We decided to take the kids for a quick weekend "get-away-from-the-cold" trip. If you want to feel like you've been to a warm tropical locale without spending hours in the airport and on the plane to get there, this is it. You can buy a day pass to the CoCo Key water park alone, but we really prefer to make a whole weekend of it, feels more like you did "get away". The water park is great for kids, not sure how great for older teenagers who expect extravagant slides, but certainly adequate for pretty much all other ages.
The temp in the park is reportedly kept at 82 degrees, and it does feel tropical in there. The attractions are fun, the atmosphere is relaxing. The presence of a bar is a nice plus, you can get your little tropical drink (although no umbrella) and pretend you are indeed sitting on a beach in the bahamas enjoying the respite from the cold cruel snow out there.
The park is clean, warm, and well maintained. The staff of lifeguards were beyond vigilant; they certainly maintained order in what could otherwise be chaos with all those kids. I don't think your kid could be in need of help for more than 2 seconds without some lifeguard seeing it. They are everywhere!!
I saw some reviews here talking about it being cold or dirty, so i really checked it out. I couldn't disagree more. We couldn't find a single thing to complain about if we tried.
We highly recommend staying overnight if you can. Not only does it really contribute to the weekend away feel, but it is so convenient. While there are nice changing rooms/showers in the park itself, it is always easier to be in a room with lots of space and privacy. We took the kids up to the room and changed them, quick picnic lunch in the room and off for naps. Then took totally refreshed energetic children back for another session. Did the same at dinner: clean up, dress, out to dinner and back to the park late at night when it was all but empty! So easy!
The hotel was clean, and bright, the room more than adequate, and the overall impression very nice. Again, looked at some disappointing reviews and couldn't disagree more. The facilities are nice, the staff friendly and helpful, and not a single thing i could find to complain about, even if I wanted to.
The only thing i saw as a problem was check-in. We got there early at 11 AM since we wanted a full day at the water park, and check in was quick and easy and my room was even ready and they let us go up early. But later in the day, around 12-2 PM, i saw long lines in the lobby of folks trying to check in. One couple told me they waited 45 minutes. While i understand that is peak check in time, they should be able to do something about speeding up the process, even if it means taking someone from some other task just for the few peak hours and getting folks in, and off to the park.
Bottom line, consider this for a great little weekend get away. It's a lot easier to get to than the bahamas !
- Marriott Mount Laurel
- Mount Laurel Marriott
