Darien Lake

[Rubbertops]

Can anyone tell me about Darien Lake. We are thinking of renting an RV there in September. I have 2 DDs aged 5 and 9. I am thinking it might be more expensive than it's worth....

 

[disneyfan2]

well i did rent one years ago, but checked it out earlier this year, and there is a 2 night minimum. We checked into the bigger unit, closest are to the park, and it came to almost $700 for 2 nights. I decided to put that money into our Disney trip low key this winter.

 

[puppyears]

For four years we went to DL and stayed at the hotel for three visits and also have rented an RV...once.

I would suggest the hotel, only because it is nice to go back after the heat of the day and relax and watch TV, sleep or whatever. They also have in room fridges that are huge!! The hotel pool is nice too, never too crowded.
The RV's, are nice, but our shower had a very slow drain. It had a full size fridge and stove and lots of cupboard space. The RV we had slept 6 people. The only real complaints I have is the water was kinda smelly and slimy (sorry, but it was) and the kitchen small, but after all, it is an RV!!! They are clean and well kept. And my DH is over 6' tall and had to leave the bathroom door open to do his "business".

RVing is nice if you like a fire at night, but the neighbours can be noisy. The lady next to us screamed at her kids all day and all night until 11pm. I was PO. The laser show at night is very nice too!

This is a nice beginning step to a WDW vacation if you have little ones at a somewhat cheaper cost. It is not worth it unless you go during the Canadian savings time-check their website for info on that. We (the four of us) stayed in the hotel for a week for about $800, and camped for about $400 just for a few days (felt like we just unpacked, then were packing up again).
We liked it, but I think WDW will be magically different.

A warning about the food in DL: it is very, very greasy. The pizza had about 5 times more cheese than we are used to, and everything felt 'oily'. Lots of fast food, which is OK for a few days, then it is just gross...not many healthy items. The Beaver Brother's lodge is VERY expensive so beware. There is a gorgeous restaurant down the road-can't remember what it is called exactly, but the food was tremendous-I think it has the word "wolf" in it, but don't quote me.

Hope all this helps!!

 

[iluveeyore]

WE have camped and did the RV - remember the prices for staying include your park passes for everyone. I would go to DL before Canada's Wonderland anytime - much less crowded, great rides, nice waterpark, and it's a joy to leave the park and relax back at your room or RV whenever you want. Also nice to enjoy the laser show, and then go to your room instead of filing out to the parking lot with everyone else!
The rv's have a kitchen, so instead of spending extra money on food at the park, I bought groceries for us.
Call for their Canadian deals as well before you book, that could save some money as well.

 

[Ham Ham]

We're heading down with three other families in August to stay in the RV"s. DW wants to try it. I'd just rather save the money for Disney.

Since experiencing Disney in '05 no other parks seem to cut it. Forget Wonderland & Marineland.

However we did go to Cedar Point, OH last year and that was great!

 

[michelle1]

I don't want to put a damper on anything but I wouldn't go unless you get a reasonable price. Sept probably won't have a 2 night minimum because it's off season and it shouldn't be crowded. We went in very late Aug and some rides weren't even running because the kids had all gone back to school and they were short on ride operators (parts of the waterpark were closed also). Friends went about a month ago and they said that is has kind of gone down hill (probably since it was sold by Six Flags to a private owner).

 

[striker3636]

We just came back this weekend from a 3 day stop at Darien. I can't comment on the RVs, as we bring our own . Darien is certainly NOT remotely close to Disney - there is no magic, or the same attention to detail and cleanliness. The staff certainly didn't seem to be "into" their jobs or ensuring that the guests had a good time. Most were young folks in summer jobs (and many passed the boring day goofing around or yakking with friends. ok, I'm generalizing, but once you've been to WDW, you are disappointed by the lack of service or interest elsewhere)

We had fun, but 2 days was enough for sure, with a bit of time for the water park. We were surprised to see that the campground and rentals seemed to be only 1/3 full, at the most. (granted, we didn't check out the loops further away from the park that are cheaper). We didn't check out the restaurant by the new Motocoaster ride, but elsewhere throughout the park it was the typical fast food fare. I don't think we'll be in a rush to go back, but that had more to do with the fact that my ds is prone to motion sickness on rides that spin around, and, other than coasters, most of the rides do. We were just a few minutes walk from the entrance, so it was nice to be able to go back to the 5th wheel and eat, relax, or whatever. It was fun, but it certainly isn't on our annual summer "must-do" list.