After learning about the aspects of both of these resort, which one will your family choose? 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. All three resorts are really good choices for water park fun with a family. Better selection of local foods near Great Wolf. 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. 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. Kassi was terrific! Kalahari has a better reputation locally. Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. EXPECT IT and you will have a great time. Both resorts have also utilized Groupon for deals. Kalahari Resort in Round Rock, TX is like Great Wolf Lodge on steroids. Most of the activities (at all of the resorts) are priced a la carte. Tiffany, Im so glad you found the post helpful. Kalahari . We feature kid-friendly activities, a range of dining options, interactive games, an adult-friendly wine down service, and more all under one roof. 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! Enjoy your family vacation at one of the great indoor water park resort choices in your area! Hey, thanks for the great reviews! We ordered a pizza and had it delivered to the room from the in-house Pizza Pubit was quite good and we felt reasonably priced! Report inappropriate content msmejkal chicago We ended up eating most of the fries and onions rings, while discarding the rest. Choosing which resort to bring your family to can be daunting as both resorts offer very similar attractions and amenities. Kalahari has one indoor and one outdoor area - both are huge (Kalahari's is one of the largest indoors in the US). Thank you for reading & for your comment / question! We are happy to report that there were two night stands with our queen bed! Great Wolf Lodge also has a small bowling ally, gem mining, outdoor ropes course, arcade, and glow golf. Wisconsin Dells, WI https://www.greatwolf.com/wisconsin-dells That was almost inedible. 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. Offers more free activities in the main lobby. The food was not good at all. Winner: Kalahari Resort Rooms Both resorts have "normal" hotel rooms as well as themed rooms. Note: There is no Flowrider / surfing simulator attraction at the Poconos location for Great Wolf Lodge. Nothing? Both resorts are well-themed throughout the resort rooms and the water parks. We LOVED IT!More. 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. 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. We recently visited Camelback Mountain Resorts waterpark Aquatopia (November 24th, 2021). Otherwise, it far exceeded our expectations and we will definitely be choosing Kalahari over Great Wolf for many years to come. There was a nice variety of the treats and each of the kids was able to find something appealing to them. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. With Kalahari Careers, you become part of our dedicated team at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions. 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. The only other complaint I have is that we came home with a number of bites. The water is warm, but not too hot. Been at least six years ago. I have read other reviews where people did not enjoy the balcony but we did. On our previous visit a couple of years ago we felt the place was showing some wear and tear. Life-size animal statues adorn the outside. 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. 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. Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg, built in 2005, is listed as one of the five top things to do in Williamsburg by visitwilliamsburg.com. Kalahari has the most toddler slides by far when comparing the three resorts. 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 . (Remember that Kalahari is actually a desert in southern Africa.) Fortunately we only live about 2 hours away. There was a large selection, with an emphasis on Italian cuisine. The lobby is big but not massive like it is at Kalahari! During our long walk to the room (the opposite end of the facility), he was VERY professional, engaging and helpful. Generally we are there for some water park fun and that is what Great Wolf Lodge does best so that is where we spend the majority of our time. For the price I would expect better service. We stayed from Tuesday through Thursday during July. The distance between Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos is a mere 7 miles. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. Although I am admittedly not a big fan of buffets, we figured it would be easy for everyone to find something they liked. Once again, the food was mediocre at best. Expect to spend money on food, games, etc. Hi, Pamela! Would have been nice to have them inside as well.The waterpark overall was phenomenal - huge and definitely accommodates young and old. There is also a cafe (Cafe & Bar) and a restaurant (Horizons) located right off the main lobby. Check there and compare prices with their website to find the lowest prices for your stay. Unfortunately, the kids loaded up on an assortment of dessert and we went back to the room to change back into our swimwear for a last hurrah in the water.Off the lobby there are also a sweets shop, bakery, and ice cream shop, with what appears to be a nice selection of goodies.The next morning, the kids wanted to get in a few hours at the waterpark before our 11:00 checkout. Our suite was located on the same level as the entrance to the water park which was below the main level. Second, certain areas of the waterpark, especially the hot tubs, the wave pool and small kids areas were overcrowded. The NACHOS did not disappoint. 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 seems that there are parts of the water park that are only staffed at peak attendance. Kids under the age of 6 were coming in and out with no parental supervision. We liked the artwork in the room. My daughter walks with a medical device. Hi there, I appreciate you taking the time to write a review of your most recent stay. Yes there were two night stands on either side of the bed in the master suite. However, Great Wolf Lodge has a higher percentage of themed rooms available at a more reasonable price. See All Waterpark Features Waterpark (and more!) There was also only one sink in the room (as well as only one bathroom which had only a standard sized tub). 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. Hello, Erika! It was voted the #1 indoor water park in 2015 by USA Today. The bartenders were great, DAVID and ROBIN especially. For example when booking your accommodations you can select a themed suite, such as the KidCabin Suite which we did. 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. It smelled like an overcrowded SPCA. TripAdvisor review of Great Wolf Lodge Poconos, TripAdvisor review of Kalahari Resort Poconos, Booking.com review of Great Wolf Lodge Poconos, MommyNearest Great Wolf Lodge vs Kalahari vs Camelback. Round Rock Source: Round the Rock With so much fun and excitement in one place, Kalahari remains a top destination for families throughout Texas. At the towel dispensary you simply swipe your wrist band and the attendant will hand you the number of towels you request. Kalahari even has a five bedroom suite that can have a maximum of 22 guests. It sounds like you were able to experience nearly every feature our resort has to offer! 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. Thats an AMAZING 425,000 square feet of indoor water parks in a very small geographical area!! 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? This time we were on the third floor and had a balcony. Waterpark admission included with your stay! Lock in the lowest price from these sites. Check with the resort to confirm which activities are offered during the winter. Welcome to Great Wolf Lodge! I love the theming of GWL and my kids are obsessed with Magi Quest, but the adults only things at Kalahari cant be beat! It is really the other aspects of the resorts and accommodations that will determine which resort is the better choice for your family! Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. You can reach me at
[email protected]. Also, Outdoor pool and some small outdoor water slides (all seasonal). The room @ Aquatopia that we had was a double queen suite, a pull-out sofa and a balcony. 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. This was because: 1) We are a family of 6 and eating out is not usually relaxing or enjoyable! If you can't afford it, don't bother making the trip. Is the higher food price of Kalahari worth it? We didn't expect gourmet food at a waterpark, but the nachos were so tasteless that my 12-year old pushed them aside and asked for a chicken finger. We do love both! One time a lifeguard came out and caught one but without constant observation, it is impossible to parole this area. As a native New Yorker, a bit of grit and grime doesn't scare me. 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. WEBSTER, Texas Texas is set to add another Great Wolf Lodge location to its ranks. (GWL = Great Wolf Lodge & K = Kalahari). 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. To the left of the lobby is almost exclusively devoted to games and activities for kids really tweens & teens. As I mentioned above, we can engage in many of the other activities closer to our home. This post was incredibly helpful!!! Our suite @ Kalahari was HUGE! "The advent of Great Wolf Lodge represents one of the most monumental accomplishments in the City's history," Webster city officials said. Rooms are bigger and have fun themes. It is also something that Kalahari does well . Most times I find that the pictures or decorations in a motel/hotel really dont add anything to the experience. Kalahari has a lot of complaints on Google about 2+ hour check in times and no housekeeping. We are still having a debate on what it actually was. This happened before on our previous visits but given the number of people this time, they kept closing the areas for cleaning constantly. With that being said it does appear that the ropes course and zip lines are something that we may try in the future. Right away we were looking for and expecting a wonderful customer service experience, and Kalahari did not disappoint. Come splash around! We stayed in the Desert room which was sufficient in size for 2 adults and 2 small kids. 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. Another note worth mentioning the bathtubs @ Kalahari are huge! Were going in January. They were definitely present - but not blowing their whistle when it was needed and didn't seem as focused. The wave pool was on par with that at Great Wolf Lodge. 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. This past visit however was somewhat disappointing. According to the contract, the family resort and water park will feature at least 400,000 square feet of lodging and entertainment space and the indoor water park will be at least 75,000 square feet. The Poconos Great Wolf Lodge location has more kiddie water slides than the Williamsburg location. It was HORRIBLE! The food was overpriced but tasty. The room was spotless. The floors were full of paper, tissues, dirty towels, used dippers, used shampoo packets etc and there was no attendant in sight. (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. Camelbacks Aquatopiaseems to strike a particularly good balance for children in the 10 + age group. They did a fabulous job with the design of this place. Great Wolf Lodge is smaller than Kalahari. 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. Note that it may be quite a walk from your room to the water park, or any other destination on the Kalahari Resort campus. He was open to questions about the place and even offered a few suggestions. The first thing that struck me the most was how dirty and unsanitary the waterpark was compared to before. As I mentioned earlier with 4 kids ranging in age from 2 10 we are not very often dining in @ a restaurant. I am pleased to hear that our staff was friendly and that our facilities were well maintained throughout your stay. So I guess you just dont need it that much. Sincerely, Chip. Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine has one adults-only hot tub. Address: 100 Great Wolf Drive Grapevine, TX 76051 Phone: 817-488-6510 Website: greatwolf.com EXPERT TIPS BY: Ilene Jacobs Dallas Local Expert Water Parks: "Day passes can be purchased online or. All three resorts are located very close to each other in the Poconos. Get those lifeguards a little more focused and offer more options at the bars! Overall, my family prefers Kalahari Resort. We stayed from Tuesday through Thursday during July. Top Educational & Inspirational YouTube Channels for Families 2022, Waterpark Comparison Chart: Kalahari, Aquatopia & Great Wolf Lodge. The toddler splash park area is very big at Kalahari with a lot of water-table type attractions and activities for the little ones. Its a tough call. Kalaharis water park does the same, except with a jungle theme. The closet was pretty small, and the bathroom was almost as small (with the sink located next to the fridge); however, those were relatively minor inconveniences.We went to Great Karoo Buffet around 5-5:30 and was relieved to see that it wasn't that crowded. Kids jumping in and out, the areas are not guarded by staffsame problem as Great Wolf. Also, the post was never updated to include information about Aquatopia. Family Fun at its best. [3] Great Wolf Resorts is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. 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. (Activities vary by location). Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. B-Lux also features 12 lanes of state-of-the-art Brunswick bowling. 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. Yes My oldest daughter and wife voted for Kalahari. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC. We were told that the elevator was on the convention center side, which was not really convenient for her. Great Wolf seems to have more of a variety of theming for these bunk bed suites. And with new locations in Arizona and Illinois, Great Wolf Lodges are becoming easier to reach wherever . So we decided to check it out and see how things had changed. Located in America's Historic Triangle of Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown, it was Great Wolf Resorts' first East Coast location. It was, however, small. 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. Seriously, I'm not being dramatic. Management thanks you for your suggestions and for noting how well-trained our associates are! The Kalahari wave pool is much bigger than the Great Wolf Lodge wave pool. 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. We stayed @ Great Wolf Lodge on a Tuesday night and then Kalahari on Wednesday night of the same week. Thank you for your support! The hot tub situation was disappointing. Thank you! Great Wolf Lodge Poconos is a staple in the region. But we generally dont patronize too many sit down restaurants with 4 kids with ages ranging from 2-10. Clean, safe & staff so friendly! However, each locations water parks and amenities vary. It has a transparent Texlon roof that lets in natural sunlight while providing protection against the suns harmful UV rays. Wet bar, fridge, microwaveIMPRESSED with the upkeep.WATERPARK - The place is absolutely huge. It is in the middle in terms of the size of its indoor water park and in number of rooms at the resort. Offer a family slide option which is super fun to go on as a whole family. Poconos Waterpark Comparison Guide: Kalahari versus Aquatopia & Great Wolf Lodge! The entire Kalahari Resort is enormous. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. It's located in the Rockvale Outlets Fox Meadows Creamery has two locations, one in Ephrata, Pennsylvania and one in Leola, Pennsylvania. Thank you to management for a well-trained staff and an enjoyable time! There were 2 bathrooms one off the walk-in area and the second one in the master suite. The view felt somewhat private and we really enjoyed it! A 14-inch pie was 8 slices, 2 toppings $21. Keep reading our Poconos water park guide & comparison to find out! Kalahari is absolutely immense! It had a large walk-in area that had a sink and kitchenette. Kalahari has the largest indoorwater park of the 3, and is the largestresortlocated in the Poconos. @Kelly We ate dinner off-site so I cant really compare the food fairly. It was a nice touch to have the lodge theme and a couple of characters at the front of the wave pool which is one of our favorite attractions. Admission: Rates start at $277 a night for a standard four-person room. We went to all three water parks in the Poconos (Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Aquatopia) to find out which one is the BEST water park. The larger of the two play areas also includes a splash table for babies. It is also carried through with the water park experience itself with some of the attractions incorporating the characters and /or lodge theme. (Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Camelbacks Aquatopia) Which is the right waterpark resort experience for your family? Each lane allows for up to six bowlers at a time. It felt more intimate and clean, less crowded and sufficiently staffed. We had a cabin themed room for this stay (KidCabin Suite) and the kids enjoyed it more than I had expected! We recently took a little trip to the Poconos and stayed one night @ Great Wolf Lodge immediately followed by a one-night stay @ Kalahari. The resort's mammoth 80,000-square-foot indoor waterpark has nine waterslides, six pools, and a four-story treehouse waterfort and utilizes nearly 380,000 gallons of water.Beyond the massive indoor waterpark, Great Wolf Lodge offers families daily activities and amenities on the dry side. Likewise, there is a cost associated with the convenience of those activities being offered right there and that is cost. 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! Both resorts also have onsite dining that continues the decor. When you leave make sure to return the towels and swipe the wrist band again or you will be charged for the towels. I also added a note how COVID-19 has delayed our plans to stay @ Aquatopia. We did the empirical research so you dont have to! Welcome to Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Round Rock 223,000 square feet, filled with wet, wild, fun. We can engage in many of the other activities closer to our home (and probably at less expense). My family recently visited Kalahari Resort in Round Rock, Texas. Thank you for pointing out my mistake! It features the Howlin' Tornado raft ride, Coyote Cannon water tubes (with a 40-foot drop), and a tree house fort that has a 1,000-gallon tipping bucket! Advice: you can't come to a place like this and complain about how much things cost. Hopefully you can come again soon but until then, take care! The wave pool alternates between wave / no wave cycles. We say this because Aquatopia has the most activities (rock wall, laser tag, escape room, etc) at its resort that will likely appeal to pre-teens and early teens. The room was not only spacious, but didn't reek like cat urine. (Healthy, I know.) 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). Snow tubing in PA requires no special skills or equipment and is appropriate for almost everyone. Kalahari was definitely newer and nicer but also more expensive.