Great Wolf Lodge!

My family recently got back from a mini-vacation (2 days, 1 night) at Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound (near Centralia), WA. Admittedly, it's not in or even very near Renton (it's actually about 75 mi. away!) But I promised a bunch of people I'd give a "full report" of my family's adventure and hey, this is my blog and I can write about whatever I want! ;-)

There's a lot I could write about this place but the bottom line is: It's great! As a "family destination resort", it's definitely kid-friendly. Those of us who went were my husband and our two kids (ages 1 and 4) and my husband's brother, wife, and their kids (ages 5 and nearly 8), and a family friend (an adult).

So what exactly is there? Well, it's basically a huge indoor water park connected to a hotel. But really, it's oh so much more. It also includes a spa, kids' spa, interactive live-action game (called Magiquest), arcade (similar to the kind at ChuckECheese), teen "club", and a younger kids' "club". I would venture to say they've got something for everyone.

THE LODGE: The Lodge itself was very nice with a Pacific NW feel to it- lots of wood paneling and a nature-themed decor, with art/statues of wolves and bears, and chandeliers made of (real? replica? I still don't know...) antlers. It's very large with several living room like seating areas (sofas/chairs around coffee tables). Three times a day there's an animatronic show at the clock tower and in the evening there's a free storytime that takes place there. Each morning there's a free event for kids (the "Wolf Walk") in which someone tells them some facts about different animals (such as wolves, bears, moose, etc.) and then the kids do a little craft (we made an origami wolf). These were both enjoyable activities although it was hard to hear the show/person talking because of the high amount of ambient noise in the lodge. NOV. 2008 UPDATE: We did the "Wolf Walk" again and it was a little different from the last time we went (learned some new animal facts) but we did the same origami wolf as last time. FEB. 2011 UPDATE: We always attend the 8pm show/storytime and it's packed... get a spot on one of the sofas by "camping out" at 7:30pm. "Wolf Walk" was again a little different but basically the same format and we did the origami wolf again.

THE WATER PARK/LOCKER ROOMS: The Water Park is huge (56,000 sq. ft.) and is well set-up to meet your family's needs whether your kids are young or older. We spent most of our time in the little kids' area, where the water level starts at 0'0". There were two kiddie slides and lots of permanent water toys that allow your kids to spray and pour water from buckets and other fixtures. (In many ways, this area reminds me of the play area at Henry Moses Aquatic Center in Renton.) The resort had plenty of free lifejackets available in a variety of sizes for your kids to use. We started out in the water with the kids but felt comfortable after a time allowing them to play there while we watched from just outside the pool. The set up in that area is such that if you're sitting at one end, you wouldn't be able to see your kid at the opposite end, so we did end up walking along the pool to keep careful watch but that was fine. They did have lifeguards actually in the water watching the kids, but of course we don't expect other people to responsible for our young ones. The rest of the park also includes a wave pool, water play area w/ basketball hoops and permanent flotation features, hot tub, multi-level "fort" with two slides, and three more slides including one that involves riding a 4-person raft down a total of 6-stories for the brave of heart! The website made it sound to me like these were all separate areas but really everything's all in one very big place. All in all, I would say that park was well-attended by lifeguards, though we did notice that height restrictions didn't seem strictly enforced so again, parents, please watch your kids. The park includes a locker room with a few individual shower stalls and free soap. There are also free towels for your use while there so there's no need to lug around your own towels. No hairdryer in the locker rooms but there is a changing table and family shower area in the back. There's a concession stand inside the park if you get hungry and we also saw people bring in their own food (though there's a sign when you enter saying not to). Lockers (somewhat on the small side- I'm guessing maybe 12x14"?) are available for day use ($5 fee, $10 refundable deposit). NOTE: The entire lodge is open to anyone but the Water Park requires a wrist band, which you can only get if you're staying overnight. FEB. 2010 UPDATE: They now do random bag searches for food when you enter the water park- best to leave food in your car/room. FEB. 2011UPDATE: They are now checking kids' heights as you enter the water park and giving a separate color-coded wristband to ensure height restrictions are enforced. Lockers are now $10 with a $10 refundable deposit.

THE SPA/KIDS' SPA (Scoops): I didn't experience this this time around but I can tell you that a 1-hr massage is $95 and includes a foot-soak beforehand. I'm not sure what they're thinking with the kids' spa, though- a kids' manicure is $45!

MAGIQUEST: There is no mention of this on their website but after we checked in we noticed lots of kids with "Potter-esque" magic wands. As they flicked their wands towards lodge decor, "magic" happened. Our 4-yr old was thrilled to see a fake raccoon swing back and forth and "talk" (the mouth didn't move but you heard sound through a speaker) when he saw another kid use his wand. On investigation, we learned that the wand is $15 and game play (good during your entire visit) is $10. "What!?!", we thought, "No way are we buying a $25 toy that only works in this resort!" In the end, we relented, but it turned out to be great fun and here's why... turns out it's not just a clever little remote control that makes loge decor move and talk. It's actually part of an interactive game, pretty much a high-tech scavenger hunt. When you buy the wand and activate it you also get a booklet filled with rhyming riddles that challenge you to find various things throughout the lodge (all located on the first 5 floors). It ended up being something that our whole family enjoyed (although it did involve a lot of walking, which got pretty tiring). The computer system remembers where you left off so you can continue the game next time you visit (a brilliant marketing ploy, I know!) and you only buy the wand once. It's not surprising, but I feel I must add that the Magiquest store sells more than just wands so be prepared for your kid to ask for the various other accessories they sell... I'm proud to say that we resisted buying any of them (this time, anyway!) NOV. 2008: We did the "Magiquest Game" again (for a $10 activation fee) and, just as we'd been promised, the computer remembered where we'd left off. Our son is now a "Master Magi" and looks forward to our return when he'll defeat the dragon. FEB. 2010 UPDATE: Don't know if it was available before and we didn't know about it, or if it's a new thing, but apparently you can get a Magiquest wand ($15) and they'll turn it on for free. Game play is $10 but if you just want your kid to be able to wave around the wand and make things light up/turn on, it's free. Our (now) 3 yr. old wanted her own wand this time. Yes, I know it's not cheap for something that only works at the Lodge but this was our 4th time back and we plan to return again and again. As an aside, if your kids like to dress up beware that the Magiquest store has a tempting assortment of wizard robes and fairy wings, etc. and I've noticed more and more kiddos dressed up as they walk around the Lodge- consider bringing stuff from home to stave off requests for new dress up clothes! Oh, and our son defeated the dragon- woohoo! FEB. 2011 UPDATE: This interactive game is now referenced on their website but lacks a lot of details. The price of game play has gone up to $13. The price of wands as gone up to $17. An add-on "adventure" has also been created called COMPASSQUEST. For $15 you get a "compass" and 9 new quests. The compass is really just a toy that looks like a large compass and has a computer chip in it- I really think for that price they should also stick a real compass on there! Anyway, our now 7 yr. old bought it with his own money so I'm not complaining. At least $13 for game play includes both products (wand and compass). They're also selling belts now, too- black or pink- for $15. Includes clever little holders for a wand and a compass. Even the XS was too big for our kids' tiny waists but we were able to slide the straps into the different holders and make it work well enough.

THE FOOD: It was fine but overpriced. At the Bar and Grille, it was about $10 for an okay and somewhat small hamburger; another $1.50 if you want fries instead of chips w/ that; another $2 for soda. The kids' meals are about $6; another $1 for a soda. The biggest problem w/ that place was the over one-hour wait (we were told it'd be 45 mins.) When we were seated, the hostess told us our wait "wasn't long at all" since the usual wait time is 1.5 hrs. (if that's so, why did she originally tell us 45 mins.!?!) Our waitress said they are expanding the restaurant to solve this problem. At the Buffet, it was about $14 for adults and $8 for kids over 3 for breakfast. The food was fine but I always feel like I have to eat way more than I normally would to justify the cost of a buffet for that price. We didn't eat dinner there but it's about $17 for adults and $10 for kids. Our buffet did include drinks and we were even able to take our coffee to-go when we left. There's a Pizza Hut in the building, where it was about $6 for a personal pan pizza and $12 for a medium pizza. There's also an ice cream place where it was about $3 for a single scoop in a waffle cone. There's a Starbucks in the building (long line in the morning), where the prices seemed on par with what I'd pay in Renton. As an aside, we were surprised at how low the tax was on everything (3%). Turns out the resort is on tribal land so that's why the tax is lower. FEB. 2010 UPDATE: I didn't check but I'm sure the restaurant wait time is not so bad anymore. Still probably only ok food though and still overpriced. FEB. 2011 UPDATE: Pizza Hut medium size pizzas (the only size they sell besides the Personal size) are $14. Ice cream at the sweet shop is about the same. I'm not sure about the Lodge-run restaurants cause I didn't check this time but I'm sure prices went up a bit. One nice thing, though, the restaurant now sells pizza and it's cheaper than Pizza Hut! $13 for a large one-topping pizza. We brought our own drinks and even a salad kit so that's all we needed for our dinner (plus ice cream for dessert, of course!) Call-in the order or stop by then come back and pick it up in about 20 or so mins. There's another off-site option, a place called "Burger Claim". It's basically in the same parking lot so you could easily walk. Burgers were good but we paid $25 for dinner for our family of 4. The kids' meals were small and didn't include a toy (which is most of the reason why my kids even want those meals). The burgers (and quantity of fries) that hubby and I had were huge and if we ordered from there again we'd split it. Or we'll just hit McDonald's instead. We prefer bringing most of our food but do like to run thru the drive-thru on our way home.

THE TEEN CLUB (Gr8Space): It's another $10 to get into this place but if I were a teenager, I'd definitely want to go. As a parent, I think I'd be ok w/ my teen hanging out there because it had two large windows that anyone could see into, the entrance door was wide open, it wasn't very dark inside, and it's in a high-traffic area (near the ice cream place and just outside the water park). It had lots of chairs, a dance floor, computers, and DJ playing hip hop music. I think they may also play movies and/or video games there are different times. FEB. 2011 UPDATE: I didn't check but considering all the other prices have gone up, these probably have too.

THE KIDS' CLUB (Club Cub): It's free to join this club (which really just means they're happy to take your kids' name, birthday, and your address/email address in exchange for a free dinner coupon to be used in your child's birth month and keepsake bracelet) and there are a few free activities your kid can do in there. It's basically a craft/activity room, which includes some kids' toys and tv (that wasn't on when I stopped in). There are lots of crafts kids can do for about $3-15 each. I don't think I'd bother w/ the paid crafts but some free coloring pages or whatever we might do in the future. Kids under 12 need to be accompanied by an adult. NOV. 2008: You don't realize how much ambient noise is in that place until you go somewhere a little quieter like the Kids' Club. It was a nice place to get a little down time. There were some books, board games, a play house, a play shopping cart, and computer with the same kid's software that's at the Fairwood library (i.e., learning games). So there's more there than crafts. The employees were friendly and didn't "push" the paid crafts. For free, kids can color, cut, or glue stuff, and our son was content with that. Our daughter could spend an entire day pushing around a kid's shopping cart if you let her, so once she saw that, we were all set. FEB. 2010 UPDATE: We got a coupon for kids' color-your-own tshirts so we did actually do a paid craft this time. The shirts were unique (said "Great Wolf Lodge" on them and had a picture of their mascot and water slides) and the kids liked coloring them. Probably wouldn't have gotten them without the coupon though. FEB. 2011 UPDATE: Well now that the kids know about the tshirts they wanted them again! They did actually wear their old ones a lot in the last year and have outgrown them even. I noticed the lowest prices on items are $5 now and looked more closely at the crafts- some of them really are just Dollar Store type things (like a paint-your-own sun catcher). But the tshirt design was different and the kids contributed some of their own money towards them (shirts are $15 ea). NOTE: The lodge schedule we got when we registered was not current- you might swing by the Cub Club on arrival for a current schedule and grab a price list while you're there, too...

THE ARCADE (Northern Lights): We managed to avoid this place. Not that I have anything against it exactly but it's another place to spend more money so we stuck w/ playing the Magiquest game instead. I did find out that the it's like a very nice version of ChuckECheese... basically, there are games you play for 1-2 tokens each and then get tickets from it. You then use the tickets to "buy" prizes. I heard the prizes are nicer than what you get a ChuckE's and required fewer tickets. Tokens are 25 cents each. NOV. 2008 UPDATE: Couldn't avoid it this time... the lights and sounds were just too tempting for the kids (heck, even I at least wanted to go in there- they use a blacklight, fun!) Two rounds of tokens, bought over two days, cost us $10. Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but the kids did seem to win more tickets than they do at ChuckECheese for each game played and the available prizes really did seem nicer as well. So we were happy with that experience and thought it was a good value. FEB. 2011 UPDATE: Got suckered into spending $20 there this time... I love a "deal" and they were running a special where you could get 12 extra tokens when you paid for 80 tokens. That was probably more than we needed but we still had fun and got some ok toys, not sure if they were really worth $20 though...

The ROOM: My family stayed in the King Suite (one king bed and a pull-out sofa), which included a good sized fridge (free to use), coffeemaker, and hairdryer. We got the grand opening rate of $179. Normal rates for that room (one of the cheapest in the hotel) appear to be about $249-329. Honestly, I don't think I'd pay more than $179. Considering the price of gas and all the other things you end up having to buy (food, locker, activities, etc.), more than that is too much to justify just for "fun". I did notice that there are rates as low as $179 again starting in Sept. NOV. 2008 UPDATE: This time our stay included "just us" (me, my husband, and our now 4.5 year-old son and 1.5 year-old daughter). We again found a reduced rate, though this time it was $189. To find a deal, check the "Deals" tab on their website but also just go into the reservation section and start clicking dates on the calendar. Generally, staying on a Sunday through Thursday night will be the cheapest unless it's the week of local school breaks (including summer break, of course). In my original post, I forgot to mention that the rooms also have a microwave- that makes all the difference if you're planning to bring your own food. We did bring our own food this time- sandwich makings for lunch and bagels and yogurt for breakfast as well as snacks and drinks. We enjoyed a "planned splurge" on pizza for dinner, eating it in the main lobby at one of the several sitting areas. Although there is free coffee in the rooms, we also got Starbucks to go with our breakfast. And we shared a large ice cream after dinner. It took a little more planning and meant lugging in another bag, but bringing much of our own food really made a difference for us on the final cost of this mini-vacation. FEB. 2011 UPDATE: Now that our oldest is in school I can see why you might not get the cheapest rates available... in order to avoid missing school we had to go over mid-winter break and of course prices are higher when you go during popular times. Our rate for a Family Room (two queens and a pull-out sofa) was $239. I'm pretty sure I saw $179 rates on other days so do look around. Takes a little time (have to check each date individually) but it's worth it. Brought out own breakfast, lunch, snacks, and drinks again, so that helped a lot. Seems that rates are pretty much holding since they opened but everything else has increase.

FINAL ANALYSIS: We will definitely be back to this place but only when we can get the lowest rates. We will also bring more food of our own and may consider a trip down the road (about 1/3 mi. to either the Dairy Queen or McDonald's) to save on food costs. Overall I'd give this place a kidspot rating of 1.5. (To get a 1.0, it would need at least one footstool in each of the bathrooms or at least one lower sink for kids to reach-- yes, I'm a very picky grader!)

PS: In case you're wondering, the water park is open only to hotel guests though "day passes" are available on a limited basis to friends of hotel guests.

YET ANOTHER UPDATE (FEB. 2011): You can now sign up for coupons to be sent to your mobile phone via text. Do it when you get there and some decent coupons will start coming in. To use them you just give the cashier your cell#. Pretty cool. Finally, on the day of check-in, the place was MUCH busier than we've ever seen it (probably because we were there over mid-winter break for a lot of local schools). The line was so long that employees actually started bringing around trays of free chocolate-covered strawberries and wrist bands for the water park. It was a great way to keep people happy while waiting in line (we were also encouraged just to go swim and come back later for check-in).