We are a family of four (kids aged 10 and 12) who stayed here on a RCI guest certificate from a relative. This is a mega-resort -- absolutely huge. It would be more accurate, perhaps, to describe it as a resort "town" containing several resorts over a fairly large geographic area. They even have their own Massanutten police, who the timeshare salesman told me are deputized by the local sheriff. There are actually several separately listed RCI resorts on the site, with Woodstone being one of them (the newest). Guests at one resort can use the amenities of all. They have three swimming pools, a waterpark, two golf courses, a few stores, a spa, and an endless list of activities. Additional fees are charged for most of the amenities and activities.
If you don't plan on leaving the resort (there is enough to do that you don't have to), it is probably well worth it for you to buy an Activity Card, which gives you discounts on amenities, activities, and services. Some activities become free when you have the card. We got the cards and saved on golf lessons (save $10/person with card), Shenandoah Caverns (cave) tour (free with card), Washington DC bus tour (save $20/person with card), New Market Civil War Battlefield admission (free with card), and golf green fees ($2.50/person for 9 holes). We spent a fair part of our time off the resort, so we probably would have only broke even in terms of cost, but two of our cards were free for attending a timeshare presentation. You should check out the activities flyer on their web site (www.massresort.com) for a full list of discounts available with the card and for a better idea of what there is to see and do at this resort.
We really enjoyed the Washington DC tour. It was a very convenient way to see all the main attractions without the hassle of traffic and parking. It is a very full day of walking. You leave the resort at 6 AM and get back around 9 PM. A buffet dinner at a Golden Corral is included on the drive back from Washington.
The resort is within easy driving distance of Shenandoah National Park, where we spent two afternoons driving along Skyline Drive. This road twists and turns along the mountaintops and offers amazing views from numerous overlooks. Deer are very abundant and seemed quite accustomed to people. We also saw a fairly large bear along the road flipping over stones to find bugs to eat. There are deer ticks in the park known to carry Lyme disease so we took the recommended precaution of spraying our footwear and legs with an insect repellent containing DEET. My son and I hiked to the highest peak (Hawksbill summit, 4052 ft), which took a little over 20 minutes from the parking area by the most direct route (would take 2 hours if hiking the entire trail loop). The most direct route is very steep and we were quite winded upon reaching the summit, but the trails are nicely groomed. The view was worth the effort and there is a picnic area at the summit.
The third floor two bedroom unit we stayed in was very spacious and we were generally satisfied with it except for the transmission of noise from other units. It wasn't that our neighbours were especially noisy, it was the lack of soundproofing that was the problem. The unit was clean upon arrival, but then you are on your own -- there is no mid-week clean-up. There were elevators in the buildings, but not baggage carts, so it took several trips to unload the car on arrival and to load the car on departure. We stayed in a "partial" kitchen unit, which meant that you had a two burner hot plate instead of a full stove, but that worked well enough for us. The kitchen was otherwise well equipped. The unit had beds for four people (one king, two singles), but could have accommodated six with the sofabed. We found the beds to be comfortable enough. The main bathroom had an enormous Jacuzzi, but we felt it odd that it was in the main bathroom and not the master bedroom ensuite bathroom. Each unit had a balcony and fireplace as well. The only amenity within walking distance for us was the Woodstone Meadows golf course. We had to drive to everything else. We thought it would be nice if there were a few more pools so that one was within walking distance of each unit. The timeshare salesman suggested this might be done in the future and that a former shuttle service might be re-instituted. The landscaping could use some work. The Woodstone units were surrounded by patchy and weedy lawns that were not terribly lush. The BBQ area was a small island in the middle of the asphalt parking lot. They should move the BBQ areas to the lawn and provide more picnic tables.
We liked the fact that this resort had bins for recyclables. Only two of four resorts we stayed at this trip did.
One thing we did not like was that "P" (Partial) and "F" (Full) kitchen units shared a stacking laundry washer/dryer which was very tiny as well. We could only wash two beach towels at once whereas an average sized washer can take four beach towels at once. One day we could not get at the washer as it was being utilized by the family in the "F" unit every time we checked. This is the first time we've been in a timeshare where we didn't have our own laundry machine pair.
The Woodstone Meadows golf course was nicely tended and very forgiving for the less than expert golfer. We only played it on our last day and wished we'd set aside more time for it. Golf is a great deal if you have the Activity Card.
Drive carefully on the drive into and out of the resort. There are tons of deer around and we saw one killed by the car in front of us when returning to the resort one night. They bolt across the road very suddenly.
We didn't use the water park this trip, but we had a look at it during the timeshare sales breakfast. The salesman claimed it is being expanded to become the biggest indoor waterpark in the US, but that would have to be a massive expansion, as it is currently only about a third of the size of Kalahari Resort Waterpark in Ohio, which we visited last summer. Single day admission is quite expensive, but you can save big with the Activity Card and when buying multi-day admissions.
This was a nice resort and I would recommend it especially to golfing families, who could save a lot with the Activity Card. We were a bit put off by the distance between our unit and the amenities, but were impressed by the sheer number of amenities and activities.
