The Double Playdate at Great Wolf Lodge

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My kids are relentless.  All I have heard for the last year is how desperately they wanted to go to Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls.  This one stop water park destination has been the topic of choice in my house for quite some time.  I have been reminded countless times about the waterslides, the close proximity to home and the fact that my son’s buddy Jeff had so much fun at said resort.  You can imagine how bad it got when Jeff announced he was going again for a second time!   Oh, the pressure.

I have to admit I was hesitant and a little suspicious of all the rave reviews.  Images of crowds of people and my fears of not-quite-clean pools surrounded by the scent of the all-you-can-eat buffet danced in my head.  But I kept hearing that this place was different so I chatted with Jeff’s mom and other Great Wolf Lodge veterans and started to wonder whether my past water park experiences were clouding my judgment a bit on this one.  After receiving an invitation to visit The Lodge, I decided to take the plunge (shameless pun intended).

We decided that the best way to enjoy the weekend was along with another family.  So, we piled into two cars, loaded up 4 kids, 2 moms, and 2 dads and headed out on the short journey to Niagara Falls.  As soon as we pulled up I knew I had been mistaken.  The "lodge" was just that: An immense log cabin themed for the outdoors.  There were little touches everywhere to bring the theme to life for the kids.  The energy was palpable.

We happened to be there on a weekend that was fully booked.  I have a feeling this is a regular occurrence but once again I was pleasantly surprised.  From the minute we arrived the service was friendly and accommodating.  Although our rooms weren’t ready we were encouraged to take advantage of all of the resort’s facilities.  We headed straight for the water park.

There were so many details that made the experience worry free from the get-go.  The resort provides a wristband that does everything from unlock your locker in the water park to open your hotel room door to charge purchases to your room!   There are towels provided in the water park (one tip – the towels are kid sized and at 5’11" next time I would bring a bigger one for when I am getting changed back into my clothes).  The water was clear and clean, there were staff and lifeguards everywhere, and everything seemed really well planned out.  Mommy was happy but the kids were BESIDE themselves.  This was beyond all expectations.  The wave pool, the slides, the arcade, the mini-golf where to begin!

We started with the divide and conquer approach – moms and little kids, dads and big kids.  While my friend Carol and I chatted at the bottom of the water slide our 4 and 5 year olds whizzed down smaller sized chutes.  However, it didn’t take them long before they wanted to tackle the big rides.  The great news is that they were able to go on almost everything (with an adult) and nothing was ridiculously fast or frightening.  And, the big kids had a blast on them too riding together or on their own.

When it was time for lunch we found our way to the hotel restaurant for the buffet.  I was dreading the thought of the slew of junky food options.  What a surprise when we began to make our choices to find a deli, fresh fruit, and a yummy salad bar!  Of course there were also the typical kid items like chicken fingers and fries but a few of these mixed in with other healthy foods made it more manageable. 

Then the real fun began.  We checked into our room, the kids went back to the water park and Carol and I went to the Aveda spa.  Could this get any better?  Kids having the time of their lives and I was enjoying a 90 minute hot rock massage?  When I emerged in my newly found state of calm I found Carol sipping wine and nibbling on cheese in the spa lounge.  Needless to say I didn’t hesitate to join her.

We then met up with the dads who were getting the kiddies some dinner before dropping them off at the Great Wolf Lodge PJ Party for the evening.  Here they enjoyed decorating their own hat and t-shirt, as well as attending a show and the nightly event of storytime in the front lobby (also known as the Grand Living Room).  Even my 4-year-old-separation-anxiety-drama-queen had a blast!  All of this while mom and dad ventured into Niagara Falls for a very grown-up steak dinner.

After bunking in the KidCabin  room which includes a campy woodland themed separate area for the kids with bunk beds, a TV, and a Playstation we were up bright and early and back to the water park.  Before heading back home we played a rousing game of mini-golf and spent some time in the Arcade.  The kids were on a high.

Great Wolf Lodge definitely exceeded my expectations.  It was a perfect weekend getaway for two families.  The kids had a playmate and so did the parents.  If you are looking for a family-focused, one-stop, premium destination near Toronto this is the place and the great part is that you only need to stay one night to have a full weekend of entertainment. 

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