Great Wolf Lodge - how to do without spending a ton! Questions!

[The Disney Bunch]

For people who have been, can you tell me a little about it? I am booking an overnight stay next month & they offer a breakfast - is it worth it or do they have other meal promos when you get there?
What are the wands & what not that they are offering in another package? I have 3 girls, ages 8 & 6 & I am sure that they will want to do as much as possible there but I don't want to break the bank!

Any good codes so that I am not spending a mortgage payment going?!

thanks for any info! We have never been and I am not sure what there is to do there.

 

[MSSANDRA]

The new one in NC has a really good opening deal going on but other than that I have seen little in discounts. We are very close to the one in Concord so hope to try it out during the specials.

All I have heard is buffets are quite expensive. Maybe try breakfast in the room.

My research has shown that you can really add up the cost with all the extra activities. With one night I might just stick with the water park. With a 16 year old and a two year old that is my plan.

 

[torinsmom]

You can use the code FUN for a discount. At Concord, it was quoting me $161.10 for Sun-Thurs and $228.60 for a weekend night. Prices are before taxes. I don't know if the code is good at all Great Wolfs. With this discount, you get a free child's breakfast with the purchase of an adult breakfast. It's also a little more than 10% off.

We have gone a few times(Williamsburg) and have always brought food in. They have fridges and microwaves in the rooms. We brought donuts for breakfast, snack foods and sandwich stuff for lunch. Then we went to a local fast food place for dinner. I am sure they have lots of places to eat around the lodge. There is a snack bar at the water park that has typical amusement park food like hot dogs, burgers, fries, ice cream, etc. Prices are not as high as Disney, but not like McD's either. There is also a Pizza Hut in the hotel, but the cost is about twice normal pizza hut prices.

You can get there early on your arrival day and stay until the water park closes on check out day. I would suggest being there at park opening on your second day if possible. You will have very few people there with you and no lines.

Maqiquest cost 9.95 last time we did it. The wands are an additional 19.95(reusuable and saves your data) THe kids run around at least one level of the hotel and get clues from different objects that light up and talk to them. It is good for a diversion, but I don't know if girls would be that interested.

We're hoping to go to Concord on April 25th!

Marsha

 

[torinsmom]

The new one in NC has a really good opening deal going on but other than that I have seen little in discounts. We are very close to the one in Concord so hope to try it out during the specials.

All I have heard is buffets are quite expensive. Maybe try breakfast in the room.

My research has shown that you can really add up the cost with all the extra activities. With one night I might just stick with the water park. With a 16 year old and a two year old that is my plan.

DO you have a good code for Concord? I am trying to book a night there, and have used two different codes. Cheapest I got was $228 for a Saturday night. I live in NC, so is there maybe a deal for NC residents? Thanks for any info.

Marsha

 

[shoney]

The cost of the room is the biggest expense and from what I read varies by location. We stayed at the Pocono one in March. We went for 2 nights and going Sun to Tues saved us a lot and we used a code on the website. We paid 575+tax for the wolf den suite. It is still a lot, but close to half of what a weekend stay would have been.

Since we are already going to Orlando in May, we decided to do this a cheap as possible without sacrificing fun.

The Magi Quest was definatley worth it for us....10.99 each to activate game...wands were 14.99 or 19.99 depending on the style of them...toppers (not necessary but cool looking) were 14.99 or 19.99 each. Our boys are 7 and 9 and they loved it. They were able to run around and "almost" complete the game during the stay. Many, many children were doing the same, both boys and girls.

Because of MagiQuest and water park, boys weren't even interested in the arcade. We spent $8 and they were done and never asked to go back.

The biggest savings...we brought our own food. We packed plenty of cold cuts and bread for sandwiches. I even made homemade meat sauce and boiled pasta the night before we left. I made a salad...kept lettuce separate from the other stuff..so it would stay fresh. We brought cereal, milk, snacks, juice, soda, and even wine! This saved a ton.

They have a coffee maker, but I prefer the Starbuck's in the hotel, so I did buy that.

There were signs stating "no cooking in room"....You can't bring a grill or hot plate. You can reheat in the microwave. We saw a few crock pots on the luggage carts!

They also state "no outside food or beverage" in waterpark. This was not enforced at all! I prefered to eat in the room because it was so wet and humid in the park.

They did sell some kind of package for 79.99 a child...included magiquest, stuff a bear, arcade token, sippy cup, etc. This wasn't worth it for us since the kids just did magiquest.

My kids just loved the place. My 9 year old cried when we were leaving. Now he has been to Orlando several times, many other places in the US and even Mexico, and this was the first time he did that. The bracelet is still on his arm...he refuses to take it off! Now, I can't say I share his high opinion, but it was a nice break during the cold weather.

We will go back again....will bring food...and go mid-week to save on the room.

 

[dis-happy]

We're hoping to go to Concord on April 25th!
Marsha

That's soon!! I'll be looking for your TR. I want to book a night too but my dh's travel schedule is all up in the air. Haven't even made it to IKEA yet, but was planning to meet a friend there today and stop by GWL to see what it all looks like.

 

[mdetloff]

We have been to the one in Michigan two times. We only paid in advance for one night. They slipped a piece of paper under the door both times offering the room to us for a fraction of what we paid for the next night. I think they only do this if they are not full for that night. We were in a larger room that could fit up the 8 people in. The second time we went they offered us the room for only $59 a night! We were not able to do it because DH had to go to work the next day. I don't know if all of them do that. Knowing that the one by us does though, I don't think I would ever pay in advance for the two nights and just take a chance that they offer it again. My brother took his family this last week and they did the same for them. Good luck and have fun. The kids have a ball.

 

[hlane]

My biggest money saving tip is to not eat at the hotel. We found it very expensive and the food wasn't worth the price. Either bring food along or go to a nearby restaurant. Also if you have time before your trip, sign your kids up on the website for the kids club. They mail them stuff and there usually are coupons included for a free activity in the kids club which my boys had a blast doing.
Have fun, our family loves GWL!

 

[kristamil]

For the new Concord, NC location, I received a code to be used April 19-June 19, 2009, for Sunday-Thursday stays. The code is for Family Suites that start at $179 per night. The promo code is: GRAND

I have not yet been to a Great Wolf Lodge, so I don't really know how great of a deal this is. I signed up to receive e-mails from them when I discovered that they were opening a location in NC since it is within a couple of hours from me.

Good luck and hope this helps.

 

[torinsmom]

For the new Concord, NC location, I received a code to be used April 19-June 19, 2009, for Sunday-Thursday stays. The code is for Family Suites that start at $179 per night. The promo code is: GRAND

I have not yet been to a Great Wolf Lodge, so I don't really know how great of a deal this is. I signed up to receive e-mails from them when I discovered that they were opening a location in NC since it is within a couple of hours from me.

Good luck and hope this helps.

The FUN code will get it even cheaper, $161.10 for a family suite Sun-Thurs. Someone posted both here on different posts and I tried it out....

Marsha

 

[DLW8]

I just checked their website and they have a code of BREAK for March 22 - May 2. Not sure how this pans out against the other codes, but why not try it?

 

[Lucky Bug]

For those that have gone, how many days did you find it to be entertaining? I mean, was a 3 night stay enough or did you wish that you could have spent 5 nights? We don't have kids, but we both love waterparks, so this looks like too much fun. TIA for the responses.

 

[delmar411]

we did one night this past mon/tues and 1 night was plenty. We paid $213.xx for the family suite and that included $40 in extra charges for the 2 waterpark bands (6ppl and the room rates include bands for 4).

We used the code WATER to get kids breakfast free with purchase of adults and 10% off the lowest room rate.

Anyway, the breakfast was terrible but whatever. If we hadn't gotten socked with extra fees for juice and coffee it would have been a better price. All 4 kids ate free as kids 5 and under are free, 6-12 $6.95, adults $9.95. After tip it was $30 for breakfast.

We also spent $40 in the arcade. We did dinner at Cici's pizza which was right next door so $30 for 6 ppl for dinner.

Our beds in the room were disgusting though. Seriously the entire box spring were covered vomit stains (as was the carpet between the beds). The manager moved us to a new (clean!) room right away though so at least they were really proactive.

So not cheap but not terribly pricey. The cost of things was very Disney like (aka expensive) but there were plenty of free activities outside the waterpark IMO.

This was at the Sandusky, OH location.

 

[ceecee]

The Pizza Hut in our GW was $42.00 for 2 large one toppings!!! $5.00 for a 2 lt of soda. The one just down the road had the $5.00 each deal, so we ate off site. I took my Girl Scout troop and we packed lunch for one day, ate at McD's once, pizza hut once and 2 b-fasts in the room. We ate one dinner at a nicer place and that cut the food cost down a lot. We are lucky in that the Mason GW is minutes from at least 6 fast food places.

 

[hlane]

For those that have gone, how many days did you find it to be entertaining? I mean, was a 3 night stay enough or did you wish that you could have spent 5 nights? We don't have kids, but we both love waterparks, so this looks like too much fun. TIA for the responses.

We've done three trip and only stayed one night each time. We used the waterpark on the day we arrived and some on the day we left and it was plenty for us

 

[torinsmom]

For those that have gone, how many days did you find it to be entertaining? I mean, was a 3 night stay enough or did you wish that you could have spent 5 nights? We don't have kids, but we both love waterparks, so this looks like too much fun. TIA for the responses.

Okay, it is fun, but I can't imagine spending more than 2 nights. Seriously, there is not that much to do for that long. I know in Williamsburg, there are 2 full sized tube slides, a family raft slide, the Howlin Tornado tube ride, two small body slides, the Florider thing, the lazy river, a small wave pool and a regular pool. Oh, and the big fort climbing thing and baby pool. It also is very strong smelling chlorine. We are always ready to go at the end of our check out day and we only stay the one night.

Marsha

 

[shoney]

For those that have gone, how many days did you find it to be entertaining? I mean, was a 3 night stay enough or did you wish that you could have spent 5 nights? We don't have kids, but we both love waterparks, so this looks like too much fun. TIA for the responses.

I can only speak for the Pocono location, but based on that, I would never go without children. The rides aren't thrilling enough to satisfy adults. There was one that was similar to a roller coaster that I loved.

the place is loud and chaotic and is all about the kids.

two nights was enough.

the room rates and food prices seem cheaper in other locations, so maybe if it were cheap, you could consider it, but I wouldn't.

 

[delmar411]

The Pizza Hut in our GW was $42.00 for 2 large one toppings!!! $5.00 for a 2 lt of soda. The one just down the road had the $5.00 each deal, so we ate off site. I took my Girl Scout troop and we packed lunch for one day, ate at McD's once, pizza hut once and 2 b-fasts in the room. We ate one dinner at a nicer place and that cut the food cost down a lot. We are lucky in that the Mason GW is minutes from at least 6 fast food places.

How was the lodge? Clean? The waterpark? I'm looking at taking the kids to that one next time as it looks like there is more to do and a bigger waterpark.

Any reviews would be great!

 

[The Disney Bunch]

What food places are there off site? I am not a fan of fast food places & everyone keeps mentioning PizzaHut & McDonald's - isn't there real food places?

 

[delmar411]

What food places are there off site? I am not a fan of fast food places & everyone keeps mentioning PizzaHut & McDonald's - isn't there real food places?

well the hotels are normally in the middle of the city/town so whatever chain restaurants are around there or I'm quite sure some local places.

I didn't want to spend a fortune on dinner personally so I went with that Cici's pizza place but there were tons of restaurants all over that area plus Meijers, Walmart, Sam's Club, etc where you could get some hot foods/salads, etc and eat in your room.