It seems, for obvious safety reasons, that a toddler area would be better located on the lowest level of the water park. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Were going in January. EXPECT IT and you will have a great time. Has a fun magic quest as an additional . Thank you for your feedback. The room was spotless. Located in America's Historic Triangle of Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown, it was Great Wolf Resorts' first East Coast location. We didn't hear a peep after 10pm and slept soundly. The front desk staff was extremely professional, friendly and helpful. Here is a quick breakdown of the outdoor activities offered at each resort: Kalahari: Monkey climb ropes course, zip lines and mini golf. Imagine what it takes to run this place?!? It is really the other aspects of the resorts and accommodations that will determine which resort is the better choice for your family! Great Wolf Lodge has a woodland creature and forest theme, while Kalahari has an African theme. My six year olds love the slides, and they are allowed to ride on everything at Great Wolf, but my teens get bored very quickly. My son went to the prime rib carving station several times but the chef continued to serve him meat with chunks of fat on it - so he gave up. The NACHOS did not disappoint. We changed in the bathroom/changing areas, located a storage locker (for a fee), and found a table. We feature kid-friendly activities, a range of dining options, interactive games, an adult-friendly wine down service, and more all under one roof. Every room at this resort is air conditioned and has a TV with cable channels. Please email me directly at PAConnect@kalahariresorts.com. This past visit however was somewhat disappointing. He was open to questions about the place and even offered a few suggestions. Throughout the day those areas were also closed several times for about 15 min at a time for cleaning since the kids were pooping and vomiting in the water. The water is warm, but not too hot. An unpleasant smell hit us as soon as we opened the door, although I couldn't quite place it, at least not until we stepped further into the suite. Copyright 2023 The Parenthood Adventures! In November 2020, a competitor to GWL opened in Texas. Hello, Erika! Expect to spend money on food, games, etc. The sound system is rather poor and the performance is rather loud. It needs to be checked more often. Great Wolf is more for kids, but I feel like Great Wolf service is better than Kalahari. WEBSTER, Texas Texas is set to add another Great Wolf Lodge location to its ranks. See our Advertiser Disclosure and Editorial Notehere. Which Poconos waterpark do you like best? TripAdvisor review of Great Wolf Lodge Poconos, TripAdvisor review of Kalahari Resort Poconos, Booking.com review of Great Wolf Lodge Poconos, MommyNearest Great Wolf Lodge vs Kalahari vs Camelback. Here's our overall review.Right away we were looking for and expecting a wonderful customer service experience, and Kalahari did not disappoint. Overall, my family prefers Kalahari Resort. I can't honestly say that anything bit me in the room, we may have been bitten while we were sleeping, or in all the time we were forced to spend on the patio because of the smell.The resort was fine, but I'd avoid this "upgraded suite". Hopefully you can keep returning and finding even more ways to have fun with us as the kids grow. The Great Wolf Lodge resort in the Poconos was constructed in 2005 and is one of roughly 19 locations for the chain. I am on the mailing list and recently got a promotional offer that indicated the rooms had recently been renovated. Im pleased to hear that you enjoyed the various sections of the waterpark. Ax throwing, ropes course, zip line, off-road Segway tours through the forest & switchback UTV tour. While the hallways of rooms may still be a bit long, its not as vast as Kalahari. Our 2-year-old who would have nothing to do with a life jacket was able to play in the toddler splash park and wave pool as long as Melani or I was right with her. Camelbacks Aquatopiaseems to strike a particularly good balance for children in the 10 + age group. Been at least six years ago. Likewise, there is a cost associated with the convenience of those activities being offered right there and that is cost. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. At the towel dispensary you simply swipe your wrist band and the attendant will hand you the number of towels you request. We had no real negatives about Great Wolf but in all honesty, Kalahari Resort surpasses them on almost all levels, but to no fault of Great Wolf. Answer 1 of 6: We want to take my son ( just turned 4) to either Kalahari or Great wolf lodge. Both resorts also have bunk bed suites with small alcoves just for the kids. Kalahari Resort, located in Round Rock, Texas, is similar in many ways to Great Wolf Lodge. The food was overpriced but tasty. We can engage in many of the other activities closer to our home (and probably at less expense). Great Wolf Resorts told KPRC in a statement, Were always looking for opportunities to introduce the Great Wolf Lodge resort experience to new audiences, and we are excited about the prospect of bringing one of our family-friendly indoor water park resorts to southeastern Texas.. If you are looking for more of a balance between kid activities and adult luxuries Kalahari has a wider range of offerings that will appeal to both adults and children. The development is expected to break ground during. There is a huge fireplace towards the back of the lobby that is adjacent to a huge window that overlooks the water park. Especially around the holidays, it has a warm and fuzzy fireplace vibe. Kids are going to want to explore all areas of this place and we find it frustrating reading reviews about those complaining about how expensive everything is. For size reference, Great Wolf Lodges water park is the smallest at about 79,000 square feet. The company owns and operates its family resorts under the Great Wolf Lodge brand. Offer a family slide option which is super fun to go on as a whole family. On the lower level by the entrance for the water park, there is a pizza place with some tables in the lower lobby area. Check there and compare prices with their website to find the lowest prices for your stay. Most times I find that the pictures or decorations in a motel/hotel really dont add anything to the experience. The TV in the room seemed to be new and was the largest of any we saw at the three resorts. Advice: you can't come to a place like this and complain about how much things cost. The only other complaint I have is that we came home with a number of bites. We simply love everything about it! If you have visited all three waterparks in the Poconos please let us know which one YOU liked best! We may also participate in other affiliate programs from time-to-time and be compensated for referring traffic & business to these companies. I would like to further discuss the details of your stay. We did not rent any of the cabanas that were located throughout. African photos, statues, pictures, all kinds of things that mentally transport you to another world. A night at either place costs a small fortune, and the food is over-priced and mediocre. It smelled like an overcrowded SPCA. Billing Issue: I did have a billing issue with Aquatopia / Camelback. Address: 100 Great Wolf Drive Grapevine, TX 76051 Phone: 817-488-6510 Website: greatwolf.com EXPERT TIPS BY: Ilene Jacobs Dallas Local Expert Water Parks: "Day passes can be purchased online or. Great Wolf Lodge has a woodland creature and forest theme, while Kalahari has an African theme. She has reported on several high-profile stories during her career at KSAT and specializes in trending news and things to do around Texas and San Antonio. The room was clean and a good size and the 4 of us had enough room to spread out, with one person taking the full-size, pullout sofa bed. Most of the time we were at Aquatopia we ate FROM Trails End Pub & Grille. If you want averykid-centricexperience from top to bottom we would recommendGreat Wolf Lodge. Comparison between Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge water park It is hard to believe that Aquatopia/Camelback would actually be charging extra for the balcony /patios at this level! Kids are going to want to explore all areas of this place and we find it frustrating reading reviews about those complaining about how expensive everything is. Staff always pleasant and friendly!FOOD - There is food available in the waterpark in addition to a steakhouse and Italian restaurant. However, we felt $26 for chicken parm was a little steep. This is another thing that I think Kalahari does well and it makes it a little easier to satisfy everyone and their differing tastes with so many food choices. Sincerely, Yes My oldest daughter and wife voted for Kalahari. We were really looking forward into the expansion since we really loved how great Kalahari was the first two times we visited. (It was almost like an obstacle course with the running kids, machines, flashing lights, and noise.) 2 of themone outside by the immense outdoor pool and one heated one inside. TheParenthoodAdventures.comis owned & operated byChip Williamsonwho is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program that enables websites like this to earn advertising fees from Amazon.com. This was one of the few exceptions! Their massive indoor water parks vary by location. The theming is carried throughout multiple aspects of the total experience. 111 Things to Do in the Adirondacks & Upstate New York! We did the empirical research so you dont have to! Learn how your comment data is processed. Which is better for his age? Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. This old-school hot dog shack across from Penn Treaty Park mostly caters to truckers, hence its early-morning hours. The kids really enjoyed the cabin themed suite which was adorned with a lot of cute character images. Crystal, The Lobby is one of the things I, and everyone in my family, really liked about Kalahari! Kassie R, Social Media Coordinator at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos, responded to this review. Kalahari is amaizing! It's the easiest way to hit the slopes! It was a nice touch to have the lodge theme and a couple of characters at the front of the wave pool which is one of our favorite attractions. There is a very small / non-standard sized bowling alley, a miniature golf course, an arcade, MagiQuest, etc We have done some of the other activities in the past but only if they were included with our stay or one of the bundled package passes (Paw Pass, Pup Pass and Wolf Pass). Thanks for your review! But the resort's smaller size makes it easier to keep an eye on the kids. What are you waiting for? Kalaharis waterpark is the largest at 220,000 square feet & Camelbacks Aquatopia indoor waterpark is right in the middle at 125,000 square feet. At Kalahari, there are two separate, toddler play areas. but also read water is cold. That said, I wouldnt pay triple the price for Kalahari. Note: There is no Flowrider / surfing simulator attraction at the Poconos location for Great Wolf Lodge. They did a fabulous job with the design of this place. We love knowing that our attractions were fun for both the children and adults in your family! Hopefully you can come again soon but until then, take care! We are happy to report that there were two night stands with our queen bed! LOVED the concept - didn't like the fact that they were not full bars - they only made a few specialty drinks and offered beer and wine. The lobby is big but not massive like it is at Kalahari! Get those lifeguards a little more focused and offer more options at the bars! It is a smaller resort, with plenty of employees who are prepared to work with young children. I'm going to breakdown each part of the resort that we visited and give you the key points: Kalahari vs Great Wolf Lodge Poconos Comparison - Kalahari Resort Poconos Top Flight Family 113K subscribers Subscribe 2.9K 310K views 3 years ago Are you trying to decide between. Hi, Pamela! The distance from the lobby to our room was an extremely long haul for her. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. One time a lifeguard came out and caught one but without constant observation, it is impossible to parole this area. (assuming same accommodations we had for this past trip) and this is how they all answered. Wisconsin Dells, WI https://www.greatwolf.com/wisconsin-dells (GWL = Great Wolf Lodge & K = Kalahari). Hi there, I appreciate you taking the time to write a review of your most recent stay. Nothing? 2) With COVID still hanging around and the holidays right around the corner it seemed to be prudent. The size of the indoor water park is roughly 125,000 square-foot, which makes it slightly larger than the Great Wolf Lodge water park @ roughly 79,000 square-foot, but decidedly smaller than Kalaharis indoor water park which is roughly 220,000 square-foot. Great Wolf Lodge has a woodsy/lodge theme and decor. included with your stay Waterpark Admission Waterpark admission is always free when you stay with us. Only 2 of our bracelets worked, but we were able to get around that on more than one occasion. Great Wolf Lodge has an outdoor ropes course and indoor arcade. We have patronized several of these places, if not all and the kids highly recommend them! All three resorts are located very close to each other in the Poconos. So these mini-vacations are a perfect and necessary thing for our family. Whereas, the roofline @ Great Wolf Lodge is blocky. I actually made the kids wear earplugs (as did I) to go to this! See you soon! Kids are going to want to explore all areas of this place and we find it frustrating reading reviews about those complaining about how expensive everything is. Klahari is themed and decorated as an African resort. more. Since we are fans of Indiana Jones we like most archaeology theme including this one but I would not say the theme-ing is immersive other than the lazy river. I was wondering what your experiences have been with that. Chip. After learning about the aspects of both of these resort, which one will your family choose? Water park access was included. Including a story time, dance time, crafts and more. We joke that we lost Sophie our 2 year old for 5 minutes in the immense suite! Kalahari was the cheapest on Friday evening - but the most expensive during the week & the second most expensive on Saturday evening. It was unpleasant to see and to step on. Contemporary and tasteful.we give that an A+!Overall, we can't wait to return to Kalahari! We just stayed at Camelback the night before Thanksgiving and are actively working on updated the post. The wolf mascots host a nightly dance party and pj story time. In my mind, Kalahari works best if you have a family with kids of different ages so each can be active. Burger and fries for $12, other sandwiches $12-$15.not excessive. Great Wolf Lodge boasts tons of activities sure to put a smile on your children's faces. It is especially better for younger kids ones who dont want or need a life jacket! Then to get to the lower level you have to take the stairs. Right away we were looking for and expecting a wonderful customer service experience, and Kalahari did not disappoint. It is so fun for my children (12 & 4 years old) and for adults too!! If you would like to read a little more about our trip down to the Poconos you can do so here: Adventure Update # 018: My Tricycle is Very Very Fast! We also liked the master light switch in the room that made it very easy to turn off every light in the suite with one switch. Welcome to Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Round Rock 223,000 square feet, filled with wet, wild, fun. That makes it easy for families traveling with toddlers (and their little legs!). Both resorts have also utilized Groupon for deals. Hello! Note that it may be quite a walk from your room to the water park, or any other destination on the Kalahari Resort campus. kalahari waterpark passesmr patel neurosurgeon cardiff 27 februari, 2023 . We also only stayed one night, so Im not sure how often housekeeping visits. I asked everyone in the family if we are going back down to the Poconos and staying at one of the resorts tomorrow night where would you want to stay? Not quite as good as the one @ Kalahari but better than you will find at Great Wolf Lodge. CLICK HERE TO VIEW VARIOUS CREDIT CARDS AND AVAILABLE SIGN-UP BONUSES, New Private Luxury Facility Coming to DFW, Virgin Atlantic Makes it Official and More, March Transfer Bonuses: Marriott, Avianca, Virgin Red, Royal Caribbean Quietly Reduces Housekeeping to Once per Day, Hyatt Announces 2023 Hotel Category Changes, Easy: Changing AAdvantage Award flight via Twitter DM. Towel check-out is something new since our last visit. There was a nice variety of the treats and each of the kids was able to find something appealing to them. We ordered a burrito, nachos grande, chicken fingers, fries and onion rings from a predictable and acceptable selection of menu items. Great Wolf Lodge. According to the contract, the family resort and water park will feature at least 400,000 square feet of lodging and entertainment space and the indoor water park will be at least 75,000 square feet. In the center right past the check-in area there is a large animatronic display where the nightly bedtime story (The Forest Friends Show) takes place. We liked the luggage rack near the door and the shelf over the microwave. Overall we felt like Kalahari was much better before the expansion. Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine is a great way to go for a weekend getaway. bellyrubbah1 2 yr. ago Cool. Water park temperatures at all three Poconos water parks is the same @ 84 degrees, year-round. There are some characters for the kids but they are not really developed and seem to have just been bolted on as an after thought. We didn't expect gourmet food at a waterpark, but the nachos were so tasteless that my 12-year old pushed them aside and asked for a chicken finger. As I mentioned earlier with 4 kids ranging in age from 2 10 we are not very often dining in @ a restaurant. Also, the post was never updated to include information about Aquatopia. The closet was pretty small, and the bathroom was almost as small (with the sink located next to the fridge); however, those were relatively minor inconveniences.We went to Great Karoo Buffet around 5-5:30 and was relieved to see that it wasn't that crowded. Better selection of local foods near Great Wolf. We stayed from Tuesday through Thursday during July. Management thanks you for your suggestions and for noting how well-trained our associates are! The Poconos Great Wolf Lodge location has more kiddie water slides than the Williamsburg location. So I guess you just dont need it that much. For the volume of people passing through it ( to check-in, check out, shop at the shops and access the activities) it feels a little small and congested. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. Sincerely, Why Kids Love It We visited Kalahari in the Pocono Mountains for a last minute trip with our two girls, ages 8 and 9. It is always wonderful to receive complements on our dcor as we want our guests to have as authentic an experience as possible. There is also a cafe (Cafe & Bar) and a restaurant (Horizons) located right off the main lobby. Wonderful service.Lazy River - Longer than the one at Great Wolfbut lots of people and tubes jamming it up!Towels were only available outside, we heard there may have been a shortage but we didn't really experience that. As the kids went ahead, employee Jeremy helped to take bags upstairs. Kalahari Resorts water park has more of everything and also includes a Flowrider, which is popular with older kids and teens. Welcome to Great Wolf Lodge! The day we went, prices were similar to GWL. But be prepared to spend.it comes with the territory! For exact amenities lists, its best to view the Great Wolf Lodge or Kalahari website of the locations you are comparing. You can also see the water park from the windows on this side and from the Cafe & Bar. Kalahari is newer and more efficiently run. It is in the middle in terms of the size of its indoor water park and in number of rooms at the resort. I found the photos pleasing to look at and relaxing! That was almost inedible. The suite had an interesting layout, but who could enjoy it when you were struggling not to vomit. But, if or when we do return, I look forward to spending more time in that adults-only grotto. Kalahari Resort's water park has more of everything and also includes a Flowrider, which is popular with older kids and teens. A microwave and refrigerator are also included. Reservations are strongly recommended. Heres a comparison guide for all three of these resorts. Once again, the food was mediocre at best. The kids do enjoy the characters and overall lodge experience. The resort has a spa center, a hot tub and an on-site restaurant. Poconos Waterparks: How to Get the Best Deals at Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Aquatopia! The water facilities were great and there was a nice assortment of water slides. Both resorts are well-themed throughout the resort rooms and the water parks. We were told that the elevator was on the convention center side, which was not really convenient for her. Tom Foolerys also has a mirror maze, escape rooms, indoor ropes course, laser tag, rock climbing wall, XD dark ride and bowling. Robert, The lobby was somewhat hectic with the number of people filing in and out, restaurants, shops, carts filled with souvenirs for sale, and a long line at the guest registration desk. We recently made a trip to the Poconos in Pennsylvania to visit a water park resort but didnt know which resort we should go to so we went to all 3 of them! Camelbacks Aquatopia resort opened their indoor water park in May of 2015. For our Tuesday June 25th, 2019 stay @ Great Wolf Lodge the cost of our room was $209.99 with taxes & fees amounting to $51.59, bringing the total to $261.58. Hence our balcony seemed to be under ground and we were looking at a high retaining wall for a view. Aquatopia offers a great selection of activities for tweens & younger teens, both inside & outside! Seriously, I'm not being dramatic. Would have been nice to have them inside as well.The waterpark overall was phenomenal - huge and definitely accommodates young and old. Kalahari seems to have a bit more of a selection when it comes to very large rooms. Weve stayed at GWL Williamsburg and Kalahari in the Poconos. It is the smallest of the 3 indoor water parks in the Poconos, Pennsylvania. Although our room was not yet ready (official check-in is at 4:00), we received our bracelets to use the waterpark downstairs and we were advised that we could store our luggage in an adjacent locked storage area. There are other places with better miniature golf courses and a regular bowling alley does a better job for bowling so we tend not to spend our dollars on those activities when we are at Great Wolf Lodge. CEO approval 75 % approve of John Murphy (Murph)'s performance 74 % approve of Todd Nelson's performance Salary satisfaction 49 % think they are paid fairly at Great Wolf Lodge 40 % Berrellis Italian Chophouse wasnt really an option for us as this restaurant is physically located in a different building from where we were staying & where the indoor water park is located. Friendly, accommodating, informative.we were very happy with the initial interaction. Hi there! The overnight costs for both of these resorts can vary widely throughout the year. LOCATION: Within the 1st floor level of Tom Foolerys Adventure Park inside B-Lux Grill & Bar. Im guessing the youngest of your children voted for GWL? We also enjoyed the balcony. Still it was a frustrating experience that cast a pallor over our time and experience there. We're in the business of making memories. Waterpark admission included with your stay! Kalahari Resort vs. Great Wolf Lodge. My family has stayed in themed rooms at both resorts. The drive was almost exactly 100 miles for us and we arrived a few minutes after 1:00 pm. Kalahari still boasts plenty of kiddie water slides, but it also has more thrilling slides for older children. So we decided to check it out and see how things had changed. My wife went there one morning to order some breakfast and it took nearly an hour to get our food after ordering it (she was also in line for nearly an hour before even getting to place her order). There are a lot of food choices @ Kalahari of which we have only sampled a few. This seems to be an archaeology /exploration theme that they incorporate to water park. See All Waterpark Features Waterpark (and more!) Kalahari also has crafts, escape room, mini golf, mini bowling, and arcade. The splash park area of the water park devoted to smaller children (toddlers Penguin Play Bay) is very weak compared to Kalahari and somewhat awkwardly placed on a second tier of the waterpark close to some steps going down.