OT-What is your favorite waterpark hotel in the Wis Dells?

[Banana magic]

We have gone to the Dells several times and have always stayed at the Wilderness. We have 2 kids DD8 and DS6. We have been in the summer and the winter. This year we are planning to go in August. We are thinking of trying somewhere different. The prices are so high in that time of the year, we want to be sure we will enjoy where we choose. Any suggestions or comments about any of the other waterpark hotels? We have looked at Kalahari, Great Wolf and Polynesian. We usually stay in the room type that has the 2 queen beds and sleeper sofa, and we prefer an onsite water park. TIA!

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Kalahari for us we are only about 1.5 hrs away or a bit more we're thinking of going back in June, but not positive right now, since we just had an indoor waterpark/Resort open up here in Rockford!

 

[bkreitzel]

best park, for us, is the great wolf lodge. my kids love it there, and so do we. we never leave once we get there! the waterpark is amazing for ALL ages ... little baby pool that is warm...and areas for all sizes up to grandma sitting in a comfy chair taking it all in. they are connected to wiley's woods whiich is a huge indoor ball pit, game extravaganza w/ a pizza hut. the kids club has fun crafts. the game room amazes my girls who NEVER have seen anything like it. the food is good. the rooms are clean and comfy w/ a configuration for all families and needs. they offer a discount when you check out if you book your next stay and ALWAYS have specials online at their website. also. when my husband got back from a tour in iraq they offered all his men and their families a free stay as a way of saying thank you. they were not asked to do this, they came to us. THIS is the kind of place i will proudy support.
oh. i almost forgot the animal sculptures in the lobby go animated at bedtime and talk and sing. and the staff does a big bedtime storytime in the lobby for the kids

 

[petrymom]

I prefer the Wilderness. It is so nice to go and not have to leave the resort. I guess I like to just plant myself once I get to the Dells.

 

[dnbent]

We live 10 minutes from the Dells. Kalahari, Great Wolf and Wilderness are in a different league that the Poly. As for the other three I think they really are pretty much the same. Difference is what is right next to each. Kalahari has a great Star Cinema next to it, Great Wolf has a Tanger Outlet mall (my daughter works at Pac Sun) next to it and the Wilderness is next to an excellent golf course.

Now that all being said the Dells really is not that big that you can't get to everything else very easily.

Good luck and have a great time.

 

[angwill]

Mommy Michelle, we are really close I am about 1/2 hour south of Rockford. I just cleared out a lot of the paint chips at Home Depot in Rockford yesterday. lol

About the dells We go at least 2 times a year. Great Wolf and Treasure Island except the entertainment card which is usually a great deal. I have stayed at Kalahari (awsome but expensive), Treasure Island (matresses stink but the outdoor go cart park and indoor/outdoor water park are awsome), Howard Johnson (only for little kids waterpark is very small), Carousel Inn (worst place I have ever stayed), and Chula Vista (ok). Kalahari will send deals if you have stayed there before. Over Christmas break we got a deal of $99 nt with 4 buffet breakfast tickets on site (awsome), 2 Kalahari towels, 100 arcade tokens, and an upgrade to a 2 bedroom suite with fireplace. This is the best deal we have ever gotten and don't really expect it to happen again. That said we usually split Kalahari and Treasure Island but we prefer Treasure Island despite the awful mattresses. Reminds me I need to call next week to check out the prices for early June. I also am interested in trying out Wilderness because friends of ours love it there. I also have a friend who loves Great Wolf Lodge but she told me she only goes there because her youngest is a wildman and she can stay pretty much in one place and see him wherever he goes there.

HTH,
Ang

 

[Ellasgirls]

We live in Madison (about 45 min away from dells) and our favorite is Kalahari. The indoor water park is one room vs 2-3 different areas like Wilderness and Great Wolf...makes it easier to find each other. My ds (7) LOVES the surfing machine at the Kalahari also! Have fun...we will be at the Great Wolf middle of August..the week before we leave for DISNEY! What an exciting month! We are at the Great Wolf because we have 15 people coming for a family reunion and I was able to get their largest condo for $100 a family....can't beat that in the Dells in the summer! Have fun!

 

[Ellasgirls]

We live in Madison (about 45 min away from dells) and our favorite is Kalahari. The indoor water park is one room vs 2-3 different areas like Wilderness and Great Wolf...makes it easier to find each other. My ds (7) LOVES the surfing machine at the Kalahari also! Have fun...we will be at the Great Wolf middle of August..the week before we leave for DISNEY! What an exciting month! We are at the Great Wolf because we have 15 people coming for a family reunion and I was able to get their largest condo for $100 a family....can't beat that in the Dells in the summer! Have fun!

 

[MickeyMickey]

Another fan of Kalahari here. I also like the waterpark all together, unlike the Wilderness Lodge which has several separate waterparks

 

[annsteere]

We like Kalahari. (But, we've never stayed at Great Wolf).

Besides the water park being in one room, I like the hotel lobby/lodge area. Not as wonderful as staying at AKL, but a bit of that feeling.

I also like the places where you can rest/read a book when not playing in the water. DD isn't up for all day water games and she enjoys Kalahari the best.

Now that she's older DD loves if she can skip out of the water play for an hour of so of indulgence at the Spa.

 

[rkwells]

Our family loves the Wilderness...three huge indoor waterpark areas along with the outdoor waterpark. It also has a fun indoor arcade as well as an indoor playground for young children...so much to do here it is a destination unto itself.

 

[Ciciwoowoo]

We're from Michigan and went to Kalahari last year. (Camping at Jellystone, got a day pass)

We loved it!!! My son keeps begging to go back. Its quite a drive from our house, so not sure we'll be going back anytime soon. It was so much fun, though! We found it had a "Disney" feel. Things looked quite clean, and there were lots of fun things to do! We enjoyed the outdoor pool part every bit as much as the indoor part.

 

[cpbjgc]

We were there for a few days last summer and stayed in a room that had a view of the outdoor waterpark. Here are some pictures from the blaony:
Looking left:

Looking straight ahead:

And to the right:

And a couple of the Lobby:

Sorry, no pictures of the indoor waterpark.

The kids loved it, and loved both the indoor and outdoor parks equally. We dined off-site for the most part.

 

[nuttylawprofessor]

We loved the Wilderness. The family that owns Wilderness has a DIL that waits tables at SciFi. Go figure!

We're debating between Wilderness and Great Wolf. Kalahari is too spendy for our dates.

 

[luvdzny]

Another fan of Kalahari here. I also like the waterpark all together, unlike the Wilderness Lodge which has several separate waterparks

Exactly what I would have said!!!

 

[dannyandkristi]

We love both the Wilderness and Kalahari, and usually choose Wilderness for their discounts. The price usually can't be beat and we like the idea of moving to the different waterparks within the resort if one is too crowded or we need a change of scenery. Good luck choosing...but, really, you can't go wrong! Have a blast!

 

[Banana magic]

Thanks to everyone for all the great information! Keep it coming, as we have yet to make our decision. We were leaning toward the Great Wolf, but with all the positive reviews of the Kalahari, now I'm not sure.

If you have been to either of these hotels during the summer, especially mid-August, how were the crowds at the waterparks? If I'm not mistaken, Great Wolf is guests only, and Kalahari is open to the public, does this make a difference? We probably won't do the Wilderness, only because its actually more expensive right now, even with our past guest discount. Kalahari and Great Wolf are both coming in at the same price.

 

[of the seas]

Another vote for Great Wolf Lodge.
To us it has a Disney "quality". Love the Wolf Den suite or the loft fireplace suite(we got this one time for $120 per night! with the entertainment card).