We took a family road trip to Great Wolf Lodge located in the Pocono mountains. Great Wolf Lodge is a unique resort destination that is fun, adventurous, and magical for children of all ages. We visited the one in Pennsayvina. However, there are resorts across the country.
Great Wolf Lodge is an indoor waterpark and family resort.
Beyond the water park, the fun continues throughout the resort with a wide range of activities and amenities. From the free activities onsite to the glow-in-the-dark mini-golf course, bowling, mining, and an exciting ropes course to a captivating arcade and an immersive MagiQuest game, the lodge ensures that the entertainment never stops.
Parents will also appreciate the resort’s dedication to creating a family-friendly environment. Comfortable suites, rooms and cozy cabins offer plenty of space for relaxation, and a variety of dining options cater to every taste.
My children had such an amazing time. As soon as we left Great Wolf Lodge, they were asking to return.
Roadtrip to Great Wolf Lodge
We live on Long Island, and nothing beats Long Island beaches during the summer. After taking some day trips to Fire Island and heading to the Hamptons beaches, I decided a mini get-a-way would be nice, especially after the shark sighting on our last beach trip.
After doing some research, Great Wolf Lodge looked like a fun family getaway perfect for my children, ages 9 and 5.
Only being about 2 hr and 35 mins away, I thought it was a great weekend family road trip, so I booked the room. It cost $378 for the double queen bedroom with a balcony, and we were on our way.
After fighting New York traffic, we reached Great Wolf Lodge in under 3 hours.
Great Wolf Lodge App
If you are taking a trip to Great Wolf Lodge, I highly recommend downloading the app. You can see all the daily activities on the app, order food from the restaurants and see what’s going on at the resort.
The app will also countdown the days until you arrive. The app was very useful for us during our trip.
Arrival at Great Wolf Lodge
We arrived at Great Wolf Lodge at around 12 PM. As you step inside, you are greeted by a warm, inviting atmosphere reminiscent of a rustic yet modern mountain lodge.
The lodge’s cozy interior features woodsy accents, a towering stone fireplace, and whimsical décor that instantly transports you to a world of wonder. It really looked like an adorable mountain lodge.
Check-in time was 4 PM, but you can use the amenities before check-in time. I knew we would arrive before check-in; we came prepared with a separate bag filled with swimsuits so we could use the water park when we arrived.
When we arrived at Great Wolf Lodge, to my surprise, our room was ready, and we were allowed to go up.
Cash Free
it’s important to note that you cannot use cash while at Great Wolf Lodge.
When you check-in, each family member is given a bracelet that is hooked up to your room and a credit card. You can use your bracelet to pay for things at the lodge. I loved this feature because I didn’t have to carry my wallet around while enjoying the water activities.
They do give you the option to have the children’s bracelets linked up so they can use it to pay, but do not have to.
Our Room at Great Wolf Lodge
As you step into the room at Great Wolf Lodge, you are instantly greeted by a sense of warmth and comfort. The room was much nicer than I thought it would be.
The rustic, woodsy theme of the resort continues into the room, with wooden accents and earthy tones adorning the décor. Our room had high ceilings and soft lighting, which I really enjoyed.
I also noticed that the room was extremely clean. Clean rooms are extremely important to me; I guess you can say I’m a clean-room snob. I inspected every hotel room I entered, and this one passed the test; not a speck of dust anywhere, no mold, bathroom was immaculate.
We had extra towels, which is hard to come by these days. Was the room fancy? No, but it was nice, updated, and clean.
The two queen beds were very comfortable, pillows were nice, bed linens were soft. I checked all around no sign of bedbugs.
The room had large mirrors, a refrigerator, separate seating area with a table and chairs. The balcony also had a small coffee table and chairs.
Great Wolf Lodge does offer theme rooms with a den for children and bunk beds. These rooms are a little more costly than the room I had. I think I will sperge on the room with the bunk beds as I think it will be fun for the kids.
I give the accommodations and A+
Indoor Water Park at Great Wolf Lodge
Great Wolf Lodge’s indoor water park is one of the main attractions that sets it apart as a family-friendly resort destination.
Since the waterpark is completely indoors, families can enjoy it all year round, no matter what the weather is.
The indoor waterpark has something for everyone. The water park usually features water attractions suitable for guests of all ages. These attractions included water slides, wave pools, lazy rivers, and interactive play areas.
They have small water slides for young children but also thrilling slides for older children and those seeking a rush of adrenaline.
My children really enjoyed the lilypad jump area and the basketball hoops located in the pools.
The park had ample seating areas and lockers to store your belongings. I felt safe leaving my bag at my chair, and I carried my phone in the water pouch.
There were different dining options at the waterpark. We did get lunch at Buckets. My children ordered the chicken tenders meal, I ordered the vegetables. Everything was Ok, just as expected at a waterpark.
Great Wolf Lodge offers lifejackets for all ages; they are free when you walk into the park. Towels are also provided at no charge.
In my opinion, the waterpark was well maintained. The seating area was very clean. The water was also very clean.
Dining Options at Great Wolf Lodge
While the thrilling adventures are enough to work up an appetite, guests can rest assured knowing that the lodge offers a wide array of dining options to satisfy everyone’s appetite.
We were participating in many activities while at Great Wolf Lodge, and we opted to order food from the app so we could pick up and get right back to the fun.
Hungry as a Wolf: Pizza: You can order slices or a pie. We ordered a pie for dinner. It was Ok, like any other theme park pizza.
Fireside Restaurant: Sit-down restaurant and bar that is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We ordered food to take out for breakfast while we were there.
Buckets: located in the waterpark. They have burgers and fries and some healthy options as well.
Outpost: Located in the waterpark, it offers tacos, sandwiches, and salads
Freshwoods Market: Grab-and-go food and snacks
Dunkin Donuts: Coffee, donuts, breakfast sandwiches
Wood’s End Creamery: Ice Cream shop. My children enjoyed the ice cream.
The Loose Moose. This restaurant was under construction during our trip. We hope to check it out next time on our trip.
The food was Ok, but nothing special.
Free Family Activities
Great Wolf Lodge offers a bunch of free family activities that promise to delight kids and adults alike. I highly recommend participating in all of them!
Here are some of the fantastic free family activities you can enjoy at Great Wolf Lodge:
Character Appearances: Throughout the day, beloved Great Wolf Lodge characters make surprise appearances in the main lobby and other locations around the resort. Get ready for hugs, high-fives, and fantastic photo opportunities with Wiley the Wolf and friends.
Story Time: Gather around the Grand Lobby as the enchanting ambiance sets the stage for daily story time. Kids can participate in this interactive storytime or sit back, listening to tales of adventure and wonder.
Yoga Tails: Participate in this fun and interactive yoga session designed for children and families. Led by the resort’s Ambassadors of Fun, these yoga sessions incorporate animal-themed poses and encourage mindfulness in a playful manner.
Craft Activities: Great Wolf Lodge often hosts free craft activities in designated areas, allowing kids to unleash their creativity and take home souvenirs they proudly made themselves.
On our trip, my children got to decorate wolf ears. They were adorable and of good quality. They wore the ears for the remainder of the trip, and we will bring them on our next trip.
Bingo: Take a break from the indoor water park to play a game of bingo in the Grand Lobby. Everyone will get a change to win. asmall token prize.
Family Dance Parties: Join in the lively family dance parties held at various times during the day. Dance to catchy tunes and bond with loved ones on the dance floor. My children had a blast at the dance party, and so did I!
MagiQuest
Playing MagiQuest was my children’s favorite part of the trip. MagicQuest is an epic interactive game that combines elements of role-playing, scavenger hunting, and adventure!
Wands
You start your adventure at the MagiQuest store located on the 1st floor. Children get to pick out a wand and a fancy wand topper if they choose. The wand is included if you purchased a paw pass, but only the standard one. If you want another one, you can purchase it at an additional price. I believe is $3-$5 dollars more.
If you did not purchase a paw pass, wands start at $19.99.
The fancy wand topper is an additional fee. However, you do not need one; they give you a free topper when you purchase the wand. My daughter was ok with the regular topper; my son opted for the fancy topper that lit up. It was an additional $14.99.
Game Purchase
The game costs $16.99 and is well worth the price. It kept my children busy for hours over the course of two days. The person in the Magi Quest store told us that it would take 4-6 hours to complete the game. It took us about 8 hours over the two days.
Once you purchase the wands, you can bring them next time and just pay for the game.
Playing MagiQuest
Players complete a series of quests by following clues and interactive challenges displayed on screens or at different locations throughout the lodge.
The lodge has enchanted objects and stations where players use their wands to cast spells, find hidden treasures, and defeat mythical creatures.
Quets revolve around a central storyline involving mystical creatures, artifacts, and magical realms.
Once a series of quests are completed, players will be instructed to visit a location and defeat one of the mythical creatures; This could be a dragon, a goblin, or an evil tree.
The wands are equipped with sensors that light up and allow players to interact with the magical elements. The wands can make some things light up, talk, or move.
In the evening, many families are playing MagiQuest. Little ones will enjoy pointing their wands at objects and waiting to see what happens, and older ones will have a blast trying to complete quests. I even got into it; it was a lot of fun. You will also get your steps in the running up and down the halls and different floors of the lodge.
Tip: I definitely recommend playing MagiQuest. If you do decide to play, start it early on your trip. You will not have enough time to complete it if you wait until the last day to start the game.
Onsite Activities
Aside from the indoor waterpark, free activities and MagiQuest there are also a lot of other things to do.
The Northern Lights Arcade is so fun. They have games for young children and challenging games for older children. The arcade. isopen to 11PM each night.
Oliver’s Mining Co: At Oliver’s Mining Co families can pan and swift through the dirt to find gems and minerals. We ran out. of time and wasn’t able to try it out. It looked like a lot of fun.
Ten Paw Alley: Arcade-like bowling for families. We didn’t try bowling.
Howl at the Moon Glow Golf: We also ran out of time and didn’t try the glow golf. Did I mention that we stayed one night, and MagiQuest takes a long time? Honestly, I’m glad MagiQuest took so long, I was able to save money on not doing some of the other activities.
Build-a-Bear: Create a Great Wolf Lodge character at Build-a-Bear.
Unfortunately, during our stay, the outdoor pool and ropes course were closed for construction. We are hoping. to check them out on our next trip.
Attraction Passes
If you are spending a weekend or a couple of days at Great Wolf Lodge, you may want to purchase attraction passes to pre-pay for activities and save money.
I did not purchase attraction passes because I wasn’t sure what my children would be interested in. I’m glad I didn’t because we ran out of time and weren’t able to try everything. In my opinion, if you are going to purchase attraction passes, make sure you are spending a couple of days at Great Wolf Lodge.
Great Golf Lodge offers three types of attraction passes: Pup Pass, Paw Pass and Wolf Pass
I did not purcahse a Paw Pass as I didn’t know what my children would like. I am glad I didn’t for this trip because we only stayed one night and we wouldn’t of had enough time to do everything. Many of the children in the hotel were wearing the paw passes . If you are staying multiple days you may want to considered it.
Family Memories
Bringing children to Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos is an experience that promises endless excitement and cherished memories for the whole family.
With its wide range of family activities, from the exhilarating indoor water park and interactive MagiQuest adventures to arts and crafts, story times, and character meet and greets, the lodge caters to all ages, ensuring that every member of the family has something to enjoy.
The wholesome environment and focus on family-friendly fun make it a worry-free destination where parents can relax and indulge in quality time with their children.
Moreover, the overall value offered by Great Wolf Lodge, with amenities, free family activiites, and dining options, ensures that families can make the most of their stay without breaking the bank.
Accommodations are designed with families in mind, providing comfort and convenience for all, making Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos an exceptional choice for a memorable family getaway.
We had a fantastic time on our trip and we hope you do too!
