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Chicago’s promoter’s ordinance: What the city wants, the city gets?
Published on 5/9/08
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CoCo Key Water Resort
3400 W Euclid Ave, Arlington Heights
847-394-2000
www.cocokeywaterresort.com
Check-in Nightmare. Crazy long lines on President’s Day weekend (and other weekends, from what we’ve heard). No rooms were available until 6pm.
Locations Just 35 minutes from downtown Chicago, CoCo Key is überconvenient for a day trip or an overnight stay. We met many suburban parents who ran home during the weekend. TIE
Accommodations Though the water park is only a few months old, the attached Sheraton hotel has been around for decades, and feels like it. Rooms are of the standard business-traveler variety.
Water park If this 65,000-square-foot water park can’t keep your kids entertained, you’re in trouble. Highlights include: four large slides (one in a dark tunnel); two small slides; a killer “lazy” river loaded with spray features; water basketball; floating lily pads to climb on; and a massive hot tub featuring wall-to-wall screaming kids. Huge crowds make keeping an eye on smaller kids pretty stress-inducing. WINNER
Food/drinks A&W Root Beer, Pizza Hut, Starbucks, and a hotel restaurant offering decent salads, burgers and heartier fare like ribs or grilled salmon. The breakfast buffet is a crowd-pleaser. The pool bar offers an extensive list of specialty Key West–inspired cocktails. Our favorite: the Jolly Roger.
Extras CoCo Key has some of the coolest lockers we’ve ever seen; you just have to be lucky enough to score one. For $3, plus a $5 refundable deposit, guests receive a waterproof wristband programmed to open your locker each time the band is waved in front of a sensor. You can open and close it as often as you like—which comes in handy for families.
Rates Spring-break rates (Fri 23–Apr 7) start at $199/night. Water park day passes cost $34, but call before heading out as they sell out during peak times. TIE
Grand Bear Resort
Route 178, Utica
866-399-3866
www.grizzlyjacksresort.com
Check-in Seamless during our visit on a nonholiday weekend.WINNER
Locations A one-hour, 40-minute drive from Chicago, Grand Bear is less than a mile from scenic Starved Rock State Park. Drag your kids away from the arcade and make them crawl through caverns and waterfalls instead. They’ll never question your “Why don’t you go play outside?” mantra again. TIE
Accommodations Guests can choose to stay in the 92-room lodge, rent a two-bedroom villa or stretch out in a 2,800-square-foot cabin that sleeps 18 and features three fireplaces, four bathrooms, four TVs and a full-service kitchen, complete with granite countertops and stainless-steel appliances. Shuttles run constantly between cabins and villas and park amenities. WINNER
Water park One large tube slide features psychedelic lighting (seizure alert!) and the other is so crazy fast we couldn’t stop giggling. Other highlights include a wave pool, a lazy river and small children’s slides.
Food/drinks Standard kids fare, beer and margaritas by the pool; pizza at the Enchanted Forest indoor amusement park; and a full-service restaurant offering sit-down or takeout breakfast, lunch and dinner. WINNER
Extras According to our official kid reviewers, the Enchanted Forest is “awesome!” Picture a clean county fair carnival, indoors and set to pounding club remixes of pop songs. Sweet. WINNER
Rates Spring-break rates (Fri 23–Apr 7) range from $199/night for a basic room to $629 for a cabin, including water park and amusement park admisison. Day passes for the Enchanted Forest cost $9.95, but they are unavailable for the water park. TIE
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