We drove up on a Friday afternoon after school and work, and stayed until Monday to really relax before the busy holidays. Originally we traveled to go to the UTSA v. UNT football game, but freezing temps kept us indoors. Thanks to the indoor water park, we were swimming while it was icing outside. Complete with the HUGE bucket drop of water, wave pool, kids area, and slides, we were good for hours!
If you've never been to the lodge, I have to say it is like a playground for children. There are three interactive adventures (that do have a fee) with stations located throughout the lodge: MagiQuest, CompassQuest and ShadowQuest. So don't mind the kids running around the hotel.
To access the indoor water park, you have to go down to sub floor which is like walking through Vegas, action all around you! There's an arcade, a stuffed animal making station, an icecream shop, a lazer maze, XD theatre, a MagiQuest Marketplace for your adventure, a pizza place and the Cub Club. We took advantage of the water park first, washed up, and cruised the floors in pajamas!
We choose to stay in a Themed Suite, the KidsCabin. Like many of the suites available, it has a separate kids area that worked well when we needed some separation.
One night, while the kids played and watched tv in their room, the adults ordered some appetizers and adult drinks from the restaurant for a late night snack.We loved our stay so much, and really had no desire to leave the resort, except for a mini trip to Legoland Discovery Center. And while you may feel that the resort is a bit pricey (because it can be), I've got a few tips to bring down the expenses.
Tips to save money on your family vacation at the Great Wolf Lodge:
1. Plan early, buy early. - If you lock down rates early, you can use a discount code, put a down payment and then start saving money for your trip. This was our big money saver! We booked our fall trip in June, because we snagged a great rate. When I tried to add on another day, we couldn't use the same discounted rate. So, if you are unsure about your dates, it's better to include when you first book with your discounted rate and remove later. Going in a non peak time will always save you some cash.2. Purchase the Wolf Pass, Pup Pass or Paw Pass. These packages bundle many of the activities for a discounted price. They will keep you busy during your non-swimming time and the big expense can be taken care of ahead of time if you include with your reservation. It also kept us from buying extras, we just stuck to what came with the pass.
3. Take a cooler with fruit, drinks, sandwich and breakfast items. Make sure your room comes with a refrigerator, most do. Our KidCabin did, so I planned ahead. We purchased a large milk from the Starbucks downstairs and ate cereal in the mornings. Lunch time and in between swimming, we ate sandwiches, chips and fruit, that I brought along with us on our road trip.
4. The more the merrier, bunk with family members! We were able to share the KidCabin with 3 more family members, it houses 7 max. So check the max amount of guests your room will allow and split that bill.
I believe family vacations and travel are really worth the planning, budgeting and saving. From San Antonio, the drive to Grapevine was worth the experience and reward for all the hard work during the year.
So, sign up for the emails, check the rate calendars and monthly deals and plan for a memorable time!
