We went to Great Wolf Lodge about 3 weeks ago and I forgot to share our pictures. I have a few tips at the end of how to book a trip to GWL for a little cheaper. This place is kind of pricey, but you can save a little if you want. The boys (age 4.5 and 2) both really loved it. I wish we had actually stayed one more night, but we will definitely be going back when/if we find a deal.
We went with my brother and sis-in-law and their daughter, Tenley. They left their 1 year old at home with Gram. GWL is about 45 minutes away from where we live so not a bad trip there. When we arrived, they received wolf ears. Tenley was howling like a wolf.
Once we checked into our room, the kids were excited to see their “room.” Maddox sleeps in a crib, so I was a little nervous how bed time would go. Turns out, not too bed. The first night took them a while to get to sleep. Second night, they were out within 10 minutes. We had a little balcony over looking the outdoor pool, which was cool.
Friday night we went the indoor water park and the kids had a blast. Check in was 4:00pm so we had a little bit of time to play there (you can actually get into park at 1:00pm of check in day, but we let Maddox nap and then headed to GWL). I didn’t take my phone to the water park area so I don’t have any pictures, but it’s amazing (you can check out pictures of water park here). They have stuff for all ages. They have a great area for toddlers too.
We also ate at one of the restaurants in the hotel. And here are the kids after the first day hanging out.
The next morning after breakfast (they have a Starbucks and we brought food too), we headed to the indoor water park. We stopped by the stage on our way for a little show.
For lunch on Saturday, Ryan and Logan (my brother) grabbed a couple pizzas outside the resort and took Maddox with them (he wouldn’t nap in bed, so this gave him a chance to nap in the car). We ate lunch in our room and then headed back to the water park/pool to swim some more. I think Beckham rode the slides about 100 times. I had to go down a couple with him and HE was calming me down before we went in. We were in a double tube and he had to sit on my legs or he’d fall through his seat…talk about a nervous wreck. He absolutely had a blast. One of us would go off with B on the “big kid” stuff, while the other stayed with Maddox in the toddler area. And sometimes they’d play together. GWL also has an outdoor pool which was nice to change scenery.
For dinner that night, we decided to go eat outside of the resort. It was national tequila day, so On the Border had $2 margaritas. Tex-Mex is my favorite food, plus we all needed a margarita! This is what my son does with tortilla dough. #neveradullmoment
After dinner, we hit up the arcade to play a few games. I’m pretty sure the boys could have stayed here all night, but we need money to pay for college 🙂
After the kiddos went to sleep, we would watch some Criminal Minds episodes. We started the last season and watched as many as we could until one of us fell asleep…usually that was Kerry #notanightowl. The kids room was right next to ours, but we brought a noise machine so they never woke up.
Sunday morning we ate breakfast at the buffet in the hotel, which was really good by the way. I love breakfast buffets. On our way back, the kids grabbed a hug from this friendly wolf 🙂
I found a picture that Ryan took from our balcony. We had a great view. This was their outdoor pool. Like I said, there was plenty to do here and 2 nights seemed so short.
After swimming one last time, we headed back home. It was a great little getaway and we cannot wait to go back.
I had a reader ask how to make Great Wolf Lodge a cheaper trip, so I thought I’d share a few things that can help lower the costs:
–Look for their promotions and discounts on their site often (one of the better ones is 60 days out). We’re last minute planners so we didn’t use this, but Ryan kept checking the site and snagged a discount on the Kid Cabin Suite. Check during the work week hours (best deals posted).
–Split it with a family. We split our room with Logan and Kerry so that helped lower the cost. It was designed for 7 people (including 3 kid beds).
–Bring food and drinks. This is great especially if you have small kids who are good with a simple breakfast and/or lunch. They have a small fridge you can use too.
–Eat outside the resort if you want. If you don’t mind driving to a nearby restaurant, this might save you some money because you can choose where you want to go. There are a few restaurants in the hotel. They’re actually not priced bad at all, but eating out gives you a little more options.
–Look at Groupon for deals. Groupon will run deals for Great Wolf Lodge, but they are limited to certain times.
–Research their site before visiting. I always think the more you know, the more you can save. You can at least get an idea of what is offered and plan accordingly. Do not think the costs stop after purchasing your room. There are tons of stuff to purchase once you get there. With smaller kids, it’s not as expensive I feel because they are purely entertained by the water park all day. There are some really cool things for older kiddos to do in the evening though (scavenger hunts).
We had a great time. Have you been to Great Wolf Lodge or have any tips, whether cost efficient or purely activities we missed?
We just got home from a week in Maine, and we saved money on food by packing lunches and bringing pizza to our hotel roomfor dinner one night. I now always look for hotel rooms with refrigerators, since the more food and drinks you can bring with you, the more money you can save.