This was our family's second visit to Great Wolf Lodge, and overall, we had a wonderful time…read moretogether celebrating our daughter's birthday!
Booking: We originally booked a two-day, one-night stay in the spring but had to cancel due to an emergency. Thankfully, we were able to keep our payment as a credit to use within a year. When we decided to rebook, I had to call to use the credit. The phone wait was extremely long, so my advice is to call as soon as they open. Also, check their website for discounts before calling because the reservation representatives won't necessarily look for those deals for you.
Arrival and Parking: Parking was easy in the large garage. You pay for parking based on the number of nights you're staying, and then you're free to come and go. We arrived around 10 a.m. and completed pre-check-in. They let us know we'd receive a text when our room was ready. There wasn't anywhere to store our luggage, so we left everything in the car. Thankfully, luggage carts were available near the garage elevators.
Our Room: We reserved the Wolf Den suite, which has a queen bed and a separate bunk-bed area for the kids. We loved that the girls had their own little space! The queen bed felt small since we're used to a king at home, but the bigger issue was how loudly it creaked on my husband's side. Every time he moved during the night, it woke me up.
The room was also surprisingly dark. There were a few lamps and lights near the beds and sink, but they didn't provide much overall lighting. We were close to the elevators, which was convenient because we didn't have to walk down those long hallways. However, we could hear people talking and making noise in the hallway. Thankfully, we brought our sound machine, which helped us sleep.
We also discovered that our TV remote was missing a battery. We tried calling the front desk several times without an answer, so my husband had to walk downstairs. Once he spoke to someone, they came up to help within minutes.
Water Park and Activities: The water park was a lot of fun! I highly recommend visiting when schools aren't on break because the crowds and wait times are much more manageable. Most of the water attractions are fairly tame, although there's a four-person raft slide that's pretty intense. Only two of the four of us enjoyed that one!
There were renovations happening during our visit, but we also noticed some new activities, including mini golf and a ropes course. My husband and the girls spent about an hour on the ropes course and absolutely loved it.
We also decided to check out the bowling alley, and a kind stranger surprised us by giving us free tokens. Bless her heart! We were able to play a round before heading to the water park. The bowling balls are smaller and easy for kids to handle, and the lanes have bumpers, which makes it a great family activity. We had a lot of fun!
Of course, we also stopped by the arcade, which is always a hit with our family.
Towels are provided at the water park, but you need to return them before leaving. There's also a shop selling swimsuits, water shoes, goggles, and other essentials. We forgot our girls' goggles and bought the least expensive ones there, but unfortunately, they broke almost immediately.
Food: We ate at several restaurants during our stay. Hungry as a Wolf continues to be a favorite! We ordered pizza and wings through the Great Wolf Lodge app while enjoying the water park. The food was ready quickly, and we received a text when it was ready for pickup. We were able to bring it into the water park, which was very convenient.
For dinner, we tried the Timbers Table & Kitchen buffet because the girls really wanted to eat there. The food was okay, but I didn't feel it was worth the price. The main benefit was not having to leave the resort.
On Saturday, we had lunch at Buckets Burgers & Bites on the upper level of the water park. We ordered using the nearby touchscreen, and the food came out quickly. We had a burger, kids' chicken nugget meals, and chicken tenders with fries. Everything tasted good! Seating was somewhat limited, but we managed to find spots near the bar.
Before leaving, we stopped at Wood's End Creamery for ice cream. My daughter and I had vanilla soft serve, and our other daughter chose birthday cake. My vanilla wasn't particularly good, but it was a nice final treat before heading home.
Overall: Great Wolf Lodge is a fun place for a family getaway, especially if your kids enjoy water activities. We loved spending time together, and the girls had a wonderful time. There are definitely areas that could use improvement, particularly the room comfort, lighting, reaching the front desk, and the value of some dining options. But despite those frustrations, we made some great memories and enjoyed our stay!