Our Stay At The Fantasyland Hotel

Our oldest daughter Kennedy turned 5 on November 13th. For her 1st, 2nd & 3rd birthday parties we have always gone over the top ( Think the birthday scene with all the animals in the house in the movie Mrs. Doubtfire ).

But due to the pandemic - birthdays have been a little more subdued haha. So when the opportunity came up to spend the weekend as a family at West Edmonton Mall and stay at the Fantasyland Hotel; we were IN!

Despite being born and raised here in Edmonton, AB I have never once stayed at the Fantasyland Hotel. I always remember the commercials and people talking about the “Theme Rooms”. If you got to stay there; you were so lucky- and RICH. (I have later come to find in my adult years that you can actually get some great deals there)

ROOMS

The Fantasyland Hotel does have normal every day hotel rooms but what they are known for are their THEME ROOMS. There are many to choose from including Polynesian, Space, Western, Roman, Hollywood, Pirate, Princess, Igloo (Arctic), Truck, Canadiana, Imperial, Truck, Victorian Coach, African and Sports.

We stayed in the Modern Polynesian Room. It had two queen beds and a large jacuzzi tub with a rock waterfall which the girls (aged 5 & 2) absolutely LOVED. The room was really nice and clean. A small bathroom but with the tub right in the room it worked out just fine. We didn't feel squished; it was a pretty generous room. The room was located on the 10th floor and I was very impressed by the dedication to the theme. The ENTIRE Floor (hallways included) is decked out in palm trees, monkeys, pineapples, tiki torches - all the goods. I wanted to check the other levels to see if they were dedicated to themes as well but got too busy and didn’t have the chance. One last note about the room - REALLY nice toiletries in the bathroom. (Pharmacopia brand)

POOL

NO Pool at this hotel but of course they do have the World Water Park….and on that note…

WORLD WATERPARK

Included in our stay were passes to the World Waterpark. This was by far the best time we have all had in a long time. I’ll be honest; it a stiff price to get in so if you can find some sort of online discount or sometimes they do hotel specials I would try and do that. But even if you can’t - boy is it a great day. Our girls are 2 & 5 and there was PLENTY for them to do all day. There is even a few waterslides that the girls could do (assisted with parents or without). Real waterslides too; not just ones that last 0.5 seconds.

The wave pool is just awesome. It’s huge and no matter how old you are; when that horn goes off to signal the waves are coming; you freak out (in a good way). You can rent tubes but they go fast. If you’re lucky near the last few hours of the day sometimes someone will just give you theirs as they are headed out.

There is a giant kids area towards the back ( that is where you will find the waterslides). It’s very WET haha and when I say that I mean that there is lots of splashing, and water coming up from the ground like in a spray park and water being dumped from above like a shower. It’s fun but if you want to stay dry; good luck.

HEADS UP : Lockers are not included in your day pass. Prepare to pay $10 for a small one and $15 for a large one. But they are very convenient as you have a wristband with a barcode and you can access them all day as many times as you would like.

Chairs and loungers are tough to come by if you don’t go there when it first opens however keep walking by; every so often a few open up. We got a row of 3 in the middle of the day within 30 minutes of being there. There is also lots of side areas to put your stuff too but that requires a bit more trust.

You can also rent Cabanas and fancy loungers but again; you are paying a premium price for these.

Food is standard at the Waterpark. Pizza, fries, hot dogs and burgers. While it’s good and fresh; it’s also a tad pricy (expected).

GALAXYLAND

The next day we headed to Galaxyland. It is still under construction and renovations so there were limited rides that the girls could go on. I would say def check this out if you have older kids but younger ones like ours; I would wait until the renos are done.

DOGS

No Dogs allowed in the Theme Rooms. They ARE allowed in the Superior Rooms. Fantasyland Hotel welcomes pets up to 25 lbs for an additional fee of CAD 50 per night. Both dogs and cats are allowed but may not be left unattended in rooms.

AROUND THE HOTEL

Staying RIGHT At West Edmonton Mall had serious Disneyland Vibes when we stayed right on the grounds. (Read that blog HERE) . It was def the way to go. If the girls were tired ( or we were!) we could just go right back to the hotel. No cars, no carseats, no getting coats on. It was really convenient.

And of course you have the entire mall right at your fingertips. So many restaurants, shops and activities to do.

ROOM RATES

As with all rooms; prices go up and down depending on when you stay and what room. However on average expect to pay anywhere from $200 - $475 / nt for the Theme Rooms.

I hope this helps you if you’re thinking of a stay in Edmonton and at the Fantasyland Hotel. This was one of the best birthdays any of us have had and I thank The Fantasyland Hotel and West Edmonton Mall so much for that opportunity through hosting us.

xoxox Jacks