After Easter, we decided to join some friends and take the kids to Great Wolf Lodge to finish out Ethan’s Spring Break. It was only our second family vacation and our first time taking the kids to a waterpark so needless to say…I was pretty nervous. We made it a short trip, only staying for 2 days and 1 night and I’m happy to report that we had an AMAZING time. If you were thinking about taking your little ones to a Great Wolf location, keep reading for my cost breakdown, money saving tips & “dos and don’ts”.
So how much did it cost?
We went during Spring Break, so we paid higher rates than usual, but we ended up spending around $580…just for the room…for one night. Our room was a “family suite” which includes 2 queen sized beds and a sleeper sofa, sleeping 4-6 family members. It had a balcony, a small living room area, and a mini fridge & microwave. For dining, we ate breakfast & dinner at the “Loose Moose”, the resort’s all-you-can-eat buffet. It was $18 per person, but kids under 3 can eat free if you buy a dining package. Each meal ended up being around $130 + tip for 4 adults and 3 children. The resort has other dining options as well, both inside the waterpark and in the hotel, so there’s a variety of options to fit your budget. For entertainment, outside of the waterpark, our kids played in the Northern Lights Arcade & participated in the MagiQuest Adventure. The arcade uses “Paw Points”, a re-loadable gaming currency so we controlled how much the kids spent. We loaded $10 on our card the first night, which went QUICK, and $25 the next day. The $25 went a LONG way and I would recommend starting there. As for MagiQuest, the adventure itself is free but you do need to purchase a wand to participate. The wands start at $20, and you can purchase accessories which start around $18. Our wand ended up being around $40. MagiQuest can be a little hard to explain, so I’ll let you learn more via the website if you’re interested: https://www.greatwolf.com/williamsburg/waterpark-attractions/attractions/magiquest
Ok, so what was our grand total? When you add up the hotel, the meals (both on & off the resort), the entertainment, the souvenirs and random additional travel expenses, we estimate we spent around $1,000 for the 24 hours we were there. So yes…it’s expensive. I also want to point out that we did NOT take full advantage of the resort. We didn’t bowl, do laser tag, do the gem mining, go to Build-a-bear, get ice cream, visit the candy shop…we could have spent a lot more (and would have if we had been there longer).
So how can you save some money?
- Eat meals in your room/pack snacks. The rooms come with a mini fridge and a microwave – USE THEM. Or, dine at some of the resturants outside of the resort. Our location was about 5 minutes away from several large shopping centers with a variety of dining options.
- Go during the off-season/while school is in session.
- SAVE YOUR WANDS! If you plan to go more than once, bring back your MagiQuest wand(s) so you can participate in the adventure without having to purchase a new one.
- Get the free wolf ears. The gift shop provides free wolf ears and EVERYONE seemed to be wearing them, which I loved. Free ears = free souvenirs.
- Avoid the bottom level if you’re only there for the park. At least in our location, most of the extra expenses (arcade, laster tag, ice cream shop, gem mining, etc.) where located on the same level, across from the water park entrance. If you don’t want your kiddos to be tempted, just avoid it. There’s PLENTY to do just in the park itself.
- Purchase a Day Pass to the waterpark and stay off the resort at a local hotel. You don’t have to stay at the resort itself to enjoy all it has to offer!
My “dos & don’ts” for a first timer:
DO pack your own snacks.
DON’T bring your own beach towels, the waterpark provides them.
DO take advantage of being allowed into the waterpark prior to check in (we were allowed to use the park at 1 p.m. even though our check-in was for 4 p.m.) & after check-out (we checked out at 11 a.m. and could use the park until 1 p.m.).
DON’T use the waterpark’s changing rooms if you can avoid it. Come in your bathing suits and try to make it to your room to change afterwards. The space is VERY limited and the lines were insane.
DO visit the Dunkin’ locations (our resort had 2) for a cheaper breakfast & coffee alternative. Bonus: Dunkin’ is open before anything else so it’s great to visit when you have early risers (cough, cough Amelia…).
If you’re thinking of planning a trip or you have any questions about our trip and traveling with toddlers, leave me a comment or shoot me a message on Instagram and I’d be happy to try to help!