This is an interactive game that has players moving throughout the Lodge on quests. Especially liked the Learn to Surf place. Compare salary information for Great Wolf Lodge and Kalahari Resorts & Conventions. Aspiring super-mom - who is still anxiously awaiting the arrival of her homemaker skills & superpowers of organization to arrive from Amazon Prime. Speaking of the wave pool we did find the buzzer alert to notify guests of the beginning of a wave cycle to be very harsh and not conducive to the relaxing atmosphere that should be associated with a wave pool. We usually ordered and brought the food to our room. Kalahari vs Great Wolf Lodge is often a topic debated by indoor water park visitors. 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. On our previous visit a couple of years ago we felt the place was showing some wear and tear. You might prefer the chart we put together along with our conclusions. Top Educational & Inspirational YouTube Channels for Families 2022, Waterpark Comparison Chart: Kalahari, Aquatopia & Great Wolf Lodge. It is always wonderful to receive complements on our dcor as we want our guests to have as authentic an experience as possible. Finally, we did have a rather poor experience one morning ordering from the Cafe & Bar (AKA, Mountain Market, World Bazaar Coffee Shop). Per night, plus tax.
This was one of the few exceptions! Kalahari Resort has an African safari theme. Kalahari is newer and more efficiently run. They did a fabulous job with the design of this place. We stayed in the Desert room which was sufficient in size for 2 adults and 2 small kids. It felt cozy and definitely complimented the whole lodge theme & experience! The lobby at Aquatopia is more spacious than the lobby at Great Wolf Lodge but far smaller than the lobby at Kalahari. 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. We stayed from Tuesday through Thursday during July.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. Our suite @ Kalahari was HUGE! We were also advised that we would receive a text message when our room was ready. 4600 Milan Road Sandusky, OH 44870 (800) 641-9653. We really liked the 2 water falls that were present on the lazy river. This time we were on the third floor and had a balcony. Hello, thank you so much for writing this I found it very helpful! The side-lite mirror was a nice feature that we enjoyed. The front desk staff was extremely professional, friendly and helpful. 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. Kalaharis waterpark is the largest at 220,000 square feet & Camelbacks Aquatopia indoor waterpark is right in the middle at 125,000 square feet. It seems, for obvious safety reasons, that a toddler area would be better located on the lowest level of the water park.
Great Wolf Lodge Sandusky vs Kalahari Resort - trippy.com It reminds me of Disneys Wilderness Lodge. Kalahari Resorts water park has more of everything and also includes a Flowrider, which is popular with older kids and teens. This activity requires participants to roam all over the lodge to find clues and solve a quest. When we were last at Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos we did not stay in a themed suite. Photo credit: Great Wolf Lodge Great Wolf Lodge. The smell permeated EVERYTHING to the point of needing to open the door to air it out. 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. 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! From the accommodation standpoint it was a much more memorable stay! This is probably the one area that Aquatopia beats both Great Wolf Lodge & Kalahari. 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. Its a tough call. Im not sure when we will make it back there since we have a lot of other travel plans. Winner: Tie Water Park Both resorts have huge water parks that include a wave pool, lazy river, splash areas and of course water slides. The drive was almost exactly 100 miles for us and we arrived a few minutes after 1:00 pm. Top Educational & Inspirational YouTube Channels for Families 2022, Great Wolf Lodge Poconos Water Park website, Aquatopia Poconos Indoor Water Park website. Take care! My husband was brave enough to continue exploring as I sat out on the ground level patio. Great Wolf Lodge also has a small bowling ally, gem mining, outdoor ropes course, arcade, and glow golf.
Poconos Water Park Comparison Guide - Been There Done That with Kids As the kids went ahead, employee Jeremy helped to take bags upstairs. So please be aware of this fact when considering the total cost of the resort. Lately we have been hitting the snack bar (Pizza Pub) down in the arcade for the burritos and then the store (Marrakesh Market) right at the edge of the lobby for some of the soups. It has a transparent Texlon roof that lets in natural sunlight while providing protection against the suns harmful UV rays. Second, certain areas of the waterpark, especially the hot tubs, the wave pool and small kids areas were overcrowded. 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. Mother to 4 wonderful children, wife to one witty, but extremely nerdy husband. Both resorts have huge water parks that include a wave pool, lazy river, splash areas and of course water slides. There are quite a few activities to engage in @ Kalahari. I can't honestly say that anything bit me in the room, we may have been bitten while we were sleeping, or in all the time we were forced to spend on the patio because of the smell.The resort was fine, but I'd avoid this "upgraded suite". Heres a comparison guide for all three of these resorts. Another note worth mentioning the bathtubs @ Kalahari are huge! We figured that we'd have a good dinner to make up for it.After another 90 minutes or so, we decided to check out the room. Pros: . Both are great options for kids. Both resorts have huge water parks and other indoor activities. Multiple-Room Suites Great Wolf Lodge has more traditional tube, body slides, and a bowl slide. https://www.theparenthoodadventures.com/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. There was one dedicated dessert/pastry kiosk located off the main lobby nestled in there with the souvenir shop. Kalahari Resort, including Pocono Mountains location. That is with just 2 adults and 4 kids. When looking at Great Wolf Lodge and Kalahari as destinations for families, they both offer plenty of fun activities. Poconos Waterparks: How to Get the Best Deals at Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Aquatopia! We joke that we lost Sophie our 2 year old for 5 minutes in the immense suite!
Great Wolf Lodge vs. Kalahari vs. CamelBack's Aquatopia! THE POCONOS The Poconos Great Wolf Lodge location has more kiddie water slides than the Williamsburg location. Travel isnt free but we can help you take trips for pennies on the dollar! The employees at Great Wolf are s. I worked at Great Wolf Lodge for a year, and I have been to Kalahari before. Just about everything seemed to be swimming in butter or oil, including the overcooked/overheated vegetables. Hopefully you can come again soon but until then, take care! We had no problem finding a table and chairs to rest our towels and use for eating later. On our previous visit a couple of years ago we felt the place was showing some wear and tear. I look forward to hearing back from you. Great Wolf Lodge also has activities that vary with the timing of your stay. Yes it is HUGE but it is also laid out well and serves as a destination itself within the resort. So the water park is what we usually focus on. Lifeguard. 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. Check with the resort to confirm which activities are offered during the winter. The Poconos location has 401 rooms and each wing of the lodge has 4 floors. Very spacious, a flat screen TV in each room and in main living area with fireplace. Learn how your comment data is processed. Royal hospitality suite not royal not hospitable. I believe you get what you pay for--any insight as the the huge difference in rates?!!! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review. * > Please call 1-877-KALAHARI (525-2427) and request booking code O1107. The floors were full of paper, tissues, dirty towels, used dippers, used shampoo packets etc and there was no attendant in sight. Great Wolf and Kalahari were about $289--same dates, same room type. We did not rent any of the cabanas that were located throughout. Klahari is themed and decorated as an African resort. We appreciate it! The lobby is ringed by various shops and the floor has wonderful decorative murals inlaid in the marble (Im sure these are probably decals??). Winner: Kalahari Resort (especially for older kids and teens). The lobby is big but not massive like it is at Kalahari! I know that camelback has a swim up bar at its resort but I have never been to the other two.
Best Indoor Water Park Winners (2021) | USA TODAY 10Best Which do you prefer? I would like to further discuss the details of your stay. At the towel dispensary you simply swipe your wrist band and the attendant will hand you the number of towels you request. It felt more intimate and clean, less crowded and sufficiently staffed. Located below the main lobby is both the entrance to the water park and the arcade. Hi there, I appreciate you taking the time to write a review of your most recent stay.
Great Wolf Lodge vs Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Indeed ==> Kalahari: Kalahari is the BEST indoor water park & resort for families looking for a balance between kid activities and adult luxuries on vacation. 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. really? (GWL = Great Wolf Lodge & K = Kalahari). The room @ Aquatopia that we had was a double queen suite, a pull-out sofa and a balcony. GWL isnt fast either, but 2+ hours to pay triple the price wouldnt work either. There are some characters for the kids but they are not really developed and seem to have just been bolted on as an after thought. It seems that there are parts of the water park that are only staffed at peak attendance. Recently, my family visited Kalahari Resort for the first time. Nothing? The view felt somewhat private and we really enjoyed it! We like all three. 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 POCONOS Water Park SHOWDOWN, Great Wolf Lodge VS. Kalahari VS. Camelbacks Aquatopia! 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 atWe visited Kalahari in the Pocono Mountains for a last minute trip with our two girls, ages 8 and 9. The first thing that struck me the most was how dirty and unsanitary the waterpark was compared to before. 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? Part of the joy of Great Wolf Lodge is its size. But, my kids are little fish who love swimming, and they cant get enough of this type of resort. Hi, Pamela! Friendly, accommodating, informative.we were very happy with the initial interaction. When he pulled down the Murphy's bed, dirty nastiness came down with it. Great Wolf Lodge has an outdoor ropes course and indoor arcade. 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. I went back into our pictures and corrected the post with the actual picture of the Great Wolf Lodge bathroom. Kalahari has the largest indoor waterpark of the 3, and is the largest resort located in the Poconos. After reading this post - which Poconos waterpark do you THINK you are most likely to go to? So I guess you just dont need it that much. They were definitely present - but not blowing their whistle when it was needed and didn't seem as focused. We have talked that when we are finally able to get a night or weekend to ourselves, Kalahari is one of the places that would be high on our list! Hey, thanks for the great reviews! Kalahari is newer and more efficiently run. However, Great Wolf Lodge has a higher percentage of themed rooms available at a more reasonable price. 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. See you soon! It had a large walk-in area that had a sink and kitchenette. Sopleaseclick on a link or two if you wish tosupport us& and our endeavors here. 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. Overall, my family prefers Kalahari Resort. The room was spotless. The best playgrounds near Bucks County, PA are some of the best playgrounds in Pennsylvania. > *Valid exclusively for past guests of Kalahari Resort - Sandusky, Ohio. The water park @ Kalahari is HUGE. Great Wolf Lodge is known for their MagiQuest game. We did still struggle with the menu & felt that it was very limited in that we found it difficult to find healthier options for our family. Guestrooms at Great Wolf Lodge Sandusky Oh offer furnished balconies and separate sitting and sleeping areas. My daughter walks with a medical device. There are 2 lazy river type rides, the wave pool is immense, there are 2 hot tubs that are partly inside the building AND partly outside of the building with a narrow channel to traverse back and forth. In addition to the arcade, there are six amusement park rides, including the Screamn Centipede roller coaster with 360-degree rotating cart. The suite had an interesting layout, but who could enjoy it when you were struggling not to vomit. Each play area includes slides and swings.
Kalahari vs. Great Wolf Lodge -- Sandusky - DISboards.com Kalahari also has a wide variety of types of water slides drop slides, mat racer, raft slides, etc. When you leave make sure to return the towels and swipe the wrist band again or you will be charged for the towels. Two of my kids are begging to go back to Kalahari. We recently visited Camelback Mountain Resorts waterpark Aquatopia (November 24th, 2021). Although the room was designated for up to 6 people it felt like we were on top of each other at times. We have been to both resorts in the past but thought it would be fun to do a back-to-back comparison. Keep in mind theres a third indoor water park resort in the Poconos: Camelback Mountain Resort. However, each locations water parks and amenities vary. Kalahari Resort, located in Round Rock, Texas, is similar in many ways to Great Wolf Lodge. Likewise the lobby is magnificent! (Healthy, I know.) We also liked the master light switch in the room that made it very easy to turn off every light in the suite with one switch. Report inappropriate content Conard10 Cleveland, Ohio Level Contributor 357 posts 21 reviews 83 helpful votes 5. Kalahari Resort Market Cost The overnight costs for both of these resorts can vary widely throughout the year.
Kalahari vs Great wolf lodge - Wisconsin Dells Forum Aquatopia made an effort to do some theme-ing with the Kartrite Quest /Adventures but this really only covers the water park and the activities for kids to the left of the lobby. Im pleased to hear that you enjoyed the various sections of the waterpark. Adventure Update # 040: Toilet Seat Police! There was a large selection, with an emphasis on Italian cuisine. I actually have a hard time believing that the square footage of the park is larger than the water park @ Great Wolf Lodge. However, please be aware that Camelback / Aquatopia charges for general parking I think it is $12 if you are just coming to engage in one of the activities. To read more aboutHOW TO GET THE BEST DEAL& aPRICE COMPARISONof ALL THREE POCONOS WATERPARK RESORTS check out my NEW post:Poconos Waterparks: How to Get the Best Deals at Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Aquatopia! Great Wolf Lodges water park continues their wildlife theme. So if you are looking for a martini, you will have to hit one of the restaurants. Chip. Kalahari was the cheapest on Friday evening but the most expensive during the week & the second most expensive on Saturday evening. First, Great Wolf Lodge is a decent size. 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. The larger of the two play areas also includes a splash table for babies. The balcony/patio was laughable. For families with teenagers this is the best water park for you. Advice: you can't come to a place like this and complain about how much things cost. Hello, Erika! The kids really enjoyed the cabin themed suite which was adorned with a lot of cute character images. 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. One of the other simple theming aspects we enjoyed were the 2 Great Wolf Lodge video book stories playing on the resort TV channel. They also enjoyed the Wiley & Friends video stories that you can find on one of the dedicated TV channels. But having a wide variety of restaurants and foods was great! Both resorts in the Poconos have a water coaster. 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. Kalahari seems to have a bit more of a selection when it comes to very large rooms. The hostesses and the servers were professional and pleasant. There were 2 bathrooms one off the walk-in area and the second one in the master suite. I asked everyone in the family if we are going back down to the Poconos and staying at one of the resorts tomorrow night where would you want to stay? 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. Since we are usually there for just one night we resign ourselves to it being a pizza for dinner night. > We look forward to seeing you again! Most of the activities (at all of the resorts) are priced a la carte. Only 2 of our bracelets worked, but we were able to get around that on more than one occasion. 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! 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! The setting for them seems nicer, and they seem more elaborate than the ropes course offered @ Great Wolf Lodge. Not quite as good as the one @ Kalahari but better than you will find at Great Wolf Lodge. I felt the prices were reasonable for this type of American Pub food. Across from that there is a small decent sized souvenir shop / store and a small dessert kiosk. I actually made the kids wear earplugs (as did I) to go to this! The theming is carried throughout multiple aspects of the total experience. For exact amenities lists, its best to view the Great Wolf Lodge or Kalahari website of the locations you are comparing. Many months later (due to COVID) we stayed at Camelbacks Aquatopia. Both seemed to make a small room work a little better and not feel as small as it actually was. 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. We liked the luggage rack near the door and the shelf over the microwave. Thank you for your feedback. Yes there were two night stands on either side of the bed in the master suite. It is hard to believe that Aquatopia/Camelback would actually be charging extra for the balcony /patios at this level! Splash Lagoon . Sopleaseclick on a link or two if you wish tosupport us& and our endeavors here. Everything is close together in the resort, so not much walking between areas. Life-size animal statues adorn the outside. This seems to be an archaeology /exploration theme that they incorporate to water park. GWL has excellent sales. It is in the middle in terms of the size of its indoor waterpark and in number of rooms at the resort. (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. Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine has one adults-only hot tub. Sincerely, (Basically a jumpy seat for adults.) Burger and fries for $12, other sandwiches $12-$15.not excessive. We recently took a little trip to the Poconos and stayed one night @ Great Wolf Lodge immediately followed by a one-night stay @ Kalahari. Our complaints fell on deaf ears, as we needed a certain amount of space for.our family, and the hotel informed us that there was nothing they could do. 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. 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. Kalahari Resort has a huge upcharge for the one type of themed room. The water is warm, but not too hot. We LOVED IT!More. Hello and thank you for the review! Kalahari is amaizing! Chip Williamson All Rights Reserved. Thank you for pointing out my mistake! To the right of the entrance is check-in / hotel services. 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). Great Wolf Lodge, including Pocono Mountains location. Chip Williamson All Rights Reserved. We love knowing that our attractions were fun for both the children and adults in your family!
We liked the artwork in the room. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC. There is also a cafe (Cafe & Bar) and a restaurant (Horizons) located right off the main lobby. The TV in the room seemed to be new and was the largest of any we saw at the three resorts. I would appreciate your input as we would like to plan a resort getaway for just the two of us for our anniversary. Apart from those issues, I appreciate the detailed comparison.
Poconos Waterpark Comparison Guide: Kalahari versus Aquatopia & Great