**Please Note all hotels aren't the same. Rules maybe different including pricing. This is only informational and a place to start**
In full disclosure I love this place. The more we go back the more I realize how much fun you can really have here. (Start Rant) A couple of things I want to impress upon your mind, is that the rooms are NOT 5 star hotel quality. Although the beds are comfy and I do get a good nights rest-You are NOT here for the hotel room. You ARE here for the activities and the indoor water park! I happened upon a blog complaining about their rooms. It was really pretty negative and honestly I dont understand why you go to a destination hotel and complain about the room. Anyone go to Disney and complain about their rooms? You aren't there to spend time in their ROOMS!!! PLAY!!! GO PLAY! (End Rant)
When you first get there it is SO overwhelming, just like Disney, because there is so much to do that your children (and I will say adults also) get so bombarded with everything that is going on around them that a lot doesn't get accomplished and FUN doesn't happen. Stay focused and have a plan.
DO NOT! Show up at the hotel before one and expect to play in the Water Park. Dont. My suggestion is Show up get checked in and see if you can play Magiquest. (some hotels are different just show up and ask) This game takes HOURS to play. Your kids will get their steps in and get worn out. **I am going to add a note here, you can get checked in online, and I HIGHLY recommend this process. They will also send a text messages telling you when your room is available. They also have an app you can download on your phone-its in its infancy so be patient-but it has the map of the hotel and times their restaurants are open. It also features a schedule of the days activities with alarms you can set, however, I did find that if there are multiple times for something ~like their character appearances~it only shows one time. Make sure you keep their schedule handy**.
DO NOT show up at the hotel and sit and wait for your room to be ready! I have seen so MANY people that sit in the lobby ~with their children~ and wait. Also the same blogger complaining about waiting on his room complained about waiting...some people can't see all the things they are missing!! WHY!! WHY ARE YOU WAITING! Especially if you only have a few days here! Get your passes and start checking those things off.
DO NOT Skip the days activities. (take note that the times and activities DO CHANGE) I mentioned this in Part 1. You are paying for these activities in the price of your room. (This is another activity people are missing out on when you are waiting for their room) Honestly they were ALL my favorite. I wish I could say "Dont worry about (insert activity here)" but I cant. I just CANT. My only regret this trip is that our children were so sick and wore out we missed so much of these. I am thankful this wasn't our only trip.
**I am going to say a mom thing. I hate this picture of me, but we had been traveling for several hours and we were all so tired from being sick. I wanted so badly to get a picture with Wiley, but my daughter wasn't having it. So well I handed my phone to the friendly worker and he got several pictures and I was only able to use one. Such is life I suppose.**
Lets talk about things to do.
DO Valet. I know what you are thinking. "I can park my own car." I know it seems that easy, but trust me, the convenience is worth the $22 a day (dont forget to tip $2-$3 per time they get your car)!! ESPECIALLY if you are going during busy times their parking can go ON FOREVER! You can text and they will have your car ready, if it snows (which it came a blizzard while we were there) they will get the snow off your car AND I loved how they were just super nice. I loved it! We will ALWAYS do Valet from here on out when we go to the Lodge.
DO buy the passes! I know we have already talked about this already, but if you missed it, I wanted to say it again. DO IT! Make sure you are thinking about your MAGI name!! My sons name is Supreme, my husbands is Dragon Slayer and my daughters is Princess Adelaide. These names will show up on their hotel channel for things like "most gold found" and points earned...things like that. It is fun to see your name on the screen! These names you will keep for the life of the wand, so make sure you pick a good one! No pressure.
DO Invest in their Cabana! I know what you are thinking...Just hear me out. This is really a good deal and I will tell you why. Depending on your family size and the amount of time you REALLY want to spend at the swim park, this little guy is icing on the cake. Renting one of these is $150-$200 per day. Now...let me start here. IF you plan on going at 1 and CANT get into your room yet, but your children are chomping at the bit to go play at the water park, this is the PERFECT opportunity to sit and watch your stuff (and lock up valuables-see the safe on the wall) and relax while your room is getting ready. Make sure you pack your swim clothes separately so you aren't digging through all the suitcases to find what you need. Let me tell you what is INCLUDED with this bad boy. Everyone in your party gets a "Free" souvenir cup (remember I was telling you how to get one of these for a cheaper price! BAM. You are welcome.) Depending on how many people are in your party, you can save a bunch of money on your cups~ that is $80 for a party of 5 that's almost half of the cabana price for something you can keep... Also included are fresh hot towels brought to your cabana. You get someone from "Buckets Incredible Craveables" to take your order and bring you your food. You also get a deck of Great Wolf Lodge Playing cards which I never saw to buy. This to me was a great value if you have a big family, and also if you really have a desire to keep your stuff safe and away from everyone else. Also I want to make sure you know that these things are in HIGH demand. If this is something you are interested in CALL them as soon as you book your stay.
DO Watch for their lifeguard training doll named Timmy. It was so much fun to watch the reactions on the Lifeguards faces to jump into the water trying to save to doll. Although they KNOW it maybe coming they honestly treat this doll like it is a real person they are trying to save. Its incredible to watch. I love it. While we were there they DID in fact have to save a little girl in the wave pool and it still gives me goosebumps. This lifeguard LITERALLY without hesitation jumped into the water and saved that little girl. Great job for her for not just "doing her job" but passionately saving that little girl from drowning.
DO split your time at the water park. Like most things the water park has times when it is SUPER busy!! I would avoid these times. These times would be good for either a nap, getting some more of those activities passed off on your passes OR time you could be spending on the MAGIQUEST game. The less busy times are meal times, activity time and a few hours before closing. (keep in mind these hours change also during their peak season times) I would HIGHLY recommend going first thing in the morning for a few hours, and then again for a few hours in the evening for a great mix. I noticed the busier it gets the more fun is sucked out of the room. Guest become less patient and the children become more and more mean to each other.
I know you are quietly judging me for my daughters paci, she normally only has it for naps, but she was so sick I just let it happen. Judge away.
DO Make sure you finish the quests and become a MASTER MAGI! I know this sounds so lame, but it really is fun. There are HOURS upon HOURS worth of quests and your children will be so tired that its worth it just to go for THIS activity alone. There is also a MASTER MAGI knighting ceremony that is so cheesy its adorable. PLUS you get a certificate, lets be honest who doesn't love a certificate.
DO Take lots of pictures. I know this really goes without saying, but the events go by SO FAST that if you will forget to take pictures. Trust me...It happens!
Do Tip your housekeepers. Its not lost on me that people think "well its their job I am not tipping them". That's fine, but its a nice gesture and they will really appreciate it. It is something I have started doing just because its something nice to do for someone else and our world could use a little more nice.
Do Get your credit card attached to your room wristband, BUT be mindful of how much everything is. I am going to say this and you are probably rolling your eyes, but sometimes conveniences are a good and a bad thing. I love not having to carry about my credit cards here, BUT I have to really be mindful of how much everything is because it gets expensive REALLY fast. One of their bowling games was $7 per person....and while their prices ARE posted and you ARE able to get a receipt, sometimes its easy just to scan your band and forget about how much things really are. Let me add this. I do NOT think they are trying to be deceitful in ANY way. They tell you the price, you can get a receipt if you wished, you do see the total when you check out, BUT there is so much going on you can get distracted very very easily. Also I want to add that there are security measures so someone can't find your wristband and use it. I like that.
DO Take naps. Activities start so early and there is SO MUCH to do, you dont want your little ones to be cranky. This is my most favorite part of this experience. When you are at a huge theme park and you take children of all ages, you dont have the luxury of getting away and settling everyone down. Allowing everyone to "recharge" and then getting right back at the fun.
DO check out the different souvenirs. A tip that I learned from going to Disney World is local shops almost always have the same things for sale at pennies on the dollar for the price at the parks. At the Lodge that ISN'T the case. Most of their things are pretty exclusive and you can't find them any where else. You can buy a few things online, but the selection IN the Lodge is so much better and you can't find it any where else. A great place to get fun things is in the Arcade. Look around for the game with the option to win the most tickets and start there. My favorite things we have brought home has been from the arcade. My husbands winning-est game has been the "Tower of Tickets". Its ALL about timing. Be patient.
Last but not LEAST.
DO bring cash. You will need it to tip.
That seems like a lot and I hope that wasn't too much information, but it is really the most amazing place to have fun.
Tell me what you love about The Great Wolf Lodge and which one you've been to. Id love to hear about your experiences.
Pelley
