We’ve recently started a tradition of instead of getting our kids gifts for their birthdays, we have experiences. This year, for my son’s birthday, we decided to go to Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Texas. To be honest, I hadn’t researched a lot about the place before we got there, so it was one of those go with the flow kind of trips. Along the way, we learned a lot about what to do and what not to do when planning a trip to Great Wolf Lodge, so here’s a few tips for your next trip.
When to Go
Great Wolf Lodge can really packed – especially during the summer, winter and spring breaks. But towards the end of the summer, there is usually a Great Wolf Lodge Deal on Groupon. With this deal, it will save you about 60% off the price your would pay at full retail. It’s a pretty significant discount, so make sure to look out for it! When you buy the Groupon though, you’ll have to specify the dates you want to visit, so make sure to have those dates ready when you purchase your Groupon.
The end of summer was a great time for us to go. It wasn’t packed and we had limited wait times. Most of the activities are indoors, but there is a large pool and outdoor activities as well. If you want to take advantage of the full park, going in the winter probably isn’t the best option – but it may be less packed than the beginning of summer, so I guess it’s a trade off.
What age is it for?
Literally, there is something for every age. My 87 year old grandfather went with us, as well as my 2 and 5 year old children. Even if someone in your group can’t swim, there are safe activities for them at this park.
My 2 year old loved the toddler swimming area. There was water spouts, things to ride, tiny slides, and everything you could think of – and it was all made just for her size.
The adults loved the water slides! The lines weren’t bad at all and there were something like 8 different water slides to ride on and we went on almost every single one of them – my 5 year old was also tall enough to ride most of them as well and he loved it! They have double tubes too, so if you want to ride together with someone, you have that option on a few of the rides as well.
What to Pack
I recommend bringing a couple swimsuits. You’ll want to swim multiple days in a row and who wants to put on a cold, wet swimsuit? The park provides life jackets for weak swimmers and little ones, but if you have one that you love and that your child is used to, bring that one! The life jackets at the park are first come first serve, so if you’re going during a heavy traffic time, you don’t want to be caught without one.
What to Do Once You’re There
There’s tons do there! The best part by far is the water park. The “shows” are pretty lame, honestly. My two year old was even bored at story time – that’s pretty sad. They also have an arcade, interactive magician thing, Build a Bear type store, and candy shop. All of which you have to walk past in order to get from your room to the water park. Needless to say, there was a lot of “no, we’re not doing that” and “no right now” happening every time we went from one place to another. But I get it, it’s a business, but I’m not wasting my money on that stuff.
You’ll also have a wristband that is your room key, form of payment at restaurants and gift shops, and gets you into the water park. Hooray for not having to carry around a purse! (There’s a safe in the room for you to lock up valuables as well).
Where To Eat
There are restaurants at the park, but it was way too expensive for us. An $18 breakfast buffet is too much for me – let alone my 5 year old! So, we opted for places nearby. Great Wolf Lodge parks are located near populated towns, so we had casual dining restaurants sometimes and others we had fast food. We did actually eat in the water park area one day for lunch and it was about $6 per person – so that’s not bad at all.
How to Save Money While You’re There
Tip #1 – Book a one night stay. You can get in the park at 1pm (before you actually can get into your room), so if you come in with your swimsuit under your clothes, you can get to playing straight away! Then, after check out the next day, you can stay the whole day – just make sure to get to the water park early and stake out a table to leave your things at. You can rent a cabana for the day, but honestly, it’s not needed as long as you get a table.
Happy Traveling!
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