Last Sunday we took the kids to Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos for a mini getaway. We needed a break from our norm and the busy so we thought it would be a great way to unwind. We went to Kalahari back in November of 2019 and had a great time, but we wanted to try a different resort, so we decided on Great Wolf Lodge.
I found a deal online for a nice suite that I thought the kids would love – the Wolf’s Den. The kids are obsessed with wolves – so I figured this would be perfect. We paid about $359 (that includes taxes) and also bought wolf passes for the kids (which are $99 each). Our total for the waterpark, hotel, and passes came to $557. That does not include our food, drinks, locker rental ($18), and extra money we spent on souvenirs and at the arcade.
Great Wolf Lodge Arrival & Our Hotel Room
We were told to arrive around 1pm since that is when we could start using the waterpark. When I booked it I was told our room would not be ready until 4pm, much like Kalahari. When we arrived, we waited online to check-in and receive our bracelets and I was told our room was ready, which was awesome! We booked the Wolf’s Den Suite which included 1 queen sized bed, a sectioned off room with a bunk bed for the kids (they even had their own tv), a roll out couch with fridge, microwave and coffee maker. It was very spacious. The room had a balcony but the resort is currently undergoing renovations, so sadly we were unable to use it.
Great Wolf Lodge – Our Resort Experience
The waterpark is a good size, but definitely smaller than Kalahari. It had similar attractions with in the waterpark as what Kalahari did – a lazy river, lots of slides, different pool areas and a wave pool. My kids loved the wave pool, lazy river and most of the water slides we did (Totem Towers, Double Barrel Drop, and River Canyon Run). They had an awesome time in the water.
At about 5pm we went back to our room and showered and changed for dinner. We ate at the Loose Moose Family Kitchen Buffet, which was disappointing to say the least. It is $24.99 for adults and $9.99 for each child. I am not a fan of buffets to begin with, but I was disappointed with the food. It seemed like it had no flavor, the rolls disintegrated when trying to put butter on them. It was just overall disappointing.
After Dinner Activities
After we ate, we decided to do the Magi Quest which comes with the Wolf Passes. The kids got to pick out wands and we went up and down all over the resort on this quest for almost 2 hours. At one point my kids were over it, so we stopped. I then asked a staff how long it takes to complete the quest – and was told 6 hours! I thought that was a bit much. Especially for some of the littles I saw trying to complete the quest.
At 8pm Great Wolf Lodge hosts a story time. My kids wanted to go to, so we went to the lobby and enjoyed story time complete with a woodland character. Around 9pm there was a dance party in the lobby, but my kids were so exhausted we just went back to our room.
Day 2 – Monday
Check out is at 11am, so we packed our things and put them in our car and headed for breakfast. There is a Dunkin Donuts at the resort so the kids ate and we drank some much needed coffee. After breakfast we headed to the waterpark for more fun. By 3pm we left the waterpark to enjoy the other activities on the Wolf Pass. We played mini golf, did a gold mining activity, had ice cream, played mini bowling, got leather bracelets engraved, and played in the arcade. All of the activities were pretty similar to Kalahari, nonetheless it was a good time.
As with everything, there are pros and cons even to Great Wolf Lodge. Here are my list of pros and cons that I found during our stay.
Cons
- The food choices were limited and not the greatest. My husband and I did not enjoy the Loose Moose Family Kitchen Buffet and there really was no other option for a sit down dinner, which was disappointing. We had pizza for lunch at Hungry as a Wolf on our 2nd day and it was disappointing. It felt like there was more crust than pizza.
- The Magi Quest although fun at first takes 6 hours to complete. Not really doable for an overnight stay and my kids got bored with it.
- Everything is expensive. A can of soda is close to $4. The arcade is especially expensive which we expected from Kalahari which is one of the reasons I bought the Wolf Passes. We still ended up spending an additional $40 at the arcade.
- The resort is on the older side (it opened in 2005) and it is starting to show it’s age. Some of the slides and different areas were rusty and paint was peeling. They are currently in the midst of refurbishing.
- The waterpark and resort is much smaller than Kalahari. It felt like we did all of the slides and activities in the waterpark in at least 90 minutes, and just kept going back. Not necessarily a con, but a con (I also listed it as a pro down below).
Pros
- The staff are super friendly. I remember the staff at Kalahari not being the friendliest. This was quite the opposite, they are easy to approach, happy to help and everyone was very nice.
- Great Wolf does an awesome job of having fun activities all day long (including story time and arts and crafts) that are all included with your stay.
- The wolf ears. Upon entering and checking in, they send you to pick up your wolf ears. My kids LOVED being wolves and even called our family it’s own pack. They were very into it. And EVERYONE walking around the resort (with the exception of the waterpark) wore the ears. Old, young, it didn’t matter….the wolf ears are a must.
- The waterpark and resort is smaller than Kalahari. It was not overwhelming and I did not panic if my kids were not immediately in my line of vision – because I found them easily (we got separated on the lazy river but this happened at Kalahari and I had a panic attack). I feel like it is the perfect size for families with small children.
- Just like at Kalahari there are no room keys – just wrist bands. I loved this even at Kalahari because I didn’t have to worry about losing the key.
My kids had an awesome time and that it the most important thing. Had I known about the food situation, I would have left the resort to eat at one of the restaurants nearby.
Here are some tips and must haves to pack when visiting Great Wolf Lodge:
– Book to stay during the week if you can. When we went on Sunday it was far more crowded than when we were there on Monday.
– Bring your own towels. They do have them at the waterpark, but they are thin and very small.
– A waterproof case for your phone. We bought waterproof cases similar to these from Five Below for a little over $5 a piece. They worked great and come with a necklace to wear your phone. This helps you be able to take pictures while on slides and in the water without the worry of ruining your phone. We’ve had ours since our trip to Kalahari and use them even at the beach.
– Bring water shoes or flip flops for inside the waterpark, walking back to the hotel room or to the bathroom.
– Bring a wet bag to put wet bathing suits in for the drive home.
– Make use of the showers at the waterpark, the kids got showered and changed into their PJs before heading home and this saved a lot of time and they were much more comfortable on the ride home.
– Snacks, drinks, and breakfast for the room. It’s definitely cheaper to bring your own.
If you are thinking about going, definitely keep an eye out for deals. Without those deals, a night there could easily cost over $700. My kids had an amazing time and have not stopped talking about it since we got home. We may make our way back after the refurbishments and construction is complete to see what new things they have to offer. It was an awesome time and we made some unforgettable memories!
