Spend a Weekend at Darien Lake!
This post is sponsored by Pepsi and Darien Lake Theme Park Resort. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We all know that life can get a little (or a lot!) hectic sometimes. Work, school, chores, kids, pets, significant others, family...as "adults" we have a lot to deal with. But while people have a lot of responsibilities to handle on a day to day basis, is it so wrong to want to throw a little bit of fun into the mix?
My life has been pretty busy lately, and I am SO grateful for the wonderful folks at Darien Lake Theme Park Resort. Recently, myself and a few of my favorite humans spent the weekend at Darien Lake, and this could not have come at a better time. Technically on paper, we are considered to be adults, but thanks to this amazing experience, we definitely felt like kids again!
Darien Lake had provided myself and my friends with cabins for the weekend, as well as some killer swag.
Some of us looked better in the tees than others...
The Cabin
So I'll be honest, I've never been that big of a camper. The whole staying in a tent and possibly getting eaten by bears thing never sounded appealing to me. But this...THIS I absolutely can get used to.
Guys, you don't understand. The cabins at Darien Lake are incredible. Like, I would stay here every weekend if I could.
First of all, they have air conditioning AND heat. It was a little bit chilly the weekend that we were there, and it was so warm and toasty inside the cabin after we turned the heater on. Definitely a great way to warm up on a cold night. Second of all, they have super comfy mattresses...like a real bed inside a real house type of mattress. So much better than a sleeping bag inside of a leaky tent. Third of all, and the most important, a bathroom, shower, electricity, and running water. Seriously!! It's glamping at its finest, and I couldn't have been more excited.
As you can see from my super awesome (not!) cell phone pic below, each cabin has their own picnic table, fire pit, and charcoal grill. We were most excited about building a fire in the pit in the evening and roasting up some marshmallows for smores....
How toasty do you like your marshmallows? I like to light mine on fire. Yep, I'm THAT girl.
The Food
Speaking of food...isn't amusement park food the best?! Obviously, we scarfed down all of the yummy things that we could find. From chicken fingers and fries to cotton candy and pizza, we actually ate everything.
Not pictured: the ice cream that I ate so fast that I totally forgot to take a photo of until it was too late.
Sorry not sorry.
The Games
I would like to think that I am good at games, but I'm not good at games. Like, at all. I'm actually pretty terrible. But I have so much fun playing them!
I attempted to win this insanely adorable troll creature, but alas, luck was not on my side. She still looked cute with my outfit, though, so hello perfect photo op!
The Rides
As I had mentioned in my first post, Darien Lake is a ride lover's paradise! My personal favorite is the ferris wheel.
Why?
Check out the view from the top...so beautiful!
And of course, roller coasters are always the fan favorite. My friends' absolute favorite coaster in the park is the Boomerang.
This intense ride shoots you forward AND backward...talk about a thrill, right?
And speaking of thrill....oh dear.
Have you guys seen this one?
This is the RedHawk. This bad boy brings you up 180 feet off the ground, and once you pull the rip cord, you soar through the air like its namesake. I was WAY too chicken to do this one, but my friends said that it was an amazing experience!
I found my favorite form of excitement by riding the pretty ponies on the Merry Go Round :)
The Fun
Well, we only had one casualty of the weekend...
Just kidding! He's totally fine...or is he?
One of my favorite parts of the weekend was the Ignite the Night Colorblast laser light show! The is a nightly laser show that includes pyrotechnics, fireworks, music, and multi-colored laser effects. It was so beautiful!
And of course, the boys had WAY too much fun with their glow swords. Want to see a grown man act like a child? Give him a light up sword...bonus points if the sword also makes noise (these did!)
The Friends
I'm sure everybody says this, but I actually mean this next statement with my whole heart: My friends are the greatest friends in the entire world.
Not to sound sappy, but this weekend was actually so incredible because of the people I was with. I've been blessed with incredible friends who know how to have a great time no matter what we are doing.
My final tip for having the best time at Darien Lake is to bring a group of your besties with you. Sure the park is a blast on its own, but it will be even better if you have your people with you.
BONUS: The Views
While walking back to our cabins to relax before the light show, we had to stop and marvel at the beauty of the actual Darien Lake. The sunlight, the slight fog, the reflection of the roller coaster in the water...I've never seen anything like it.
I just wanted to give a gigantic THANK YOU to Darien Lake Theme Park Resort and Pepsi for this opportunity. My friends and I had so much fun! And just a reminder, visit http://www.darienlake.com/pepsi and buy one full price admission & get one free when you use code PEPSI. Offer ends June 25th, so take advantage of this ASAP!
Photos by Ryan Kell & Nicholas Robson