This post is part of the YummyMummyClub.ca and Great Wolf Lodge #GWLNiagara10 sponsored program. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. This post reflects my personal opinion about the information provided by the sponsors.
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Traveling as a family of five can sometimes be tricky. From restaurant tables that only seat four to hotel rooms with only two double beds. We are always on the lookout for new and exciting adventures we can take the boys on that can easily fit our family. We’ve had Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls on our radar for some time now and were really excited at the chance to visit the Lodge just as they celebrate their 10th birthday! Congratulations on the double digits Great Wolf Lodge!
Great Wolf Lodge Family Suites
What’s sweet about Great Wolf Lodge? The family sized suites! Themed suites are available to fit anywhere from 4 to 7 people and come completely decked out in the lodge theme. Our boys went crazy when they saw that our KidCabin Suite had a private log cabin room just for the kids, complete with bunk beds, windows and their own TV! Mom and Dad were just as excited for the privacy and fire place in our own sleeping quarters and it’s always nice to have access to a fridge to keep beverages on hand, bonus points came in the form of an in-room microwave.
Indoor Water Park
Let’s face it, the main attraction at Great Wolf Lodge is the indoor water park and it does not disappoint. With over 103,000 square feet of wet and wild rides there is something for everyone at every level of thrill-seeking! There were plenty of tiny bathers and the entry level pools and pint sized slides were perfect for this age group. I liked that the boys were measured when we entered the water park and were given coloured wrist bands to show us and the staff which rides they were suitable for. My 6 and 7 year old were in the green range that allowed them to ride most slides and my eldest who is 9 was able to ride everything. Our family enjoyed all of the slides we tried, but the boys got bored quickly of the wait time in the line ups and actually preferred to spend their time at the wave pool, lazy river and their favourite activity by far was the basketball hoops. They quickly found other boys their age to play with and had a blast shooting hoops with new friends.
Wolf Tail
To help celebrate their 10th birthday, Great Wolf Lodge unveiled a brand new slide this month called the Wolf Tail! Trust me, it is not for the faint of heart! This ride is for the ultimate thrill-seeker (which is not me by the way!). On the Wolf Tail, you’ll travel 278 feet in 8 seconds: once the floor drops out, you’ll be hurled into a nearly vertical, 20-foot freefall, followed by a 360-degree, high-speed loop! I had a lot of fun watching brave riders drop out of sight, but I never did gather enough courage to take it on myself, I did enough screaming on the Niagara Rapids Run roller coaster water slide!
Beyond the Water Park
I had no idea just how much there was to do beyond the waterpark at Great Wolf Lodge. The best and most affordable way to experience it all is with the Paw Pass which entitles each person access to a whole list of activities and treats. The Paw Pass includes: two games at Ten Paw Bowling, 20 Paw Points and game card for Northern Light Arcade, One MagiQuest game and wand, One quarter pound of fudge, One animal from our Great Wolf Stuffing Station, One 5×7 Paw Prints waterpark action photo, Two Great Wolf Kids activities in Cub Club, One pair of wolf ears and One gift at Scooops Kid Spa. Boymoms, your little dudes might want to skip the pinkness of the spa, but be sure to visit anyway as there is a great selection of gifts to choose that they will be excited about too, including light-up glasses and camo wallets.
The boys really loved being able to help stuff their own characters and the stuffies make a great souvenir. If your kids are Harry Potter fans like mine, they will absolutely love the MagiQuest: Guardians of the Realm Portals game. Once you pick out your wand, you explore the lodge as you take on each quest. The wands are pure magic as they make pictures talk, objects light up and open treasure chests! Your wand is yours to bring home, and you can bring it back to use again next time you visit. We started our quests during the evening thinking it would be a quiet time, but found that the music from the lobby parties and stories made it too difficult to hear. Earlier in the morning, before breakfast turned out to be a great time to roam the lodge, making magic.
If you’ve bought a Paw Pass and have run out of time without getting to the Cub Club, be sure to drop in before you go to pick up your activities to complete at home. The staff have everything you need in little kits that can either be done on-site or at home.
Mom Tip: Send dad to the arcade with the kids and step into Elements Spa next door for a little pampering! There is an array of massage and skin therapy choices along with manicures, pedicures and gentle waxing available. I treated myself to an Eminence Organic Facial which was amazing and came complete with a foot and scalp massage!
Free Fun
There are all kinds of free activities that happen throughout the day taking place in the Grand Living Room. Starting early in the morning with Yoga Tails and going all the way into the evening with Story Time and Dance Parties. Just check the schedule when you arrive to plan your stay.
Final tip, when packing for Great Wolf Lodge, be sure to include flip flops and either beach cover ups, robes or towels for the waterpark. There are complimentary towels provided but they are small for adults and must stay in the water park. It’s quite chilly when you leave wet after a day riding the water slides and want to head back to your room.
Great Wolf Lodge is an amazing family getaway any time of the year. You can always count on the perfect weather for your vacation!
Want a thrilling family vacay that will suit everyone in your family no matter what their age? Great Wolf Lodge Niagara Falls has it all! Zero-depth-entry playgrounds for little ones, jaw-dropping thrill rides and water slides for older kids, and a hot tub for adults!
Plus, Great Wolf Lodge has added a brand new slide to celebrate their 10th anniversary! Will you dare to take the plunge?
Book your fun family vacay through June 16th and get 20% off using promo code YUMMYFUN.
Looks like a great place to visit. I know my nieces/nephews would love it! The family suite looks great!
The rooms were so unique, the kids were blown away. If anything, we wished we had more time to just hang out in the room, but there is so much to do there, we were so busy!
This looks like a blast!
a total blast! non stop fun!
I’ve read a lot recently about the Great Wolf Lodge and it seems to be a marvellous place to stay. The photos show a beautiful place and everyone is bound to have lots of fun there.
It really was an excellent spot for families, we can’t wait to go back!
Thanks so much for the review. We are going to go to GWL this summer because we haven’t had a vacation in such a long time. Thanks for the discount code.
oh you guys will LOVE it!
That looks like such fun! There’s so much to do for kids and it looks like they had a great time. Your boys are the cutest!
awww thank you!
I am dying to go to GWL. The closest one to us is in Washington…which is roughly a 12 hour drive. I’m thinking we will venture there next summer 🙂 This makes me want to go even more.
oh that’s far! It would be a fun road trip though!
I so want to take the kids! They would have a blast. Looks like your guys had a great time.
we definitely did!
You all must have had a grand time,so many fun things to do.
Such a great place for family fun! We have always meant to visit but end up staying closer to town. One day!
It’s worth a trip to Niagara just for Great Wolf Lodge!
We still haven’t been to GWL……..and we live just minutes away! Must change that.
lol funny, sometimes we forget what’s in our own backyard!
absolutely! Lately we’ve been spending a little extra time near the falls. Apparently us locals get a bit of a discount on attractions/services…..I wonder if GWL does the same, I should probably ask around 🙂
I heard from few people in Oct/Nov I believe it is they do you’ll have to double check that, but great Wolf Lodge Niagara is amazing
omg I totally wanna go! I love how the rooms look too so lodgy I could live there. and the water park….jeez the kid inside of me would totally be coming out. might have more fun then my girls
We had the best time at Great Wolf Lodge! I just wish that it wasn’t so expensive, especially for large families like ours, even with discounts in place.
I’m a family of 4 but I’ve heard so many times how hard it is from other moms the number 5 can be when travelling. Great Wolf Lodge is on my bucklet list to do before the kids get too old (but is that really possible … the place looks amazing for adults too!). thanks for sharing all the details and cute family pics.
It’s so fun at any age, but I know what you mean!
It is definitely one of the places we’re looking at going – it’s just three of us so we’ve got it a bit easier!
looks like a great family vacation
I’ve heard a lot about Great Wolf Lodges; never been to one. But I will have to check it out this summer… Looks like a great place to spend time together as a family.
It was a great way to connect, everything is all in one place and the meal plan is perfect so you aren’t running out. Just lots of time to spend together!
The rooms look amazing, in fact the whole place looks amazing!!
I love that they measure the kiddos before they even get started. You know what you can and can’t do right away. Did not know they had bowling too! Super fun
I loved the wrist bands too, the kids were able to easily see what they could go on so it took out any arguing from them and we didn’t have to stop and measure for each ride.
That Suite looks like SO MUCH FUN! I’ve always thought it would be a really cool place to go, but we just haven’t made it happen yet!
I love the bunk area for kids! I’ll have to plan as we’ve been wanting to visit. Great post Jennifer!
ahhhh….this place looks and sounds amazing! It would be great to make it to one sometime while my grandkids are small!
Wow it sure looks and sounds like a great spot I am sure our family would love to stay there.
A blast for everyone! And I adore those little log cabin rooms! I had once wanted a log cabin – this would be a good way to get that fix – and have a good time for all!
This place looks incredible! I wish we had a location in Alberta. It must be hard to leave at the end of your stay!
Looks like such a great place to take the family.
We just got back from our first stay at GWL and my oldest is asking when we are going back! We had such an amazing time.
isn’t it sooo much fun?!
Very nice place to take the kids
Looks like an amazing place to visit with a family.
This is on my bucket list of places I would like to take my kids some day. Thanks for all the helpful tips!
It’s such a fun spot!
What a review, I never thought that it was that big, holy moly it’s humongous, It’s cool that there is other stuff to do as well, I thought it was just a water park, sounds like a great place to take the kids!!
I had always just thought it was a water park too!
We were lucky enough to go here in May and we LOVED it!
Great Wolf Lodge sounds like a perfect place for a family lholiday-especially for famillies who enjoy water sports. My children would have loved visiting this Lodge for a holiday. This is a true family place where many measures are taken to keep you and your children safe. There are lots of activities besides the water ones. Kudos to the owners for giving families a wonderful holiday.
Truly seems like an awesome place for the family to enjoy for sure.
I remember my parents taking me to a great wolf lodge. This is a great place for kids.
Nice review. Great pictures
I love great Wolf lodge. Such a great review. Great place for kids they keep busy and the day does go by fast.
Isn’t it such a fun place?
My grandson can’t wait for their trip to Great Wolf Lodge, booked for next month and he’s so excited!
My grandson is going to Great Wolf Lodge next month and is counting down the days, he’s so excited.
Looks like so much fun. My daughter wants to go so bad but we haven’t had the chance to get there yet. Might have to check it out!
Wow,this certainly looks like a fun place to visit
hoping to go with our little guy as a fun trip before the baby comes, thanks for the post 🙂 we live close to niagara falls so it’s a close trip. Glad to see it was a lot of fun
This is such a great place. I took my kids there when they were they were younger and the fun they had. I would love to go back again one day.
So much fun here. Would love to go back one day.