Anyone taken a summer family vacation at Smuggler's Notch?

[5lilfish]

I am looking for something to do this summer. Our window is kind of small because of sport obligations. I was looking at Smuggler's Notch. I'm wondering if someone could give me a bit of a run-down on how things work there?

I see there are different levels of packages. I like the big all-inclusive one but there are certain parts of it that not everyone in my family would do (espcially my husband and my 5 yr old twins). Are we paying too high of a premium for the big package if not everyone is going to do everything? I was also looking at the children's programming. My kids will be 15, 14, 12, 5 and 5. It looks like they would really enjoy the offerings. My question though...are the kid's programs only offered as an all day program. I like the idea of the kids being involved in what the programs offer and I like the idea of adult time (especially when it comes to the twins because there are certain activities we cannot do with them), but i do want to spend time with my kids too...doing things as a family.

Thanks...
Jess

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

I haven't been, but I have looked into it--we're considering maybe a few days there at some point.

I happen to have the paper in front of me where I compared Smuggler's Notch to Great Wolf Lodge (Poconos). Now, I know it's not an apples to apples comparison, but those are the choices in front of our family right now. I have 4 kids--they'll be 17, 15, 9, and 6 this summer.

3 nights at GWL, using an early code (book by 5/4) would be $815.97 in a Kid cabin Suite (the smallest room a family of 6 can fit in). Upgrading to a Majestic Bear Suite (sleep 8) would be $1045.47. They only have a kitchenette, but we go down to the grocery store and purchase food--it's only a mile or so away. There are also an assortment of restaurants within a couple miles' drive.

The same three days at Smuggler's would be $1818.15 (including tax) for a 2BR basic condo, and $2090.87 for a 2BR premium condo. You could find cheaper lodging through VRBO, but you would still have to pay for the add-on packages (activites, etc.--they have 3 different levels). This would include a full kitchen, I have no idea how far a reasonable grocery store is. There are several restaurants on-site, but I imagine the prices are jacked-up (as I KNOW they are inside GWL). I believe the 2BR can sleep up to 8 people.

I hope that helps you a little. We're likely going for GWL for a variety of reasons, price being only one of them.

 

[5lilfish]

I haven't been, but I have looked into it--we're considering maybe a few days there at some point.

I happen to have the paper in front of me where I compared Smuggler's Notch to Great Wolf Lodge (Poconos). Now, I know it's not an apples to apples comparison, but those are the choices in front of our family right now. I have 4 kids--they'll be 17, 15, 9, and 6 this summer.

3 nights at GWL, using an early code (book by 5/4) would be $815.97 in a Kid cabin Suite (the smallest room a family of 6 can fit in). Upgrading to a Majestic Bear Suite (sleep 8) would be $1045.47. They only have a kitchenette, but we go down to the grocery store and purchase food--it's only a mile or so away. There are also an assortment of restaurants within a couple miles' drive.

The same three days at Smuggler's would be $1818.15 (including tax) for a 2BR basic condo, and $2090.87 for a 2BR premium condo. You could find cheaper lodging through VRBO, but you would still have to pay for the add-on packages (activites, etc.--they have 3 different levels). This would include a full kitchen, I have no idea how far a reasonable grocery store is. There are several restaurants on-site, but I imagine the prices are jacked-up (as I KNOW they are inside GWL). I believe the 2BR can sleep up to 8 people.

I hope that helps you a little. We're likely going for GWL for a variety of reasons, price being only one of them.

Thanks for the info....

GWL doesn't really interest me. I mean, I would enjoy it for a night but not for 4 or 5 nights. With the 5 yr olds, one of us would be stuck spending the day in a kiddie pool or right with them in a big pool. The older kids would go off and do all the slides. There wouldn't be any adult time or really any time spent together doing family things. That would be fine and fun for a day but beyond that I think we'd be frustrated.

We are also about 30 minutes from the Niagare Falls GWL, so that is always a 1 night getaway option for us. i'd be interested in doing that at some point over the winter (when the weather isn't nice and an indoor oasis would be a nice break from going stir-crazy).

Jess

 

[pacrosby]

We went several years back. My kids were little though....like 1, 4, 5 and 7. We chose not to do any of the kids programs because we are wierd like that and wanted to hang with the kids LOL Got lots of comments from strangers who didn't understand why our kids were always with us but.......oh well

That said, I don't think you can choose between a half day and a full day program but your kids don't have to go to the programs all the time. They could take a day off here and there or choose to participate only in the morning and leave at lunchtime. It's really your choice.

Fwiw: we loved it. The multiple pools are fabulous and the area is beautiful. Great biking and hiking. The nightly family entertaiment was great fun for us with the younger set. You'll have a great time no matter what you do.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

I know what you're saying about GWL--3 nights would be my absolute limit, and I'm only considering that because the code I have is for 3 nights. I just happened to have the numbers right in front of me when I read your post. I look at Smuggler's Notch as more of a week-ish vacation.

Part of my issue with Smuggler's Notch is, I believe you pay for the day camp program regardless of how much your kids use it. So, you pay for a full day even if your kids only go for mornings (or whatever).

 

[5lilfish]

I know what you're saying about GWL--3 nights would be my absolute limit, and I'm only considering that because the code I have is for 3 nights. I just happened to have the numbers right in front of me when I read your post. I look at Smuggler's Notch as more of a week-ish vacation.

Part of my issue with Smuggler's Notch is, I believe you pay for the day camp program regardless of how much your kids use it. So, you pay for a full day even if your kids only go for mornings (or whatever).

Our favorite family vacations usually involve cruising. Because of that, we are sort of used to the all-inclusive set-up. You could say, with cruising, that you are paying for the availability of the kid's club no matter how much or how little you use it....so that is not unusual for us.

I am a stay-at-home Mom and my DH is a teacher. That gives us a lot of family time....especially over the summer when we are all home. We like to go away as a family (never have left the kids home) but we also like to have some adult only time on the trip. Cruising offers the best of both worlds for us. There is plenty of family fun and plenty of time with the kids off doing their own thing. I'm wondering if a place like Smuggler's Notch offers the same?

I think GWL would be great....and your youngest is a little older (and not a twin). My twins don't turn 5 until June and they cannot swim without a vest yet. We took the older 3 (pre-twins...age 6, 7 and 9) to Splash Lagoon and had a really good time.

Jess

 

[roxysmum123]

Yes!!! My family had time-share there for 10 years and we LOVED it!!! I miss that place every summer still and it's been a good number of years since we've been. The kids programs are awesome, and lots of great hiking programs/walking programs/art programs for adults. Childcare is amazing too. The facilities are wonderful, pools are awesome, and staff was never anything but great. Some of my best friends in the world are people I met there (it's amazing because now we're all getting married or having kids yet we still are involved in eachothers lives, vacationing at eachothers places and chatting on a daily basis some of us). Your older kids will prob be at the teen centre all night (or at least until you give them their curfew) and there's babysitting at night too so plenty of time for adult time.

I get all excited just thinking about the place, so many memories there for me.

 

[abdmom]

We've gone many times to Smugglers Notch. There is no comparison to Great Wolf Lodge. There are so many things to do at Smuggs that we haven't done them all in the 12+ years we've been going. If you are going in the summer, there is a large grocery store about 1/2 an hour away in Stowe. There is also a smaller grocery store on site. There are two restaurants and a pizza joint onsite.

The kids programming is an all day thing, it's not a drop in. It's more accurately called camp. As another poster mentioned, they certainly don't have to go every day.

We were just at Smuggs in January. DD13 cried when we left.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

Just a clarification--the only reason I compared GWL to Smuggler's Notch was, I had the numbers right in front of me. I think they'd be very different experiences, and I would love to try SMugg's at aome point.

Unfortunately (to go a little OT), I'm in a weird spot for summer plans this year. I have DD16, who is waiting to hear if she go tinto a college residency program for the summer. If she goes, I have 3 glorious days that I can tack on to a scheduled family vacation. That's it. Then cross country practice starts. Then I have DS14, who is flunking 9th grade and needs summer school this year...if they offer his classes...and they can't give me a calendar or schedule at this time.

My youngest is begging to go back to GWL (he's a fish). My oldest doesn't consider going to Vermont a vacation--we live in NH, but DH works in VT, and I'm there weekly for music lessons. Smuggs is a couple hours away, but we're 15 miles from the border. FTR, I think DD16 is a snothead on this, maybe we'll go without her--but, then she was sold on the new "llama trek" and the zip-lining.

So, that's kind of where I'm coming from on all this. It's good to hear reviews form people who have actually been to Smuggs--one of DD's friends has gone, but DD refused to let me ask him about it because "It's Vermont. Vermont is not a vacation!" Okay, then. She can be my cat sitter.

 

[goofyernmost]

We've gone many times to Smugglers Notch. There is no comparison to Great Wolf Lodge. There are so many things to do at Smuggs that we haven't done them all in the 12+ years we've been going. If you are going in the summer, there is a large grocery store about 1/2 an hour away in Stowe. There is also a smaller grocery store on site. There are two restaurants and a pizza joint onsite.

The kids programming is an all day thing, it's not a drop in. It's more accurately called camp. As another poster mentioned, they certainly don't have to go every day.

We were just at Smuggs in January. DD13 cried when we left.

Yea, and driving through Smugglers Notch itself is an adventure, which is something that you have to do to get to Stowe without driving 100 extra miles to get there.

Funny, I spent that largest part of my life in Vermont. I never stayed at Smuggs because, as I said, I lived just 30 miles away. I never knew that there were a lot of activities for kids and families in the summer. Winter, yes, I understand that, but this is a surprise to me and I once had a daughter that worked in housekeeping there. Who knew?

I knew it was a big resort, just never thought of it as a summer resort.

 

[mjkacmom]

In response to a PP about 3 nights at the GWL, I think that's too long, especially with older kids. We did 2 nights about 2 years ago, and even though my kids are big water rats, and love the GWL, and even after encorporating magiquest into the trip, we were all done after 2 days. We spend 7 days last summer at the shore, and spent almost all of our time on the beach, and my kids weren't bored a bit. However, you can only take the GWL in shorter stretches (loud, humid, wet, loud).

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

My problem is, I have a code for 3 nights at GWL. There's a code for 2 nights, but it expires before we know what my DD will be doing for the summer. SO, unless some other code comes along (possible!), it would be three nights or full frieght. That's why I was pricing it that way. Last time, we stayed for 2 nights, which I thought was plenty, but if we were to go for 3 nights, we would put a trip to the Crayola factory in there, plus outlet shopping and maybe a few other outside excursions. I agree that 3 straight days of JUST GWL would get old.

Bottom line, I won't be able to "really" plan the summer until April, and it's driving me nuts. Especially having a larger family and a wide range of kids' ages, planning a vacation is slightly less complicated than the invasion of Pearl Harbor.

 

[5lilfish]

My problem is, I have a code for 3 nights at GWL. There's a code for 2 nights, but it expires before we know what my DD will be doing for the summer. SO, unless some other code comes along (possible!), it would be three nights or full frieght. That's why I was pricing it that way. Last time, we stayed for 2 nights, which I thought was plenty, but if we were to go for 3 nights, we would put a trip to the Crayola factory in there, plus outlet shopping and maybe a few other outside excursions. I agree that 3 straight days of JUST GWL would get old.

Bottom line, I won't be able to "really" plan the summer until April, and it's driving me nuts. Especially having a larger family and a wide range of kids' ages, planning a vacation is slightly less complicated than the invasion of Pearl Harbor.

I know what you mean...I won't be able to plan until a few weeks (if that) before our trip. Two of my DD's play travel softball. I have no idea when the season will end or when tryouts for next year will begin. Plus my oldest DD has to be back in time for JV Soccer tryouts and for High School orientation.

That is the biggest reason that we are not looking into a cruise. Right now we are just putting together a list of interesting places we can go in 5 days or less.

Last night my son came down and was very excited abotu this new Video Game Art exhibit coming to the Smithsonian. We took the oldest 3 kids to DC in 2006. That was before the twins were born. The American History Museum was closed at that time. Maybe we'll head back there and do a few things....maybe combine it with Baltimore or some beach town on the East coast. Who knows?!

Someday, I would really like to try Smuggler's Notch or Tyler Place though...

Jess

 

[mjkacmom]

Just a clarification--the only reason I compared GWL to Smuggler's Notch was, I had the numbers right in front of me. I think they'd be very different experiences, and I would love to try SMugg's at aome point.

Unfortunately (to go a little OT), I'm in a weird spot for summer plans this year. I have DD16, who is waiting to hear if she go tinto a college residency program for the summer. If she goes, I have 3 glorious days that I can tack on to a scheduled family vacation. That's it. Then cross country practice starts. Then I have DS14, who is flunking 9th grade and needs summer school this year...if they offer his classes...and they can't give me a calendar or schedule at this time.

My youngest is begging to go back to GWL (he's a fish). My oldest doesn't consider going to Vermont a vacation--we live in NH, but DH works in VT, and I'm there weekly for music lessons. Smuggs is a couple hours away, but we're 15 miles from the border. FTR, I think DD16 is a snothead on this, maybe we'll go without her--but, then she was sold on the new "llama trek" and the zip-lining.

So, that's kind of where I'm coming from on all this. It's good to hear reviews form people who have actually been to Smuggs--one of DD's friends has gone, but DD refused to let me ask him about it because "It's Vermont. Vermont is not a vacation!" Okay, then. She can be my cat sitter.

Blizzard Beach is fun, especially for your teens (who I think would hate the Crayola Factory - it's geared towards young kids. I've killed a couple of hours at the outlets with my oldest, but it wouldn't be fun for the others).

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

Blizzard Beach is fun, especially for your teens (who I think would hate the Crayola Factory - it's geared towards young kids. I've killed a couple of hours at the outlets with my oldest, but it wouldn't be fun for the others).

We did Crayola Factory a couple years ago, and they want to go back. Especially DS6, but my girls (currently 8 and 16) are both willing to go again. But, we might not all go. Ditto for the outlets--it would only be me and my older DD. DH and I are very used to splitting up. Personally, neither do a whole lot for me, but I don't know that we're getting a whole lot of family time this summer, and I'm trying to find soemthing that everyone is at least somewhat happy with.