snack bar, arcade, and a "grotto," aka a very large hot tub. It also goes outdoors, which was definitely an experience - you're still in spa-like waters, but in the winter it was freezing out! It actually felt pretty good, though.

A few things to know about Castaway Bay:
  • The package I received is new, and is called the "Room, Waterpark, and Buffet Breakfast package," as we received a free buffet breakfast the next morning and 2 days worth of waterpark passes. 
    • My readers can book this package at a discounted rate of $149! Use promo code BLOG when you book online, or call the hotel at (419) 627-2106.
    • If you're ready to book immediately, check out Groupon's deal: right now they're offering a stay for 4 with daily waterpark passes for $98/night, on select days (no breakfast, though). Use my link and type in CASTAWAY BAY - SANDUSKY, OH in the search box.
photo: groupon.com
  • The waterpark also sells day passes, if you aren't staying at the hotel. Prices and waterpark hours can be found on Castaway Bay's website.
  • Lockers are offered within the waterpark area and start at $7, though you can keep them for the whole day. I rented one for a few hours after checkout on Saturday morning, and it was $7 for a small locker, $10 for a larger one, and I think $12 or $13 for their largest locker. 
  • The hotel has many restaurants/snack bars located throughout: 
    • Mango Mike's is the only full-service restaurant right now, and it does breakfast and lunch buffets. Look for a Quaker Steak & Lube to open in summer 2015, replacing the former TGI Fridays that was there.
    • Snack bar area near the entrance of the hotel
    • Snack bar area inside the waterpark
  • There are many different types of rooms you can reserve - the Starfish type, which I stayed in, is the smallest, with two double beds. The Tarpon suites, for example, have 2 sets of bunk beds, a king bed, and a balcony.
  • All rooms come with a fridge and a microwave.

Show some "Lake Erie Love" and check out the area's new video highlighting things to do during the summer, too:



I'm looking forward to heading back to Sandusky in May to try out the new Hotel Breakers, as well - I've never stayed there, but it's currently being renovated, and will open in May.

Don't forget to try out Cedar Point's new ride, Rougarou, too! (formerly the Mantis, but it's a new track color + is now a "dangling feet" coaster like the Raptor ... I'm sure that's not the technical term for it, ha)

Look how gorgeous the new rooms are - I LOVE the Cedar Point headboards!

I had a fun time during my Castaway Bay 24-hour getaway, and I have a present for my readers, too: a family four-pack of day passes to use!

 (the best part? They don't expire until October 2015!)

GIVEAWAY:

Enter via the widget below. Giveaway will end on Monday, February 16th, at 11:59pm EST. The winner will be notified via email the next day and have 24 hours to respond, or an alternate winner will be chosen.

I currently have the 4 passes in my possession, and will be mailing them to the winner.

U.S. residents only, please.

 Good luck!

Castaway Bay passes

Check out my blogger friends posts for more chances to win!

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