Anderson’s 5th birthday was barreling down on us at 100 MPH. The holidays had just passed. Back to school was done. The recent raging of Omicron seemed to be slowing down {a little}. But the thought of a traditional birthday celebration for our soon to be 5 year old was out the window. We went into scramble mode to try to figure out how we could make it special for him. We love a staycation, so the idea of a “birthday staycation” seemed doable, especially with COVID.
COVID is ruining his birthday
He has lost out on 3 birthdays now. He is only 5 and has lost 3 birthday celebrations.
His 2020 birthday was just before the pandemic and we had decided not to do a birthday party as the hype of “SARS CoV-2” was really ramping up. We wanted to do something low key since it had just been the holidays. So we just went to one of our favorite ice cream spots, Jeremiahs, with our favorite friends and had gelato outside. Had we known that would’ve been his last normal birthday for a few years, we would have thrown him a huge birthday bash. Hindsight is 20/20.
His 2021 birthday was almost the first full year of the pandemic and a birthday party was out of the question. We were still living in “unknown” times and there was no way that we would even dare to have a party. Not to mention that his birthday was my last day of quarantine. Yup, my husband tested positive January 18, 2021 and COVID made its rounds through most of our house. It took until February 7th for 4 out of the 6 of us to go through quarantine.
Enter 2022.
We are on the brink of year 3 of the pandemic and we are still charting unknown territory, but, we do feel better about leaving our bubble and exploring Central Florida a little more than we have the past 2 years. With the most recent surge dying down, we were ready for fun, family time & a stress free weekend.
I love a good staycation and the opportunity to check out a local Wyndham Hotel + ICON Park was presented to us. So, we decided that a weekend getaway would do the trick…especially for a low key birthday celebration! So we headed to Wyndham I-Drive and ICON Park for our littlest ones 5th birthday weekend celebration!
Wyndham Orlando Resort International Driveย
Fun Fact
Things we LOVE about Wyndham IDrive
Wyndham IDrive is a Universal Orlando Hotel Partner
As a Universal Partner Hotel they were chosen based on the quality, reputation and proximity to Universal Orlando Resort. Guests that stay at the Wyndham hotel on IDrive also can enjoy:
- Discounts on select merchandise at select Universal Orlando theme park locations
- Discounts on food and non-alcoholic beverages at select Universal Orlando theme park locations and Universal CityWalk
- Free scheduled transportation to Universal Orlando theme parks and much more!
Oversized family-friendly suite with bunk beds
Our kids felt like VIPs in a separate alcove with bunk beds and a TV. They immediately made themselves at home when we got to our room! They loved that they got to have their own space with a TV and bunk beds!
We were able to set parental controls so they could hang out and watch their shows! With our “baby” being 5, we wanted him to feel a little more grown up by having more “freedom” (basically some free time without us constantly watching over his every move). Wyndham did not disappoint.
Things we LOVE about ICON Park
The Play Pass
We got to experience everything we wanted to at ICON Park with the Play Pass. We went on The Wheel, into Madame Tussauds, Museum of Illusions (P.S. you have to make reservations for this in advance and it is SO worth it) and Sea Life Aquarium, gambled all of our money on the Minecraft machine at In The Game and we went on the Pearl Express Train {a few times!}. The Starflyer is NOT my jam and the boys are too little anyway (thank heavens!) but it is part of the Play Pass. The birthday boy and I also missed out on the 7D Motion Theater because he wasn’t tall enough, but dad and brother got to enjoy it.
We loved the discounts that we were offered with the Play Pass. BONUS, the Play Pass and those discounts are good for 30 days! So, we will be going back in a weekend or two.
There is SO much food at ICON Park and on IDrive…and even if you have dietary restrictions, there is something for everyone to choose from. There are tons of restaurants and most are accommodating and allow modifications (which makes life easier!) and The Wheelhouse Market Food Hall has lots to choose from too.
Tips for a great birthday staycation at Wyndham
Orlando Entertainment District
As I mentioned before, The Wheel at ICON Park and Wyndham are part of the Orlando Entertainment District. This means you are in a walkable neighborhood and get to enjoy all of the attractions and dining and shopping with NO parking and most importantly, NO traffic!
- Take time to plan out your daily visits ahead of time so that you are not walking all over creation! While no traffic is nice, walking back and forth in the heat is not going to be fun!ย
- Wear sneakers!! You will regret it if you don’t!!
Plan your meals
With over 55 restaurants to choose from, it is best to plan ahead and make a reservation. We are only eating outdoors these days, so we made sure to plan ahead for this. Plus, we eat predominately plant-based, so that is always something that we have to consider.
- If you have dietary restrictions, I cannot stress the importance of planning your meals ahead!
- The Starbucks next to the hotel gets slammed on the weekends and they only do Drive Thru and Mobile Orders at times. Check before going!
