What Is Great Wolf Lodge and Why Do Families Visit?
Great Wolf Lodge is an indoor water park resort where water park access is included with your hotel stay. Families visit because it combines lodging, dining, and activities all in one location. There are locations all over the United States making it perfect for short trips from popular destinations like New York City, Dallas, Phoenix, Atlanta and Los Angeles.
Great Wolf Lodge is a family resort known for its indoor waterparks and kid-friendly activities great for all ages of children. Many parents consider it one of the best resort options for toddlers because it offers shallow splash zones, toddler slides, and family suites designed for young children. Moms and Dads love Great Wolf Lodge for tweens and teens because of the big water slides and exciting arcade games.
The key to getting the most out of your Great Wolf Lodge stay is to take advantage of the hours everything is open. The good news is most of the activities are open for long hours every day. One thing that really stood out to me was how well organized everything was. There was always something happening, but it never felt chaotic or overwhelming. Because so many activities are built right into the resort, we didn’t have to stress about planning our days, making reservations, or figuring out transportation. We could just focus on having fun together.
What Is the Best Age for Great Wolf Lodge?
I had always wanted to visit, but after my esthetician told me that her family goes every year and she has kids about the same ages of my kids, I knew we needed to make a Great Wolf Lodge visit happen! We planned a trip to the Great Wolf Lodge in Scottsdale, AZ with my parents, siblings, and their kids. We had 8 adults and 7 kids with us, so getting the most out of our stay at Great Wolf Lodge was really important to us. Still to this day, when we ask our kids about favorite vacations they have been on, Great Wolf Lodge is always ranked very highly, so I think that means that we were successful in getting the most out of our stay!
Is Great Wolf Lodge Worth the Money?
We had done some research and knew that the best way to really make the most of our stay was to get passes for our kids. We had an 11-year-old, a 6-year-old, and an almost 2-year-old with us. There are three options for passes:
- Wolf Pass: We decided on the Wolf Pass for the 11-year-old so she could participate in the MagiQuest game, get a wand to play with, and be able to participate in the arcade, bowling, ropes course, climbing wall, mini golf, and get candy and ice cream during our stay.
- Paw Pass: The Paw Pass is what we chose for our 6-year-old. She could participate in MagiQuest and arcade, while also getting her candy and ice cream. She didn’t have any interest in the more athletic activities.
- Pup Pass: Our 2-year-old got the Pup Pass. It included a Build-A Bear, which felt like was worth the cost alone! He also was able to play in the arcade and get candy and ice cream.
Most of the activities are available for long hours each day. Many are available until 9pm, or even later. So we knew that we would be able to squeeze in all of the activities and use up their full passes. This was by far the best value to do it this way, rather than pay for each activity individually. The room we stayed in was spacious, clean, and comfortable. The beds were especially comfortable after long days of activities, that made it easy for everyone to recharge. With our large group, we really appreciated how well designed the room was, giving everyone space to spread out and relax between activities without feeling crowded.
Another option families may want to consider is the Ultimate Food & Fun Pass, which bundles dining credits, refillable drinks, and unlimited access to several attractions, for everyone in your group! This can be a great way to simplify spending and make the experience feel more all-inclusive instead of paying for things individually.
What is Great Wolf Lodge MagiQuest?
MagiQuest is an interactive game that is spread out throughout Great Wolf Lodge.
You use a special wand to use for the quest and you go around to various locations in Great Wolf Lodge with your wand to participate in the storyline. The activities were on screens and well as built in magical decorative pieces. You can open treasure chests, battle a dragon, and find jewels. It is unlike anything I have ever seen at any other resort.
I will say that the MagiQuest was something that I kind of went into with low expectations and it ended up being a major highlight of our stay. It ended up being a perfect activity for one of the adults to do with the older kids, while our toddler took naps. It was open every day from about 8am-11pm. So it was a great activity to have when we had any awkward pockets of time between various naps of our toddler, and my nieces and nephew. My 11-year-old especially loved it! She completed the quest she was on, and what is really awesome is that they have multiple quests you can complete. So when we go back to Great Wolf Lodge, she can still participate in MagiQuest. There is something called Mini Magi Mode that is designed for kids 5 and under.
Great Wolf Lodge Waterpark
The crown jewel of Great Wolf Lodge is the waterpark! It is included with every Great Wolf Lodge stay, so you don’t need to worry about paying for anything extra to be able to enjoy that space. We took advantage of the water fun as much as we could. The waterpark was very clean and there were lounge chairs available to have our own spots to come back to as we would do different water activities. We also noticed lifeguards stationed throughout the waterpark, which gave us peace of mind while the kids played. Everything felt very well maintained and monitored, which made it easier for us as parents to relax and enjoy the experience too. Because it was open for long hours each day, it was nice to be able to do some of the dry activities, go to our hotel room and change into swimming gear, and go swimming. Then repeat!
You can come and go from the waterpark as much as you would like. This was really convenient to work with our toddler’s nap schedule. It allowed one parent to go up to our room for naptime and the other parent to continue swimming with the older kids. Sometimes the kids just wanted to go do some of the dry activities for a while and then come back to the waterpark. That is the beauty of them being in the same building and having the ability to come and go from the waterpark, without having to reapply sunscreen. Another bonus of having an indoor water park!
I also loved that we didn’t have to worry about complicated ride reservations or constantly checking wait times like you would at a major theme park. We could just decide what we wanted to do next and go do it. It made the experience feel much more relaxed and enjoyable for both parents and kids.
Free Activities at Great Wolf Lodge
While there are the paid activities that we did with the passes, there are plenty of free activities that we also enjoyed. These were especially nice for our toddler to participate in. They included:
- Yoga
- Crafts
- Family dance party
- Story time
- Meet the mascot
Many of the activities were very interactive and designed to get the whole family involved, which made them feel more memorable than typical hotel entertainment.
Our toddler’s favorite activity was the family dance party. I wasn’t sure how many people would be participating but I was pleasantly surprised with the turnout. We had a really great time! The free activities were nice to do, knowing that if our 2-year-old wasn’t going to cooperate, it wasn’t the end of the world.
What Food Options are Available at Great Wolf Lodge?
Great Wolf Lodge has several food options on site, which made it easy to please everyone in our family. While we stayed at Great Wolf Lodge, we decided to stay put and just focus on taking advantage of the activities and food options that were there. Some options we tried and enjoyed were:
- Buckets Burgers & Bites (found at the water park): We really enjoyed the fries and chicken strips. We were able to split two meals between our family.
- Campfire Kitchen: This had a great breakfast buffet! We enjoyed it so much that some days, we found that we would have a really small lunch because we had eaten so much at breakfast. This ended up being a great deal because we basically got two meals in one.
- Timbers Tacos: The tacos and nachos were delicious! We loved sharing the Carne Fries and Chicken Nachos as well. They were perfect to share for lunch, after eating such a large breakfast.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the variety of food options available. Beyond typical kid favorites, there were also fresh and healthier choices available, which helped balance out all the vacation treats. For parents, there are also craft cocktails and specialty drinks available, which can be a nice way to relax at the end of a busy day.
Having everything right inside the resort made meals so much easier. We didn’t have to leave the property, wait for reservations, or coordinate driving somewhere else. It really helped make the trip feel simple and stress-free.
One of the best deals there was to buy the refillable cups. We got two of them for our family of 5 and just shared the soda. We also made sure to stop at a grocery store before checking in so that we could have snacks back in our hotel room. It was a simple elevator ride to get to our room and have snacks between meals, so we weren’t spending as much money on food. Of course, you can do it the way that works for your family, but this worked out nicely for ours.
Is Great Wolf Lodge Worth the Price?
One last tip that we found super helpful was the fact that you can continue using your passes and the waterpark after you have checked out of your hotel room. While check-out is 11am, we simply just put our luggage in the car and were able to continue playing at Great Wolf Lodge for the rest of that day. We were also able to start playing as soon as we got there even before check-in time. I appreciated getting that extra time to play and learned that you can get to Great Wolf Lodge as soon as the activities open and can use them the day you check in, until your room is ready. No need to wait for check-in time to start having fun! We stayed there for two nights, which felt like just the right amount of time for us. Even a one-night stay would provide you with two days of fun. It would depend on the ages of kids that you are traveling with. Everything moves a little slower when you are traveling with a toddler and with a larger group that includes more toddlers!
Great Wolf Lodge for Various Ages
Overall, our stay was a very positive one! Between the clean and comfortable rooms, well-organized entertainment, delicious food options, and the convenience of having everything under one roof, it felt like a truly easy family vacation. There was very little stress involved, which as a parent with kids of various ages, is something I really value. They were so entertained that they have talked about it ever since and are dying to stay there again. Perhaps we need to check out a different Great Wolf Lodge location next time and see how it compares! It would be a perfect Spring Break, weekend, summer, or Fall break getaway!
Need more family vacation ideas? Be sure to check out my other guides for travel! Travel Tips and Ideas
FAQs for Great Wolf Lodge Arizona
Can toddlers go on slides at Great Wolf Lodge?
Yes. Toddlers can go on several smaller slides located in toddler areas of the waterpark. These slides are designed specifically for younger children with shallow water and gentle slopes.
Larger thrill slides usually have height requirements, but toddler splash areas provide plenty of water play options.
What is MagiQuest at Great Wolf Lodge?
MagiQuest is an interactive adventure game located throughout the resort. Kids use a special wand to complete quests, unlock treasure chests, and battle dragons while following a storyline. Some locations even offer Mini Magi Mode, which is designed for younger children under five.
Is Great Wolf Lodge worth the money for families?
Many families feel Great Wolf Lodge is worth the cost because the stay includes access to the indoor waterpark plus many activities throughout the day. Families can also purchase activity passes such as the Wolf Pass, Paw Pass, or Pup Pass, which bundle multiple attractions and can be more affordable than paying for each activity individually.
What food options are available at Great Wolf Lodge?
Great Wolf Lodge offers several dining options inside the resort. Families can typically choose from quick-service restaurants, snack stands inside the waterpark, and larger dining locations like breakfast buffets. Many families also bring snacks to keep in their room for between meals.
Can you use the waterpark before check-in or after checkout?
Yes. One of the best perks of staying at Great Wolf Lodge is that guests can usually use the waterpark on both check-in and check-out days. Many families arrive early on check-in day to start swimming and continue using the waterpark after checking out of their room.
How long should you stay at Great Wolf Lodge?
For many families, one or two nights is the perfect length of stay. Because waterpark access is included on both arrival and departure days, even a one-night stay can give families two full days of waterpark fun. However, two nights allows for a more relaxed schedule.
Why do families from Arizona like visiting Great Wolf Lodge?
For families living in Phoenix, Scottsdale, and the surrounding Arizona area, Great Wolf Lodge offers a unique vacation experience. Because the waterpark is indoors and climate controlled, families can enjoy water activities without worrying about extreme summer heat. The resort’s all-in-one layout also makes it a convenient option for multi-generational family trips like ours.
Is Great Wolf Lodge a good vacation for large families?
Yes. Many families visit Great Wolf Lodge with extended family members because the resort offers activities for multiple age groups. Toddlers can enjoy splash zones and dance parties, while older kids and teens can play MagiQuest, arcade games, ropes courses, and water slides.
Is Great Wolf Lodge Stroller Friendly?
Yes. Great Wolf Lodge resorts are stroller friendly, especially in hallways, lobbies, and main walkways. Many parents bring a stroller because the resort is larger than it appears and toddlers can get tired after a long day of swimming.