Food tips

Great Wolf Lodge Prices Vary

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

Check for Deals at Great Wolf Lodge

Great Wolf Lodge often has deals. If you are still planning your trip, CLICK HERE for the best-discounted rates!

Top Great Wolf Lodge Packing Tips: Pack your swimming bag separate from your suitcase.

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.

Stay in the Water Park for Dinner

Dinnertime and later seems to be when the waterpark is the least busy. With parents who have had their children there since 9am, many have packed up so consider a pizza at the Hungry as a Wolf Pizza shop. Starting at just $14.99 for a large pizza, it is a great way to have a snack at the Waterpark and continue to enjoy the less busy part of the day.

Choose your Vantage Point

Depending on the age of your children, it may also depend on where you choose to sit or set up your home base.  I am a bit of a helicopter Mom, and I like my 5-year-old to be able to see me and be easy to find, not that I let wander too far. We spent 98% of our time in the little people area. With 3 kids 5 and under, this was the perfect little spot for us.  If you are arriving at night, pop into the area, and figure out where is best.

Bring your own Towel or Two

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!

Check the GUIDE for FREE activities

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!

MagiQuest is BUSY in the EVENINGS

As you would imagine, after swimming all day and having dinner, most of the kids in the resort are now out of the water park and in the hotel. We found them mostly between the arcade and the MagiQuest game. Expect to line up to check your missions or to defect your foes. if you do your MagiQuest activities in the mornings, they are much less busy.

Important Great Wolf Lodge Tip DO NOT TRY AND DO EVERYTHING!

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!

Pack your SHARPIE!

On my list of what to pack for Great Wolf Lodge, I have a sharpie. I always do”¦the kids have all sorts of goodies from wands, to arcade cards. Know who is whose and avoid the argument. Bring your sharpie. Trust me on this.  I wrote our kids room number on their waterpark wristband, so we could easily be located if our child could not find us for some reason.