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Family Vacation at TradeWinds Grand Island Resort
Where did you spend spring break? Piper has been wanting to go to the beach since we have been going to Florida so here is her chance. Spring break family vacation at TradeWinds Grand Island Resort was where we chose to stay after looking at a ton of options. The pictures of the resort were very enticing and after showing them to my kids it was decided to go. They liked the giant slide on the beach and the fact that it was on the beach, Piper so wants to be on the beach. Will also loves to play in the sand so it was perfect for both of them.
Rooms at the TradeWinds Grand Island Resort:
Our room was a gulf view room with the queen beds and a balcony overlooking the gulf. It was just big enough for the four of us and we managed just fine on our one rainy day in the room for most of it. It had a small fridge and microwave with sink and small bar top. Perfect for when you have kids needing chocolate milk in the middle of the night. Room service was only 30 minutes each time we took advantage of it which was great. Also staff was extremely flexible about when to clean the room because with kids you have an unpredictable timeline usually.
Restaurants at the TradeWinds Grand Island Resort:
We got in early so stopped and had lunch at the first before getting to our room. The service was great and the food was good. I had the fish tacos and Kyle grabbed the grouper, the kids had nachos and they made them exactly how Piper wanted them. We grabbed some much needed drinks in the souvenir glasses and the kids had green colored virgin versions, for St. Patrick’s Day. Room service was had our first night that was quick and so yummy.
Breakfast in bed the next morning consisted of Belgium waffles with strawberries and blueberries and french toast with warm banana chutney. It was one of the best breakfasts I have had in a long time. We had a lunch snack at the Pizza Hut with salad and bread sticks to tide us over till dinner. We had dinner at Buddy’s where I had the prime rib sandwich, the kids split fried shrimp, and Kyle had wings.
Next day we had breakfast in bed again because it was so good, and the same items! We made our way down to the deli for lunch to have fresh sandwiches made for us and they had an assortment of fruit, cheese, and all sorts of salads and snacks. We ventured over to the other hotel for dinner and smores at Guy Outposts. Dinner was amazing at the RumFish restaurant with the amazing fish tank in the background. We snacked on mussels, tuna poke, grouper and lobster.
The next day we made it down to Bermuda’s which is open for breakfast while they are finishing up the remodel. The buffet was so good with custom omelets, blueberry pancakes, and everything else you could imagine. Dinner was back at Buddys’ where we all had crab legs. For desert, ice cream in any flavor you could imagine. Will had superhero, I had cookies and cream and Piper had peanut butter cup.
Service:
Not only was the food amazing at the hotel was the fact that the service was as well. They went out of their way to accommodate everything that we asked for. Fresh made chocolate milk for Will, running to another bar to get a certain beer we wanted. They also always checked in and made sure everything was perfect. The staff was so happy and kind it was not overlooked by us.
Kids Actives at the TradeWinds Island Grand Resort:
Piper and Will instantly ran to the giant 3 story slide on the beach. Will spent most of his time there. We also purchased some beach toys at the store on site for him to play away all day on the beach. You get to reserve a cabana a day before so it was nice to know exactly where we were going to be and he could play right there in front of us. We had a great time collecting seashells down by the ocean. There were so many of them it was hard not to bring home buckets!
We also took full advantage of the pools! Piper loved the hot tubs and Will loved having the option of multiple pools to chose from. I loved that one was covered from the sun. It was nice to see all of them and choose what one you wanted to be at. They had a range of sizes and depths so you had quiet the variety.
Other actives for next time:
There was also paddle boats to go around the back of the hotel that shared a space with the two swans. It was a bit too cool for the obstacle course in the ocean but people were out on the paddle boards and floating rafts. Looking forward to heading back in the summer to take advantage of more ocean activities.
To see more pictures and to book reservations for your next stay:
TradeWinds Grand Island Resort
Other hotels I have reviewed:
Outfits for the beach:
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Our trip to Universal Studios Orlando
Earlier this last year I decided that I wanted to take the kids somewhere special this year after Christmas. I’m divorced so we have the super fun schedule of before and after Christmas and I had after which means I had 10 days solid with the kids before school started back up. I knew we couldn’t stay at home that long just chilling in the cold weather so Florida here we come.
Piper has been to Disney at least 5 times that I can think of and Will has been there once so I figured a new adventure was awaiting us. I just had friends that had stayed at Universal over the Summer and heard looks of good things about it so it was an easy decision. I booked our flights and hotel stay through Alligent Air and got the hotel Loews Sapphire Falls Resort. Our tickets we bought for the parks online and off we went December 28- Jan 2.
After one long delay we made it to the airport, quickly got into our rental car and drove the 40 min drive into Universal. The area to drive into was well mapped out with many signs and finding the parking garage was very easy. Checking in wasn’t difficult but it was 11 at night from the delay so straight to bed we went.
Our first day we slept in a bit and then got on the boats which are individualized for each of the hotels in Universal. No long waits, the boats come to the dock rather quickly and we were to the park in a few minutes. We entered City Walk upon leaving the boats and headed straight to Islands of Adventure because Will wanted to hit the Jurassic Park section first. I went ahead and bought the express pass tickets which are worth every penny if you have children. I don’t think mine would have been able to stand in the long lines, some were 120 minute waits.
From there we explored the rest of the park with ease even though it was plenty crowed. Food was not on the cheap side but thankfully my kids are not big eaters yet so that wasn’t really an issue for us. But when they were ready for a snack it was easy to find something everyone would enjoy. Also purchasing one of the refillable drinks also cut down on spending money on the trip.
Piper rode the rides that Will wasn’t able to alone but always made lots of friends while doing it. The park was full of very friendly people and it was easy to get a rental stroller for Will so he didn’t have to walk the whole time. Pipers favorite ride was either The Incredible Hulk Rollercoaster or Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket. No fear in that one. Will loved the Transfomers ride and Jurassic park ride along with the Curious George and Jurassic park Discovery zones. We all enjoyed the Harry Potter areas where Piper got a wand and tried her hand at magic on the windows. We each a mug of butterbeer and loved walking thru the streets. Seeing the Dragon at the top of the bank was also a highlight of our trip.
As for the hotel we loved ours. The pool area had a slide and games for the kids every hour in the afternoon. Our pool included a beach area so Will and Piper could sit and build sandcastles while I got to relax with a fruit tray brought out by the staff. The food was excellent and the entire resort was very clean.
My tips for going to Universal:
- Stay at Universal, the boats make getting around so easy
- If you can afford the express pass, get it
- Rent a stroller- only 14 and so worth every penny
- Go to Chocolate emporium between the two parks, get a milkshake
- Breakfast at Voodoo donuts- so good
- Stay at Loews Sapphire resort if you want the beach- was so much fun
- You get to enter the park early if you stay at Universal properties, the earlier you go the less crowded-we would go in the morning, head back to the hotel for naps and pool time during the afternoon and dinner back at the parks and rides
- I did this by myself, a 6 year old and an 11 year old- if I can do it so can you, go out and make memories this year
