# Two months from Massanutten for the first time...



## Ridewithme38 (Dec 23, 2011)

Any suggestions?


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## Carolinian (Dec 23, 2011)

There are a number of caverns in the area that are fascinating.  There is also the War Between the States battlefield at New Market, where a famous charge be the teenage cadets of VMI led the South to victory.  Snow tubing at the resort is an interesting experience if you are not into skiing.


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## robcrusoe (Dec 23, 2011)

Ridewithme38 said:


> Two months from Massanutten for the first time...Any suggestions?


two months is way too long to spend at Massanutten, why did they give them to you, and why is this the first time they have?


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## yumdrey (Dec 23, 2011)

If you bring your daughter, check waterpark hours and rate.
Compare prices of regular rate and activity card rate. If activity card rate is cheaper, better purchase it as soon as you check-in.
If you enjoy skiing, call the resort ahead and ask them to place you near lifts area. If you stay at summit, you are close to ski ropes.
If you stay at woodstone, you are close from waterpark.
Feb. is a great time for skiing and snow tubing.
Have fun!


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## Ridewithme38 (Jan 9, 2012)

yumdrey said:


> If you bring your daughter, check waterpark hours and rate.
> Compare prices of regular rate and activity card rate. If activity card rate is cheaper, better purchase it as soon as you check-in.
> If you enjoy skiing, call the resort ahead and ask them to place you near lifts area. If you stay at summit, you are close to ski ropes.
> If you stay at woodstone, you are close from waterpark.
> ...



I *think* i've decided that we're going to skip the ski lessons this year...While i'd LOVE for my daughter to learn how to ski, or atleast try to ski, the extra $125 for everything to do it, plus the entire day it takes up cuts down on ALOT of other things we can do...Snow Tubing we will definatly be doing!

I'm 99% sure i'm going to buy the activity card at check in since i really want to go check out LuRay Caverns and its free with the card...plus the Water park is much cheaper with it....

Beyond the Water Park, the Petting Zoo & Luray Caverns though, i'm not sure what else we are going to do...We might just wing it *scary*


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## Ridewithme38 (Feb 9, 2012)

Ridewithme38 said:


> I *think* i've decided that we're going to skip the ski lessons this year...While i'd LOVE for my daughter to learn how to ski, or atleast try to ski, the extra $125 for everything to do it, plus the entire day it takes up cuts down on ALOT of other things we can do...Snow Tubing we will definatly be doing!
> 
> I'm 99% sure i'm going to buy the activity card at check in since i really want to go check out LuRay Caverns and its free with the card...plus the Water park is much cheaper with it....
> 
> Beyond the Water Park, the Petting Zoo & Luray Caverns though, i'm not sure what else we are going to do...We might just wing it *scary*



Only 9 days away!  I'm still not sure about the Ski Lessons, i think it will be a great experience for her....But, there seems to be ALOT, ALOT of things that will be a good experience for her around there


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## tschwa2 (Feb 9, 2012)

If you are going to do the tour for $, try to schedule it for as early as possible but try to get as many activity cards as you can since you are planning on doing the things there.  I think the most they will give you in $'s is $125 prepaid Visa. The also offer 2 activity cards but maybe you can get a third or forth card too if you need them.

Check in lines can be long and take 15-40 minutes during the 4-5:30pm period on Saturday.  Maybe Friday or Sunday is quicker.

Have Fun.


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## Ridewithme38 (Feb 9, 2012)

tschwa2 said:


> If you are going to do the tour for $, try to schedule it for as early as possible but try to get as many activity cards as you can since you are planning on doing the things there.  I think the most they will give you in $'s is $125 prepaid Visa. The also offer 2 activity cards but maybe you can get a third or forth card too if you need them.
> 
> Check in lines can be long and take 15-40 minutes during the 4-5:30pm period on Saturday.  Maybe Friday or Sunday is quicker.
> 
> Have Fun.



I don't think i'm taking the tour, as of right this second, its just me and my 6yr old daughter going, staying in a 2br that sleeps 6!....so i'd have no one to watch her while i went..

Good to know about the check in lines...i'm trying to find a way to make the 7hr drive as manageable for my 6yr old as possible, we may have to leave in the middle of the night so she can sleep through the drive, so that means checking in VERY early in the morning on the day after checkin or getting to the resort hours(8-12hrs) before we can check in...I'm never sure which is a better option


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## Patri (Feb 9, 2012)

Get there early the next day.


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## ampaholic (Feb 9, 2012)

Ridewithme38 said:


> ... so that means checking in VERY early in the morning on the day after checkin or getting to the resort hours(8-12hrs) before we can check in...I'm never sure which is a better option



If you get there early, you can just start your activities "living" out of your car for the first day - then check in after lunch.


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## laura1957 (Feb 10, 2012)

ampaholic said:


> If you get there early, you can just start your activities "living" out of your car for the first day - then check in after lunch.




That would be my vote, too!!    

Keep a bathing suit for your daughter handy - when you get there she can swim, play on the playground, or in the gameroom  if you are planning on taking her to the waterpark you can go in and look around there too(there is also another gameroom at the waterpark)


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## Free2Roam (Feb 13, 2012)

They also have an ice skating rink this winter.


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## Ridewithme38 (Feb 16, 2012)

So i'm trying to budget everything out for this trip:

Car Rental: $183.12
Gas: (900 miles at $6 a gallon) around $200
Activity Cards: $168
Slope Sliders: $125
5 Day WaterPark Passes: $110
Food: (Around) $140

But, Do any of you know, does Massanutten Require a Major Credit Card and put a hold on that card for 'incidentals'?


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## Passepartout (Feb 16, 2012)

Ridewithme38 said:


> So i'm trying to budget everything out for this trip:
> 
> Car Rental: $183.12
> Gas: (900 miles at *$6 a gallon*) around $200
> ...



Holy Smokes! Where do you buy gas???

Hope your trip is as fun as the planning has been.

Jim


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## Patri (Feb 16, 2012)

Jim, that price will be here before you know it.


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## laura1957 (Feb 16, 2012)

They do require a major credit card for a deposit in case of damage.  

Didnt see which section you are staying in - but you should also check BOTH rec centers, they are quite different.  always seems to be more kids at Le Club - they have a tv/sitting area where they play kids movies/dvds.  Bigger/better game room too!  and more ping-pong tables


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## Ridewithme38 (Feb 16, 2012)

laura1957 said:


> They do require a major credit card for a deposit in case of damage.
> 
> Didnt see which section you are staying in - but you should also check BOTH rec centers, they are quite different.  always seems to be more kids at Le Club - they have a tv/sitting area where they play kids movies/dvds.  Bigger/better game room too!  and more ping-pong tables



Great info! I'm staying in Woodstone


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## laura1957 (Feb 17, 2012)

When we took my husband's grandkids to Massanutten a few years ago - we took them to Luray Caverns, the waterpark, Frontier Culture Museum, they joined in a couple of the kids games at the ballfield, rode the ski lift, saw the Jason Bishop magic show....   we all had a great time.  One grandson went home to his mother and she asked what they did on vacation - he learned to play ping-pong  THAT is what he seemed to be most impressed with!!


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## strandlover (Feb 17, 2012)

Ridewithme38 said:


> So i'm trying to budget everything out for this trip:
> 
> Car Rental: $183.12
> Gas: (900 miles at $6 a gallon) around $200
> ...



I would defintely do Luray Caverns.  I think it's part of the Activity card package.  Depending on your planned level of activity, it may be cheaper to pay for the activities at full cost rather than purchasing activity cards.

Breakfast at the Golden Corral in Harrisonburg is a good value and you could pick up your groceries in the Walmart Supercenter.

If I remember correctly, they take an imprint of your credit card.  Then, they make you walk about 10 feet to another person to get your parking pass.  This is where they try to set the hook for the "tour".

Enjoy!


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## Ridewithme38 (Feb 17, 2012)

laura1957 said:


> When we took my husband's grandkids to Massanutten a few years ago - we took them to Luray Caverns, the waterpark, Frontier Culture Museum, they joined in a couple of the kids games at the ballfield, rode the ski lift, saw the Jason Bishop magic show....   we all had a great time.  One grandson went home to his mother and she asked what they did on vacation - he learned to play ping-pong  THAT is what he seemed to be most impressed with!!



Kids are amazing like that! They really do see things in a different light!


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## Ridewithme38 (Feb 18, 2012)

Just got here...Got lost on the way, a couple times...But i think it'll be easier once the sun is out...

The rooms are nicer then i thought they'd be, there is literally a pool in the bathroom, the Jacuzzi is huge


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## Ridewithme38 (Feb 20, 2012)

Just bumping this thread with a pic...i like getting a picture of my little one with a resort sign


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## laura1957 (Feb 21, 2012)

Ridewithme38 said:


> Just got here...Got lost on the way, a couple times...But i think it'll be easier once the sun is out...
> 
> The rooms are nicer then i thought they'd be, there is literally a pool in the bathroom, the Jacuzzi is huge



My 3 year old grandson loves having his own personal pool in the room 
comes in real handy when we we are too busy (or lazy!!) to drive the kids over to the rec center.


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## bdmauk (Mar 3, 2012)

So Ride, how was the trip overall?  We toying with the idea of going over spring break with our 11 yr old.


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## Ridewithme38 (Mar 3, 2012)

bdmauk said:


> So Ride, how was the trip overall?  We toying with the idea of going over spring break with our 11 yr old.



I loved it, but i'm an unusual one, the first thing people asked when i got back was if i got to do any 'adult' things, this never dawned on me during the trip, i'm supposed to do things beyond hang out with my daughter?...There was alot to do, we had planned to leave the resort one day to visit luray caverns, but that never happened because of how busy we were with on-resort activities, the monday night magic show, the Tuesday night Balloon show(My daughter went on stage!) and the Murder Mystery dinner were all great although the murder mystery thing was a little expensive for what you get....The room was nice, not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but i don't usually stay in Marriott's or 4 seasons resorts, so it didn't bother me....i even came back and wasn't completely broke!

Umm, a heads up for a spring break trip...when we went the weather was unseasonable warm, so while the snow tubing, and skiing mountains were open, the tubing or skiing wouldn't have been great, so we skipped that....Also, the water park was closed for two days so while i had planned to buy a 5 day pass, the 3 day pass seemed to work out perfectly...If your 11 year old is into arcades go on the 'all you can play' day, we didn't and i spent almost 100(Fun Dollars) there

The first sales meeting i ever went to was this most recent trip too...The guy was pretty laid back, i had to get him talking as soon as i told him i wasn't going to buy that day and didn't want to 'waste his time' he lead me over to the lady giving out gifts...and the $100 wasn't actually $100 it was 100 Massanutten Fun Dollars, or something like that


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## bdmauk (Mar 4, 2012)

thanks for info, Ride. Showed everyone the resort website and we're sold (well, not literally).


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## JVT (Mar 4, 2012)

Heard about the restroom/rest stop situation (or lack,thereof). Pls give some advice about that...we will be bringing little ones. Need changing stations too. Thanks!


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## Ridewithme38 (Mar 5, 2012)

bdmauk said:


> thanks for info, Ride. Showed everyone the resort website and we're sold (well, not literally).



Be prepared, if your staying at woodstone, the drive to all the resort ammenities(Except the waterpark) is about 2.5 Miles, so you'll be doing alot of driving


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