OT: Great Wolf or Fallsview Water Park?

[2gr8DisneyKids]

Hi everyone,

On our way home from visiting family in Ohio, we plan to spend a couple of nights in Niagara Falls (using credit card points) and figure we will see the falls and possibly buy a day pass to one of the water parks.

Anyone have an opinion on which is better? Great Wolf or Fallsview?

Thanks!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Hi everyone,

On our way home from visiting family in Ohio, we plan to spend a couple of nights in Niagara Falls (using credit card points) and figure we will see the falls and possibly buy a day pass to one of the water parks.

Anyone have an opinion on which is better? Great Wolf or Fallsview?

Thanks!

Unless things have changed since our last stay, you can't get a day pass to Great Wolf (but you can to Fallsview and the other, smaller Niagara waterpark, the Americana).

We love Great Wolf, and its our go-to spot for Niagara vacations. That said, it has two big drawbacks.....summer rates are ridiculously high and its a short drive from the Falls themselves.

Fallsview has four hotels which serve it (Skyline, Crowne Plaza, Sheraton and Hampton Inn) so you can get a variety of room rates and room styles with waterpark passes included. And you are within walking distance to the Falls and Clifton Hill, which is a plus.

When we stay at Great Wolf, we always get their meal plan ($45 per adult, less for kids) which gives us all three meals onsite.

 

[2gr8DisneyKids]

Thanks Gina,

We are using credit card points and can stay a block away from the falls totally fir free or at Great Wolf for $233...

Wondering if the $233 is worth it or if we should just do totally free and be near the falls.

 

[who's ur daddy?]

If you have a chance to stay at Kalahari in Sandusky, Ohio, it's a great water park. Nowhere near Niagara Falls, but just sayin'...

 

[2gr8DisneyKids]

We will be driving right by, but wanted to break the 12 hour trip in half and Sandusky is less than 3 hours from my parents. DH was actually hoping for Cedar Point!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Thanks Gina,

We are using credit card points and can stay a block away from the falls totally fir free or at Great Wolf for $233...

Wondering if the $233 is worth it or if we should just do totally free and be near the falls.

Its a tough toss-up. IMHO, it would depend on if being near the Falls (and all the Falls attractions, including Clifton Hill) is really important to you, or if you prefer the "resort" feel (away from the tourist area) of Great Wolf. Is the waterpark going to be your sole focus? Or were you planning on doing other Niagara attractions (Maid of the Mist, Journey Behind the Falls, Bird Kingdom, Clifton Hill, etc.)?

Unless you get the meal plan at Great Wolf, dining out isn't as convenient as staying near the Falls (but certainly, dining comes at a premium in the tourist area!). So that might be another consideration.

 

[2gr8DisneyKids]

Thanks again Gina, knowing about lack of restaurants might be the deciding factor as DD and I are lactose intolerant so we need more restaurant options to make sure we are covered.

That and the main point is to see the falls...

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Thanks again Gina, knowing about lack of restaurants might be the deciding factor as DD and I are lactose intolerant so we need more restaurant options to make sure we are covered.

That and the main point is to see the falls...

We have been to the Falls so many times, we have seen and done virtually all the big attractions on both the US and Canadian sides. So we never mind being away from all the action, so to speak, when staying at the Lodge. But I can see for less frequent visitors where the location of Great Wolf is a real drawback.

Staying down by Fallsview, there's a plethora of places to eat. Check out Zappi's if you enjoy Italian. Avoid the chains if you can (they will be a disappointment) and run, run, RUN from a buffet place call Al Macs ... its bad.

Have a great time in NF! Its my favourite Ontario vacation spot. One of these days I am going to try out Fallsview......its one of the few places left on my Niagara bucket list!

 

[Disneylover99]

Wondering if the $233 is worth it or if we should just do totally free and be near the falls.

I would do totally free!!!! We go to NF a lot and it's great to be right in the Clifton Hill area. There is lots to see and do! While we love GWL, we only go if we can get a deal for less than two hundred a night.

 

[MedicGoofy]

If you can swing it.....get a hotel that overlooks the falls. THEN, enjoy the view of the fireworks from your hotel room. Each night in the Falls, they put on fireworks. And surprisingly, they are really good.

Whether or not you want to be in the middle of a HUGE tourist trap, is going to make your decision. GWL is about 7min drive from the tourist area (hotels, restaurants, attractions). And because you would have to drive there from GWL, it then costs a fortune to park. Unless you know parking tricks like us locals.

Look for deals on wagjag and other sites for discounts on Niagara falls attractions. They can cost a lot, but getting a discount definitely helps.

Niagara Falls can be a great time. BUT, it can also be crazy!!

 

[vacation_junkie]

Hi everyone,

On our way home from visiting family in Ohio, we plan to spend a couple of nights in Niagara Falls (using credit card points) and figure we will see the falls and possibly buy a day pass to one of the water parks.

Anyone have an opinion on which is better? Great Wolf or Fallsview?

Thanks!

Great Wolf does not have day passes.
There is also Americana
http://www.americananiagara.com/niagara-falls-indoor-waterpark/

Americana's Waterpark is not as busy as Fallsviews

 

[PinkMagnolia]

OP, I've been to both waterparks a few times each

Both are a lot of fun, but different. Fallsview is bigger, has more "thrilling" rides I'd say. It is open to the public, so you might find more teenagers/young adults (always well behaved). It feels slightly more tired than Great Wolf Lodge. My kids (both 9) prefer Fallsview. Another thing I liked about it is that if I sat on a chair, I had great visual view of my kids (could see them going up the stairs and at the bottom of the slide). If you can get a free room, you'd have a fabulous time at Fallsview Waterpark. If you can get a fallsview room with your free room (totally worth it!!!), you'd have a super time!

Great Wolf Lodge is great - It's very clean, and has a nice "family" feel to it. The waterpark itself is smaller, but to be honest, there were several times where I wasn't EXACTLY sure where my kids were - Lots of places for them to go have fun, but be out of my sight... never scary though. I find it more relaxing here, the decor is nice.

You really can't go wrong with either. Personally, I'd choose Great Wolf because I feel the decor a bit more "relaxing" but I think my kids would choose Fallsview because they prefer that waterpark. We've also done one night hotel at Fallsview, then one night at Great Wolf Lodge. It was a LOT of waterpark, but a fabulous time!

You'll have fun whatever you decide - enjoy your trip!

 

[thr33boys]

If you can swing it.....get a hotel that overlooks the falls. THEN, enjoy the view of the fireworks from your hotel room. Each night in the Falls, they put on fireworks. And surprisingly, they are really good.

Whether or not you want to be in the middle of a HUGE tourist trap, is going to make your decision. GWL is about 7min drive from the tourist area (hotels, restaurants, attractions). And because you would have to drive there from GWL, it then costs a fortune to park. Unless you know parking tricks like us locals.

Look for deals on wagjag and other sites for discounts on Niagara falls attractions. They can cost a lot, but getting a discount definitely helps.

Niagara Falls can be a great time. BUT, it can also be crazy!!

Can you share any of the parking tricks? We'll be there next weekend.

 

[CKCruising]

Thanks Gina,

We are using credit card points and can stay a block away from the falls totally fir free or at Great Wolf for $233...

Wondering if the $233 is worth it or if we should just do totally free and be near the falls.

If you are there more than one night, I would probably try to split your stay. With one night at GWL, you can get into the waterpark at 1pm (your room probably won't be ready until 4pm) and stay all of the next day. So for one night, you can get most of 2 days waterpark use. If I were there for 2 nights, I would stay by the falls on the first night (or 2) and then move to GWL the next day. That should allow you to see the falls and get the waterpark in as well. As others have said, dining is limited at GWL, but there is stuff within a short drive. Most people just don't want to leave (myself included) as they are tired and wet from spending the day in the waterpark.

Note that day passes are $45 for the fallsview park, so GWL isn't much different in the end.

 

[aanderson5]

If you are going through Sandusky you should stay at the GWL there. It is about half the price of Niagara Falls. We are going the first week of July, including the 4th, for $109/night. This was a bounce back offer but even when we went last year I think we paid $159/night with was a small discount.

 

[Mickeymagic123]

If it is Niagara Falls that you are after and the waterpark is just an add-on, Fallsview may be your best day option (previous post that no day passes at GWL). We love GWL but it is expensive and busy at this time of year. I have not heard great things about Americana. If it is the waterpark that you are interested in, consider Splash Lagoon in Erie. It's a bigger waterpark than GWL and only 1.5 hrs from NF. I have been going for more than 10 years. Not the 'experience' that GWL is but still loads of fun. Have fun wherever you end up!

 

[goofyintoronto]

GW is fun, but their water park is highly overrated. I didnt think it was anything spectacular. I'm glad i went, cause the resort is gorgeous, but next time we'll just go with Fallsview. Its just as big, if not bigger, and at least they have more thrill rides. Plus the location at fallsview is better.

Something else to consider, the dining at GW SUCKS!!! Terrible options. You're better off being near clifton hill.

As for parking, if you go down Cliffton hill (driving away from the falls), there is a parking lot up ahead on the right past the next lights where kelsey's is. It was only $7/day to park when we were there a couple weeks ago!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

GW is fun, but their water park is highly overrated. I didnt think it was anything spectacular. I'm glad i went, cause the resort is gorgeous, but next time we'll just go with Fallsview. Its just as big, if not bigger, and at least they have more thrill rides. Plus the location at fallsview is better.

Something else to consider, the dining at GW SUCKS!!! Terrible options. You're better off being near clifton hill.

As for parking, if you go down Cliffton hill (driving away from the falls), there is a parking lot up ahead on the right past the next lights where kelsey's is. It was only $7/day to park when we were there a couple weeks ago!

We are at Great Wolf Lodge as we speak. Fun times!!! And soooo nice to be away from the hullaballoo of Clifton Hill. We were down there this afternoon and the entire area was packed with people. Its very peaceful here at the Lodge.

As for the dining........we LOVE the buffets at the Antler Shanty. We purchased the meal plan for both nights of our visit (buffet breakfast, quick service lunch, and buffet dinner) and have raved about the quality of the food. The meals have been awesome, the service has been excellent.....definitely better (from our experience) than most of the overpriced establishments in the tourist area! Of course, YMMV.

 

[RevKjb]

I would do totally free!!!! We go to NF a lot and it's great to be right in the Clifton Hill area. There is lots to see and do! While we love GWL, we only go if we can get a deal for less than two hundred a night.

J'accord. We live less than an hour away from NF and we'd do Americana over GWL unless it ism less than $200.