Family Fun At Foxwoods: Who Said Kids & Casinos Can’t Mix?!

Being the city dwelling family that we are, (at least for now), we are always looking for opportunities to get away from the hustle and bustle for a little quality time together. Last week, we were happy to sneak in a mid-week visit to Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashatucket, CT. With fall on it’s way, the chances to create great summer memories are fleeting. And in light of Foxwoods making huge leaps towards making it a great destination for families, we were looking forward to seeing what the facility had to offer.

Opened in 1986, Foxwoods Resort Casino has a long history of being a go-to getaway destination for many in the tri-state area. Foxwoods is owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. It is also the largest casino in North America located conveniently in Mashantucket Connecticut (about 3 hours from New York City). Be sure to read my first post, 3 Awesome Ways Foxwoods Resort Casino Is Betting on Families (And Winning) This Summer.

Tiffany aka itsmeladyg at Foxwoods Resort Casino

With several hotels to choose from, we stayed at the Great Cedar Hotel which seemed to be outfitted perfectly for families. Call me a little crazy, but I appreciate when hotels offer a choice of valet AND self-parking that is not far from the hotel AND sheltered. These little things are very important to parents when you you realize that a baby bag or toy may have been left in the car and require quick retrieval to avoid a tantrum. Whether the designers of The Great Cedar Hotel thought of this or not, the beauty of it’s design was not lost on me.

The lovely bay window room view at The Great Cedar Hotel Foxwoods

As far as the rooms, there was ample space for my family of three. We were able to spread out and enjoy the sprawling views of the serene grounds from the bay windows with seating. In addition, having a refrigerator and a large bathroom with an additional vanity with a sink was great for families and all the snacks and hand washing that comes along with them.

 

The Cedars Restaurant at Foxwoods

 

Dinner at the Cedars Restaurant at Foxwoods

The Great Cedar Hotel has a vast array of eateries that are guaranteed to satisfy even the pickiest of little eaters. There was a full food court with the usual favorites such as pizza and Subway sandwiches. But for the days when you want to splurge, there is the Cedars Restaurant. This restaurant elevates your dining experience by providing a traditional steakhouse menu with all the fixings. This is where we had the pleasure of having our pre-show dinner. While I am not a big red meat eater, I do enjoy a perfectly prepared steak once or twice a year and this was totally worth the wait. And just in case you were interested, the Cedars restaurant offered a lounge menu that carried lots of choices for the little one. He was more than happy with his burger and fries. In fact, it was what helped usher him off to la-la-land for a well deserved nap after a long ride.

Cirque Eloize at the Fox Theater Foxwoods

 

Next we were off to the Fox theater (also conveniently located in the Great Cedar Hotel), to see the wondrous Cirque Eloise Saloon show. This family friendly performance was an amazing combination of music, acrobatics, and storytelling unlike anything we’ve ever seen. The performers were so talented and left you wanting more. The theater was perfectly sized for audience engagement. We were thoroughly impressed and would absolutely recommend checking the troupe and show out if they come to a town near you.

The Tree House Arcade at Foxwoods

To finish the night off, we took a visit to the Tree House Arcade. Again, conveniently located in the Great Cedar Hotel, it was just steps from the Fox theater. This two floor arcade had a great variety of games for the whole family. Many of the games allow you to earn tickets which can be redeemed for prizes available at the redemption center at the front of the arcade. The Tree House Arcade is unique in that it eliminates the need to use tokens (like Chuck E. Cheese) by providing you with a card that you can load with as much money as you want to play at each game. To make it even easier, it also electronically collects your earned tickets on the same card to avoid having to walk around with little tickets to turn in at the end of the visit (also like Chuck E. Cheese). Unfortunately, there were a couple of games that were malfunctioning and ended up taking some of our credits. This was easily addressed and corrected when mentioned to an attendant. Our credits were automatically restored and back to playing we went. Overall, we all had a great time. With all of our claimed prizes in hand, it was off to the room to call it a night.

The next morning, we woke up refreshed and ready to head back to reality. It was great to have this lovely destination just a couple of hours away. Who knew that a casino would be a great family escape! Have you and/or your family been to Foxwoods Resort Casino? Leave a comment below telling me about your stay. Thanks so much Foxwoods for having us!

 

 

FTC DISCLOSURE: This post was partially sponsored by Foxwoods Resort Casino. This does not change the opinions expressed in this post.