For a wholesome fun family adventure get away, there is no place I love more than the Great Wolf Lodge! It is so very magical, wonderful and relaxing. I took my family there on February 28th and we stayed one night, which was perfect. We went to the Grand Mound, Washington location which is the closest to my home, only a two-hour drive. I took my teenage daughters (ages 15 and 17) My daughter’s sweet boyfriend (who is 17) and my little boy, Braxton who is 6.
We arrived at noon, and got to immediately check into our room. Normally, check-in time is 4:00pm, but since it was Thursday it was not at all crowded with no lines. Our room was the Grand Bear Suite and it had a patio/balcony. The room was so spacious! It slept eight people, although we only had five. There were two queen beds and a pull-out bed in the main living room/kitchen area and a private bedroom with a king sized bed and its own bathroom. So we had two bathrooms. It was awesome!
Braxton is ready to go swimming!
My kids and I immediately got changed into our bathing suits to go and play. My older kids went their separate ways and Braxton and I enjoyed the wave pool and the slides. Last time we went to Great Wolf, Braxton was three years old and didn’t reach the height requirements to go on the inner tube rides, but now he is six years old and tall enough to enjoy the rides he was ‘too little for’ before. He rode with me and we had a blast going down the winding water slides together. Such a precious bonding time for mommy and son.
Look at those waves!
Down the tubes we go!
There is an amazing indoor/outdoor hot tub which feels so wonderful. It was a bit cold and gray outside, but being in the hot tub felt great! That is often where I found my older kids, relaxing and splashing around. Braxton wanted to swim in there.
What impressed me the most about Great Wolf Lodge is that it is so nice, warm and immaculate in the water park. The water is so clean. I didn’t feel grossed out at all walking around bare foot. There are lifeguards everywhere, and they are very nice. They do not yell or treat anyone disrespectfully. The staff is very friendly and there is so much to do to keep everyone in your group happy and entertained.
After we spent a couple of hours swimming, Braxton was hungry. I got him a hot dog at a concession stand in the park. It is nice because you can have your food charged to your account with a swipe of your ride bracelet. It is also a good idea to bring a cooler full of food from home.. Swimming makes you very hungry, so make sure you are well stocked with snacks such as nuts, fruits and veggies and sandwich fixings that you can make in your hotel room. Braxton got dressed and wanted to take a break from the water activities and explore the other fun opportunities in the hotel, so we spent a couple of hours in the arcade. Lots of fun! You can win tickets and exchange them for prizes.
Another fun activity to keep your munchkin busy is a game called “Magic Quest.” There are magical wands you can purchase for your kids called where your child can complete missions by finding all of the magical clues throughout the hotel that are activated and interact with your child when the child points his wand at them.
“With a magic wand in-hand, you’ll explore an enchanted kingdom and join in the ultimate adventure as you enchant objects, befriend a pixie, learn from an ancient wizard, battle a goblin and outwit a dragon. We guarantee this live-action adventure game is unlike any other you’ve ever played. You’re sure to become legendary when the getaway you planned becomes epic.”
Braxton did not actually go on a ‘quest’ but he had fun pointing his wand at the characters to see what they would do. That was until his wand got stolen when he accidentally set it down and turned away for five minutes. That was a bummer. We went into the Magic Quest store to report it missing, but I haven’t heard anything yet. Oh well. At least it is wired with Braxton’s name and information so if anyone does find it and turn it in, they will know who it belongs to.
At 8:00 pm they have Nightly Story Time, which is a great way to end of your day of play at Great Wolf Lodge. The kiddos get to wear their pajamas and enjoy favorite bedtime stories by the fireplace in the Grand Lobby, and get your picture taken with one of the characters. Of course I forgot to bring my camera at that time. Shame on me.
The water park itself closes at 9 pm, but my little one was so tuckered that he did not mind going to bed. He and I snuggled up in the king-sized bed and drifted off into a peaceful slumber. The older kids stayed up a bit later and watched a movie.
The next morning, my older kids had a delicious breakfast at The Loose Moose Cottage. It was an all you can eat buffet, and they had their own money so I let them treat themselves. Braxton and I ate the granola bars I had brought. Besides, we didn’t want to waste time eating when all Braxton could think about was getting back in that water! The water park opened at 9 am, and back to the slides we went. My boy and I played in the water until 11 am. (Our check out time was noon.)
Even after check-out, you are allowed to use the water park that day until 9 pm. You can easily put your belongings into a locker or into your car and just swim all day long. We didn’t do that, although my little one probably would have loved to, but maybe next time. Braxton and I bought ourselves some yummy fudge from the Bear Paw Sweets & Eats counter to take with us. We browsed around the gift shop and then left. There is no need to check out of the hotel because it is done automatically. We had such a fun time! I cannot wait to go back again.
We love great Wolf Lodge!
To book your visit at Great Wolf Lodge visit: https://www.greatwolf.com
Disclaimer: I received a media rate to stay at The Great Wolf Lodge. All opinions are my own.