Equal parts hotel, waterpark, and arcade, the Great Wolf Lodge is no ordinary place to stay. Not quite an amusement park, but with the vibes, it’s a self-contained experience at a fraction of what it would cost for Disney World. With 23 locations in the US and one in Canada there’s a chance are you are within a short drive of a Great Wolf Lodge.
We are within the same distance from the Poconos location and the Mashantucket, CT location. For our first trip we choose to check as the Poconos location, as most of our followers recommended this one. And let me tell ya, this is the BEST trip we’ve taken this year!! We listed our tips on how to survive this amazing jam packed lodge.
1. Don’t Even Bother Leaving the Hotel
The Great Wolf Lodge is not simply a hotel, so don’t plan on trying to squeeze in a bunch of local sights and then crashing into your room. Instead, plan on waking up early, heading to the waterpark for hours, and stopping off to do a craft on your way back to the room to shower before you hit the arcade and grab dinner, all the while waving your MagiQuest wands like maniacs.
While the exact offerings vary from location to location, there are certain perks every Great Wolf Lodge has in common. There are daily schedules that include free story times, dance parties, crafts, and activities. The daily schedule can easily be found on their app and includes ordering food online, which is a lifesaver when it comes to cranky toddlers.
You can purchase a pass that includes the major attractions on site. There’s no discount for advance purchase, so for your first time, just decide once you’ve looked around if you want to do all the things or if the waterpark and included activities are enough. We opted for the PUP pass this included an exclusive Build-A-Bear furry friend, one small candy cup from GW Candy Shop, One Kid’s Ice Cream, One Paw Points game card for Northern Lights Arcade, & One pair of Great Wolf swim googles. This is a great package for my younger girls but there is options that fit the older kiddies too.
2. Get To The Waterpark Early & Take Your Time At The Waterpark
Your stay will include access to the water park for the entire day, including the day you check in or out. We found during our trip that getting there right at open at 10am was a HUGE plus, no one was quite there yet leaving the perfect opportunity for the kids to enjoy the slides without a huge wait. Plus for moms like me it was first picking of the chairs and to find your “perfect” park it spot.
We chose to bring our BOB double stroller with us each time we went to the pool. This helped give the girls a spot to nap, if needed, and a place for us to store all our stuff. Although Great Wolf Lodge provides life jackets and towels for any guest to use, we choose to bring our own. This saved us time waiting in line to check in or out the towels, plus the girls are used to their life vest and I wasn’t sneaking any opportunities for the kids to have a meltdown. Note to this, GWL does not allow the air-filled swimmies down the slides so I highly recommended if bringing your own that they are foam filled.
3. BYOS (Bring Your Own Snacks)
With Kennedy being autistic and a very picky eater we knew that bring our own snacks and her safe food was the only option. We bulked up on all the favorite snacks and the easy microwaved mac and cheese for the kids. This was a lifesaver for hungry moments and just dinners for her. We also used DoorDash to dash dinners for mom, dad and Keira, which is super easy and there are plenty of options around. Although GWL has food options, we choose to Dash our food to not over-splurge at the lodge. Depending on the length of your stay, a good plan is to eat at least two of your main meals each day at one of the onsite restaurants and then supplement with snacks or outside food.
4. What to Pack That Helped Us SURVIVE
- Swimsuits: Pack more than one swimsuit per person because everyone will be in and out of the water frequently.
- Retractable Portable Clothesline for Travel: this was perfect to hang across the bathtub to hang wet swimsuits on, they easily dried over night and no worries about space. Our Amazon List
- Goggles: Kid preference, of course, but there’s a lot of splashing happening, so your kids might want something to protect their eyes.
- Water shoes/waterproof shoes: Have something you can either wear in the water or, at minimum, wear between the waterpark and your hotel room. A slip-on Croc or flip-flops work fine.
- Snacks: Bring more than you think you need. I always just buy stuff I will pack in lunches anyway in case, somehow, we miraculously don’t eat it all.
- Cozy, cute pajamas: The Great Wolf Lodge has all kinds of entertainment for kids, including morning yoga in the lobby and bedtime stories. The schedule and activities change daily and by season, but attending in your pajamas is 100% encouraged.
- Light up wands or glow sticks: Theres a night time dance party each night and the girls really felt special with their light up wands and glow sticks
- Toys for room: if your kids are anything like mine 5:30/6am is the start of the day, regardless of the time they go to bed. Having simple toys like coloring books, magnetic tiles and leapfrog tablets kept the girls entertained until it was pool time
- Waterproof phone case: honestly seems simple enough but this was fabulous to have. We were able snap great pictures and videos of the girls enjoying themselves. Pro-Tip turn on Live Photos, you’ll thank me later 🙂
5. Finally, When to Visit
Since this was our first time exploring the Great Wolf Lodge I can say I sure anytime is the Best Time to go! However we choose to stay during their Howl-O-Ween seasonal celebrations. From Sept. 22 through Oct. 31, the entire hotel has fall-themed décor, attractions, a Trick-or-Treat Trail, a Monster Bash Dance Party (costumes encouraged), along with other activities like face painting and story times. Other themes include Snowland, Spring Breakout, and Summer Camp-In.
Maybe it’s because of all the daily action, but my family always sleeps soundly when we stay there. Although there are literally children running around every floor, it’s never been loud, and the rooms are clean, adorably Great Wolf Lodge-themed, and comfortable. So, believe it or not, it feels like a vacation for parents, too. Just be prepared to get your steps in!!
