great wolf lodge vs kalahari great wolf lodge vs kalahari

The kids had a blast, and I think with some minor changes, this place will exceed 5 stars. Likewise the lobby is magnificent! We usually just order a pizza and eat it in our room with maybe a salad. (Basically a jumpy seat for adults.) Also, Outdoor pool and some small outdoor water slides (all seasonal). We had no problem finding a table and chairs to rest our towels and use for eating later. We stayed from Tuesday through Thursday during July. Great Wolf seems to have more of a variety of theming for these bunk bed suites. Some of the profit from any sale may merely make it intoourpocket instead of Jeff Bezos'! Great Wolf Lodge was nearly as inexpensive during the week as Aquatopia ($249 vs $238), and the cheapest on Saturday night. Thats theming! The best playgrounds near Bucks County, PA are some of the best playgrounds in Pennsylvania. It is the smallest of the 3 indoor waterparks in the Poconos, Pennsylvania. Adventure Update # 64: Summer Vacation 2022! It needs to be checked more often. A microwave, refrigerator, and small coffee maker are other amenities in the room. Please see our partners for more details. Recently, my family visited Kalahari Resort for the first time. At Kalahari, there are two separate, toddler play areas. As a native New Yorker, a bit of grit and grime doesn't scare me. Were going in January. The theming is carried throughout multiple aspects of the total experience. It was HORRIBLE! That was almost inedible. Lifeguard. Both resorts are well-themed throughout the resort rooms and the water parks. Check your pack into a world of adventure. Across from that there is a small decent sized souvenir shop / store and a small dessert kiosk. Great Wolf Lodge was nearly as inexpensive during the week as Aquatopia ($249 vs $238), and the cheapest on Saturday night. The hot tub situation was disappointing. Click here to go to the Aquatopia Poconos Indoor Water Park website. (But It Wasnt Horrible), Using United Miles to Increase my Relatives Chances of Getting Hungarian Visas. Winner: Tie Water Park Both resorts have huge water parks that include a wave pool, lazy river, splash areas and of course water slides. Still it was a frustrating experience that cast a pallor over our time and experience there. THE POCONOS Water Park SHOWDOWN, Great Wolf Lodge VS. Kalahari VS. Camelbacks Aquatopia! 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. We are happy to report that there were two night stands with our queen bed! OT: Castaway Bay, Kalahari or Great Wolf Lodge - DISboards.com Otherwise, she and the others had a very good time.Kalahari was worth the trip. On the lower level by the entrance for the water park, there is a pizza place with some tables in the lower lobby area. In this video, I break down the differences between Great Wolf Lodge and Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells, including the rooms, water parks, dining options, and other amenities, to help. We didn't hear a peep after 10pm and slept soundly. Camelbacks Aquatopia had the greatest variation in price for a room being slightly cheaper during the week AND the most expensive on the weekend. My husband and I especially like the adults-only area at Kalahari, and we dont miss the late-night stomping of kids in the hallways playing MagiQuest at Great Wolf Lodge (if you know, you know). Each wing of the resort is 8 floors high and it has 977 rooms in total. Advice: you can't come to a place like this and complain about how much things cost. Warwick Memorial Park is located along Memorial Drive in Jamison, Pennsylvania. I look forward to hearing back from you. Experience a world of play, all under one roof. Especially liked the Learn to Surf place. Level Contributor 1,490 posts 39 reviews Chip Williamson All Rights Reserved. Located below the main lobby is both the entrance to the water park and the arcade. Kalahari Resorts water park has more of everything and also includes a Flowrider, which is popular with older kids and teens. 16 years ago Save I'm pricing a stay for a Christmas gift and Wilderness is about $100 less per night ($165). Agreed, Great Wolf or Castaway would be better. This seems to be an archaeology /exploration theme that they incorporate to water park. Kalaharis water park does the same, except with a jungle theme. The Kalahari Resort is well appointed, nicely decorated, and the facilities are well maintained. Aquatopia at Camelback Lodge in Pennsylvania is 125,000 square feet. I look forward to connecting with you. We simply love everything about it! Kids jumping in and out, the areas are not guarded by staffsame problem as Great Wolf. (Remember that Kalahari is actually a desert in southern Africa.) 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? The employees at Great Wolf are s. I worked at Great Wolf Lodge for a year, and I have been to Kalahari before. The hostesses and the servers were professional and pleasant. Great Wolf and Kalahari were about $289--same dates, same room type. The Great Wolf Lodge resort in the Poconos was constructed in 2005 - and is one of roughly 19 locations for the chain. Then to get to the lower level you have to take the stairs. Great Wolf Lodge is available to host private events of all types. They were methodical and intense, and I just didn't get that feeling with many of the lifeguard staff here. Let's talk about the Royal Hospitality Suite at Kalahari Pocono. So please be aware of this fact when considering the total cost of the resort. Looking up to the roofline Aquatopia does feel more open and expansive since it is more of a sweeping semi-circle in shape. We also liked some of the efficiency features of the room. The front desk staff was extremely professional, friendly and helpful. Kalahari even has a five bedroom suite that can have a maximum of 22 guests. But having a wide variety of restaurants and foods was great! 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. I know that camelback has a swim up bar at its resort but I have never been to the other two. We joke that we lost Sophie our 2 year old for 5 minutes in the immense suite! Ax throwing, ropes course, zip line, off-road Segway tours through the forest & switchback UTV tour. 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. Imagine what it takes to run this place?!? CHECK IN/ROOM - We checked in with Kassi at We visited Kalahari in the Pocono Mountains for a last minute trip with our two girls, ages 8 and 9. Very spacious, a flat screen TV in each room and in main living area with fireplace. It is hard to believe that Aquatopia/Camelback would actually be charging extra for the balcony /patios at this level! There were 2 bathrooms one off the walk-in area and the second one in the master suite. For exact amenities lists, its best to view the Great Wolf Lodge or Kalahari website of the locations you are comparing. I hope you have a wonderful time with your family! Best Indoor Water Park Winners (2021) | USA TODAY 10Best The fact that Aquatopia ALSO has an outdoor water park (Camelbeach) and its night-time illumination make it unique. It felt more intimate and clean, less crowded and sufficiently staffed. Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Camelbacks Aquatopia resort are all located in the Poconos and are VERY close to each other! At times Kalahari actually felt a littletoo bigfor us. It may come down to a simple question: How old are the children in your party? I felt the prices were reasonable for this type of American Pub food. Kalahari vs great wolf lodge for little kids? - Sandusky Forum Thank you to management for a well-trained staff and an enjoyable time! To the left of the lobby is almost exclusively devoted to games and activities for kids really tweens & teens. 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. 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. Otherwise, it far exceeded our expectations and we will definitely be choosing Kalahari over Great Wolf for many years to come. Guestrooms at Great Wolf Lodge Sandusky Oh offer furnished balconies and separate sitting and sleeping areas. I will say we were on the 7th floor..and it was perfectly quiet. The kids really enjoyed the cabin themed suite which was adorned with a lot of cute character images. Just a small thing that can be easily rectified. We appreciate it! Inspired parents sharing the joys & adventures of the parenthood journey! The splash park area of the water park devoted to smaller children (toddlers Penguin Play Bay) is very weak compared to Kalahari and somewhat awkwardly placed on a second tier of the waterpark close to some steps going down. Royal hospitality suite not royal not hospitable. Clean, safe & staff so friendly! Camelbacks Aquatopiaseems to strike a particularly good balance for children in the 10 + age group. During our long walk to the room (the opposite end of the facility), he was VERY professional, engaging and helpful. Kalahari is awesome, but it is very large and also a bit noisier compared to the others. Kalahari Resort has an African safari theme. Aspiring super-mom - who is still anxiously awaiting the arrival of her homemaker skills & superpowers of organization to arrive from Amazon Prime. However, there were at least 6 employees assisting at the registration desk and the line moved relatively quickly. Kalahari Resort has an entire grotto (both indoor and outdoor) for adults with a swim-up bar. Copyright 2023 The Parenthood Adventures! 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. Thank you for your support! Poconos Waterparks: How to Get the Best Deals at Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Aquatopia! We ordered a burrito, nachos grande, chicken fingers, fries and onion rings from a predictable and acceptable selection of menu items. The kids really enjoyed the cabin themed suite which was adorned with a lot of cute character images. Everything is close together in the resort, so not much walking between areas. So the water park is what we usually focus on. Great Wolf Lodge vs. Kalahari vs. CamelBacks Aquatopia! There were not lights on both sides of the queen beds which made night-time reading hard for the person on the side with no light. It is also something that Kalahari does well . Tom Foolerys also has a mirror maze, escape rooms, indoor ropes course, laser tag, rock climbing wall, XD dark ride and bowling. ===> Aquatopia: Aquatopia / Camelback Resort is the BEST indoor water park & resort for families who are ready for a slightly larger water park than Great Wolf Lodge has to offer, want more kids activities and are be interested in more outdoor activities. Throughout the day those areas were also closed several times for about 15 min at a time for cleaning since the kids were pooping and vomiting in the water. Great Wolf Lodge is the best water park for younger kids & toddlers because it has the most charm and does a better job of theme ing with its characters throughout the entire experience (lodging, dining & waterpark) compared to either Aquatopia or Kalahari. At that point, it was unmistakably the smell of cat urine. To alert those in the wave pool of the wave rotation starting it has a wolf howl. I was wondering what your experiences have been with that. My husband was brave enough to continue exploring as I sat out on the ground level patio. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. It's small enough to feel cozy but large enough to feel like you are actually at a hotel. Im guessing the youngest of your children voted for GWL? Fortunately we only live about 2 hours away. We really liked the 2 water falls that were present on the lazy river. In addition to hair dryers and clock radios, guestrooms provide microwaves, refrigerators, coffeemakers, and minibars. When he pulled down the Murphy's bed, dirty nastiness came down with it. Kalahari Resort, located in Round Rock, Texas, is similar in many ways to Great Wolf Lodge. There was also only one sink in the room (as well as only one bathroom which had only a standard sized tub). > Reserve the Desert or Hut Room, Sunday - Friday through June 30, 2006 at Kalahari Resort - Sandusky, Ohio for $99 for up to 4 guests! Many of the activities are located right on the main level off to the left of the main lobby so they are very visible. One of the other simple theming aspects we enjoyed were the 2 Great Wolf Lodge video book stories playing on the resort TV channel. It seems that there are parts of the water park that are only staffed at peak attendance. We like all three. The Lobby is one of the things I, and everyone in my family, really liked about Kalahari! At times Kalahari actually felt a little too big for us (both the resort & the water park). Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney. Kalahari Resort has Tom Foolerys, a gigantic indoor adventure park. This post was incredibly helpful!!! Better selection of local foods near Great Wolf. That is with just 2 adults and 4 kids. Great Wolf Lodge has a woodsy/lodge theme and decor. GWL isnt fast either, but 2+ hours to pay triple the price wouldnt work either. Camelbacks Aquatopia seems to strike a particularly good balance for children in the 10 + age group and is the best water park for pre-teens and early teens. 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. Chip Williamson All Rights Reserved. The water is warm, but not too hot. If you are looking for more of a balance between kid activities and adult luxuries Kalahari has a wider range of offerings that will appeal to both adults and children. We just stayed at Camelback the night before Thanksgiving and are actively working on updated the post. The balcony/patio was laughable. Our 2-year-old who would have nothing to do with a life jacket was able to play in the toddler splash park and wave pool as long as Melani or I was right with her. Life-size animal statues adorn the outside. Poconos Water Park Comparison Guide - Been There Done That with Kids Click here to go to the Great Wolf Lodge Poconos Water Park website. We changed in the bathroom/changing areas, located a storage locker (for a fee), and found a table. There was a nice variety of the treats and each of the kids was able to find something appealing to them. Great Wolf also has a neat Glockenspiel in the lobby that does a little show in the evening, and than a character comes out afterwards for a meet and greet. To the credit of one observant & kind employee he noticed the exceedingly poor service my wife had received and apologized to her later in the day when he saw her. We visited Kalahari in the Pocono Mountains for a last minute trip with our two girls, ages 8 and 9. And the staff was friendly. 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. With that being said it does appear that the ropes course and zip lines are something that we may try in the future. We ended loading up the car, checking out (automatically at 11:00), and then using our onsite privileges for a few more hours before going offsite at a nearby restaurant to each lunch and hitting the highway to return home.My biggest concern about the facility itself is that the elevator from the lobby to the lower level waterpark is not easily discoverable or accessible. Multiple-Room Suites After the meal there are plenty of places like the pastry shop, coffee shop or ice cream shop that have many enticing desserts for the children. The Poconos location has 401 rooms and each wing of the lodge has 4 floors. Find not only one but TWO Great Wolf Lodge water parks in Ohio. Whereas, the roofline @ Great Wolf Lodge is blocky. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Winner: Kalahari Resort (especially for older kids and teens). Can I ask how the service levels compared at the two as well as the food? Confusingly enough she was allowed to go on the small kids slides that were inside the waterpark. The entire Kalahari Resort is enormous. Have you been to both Great Wolf Lodge and Kalahari Resort? 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. Great Wolf Lodge Kalahari Resort has an African safari theme. You enter Kalahari through a massive glass revolving carousel door and there is plenty of room for people to get where they are going whether it is to check-in, get food, get to the water park or any other number of destinations. Learn how your comment data is processed. If you would like to read a little more about our trip down to the Poconos you can do so here: Adventure Update # 018: My Tricycle is Very Very Fast! Shooting Range (tourist favorite) is closer to Great Wolf. Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. We are a family of 6 with four kids ranging in ages from 5 12 years old. 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). I'm displeased to hear of the strange odor in your room and that we were not able to correct this situation while you were staying with us. (GWL = Great Wolf Lodge & K = Kalahari). Only 2 of our bracelets worked, but we were able to get around that on more than one occasion. We have never patronized the restaurant as it does seem expensive. We certainly do have a lot of different ways to entertain and excite the kids! Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine has one adults-only hot tub. Kalahari vs Great Wolf Lodge Poconos Comparison - Kalahari Resort Poconos Top Flight Family 113K subscribers Subscribe 2.9K 310K views 3 years ago Are you trying to decide between. Kalahari has the most amenities that you would expect from a high-end resort. Not quite as good as the one @ Kalahari but better than you will find at Great Wolf Lodge. Nothing? There are a number of other activities available at the lodge. For part of our stay both lazy river attractions were open and there were other times when only one was open. Both resorts in the Poconos have a water coaster. 2) With COVID still hanging around and the holidays right around the corner it seemed to be prudent. All three resorts are really good choices for water park fun with a family. Thank you, again. In addition to the arcade, there are six amusement park rides, including the Screamn Centipede roller coaster with 360-degree rotating cart. A night at either place costs a small fortune, and the food is over-priced and mediocre. The best indoor water park will depend on your family, age of your kids and what you are looking for in a resort experience. Several hot tubs, twice the amount of slides as Great Wolf Lodge, and something for all ages. A 14-inch pie was 8 slices, 2 toppings $21. 2 of themone outside by the immense outdoor pool and one heated one inside. Swim Up BARS - An absolutely genius idea! 111 Things to Do in the Adirondacks & Upstate New York! There is also a fountain near the middle of the lobby with chairs and tables to sit and eat. 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. To the right of the entrance is check-in / hotel services. As I mentioned above, we can engage in many of the other activities closer to our home. Salaries are taken from job posts or reported by employees and are not adjusted for level or location. He was open to questions about the place and even offered a few suggestions. The kids do enjoy the characters and overall lodge experience. The distance from the lobby to our room was an extremely long haul for her. Its a tough call. There are also many more food choices. I will be sure to pass your kind words along to Kassi, David, Robin, and Amanda! We liked the artwork in the room. Kalahari vs. Great Wolf Lodge -- Sandusky - DISboards.com You all have multi room suites as well as an African Queen Suite.Let's talk about the African Queen Suite for a moment. 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. Thank you for your feedback. Great Wolf Lodges water park is 80,000 square feet, but Kalaharis is over 220,000 square feet. This was one of the few exceptions! Great Wolf Lodge. This time we were on the third floor and had a balcony. For families with teenagers this is the best water park for you. It was voted the #1 indoor water park in 2015 by USA Today. Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews. more. Which is better, Kalahari or Great Wolf Lodge? - Quora Management thanks you for your suggestions and for noting how well-trained our associates are! Kalahari also has a wide variety of types of water slides drop slides, mat racer, raft slides, etc. Telephones have voice mail; TVs come with cable and pay movies. Great Wolf Lodge has a woodland creature and forest theme, while Kalahari has an African theme. Great Wolf Lodge is the perfect family vacation destination resort all year round. My sister, who was also staying at this resort had the African Queen suite and there was PLENTY of room for all of us if they would have moved us. 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 request a higher floor again because the 2nd floor gets all of the foot traffic as that is the lobby floor and the waterpark and arcade are on the lower 1st floor.Take a minute to just look around and notice the dcor, architecture, and design. So I guess you just dont need it that much. We do love both! Camelback charged my card the correct amount when I made the deposit on November 24th and then on November 27th (2 days after we had left the resort) I was charged $25 for a parking fee. It seems, for obvious safety reasons, that a toddler area would be better located on the lowest level of the water park. On our previous visit a couple of years ago we felt the place was showing some wear and tear. Check with the resort to confirm which activities are offered during the winter. Kalahari is amaizing! 4.) The photos were nature themed and glossy. The suite had an interesting layout, but who could enjoy it when you were struggling not to vomit. Great Wolf Lodge, including Pocono Mountains location. Great Wolf is good for the small children, Castaway is good for everyone, and Kalahari is beautiful but I find it leans more toward the older children and adults. There would have been another $25 for parking but we were able to avoid this since we had relatives staying just a few miles away. We visited Kalahari in the Pocono Mountains for a last minute trip with our two girls, ages 8 and 9. The outdoor small kids area with slides was a nice addition to the park however my daughter who is 53" tall was not allowed to go on them. (It was almost like an obstacle course with the running kids, machines, flashing lights, and noise.) In November 2020, a competitor to GWL opened in Texas. Camelback Resort & Aquatopia are somewhere right in-between Kalahari & Great Wolf Lodge by almost every measure! 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. We also only stayed one night, so Im not sure how often housekeeping visits. Great Wolf Lodge also has activities that vary with the timing of your stay. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Miles for Family with appropriate and specific directions to the original content. This is probably a reflection of the fact that Kalahari is really a convention center first & foremost and the water park is just one of the many amenities they offer albeit a big one! Kalahari was definitely newer and nicer but also more expensive. The lobby is big but not massive like it is at Kalahari! The short of it about the same as Great Wolf Lodge and FAR less than Kalahari! Kalahari Resort The inside is light and bright. But we generally dont patronize too many sit down restaurants with 4 kids with ages ranging from 2-10. Great Wolf Lodge has a woodland creature and forest theme, while Kalahari has an African theme. The water park @ Kalahari is HUGE. Im not sure when we will make it back there since we have a lot of other travel plans. The IVORY COAST restaurant had a great selection of food and we thoroughly enjoyed doing takeout from there. My family has enjoyed a handful of stays at the water park hotel Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Texas (and one visit to the GWL in Southern California). My wife & I both agree we would, hands down, pick Kalahari. Great Wolf Lodge vs Kalahari Resort | What's the Best Choice in Likewise the lobby is magnificent! Kalahari has a better reputation locally. Both resorts also have onsite dining that continues the decor. (Seems like I placed that order a looOong time ago)_. TheParenthoodAdventures.comis owned & operated byChip Williamsonwho is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program that enables websites like this to earn advertising fees from Amazon.com. It was unpleasant to see and to step on. Kalahari vs. Great Wolf - WE HAVE A WINNER!! - Tripadvisor For our Wednesday November 24th, 2021 stay @ Aquatopia the cost of our room was $319.00 plus taxes & fees amounting in the amount of $71.10, bringing the total to $390.10.