We just celebrated Andrew’s 9th birthday and needed a good way to mark his last year before entering double digits. We couldn’t have a party but still wanted to do something special for him, so we headed to the Cape Codder Resort and Spa for a Staycation. He was so excited at the thought of visiting a water park since it was 25 degrees outside.
We checked into a family suite and it was just perfect for us. There was so much room to spread out. There was a living room with large sleeper sofa, television, bathroom and kitchenette. A murphy bed folded out of the wall. When it was stored, there was a dining table in it’s place.
A separate master bedroom had a king-sized bed, television and en-suite bathroom. Our rooms looked out to the water park. I was a bit worried about the noise level, but it wasn’t an issue at all.
The kids were so excited, we dumped our bags and head straight to the water park. I loved that we didn’t have to go outside to reach the water park. I had images of us running through the cold in bathing suits.
The Cape Codder Water Park
Walking into the Cape Codder water park was like being transported to a tropical vacation. There was a 300 foot lazy river circling the whole park with two water slides in the middle. Stacks of tubes were placed beside the entrances so we could grab them as needed.
The water park was the perfect size. There is plenty to do but I could always see what my kids were up to. The boys are good swimmers, but the amount of life guards really gave me peace of mind that they would be safe.
Their lazy river was actually called a “stormy river.” It had a pretty strong current when we reached the rapids, which made it fun to whip around. We must have gone around 50 times. We would go under a waterfall past a spouting humpback whale and through a cave. It felt like an adventure.
The boys worked up the courage to climb the stairs and go down the two 160 foot high-speed water slides. Lizzie loved splashing around the shallow area which had a pirate ship and slides for smaller children. No fail, I got hit by the dumping bucket every time.
We had worked up such an appetite, we went back to the room to get ready for dinner. I was so grateful for the two bathrooms because we had five people getting ready at the same time. I was able to give the kids a warm tub in one bathroom while the adults got ready in the other.
The Hearth ‘n Kettle Restaurant
We walked to Hearth ‘n Kettle for dinner. Luckily, everything is connected so we didn’t have to go out in the cold. The size of the Cape Codder Resort is very deceiving. It looks so small from the road but it seems to never end.
We settled into a booth at the Hearth ‘n Kettle and enjoyed some of our favorite comfort foods. Their kids menu will please any picky eater. Children’s meals come with hoodsie cup for dessert and they were so sweet to put a candle in one and sing Happy Birthday to Andrew. It made him feel really special.
Grand Cru is another restaurant on the grounds of the Cape Codder, but are only open on Fridays and Saturdays during the off-season. They serve American and Italian food. Flatbread pizzas are available for take-out if you want an easy meal in your room.
The Arcade
After dinner, we hit up the arcade which is always a favorite. They have a system where you can use your credit card to load a play card. Swiping the card was so much easier than having to put coins into a machine each time. Any tickets they won were automatically loaded onto the card and then they could choose a prize from a vending machine. We had a blast at the arcade and won loads of prizes.
We were so beat by the end of the day, we went back to the room to crash. The kids cuddled up with all the stuffies they had just won and we watched Bluey on the Disney channel.
At night, the water park is illuminated by different colored lights for a totally different experience.
The next day we went to the wave pool. We had so much fun in the lazy river that we didn’t even realize that there was a second room! In the wave pool room, there were two more water slides that would wind through a replica of a pirate ship.
There is an outdoor heated salt water pool which is open year-round, but we didn’t dare make the run to it in bathing suits.
In a non-covid time, The Cape Codder Resort has amazing family events. I have been to such fun kids concerts on the property during the summer. Kids can normally enjoy live animal shows or watch a magic show. There are special themed weekends such as super hero & villains as well as pirate & princess weekends which include dance parties, crafts and games. Check out their event calendar to see all of the offerings for families.
Safety of the water park
The Cape Codder has implemented a new iWave air purifying filtration system for added safety in their dining rooms, function rooms and public areas that removes 99.4% of pathogens, viruses, allergens, particles and odors from the air. They are doing everything they can to create a healthy environment so you can enjoy your visit with them.
The water park is open from 10-8 on weekdays and 9-9 on weekends. The themed pools are currently only open to hotel guests. Check out was 11:00, but we were granted a late check out. I’m sure that is all dependent on availability.
Here is a video tour of a family suite as well as the water park-
We had such an amazing time at the Cape Codder Water Park. The kids asked when we could come back before we even pulled out of the parking lot. A water park trip during the winter is so much fun. It had been months since they had gone swimming. If you are feeling cooped up and need a little escape, I highly recommend a staycation at the Cape Codder Resort and Spa.
Need help packing? Click here for our water park packing list with a free printable.
Pin for later-
