From Wolf Howls to Water Slides: Is Great Wolf Lodge Worth It?

This post is sponsored by Great Wolf Lodge.



There’s no shortage of fun family activities at Great Wolf Lodge, North America’s largest chain of indoor water parks. The resorts offer thrilling water slides, wave pools, lazy rivers, interactive play areas, themed hotel rooms, dining options, arcades, character meet-and-greets and storytime sessions. Some Great Wolf Lodge resorts even offer adventure activities – ropes courses and climbing walls – and mini golf.



These resorts are much more than hotels. They are full-fledged theme parks – and can be priced as such.



A tremendous amount of fun is included in the hotel rate. But that rate can fluctuate wildly. A recent search of the Colorado Springs Great Wolf Lodge turned up rates as low as $99.99 per night on a Monday in January for a standard room and rates as high as $849.99 for a themed suite on New Year’s Eve.



Certainly, when you stay, which resort you choose and which activities and meals you add on will affect your final cost. And there are ways to save on the add-ons, such as buying a dining package or bundling extras with a Wolf, Pup or Paw pass to amplify the fun for less.



So, the burning question: Is Great Wolf Lodge worth it?



A giant water slide at the Great Wolf Lodge of Colorado Springs. Photo credit: Liana Moore


What Will You Get for Your Money?


Every Great Wolf Lodge is unique. Not all include every activity and feature. For example, when my family visited the resort closest to my home, Great Wolf Lodge of Colorado Springs , we found that it does not have a lazy river or an adults-only hot tub, but it still has an extensive list of fun indoor activities.



And every Great Wolf Lodge adventure includes the one feature that makes it a great deal: two days of waterpark fun for the price of one night in the hotel.



How does that work? Well, check-in isn’t until 4 pm. But Great Wolf Lodge fans know that the secret is to arrive much earlier – as soon as the water park opens for the day. That’s because you can dive into the water park as soon as you arrive even though you might not be able to check in to your room until the late afternoon.



The same thing happens the next day. You might have to check out of your room in the morning, but you can slide, splash and play until the waterpark closes that night.



Two days in the waterpark for everyone in the family for the price of one night in a hotel? That definitely is worth the money.


Great Wolf Lodge Rooms & Themed Suites


All of the rooms at Great Wolf Lodge resorts are designed for families. That means even the standard suite sleeps at least four, with two queen beds and a sleeper sofa.



But if you want to step up your room choice, spring for a suite upgrade:



Themed suites:  The themed rooms, such as the Wolf Den Suite, have bunk beds for the kids and a queen bed for the adults. There’s also a full-sized sofa bed so the room can sleep up to six. But you may have to stay two nights so all of the kids get a turn sleeping in the bunk beds!



Premium suites:  These larger suites can accommodate larger families. For example, the Deluxe KidCabin Suite can sleep up to 13. These suites have a private bedroom with two queen beds and a full-size sofa sleeper, a queen bed and full-size sleeper sofa in the main living area and – the coolest feature for kids – an in-suite log cabin with bunk beds and a daybed.



SheBuysTravel Tip:  Sign up for the email list at GreatWolfLodge.com  to receive special offers.


What is Included with Your Lodging?


While there are plenty of entertainment options that cost extra, there is also a lot that’s included in the room rate.



Each resort will have a lineup of fun activities scheduled throughout the day. Expect to find options such as kids’ yoga, arts and crafts, storytime and a dance party.



There are also seasonal celebrations. The seasonal celebrations offer many activities that are included in the rate of your lodging, while there is an additional cost for some of the special activities, such as reserving your own personal snow globe.




Snowland , running from the end of November through the beginning of January offers visits with Santa and winter-themed games and activities. For an extra special holiday experience (and upcharge) reserve a life-sized snow globe for your family. It comes stocked with a hot cocoa bar, cookie decorating kit and a light show choreographed to holiday music.



Spring BreakOut  runs from the beginning of March to the end of April. The lodge transforms to a spring theme complete with Sunshine Celebration Dance Parties and spring games.





Summer Camp-In  is a summer event when the lodge is transformed into a summer camp, complete with campfires, s’mores and sing-alongs.



Howl-O-Ween  is a month-long Halloween celebration that includes a monster bash dance, Halloween crafts, games, costume contest and trick-or-treating throughout October.




SheBuysTravel Tip:  Be sure to check out our list of the best things to do at G reat Wolf Lodge for every age group .



he Wolf Pass at Great Wolf Lodge includes the ability to experience pretty much every activity in the Adventure Park, and even a scoop of ice cream and cup of candy too. Photo credit: Liana Moore


Add on a Pass or Package


While the waterpark is included with your room reservation, there are many other fun activities available for an additional fee. The best deal is to buy a pass or package for the activities you think your family would enjoy.



Here we walk through some of the available options, using my Colorado Springs resort prices in January 2024 to give you an idea of the fee for each:


Adventure Pass Family Package


This activities pass includes:




Unlimited bowling



Unlimited mini golf



Unlimited ropes courses



Unlimited climbing




Cost: starts at $129/per day and covers the whole family.



Or, if you’re staying for more than one night, choose a package that includes a $100 dining credit and unlimited bowling, mini golf, rope course and climbing for the full stay for $250.



Is it worth it?  Definitely if your kids love adventure and will want to spend time on dry land in addition to time in the waterpark. You would spend much more buying the activities individually.


Wolf Pass


This activity pass includes:




MagiQuest game with a choice between a Vellara wand, standard topper, or Magi belt



Small Great Wolf Lodge Candy Shop candy cup



Single scoop of ice cream



1 game of bowling at Ten Paw Alley



1 round of Howl in One Mini Golf



Paw Points game card for Northern Lights Arcade ($5)



Admission to Howlers Peak Ropes Course



Double climb admission at Rustic Ridge Climbing Wall



A pair of Great Wolf swim goggles




Cost: starts at $89.99/per person.



Is it worth it? Yes, especially if you’re visiting with teens and tweens or planning to stay more than one night.



A cup of candy from Great Wolf Candy Company is included with the Paw Pass. Photo credit: Liana Moore


Paw Pass


This activity pass includes:




MagiQuest game with a choice between a Vellara wand, standard topper, or Magi belt



Small Great Wolf Lodge Candy Shop candy cup



Single scoop of ice cream



1 game of bowling at Ten Paw Alley



1 round of Howl in One Mini Golf



Paw Points game card for Northern Lights Arcade ($5)



An immersive experience at Oliver’s Mining Co.




Cost: starts at $69.99/per person.



Is it worth it?  Yes, especially if you’re visiting with teens and tweens but staying just one night. It will give you plenty of entertainment after the waterpark closes for the day.


Pup Pass


This activity pass includes:




Build-A-Bear animal (outfit not included)



Small Great Wolf Lodge Candy Shop candy cup



Single scoop of ice cream



1 game of bowling at Ten Paw Alley



1 round of Howl in One Mini Golf



Paw Points game card for Northern Lights Arcade ($5)




Cost: starts at $49.99/per person.



Is it worth it?  Yes, especially if you are visiting with preschool and younger elementary-aged kiddos. They WILL want to visit Build-A-Bear!



MagiQuest is another great activity to keep the kids entertained before or after other activities are open. Photo credit: Liana Moore


MagiQuest Game


This game is a fun challenge for older elementary age kids, tweens, teens and all Harry Potter fans. It takes you throughout the lodge where you can join forces with the Guardians to safeguard the Realm Portals, forge bonds with Treetop Pixies, confront the malevolent dragon Charlock, reclaim pilfered jewels from the Goblin King, and strive to attain the esteemed rank of Master Magi.



Treasure chests along the route reveal their secrets and crystals radiate a brilliant glow at the touch of the magic wand.



Different lodges have different versions of the game, so you could visit more than one to have a totally different MagiQuest experience.



Cost: starts at $16.99 for the game. But playing the game requires a wand. The bundled wand and game cost starts at $34.99.



Is it worth it?  Yes, especially if your kids are Harry Potter fans. And the good news is that once you buy the wand, the kids can use it again and again, so playing MagiQuest on your next visit to Great Wolf Lodge will cost much less.



She Buys Travel Tip: The genius of the MagiQuest  game is that it can be played upon demand and takes kids throughout the property. No lines to wait in and can be done while drying out from the fun water activities, or even during a meal.



Loose Moose is popular for breakfast. Photo credit: Liana Moore


Dining Deals


Great Wolf Lodge offers plenty of dining variety. You can get a meal for the family including pizza, wings, pasta and soda for around $40. Or, you can enjoy a leisurely meal at Barnwood, where entrees range from $8.50 to $15, with a kids menu that offers lots of meal options for $8.99, and craft cocktails for the adults.



If you plan to eat onsite, definitely consider one of the dining deals. Book before you arrive and get the $150 worth of dining credits for $120, $100 worth of dining credits for $85 or $50 worth of dining credits for $45.



Plus, the meal portions tend to be large and all rooms have a mini fridge, so it’s easy to take the leftovers back to your room for a snack later on.



Is it worth it? Definitely. Who doesn’t want to spend $120 to get $150 worth of food?!?!



Fort Mackenzie is a great place to start the day with some starter water slides before hitting the big thrill rides. Photo credit: Liana Moore


Bottom Line: Is Great Wolf Lodge Worth It?


Theme parks in general are not a cheap family getaway. However, we’ve found that a Great Wolf Lodge visit can be a reasonably affordable family getaway, especially when we can be flexible on the dates we visit and we pay for one night in the hotel to get two full days of waterpark fun.



Our kids have never had a moment of boredom during a GWL trip. We’ve always found it well worth the cost for the amount of entertainment for basically the price of a hotel room, plus a pass or two added on.



Even better, the weather inside a Great Wolf Lodge waterpark is always a delightful 84 degrees Fahrenheit. That means you can get the feeling of a tropical family getaway without the plane tickets and passports that would require.



And, despite its theme park style, we have never had to waste time waiting in theme park-like long lines. While there can be some water slide lines during peak waterpark hours on a weekend visit, we have always managed those by arriving the moment the waterpark opens, then spending the middle of the day bowling, golfing or waving our MagiQuest wands, then returning to the waterpark around dinnertime.



Even better, unlike Orlando theme parks, you don’t have to figure out how to get to the fun. At a Great Wolf Lodge, it’s just a short walk down the hotel hallway!



SheBuysTravel Tip:  While Great Wolf Lodge is certainly a great place for a family vacation, every time we’ve visited, we’ve said it would have been even more fun if we had brought friends with us. Plan your visit with a family of friends of similar ages for an extra dose of fun! The post From Wolf Howls to Water Slides: Is Great Wolf Lodge Worth It? appeared first on She Buys Travel .