As far as I know the Nick Hotel is the only resort hotel in the United States or for that matter the world where a normal person can wind up slimed and be cheered in the process. The idea is off-the-wall and now that the slimming event is part of our family vacation history, I can say it was fun. Even more fun for me was to watch the look on my grandson’s face. His disbelief was truly comical. And my husband is still using the one of the photos he took as a screen saver.

So where did the idea of green slime come from? For fans of Nickelodeon, the children's cable television network, the answer is obvious. They invented the tradition of rewarding game show winners by dropping neon-green slime on them. And now at Holiday Inn Nick Hotel guests can have the same gooey experience while family and friends shout slime! Just in case you were wondering, while it looks green and gooey on the tele, it is really greener and gooier in person. The daily slime ceremony is the signature activity at the resort whose concept is to provide guest with the best of Nickelodeon live. Just imagine a vacation with “SpongeBob Squarepants," "The Fairly OddParents," "Jimmy Neutron" and "The Rugrats", no need to explain that to the grand kids.

So using the Nickelodeon angle I was able to convince my grand kids to spend a long weekend with us in Orlando. The resort has thought of everything beginning with child guest check in desk, an old-fashioned guest book and a welcome bag stuffed with SpongeBob toothpaste, two tokens for the in-house arcade and an activity book.

Our two-bedroom suite had a just the right amount of space to be comfy. It addition to separate sleeping spaces our living area had a small refrigerator, a microwave and a coffee-maker. W had a queen-sized bed and our own bath while the kids had a SpongeBob themed space two twin beds and a PlayStation II video game system.

While there are complimentary shuttles to Orlando’s other attractions, the resort complex itself makes it really difficult to leave. This family vacation heaven includes pool areas with infantry edges and awesome water slides. There are nets to climb, water spraying from jets and spray guns and what for water buckets overhead. Most of the wet (messy) action happens poolside and often includes skills, trivia, musical pies or balloon-passing games which result in someone getting slimed or pied. For the littlest tykes there are water and sand areas. Activity options include: a nine-hole miniature golf course, pool and ping pong tables, basketball and shuffleboard courts, computer center and a day spa for kids. Several nights a week, movies are shown poolside and it is easy to find a Karaoke session. No one will be bored.

During our stay we took advantage of the Holiday Inn's "Kids Eat Free" program. For each paying adult up to four children, 12 or younger may eat at no charge. For us, two adults and two children, our biggest challenge was agreeing on a time to eat together. E missed the special breakfast with SpongeBob but later saw several Nick characters in the lobby.

Save your strength for the evening festivities. The free game shows are really wild. "Nick Live" features families answering trivia questions. Audience participation includes lip sinking, trivia challenges and like dressing up random adults as the “Fairly OddParents”. "Who Knows Best" sets three adult/child teams (a parent/grand parent/aunt/uncle and a child) in a competition to try to match answers. Questions like “Who snores the loudest?” or “Who is the most forgetful family member?” And naturally the first prize is a bucket of slime dropped on the head, winning can be humiliating.

Speaking as a grandparent Nick hotel makes it easy to be a hero with grandkids. The place is filled with action and no one acts serious or seems cranky. It is not a place to relax, disconnect or chill. Instead it is a place to act just as crazy as your grandkids; spend time laughing; eat pizza and ice cream at midnight; paint your nails purple and skip naptime. It was worth the effort to hear my grandson say, “You will never believe what grandma did! No really, I have pictures.”

 

Nickelodeon Suites Resort. 14500 Continental Gateway Orlando, FL 32821 or www.nickhotel.com

 

Content and images provided by Nickelodeon Family Suites. Copyright 2010.