Frisco Commons Park - Frisco, TX

                                              
Rating:  5 out of 5 STARS!!!

Frisco Commons Park
8000 McKinney Rd.
Frisco, TX 75034
972-335-5555

Frisco Commons is a 63-acre park fully equipped for a day of family fun in the sun and in the shade.  A wooden play castle, spray park, grand pavilion, fully-stocked pond, amphitheater, Veteran's memorial and water sphere, walking/biking trails, covered picnic table area with BBQ grills, and a clean restroom facility are amenities you will find here at this wide, open-spaced park that was completed in 2004.

It was voted Best Family Park in the Metroplex and received a Park Design Excellence Award as well. Our group enjoyed rollerblading, scooters, frisbee play, playing catch with the baseball, jump roping, volley in the courtyard, the playground, water guns, the grills, and the shaded picnic area. These are just a few ideas of things to entertain you while enjoying this wonderful park and its masterful layout. Contrary to the name, this is definitely not a common park!

FYI:  You should reserve the pavilion area to get a guaranteed spot, especially for large groups. Otherwise, it's on a first come, first served basis.

After enjoying rollerblading, we observed a sign that said "No rollerblading or Skateboarding".

Strikz Bowling/Entertainment Center - Frisco, TX

                                                     
Rating:  5 out of 5 STARS!!!

Strikz Entertainment Center
8789 Lebanon Rd.
Frisco, TX 75034
972-668-5263
http://www.strikz.com/

I have been to Strikz many times since moving to the area and have even thrown a birthday party here before that everyone enjoyed, so I had no reservations about having another birthday party at this location. Upon calling to set things up, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they had recently renovated and now have more party rooms available, a new food area, and many new features throughout that offer a sleeker and more inviting look and function for various occasions.  The hostesses are friendly, detailed, and handle everything with ease.  The birthday package prices are far more affordable and give you more for your money than most other venues in the same area. Now available to you is online lane booking. (4 hrs prior)

Strikz Entertainment Center has glow-in-the-dark cosmic bowling, laser tag, arcade, pool tables, snack shop, and prize redemption making for a great place for a fun group outing! During the cosmic bowling, they will play music and put up music video screens to enjoy as you bowl. For the younger kids, they have special ramps they can use to roll the ball down and will put up the bumpers to help them stay competitive and hopefully gutter-free. There are certain times for leagues and parties so you might want to call ahead to make sure if you'll be able to get a lane(s). The snack bar has good food compared to many other places. We had an awesome time here and I highly recommend Strikz for your party and entertainment needs.  Have fun!!

Great Wolf Lodge - Grapevine, TX - Hotel/Spa Review

Rating: 5 out of 5 STARS!!!

Great Wolf Lodge
100 Great Wolf Drive
Grapevine, TX 76051
817-488-6510
www.greatwolf.com

The Great Wolf Lodge is an awesome weekend retreat. This is no ordinary lodge - this is a playground for all ages - even adults! Here you will find water fun year round with both an indoor waterpark as well as an outdoor waterpark. Housed in these spaces are: a wave pool, outdoor family lagoon, 2 hot tubs, 6 family pools featuring play activities for all ages, 9 waterslides, lazy river, a 4-story interactive treehouse waterfort, lounging chairs, snack bars, and adult beverages. Inside the lodge you'll find themed hotel suites, restaurants, an arcade, gift stores, Magiquest, Elements Spa, Scoops Kid Spa, conference center, and a dessert shop that specializes in fudge, chocolate candies, and ice cream. Parents will also enjoy the Cub Club that offers scheduled activities and bedstory times for the kiddos.

The lodge has a very masculine decor but it is still welcoming. The staff are friendly and accommodating. The rooms are clean. The common bathrooms throughout the lodge and waterpark areas have wet mats to help prevent falls and are kept quite clean as well. The Elements Spa here is awesome! I highly recommend it. Great Wolf Lodge is on the pricey side per night but does include the waterparks that you can utilize before your check-in time and also after your check-out time. During the week they are open until 9 pm and on the weekends they are open until 10 pm. The outdoor waterpark is only open from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend.

**************************************************************************

Rating: 5 out of 5 STARS!!!

(Located inside Great Wolf Lodge)
Elements Spa
100 Great Wolf Drive
Grapevine, TX 76051
817-488-6510 ext. 720
www.greatwolflodge.com

When you arrive at the Elements Spa you immediately begin to be enticed by the calming scents inside. Shortly after, you are walked to a waiting room with low lighting, lemon and cucumber water, and a very comfy sofa and chaise chairs. The design of the space is oriental in its theme with nature as the essence to begin the relaxing journey that awaits you.

Once the massage therapist consults your questionnaire, you are taken to your spa suite to begin. Before your massage session, you are given a heated foot massage and soak in a large foot bowl as the pampering starts. I had the 60 minute elemental massage for relaxation and my masseuse was Christal. I highly recommend Christal and this type of massage as well. Christal has been in this field for over 4 years and is very talented. She is very good with pressure points in the hands, neck, head, feet, and shoulders that relieve pain and built up stress. I left the spa feeling rejuvenated and the soreness was alleviated by the end of my session.

The staff are friendly and the prices are reasonable for the length of service and quality that you receive. The Elements Spa is open 7 days a week - hours vary. My only complaint is that there is an automatic 18% gratuity for each service that is added to your bill.

** FYI: If you are a local, just enter through the Great Wolf Lodge and take the elevator to the floor marked Elements Spa.

If you are staying at the lodge, I recommend that you book your spa treatments as soon as you arrive, or before, because they book up fast.**

Thunderbird Roller Rink - Plano, TX - Entertainment Review

Rating:  3 1/2 out of  5 STARS!!!

Thunderbird Roller Rink
3200 Thunderbird Lane
Plano, TX 75075
972-422-4984
http://www.thunderbirdskatecenter.com/

Thunderbird Roller Rink offers indoor rollerskating, snack bar, music, and games on the hardwood skate floor. The building is outdated in its appearance but inside it is fairly large and can entertain you just the same. Thunderbird follows the Plano ISD calendar. Hours may vary so give them a call before leaving the house. Prices here are a little lower than others of the same venue. This is a great place to have a birthday party or to entertain the kids all year long. Skating is great exercise and it gives the adults an excuse to be a kid again. Come join the fun!

FYI:  This rink offers Stroller Skate days for moms.

Amazing Jakes - Plano, TX - Family Entertainment Review

Rating: 4 out of 5 STARS!!!

Amazing Jake's
831 N. Central Expway
Plano, TX 75075
972-509-JAKE (5253)
http://www.amazingjakes.com/

Amazing Jake's is an all-you-can-eat-buffet restaurant and indoor entertainment place for all ages. Here you will find rides like go-karts, bumper cars, carousel, train, and more. Also housed in this amusement space are fun activities like putt-putt golf, laser tag, a rock climbing wall, and an arcade area with games like mini-bowling, skee-ball, air-hockey, basketball, jump rope, and many more fun games for toddlers as well as the bigger kids.

Amazing Jake's is a fantastic place to beat the heat in the summer or freezing temps outside in the winter and still be able to enjoy the activities--only INDOORS!!! There is enough inside to keep the entire family busy and happy for several hours. This is a newer facility and everything is clean and organized. The buffet offers salad, soups, pastas, baked potatoes, pizza, desserts, and drinks. I found the salad, pasta, baked potato, and most of the desserts to be good. I found the pizza to be improved over the last time we went. My family and I enjoyed the movie dining room. It contains 4 Big Screen TV's and glow in the dark walls. You will also find a Sports dining room with a few smaller TV's as well and quite a few larger dining areas throughout. This is on the pricey side but you can get an unlimited pass that includes the food, all rides and activities, and it also gives you 20 points on your playcard toward arcade games as well per person - for 3 hours! There are tickets given for each game played and can be traded in for prizes. I highly recommend Amazing Jake's for a family day out or for an amazing birthday celebration!

FYI: In order to participate on the rock climbing wall, you must be wearing closed-toe shoes. Save on the expense if you print off online coupons. Another way to save some money would be to purchase unlimited passes for the kids only. I do not recommend paying individually for every activity as it will exceed the unlimited pass price.

Jump'N Land - McKinney, TX - Family Entertainment Review

Rating: 3 out of 5 STARS!!!

Jump'N Land
2040 Redbud Blvd. #100
McKinney, TX 75069
972-540-0800
http://www.jumpnland.com/

The best thing about this place is its free play hours. Jump'N Land is open 7 days a week and no prior reservation is needed. Most indoor bounce houses cater to only birthday parties on the weekends. Here you will find 5 inflatables to enjoy. These provide you with the opportunity to climb, jump, bounce, slide, and shoot baskets.

Also in the play area, you will find a plastic tunnel with soft pads, a plastic jungle-gym slide set, and a few plastic rocking toys. A mini-arcade, snack bar, and stuff-an-animal are located in the lobby.

The primary audience is for ages 7 and under. On your next rainy day or when you are looking for a spur-of-the-moment kind of place to take the kiddos, stop by and explore!

FYI: Don't forget your socks!

Weekdays $8.00 per child (all day pass)
Weekends $10.00 per child (all day pass)

Mon-Th 10 am-3 pm; Friday 10 am-5 pm; Sat 10 am-6 pm; Sun 12:30 pm-6 pm