Castaway Bay (CP) Opens...w/ Pics

That's why I think Kalahari is likely to capture the high end of the market. I bet (but don't know for sure) that the Castaway rooms aren't all that nice, based on experiences in Breakers and Sandcastle, though Lighthouse gives me hope. But, all reports are that Kalahari in the Dells gets both sides of the equation right.

For my family, with kids aged 6 and 4, I think the Great Wolf waterpark is probably "good enough", but the room values seem much better. If my kids were a fair bit older, we'd probably go the other way. *** Edited 11/8/2004 9:23:47 PM UTC by Brian Noble***

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JZarley said:
Do you mean early bookings haven't been strong?

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Quite the opposite.

Here's the way I look at. The rooms (which have been upgraded, by the way, Pete) cost about the same as those on-point in some cases. A room that sleeps six will run about the same, and it doesn't cost anything extra for all six guests to go into the water park. Seems kind of obvious to me. If they run a park shuttle during the season, it'd be really hard to pass up.

And besides...let's face it...if you're staying in Sandusky over the summer (when most people are), what are you really going for? Cedar Point of course! I know when I go to Cedar Point and stay at a hotel (as opposed to camping), I typically just look for the cheepest decent hotel I can find because I know the thing I'll spend the most time in the hotel doing is sleeping, so as long as the bed is comfortable and the room is quiet, I'm fine.

I mean the ONLY thing about Castaway Bay that would REALLY prompt me to stay there is the Masterblaster and that's only because I've never been on one before. Everything else (besides the themeing) can be found at Soak City on a much larger and better scale. I guess if you were staying in Sandusky for an extended period of time and didn't plan on going to Cedar Point every day, OR if you were passing through Sandusky when the park is closed for the season, the selection of indoor waterparks would be more of a factor.

Then again, I'm sure what all these indoor waterparks is all about...making Sandusky a year round resort destination and not just a seasonal resort.

Yea, but there are many people who aren't going to be going to Sandusky just for Cedar Point anymore. There are also (gasp!) people who don't want to do Cedar Point every day, every hour on a multi-day trip requiring an overnighter in a hotel. There are also hotel-snobs like Gonch and I who would much rather shell out the cash for a nice place than stay in a roach-infested dump (that includes the forest, so camping's out ;) ). If the price is only $40 or so more for a whole waterpark for my entire room included, since the price of Soak City is what, like $25 a person, that Castaway room is a lot better deal, especially when we get tired of the park (or at least get tired of walking).

Sandusky really is becoming the "Orlando of the North" (as said in another post ;) )

Nice pics! Beautiful!

-Tina

Has anyone made the trip to Erie PA to goto Splash Lagoon in the past 2 years? I've only been to SL, so I can't compare CB and GW to SL....anyone been to a Sandusky indoor waterpark & Splash Lagoon?

But then we also have the Ohio weather.

You can book a room up there in early May. Go FREEZE your butt off at CP for a couple a hours (usually is cold up here around early May...or October.) And then go spend the other half at an indoor waterpark where it's climate controled to a nice summer breeze.

Granted it seems a little wierd in the middle of summer. But during the fall, spring, and winter it makes good sense.

I still think Sandusky is WAYYyyy behind the times, and we haven't even touched the surface of what is going to happen up there to the city and the area around CP.

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joe. said:
Castaway Bay has a space problem! ;)

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Oh dear! ;)