My wife & I both agree we would, hands down, pick Kalahari. Great Wolf Lodge Rooms are bigger and have fun themes. CamelBack (Aquatopia) has 453 rooms and there are 6 floors (above ground) to the lodge. Its really a question of what the individual family prefers, as far as water park size, features and resort amenities. There are some characters for the kids but they are not really developed and seem to have just been bolted on as an after thought. We really liked the 2 water falls that were present on the lazy river. My wife went there one morning to order some breakfast and it took nearly an hour to get our food after ordering it (she was also in line for nearly an hour before even getting to place her order). Think $20 + Both hot tubs are only for 48 inches and up which leaves the little ones out. Great Wolf Lodge is heading to Florida. Learn its lore before 2024 Kalahari vs Great Wolf Lodge: Discover the Differences From our experience after visiting Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Camelbacks Aquatopia indoor water parks in the Poconos we felt that: Check out our comprehensive comparison chart of these three indoor water park resorts here: Waterpark Comparison Chart: Kalahari, Aquatopia & Great Wolf Lodge. The fact that Aquatopia ALSO has an outdoor water park (Camelbeach) and its night-time illumination make it unique. I booked this in . We paid $700 to enjoy the park for 2 hours after we checked in at 4 and had to be out before 11 am the next morning. That said, I wouldnt pay triple the price for Kalahari. Kalahari has the most amenities that you would expect from a high-end resort. All opinions are my own. Great Wolf Lodge - Poconos If there are any older children in your party, around 10 years and older, then they may not appreciate the kiddie theming that runs through Great Wolf Lodge. Im new to the water park seen and our 7 year old loves them! Great Wolf Lodge has an outdoor ropes course and indoor arcade. There were a total of 3 TVs one in the Family Room where the pull out bed / couch was, one in the master suite and one in the second bedroom with the two queen sized beds. A night at either place costs a small fortune, and the food is over-priced and mediocre. So this entails dragging our family of ten with all of our bags n food to the parking, put it in the car. Great Wolf is smaller than Kalahari. The accommodations is air conditioned and is fitted with a cable flat-screen TV. Great Wolf Lodge vs. Kalahari . We are happy to report that there were two night stands with our queen bed! Obviously they weren't flushing and were disgusting! The lobby at Aquatopia is more spacious than the lobby at Great Wolf Lodge but far smaller than the lobby at Kalahari. Kalahari Resort - Poconos This comparison guide will focus mainly on the Pocono resorts in Pennsylvania, but some of the information can be used to compare other locations of Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge. Especially in this weather. American Airlines. Adventure Update # 018: My Tricycle is Very Very Fast! Our suite @ Kalahari was HUGE! Ax throwing, ropes course, zip line, off-road Segway tours through the forest & switchback UTV tour. As I indicated above I should not have been charged a fee for parking since we did not leave a vehicle at the resort and were dropped off. . Right behind the lodge at the Whirlpool Aero Car you could use WEGO Bus lines. COMPLETE JOKE! To read more aboutHOW TO GET THE BEST DEAL& aPRICE COMPARISONof ALL THREE POCONOS WATERPARK RESORTS check out my NEW post:Poconos Waterparks: How to Get the Best Deals at Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Aquatopia! For our Wednesday June 26th, 2019 stay @ Kalahari the cost of our room was $249.99 with taxes & fees amounting to $66.09, bringing the total to $316.08. Great Wolf Lodge is better for younger kids, IMHO (ages 2-12, maybe); there are more self-contained areas for easier supervision, whereas Kalahari is better for slightly older kids (maybe 5-15,). Plan and book your stay at Great Wolf Lodge Anaheim, CA for a fun and memorable experience with family. Avoid traffic with optimized routes. Called after it had an hour to ask if it was coming soon aince our 4 hungry kids wanted to eat and visit the arcade. My wife tried out the new 7D underwater virtual experience which was $10 for 5 mins. Then I called the number a third time and chose a different option and was transferred to an offshore call center. SELECT A LOCATION Thrilling twists. Day Pass Book Your Stay WaterPark Day Passes Select a Day Start your adventure with your Day Pass. How much does it cost for 2 teens for a day pass? IT has this family feel to it. The specialty drinks seemed a bit overpriced, but overall was a great idea! Why do the adults with hearing damage always make the decisions with regards to volume level! Book Your Stay | Anaheim Resort | Great Wolf Lodge more. Is the higher food price of Kalahari worth it? Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Camelbacks Aquatopia resort are all located in the Poconos and are VERY close to each other! The Poconos Great Wolf Lodge location has more kiddie water slides than the Williamsburg location. Florida Great Wolf Lodge or Disney Wilderness? Prices, pools, food ELI5 Cedar Point vs. Great Wolf Lodge vs. Kalahari : r/akron - Reddit If I could have selected 2.5 stars out of 5 I would have because theres nothing great here, but it may be worth doing at least once for some people. Magic wands are needed for this game, and there is a fee to activate them for a certain period of time. Thank you for reading & for your comment / question! Zehnder's Splash Village is our favorite. In the center right past the check-in area there is a large animatronic display where the nightly bedtime story (The Forest Friends Show) takes place. TripAdvisor Rating 4.5 3547 Reviews Editor's Rating 4/5 Why this Rating? Lately we have been hitting the snack bar (Pizza Pub) down in the arcade for the burritos and then the store (Marrakesh Market) right at the edge of the lobby for some of the soups. Check there and compare prices with their website to find the lowest prices for your stay. Great Wolf Lodge also has a small bowling ally, gem mining, outdoor ropes course, arcade, and glow golf. 44 51 Kalahari vs. Great Wolf - WE HAVE A WINNER!! For the price I would expect better service. InterContinental (IHG) Hotels in Niagara Falls, Niagara Falls Hotels with Breakfast Buffet. Wild. This is an interactive game that has players moving throughout the Lodge on quests. The water park @ Aquatopia was nice. I actually have a hard time believing that the square footage of the park is larger than the water park @ Great Wolf Lodge. It seems that there are parts of the water park that are only staffed at peak attendance. They looped continuously so they are readily accessible at any time. how much is the ticket for the evening pass? I would appreciate your input as we would like to plan a resort getaway for just the two of us for our anniversary. Its a tough call. Both resorts have huge water parks and other indoor activities. We had a subpar experience and Nicole, the guest services manager was supposed to refund our 2 45 minute Halotherapy sessions because concierge was never at the desk and the spa never answered their phone. Booking a Day Pass | Day Pass | Great Wolf Lodge Boston / Fitchburg, MA Kalahari was definitely newer and nicer but also more expensive. Activities could include yoga, character appearances, crafts, a nightly Forest Friends show, story time, and a dance party. For our Tuesday June 25th, 2019 stay @ Great Wolf Lodge the cost of our room was $209.99 with taxes & fees amounting to $51.59, bringing the total to $261.58. Weve stayed at GWL Williamsburg and Kalahari in the Poconos. polyWog. 1. When we go to one of the three water parks in the Poconos we are usually going for water park & swimming fun so other activities are not our primary focus. There are currently 4 locations for the chain with the Poconos location being its largest facility. It felt cozy and definitely complimented the whole lodge theme & experience! Great Wolf Lodge Locations | Great Wolf Resorts Near Me Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney. There is a very small / non-standard sized bowling alley, a miniature golf course, an arcade, MagiQuest, etc We have done some of the other activities in the past but only if they were included with our stay or one of the bundled package passes (Paw Pass, Pup Pass and Wolf Pass). But, if or when we do return, I look forward to spending more time in that adults-only grotto. Overall, my family prefers Kalahari Resort. We went to the indoor waterpark on our first afternoon and noticed that only 2 slides were open at a time with excessively long lines (it took 30 minutes to get through the line) and they were apparently operating at 50% capacity. It closed at 8, we left at 7pm. Water park access was included. Yes it is HUGE but it is also laid out well and serves as a destination itself within the resort. DeWine and his gang would shut this place down quickly if they saw what was going on inside. Are you trying to decide between taking your kids to Kalahari vs Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos, Pennsylvania? The setting for them seems nicer, and they seem more elaborate than the ropes course offered @ Great Wolf Lodge. Fun. View Water Park If I have a water park day pass, can i leave and come back? Adventure Update # 64: Summer Vacation 2022! At the towel dispensary you simply swipe your wrist band and the attendant will hand you the number of towels you request. Now sitting at Pizza Boys at 9:45 waiting a pizza we originally ordered from Pizza Pub 2 hours ago. We review each of the Poconos water parks on several criteria including: If you want to cut right to the chase you can jump to the conclusion by clicking here: Conclusion, Great Wolf Lodge does a good job of branding and theming (theme ing) the lodge. This will be Great Wolf's 20th resort and its largest with 700 family-friendly suites and a 126,000-square-foot indoor water park. Reviews of Great Wolf Lodge are replete with suggestions to go off site to eat. The entire Kalahari Resort is enormous. Thank you for taking the time to comment! The other kids and I voted for Great Wolf Lodge. There is also a fountain near the middle of the lobby with chairs and tables to sit and eat. Our resort near Los Angeles in Garden Grove offers both indoor water park fun and exciting land attractions. It did this twice; it was not a blip. Per AllEars, the Wilderness Lodge Resort rooms have nightly prices of: Standard View Room $369 - $709. Great Wolf Lodge Poconos Water Park Toddler Play Kalahari has the most toddler slides by far when comparing the three resorts. The theming is carried throughout multiple aspects of the total experience. The website said that masks would be required on all guests and staff, unless eating or in water & social distancing of 6 ft would be expected of guests. The side-lite mirror was a nice feature that we enjoyed. Camelbacks Aquatopiaseems to strike a particularly good balance for children in the 10 + age group. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. I asked everyone in the family if we are going back down to the Poconos and staying at one of the resorts tomorrow night where would you want to stay? For our 6 and 8 year olds who have never been to an indoor waterpark, were doing GWL first and will get to the others later. There is a seating and/or dining area in some units. We purchased a total of two rooms, one for 5 days and one for 3. Kalahari vs. Great Wolf - WE HAVE A WINNER!! - Tripadvisor From the accommodation standpoint it was a much more memorable stay! Likewise, there is a cost associated with the convenience of those activities being offered right there and that is cost. Kalahari Resorts opened in 2015 in the Poconos. This will have been our 4th time here, and 1st post COVID and I dont think we will be back sadly. The lobby is big but not massive like it is at Kalahari! I've not been to Cedar Point in 25 years (since high school) and I've never been to Kalahari or Great Wolf. The room was nice and clean but nothing particularly memorable. It seems, for obvious safety reasons, that a toddler area would be better located on the lowest level of the water park. Ill lead with the first thing we noticed and was glad to see: the resort addressing the marijuana use! Great Wolf Lodgeis the best for younger kids because it has the most charm and does a better job of theme ing with its characters throughout the entire experience (lodging, dining & water park) compared to either Aquatopia or Kalahari. This is the main transfer hub from the Blue and Red lines serving the city tourist areas, to the Green line that runs through Niagara Parks. Kalahari Resort has Tom Foolerys, a gigantic indoor adventure park. The Great Wolf Lodge resort in the Poconos was constructed in 2005 and is one of roughly 19 locations for the chain. All three resorts are located very close to each other in the Poconos. We recently took a little trip to the Poconos and stayed one night @ Great Wolf Lodge immediately followed by a one-night stay @ Kalahari. WEGO features three different bus lines that all meet in Niagara Parks at Table Rock next to the Horseshoe Falls. After learning about the aspects of both of these resort, which one will your family choose? how far is great wolf lodge from the falls? - Tripadvisor Kalahari activities and attractions differ with each location. Camelbacks Aquatopia resort opened their indoor water park in May of 2015. 1 Daily Price Comparison of The Poconos WaterParks: Great Wolf Lodge vs Kalahari vs Aquatopia. This was terrific we will likely do all three spaced out over a few years, but this absolutely helped us figure out what order to go in. It is also carried through with the water park experience itself with some of the attractions incorporating the characters and /or lodge theme. Locations Great Wolf Lodge was the first massive waterpark resort destination, with locations in the Midwest, first in the Wisconsin Dells in 1997, then expanding into Sandusky, Ohio, near Cedar Point Amusement Park a few years later. It is in the middle in terms of the size of its indoor water park and in number of rooms at the resort. Most times I find that the pictures or decorations in a motel/hotel really dont add anything to the experience. They need to do better when people are spending crazy money on these rooms because its not cheap at all!! They told us someone was in route with the pizza. That is with just 2 adults and 4 kids. We stayed @ Great Wolf Lodge on a Tuesday night and then Kalahari on Wednesday night of the same week. Great Wolf Lodge's water park is 80,000 square feet, but Kalahari's is over 220,000 square feet. There are a number of other activities available at the lodge. We have been to both resorts in the past but thought it would be fun to do a back-to-back comparison. . Great Wolf Lodge is far enough from the falls you would want to take some transportation. Especially liked the Learn to Surf place. There was also only one sink in the room (as well as only one bathroom which had only a standard sized tub). All corresponding bartenders were very nice as well. Select a location to begin your adventure now! Marseeya <font color=blue>Drama Magnet<br><font color=deepp Joined Feb 18, 2005 Jun 30, 2006 #2 Christine DIS Veteran Joined Aug 31, 1999 Jun 30, 2006 #3 My mom went to the Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara a few weeks ago. We were on the bottom level and we had a small patio walk out area next to the ropes course. Two of my kids are begging to go back to Kalahari. I hope you and your family have a wonderful stay! 92% of travelers recommend this experience. Kalahari Resort has an entire grotto (both indoor and outdoor) for adults with a swim-up bar. Bigger waterpark and more rides than Great Wolf Lodge. It doesnt extend to the guest rooms and amenities. The size of the indoor water park is roughly 125,000 square-foot, which makes it slightly larger than the Great Wolf Lodge water park @ roughly 79,000 square-foot, but decidedly smaller than Kalaharis indoor water park which is roughly 220,000 square-foot.