included with your stay Waterpark Admission Waterpark admission is always free when you stay with us. It is in the middle in terms of the size of its indoor water park and in number of rooms at the resort. However, having fewer food venue choices and adult amenities limits your stay to a very kid-centric experience. Kalahari features a number of signature sit-down restaurants (Sortinos Italian Kitchen (Italian food), B-Lux Grill & Bar (Burgers & Shakes), Double Cut (Steakhouse). The building must be completed within three years. The kids do enjoy the characters and overall lodge experience. Been at least six years ago. They looped continuously so they are readily accessible at any time. 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 Poconos location has 401 rooms and each wing of the lodge has 4 floors. 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. That is with just 2 adults and 4 kids. We liked the water park @ Great Wolf Lodge! However, Great Wolf Lodge has a higher percentage of themed rooms available at a more reasonable price. Try getting on the email lists of both of these resorts to learn about the discounts they offer throughout the year. Confusingly enough she was allowed to go on the small kids slides that were inside the waterpark. See you soon! I look forward to hearing back from you. Various restaurants, childrens amenities and retail establishments will also be included in the new development. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. We also enjoyed the Lazy River and the wave pool. 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. See our Advertiser Disclosure and Editorial Notehere. We have been to the Williamsburg Virginia location where there was one but there is not one @ the Poconos location. Try getting on the email lists of both of these resorts to learn about the discounts they offer throughout the year. The cabin was towards the front of the room and was semi-private for the kids. 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. 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. You used the same bathroom photo for both resorts. For size reference, Great Wolf Lodges water park is the smallest at about 79,000 square feet. This was our 3rd visit to Kalahari, the 2 previous times we stayed was before March 2017 when the resort was only half way completed. The water park @ Kalahari is HUGE. Another note worth mentioning the bathtubs @ Kalahari are huge! It is a wonderful family vacation spot that offers a lot of adventure & nature! 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). Kalahari still boasts plenty of kiddie water slides, but it also has more thrilling slides for older children. There was also a buffet which was closed but other little caf options for grab and go type food, a coffee bar, ice cream stand, bakery.they forgot nothing!We felt like we needed more than one night so we asked to extend our stay another night and we were given a great rate to stay in our upgraded room so we jumped on the deal. Both are great options for kids. Whereas, the roofline @ Great Wolf Lodge is blocky. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Admission: Rates start at $277 a night for a standard four-person room. The distance from the lobby to our room was an extremely long haul for her. There was one dedicated dessert/pastry kiosk located off the main lobby nestled in there with the souvenir shop. Crystal, 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. Part-time blogger, full-time nerd & aspiring Renaissance man! We stayed from Tuesday through Thursday during July. Check with the resort to confirm which activities are offered during the winter. Thank you for reading & for your comment / question! 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 larger of the two play areas also includes a splash table for babies. 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. @Kelly We ate dinner off-site so I cant really compare the food fairly. 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. This is probably the one area that Aquatopia beats both Great Wolf Lodge & Kalahari. It is disappointing to hear that you did not have as great of an experience this time around compared to your first two. 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. As a native New Yorker, a bit of grit and grime doesn't scare me. Well manicured and landscaped lawns.We arrived in the main lobby on Sunday 7/2 a little after 1:00 p.m. Both Great Wolf and Kalahari have very luxurious condos that can accommodate a whole family easily. Kalahari also has a wide variety of types of water slides drop slides, mat racer, raft slides, etc. The top 10 winners in the category Best Indoor Water Park are as follows: Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark - Tannersville, Pennsylvania. Seriously, this place is awesome! It is also carried through with the water park experience itself with some of the attractions incorporating the characters and /or lodge theme. Expect to spend money on food, games, etc. Camelbacks Aquatopia resort opened their indoor water park in May of 2015. The food was not good at all. We have never patronized the restaurant as it does seem expensive. 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. The Poconos location has 401 rooms and each wing of the lodge has 4 floors. bellyrubbah1 2 yr. ago Cool. Great Wolf Resorts told KPRC in a statement, Were always looking for opportunities to introduce the Great Wolf Lodge resort experience to new audiences, and we are excited about the prospect of bringing one of our family-friendly indoor water park resorts to southeastern Texas.. Great Wolf Lodge. 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. Lock in the lowest price from these sites. 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. Featuring free WiFi and a seasonal outdoor pool, Great Wolf Lodge Grapevine offers accommodations in Grapevine. 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. There was also only one sink in the room (as well as only one bathroom which had only a standard sized tub). There isnt any story that goes along with any of the characters as far as we were able to discern. In particular, it felt narrow. It had a pretty good selection of desserts and chocolates. (Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Camelbacks Aquatopia) Which is the right waterpark resort experience for your family? Great Wolf Lodge is known for their MagiQuest game. The room was nice and clean but nothing particularly memorable. Likewise the lobby is magnificent! Kalahari Resort in Round Rock, TX is like Great Wolf Lodge on steroids. How does the resort compare to Great Wolf Lodge? Great Wolf is more for kids, but I feel like Great Wolf service is better than Kalahari. Yes it is HUGE but it is also laid out well and serves as a destination itself within the resort. Adventure Update # 018: My Tricycle is Very Very Fast! It was voted the #1 indoor water park in 2015 by USA Today. Top Educational & Inspirational YouTube Channels for Families 2022, Waterpark Comparison Chart: Kalahari, Aquatopia & Great Wolf Lodge. Apparently they were experiencing people taking the towels as souvenirs?? Hello, Erika! We also enjoyed the balcony. Copyright 2022 by KSAT - All rights reserved. Much more concise! The wolf mascots host a nightly dance party and pj story time. Kalahari has the most toddler slides by far when comparing the three resorts. As the kids went ahead, employee Jeremy helped to take bags upstairs. Kalahari Resort, located in Round Rock, Texas, is similar in many ways to Great Wolf Lodge. It may come down to a simple question: How old are the children in your party? Great Wolf Lodge has an outdoor ropes course and indoor arcade. We went for the Italian the second night and the food was again wonderful. This old-school hot dog shack across from Penn Treaty Park mostly caters to truckers, hence its early-morning hours. Its a tough call. There is an indoor rock wall, laser tag, and indoor ropes course, etc. Both resorts in the Poconos have a water coaster. Expect to spend money on food, games, etc. Is the higher food price of Kalahari worth it? Thanks to Amanda at the front desk for helping facilitate this! Water park access was included. 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 also only stayed one night, so Im not sure how often housekeeping visits. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. We recently visited Camelback Mountain Resorts waterpark Aquatopia (November 24th, 2021). That said, I wouldnt pay triple the price for Kalahari. 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. 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. There are a lot of food choices @ Kalahari of which we have only sampled a few. 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. The toddler splash park area is very big at Kalahari with a lot of water-table type attractions and activities for the little ones. The ladies bathroom and changing area looked tike a war zone! It is really the other aspects of the resorts and accommodations that will determine which resort is the better choice for your family! This 80,000-square-foot facility is perfect for families, although the water park portion is only open to hotel guests. The distance between Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos is a mere 7 miles. But, my kids are little fish who love swimming, and they cant get enough of this type of resort. There was a large selection, with an emphasis on Italian cuisine. Please email me directly at PAConnect@kalahariresorts.com. Hopefully you can come again soon but until then, take care! Sincerely, Several hot tubs, twice the amount of slides as Great Wolf Lodge, and something for all ages. Hello! Kalahari seems to have a bit more of a selection when it comes to very large rooms. It was, however, small. EXPECT IT and you will have a great time. 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. Great Wolf Lodges water park continues their wildlife theme. The 3 "kids" (ages 12-20) and I were impressed with the front of the resort. With that being said it does appear that the ropes course and zip lines are something that we may try in the future. Both resorts have also utilized Groupon for deals. The farm is back a lane, and Lindt Chocolate Factory Outlet is located at 40 Logistics Drive in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg, built in 2005, is listed as one of the five top things to do in Williamsburg by visitwilliamsburg.com. We do love both! You can reach me at PAConnect@KalahariResorts.com. Aquatopia Snowtubing, mountain coaster (4,500 feet steel track coaster), Euro Bungee tethered bungee jump. We liked the artwork in the room. 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 . The only other complaint I have is that we came home with a number of bites. It was nicely decorated and efficiently arranged. 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. To the left of the lobby is almost exclusively devoted to games and activities for kids really tweens & teens. We appreciate it! The smell permeated EVERYTHING to the point of needing to open the door to air it out. However, each locations water parks and amenities vary. How does it compare to Great Wolf Lodge? Two of my kids are begging to go back to Kalahari. Read on to find out which one is the BEST water park for your family vacation! Family Fun at its best. Kalahariis the biggest of the 3 and has a wider range of offerings that will appeal to both adults & children. Imagine what it takes to run this place?!? African photos, statues, pictures, all kinds of things that mentally transport you to another world. We didn't hear a peep after 10pm and slept soundly. You could definitely capture everything this place has to offer in 2-3 days. Aquatopiais somewhere right in-between Kalahari & Great Wolf Lodge by almost every measure! This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! And the staff was friendly. (Healthy, I know.) 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. Chip. Location: 1 Great Wolf Drive, Scotrun, PA. Kalahari is newer and more efficiently run. One of Kalahari's Kiddie Areas Winner: Kalahari Resort (especially for older kids and teens). We certainly do have a lot of different ways to entertain and excite the kids! Although the room was designated for up to 6 people it felt like we were on top of each other at times. 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. CamelBack (Aquatopia) has 453 rooms and there are 6 floors (above ground) to the lodge. On a subsequent trip (after COVID) we also visited Camelbacks Aquatopia. We were really looking forward into the expansion since we really loved how great Kalahari was the first two times we visited. We have patronized several of these places, if not all and the kids highly recommend them! There were 2 bathrooms one off the walk-in area and the second one in the master suite. Thank you very much for your comment. CEO approval 75 % approve of John Murphy (Murph)'s performance 74 % approve of Todd Nelson's performance Salary satisfaction 49 % think they are paid fairly at Great Wolf Lodge 40 % If you're not up and about a 4:30 a.m., though, you can still get a. Swim Up BARS - An absolutely genius idea! Both resorts are well-themed throughout the resort rooms and the water parks. This activity requires participants to roam all over the lodge to find clues and solve a quest. 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! Kalahari activities and attractions differ with each location. 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. I hope you have a wonderful time with your family! 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! [3] Great Wolf Resorts is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. They also enjoyed the Wiley & Friends video stories that you can find on one of the dedicated TV channels. Their massive indoor water parks vary by location. Hi, Pamela! The lobby is ringed by various shops and the floor has wonderful decorative murals inlaid in the marble (Im sure these are probably decals??). An unpleasant smell hit us as soon as we opened the door, although I couldn't quite place it, at least not until we stepped further into the suite. Coming Soon: Great Wolf Lodge in Webster! Socks are required in order to bowl. And with new locations in Arizona and Illinois, Great Wolf Lodges are becoming easier to reach wherever . This comparison guide will focus mainly on the Pocono resorts in Pennsylvania, but some of the information can be used to compare other locations of Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge. The Poconos Great Wolf Lodge location has more kiddie water slides than the Williamsburg location. LOVED the concept - didn't like the fact that they were not full bars - they only made a few specialty drinks and offered beer and wine. Its really a question of what the individual family prefers, as far as water park size, features and resort amenities. For our Wednesday June 26th, 2019 stay @ Kalahari the cost of our room was $249.99 with taxes & fees amounting to $66.09, bringing the total to $316.08. 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! When we were last at Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos we did not stay in a themed suite. Other than the water park & arcade our family hasnt really tried out any other ones. 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. Both resorts have normal hotel rooms as well as themed rooms. Great Wolf Lodge also has a small bowling ally, gem mining, outdoor ropes course, arcade, and glow golf. It felt more intimate and clean, less crowded and sufficiently staffed. The theming is carried throughout multiple aspects of the total experience. Across from that there is a small decent sized souvenir shop / store and a small dessert kiosk. Berrellis Italian Chophouse wasnt really an option for us as this restaurant is physically located in a different building from where we were staying & where the indoor water park is located. To the right of the entrance is check-in / hotel services. That sounds good. My family recently visited Kalahari Resort in Round Rock, Texas. This post will focus on the Leola New York City and upstate New York are close to many amazing indoor water parks. 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? So I guess you just dont need it that much. 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. Imagine what it takes to run this place?!? There are a number of other activities available at the lodge. It's located in the Rockvale Outlets Fox Meadows Creamery has two locations, one in Ephrata, Pennsylvania and one in Leola, Pennsylvania. The KSAT 12 News Team provides a look at local, regional, statewide and national news events and the latest information on local traffic and weather issues. Overall we felt like Kalahari was much better before the expansion. It can be more expensive but it's a better place to relax and see your kids enjoying without having to worry too much. It's the easiest way to hit the slopes! Yes My oldest daughter and wife voted for Kalahari. That was almost inedible. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. As I indicated above I should not have been charged a fee for parking since we did not leave a vehicle at the resort and were dropped off. 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. 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. Our balcony overlooked a very lightly used service road and then there was an unobstructed view of the forested mountain side. We usually just order a pizza and eat it in our room with maybe a salad. Most of the activities (at all of the resorts) are priced a la carte. We had no problem finding a table and chairs to rest our towels and use for eating later. 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). At times Kalahari actually felt a littletoo bigfor us. When you check in the lodge they should offer you and / or the kids wolf ears at no extra charge since, after all it is the Great WOLF Lodge!. Enjoy your family vacation at one of the great indoor water park resort choices in your area! There were a total of 3 TVs one in the Family Room where the pull out bed / couch was, one in the master suite and one in the second bedroom with the two queen sized beds. Kalahari . Weve stayed at GWL Williamsburg and Kalahari in the Poconos. Wisconsin Dells, WI https://www.greatwolf.com/wisconsin-dells We were told that the elevator was on the convention center side, which was not really convenient for her. Burger and fries for $12, other sandwiches $12-$15.not excessive. 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. Thank you! Great Wolf Lodge Poconos is a staple in the region. The balcony/patio was laughable. 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. Great Wolf Lodge has a woodsy/lodge theme and decor. I also added a note how COVID-19 has delayed our plans to stay @ Aquatopia. Water park access was included. If you can't afford it, don't bother making the trip. The day we went, prices were similar to GWL. Kalahari even has a five bedroom suite that can have a maximum of 22 guests. 2 of themone outside by the immense outdoor pool and one heated one inside. Welcome to Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Round Rock 223,000 square feet, filled with wet, wild, fun. The company owns and operates its family resorts under the Great Wolf Lodge brand. The NACHOS did not disappoint. The development is expected to break ground during. Book now and prepare your pack for adventure. Note: There is no Flowrider / surfing simulator attraction at the Poconos location for Great Wolf Lodge. They contain a variety of aquatic activities such as water slides, swimming pools, wave pools, lazy rivers, and splash pads. We love knowing that our attractions were fun for both the children and adults in your family! Have you been to both Great Wolf Lodge and Kalahari Resort? Im not sure when we will make it back there since we have a lot of other travel plans. I hope you and your family have a wonderful stay! Both are reasonable attempts at having a meal on the healthier side. Klahari is themed and decorated as an African resort. 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. 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. It seems, for obvious safety reasons, that a toddler area would be better located on the lowest level of the water park. This was one of the few exceptions! Wet bar, fridge, microwaveIMPRESSED with the upkeep.WATERPARK - The place is absolutely huge. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. 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. EXPECT IT and you will have a great time. Great Wolf Resorts (formerly known as Great Wolf Lodge) is a chain of indoor water parks. Tom Foolery's Adventure Park provides hours of playtime, with 80,000 square feet of interactive rides and attractions. No outside food or drink allowed. Both resorts have themed rooms that accommodate a wide-range of family sizes from two queen rooms to much, much bigger. At the towel dispensary you simply swipe your wrist band and the attendant will hand you the number of towels you request. 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? Expect to spend money on food, games, etc. "The advent of Great Wolf Lodge represents one of the most monumental accomplishments in the City's history," Webster city officials said. Shooting Range (tourist favorite) is closer to Great Wolf. Hopefully you can keep returning and finding even more ways to have fun with us as the kids grow. Yes, there were some healthy options just not a very good variety. Inspired parents sharing the joys & adventures of the parenthood journey! Robert, 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! Thank you to the staff we mentioned for really making sure our stay was the best it possibly could be! 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! In addition to the arcade, there are six amusement park rides, including the Screamn Centipede roller coaster with 360-degree rotating cart. Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your recent visit. One of the other simple theming aspects we enjoyed were the 2 Great Wolf Lodge video book stories playing on the resort TV channel. The development is expected to break ground during the first quarter of 2022 and construction of the facility will begin no later than April 2025, according to KPRC. We simply love everything about it! The water park @ Aquatopia was nice. Waterpark admission included with your stay! Many of these water parks are resorts, meaning they also comparison guide for all three of these resorts, Lindt Chocolate Factory Outlet Carlisle, PA. 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. Many of the activities are located right on the main level off to the left of the main lobby so they are very visible. We stayed from Tuesday through Thursday during July. (It was almost like an obstacle course with the running kids, machines, flashing lights, and noise.) Welcome to Great Wolf Lodge! Both resorts also have bunk bed suites with small alcoves just for the kids. Thankfully, we didnt have a 2+ hour line to check-in. I look forward to connecting with you. Hi there, I appreciate you taking the time to write a review of your most recent stay. Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Camelbacks Aquatopia resort are all located in the Poconos and are VERY close to each other! The Great Wolf Lodge resort in the Poconos was constructed in 2005 and is one of roughly 19 locations for the chain. My family has stayed in themed rooms at both resorts. Located below the main lobby is both the entrance to the water park and the arcade. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review. As I mentioned earlier with 4 kids ranging in age from 2 10 we are not very often dining in @ a restaurant. I'm going to breakdown each part of the resort that we visited and give you the key points: 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. mercy ships homosexuality, , shooting in south central los angeles today,