After a short car ride (enough to watch a few “Daniel Tiger” episodes) I knew I wasn’t in NYC anymore as I saw rolling, green hills, and beautiful, colored leaves on trees in every shade of fall. I arrived at my dream destination: Woodloch Pines Resort! Nestled in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains, Woodloch Pines is the ultimate, all-inclusive family vacation experience. My whole family came for the fun and it was like our own family camp! It is nonstop action for kids of all ages and this kid loved every second.
From the second I arrived I was greeted by super-duper nice people and an endless list of activities. The full Woodloch Resort is over 1,200 acres (that sounds like a really big number) and even though there are 1,100 employees and the resort can accommodate just as many guests, everything felt like it was personalized especially for me and my family. The warm hospitality made us feel like we were in our home-away-from-home and that we were simply visiting our BFFs. It made my heart happy and everything there is from the heart.
The resort was massive and I got to explore it all inside and out. My family loved that there was something fun for everyone and I loved that it all centered around moi. Outside there is a beautiful lake with scenic boat rides, sailboats, canoes, and paddle boats. I even paddled all by myself since my uncle needed help. There were also nature trails, playgrounds outfitted for endless fun, bumper boats, go karts, zip lines, and rock climbing walls. Inside there was a kickin’ kids club, indoor pools, the Forest Indoor Jungle Gym, Toddler Room, bumper cars, a Wii room, and an arts & crafts room. I’m tired just writing about it. And my grown-ups especially loved the luxurious spa, championship golf course, and evening shows and comedy acts.
The daily activity sheet was like my treasure map listing my menu of options each day. It told me the numerous happenings and when and where to find them. A not-so-hidden treasure! Since we visited during the fall, we could take in the vibrant and beautiful fall colors on property and enjoy seasonal activities like the Haunted Hayrides!
The staff goes all out for the hayrides. With over ten different scare stations and a high value scare event at each one, the Haunted Hayride is not for the littlest ghosts and goblins. I hear that there were clowns, zombies, and giant spiders, oh my! It got bigger and better with pyrotechnics and chainsaws in your face. Insider tip: Plan to leave knowing that you will never look at Jack-o-Lanterns the same way.
For the smaller set, we were sure not to miss the Halloween festivities, including trick or treating, costume and dance parties, Halloween Boo-Lympics, and Halloween cupcake wars. For the cupcake wars, my aunt led the charge and my family made an incredible “The Great Pumpkin” display and should have won the gold medal. It put the “treat” in trick-or-treat.
The family activities were my favorite. From game show and trivia contests (Pop’s forte) to scavenger hunts and family Olympics competitions, it was always friendly competition. But I loved coming in first place and getting my first gold medal! Winning! And all this activity helped me work up an appetite. Every meal had an assortment of my favorite things to eat and lots of desserts, too. Plus, my favorite characters appeared during meal times to say hi, make my baby sister squeal with delight, and take pictures. Olaf and Elsa even came and made it snow in October!
Our waitress, Miss Carol, seemed like a part of the family. She even knew when I needed to pause to meet a character, take my meal to go since I was so busy, or when I had earned a special dessert. And she took care of my allergic aunt with great care, noting every ingredient, cross-contamination potential, and keeping her safe and sound.
We were treated like royalty. Our family had so many memorable experiences to treasure. Grandma said she sees why Woodloch has one of the highest loyal guest return rates in the industry (whatever that means). Everyone loved the unique and ever-changing lineup of activities and having a family getaway perfectly planned for them. We all now fully understand how they say the resort has been the vacation spot of choice for generations of families over the last 50+ years. The only bad part was having to say good-bye to my family and Woodloch.
I had the best family fun time at Woodloch and only wish I could stay and play there forever!
To learn more, visit woodloch.com!
Elle Belle is an adorable preschooler who lives in the Upper East Side of Manhattan with her magnificent mommy, dapper dad, and baby sister. She can be reached at ellebellenyc@gmail.com or like at facebook.com/ElleBelleNYC.
