Wisconsin Dells...yea or nea
 

My family has been under a tough year, and we are looking for a easy get away for a few days. Some friends have suggested going to the "Dells", but I have heard some bad reviews from others. My husband and I are in our 30's and our four children are 5,6,8 and 10. We like water parks and seeing the sights. Some advise on hotels would also be appreciated.

Personally I think the Dells (during summer) are very unpleasant. Packed with tourists, very cheap-y trinket and T-shirt shops everywhere, bad cheap food, tons of mini golf and go kart type places....all in all a plain old tourist trap. <BR>That's just MY opinion, though. <BR>Obviously most of the people that go to the Dells must think it has some good qualities. <BR>Maybe someone else here can tell you what they think is good about it.

Hi Jackie, <BR> <BR>I'll preface this by saying it was about 8 years ago that my husband and I went there, so things may be quite different now (meaning better!), but we were NOT impressed with the Dells at all. There were lots of cheesey tourist traps, such as a wax museum, t-shirt shops, etc. That being said, we don't have kids and it seemed that some of the things to do were geared towards the little ones, so maybe my opinion ins't that objective after all! ;-) The boat ride to see the high rock formations was semi-enjoyable, but overall kind of boring. The one thing we both really enjoyed was the deer park. Food for them (little pellets of something!) can be bought at the park and that means instant swarming by the deer, which would eat right out of our hands. I'm sure others can give you a more updated review of how it is at the Dells currently, but for my two cents worth, we thought it was a waste of approximately $300 for a weekend. Good luck in your getaway planning and if you choose to go to the Dells, I hope you have a great time!

Definitely Yea! Is it tacky? With a capital "T." Is it fun? You bet, especially if you like water parks, but only if you're not a snob. <BR> <BR>The bigger resorts with the fancy indoor/outdoor parks cost the most (outrageous in-season, in fact), but if you're going in the summer you can just as well stay at a smaller hotel and go to one of the many parks, Noah's Ark being the best. (No, I'm not being paid to say that!) The Travel Channel recently counted down the top 10 water parks in the U.S., and Noah's Ark was #10. <BR> <BR>Some (dry) attractions to see/do: The Ducks boat ride, Tommy Bartlett's Water Show, and depending on your kids, Go-Karts are a must. <BR> <BR>Eat at the giant pizza place (sorry, can't remember the name) right across the strip from Noah's Ark and adjacent to Brother-in-Law's (bar). The Pizza is good and the salad bar was humongous enough to satisfy even my vegetarian sister. Also try any of the supper clubs that are right on the water. Ishnala is the only name I can remember, but it's far from the only one. <BR> <BR>A few years ago we had a family reunion in the Dells and stayed at a small hotel called The River's Edge. It has adequate amenities, which is to say they pale in comparison to the $250/night resorts I mentioned earlier, but it is situated directly across the river from Tommy Bartlett's, which means you can sit on the terrace above the river (or make a campfire on the beach) and watch the show for free. <BR> <BR>Sorry I don't have any phone numbers or links for you, but I'm certain you can find a ton of info on the net. Move quickly, because you may be out of luck with vacancies if you don't. One piece of advice -- the Dells is like Vegas in that you should never pay full price for any attraction without first checking for coupons. Every hotel, restaurant, gas station, you name it in probably a 40-mile radius has brochure racks stuffed with fliers and coupons. <BR> <BR>Go, do every little kitschy thing you can squeeze into your time there, and worry about getting some "culture" on your next vacation! <BR> <BR>Have fun, and let's hear from you when you get back. <BR> <BR>Oh yeah, one more piece of advice: If you absolutely cannot find a room, look in Baraboo, which is a 5-minute drive away and the home of the Ringling Brothers/Barnum and Bailey Circus. It's probably cheaper, anyway! <BR> <BR>

water parks,go carts,cotton candy,pizza,tomy bartlett water show, what more could a kid ask for on vacation. some of the big hotels have water parks right on the premises. and the indians will be more than happy to take your $$ at the casino, have fun.

With 4 kids, you're better off to spend a little extra money and stay at one of the hotels that has their own water slides and such. That will save you from having to pay for admission to the Noah's Ark park.

I personally and not thrilled with the Dells but my brother and his wife took their kids (about the age of your children) over there and they had a ball. They stayed in a hotel which had its own water park and the kids still talk about it and they can't wait to go back. The adults had fun too. The hotel was very family friendly also. <BR>

I think because you have kids that age everyone would have a great time. Yes, it's touristy, etc. as the other posters mentioned, but I think it would be a great place for a family. There is alot to do. I'd say go for it.

We've been there several times just because it's a close 4hr drive for us and an easy place to get to spur of the moment. Granted, it's very touristy but your kids are the perfect age for it! Our kids love the dells - we're actually going there again this year but only for a quick weekend. Attractions for the ages of your kids could be Storybook Gardens, the deer park (My kids loved that when they were little), go-carts, the Tommy Bartlett water show is very good - I'd recommend the evening show since it's lite up and very pretty. There is so much to do there. Yes, there are tons of junky trinket shops, but with little kids it's fun for them to shop around and get something for not much money. It does tend to get quite spendy so be prepared! Good luck - Sandy

We went to the dells last year (it has been about our 6th time). We have fun every year that we go. If you can swing it, I would recommend the Rick Wilcox Magic Theatre Show. It is great to see for any age (our daughter is 10). A couple of good places to eat are Danny's Diner (50's theme & pretty reasonable), Pizza Pub (The place across from Noah's Ark) & Monk's Bar & Grill (downtown). We have stayed at The Wilderness Lodge & Golf Course for the last two summers-very expensive but has a nice water park. They have an AmericanInn, which is the cheapest place we have stayed there-clean but only a plain old-fashioned indoor pool. Hope this helps!