For years, I've been hearing about how fun Great Wolf Lodge is for families. I've always been curious to check it out, but never managed to find a good enough deal on a trip. But finally, this past weekend, we went! Here's my honest take on it: Great Wolf Lodge (Williamsburg) is an easy to get to 3-hours away. The resort was very clean, everyone was super friendly, the waterpark is TONS of fun, there are lots of things on-site for kids to do, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the food was better quality and more reasonably priced than I expected.
The nightly rate on rooms varies depending on what kind of room you reserve, but includes your admission to the waterpark. The Wolf Den and Kids Camp rooms have special decorated bunk bed areas for kids, and seem very popular. But we reserved a Family Fireplace Suite, not because we anticipated using the fireplace, but because I wanted a little extra room. Plus, I'd heard that these suites are farther away from the main attractions, making them more private and quiet - and that did seem to be the case. The room was definitely spacious, and while I don't usually like a first floor room, it was kind of nice having a walk-out patio.
Check-in is at 4pm, but you're allowed access to the waterpark beginning at 1pm on the day of your stay. Check-out is at 11am. We booked two nights, and spent some of our time exploring nearby Colonial Williamsburg, but if you maximize your waterpark time based on check-in and check-out, it would be possible to just stay for one night.
The waterpark is definitely the main attraction, and didn't disappoint. Fortunately, both my kids were tall enough to ride all the slides, so we got to try everything. The lifeguards were extremely impressive, and we felt like all the attendants were helpful and friendly. There aren't tons of chairs and tables around, but we were able to scout one out each time we went into the waterpark. Not only is it nice to have a place to leave your things, but there is a small restaurant within the waterpark where you can get food and take it back to your table. My family of four ate very well for dinner for about $50. For lunch we got pizza and salads and spent about $30. There are other restaurants on-site as well, and a Dunkin' Donuts. For breakfasts we ate in our room.
We spent a half hour or so bowling in the mini bowling alley, for $5/player. We didn't visit the arcade, kid's nail salon, 4D ride simulator, mini golf, or MagiQuest (the on-site scavenger hunt game you play with special magic wands for $40/player). I've heard that all those things are fun, and even worth the extra money, but we were mainly interested in the waterpark and visiting Williamsburg. I told my kids they could choose to play MagiQuest OR choose a souvenir from either the Lodge or Colonial Williamsburg, and they both chose a souvenir from town. We spent about the same, but it was helpful to manage their expectations ahead of time because there are numerous souvenir and trinket shops on-site.
In addition to the many attractions you pay extra for at Great Wolf Lodge, there were a few cute things that were available for free: nightly storytime, an animatronic puppet show, wolf ear headbands for the kids, face painting and crafts.
Overall, I'd say it is definitely worth it to take a trip to Great Wolf Lodge, especially if you're smart about where you're spending your money once you're there. The nightly rate can be pretty steep, even with a discount, but you can skip many of the other on-site attractions that cost extra, bring along your own food, and maximize your waterpark time to get the most bang for your buck.
