On a subsequent trip (after COVID) we also visited Camelbacks Aquatopia. 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. The water is warm, but not too hot. The water park @ Aquatopia was nice. The Great Wolf Lodge resort in the Poconos was constructed in 2005 - and is one of roughly 19 locations for the chain. I hope you have a wonderful time with your family! I'm going to breakdown each part of the resort that we visited and give you the key points:CHECK IN/ROOM - We checked in with Kassi at 12 noon and were happy to hear our room was ready. It was, however, small. We certainly do have a lot of different ways to entertain and excite the kids! On our previous visit a couple of years ago we felt the place was showing some wear and tear. Advice: you can't come to a place like this and complain about how much things cost. Just a small thing that can be easily rectified. Use Great Wolf Lodge for what it is really good at and skip the rest! This was because: 1) We are a family of 6 and eating out is not usually relaxing or enjoyable! They contain a variety of aquatic activities such as water slides, swimming pools, wave pools, lazy rivers, and splash pads. Which is better for his age? There was a nice variety of the treats and each of the kids was able to find something appealing to them. This past visit however was somewhat disappointing. Great Wolf Lodge Poconos is a staple in the region. Right away we were looking for and expecting a wonderful customer service experience, and Kalahari did not disappoint. Kalahari Resort, positioned in Spherical Rock, Texas, is analogous in some ways to Nice Wolf Lodge. Enjoy your family vacation at one of the great indoor water park resort choices in your area! This was our 3rd visit to Kalahari, the 2 previous times we stayed was before March 2017 when the resort was only half way completed. Management thanks you for your suggestions and for noting how well-trained our associates are! The room was very clean and up-to-date. https://www.theparenthoodadventures.com/waterpark-comparison-chart-kalahari-aquatopia-great-wolf-lodge/ The company owns and operates its family resorts under the Great Wolf Lodge brand. It was unpleasant to see and to step on. As part of the U.S.' largest group of family-friendly water parks, this indoor water park has perfected how to maximize family fun for all ages. Learn how your comment data is processed. This is another thing that I think Kalahari does well and it makes it a little easier to satisfy everyone and their differing tastes with so many food choices. Were going in January. It is also something that Kalahari does well . There are a lot of food choices @ Kalahari of which we have only sampled a few. Which Poconos waterpark do you like best? Although the room was designated for up to 6 people it felt like we were on top of each other at times. Hours: Depending on the day, the indoor water park is open from 9am to 9pm or 10am to 8pm. A general view of the Great Wolf Lodge in Fort Mackenzie. For the price I would expect better service. He was open to questions about the place and even offered a few suggestions. The Kalahari wave pool is much bigger than the Great Wolf Lodge wave pool. Both are reasonable attempts at having a meal on the healthier side. Great review, were leaning towards Kalahari but wanted to know about outdoor activities in the winter, could our kids go snow tubing or something related at any of these three resorts? Otherwise, she and the others had a very good time.Kalahari was worth the trip. I am pleased to hear that our staff was friendly and that our facilities were well maintained throughout your stay. 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. The room was not only spacious, but didn't reek like cat urine. Can I ask how the service levels compared at the two as well as the food? My family has stayed in themed rooms at both resorts. From what we saw of the pricing most of the activities were on the more expensive side. But we generally dont patronize too many sit down restaurants with 4 kids with ages ranging from 2-10. Our balcony overlooked a very lightly used service road and then there was an unobstructed view of the forested mountain side. For example when booking your accommodations you can select a themed suite, such as the KidCabin Suite which we did. Would have been nice to have them inside as well.The waterpark overall was phenomenal - huge and definitely accommodates young and old. We really liked the 2 water falls that were present on the lazy river. Thats theming! The rides for the kids are great, it is an entired water playground for toddlers with amazing water slides! We also liked the master light switch in the room that made it very easy to turn off every light in the suite with one switch. There are other places with better miniature golf courses and a regular bowling alley does a better job for bowling so we tend not to spend our dollars on those activities when we are at Great Wolf Lodge. The lobby was somewhat hectic with the number of people filing in and out, restaurants, shops, carts filled with souvenirs for sale, and a long line at the guest registration desk. Various restaurants, childrens amenities and retail establishments will also be included in the new development. Life jackets are not required but are available as well as puddle jumpers. Kalaharis waterpark is the largest at 220,000 square feet & Camelbacks Aquatopia indoor waterpark is right in the middle at 125,000 square feet. Saturday, August 10, 2013 Great Wolf Lodge vs. Gaylord Texan By the time August rolls around our family is in desperate need of a get-away. The balcony/patio was laughable. GWL has excellent sales. It is always wonderful to receive complements on our dcor as we want our guests to have as authentic an experience as possible. The mountainous / hilly location complimented the overall lodge theme and it was nice to sit out there with the kids as the weather cooled in the evening. Finally, we did have a rather poor experience one morning ordering from the Cafe & Bar (AKA, Mountain Market, World Bazaar Coffee Shop). You used the same bathroom photo for both resorts. Great Wolf Lodge was nearly as inexpensive during the week as Aquatopia ($249 vs $238), and the cheapest on Saturday night. Aquatopia made an effort to do some theme-ing with the Kartrite Quest /Adventures but this really only covers the water park and the activities for kids to the left of the lobby. We had a cabin themed room for this stay (KidCabin Suite) and the kids enjoyed it more than I had expected! If I was ever to get a weekend alone with my wife we would go to Kalahari since there are more amenities and it is not so kid-centric. We like archaeology and the lost river archaeology theme was interesting and well done. There is also a cafe (Cafe & Bar) and a restaurant (Horizons) located right off the main lobby. We are a family of 6 with four kids ranging in ages from 5 12 years old. I' m not concerned about price, can get a deal. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. In November 2020, a competitor to GWL opened in Texas. The other kids and I voted for Great Wolf Lodge. Sitemap, Revealed: The US Airports & Airlines With The Most Frequent Flight Delays, The Ultimate Guide to Kalahari Resort Locations in the US, The Ultimate Guide to Six Flags Locations in the US, Palm Springs Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting With Kids, Seattle Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting with Kids, Las Vegas Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting with Kids, Florida Keys Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting with Kids, Myrtle Beach Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting with Kids, The Bahamas Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting with Kids. This post was incredibly helpful!!! If you have visited all three waterparks in the Poconos please let us know which one YOU liked best! CLICK HERE TO VIEW VARIOUS CREDIT CARDS AND AVAILABLE SIGN-UP BONUSES, New Private Luxury Facility Coming to DFW, Virgin Atlantic Makes it Official and More, March Transfer Bonuses: Marriott, Avianca, Virgin Red, Royal Caribbean Quietly Reduces Housekeeping to Once per Day, Hyatt Announces 2023 Hotel Category Changes, Easy: Changing AAdvantage Award flight via Twitter DM. When I checked out on the 25th I asked for a receipt, and the amount I was charged was correct ($390.10) When I received my credit card statement on December 9th I noticed that what I was charged from Aquatopia/Camelback was $25 higher than it should have been. Kalahari Resort vs. Great Wolf Lodge. Two of the biggest and best (and among the industry's early pioneers) are in the water park capital of the world, Wisconsin Dells: Kalahari at 125,000 square feet and Chula Vista at 110,000 square feet . So if you are looking for a martini, you will have to hit one of the restaurants. The toddler splash park area is very big at Kalahari with a lot of water-table type attractions and activities for the little ones. Our obstinate 2-year-old was NOT able to enjoy ANY of these activities / attractions, or even the wave pool due to the fact that she refused to wear a life jacket which Kalahari required children under 4 feet in height to wear at all times when in any water. We had no real negatives about Great Wolf but in all honesty, Kalahari Resort surpasses them on almost all levels, but to no fault of Great Wolf. The top 10 winners in the category Best Indoor Water Park are as follows: Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark - Tannersville, Pennsylvania. 11 Best Small Towns to Visit in Central Upstate New York, https://www.theparenthoodadventures.com/waterpark-comparison-chart-kalahari-aquatopia-great-wolf-lodge/. My household has loved a handful of stays on the water park lodge Nice Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Texas (and one go to to the GWL in Southern California). Hello, Erika! Recently, my family visited Kalahari Resort for the first time. A report from KSAT sister station KPRC states that the indoor water park will break ground in 2022 in the city of Webster, just south of Houston. I will be sure to pass your kind words along to Kassi, David, Robin, and Amanda! Copyright 2023 The Parenthood Adventures! This is probably the one area that Aquatopia beats both Great Wolf Lodge & Kalahari. Friendly, accommodating, informative.we were very happy with the initial interaction. I also added a note how COVID-19 has delayed our plans to stay @ Aquatopia. I actually have a hard time believing that the square footage of the park is larger than the water park @ Great Wolf Lodge. Yes it is HUGE but it is also laid out well and serves as a destination itself within the resort. Kalahari . Snow tubing in PA requires no special skills or equipment and is appropriate for almost everyone. Great Wolf Lodge has a woodsy/lodge theme and decor. It was nicely decorated and efficiently arranged. It is in the middle in terms of the size of its indoor water park and in number of rooms at the resort. We usually just order a pizza and eat it in our room with maybe a salad. Great Wolf Lodges water park continues their wildlife theme. There is one primary restaurant on the main level on the left side of the lobby / front entrance. Great Wolf Resorts told KPRC in a statement, Were always looking for opportunities to introduce the Great Wolf Lodge resort experience to new audiences, and we are excited about the prospect of bringing one of our family-friendly indoor water park resorts to southeastern Texas.. Keep in mind theres a third indoor water park resort in the Poconos: Camelback Mountain Resort. It had a pretty good selection of desserts and chocolates. Since we are fans of Indiana Jones we like most archaeology theme including this one but I would not say the theme-ing is immersive other than the lazy river. You might prefer the chart we put together along with our conclusions. However, there seemed to be a noticeable amount of debris at the bottom of the pool which seemed to a combination of plastic and dirt. I would like to further discuss the details of your stay. kalahari waterpark passesmr patel neurosurgeon cardiff 27 februari, 2023 . Thank you for your feedback. Kalahari has the largest indoorwater park of the 3, and is the largestresortlocated in the Poconos. We also only stayed one night, so Im not sure how often housekeeping visits. Wisconsin Dells, WI https://www.greatwolf.com/wisconsin-dells There are currently 4 locations for the chain with the Poconos location being its largest facility. The lobby at Aquatopia is more spacious than the lobby at Great Wolf Lodge but far smaller than the lobby at Kalahari. Speaking of the wave pool we did find the buzzer alert to notify guests of the beginning of a wave cycle to be very harsh and not conducive to the relaxing atmosphere that should be associated with a wave pool. [3] Great Wolf Resorts is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Great Wolf Lodge is smaller than Kalahari. We simply love everything about it! I noticed that Kalahari may have a larger toddler area. Also, the post was never updated to include information about Aquatopia. We also enjoyed the balcony. Whereas, the roofline @ Great Wolf Lodge is blocky. Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine is a great way to go for a weekend getaway. (Healthy, I know.) With that being said it does appear that the ropes course and zip lines are something that we may try in the future. Location: 1 Great Wolf Drive, Scotrun, PA. 2 of themone outside by the immense outdoor pool and one heated one inside. Your encounters with the lack of cleanliness in the room and waterpark was certainly not up to our standards, so I am interested in hearing more about it. Its a tough call. 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. When he pulled down the Murphy's bed, dirty nastiness came down with it. Activities could include yoga, character appearances, crafts, a nightly Forest Friends show, story time, and a dance party. The view felt somewhat private and we really enjoyed it! We were also advised that we would receive a text message when our room was ready. [2] In addition to a water park, each resort features restaurants, arcades, spas, and children's activities. We have not yet patronized any of these establishments. Welcome to Great Wolf Lodge! Most of the time we were at Aquatopia we ate FROM Trails End Pub & Grille. It may come down to a simple question: How old are the children in your party? Kalahari Resort has Tom Foolerys, a gigantic indoor adventure park. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. This time we were on the third floor and had a balcony. The development is expected to break ground during the first quarter of 2022 and construction of the facility will begin no later than April 2025, according to KPRC. Both resorts in the Poconos have a water coaster. We did still struggle with the menu & felt that it was very limited in that we found it difficult to find healthier options for our family. The kids really enjoyed the cabin themed suite which was adorned with a lot of cute character images. We stayed from Tuesday through Thursday during July. Welcome to Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Round Rock 223,000 square feet, filled with wet, wild, fun. So we decided to check it out and see how things had changed. Heres a comparison guide for all three of these resorts. I'm going to breakdown each part of the resort that we visited and give you the key points: Camelback is unique in that it has both an INDOOR water park (Aquatopia, which is open year-round) and a separate OUTDOOR water park (Camelbeach) that is only open for the summer season. Thank you for taking the time to comment! It's the easiest way to hit the slopes! The place is ENORMOUS and although it's extremely busy and pretty crowded most of the time, there is plenty of seating in the waterpark. I love the theming of GWL and my kids are obsessed with Magi Quest, but the adults only things at Kalahari cant be beat! Yes there were two night stands on either side of the bed in the master suite. My six year olds love the slides, and they are allowed to ride on everything at Great Wolf, but my teens get bored very quickly. In addition to the arcade, there are six amusement park rides, including the Screamn Centipede roller coaster with 360-degree rotating cart. The water park @ Kalahari is HUGE. Sincerely, Great Wolf Lodge. (especially Aquatopia & Great Wolf Lodge) If you were to drive from Kalahari, to Great Wolf Lodge, and then to Aquatopia the total distance would be approximately 11.3 miles and take just 26 minutes. It seems that there are parts of the water park that are only staffed at peak attendance. Towel check-out is something new since our last visit. Within 45 minutes of our arrival, I received a text message that our room was ready, but no one was ready to take a break.Warning: You cannot bring outside food into the waterpark so if you want something to eat, you have to purchase food inside. Admission: Rates start at $277 a night for a standard four-person room. Thank you to the staff we mentioned for really making sure our stay was the best it possibly could be! We LOVED IT!More. For just one four-year-old, I think Great Wolf is probably a better choice. The Lobby is one of the things I, and everyone in my family, really liked about Kalahari! 111 Things to Do in the Adirondacks & Upstate New York! We recently visited Camelback Mountain Resorts waterpark Aquatopia (November 24th, 2021). Choosing which resort to bring your family to can be daunting as both resorts offer very similar attractions and amenities. (assuming same accommodations we had for this past trip) and this is how they all answered. Two of my kids are begging to go back to Kalahari. The short of it about the same as Great Wolf Lodge and FAR less than Kalahari! I felt the prices were reasonable for this type of American Pub food. Compare management, culture and compensation ratings for Great Wolf Lodge and Kalahari Resorts & Conventions. Yes, there were some healthy options just not a very good variety. Across from that there is a small decent sized souvenir shop / store and a small dessert kiosk. The resort recently completed a huge expansion that added 130,000 sq feet of conference facilities to the 100,000 sq feet of existing facilities. Kalahari has one indoor and one outdoor area - both are huge (Kalahari's is one of the largest indoors in the US). They were methodical and intense, and I just didn't get that feeling with many of the lifeguard staff here. However, each locations water parks and amenities vary. We recently took a little trip to the Poconos and stayed one night @ Great Wolf Lodge immediately followed by a one-night stay @ Kalahari. Crystal, We usually ordered and brought the food to our room. To alert those in the wave pool of the wave rotation starting it has a wolf howl. Definitely two thumbs up for the adults area at Kalahari! We have never patronized the restaurant as it does seem expensive. For part of our stay both lazy river attractions were open and there were other times when only one was open. Thank you! Adventure Update # 020: 10 Years and 1/2 an Inch! Take care! DreamWorks Water Park - East Rutherford, New Jersey. Advice: you can't come to a place like this and complain about how much things cost. As a native New Yorker, a bit of grit and grime doesn't scare me. For size reference, Great Wolf Lodges water park is the smallest at about 79,000 square feet. Church work is not for the faint of heart, and by the end of the summer church has just flat taken its toll on all of us. I'm going to breakdown each part of the resort that we visited and give you the key points: I look forward to connecting with you. We feature kid-friendly activities, a range of dining options, interactive games, an adult-friendly wine down service, and more all under one roof. Second, certain areas of the waterpark, especially the hot tubs, the wave pool and small kids areas were overcrowded. People who got there after her were served well before her. It's located in the Rockvale Outlets Fox Meadows Creamery has two locations, one in Ephrata, Pennsylvania and one in Leola, Pennsylvania. (Remember that Kalahari is actually a desert in southern Africa.) If you can't afford it, don't bother making the trip. Hello! Kassi was terrific! Just about everything seemed to be swimming in butter or oil, including the overcooked/overheated vegetables. Let me start by saying that we have visited the Great Wolf Lodge location in Fitchburg, MA on 2 separate occasions and had enjoyable visits each time. The room was nice and clean but nothing particularly memorable. Here is a quick breakdown of the outdoor activities offered at each resort: Kalahari: Monkey climb ropes course, zip lines and mini golf. Answer 1 of 6: We want to take my son ( just turned 4) to either Kalahari or Great wolf lodge. Kalahari seems to have a bit more of a selection when it comes to very large rooms. At that point, it was unmistakably the smell of cat urine. See you soon! Here's our overall review.Right away we were looking for and expecting a wonderful customer service experience, and Kalahari did not disappoint. But having a wide variety of restaurants and foods was great! 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. When you leave make sure to return the towels and swipe the wrist band again or you will be charged for the towels. There is a huge fireplace towards the back of the lobby that is adjacent to a huge window that overlooks the water park. Great Wolf Lodge also has a small bowling ally, gem mining, outdoor ropes course, arcade, and glow golf. The room was clean and a good size and the 4 of us had enough room to spread out, with one person taking the full-size, pullout sofa bed. When you check in the lodge they should offer you and / or the kids wolf ears at no extra charge since, after all it is the Great WOLF Lodge!. Great Wolf Lodge has 18 locations, all of which offer indoor water parks with multi-story forts, 1,000-gallon soaker buckets, wave pools, lazy rivers, waterslides of varying heights and speeds, raft rides, whirlpools, kiddie pools and more. However, if our kids were younger, Great Wolf Lodge would be more manageable due to its smaller size and its mascots that appeal to younger kids. That was almost inedible. 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. "The advent of Great Wolf Lodge represents one of the most monumental accomplishments in the City's history," Webster city officials said. They looped continuously so they are readily accessible at any time. Advice: you can't come to a place like this and complain about how much things cost. Especially around the holidays, it has a warm and fuzzy fireplace vibe. 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. Kids are going to want to explore all areas of this place and we find it frustrating reading reviews about those complaining about how expensive everything is. The resort has a spa center, a hot tub and an on-site restaurant. Both resorts also have onsite dining that continues the decor. What we usually do @ Kalahari is claim a couple of tables next to the fountain in the lobby and while one of us stays with the family the other runs around to the different food venues to obtain the items we desire to assemble a meal. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Great Wolf Lodge has a woodland creature and forest theme, while Kalahari has an African theme. That is with just 2 adults and 4 kids. Since we are usually there for just one night we resign ourselves to it being a pizza for dinner night. EXPECT IT and you will have a great time. In particular, it felt narrow. That makes it easy for families traveling with toddlers (and their little legs!). I can't honestly say that anything bit me in the room, we may have been bitten while we were sleeping, or in all the time we were forced to spend on the patio because of the smell.The resort was fine, but I'd avoid this "upgraded suite". The clothing line in the bathroom was broken and the bed covers had an unpleasant smell. Water park temperatures at all three Poconos water parks is the same @ 84 degrees, year-round. Kalahari is newer and more efficiently run. The lobby is big but not massive like it is at Kalahari! So the water park is what we usually focus on. Kalaharis water park does the same, except with a jungle theme. My husband was brave enough to continue exploring as I sat out on the ground level patio. Both resorts are well-themed throughout the resort rooms and the water parks. CamelBack (Aquatopia) has 453 rooms and there are 6 floors (above ground) to the lodge. Staff always pleasant and friendly!FOOD - There is food available in the waterpark in addition to a steakhouse and Italian restaurant. As the kids went ahead, employee Jeremy helped to take bags upstairs. Inspired parents sharing the joys & adventures of the parenthood journey! One of Melani and my pet peeves with regards to hotel accommodations is when there is only one night stand for a queen bed. Socks are required in order to bowl. 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). We did the empirical research so you dont have to! The building must be completed within three years. Your goal is our goal. Thank you to management for a well-trained staff and an enjoyable time! Imagine what it takes to run this place?!? My family recently visited Kalahari Resort in Round Rock, Texas. Kalahari was definitely newer and nicer but also more expensive. Kids under the age of 6 were coming in and out with no parental supervision. We were really looking forward into the expansion since we really loved how great Kalahari was the first two times we visited. There are a number of other activities available at the lodge. Kalahari Resort also has an adult spa and fitness center plus live music entertainment at the steak house and piano bar. Kalahari has a lot of complaints on Google about 2+ hour check in times and no housekeeping. However, it was not a perfect experience in that the air conditioner vented right out onto the one end of the balcony. Chip, I am planning to go to waterpark with three kids, so I really enjoyed all details! Only 2 of our bracelets worked, but we were able to get around that on more than one occasion. Shooting Range (tourist favorite) is closer to Great Wolf. Our suite @ Kalahari was HUGE! We have patronized several of these places, if not all and the kids highly recommend them! Our complaints fell on deaf ears, as we needed a certain amount of space for.our family, and the hotel informed us that there was nothing they could do. However, we felt $26 for chicken parm was a little steep. How does the resort compare to Great Wolf Lodge? 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. Kalahari Resort has an entire grotto (both indoor and outdoor) for adults with a swim-up bar. Kalahariis the biggest of the 3 and has a wider range of offerings that will appeal to both adults & children. We recently made a trip to the Poconos in Pennsylvania to visit a water park resort but didnt know which resort we should go to so we went to all 3 of them! We are still having a debate on what it actually was. Great Wolf Lodge: Outdoor ropes courses seasonal. The food was not good at all. Finding fun places to take your kids in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia. (Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Camelbacks Aquatopia) Which is the right waterpark resort experience for your family? 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. But the resort's smaller size makes it easier to keep an eye on the kids. EXPECT IT and you will have a great time. Very spacious, a flat screen TV in each room and in main living area with fireplace. We just stayed at Camelback the night before Thanksgiving and are actively working on updated the post. She has reported on several high-profile stories during her career at KSAT and specializes in trending news and things to do around Texas and San Antonio. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States.
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