Considering a family vacation to Great Wolf Lodge Resorts? Great Wolf Lodge is the perfect vacation for kids of all ages. Keep reading to learn how you can get the most value from your family trip to Great Wolf Lodge.

What is the best age for kids to go to an indoor water park like Great Wolf Lodge?

Great Wolf Lodge is a wonderful choice for families with kids of all ages from toddlers to teens, as the resort includes a variety of entertainment for each age group. From endless fun at the waterpark to complimentary activities and extra adventures throughout the resort each day, families get a ton of value from their stay with age-appropriate experiences for everyone.

When we first visited the Great Wolf Lodge resort in the Poconos we had a 6 year-old and two pre-teen boys (ages 8 and 10) so needed a good mix of activities to make it worthwhile and please everyone.

Below are a few questions you may have if you are considering a family trip with kids and wondering more about the best ages for Great Wolf Lodge visits.

Why Is Great Wolf Lodge great for toddlers and preschoolers?

Toddler + Preschooler Activities

Character Appearances: Little ones can enjoy special Great Wolf characters like Wiley and Violet Wolf, Sammy Squirrel and Oliver Raccoon throughout their stay — these make perfect photo ops when paired with the wolf headbands guests receive at check-in.

Story Time and Dance Parties: Characters come together for fun story adventures during the day, and then again to boogie at night.

Toddler-friendly Water Play: Zero-depth entry pools, splash pads, mini-slides and play areas specifically designed for younger children make parents feel at ease at the waterpark.

Pup Pass: With the upgrade to the Pup Pass the littlest bunch of the group enjoy Build-a-Bear perks, a game card for the arcade, ice cream and treats. You can learn more about the different pass upgrades here.

Tips for Parents of Toddlers

Plan ahead: Download the app to check out the list of daily activities that work best for your child’s schedule and decide if you want to add a Pup pass before your stay; this will help you better manage your time once there.

Pack essentials: Swim diapers, extra snacks for the room, water shoes for the water park make it less slippery

Consider your room options: Book a suite with separate sleep areas for kids to make naps and bedtime easier. As traveling with little kids requires some adjustments.

Is Great Wolf Lodge worth it for teens and older kids?

Activities for Older Kids (School Age and Teens) at Great Wolf Lodge

Arcades: Teens can explore a number of their favorite carnival-style games at the arcade and redeem points for prizes.

MagiQuest: A highlight for many pre-teens and older kids is this fantasy live-action game where kids purchase a magic wand and follow clues to journey through a fantasy-forest realm.

Rock Course, Bowling, Mirror Maze, Mini Golf: Although we didn’t get to try these extras, older teens and gamers will enjoy these add-ons available with the Wolf Pass.

Lazy river and pool games: Kids can mix it up at the waterpark each day, drifting down the lazy river, taking a swim or trying pool obstacle courses

Thrilling-rides: Adrenaline-seekers who meet the minimum height requirements will appreciate the larger slides and wave pools that keep them coming back.

Tips for parents of pre-teens and teens at Great Wolf Lodge

Bring extra snacks: Pre-teens and teens can get hangry after burning off energy, make sure to pack some extra snacks from home so they can fuel throughout the day

Consider a room upgrade: Check out the bigger suites with separate sleep areas. We had an extra nook with themed character bunk beds for our boys, which was great for added privacy and kid entertainment.

Try the Wolf or Paw pass: The older kids are likely going to gravitate towards the add-on attractions, so I would consider purchasing a pass to make the most of the experience and bundle savings vs purchasing individual activities. We spent a good amount of time in the lower levels playing arcade games, mini-golf, bowling and of course, the MagiQuest throughout the resort.

With every family vacation, additional questions may arise in terms of getting the most out of your visit. I’ve included a few more below based on our experience at the Pocono Mountains, PA location.

Is Great Wolf Lodge worth it if you don’t use the water park?

Yes, Great Wolf Lodge is worth the cost, even if you don’t use the water park. Although the water park is one of the most popular attractions at the resort, there are a plethora of things to do for the whole family including daily games and activities for kids with exceptional value mom and dad will appreciate.

How do you get the most value at Great Wolf Lodge?

To really get the most value from your visit to GWL I would recommend taking advantage of the unlimited water park usage, complimentary entertainment each day and bundled savings from passes.

Enjoy the Great Wolf Lodge Waterpark

The water park opens at 10am and closes at 8pm, which means families who book even one night can get two full days at the water park. If you arrive before check-in, you can leave your luggage in the car and just take a bag of swimming essentials with you. Inside the water park, you can rent a locker to store your change of clothes or shoes if needed – of course, plenty of towels provided.

Take advantage of Complimentary Activities at Great Wolf Lodge

Some of the free activities include Yoga Tails, a story-driven morning workout for the whole family, arts and crafts, bingo and games throughout the day. Then at night, families can gather for the Legend of Luna, filled with iconic dance parties.

Great Wolf Lodge also hosts a number of fun seasonal events throughout the year around Halloween and the Holidays.

Get more value with the Great Wolf Lodge Passes

To make the most of your visit and add even more value, I’d also consider purchasing one of their collection of passes, like the Wolf, Paw or Pup passes for different age groups. With the Wolf pass you can save up to 30% and gain access to attractions like family bowling, arcade, ropes course, mini-golf, and their exclusive MagiQuest. Some locations may have different attractions.

My boys each had a Paw pass at our last visit and had a blast, especially with the MagiQuest adventure (mentioned earlier). They also had a chance to top off their wands with extra powers in the gift shop. Kids can play throughout the day; each quest takes 15-30 minutes to complete. Keep your wands handy to bring back for a future visit as you can pick up where you left off!

Can Great Wolf Lodge accommodate food allergies?

Yes, Great Wolf Lodge can indeed accommodate a variety of food allergies. Be sure to communicate your needs and ask any and all questions regarding safety or cross-contact in advance (ideally before, but even during your arrival so your whole family can enjoy a good meal.)

Does Great Wolf Lodge have gluten-free options?

Yes, Great Wolf Lodge also offers gluten-free options. I was initially nervous about ordering food for my son with celiac disease after a negative experience at an unrelated resort the previous month.

However, I was SO pleasantly surprised to find that Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos did offer gluten-free options for families. When I asked a staff member about allergy-friendly options for kids they had the chef come out to talk with me. They were very accommodating providing me a list of gluten-free meals available…and I was even more confident when they mentioned the food might take a little longer to prepare to be safe. Because as an allergy parent, I know being extra cautious and taking time to prepare gluten-free foods is expected. When the food came out my son was able to enjoy a burger with gluten-free bun with no issues!

Can you eat outside the GWL property?

Yes, you can eat outside of the Great Wolf Lodge property, although they do offer a variety of restaurants right inside the resort too which you can check out HERE.

If you have little kids who snack around the clock, it’s helpful to pack a bag or cooler with your favorite snacks and drinks, which I saw several families doing. I loved that our room included a microwave and mini-fridge so we could store a few goodies, plus milk and water. We actually ended up checking out a local restaurant and store right outside the resort on our very first night, to grab some familiar allergy safe snacks and stock up on water since kids are always thirsty. However, plenty of vending machines are available throughout the resort so you can grab something in a pinch.

ADDITIONAL FAQs

Is Great Wolf Lodge worth the price with kids under 10?

Yes, the resort is worth the price for kids under 10 as many attractions are focused on younger kids including, character appearances, fun water play and extra games and activities like bowling and mini-golf throughout the resort.

What’s the best way to get the most out of a Great Wolf Lodge vacation?
The best way to get the most out of your visit is to download the app to plan your day, take advantage of the waterpark hours and purchase a bundle pass to experience extra fun.

How can you save money on a Great Wolf Lodge Visit?

If you are looking to save money on your trip, try to book during non-peak times, and weekdays, bring your own food, and sign-up for their emails where you can find occasional discounts. You can forgo the upgraded packages for younger kids, or opt to purchase them for older kids to bundle savings.

Key Takeaways from our Great Wolf Lodge Visit

Great Wolf Lodge offers fun experiences for various ages — both toddlers, and teenagers alike can enjoy a plethora of age-appropriate entertainment.

The Waterpark is only one attraction, but offers tons of water fun all-day that can be complimented with lots of dry-land adventures.

Although optional, consider purchasing a Wolf, Paw or Pup pass to enhance your kids’ experience and make the most of your trip.

This is a sponsored post. All opinions reflect my personal, honest experience.

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