kalahari vs great wolf lodge texas

Kalahari also has crafts, escape room, mini golf, mini bowling, and arcade. Choosing which resort to bring your family to can be daunting as both resorts offer very similar attractions and amenities. The 3 "kids" (ages 12-20) and I were impressed with the front of the resort. (We missed the burritos & soups from Kalahari!). 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. Kalahari is newer and more efficiently run. 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. 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. Snow tubing in PA requires no special skills or equipment and is appropriate for almost everyone. 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. But we generally dont patronize too many sit down restaurants with 4 kids with ages ranging from 2-10. So if you are looking for a martini, you will have to hit one of the restaurants. The ladies bathroom and changing area looked tike a war zone! The bartenders were great, DAVID and ROBIN especially. African photos, statues, pictures, all kinds of things that mentally transport you to another world. We're in the business of making memories. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Kalahari Resort in Round Rock, TX is like Great Wolf Lodge on steroids. During our long walk to the room (the opposite end of the facility), he was VERY professional, engaging and helpful. The toddler splash park area is very big at Kalahari with a lot of water-table type attractions and activities for the little ones. Here's our overall review.Right away we were looking for and expecting a wonderful customer service experience, and Kalahari did not disappoint. THERE ISNOADDITIONAL COST TO YOU if you buy something from Amazon! The distance between Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos is a mere 7 miles. 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. Fortunately we only live about 2 hours away. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. This time we were on the third floor and had a balcony. If you can't afford it, don't bother making the trip. Thank you for your support! We went for the Italian the second night and the food was again wonderful. When I called, the charge was removed & the service rep was polite enough but, apparently Aquatopia/Camelback fully expects there to be a parking fee added to every invoice! The Great Wolf Lodge Resort is a family-friendly resort located a few miles from the LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Grapevine and offers deluxe accommodations, upscale amenities, and an indoor water park with several swimming areas and wave pools, water slides and rides, waterfalls, hot springs, and entertainment for children. Thank you for pointing out my mistake! 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. Most times I find that the pictures or decorations in a motel/hotel really dont add anything to the experience. Great Wolf Lodge was nearly as inexpensive during the week as Aquatopia ($249 vs $238), and the cheapest on Saturday night. But, my kids are little fish who love swimming, and they cant get enough of this type of resort. Both are great options for kids. Seriously, I'm not being dramatic. bellyrubbah1 2 yr. ago Cool. Kassi was terrific! How does the resort compare to Great Wolf Lodge? 6 Best Texas . Great wolf is closer to shopping. Part of the joy of Great Wolf Lodge is its size. kalahari waterpark passesmr patel neurosurgeon cardiff 27 februari, 2023 . It was HORRIBLE! They were definitely present - but not blowing their whistle when it was needed and didn't seem as focused. The floors were full of paper, tissues, dirty towels, used dippers, used shampoo packets etc and there was no attendant in sight. 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. It is so fun for my children (12 & 4 years old) and for adults too!! However, each locations water parks and amenities vary. This past visit however was somewhat disappointing. My daughter walks with a medical device. Kassie R, Social Media Coordinator at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos, responded to this review. This happened before on our previous visits but given the number of people this time, they kept closing the areas for cleaning constantly. Keep in mind theres a third indoor water park resort in the Poconos: Camelback Mountain Resort. 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. The Poconos location has 401 rooms and each wing of the lodge has 4 floors. We have patronized several of these places, if not all and the kids highly recommend them! I'm going to breakdown each part of the resort that we visited and give you the key points: 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. Reservations are strongly recommended. [2] In addition to a water park, each resort features restaurants, arcades, spas, and children's activities. Aquatopiais somewhere right in-between Kalahari & Great Wolf Lodge by almost every measure! They contain a variety of aquatic activities such as water slides, swimming pools, wave pools, lazy rivers, and splash pads. (Remember that Kalahari is actually a desert in southern Africa.) We had a cabin themed room for this stay (KidCabin Suite) and the kids enjoyed it more than I had expected! Report inappropriate content msmejkal chicago Many months later (due to COVID) we stayed at Camelbacks Aquatopia. Read on to find out which one is the BEST water park for your family vacation! Looking up to the roofline Aquatopia does feel more open and expansive since it is more of a sweeping semi-circle in shape. Chip, I am planning to go to waterpark with three kids, so I really enjoyed all details! Speaking of loud There is usually a dance party in the evening which we found to be extremely loud! For the volume of people passing through it ( to check-in, check out, shop at the shops and access the activities) it feels a little small and congested. Thank you to management for a well-trained staff and an enjoyable time! 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. 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. But the resort's smaller size makes it easier to keep an eye on the kids. 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. CamelBack (Aquatopia) has 453 rooms and there are 6 floors (above ground) to the lodge. 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. For just one four-year-old, I think Great Wolf is probably a better choice. Family Fun at its best. If you're not up and about a 4:30 a.m., though, you can still get a. This post will focus on the Leola New York City and upstate New York are close to many amazing indoor water parks. It was, however, small. Heres a comparison guide for all three of these resorts. 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. You used the same bathroom photo for both resorts. In my mind, Kalahari works best if you have a family with kids of different ages so each can be active. Clean, safe & staff so friendly! Great Wolf Lodge Pocono Mountains packs in all the family fun under one roof. There are a lot of food choices @ Kalahari of which we have only sampled a few. I will note as a previous reviewer did that Great Wolf Lodge had SPECTACULAR lifeguards. 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. As a native New Yorker, a bit of grit and grime doesn't scare me. Finding fun places to take your kids in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review. 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. Wisconsin Dells, WI https://www.greatwolf.com/wisconsin-dells A general view of the Great Wolf Lodge in Fort Mackenzie. Lock in the lowest price from these sites. The lobby is ringed by various shops and the floor has wonderful decorative murals inlaid in the marble (Im sure these are probably decals??). We stayed @ Great Wolf Lodge on a Tuesday night and then Kalahari on Wednesday night of the same week. However, Great Wolf Lodge has a higher percentage of themed rooms available at a more reasonable price. At Kalahari, there are two separate, toddler play areas. I will say we were on the 7th floor..and it was perfectly quiet. My son went to the prime rib carving station several times but the chef continued to serve him meat with chunks of fat on it - so he gave up. 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. Our suite @ Kalahari was HUGE! A microwave and refrigerator are also included. We inquired about an potential upgrade and they granted us a special price to upgrade to an African Queen Suite which had 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms - perfect to provide privacy with 2 girls! Have you been to both Great Wolf Lodge and Kalahari Resort? Expect to spend money on food, games, etc. 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. 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. Come splash around! One of Melani and my pet peeves with regards to hotel accommodations is when there is only one night stand for a queen bed. Im pleased to hear that you enjoyed the various sections of the waterpark. This was because: 1) We are a family of 6 and eating out is not usually relaxing or enjoyable! Offers more free activities in the main lobby. We visited Kalahari in the Pocono Mountains for a last minute trip with our two girls, ages 8 and 9. Imagine what it takes to run this place?!? "The advent of Great Wolf Lodge represents one of the most monumental accomplishments in the City's history," Webster city officials said. I found the photos pleasing to look at and relaxing! Kalahari is newer and more efficiently run. Seriously, this place is awesome! At that point, it was unmistakably the smell of cat urine. Friendly, accommodating, informative.we were very happy with the initial interaction. Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews. On our previous visit a couple of years ago we felt the place was showing some wear and tear. Whereas, the roofline @ Great Wolf Lodge is blocky. Tiffany, Im so glad you found the post helpful. We liked the luggage rack near the door and the shelf over the microwave. but also read water is cold. Thank you for taking the time to comment! It seems that there are parts of the water park that are only staffed at peak attendance. For part of our stay both lazy river attractions were open and there were other times when only one was open. The front desk staff was extremely professional, friendly and helpful. Great Wolf Lodge has a woodland creature and forest theme, while Kalahari has an African theme. Great Wolf Lodges water park is 80,000 square feet, but Kalaharis is over 220,000 square feet. We did the empirical research so you dont have to! I am on the mailing list and recently got a promotional offer that indicated the rooms had recently been renovated. 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! Its a tough call. 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). Better selection of local foods near Great Wolf. We visited Kalahari in the Pocono Mountains for a last minute trip with our two girls, ages 8 and 9. really? It is the best themed lazy river out of the three water parks in the Poconos! Klahari is themed and decorated as an African resort. Copyright 2022 by KSAT - All rights reserved. Kalahari Resort's water park has more of everything and also includes a Flowrider, which is popular with older kids and teens. Great Wolf Lodge has more charm and we enjoyed the lodge theme & the characters. We simply love everything about it! Advice: you can't come to a place like this and complain about how much things cost. It may come down to a simple question: How old are the children in your party? You can also see the water park from the windows on this side and from the Cafe & Bar. We also enjoyed the balcony. 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. Expect to spend money on food, games, etc. Keep reading our Poconos water park guide & comparison to find out! For our Tuesday June 25th, 2019 stay @ Great Wolf Lodge the cost of our room was $209.99 with taxes & fees amounting to $51.59, bringing the total to $261.58. Please email me directly at PAConnect@kalahariresorts.com. We also liked some of the efficiency features of the room. On our previous visit a couple of years ago we felt the place was showing some wear and tear. Location: 3001 Kalahari Blvd. There is a very small / non-standard sized bowling alley, a miniature golf course, an arcade, MagiQuest, etc We have done some of the other activities in the past but only if they were included with our stay or one of the bundled package passes (Paw Pass, Pup Pass and Wolf Pass). Every room at this resort is air conditioned and has a TV with cable channels. Just a small thing that can be easily rectified. 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. From what we saw of the pricing most of the activities were on the more expensive side. Kalahari Resort has an entire grotto (both indoor and outdoor) for adults with a swim-up bar. Featuring free WiFi and a seasonal outdoor pool, Great Wolf Lodge Grapevine offers accommodations in Grapevine. We like archaeology and the lost river archaeology theme was interesting and well done. Copyright 2023 The Parenthood Adventures! Towel check-out is something new since our last visit. Great Wolf Lodge's water park is 80,000 square feet, but Kalahari's is over 220,000 square feet. Kalahari and Wilderness are kind of overwhelming. Tom Foolery's Adventure Park provides hours of playtime, with 80,000 square feet of interactive rides and attractions. The smell permeated EVERYTHING to the point of needing to open the door to air it out. Overall we felt like Kalahari was much better before the expansion. We recently took a little trip to the Poconos and stayed one night @ Great Wolf Lodge immediately followed by a one-night stay @ Kalahari. 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. Chip Williamson All Rights Reserved. EXPECT IT and you will have a great time. The shop is along Interstate 81, making it a Busy Bodies Play Cafe is an indoor play space for children who are 1 year old through 6 years old. included with your stay Waterpark Admission Waterpark admission is always free when you stay with us. They did a fabulous job with the design of this place. The day we went, prices were similar to GWL. It is in the middle in terms of the size of its indoor water park and in number of rooms at the resort. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. They looped continuously so they are readily accessible at any time. I noticed that Kalahari may have a larger toddler area. Book now and prepare your pack for adventure. Swim Up BARS - An absolutely genius idea! He was open to questions about the place and even offered a few suggestions. This was one of the few exceptions! There was one dedicated dessert/pastry kiosk located off the main lobby nestled in there with the souvenir shop. The Poconos location has 401 rooms and each wing of the lodge has 4 floors. It was unpleasant to see and to step on. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. 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. Finally, we did have a rather poor experience one morning ordering from the Cafe & Bar (AKA, Mountain Market, World Bazaar Coffee Shop). 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. For our 6 and 8 year olds who have never been to an indoor waterpark, were doing GWL first and will get to the others later. Each lane allows for up to six bowlers at a time. Expect to spend money on food, games, etc. On a subsequent trip (after COVID) we also visited Camelbacks Aquatopia. Kalahari also has a wide variety of types of water slides drop slides, mat racer, raft slides, etc. Very spacious, a flat screen TV in each room and in main living area with fireplace. Various restaurants, childrens amenities and retail establishments will also be included in the new development. (assuming same accommodations we had for this past trip) and this is how they all answered. 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. The advent of Great Wolf Lodge represents one of the most monumental The advent of Great Wolf Lodge represents one of the most monumental accomplishments in the Citys history, Webster city officials said. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Its Manageable Size Is Perfect for Younger Kids The Kartrite Resort & Indoor Waterpark It's true: Kalahari is the biggest indoor water park in the country and Camelback has almost 50,000 square feet on Kartrite. One of Kalahari's Kiddie Areas 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 room was not only spacious, but didn't reek like cat urine. 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. Old Windmill Farm is located at 262 Paradise Lane in Ronks, Pennsylvania. If youre looking for other vacation ideas check out our Family Travel Tips for Niagara Falls! Try getting on the email lists of both of these resorts to learn about the discounts they offer throughout the year. Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Two of my kids are begging to go back to Kalahari. I look forward to connecting with you. It is really the other aspects of the resorts and accommodations that will determine which resort is the better choice for your family! The wolf mascots host a nightly dance party and pj story time. Been at least six years ago. All six Pocono ski resorts have snowtubing hills. 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. We did really like the lazy river at Aquatopia. With Kalahari Careers, you become part of our dedicated team at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions. Wet bar, fridge, microwaveIMPRESSED with the upkeep.WATERPARK - The place is absolutely huge. We joke that we lost Sophie our 2 year old for 5 minutes in the immense suite! 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). Only 2 of our bracelets worked, but we were able to get around that on more than one occasion. Thats an AMAZING 425,000 square feet of indoor water parks in a very small geographical area!! Chip. Kalahariis the biggest of the 3 and has a wider range of offerings that will appeal to both adults & children. 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 photos were nature themed and glossy. Inspired parents sharing the joys & adventures of the parenthood journey! The water park @ Kalahari is HUGE. Thank you for your feedback. To the right of the entrance is check-in / hotel services. We compared various aspects of the resort and water parks to help you determine which resort is the best for your family. Both seemed to make a small room work a little better and not feel as small as it actually was. Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Camelbacks Aquatopia resort are all located in the Poconos and are VERY close to each other! The Poconos and Williamsburg Virginia location both have a small indoor wave pool. 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). Both resorts also have onsite dining that continues the decor. The NACHOS did not disappoint. Water park access was included. 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. Great Wolf Lodges water park continues their wildlife theme. As I mentioned above when we go to Kalahari (or Great Wolf Lodge, for that matter)- we are going for some water and swimming fun. Hopefully you can come again soon but until then, take care! Both resorts have huge water parks and other indoor activities. After reading this post - which Poconos waterpark do you THINK you are most likely to go to? There is also a cafe (Cafe & Bar) and a restaurant (Horizons) located right off the main lobby. Both resorts in the Poconos have a water coaster. GWL has excellent sales. Kalahari did a remodel on their indoor kid area about a year ago. @Kelly We ate dinner off-site so I cant really compare the food fairly. Since our last visit to Great Wolf Lodge they have established a relationship with Dunkin Donuts and there is one located on the main floor just off the right of the lobby. Sincerely, The clothing line in the bathroom was broken and the bed covers had an unpleasant smell. Kalahari is absolutely immense! Which do you prefer? The development is expected to break ground during. Webster city officials released a statement on Facebook about the new Great Wolf Lodge development in December, stating that the water park and resort will bring more than 500 jobs to the area. We changed in the bathroom/changing areas, located a storage locker (for a fee), and found a table. In November 2020, a competitor to GWL opened in Texas. Offer a family slide option which is super fun to go on as a whole family. Other than the water park & arcade our family hasnt really tried out any other ones. Great Wolf Lodge boasts tons of activities sure to put a smile on your children's faces. For example when booking your accommodations you can select a themed suite, such as the KidCabin Suite which we did. Yes it is HUGE but it is also laid out well and serves as a destination itself within the resort. The hostesses and the servers were professional and pleasant. The building must be completed within three years. We ended up eating most of the fries and onions rings, while discarding the rest. Thank you very much for your comment.