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Great Wolf Lodge: An Indoor Waterpark Resort Vacation

Macaroni Travel Review: Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Texas

By Sam McDade-Wray July 8, 2015


We love to travel as a family! There never seems to be enough time during the school year and we don't want to wait until summer to do it all. We would rather take shorter more frequent trips throughout. We are fortunate that we live in Colorado with so many things to do, but sometimes we just want to go somewhere else for a completely different experience. 

Last winter, we tried a completely new adventure and spent part of our Winter Break at an indoor water park resort called the Great Wolf Lodge®. Never heard of it? Neither had we until we saw it on Undercover Boss. It looked like fun, so off we went to Grapevine, Texas to check it out!

Great Wolf Lodge is a hotel with a water park inside. It was a tremendous amount of fun, especially for a holiday, since there were lots of festive activities for the kids. It is kind of like a cruise ship without the boat because there are so many activities to keep the kids busy that the parents get a break too. There are adult-focused amenities too, like the fitness center and a spa. Although I didn't partake this time, other guests offered nice compliments for the spa services.

Here are our top reasons for visiting the Great Wolf Lodge and tips for how to make the most of your stay!

The Water Park
This is the reason you come here! This place is HUGE... 80,000 square feet at the Grapevine, Texas location (there are more than a dozen resorts in the United States). 

In that space, you will find four big water slides, several medium and small slides, the Slap Tail Pond wave pool, an agility challenge called Big Foot Pass, a space to hang out, an area to climb on lily pads and shoot the hoops, and even separate hot tubs for families and adults only. You can stay busy for hours in this place. And in fact, we did. We went in for a few hours, took a break, and went back. 

Even though we were there over a holiday week, the lines were reasonable and we did not feel like we were just waiting in line. The water is 84 degrees, which is just about right when you are busy walking up stairs to slides and all over the water park. The chlorine fumes did get a bit overwhelming at times, which is one of the reasons we would take a break after a few hours.





Adventure Games
Coming to an indoor water park, we did not anticipate the allure of so many non-water park activities! Our 10-year-old was smitten (along with just about every other kid) with the Quest games: MagiQuest, Shadow Quest, and Compass Quest. 

The fantasy-themed scavenger hunt is a series of quests where participants explore an enchanted kingdom and become a Master Magi. You do this through the guidance from the legendary Book of Wisdom and battling a dragon. These three Harry Potter-esque games are played with a wand and topper (starting at roughly $30 for the set). The kids had a blast with this. Wear your pedometer as this game will have traversed all over the hotel, up and down stairs — for hours! Be forewarned! 

BONUS: All of the quest information is stored in the device so you can pick up where you left off next time!





A big decision to make before you go is whether to purchase one of the Passes. We did not fully appreciate the amusement park aspect to this resort. Water park passes are included with your accommodations, but there are lots of activities that your kids are going to want to do that cost extra. By having a discussion about the place and setting up a budget before you go, your family can be better prepared. Purchasing a pass can save you money; just make sure that you are staying long enough to enjoy the savings. The Paw Pass at $59 was a nice savings for us.

TIP: If you find that you want to explore the area, the nearby Perot Museum of Nature and Science was absolutely amazing and is a reciprocal museum with the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, so DMNS members get in free! 

Rooms
There are many room options from a simple king bed with a pull-out couch to family suites. Some of the more popular spaces are the Kids Cabins that have bunk beds with separate kids spaces. Rooms have  all your necessities and work well for families. I do wish they had larger bath towels that actually will wrap around an adult. 

TIP: Consider purchasing the late check out so you can enjoy a few extra hours before check out and not have to incur an additional night's charge.





Food
As expected, the food options at Great Wolf Lodge were family friendly. There were several options to choose from, including pool side dining, a steak house, a buffet and a to-go pizza place. Our first night, we went for the pizza and a salad which was tasty, reasonably priced, and perfect since we did not want to have to get dressed to go out. 

A great find for us another evening was the Lodge Wood Fired Grill during Happy Hour. You can sit at the bar and enjoy a very nice $5 appetizer menu and get out for less than $30-$40 with drinks. The full menu looked tasty too. 

We also ate at the Loose Moose Buffet for dinner; this was a traditional buffet which was ok but seemed a little over-priced for what it was. I would have liked to have seen a few more items on the salad bar and additional entree selections. The breakfast buffet looked great!

Tip: The rooms come equipped with a small mini fridge, large enough to hold the basics for breakfast and lunch. There are coffee makers too!

Holiday Festivities
Great Wolf pulls out all the stops for holidays! We were there over New Year's Eve, and I can imagine that Halloween and even Valentines Day would have a lot of seasonal fun. The New Year's Eve celebration was included in the room rate and had it ALL — face painting, family pictures, accessories like hats and beads, noisemakers, carnival games for the kids, bouncy obstacle course, magic show, music and a DJ (with kid and family friendly music), and a balloon drop! It was very well managed with the number of people at the event!





Smaller Kids
Great Wolf Lodge is ideally enjoyed by kids 4-10. There are a lot of other activities that cater to this age group with the Cub Club, Story Times, arcade games, and more. 

  • The Cub Club has crafts, games, and more. It is a great way to wind down after lots of water park play.
  • The Great Clock Tower Show is a series of Northwoods-themed animated shows sprinkled throughout the day, entertaining little ones with songs and stories. We saw quite a few regulars with their ears and pajamas on for the evening shows.
  • The Wolf Walk is another favorite which is an easy morning "hike" or prowl around the Grand Lobby. This program includes fun facts and interactive talks about wolves, bears, and birds.

Howlers Peak Ropes Course™
Our only regret while at this resort is that we did not come during the summer. We love ropes courses and this one looked GREAT! With three levels of obstacles and some 50 feet off the grounds, there is something for every one at least 48" tall.

Deals to Stay
Great Wolf is not inexpensive. But when you realize you are getting a room and water park passes for the people in your room, the cost is a bit more reasonable. Rooms start at $199 for a mid-week stay in the fall. The key is to sign up for their emails, check the "Special Offers" link on the website, and watch for Groupons or other discount programs. Members of the military, police, EMS, and firefighters always get 20% off.