My family recently stayed at the Great Wolf Lodge in Concord, N.C. for the first time. Everyone said it would be amazing, and they were right! If you are like us and have put this off, here is some helpful info for when you finally decide to schedule your visit:
1. The Room
We stayed in the Wolf Den Suite, which included a bunk bed and a separate TV. My girls thought this was so cool. We even allowed the 2-year-old, who still sleeps in a crib, to sleep on the bottom bunk and she did just fine. There was extra counter space, which was nice, a small fridge and microwave. Also, there was a couch and small table and chairs. After taxes and fees, the room was $300... Kinda pricey BUT you get two-day water park passes for the whole family! We actually funded this trip with Christmas money given to the girls by their Granddaddy instead of buying more STUFF. They LOVED him for it :)
2. The Waterpark
The waterpark included four huge waterslides, a wave pool, kiddie pool, splash playground with two slides and another pool that had basketball goals and lily pads kids could jump across. My seven-year old was able to ride everything, but the two-year old had plenty of options to keep her entertained as well. She loved the slides in the kiddie pool and the spraying wave runners. Also, the playground had two slides she could ride, but be prepared... you cannot ride this with them. They must go solo. She wanted to do it, but when I sat her down she freaked out. So... I pushed her. Off she went, screaming the whole way down. I went down the other slide and met her at the bottom. What did she say to the mean Mommy who pushed her? "Can we do it again?" And so we did again, and again, and again.
I put the puddle jumper on her in the wave pool but she didn't even need it in the kiddie pool (18 inches deep) or the playground. When you need a break, just grab some chairs by the wave pool and have some ice cream. My older daughter made a friend and loved having some freedom to run around. We always go to the Carowinds waterpark but with this being a resort pool, it felt really safe and well contained. We had 4 hours of water fun on day one, and maybe 5 hours on day two (with a break in between) and that was plenty for us.
Also, we brought our own towels for the first day, but used theirs on the second. They are small and kind of rough, but they were dry. They provide life jackets if you need them.
3. The Clothes
Attire here is comfy CASUAL. Kids can literally be seen throughout the hotel in their bathing suits or pj's. It is so nice. I thought we needed cute outfits for dinner, but what I really wanted was some yoga pants! The pool area is warm, so even in the winter people are wearing summer cover-ups, etc. But when you walk back into the hotel, it's pretty chilly so have a jacket handy.
4. The Food
Before our trip, I heard that the food wasn't that great and that it would be pricey, but it was just fine for us. There are a ton of restaurants near the lodge if you wish to venture out, but we were so comfy and cozy we didn't have the desire to go out to the cold car. After 8 p.m. story time in the lobby (the girls were already clean and in their pj's!), we picked up a pizza (to-go only) by the pool and took it up to our room. It was delicious! And the girls loved stayed up a little late, having dinner in our awesome Wolf Den and watching TV. We had Dunkin Donuts for breakfast (also in the hotel) and lunch by the pool (chicken fingers, salad and a burger). And there were a ton of sweet options (ice cream, fudge, cookies, etc.) I mean for a 24-hour stay, what more do you need?
5. The Extras
But wait, there's more? Yes, there is plenty more than you can do at the Great Wolf Lodge, but we were so busy enjoying the water park we didn't have time! For additional money, there is a spa, bowling alley, and scavenger-hunt games like MagiQuest. I could definitely see how older kids would love running around the hotel doing this with their friends, but we put it off for another time. We did spend a couple of hours in the arcade, however. I bought a $10 card and the girls played everything their little hearts desired.
Let's Call it a Wrap
We asked a Great Wolf Lodge employee when she thought the best time to go was, and she said the beginning of the week. Also, she said if there is such a thing as "slow season" it would be after school starts back in August or after Labor Day in September. We were there Thursday-Friday and it was definitely crowded but the wait times for the big slides were still really short (5-10 minutes or less). I have a feeling we will be returning again and again. Want to see more? My husband just happened to put together a You Tube video of our visit. Check it out!
