[Travel Advice] Great Wolf Lodge

Great Wolf Lodge - the family land cruise

Random Observation/Comment #913: Family travel needs a home base and consistency.

What I love about Great Wolf Lodge

It is essentially a self-contained, on-land cruise. The wristbands are brilliant because they act as your room key and payment method, so you never have to fumble for a wallet. The water park slides are awesome (Tornado is so much fun), but the real surprise was MagiQuest. It’s a super fun, multi-year (at least 7 literal hours) adventure game that tricks you into getting your steps in while you run around completing physical wand missions.

The vibe is a bit cheesy, but it has its own charm. It’s also a judgment-free zone for day drinking. Hey, we’re all doing it. While the WiFi is everywhere, I’d suggest putting the phone away to just live free. Plus, the staff was super helpful and seem happy rotating between different stores.

Note: This place is great for all all ages, but I think 7-11 year-olds probably have the most fun because they’re tall enough to ride the water park rides and run around by themselves.

Things it can do better

Everything is pretty expensive, which is expected, but the food quality is just “meh.”

• The Good - You can order takeaway from Barnwood (the mozzarella sticks were decent), and the Pizza and Dunkin locations are totally fine.

• The Bad - Avoid the steak at Barnwood and the burgers at the swim area. I would have rather had fast food.

The Rooms

The kids’ bunk area is adorable, and our daughter had a great time playing with her Build-A-Bear there during downtime. However, there are some design flaws:

• Storage - We needed way more hooks and hanging space. The pipe closet design looks aesthetically pleasing but removes functionality by not utilizing the full height of the room.

• Lighting - There are only blackout curtains. I would have loved a sheer curtain option to allow for privacy while still letting natural light in.

• Noise - It can be loud. Definitely bring a sound machine or a Bluetooth speaker for bedtime to drown out hallway noise.

• View - We got lucky with a great view of the mountains and the Air Force area.

Packing Must-Haves (Wish we brought!)

Expect that you will exist almost exclusively in swimwear or pajamas.

• Matching loungewear (lean into the cozy vibe)

• Travel mug for drinks

• Hanging clips or a travel drying rack for wet suits

• A tote bag that can get wet

• Microwave popcorn, cereal, and milk for the room (save money on snacks)

• Comfortable shoes - This is crucial for MagiQuest. You will be getting your steps in.

Tips for First-Time Travelers

• BYOB - You can bring your own alcohol and cups to keep in the room.

• Dress Code - Wear pajamas and sandals everywhere. Everyone else is doing the same thing.

• Swimwear - Pack extra swim clothes; putting on a cold, damp swimsuit is the worst.

• Duration - Book 2 nights only. Anything more feels repetitive and a bit much.

• Seating - When claiming chairs at the water park, beware of the splash zones!

• Wolf/Paw Pass - This might be worth it if you plan on doing all the paid attractions at least once.

• Hydration - Bring more Liquid IVs than you think you need.

• Timing Hacks

  • People check in early (8–10 AM) to use the pool for the full day, even before rooms are ready.

  • The best time to hit the water rides is after dinner (6:30–8:00 PM) because most guests leave the water park to eat.

• Go with a friend - If you’re just going with your family, you’re probably going to get way too drunk. At least get drunk with a friend.

• Go to Lazy Dog - This restaurant is about 10 minutes away and it’s huge with a huge menu. I can’t wait to go to one closer to Denver.

Attractions

There aren’t that many, but I think they’re decently fun packed comfortable into a tight area.

Pool and Water Rides

//I didn’t bring my phone around here, so I didn’t take any photos and no one really wants to be in a blog photo

There’s a wave pool, a small kiddie area, this huge walking structure, and a corner to access the 4 rides (4-person tornado, straight down drop, single or double donut, and mat-based 4-person ride). I think the 4-person tornado was the most family friendly.

Arcade Area

There’s a large number of games and the pricing is probably a little bit expensive, but you can have a pretty good time with $45. We were able to play some games and get a few 100 points just having fun with Space Invaders.

Mini Golf & Ten Pin Bowling

The 9 holes of golf and 5 rounds of ten pin was pretty fun. It’s easy to add bumpers for kiddos and the ball is super easy to just chuck down the line.

Random Events

If you check the calendar, you’ll find random morning yoga, dance parties, arts and crafts, and Santa greetings in the lobby. This was pretty fun and surprising, which added to the charm.

Build-a-Bear, Mining, and Candy

I bucketed these three together because they were included in the Paw Pass with a discount. The candy cup is huge. Mining is fun for 10 minutes. Build-a-bear is expensive, but seems like a great first day buy.

MagiQuest

I can’t emphasize the amount of fun and steps we got here. There are 70 totems through the hallways and big rooms between the hotel rooms to the swim area (which isn’t that far). There’s an interesting storyline that ends with killing a dragon and opening a treasure chest. Getting the Master Magi is such a cool accomplishment and takes way longer than I thought it would. There’s also a “more games” section where you can do battles amplified by the totems. There’s definitely replay value!

Note: What a clever business idea! Your area seems so much more crowded with kids running around because they’re always running around completing quests. It adds to the fun vibes of kids having fun.

~See Lemons Have Fun at Great Wolf Lodge