Do you want to enjoy a water park without the chance of sunburn? How do you feel about well-trained lifeguards who are very attentive to all the guests? What about a waterslide that has a 54-foot drop? Are you looking for a family vacation that will delight everyone in the family? If you are, let me tell you about my families 24-hour vacation to The Great Wolf Lodge.
~disclaimer: this post is not affiliated with the Great Wolf Lodge. This is just an informative post to provide helpful information. I was not compensated for this post.~
Planning The Perfect Famly Vacation
If you are looking to make the most out of a vacation, your starting point should be The Great Wolf Lodge. With rooms to house your entire family, there is plenty to choose from. Our room consisted of two queen beds and a fold out couch. Your choices are plenty, with a few themed rooms to choose from (like the Kidscamp suit, featuring a tent sleeping area and bunk beds, or the wolf den, featuring an in suit cabin!)
The beds are soft and comfy and plenty of blankets and pillows are in the room as well.
Prepare Yourself For The Great Wolf Waterpark
Before you go to The Great Wolf Lodge, it helps (or would have helped me) to do a little background. You absolutely need to know that the waterpark at The Great Wolf Lodge is kept at a steady 84 degrees. Add that to the humidity that comes with an indoor pool and you are setting your self up to be a hot mess if you do not plan. Dress in your bathing suit before you get to the water park. If you choose to dress at the park, be prepared to sweat as soon as you walk thru those doors.
If you are bringing your smaller crue, measure them before you even get there. Nothing worse than a little one thinking that they get to ride the Howlin Tornado to only make it up the stairs and be told no. If they are not 48 inches, they must have a red wristband. Please keep in mind that this is to ensure that everyone stays safe.
Inside The Great Wolf Lodge Waterpark
Get a good look from the outside, because inside is even bigger. The park is much bigger than it looks from the outside. Inside, you will find Fort Mackenzie, a giant climbing structure with tons of ways to get wet. At the very top is a giant bucket that fills and as it gets heavier, it tips. When it does, everything in front of that bucket gets DRENCHED with water. The first time will startle you if you are not fully prepared.
You will also find a splash pond designed for little ones with slides and toys to play with. The water is a little warmer here also. On the other side of Fort Mackenzie, you will find the stairs that lead to the Howlin Tornado, which is the largest water slide at The Great Wolf Lodge, dropping you a full six stories! Video credit to youtube below.
The stairs that take you to the big slide will also take you to aAlbertafalls slide, and the river canyon run. Both are super fun and included as long as the rider is at least 48″ tall. Matthew who has always been a little nervous in the water rode Alberta Falls waterslide, alone and more than once! They are a must do on the list of things you MUST do when you are at The Great Wolf Lodge.
Ride The Waves Without Being Swept To Sea
While the water slides were mine and Bugs favorites while on our mini staycation, the wave pool was for sure Matthew and my niece’s favorite place to be at the lodge. Sometimes steady, the waves would roll randomly. I recommend that if your child is entering the wave pool they wear a life jacket. Let me be clear. These waves are no joke. The pool itself is relatively shallow with the deepest part only 5 foot deep. But when the waves start, it changes everything.
A few times the waves were so strong and so fast I was pushed under and back into the people behind me. They are strong and powerful. And, as long as properly and fully supervised, the kids will fully enjoy riding the waves.
The Arcade At Great Wolf Lodge
As hard as it is to get out of the pool at the end of the day, it is even harder to get the kids to leave the arcade. With games galore, and prizes to be won, it’s like a mini Vegas for kids right there in the hotel. Jammies are welcome, and instead of having to lug around a pocket full of tokens you get a card similar to a debit to swipe at each game.
After you spend your coins and have collected the tickets you must convert them in a machine. Chuck E Cheese style, you feed the tickets into the counter machine. But, unlike the giant mouse, this loads them on to your player card, making it dual purpose. The cards are scanned, the prizes are deducted from the card. And, at the end, you can also combine the cards to just one.
Other Things To Do and See At The Great Wolf
Hold on now, that is not the end of the story yet. It’s not just an arcade and waterpark at the great wolf. Oh no, not for a long shot! You will also find a Spa, glow golf, an insane obstacle course! Want the kids to take a break from the pool? Send them on a magic quest throughout the hotel with their magic wands and maps!
Got a bunch of younger wolf cubs on your trip? They have some fun planned for them if the waterpark is only for short times! Wake up with yoga, get crafty after lunch, and wrap up the day with a clock tower show and a bedtime story.
The Only DownSides
All good things come with a few not so good right? This place is huge, and that means that there is a ton of things to do. I really do not think that its possible to see the entirety of the hotel water park and all of the other amenities of the Great Wolf Lodge in 24 hours. And the number of people who are also looking to have a good time with the family.
Even though everything is clearly marked as to where you are and the other areas around the hotel, its still entirely possible to get lost, or even worse, lose one of the kiddos. Because of this, I would designate am “if we get separated” place to meet.
The Impeccably Trained and Attentive Staff
Let me set the scene: We saw a pup costume and the kids wanted to take a picture. As soon as the picture was snapped, my neice decided to disappear into the water park. ( In her defense, she is fast AF). An employee saw the look on my face and jumped literally into action. He saw us walk up to the doors together and knew which kid I was referring to. Not even two minutes passed and he was walking back up the stairs away from the water with her.
Two hours later, he found us and made sure that we were all together, and that I felt secure in being there. This guy did not have to find us again or jump so quickly into action. So on behalf of my family Javie from Grand Mound Wa, thank you. You, along with every other staff member we encountered in our stay treated us as if we were family and our needs truly mattered.
Would I go Back To The Great Wolf Lodge?
Now that I know what to expect, I would absolutely go back to the lodge. I would plan to stay more than one night so that I could get the full experience. And, I would recommend it to any family with kids. You will feel good knowing that this place treats you like you are their only priority, and I really appreciate that.
Now that you have a little more info about the greatest family vacation spot, will you go? Let me know in the comments below!
Until next time…
Marlene
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The post The Perfect Family Vacation At The Great Wolf Lodge appeared first on She's A Hot Mess.
The Perfect Family Vacation At The Great Wolf Lodge was first posted on June 5, 2018 at 1:26 pm.
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