Growing up it was always challenging for our family to take a vacation together. Between school vacation days, sports team commitments and work schedules, it was difficult to find a weekend let alone a week to go on a trip. One of the things that we did was that we would often take staycations or add on a couple days to wherever we were travelling for a sports tournament. Now, as we have our own family, I’m already seeing the challenge of getting time together and how a staycation can be beneficial.  

We recently spent the weekend at Great Wolf Lodgein Anaheim, California. We were hosted for our two-night stay by Great Wolf Lodge and got to preview the Spring-A-Palooza activities. We share more about that here. There are 17 locations across the United States and even one location in Canada, making it perfect for a weekend getaway, summer vacation or if you just need to escape bad weather! During our weekend stay, it rained the entire time, which is really unusual for Southern California. But our plans weren’t affected at all! 

One of the things that I loved about staying at Great Wolf Lodge is that they really want to create a space for families to connect and create memories. As a mom, I am just trying to make sure I pack everyone’s things for the trip. The last thing I want to do is have to figure out what to do when we get there. Thankfully, Great Wolf Lodge has plenty of activities in addition to the water park. Each season, they have themed activities for guests to enjoy.  

We share our experience and some tips you might find helpful along the way. 

The Waterpark 

Each site has an enormous indoor waterpark. Make sure to check the site to see what the park you are planning on visiting has to offer. Each Great Wolf Lodge waterpark has something for everyone. Our family spent most of the time going between Fort Mackenzie and Whooping Hollow. From water cannons and water tables to water slides that are just the right size for toddlers and little ones, there was so much to see and do. We also loved going into the wave pool when the waves were on and enjoyed shooting hoops at Chinook Cove. The adults took turns riding the water slides. Our favorite was the Mountain Edge Raceway. I mustered up some courage and rode the Wolfrider Wipeout. It was fun but definitely challenging. I wiped out but not before catching a few waves! 

Some tips for the waterpark

• Bring a water proof cover for your phone. You will want to take lots of pictures and video and not have to worry about damaging your phone.
• Should we bring our own lifejacket? There are life jackets available to borrow at each of the areas, but they are on a first-come, first-serve basis. Guests can bring their own too. 
• Napping baby or toddler? We saw several parents that brought their strollers into the water park and had their baby nap so that siblings could play. We brought our baby carrier in. I was able to roam and watch my husband and toddler swim.
• Food is not allowed into the waterpark. Guests can bring it into the hotel. There are restaurants on the property or you can go back to your room for a snack. We ordered burgers and salad to-go from the Lodge Wood Fired Grill and they were so delicious. 
• Bring a water bottle that you can refill throughout your trip. It is easy to get dehydrated when you are swimming all day. 
• Pick a meeting point. It could be where you set your stuff down or the group’s favorite attraction. Have this be the spot where everyone comes to check in at a designated time or if anyone gets lost. 

The Activities

When we were not in the waterpark, we had a blast enjoying all the resort had to offer. Our favorite had to be the Bubble Dance party, we share more about it here in our Spring-A-Palooza post. We also enjoyed doing some yoga in the morning. The moves were set to a story and led by the activities staff. We had a Wolf pass so we made sure to enjoy the bowling alley, mini golf, arcade and Howly Wood XD Theater. It was fun watching everyone try to bowl. Even little sister got in on the action. For the older kids, there is MagiQuest, a live action game where you go throughout the resort to play. There is a Mini Magi Mode for guests five and under. My favorite activity had to be Creation Station. I enjoyed watching the kids pick out a stuffed animal and bring it to life. They each wanted to snuggle with it every night. 

Each season, Great Wolf Lodge has themed activities that are complimentary to resort guests as well. From themed photo backdrops to crafts, games and dance parties, they are sure to be a hit with your family.

Some tips for activities

• Don’t try to do it all. Instead, have each person pick out there top two or three things that they want to do and try to do those. If you are able to do more, great! But I often find that I try and do everything and then end up leaving the vacation more exhausted then when I came. 
• Divide and conquer. Whether it is giving one child dedicated attention or having girls/guys time, sometimes it can be helpful to divide and conquer when it comes to the activities. This can help when you want everyone to come together for something because they have gotten a chance to do the activity they were interested in. 
• Get an activities pass. There are three different levels, Pup, Paw and Wolf pass. If you are going to be there multiple days and want to do different activities, this is a great value. We had the Wolf pass and each day we would pick out a few activities to do from the pass that way we could spread it out over the course of the trip. We coupled this with the complimentary activities that the resort offers as well. 

The Food

The food at Great Wolf Lodge was amazing. We eat gluten-free so often times when we go out to eat we are often disappointed. This was not the case at all. Every meal that we had was delicious. Our favorite items had to be the Firecracker Calamari and the Lodge Smoked Ribs at Lodge Wood Fired Grill. For breakfast, we enjoyed made-to-order omelets and a gluten free waffle at Loose Moose buffet. The kids loved the pizza burgers. But their favorite were the cereal pops and “shakes” at the breakfast buffet. 

Some tips on food

• Eat up! Enjoy a dessert or a special dish, you deserve it after chasing your family around the water park all day. 
• Coolers are allowed into the resort, but not the water park. Bring your own snacks for the room. There is a fridge in each room. 
• Share your dietary restrictions with the culinary team. You can email thembefore the trip. 

We were hosted for a weekend stay by Great Wolf Lodge. We were gifted swimsuits from Snapper Rock All of our thoughts and opinions are our own. 

Making Great Memories at Great Wolf Lodge