Great Wolf Lodge

[disneyjes]

Has anyone ever been? We are thinking about taking our son this spring coming up for 2d 1n. We've never been and it seems like a lot of fun!

 

[havaneselover]

I've been 3 times to the one in Williamsburg, VA. The first time the kids were 9 and 8. My kids had a great time. They did talk me into MagiQuest which they loved, but when I'm paying $300/night to stay at a water park, it seemed like a waste of money. The second time they again wanted to do MagiQuest. I don't think they enjoyed it as much. Then I went with DD's girl scout troop and spent a night in a room with 5th grade girls--ugh!

To me the rooms smell musty and the on site food options are very limited. I'm sure that varies by property. It's okay, but if I never went again, I'd be okay : ) Also, there really aren't enough tables and chairs and some people pay to reserve them so it's hard to find a place to sit if the kids are playing.

2 days / 1 night is the perfect amount of time. Not sure how people do more than 2 nights.

 

[Disneylover99]

We go to the GWL in Niagara Falls once or twice a year. We love it! Sometimes we get great emails for as low as $149 per night. Then we stay for two nights.

If we stay for one night only, we get there early and use the waterpark until our room is ready. We usually do Magicquest the day we check out. The kids spend the whole day playing it and we drive home late at night.

 

[disneyjes]

I've been 3 times to the one in Williamsburg, VA. The first time the kids were 9 and 8. My kids had a great time. They did talk me into MagiQuest which they loved, but when I'm paying $300/night to stay at a water park, it seemed like a waste of money. The second time they again wanted to do MagiQuest. I don't think they enjoyed it as much. Then I went with DD's girl scout troop and spent a night in a room with 5th grade girls--ugh!

To me the rooms smell musty and the on site food options are very limited. I'm sure that varies by property. It's okay, but if I never went again, I'd be okay : ) Also, there really aren't enough tables and chairs and some people pay to reserve them so it's hard to find a place to sit if the kids are playing.

2 days / 1 night is the perfect amount of time. Not sure how people do more than 2 nights.

We're going to go to the one in PA. Yeah the prices sure can be high! My husband gets a union discount but I am hoping to get a room for under $200.

Oh you poor thing, LOL! I don't know if I could do that!!

We're a gluten free family so I plan on calling ahead of time otherwise we'll just bring food with us.

Yeah it seems like a good 1 night little vacation to get away from it all.

Thanks so much for the info!

 

[disneyjes]

We go to the GWL in Niagara Falls once or twice a year. We love it! Sometimes we get great emails for as low as $149 per night. Then we stay for two nights.

If we stay for one night only, we get there early and use the waterpark until our room is ready. We usually do Magicquest the day we check out. The kids spend the whole day playing it and we drive home late at night.

Oh that's a good deal! Thanks I'll have to keep an eye out for a deal like that. Thanks for the ideas!

 

[mjkacmom]

Oh that's a good deal! Thanks I'll have to keep an eye out for a deal like that. Thanks for the ideas!

I don't know where you are in NY, but there are never deals like that in the Poconos. The cheapest I've ever seen it was mid-week, off peak, smallest room, around $200. We've been there about a dozen times, I'd guess - going again with a group next month. It's fun, but 2 days 1 night is enough, unless you are doing magiquest.

We usually go with other people, and my kids prefer than over just us (my older teens stay home now). The rooms are big, and have a microwave and mini-fridge. Food is expensive and not great. There is a bar in the waterpark, although we just bring in coolers. They say you can use the waterpark starting at 1 of your check-in date. We usually show up when it opens, and can get right in (which is a good thing, because you want to reserve your seats/table - by 11, they're all taken).

They say no outside food - we've brought in trays of food, and no one has said anything. We prefer a room on the 3rd floor (so no running kids above us), central (so close to the waterpark, not having to walk really far in bathing suits).

 

[Disneylover99]

I don't know where you are in NY, but there are never deals like that in the Poconos. The cheapest I've ever seen it was mid-week, off peak, smallest room, around $200.

I know! Awesome deal, right? That was for Niagara Falls Ont. the Saturday and Sunday night before Halloween.

It was great because there was trick or treating and dance parties both nights.
Usually a good deal is between $200 and $250 per night.

 

[E&Cmom]

We have been to the one in WA twice. We are due for a 3 rd visit. My girls love it there. We stay 2 nights. Anymore would be too much. If we lived closer I would do one, but it takes us 5 hours to get there not including border time. They often have specials especially if you go off season and mid week. . I am constantly getting emails from them. The most I have spent is $205 for one of the wolf den rooms. My girls love the bunk beds.

 

[runsandjumps]

It really depends on the ages of those going. We were just there and loved our room- grizzly suite.
If your kids are under 4 I think it's a pretty big waste of money. If they are tall enough for the bigger slides it is worth the cost. If you can do mid week and look for a groupon.

 

[mjkacmom]

We have been to the one in WA twice. We are due for a 3 rd visit. My girls love it there. We stay 2 nights. Anymore would be too much. If we lived closer I would do one, but it takes us 5 hours to get there not including border time. They often have specials especially if you go off season and mid week. . I am constantly getting emails from them. The most I have spent is $205 for one of the wolf den rooms. My girls love the bunk beds.

Wow! We got a group rate for a Friday night next month for a regular room - $318. Without the group discount, it's $489, before fees and taxes. The wolf den ones are $539, before taxes and fees.

 

[havaneselover]

Also, the first time we went I paid extra for a wolf den suite. The kids were underwhelmed and I think slept in the main area with me. After that we went for the cheapest room

 

[marykatmp]

We love Great Wolf! We go to the one in Concord, NC. We always get a KidKabin and my kids love it. The food options are limited and over priced but it is great for a one or two night getaway. I agree with a PP that it probably isn't worth it if your kids are really young but my older two love it. My four year old (five next month) can only ride two slides that come out of the fort, but hopefully will be able to go on some of the bigger slides soon.

 

[disneyjes]

Thank you all for the wonderful advice! Our son is 8 and on the swim team but has yet to go to a water park. So we're hoping he loves it! Our time line is pretty flexible as long as it is sometime in the spring.

 

[mcd2745]

The Poconos location has always been ridiculously expensive. A couple of times I compared them with other GWL locations for the same exact dates and the Poconos location was always 50-100% more expensive than the others. They obscenely jack up their prices during school breaks like Presidents week and Easter weeks (before/after). I know every place (including WDW) does that to some extent, but they take it to new levels - doubling and even tripling prices.

That may have to change that soon though. There's not one, but two, direct competitors opeing up in the Poconos later this year:

http://www.kalahariresorts.com/pennsylvania

http://www.camelbackresort.com/waterparks/aquatopia/


So one would hope, they will have to keep prices in check and also improve some of their customer service aspects - like the ridiculous lines to check-in sometimes that many people have complained about, and their overall friendliness/attitude. Also, hopefully they are compelled to improve their restaurant, which is awful and tremendously overpriced.

 

[aprilgail2]

Wow! We got a group rate for a Friday night next month for a regular room - $318. Without the group discount, it's $489, before fees and taxes. The wolf den ones are $539, before taxes and fees.

Wow- we went a few times with girl scouts on a group rate in the Poconos and one time was 129 and the other was 149. I have gone a few times on our own too and never paid more than 199 a night!