Food tips

If you are trying to save money on your family’s visit consider booking in shoulder season. Stay away from school holidays and try and go midweek. That will give you the best deal. Check rates here for the times you are looking to book! Here is my extensive packing list for Great Wolf Lodge with everything from clothes, food and of course bathing suits

• 2 bathing suits each (no one wants to put on a wet bathing suit)
• Bathing suit cover-up or kids hooded towels (also consider the robes I mentioned above)
• Flip flops (for walking to and from the pool)
• Goggles
• Cutting board, knife, cutlery and bowls (for food)
• Running shoes (for the ropes course close-toed shoes are required)
• Waterproof camera
• Travel coffee mug (for evening adult beverages)
• Pajamas

My top Great Wolf Lodge packing list tip is that on the day you check-in, you are able to access the facilities at 1pm. But your room may not be ready until 4pm. If your swimming bag is handy, you can change and enjoy the pool before your room is ready! On the day you leave, do the same thing. Checkout is at 11, but you can use the pool and facilities until the end of the day! They also offer an option to purchase late checkout. We use these wet bags to keep our swim stuff from getting everything else wet.

Pool towels are to remain at the pool. Our littles were chilly when they left the pool, and now I know why parents brought their own pool towels. So you can wrap up the kids, and head back to your room, warmly.  I would bring one next time for sure. Some people say not to bother, but for our family, it was nice to have one. These kids towel robes are also a great alternative to a towel. I always size up when I buy these for kids so they can get years of use out of them!

The next tip for Great Wolf Lodge is to check out the guide that is given to you at check in. With all of the excitement and commotion of arriving, it is easy to slip it into your bag and forget it. But I suggest that one of the first things you do is take a few minutes to read it! Included in your stay are your waterpark pass and various other activities that go on throughout the day. Pop online before you visit and print out the timetable of what is happening while you are there,  so you are a bit prepared. There is a lot going on from storytime, to dance parties, to kid’s yoga! When you decide what is important to you, schedule your time around these activities. The pool is going to be less busy at dinnertime and storytime and after dinner, everyone is roaring around in the hallways playing MagiQuest. If you want to get the most out of your stay, try and get into the pool for the non-peak times if you have avid swimmers!

One of my best Great Wolf Lodge Tips is to NOT DO EVERYTHING! There is a LOT to do in a Great Wolf Lodge weekend, and if it is your first trip, do not feel pressured to do EVERYTHING the resort has to offer! It is a waterpark, after all, focus on the water park on your first trip and perhaps skip the arcade, or the spa, or MagiQuest (if you can convince your kids that is!). If you are visiting during one of the seasonal festivities of Howl-O-Ween or Snowland you will have even more fun activities so keep a key eye on the calendar they give you when you check in! Related: I am sure you will be taking lots of photos, so check out these traveling with family quotes for Instagram captions!