Great Wolf Lodge

Overall: overpriced and unexpected add-ons and inexcusable building conditions ruin the vacation experience.

$20/night parking
$10/day pool lockers
$17 min meal prices for frozen fried foods with no refill on your 12oz Pepsi. $17 for a refillable cup. Everywhere you turn BUY BUY BUY.

The lobby entry was really exciting for my kid and some of the theming like with the restaurants can be really nice when you first walk in. The wet wrinkled carpeting on floors 3 and 4 is inexcusable. You can feel the wet rotting wood beneath and it’s wild to pay $250/night at a place that can’t get patrons to dry off before they go to their rooms upstairs. MagiQuest being slapped in the middle of the chaos was an absurdly terrible layout choice.

MagiQuest: my 7yr old enjoyed the collecting aspects. The game was quite outdated and all of the interactive elements were tattered and sad looking. Having to go from floor 3 to 4 was awful because the elevators are in the center, so you’re crossing the busy center to get from the left wing to the right wing, using the stairs on the outskirts, and just confused wandering around because none of the wing entry signs (whispering woods, etc) are lit, and one is just plain missing. Just a poorly designed layout entirely.

The passes are a RACKET. You pay $70-90 and think you’re getting a lot of activities. But each one requires upgrades. MagiQuest: you get the $15 game and the sad wand. All other wands look significantly better, and naked without the topper, so you’re paying SO much more now. The candy “bucket” is a little plastic drinking cup. Want a slightly bigger cup or one of ten options for cooler cups and youre paying extra. The ice cream is literally a golf ball sized scoop (a topping is .55 cents extra). The arcade card is only $5, so I paid $40 extra for my kid to walk out with a $5 made in China small snake plush. The laser tag is fine but takes 10mins tops. Build a bear is just the plush. It’s like they know your kid is going to beg for extras every step of the way, and youre locked in to getting your money out of the pass, so you’re screwed either way.

I would recommend sitting down with your kid beforehand, going over the list of activities and just committing to ONE. get a build a bear and go all out, or throw $100 at the arcade to get a better prize at the end,… but don’t buy the pass because you’ll just need upgrades along the way and it all feels like an overall loss. Bring candy and movie snacks from home.

The one good thing about the hotel being outdated is rooms have a fridge and microwave, so bring food from home and avoid the hotel food at all cost because the FOOD IS TERRIBLE. They are cutting corners MASSIVELY with the food, so the buy-ahead discount is so tempting, but you will not want ANY of the food. The breakfast buffet is one level above free breakfast because it has bacon, not with $17 a plate, just drive somewhere for breakfast, you’re welcome. The food at the water park is expensive and SO SAD and flavorless, just pack food from home!! There are countless restaurants nearby, just pack food and/or eat out for dinner!

Breakfast buffet was delicious and a great value for so much food and sitting in an adorable 'cabin' booth was an added treat.

The arcade was a fun way to entertain the kids once out of the water for the day (though this was the only place we found to be a bit expensive) and the free kid activities in the lobby like arts/crafts, story time and evening dance party made it so memorable for our kids (4/7 years old).

We'll certainly be back and telling friends too.