Situated at the head of the causeway to Cedar Point and facing the harbor, Castaway Bay has a lovely location. The highlight of the resort is, of course, the indoor water park. By industry standards, Castaway Bay is a medium-sized facility. But the park has been cleverly designed to make maximum use of its space; they've jammed a lot of fun into a small footprint. The surprisingly potent Pineapple Pipeline water slide is part of the Lookout Lagoon water play structure, which is RIGHT next to the hot tub, which is RIGHT next to the exit of the water coaster, which is RIGHT next to...well, you get the idea.
True to its thrill ride roots, Castaway Bay's slides and rides are generally edgier, faster, and wilder than comparable attractions at other indoor water parks. The featured ride, the Rendezvous Run uphill water coaster, for example, delivers impressive airtime and is an exhilarating, slightly out-of-control (but in a good way) experience. The Tropical Tube Slides, which start at the 35-foot level and extend outside the building, are unusually zippy and seriously disorienting. (For maximum speed and bewilderment, try the yellow one.)
The colder it gets, the more you'll enjoy the hot tub
But that's not to say younger children or folks with lower thrill thresholds won't enjoy Castaway Bay. There are areas and activities specifically designed for toddlers. And the centerpiece Lookout Lagoon Funhouse, with its myriad interactive gizmos and gadgets to douse yourself or others, is a hoot for all ages. Everybody seems to make at least one dash under the torrents of the Funhouse's tipping bucket. The Grotto's twin whirlpool spas, one inside and one outside connected by a plastic-shielded entryway, is especially appealing, no matter what your adventure level. There's something strange, yet utterly wonderful about letting your cares melt away in a bubbling, cozy-warm, outdoor hot tub as steam rises, a light snow falls, and the air temperature dips to six degrees with the wind chill factor.Even if you never step foot in the wave pool (which may be small but generates some bracing, wipeout whitecaps) or try at least one of Castaway Bay's twelve water slides, it's likely you'll still break out in a grin just sitting in the bright, climate-controlled, Caribbean-themed park. "Where else in Ohio can you experience 84 degrees and the tropics--in the middle of January?" asks Janice Witherow, Cedar Point spokesperson. Well, at the nearby Great Wolf Lodge or Kalahari indoor water park. But we get the point. There's a winter storm watch outside, yet people are lounging poolside, barefoot and clad in their Hawaiian bathing suits, while palm trees and Jimmy Buffet tunes beckon. If they're not exactly wasted away in Margaritaville, it sure beats battling waist-deep snow in Akron.
If you're thinking about nodding off and dreaming about the tropics, however, you may want to retreat to your hotel room. There are no reclining chaise lounges, and the noise level, as in most indoor water parks, is booming. The nonstop background music, giggles and screams of waterlogged guests, gurgles and hisses of the water equipment, and the giant fans of the overhead heating system join together to form a wall of sound in the cavernous 38,000-square-foot building.
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Rendezvous Run Uphill Water Coaster Review
Castaway Bay Photo Gallery
Castaway Bay Hotel Photo Gallery
