Including a story time, dance time, crafts and more. Each play area includes slides and swings. The company owns and operates its family resorts under the Great Wolf Lodge brand. They were methodical and intense, and I just didn't get that feeling with many of the lifeguard staff here. The TV in the room seemed to be new and was the largest of any we saw at the three resorts. The size of the indoor water park is roughly 125,000 square-foot, which makes it slightly larger than the Great Wolf Lodge water park @ roughly 79,000 square-foot, but decidedly smaller than Kalaharis indoor water park which is roughly 220,000 square-foot. We are a family of 6 with four kids ranging in ages from 5 12 years old. That makes it easy for families traveling with toddlers (and their little legs!). The Great Wolf Lodge Resort is a family-friendly resort located a few miles from the LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Grapevine and offers deluxe accommodations, upscale amenities, and an indoor water park with several swimming areas and wave pools, water slides and rides, waterfalls, hot springs, and entertainment for children. The Kalahari wave pool is much bigger than the Great Wolf Lodge wave pool. Comparison between Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge water park It is a smaller resort, with plenty of employees who are prepared to work with young children.
Great Wolf Lodge vs Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Indeed Camelbacks Aquatopia resort opened their indoor water park in May of 2015. A report from KSAT sister station KPRC states that the indoor water park will break ground in 2022 in the city of Webster, just south of Houston. What we usually do @ Kalahari is claim a couple of tables next to the fountain in the lobby and while one of us stays with the family the other runs around to the different food venues to obtain the items we desire to assemble a meal. Part-time blogger, full-time nerd & aspiring Renaissance man! Copyright 2022 by KSAT - All rights reserved. It seems that there are parts of the water park that are only staffed at peak attendance. At times Kalahari actually felt a littletoo bigfor us. Both resorts have huge water parks that include a wave pool, lazy river, splash areas and of course water slides. Kalahari Resorts water park has more of everything and also includes a Flowrider, which is popular with older kids and teens. Great Wolf Lodge: Outdoor ropes courses seasonal. Great Wolf Lodge Poconos is a staple in the region. Looking up to the roofline Aquatopia does feel more open and expansive since it is more of a sweeping semi-circle in shape. I'm displeased to hear of the strange odor in your room and that we were not able to correct this situation while you were staying with us. You used the same bathroom photo for both resorts. We have not yet patronized any of these establishments. Why do the adults with hearing damage always make the decisions with regards to volume level! We recently took a little trip to the Poconos and stayed one night @ Great Wolf Lodge immediately followed by a one-night stay @ Kalahari. It is the smallest of the 3 indoor water parks in the Poconos, Pennsylvania. We visited Kalahari in the Pocono Mountains for a last minute trip with our two girls, ages 8 and 9.
The Ultimate Guide to Great Wolf Lodge Locations in the US The development is expected to break ground during the first quarter of 2022 and construction of the facility will begin no later than April 2025, according to KPRC. This was terrific we will likely do all three spaced out over a few years, but this absolutely helped us figure out what order to go in. Sincerely, With that being said it does appear that the ropes course and zip lines are something that we may try in the future. Kassie R, Social Media Coordinator at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos, responded to this review. Im not sure when we will make it back there since we have a lot of other travel plans. Kalahari still boasts plenty of kiddie water slides, but it also has more thrilling slides for older children. This past visit however was somewhat disappointing. Is the higher food price of Kalahari worth it? There was a microwave and mini-fridge in the room, which came in handy. Thats theming! Kalahari seems to have a bit more of a selection when it comes to very large rooms. From what we saw of the pricing most of the activities were on the more expensive side. We were really looking forward into the expansion since we really loved how great Kalahari was the first two times we visited. So we decided to check it out and see how things had changed. We usually just order a pizza and eat it in our room with maybe a salad. We ended loading up the car, checking out (automatically at 11:00), and then using our onsite privileges for a few more hours before going offsite at a nearby restaurant to each lunch and hitting the highway to return home.My biggest concern about the facility itself is that the elevator from the lobby to the lower level waterpark is not easily discoverable or accessible. Right away we were looking for and expecting a wonderful customer service experience, and Kalahari did not disappoint. We compared various aspects of the resort and water parks to help you determine which resort is the best for your family. There are other places with better miniature golf courses and a regular bowling alley does a better job for bowling so we tend not to spend our dollars on those activities when we are at Great Wolf Lodge. Kalahari has a lot of complaints on Google about 2+ hour check in times and no housekeeping. If you are looking for more of a balance between kid activities and adult luxuries Kalahari has a wider range of offerings that will appeal to both adults and children. lindakmonty He's like "OH NO YOU DIDN'T" Joined Jun 24, 2005 Jun 30, 2006 #7 Activities could include yoga, character appearances, crafts, a nightly Forest Friends show, story time, and a dance party. Featuring free WiFi and a seasonal outdoor pool, Great Wolf Lodge Grapevine offers accommodations in Grapevine. What are you waiting for? Kalahari and Wilderness are kind of overwhelming. (especially Aquatopia & Great Wolf Lodge) If you were to drive from Kalahari, to Great Wolf Lodge, and then to Aquatopia the total distance would be approximately 11.3 miles and take just 26 minutes. Advice: you can't come to a place like this and complain about how much things cost. The closet was pretty small, and the bathroom was almost as small (with the sink located next to the fridge); however, those were relatively minor inconveniences.We went to Great Karoo Buffet around 5-5:30 and was relieved to see that it wasn't that crowded. It was voted the #1 indoor water park in 2015 by USA Today. We had a cabin themed room for this stay (KidCabin Suite) and the kids enjoyed it more than I had expected! The top 10 winners in the category Best Indoor Water Park are as follows: Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark - Tannersville, Pennsylvania. Hopefully you can keep returning and finding even more ways to have fun with us as the kids grow. Expect to spend money on food, games, etc. Chip. Advice: you can't come to a place like this and complain about how much things cost. The lobby is big but not massive like it is at Kalahari! It can be more expensive but it's a better place to relax and see your kids enjoying without having to worry too much. Aquatopiais somewhere right in-between Kalahari & Great Wolf Lodge by almost every measure! The splash park or toddler area of the water park was rather small. This old-school hot dog shack across from Penn Treaty Park mostly caters to truckers, hence its early-morning hours. After learning about the aspects of both of these resort, which one will your family choose? Great Wolf Lodge also has a small bowling ally, gem mining, outdoor ropes course, arcade, and glow golf. Sopleaseclick on a link or two if you wish tosupport us& and our endeavors here. Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine is a great way to go for a weekend getaway. Im pleased to hear that you enjoyed the various sections of the waterpark. This was one of the few exceptions! (Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Camelbacks Aquatopia) Which is the right waterpark resort experience for your family?
Snow Tubing in the Poconos | PA Resorts, Info & Conditions For size reference, Great Wolf Lodges water park is the smallest at about 79,000 square feet. Kalahari has a better reputation locally. Many months later (due to COVID) we stayed at Camelbacks Aquatopia. I would request a higher floor again because the 2nd floor gets all of the foot traffic as that is the lobby floor and the waterpark and arcade are on the lower 1st floor.Take a minute to just look around and notice the dcor, architecture, and design. We stayed @ Great Wolf Lodge on a Tuesday night and then Kalahari on Wednesday night of the same week. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Our balcony overlooked a very lightly used service road and then there was an unobstructed view of the forested mountain side. We usually ordered and brought the food to our room. In our opinion, the splash park at Aquatopia was the weakest of the three. Church work is not for the faint of heart, and by the end of the summer church has just flat taken its toll on all of us. We went for the Italian the second night and the food was again wonderful. DreamWorks Water Park - East Rutherford, New Jersey. Virtual reality, tons of games, golf, bowling - this place though of everything. I went back into our pictures and corrected the post with the actual picture of the Great Wolf Lodge bathroom. Kalahari Resort's water park has more of everything and also includes a Flowrider, which is popular with older kids and teens. Kalahari I feel would be better for the adults to have fun as well. Here's our overall review.. Kassi was terrific! I would like to further discuss the details of your stay. When you check in the lodge they should offer you and / or the kids wolf ears at no extra charge since, after all it is the Great WOLF Lodge!. For the volume of people passing through it ( to check-in, check out, shop at the shops and access the activities) it feels a little small and congested. Saturday, August 10, 2013 Great Wolf Lodge vs. Gaylord Texan By the time August rolls around our family is in desperate need of a get-away. The balcony/patio was laughable. EXPECT IT and you will have a great time. There are 2 lazy river type rides, the wave pool is immense, there are 2 hot tubs that are partly inside the building AND partly outside of the building with a narrow channel to traverse back and forth. Camelback Lodge and Great Wolf Lodge are two of the most popular family resorts in the Poconos with indoor water parks. Some of the profit from any sale may merely make it intoourpocket instead of Jeff Bezos'! Thank you to the staff we mentioned for really making sure our stay was the best it possibly could be! I love the theming of GWL and my kids are obsessed with Magi Quest, but the adults only things at Kalahari cant be beat!
Which Indoor Water Park in the Poconos Is Best for Your Family? Been at least six years ago. Winner: Kalahari Resort Rooms Both resorts have "normal" hotel rooms as well as themed rooms. How does the resort compare to Great Wolf Lodge? . Kalahari is a better choice for families with adolescents and teens, while Great Wolf Lodge is perfect for elementary-age children. Great Wolf Lodge has a woodsy/lodge theme and decor. Its really a question of what the individual family prefers, as far as water park size, features and resort amenities. The total cost for the night would have been $415.10. This is probably a reflection of the fact that Kalahari is really a convention center first & foremost and the water park is just one of the many amenities they offer albeit a big one! In November 2020, a competitor to GWL opened in Texas. It may come down to a simple question: How old are the children in your party? It was HORRIBLE!
Great Wolf Lodge is one of the very best things to do in Dallas Several hot tubs, twice the amount of slides as Great Wolf Lodge, and something for all ages. For our Tuesday June 25th, 2019 stay @ Great Wolf Lodge the cost of our room was $209.99 with taxes & fees amounting to $51.59, bringing the total to $261.58. I can't honestly say that anything bit me in the room, we may have been bitten while we were sleeping, or in all the time we were forced to spend on the patio because of the smell.The resort was fine, but I'd avoid this "upgraded suite". Try getting on the email lists of both of these resorts to learn about the discounts they offer throughout the year. Kalahari Resort Market Cost The overnight costs for both of these resorts can vary widely throughout the year.
Kalahari vs. Great Wolf Lodge -- Sandusky - DISboards.com Kalahari features a number of signature sit-down restaurants (Sortinos Italian Kitchen (Italian food), B-Lux Grill & Bar (Burgers & Shakes), Double Cut (Steakhouse). One of Melani and my pet peeves with regards to hotel accommodations is when there is only one night stand for a queen bed. I hope you and your family have a wonderful stay! Kids are going to want to explore all areas of this place and we find it frustrating reading reviews about those complaining about how expensive everything is. There were 2 bathrooms one off the walk-in area and the second one in the master suite. Kalahari . I was wondering what your experiences have been with that. Answer 1 of 6: We want to take my son ( just turned 4) to either Kalahari or Great wolf lodge. There were a few things that we liked about the expansion. Sitemap, Revealed: The US Airports & Airlines With The Most Frequent Flight Delays, The Ultimate Guide to Kalahari Resort Locations in the US, The Ultimate Guide to Six Flags Locations in the US, Palm Springs Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting With Kids, Seattle Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting with Kids, Las Vegas Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting with Kids, Florida Keys Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting with Kids, Myrtle Beach Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting with Kids, The Bahamas Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting with Kids. Towel check-out is something new since our last visit. At Kalahari, there are two separate, toddler play areas. Just a small thing that can be easily rectified. We ordered a burrito, nachos grande, chicken fingers, fries and onion rings from a predictable and acceptable selection of menu items. (Remember that Kalahari is actually a desert in southern Africa.) Kalahari Resorts opened in 2015 in the Poconos. So if you are looking for a martini, you will have to hit one of the restaurants. My six year olds love the slides, and they are allowed to ride on everything at Great Wolf, but my teens get bored very quickly. Kalahari also has a wide variety of types of water slides drop slides, mat racer, raft slides, etc. Family Fun at its best. Better selection of local foods near Great Wolf. The splash park area of the water park devoted to smaller children (toddlers Penguin Play Bay) is very weak compared to Kalahari and somewhat awkwardly placed on a second tier of the waterpark close to some steps going down. My sister, who was also staying at this resort had the African Queen suite and there was PLENTY of room for all of us if they would have moved us.
The Biggest Indoor Waterparks in the World - TripSavvy The 3 "kids" (ages 12-20) and I were impressed with the front of the resort. In particular, it felt narrow. We certainly do have a lot of different ways to entertain and excite the kids! We have been to both resorts in the past but thought it would be fun to do a back-to-back comparison. We also enjoyed the Lazy River and the wave pool. It was nicely decorated and efficiently arranged. There is an indoor rock wall, laser tag, and indoor ropes course, etc. We say this because Aquatopia has the most activities (rock wall, laser tag, escape room, etc) at its resort that will likely appeal to pre-teens and early teens. I look forward to connecting with you. Let me start by saying that we have visited the Great Wolf Lodge location in Fitchburg, MA on 2 separate occasions and had enjoyable visits each time. Seriously, I'm not being dramatic. There are a number of other activities available at the lodge. The first thing that struck me the most was how dirty and unsanitary the waterpark was compared to before. Your encounters with the lack of cleanliness in the room and waterpark was certainly not up to our standards, so I am interested in hearing more about it. It felt like you were rubbing shoulders with other people all the time. We are happy to report that there were two night stands with our queen bed! included with your stay Waterpark Admission Waterpark admission is always free when you stay with us. People who got there after her were served well before her. As a native New Yorker, a bit of grit and grime doesn't scare me. The water park @ Aquatopia was nice. We also only stayed one night, so Im not sure how often housekeeping visits.
Kalahari vs Great wolf lodge - Wisconsin Dells Forum Also, the post was never updated to include information about Aquatopia. If you can't afford it, don't bother making the trip. Nothing? It had a large walk-in area that had a sink and kitchenette. I will be sure to pass your kind words along to Kassi, David, Robin, and Amanda! Kalahari has one indoor and one outdoor area - both are huge (Kalahari's is one of the largest indoors in the US). We changed in the bathroom/changing areas, located a storage locker (for a fee), and found a table. Kalahari Resort has Tom Foolerys, a gigantic indoor adventure park. We have never patronized the restaurant as it does seem expensive. Whereas, the roofline @ Great Wolf Lodge is blocky. The smell permeated EVERYTHING to the point of needing to open the door to air it out. CEO approval 75 % approve of John Murphy (Murph)'s performance 74 % approve of Todd Nelson's performance Salary satisfaction 49 % think they are paid fairly at Great Wolf Lodge 40 % Ronks is southeast of Lancaster. Tiffany, Im so glad you found the post helpful. The clothing line in the bathroom was broken and the bed covers had an unpleasant smell. Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine has one adults-only hot tub. A 14-inch pie was 8 slices, 2 toppings $21. The entire Kalahari Resort is enormous. We ended up eating most of the fries and onions rings, while discarding the rest. We liked the luggage rack near the door and the shelf over the microwave. The food was not good at all. The lobby was somewhat hectic with the number of people filing in and out, restaurants, shops, carts filled with souvenirs for sale, and a long line at the guest registration desk. In addition to the arcade, there are six amusement park rides, including the Screamn Centipede roller coaster with 360-degree rotating cart. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings.
6 Best Poconos Resorts for Families | Family Vacation Critic You can use the water park at 1pm on the day of check in until close on the day you leave. The wave pool was on par with that at Great Wolf Lodge. Lock in the lowest price from these sites. This is an interactive game that has players moving throughout the Lodge on quests. Although the room was designated for up to 6 people it felt like we were on top of each other at times. Wisconsin Dells, WI https://www.greatwolf.com/wisconsin-dells There is a very small / non-standard sized bowling alley, a miniature golf course, an arcade, MagiQuest, etc We have done some of the other activities in the past but only if they were included with our stay or one of the bundled package passes (Paw Pass, Pup Pass and Wolf Pass). The overnight costs for both of these resorts can vary widely throughout the year. We had no real negatives about Great Wolf but in all honesty, Kalahari Resort surpasses them on almost all levels, but to no fault of Great Wolf. It doesnt extend to the guest rooms and amenities. That sounds good. Kids jumping in and out, the areas are not guarded by staffsame problem as Great Wolf. Since our last visit to Great Wolf Lodge they have established a relationship with Dunkin Donuts and there is one located on the main floor just off the right of the lobby. Hence our balcony seemed to be under ground and we were looking at a high retaining wall for a view. We did really like the lazy river at Aquatopia. Yes it is HUGE but it is also laid out well and serves as a destination itself within the resort. Great Wolf Lodge. We inquired about an potential upgrade and they granted us a special price to upgrade to an African Queen Suite which had 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms - perfect to provide privacy with 2 girls! They were definitely present - but not blowing their whistle when it was needed and didn't seem as focused. Each lane allows for up to six bowlers at a time. When I checked out on the 25th I asked for a receipt, and the amount I was charged was correct ($390.10) When I received my credit card statement on December 9th I noticed that what I was charged from Aquatopia/Camelback was $25 higher than it should have been. The distance between Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos is a mere 7 miles. Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Otherwise, she and the others had a very good time.Kalahari was worth the trip. It was a nice touch to have the lodge theme and a couple of characters at the front of the wave pool which is one of our favorite attractions. The photos were nature themed and glossy. Both resorts also have bunk bed suites with small alcoves just for the kids. Adventure Update # 018: My Tricycle is Very Very Fast! I'm going to breakdown each part of the resort that we visited and give you the key points: I asked everyone in the family if we are going back down to the Poconos and staying at one of the resorts tomorrow night where would you want to stay? Keep reading our Poconos water park guide & comparison to find out! Two of my kids are begging to go back to Kalahari. Can I ask how the service levels compared at the two as well as the food? This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. There would have been another $25 for parking but we were able to avoid this since we had relatives staying just a few miles away. So I guess you just dont need it that much. Likewise, there is a cost associated with the convenience of those activities being offered right there and that is cost. It had its own TV and was adorned with a lot of cute character images. Right away we were looking for and expecting a wonderful customer service experience, and Kalahari did not disappoint. Both resorts have themed rooms that accommodate a wide-range of family sizes from two queen rooms to much, much bigger. The Poconos location has 401 rooms and each wing of the lodge has 4 floors. (Activities vary by location). My family has stayed in themed rooms at both resorts. We went to all three water parks in the Poconos (Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Aquatopia) to find out which one is the BEST water park. My son went to the prime rib carving station several times but the chef continued to serve him meat with chunks of fat on it - so he gave up. The short of it about the same as Great Wolf Lodge and FAR less than Kalahari! This was because: 1) We are a family of 6 and eating out is not usually relaxing or enjoyable! I felt the prices were reasonable for this type of American Pub food. Please see our partners for more details. All three resorts are located very close to each other in the Poconos. Other than the water park & arcade our family hasnt really tried out any other ones. Both resorts have huge water parks and other indoor activities. Recently, my family visited Kalahari Resort for the first time. There isnt any story that goes along with any of the characters as far as we were able to discern. We did the empirical research so you dont have to! Hopefully you can come again soon but until then, take care! I found the photos pleasing to look at and relaxing! It seems, for obvious safety reasons, that a toddler area would be better located on the lowest level of the water park.
Kalahari vs Great Wolf Lodge Poconos Comparison - YouTube But, if or when we do return, I look forward to spending more time in that adults-only grotto. Berrellis Italian Chophouse wasnt really an option for us as this restaurant is physically located in a different building from where we were staying & where the indoor water park is located. Enjoy your family vacation at one of the great indoor water park resort choices in your area! Choosing which resort to bring your family to can be daunting as both resorts offer very similar attractions and amenities. To alert those in the wave pool of the wave rotation starting it has a wolf howl. Much more concise!
Poconos Water Park Comparison Guide - Been There Done That with Kids Life jackets are not required but are available as well as puddle jumpers. The setting for them seems nicer, and they seem more elaborate than the ropes course offered @ Great Wolf Lodge. There is also a cafe (Cafe & Bar) and a restaurant (Horizons) located right off the main lobby. We were told that the elevator was on the convention center side, which was not really convenient for her. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review. Great Wolf seems to have more of a variety of theming for these bunk bed suites. Offer a family slide option which is super fun to go on as a whole family. You all have multi room suites as well as an African Queen Suite.Let's talk about the African Queen Suite for a moment. But the resort's smaller size makes it easier to keep an eye on the kids. Copyright 2023 The Parenthood Adventures! Kalahari Resort, positioned in Spherical Rock, Texas, is analogous in some ways to Nice Wolf Lodge. We have been to the Williamsburg Virginia location where there was one but there is not one @ the Poconos location. See you soon! Kids under the age of 6 were coming in and out with no parental supervision. Park access for all family members is included in . The room was very clean and up-to-date. The Great Wolf Lodge resort in the Poconos was constructed in 2005 - and is one of roughly 19 locations for the chain. However, we felt $26 for chicken parm was a little steep. We did not rent any of the cabanas that were located throughout. 2) With COVID still hanging around and the holidays right around the corner it seemed to be prudent. Great Wolf Lodge Pocono Mountains packs in all the family fun under one roof. There was also a buffet which was closed but other little caf options for grab and go type food, a coffee bar, ice cream stand, bakery.they forgot nothing!We felt like we needed more than one night so we asked to extend our stay another night and we were given a great rate to stay in our upgraded room so we jumped on the deal. The room was not only spacious, but didn't reek like cat urine. Imagine what it takes to run this place?!? Their massive indoor water parks vary by location. My household has loved a handful of stays on the water park lodge Nice Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Texas (and one go to to the GWL in Southern California). (We missed the burritos & soups from Kalahari!). Not quite as good as the one @ Kalahari but better than you will find at Great Wolf Lodge. Kalahari was the cheapest on Friday evening - but the most expensive during the week & the second most expensive on Saturday evening. It needs to be checked more often.
The Undomestic Goddess: Great Wolf Lodge vs. Gaylord Texan - Blogger