Great Wolf Lodge Niagara

Location: B+
Amenities: B+
Service: B
Fun Factor: B+
The Food: C

Best For: Families with kids 3-12.
Date of Stay: August 2008.

The Lowdown: Located less than two hours outside of Toronto, Great Wolf Lodge is a fun and exciting option for a quick getaway with the kids. Great Wolf Lodge is jam packed with activities to keep your kids busy and active. This destination is definitely kid focused with a an interactive lobby, themed guest suites, and endless water fun for all ages. The Great Wolf Lodge Waterpark covers it all from the wave pool and slides made just for the wee ones to thrill rides and an outdoor area for days where the sun shines. There are also options for outside the water including mini-golf, a kid’s spa, and an arcade. Plus, there is Cub Care babysitting so the grown-ups can get a little kid free time.

Kid’s Comments: Great Wolf Lodge is one of my favourite places! The waterslides are amazing and my sister and I could go on them without a grown-up. Our room was really cool too. It had a secret area just for the kids. I told my mom I want to go there for my birthday!

The Top 5 Things You Should Know About Great Wolf Lodge Niagara:

1. The Convenience Factor: Great Wolf Lodge is easily accessible. It is close to Toronto and just off the highway so the drive is totally manageable. This place is a perfect mini-getaway where you pack in a week’s worth of excitement and energy in just 2 days. More than that and it might get to you. Plus, Niagara Falls is just a quick drive away where more over-the-top fun awaits!
2. The Noise: Maybe I am getting old but, to be honest, this is why Great Wolf Lodge didn’t rate a bit higher from me. The kids had an AMAZING time and I loved my visit to the spa but I found the noise level in the waterpark unbearable and by the end of day one (keep in mind, we arrived early afternoon) I had a pounding headache. Just be forwarned, it is overstimulating to the extreme so plan a calm few days post-visit.
3. The Accommodations: OK, even I had to admit that Great Wolf Lodge is cool. Before you even get to your room or the waterpark the lobby experience has the kids excited. There are kid level interactive elements, talking animals, and wide open spaces for high energy little people. And then you get to your suite! Great Wolf Lodge offers special themed rooms from The Wolf Den to Kid’s Camp and Kid’s Cabin. They have definitely thought of everything. My kids could barely sleep because of the excitment of how “cool” their room was!
4. The Waterpark: The waterpark at Great Wolf Lodge is like nothing I had ever seen…at least not indoors. This place is like a kid’s fantasy world. There are options for the thrill seeker as well as the more cautious child.There were two things that I really appreciated about it a) it was clean and b) it was safe. It is obvious that this place takes great pride in offer a clean and safe environment for kids and families. There is only one entrance and exit back into the hotel and their are lifeguards everywhere. Of course, you are still responsible for your own children but it was comforting to know that in all the madness there were others watching.
5. The Food: One major dissappointment for me at Great Wolf Lodge was the food. Most of what they offer are fast food options. And I found that even their buffet was just not good and expensive. So, we put the kids in Cub Care and drove into Niagara Falls for steak dinner at The Keg!