Family accommodation and use of the indoor water park which has slides, a wave pool, and a separate area for small children. There’s also parent free programs for children 4 yrs & up, evening story time and morning kids’ shows. Tel: 1-800-605-9653
Ages: All ages
Major Intersection: Niagara Parkway & Victoria Avenue
Address: 3950 Victoria Avenue, Niagara Falls, ON
If you make an inquiry, please mention that you saw this listing on the Melanie On-The-Go / Kids On-The-Go website. Thank you!
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We went to the great wolf lodge after winning an overnight stay from melanie’s contest. We were so excited to go as we had been wanting to go for a while. We tried to look at the trip from a point of view of us paying for it, not as though it was free, as next time we would obviously be paying full price. We packed up and took off so we could arrive at the hotel early and use the waterpark before our room was ready; to our delight our room was ready when we arrived
We would have liked to have been directed as to where our room was better as we could have parked at the very end of the building and used a separate elevator which would not have been busy, as we were at the very end of the hall; and the main elevator keeps you waiting for a minimum 5 minutes. As we have a 2 year old waiting 5 minutes for a elevator can be extremely difficult. We were delighted by all the decorations which was set up for christmas and many interactive animals our daughter quite enjoyed playing with. When we finally got to our room we were greatly surprised with how nice it was a very large spacious unit with balcony and seperate wall divided living room area, it also features a fridge and microwave which was great for bringing some snacks and drinks to store. As for the waterpark itself, it was a huge let down our daughter who is as tall as a 3 year old according to our doctor could not go on anything. We were allowed to ride the lazy river, the wave pool, a regular pool, and one family waterslide called the mammoth i believe. She kept going over to what i would consider “baby slides” as these are less than outdoor park slides and wanting to go on and we were turned away or kept having to tell our daughter that it was for big kids. As we live in richmond hill which hosts the “wave pool” and also has “bayview hill pool” featuring a small whale slide at a cost of free for our daughter and $7.50 and under per adult, the $250 price tag of great wolf doesn’t match up. That night we ate our dinner in town so we cant comment on the food although to me the prices seemed quite high to eat on site which i expected them to be, so we also ate our breakfast out as well. The next day checkout was at 11am we decided to try out the waterpark again which means renting out a locker for the day at a cost of $15, they only have 4 stalls for family changerooms which i dont understand as it is a family resort, there are also no lockers located in the family changerooms, or washrooms. So you had to keep trekking back and forth between the women’s changeroom and family changeroom. Overall i wouldnt recommend going to great wolf unless your child is 4+, otherwise you might as well just take your children to a regular pool. My husband and I decided our money would be better spent having a holiday away in dominican etc which would be all inclusive as opposed to somewhere like great wolf. Hope this is helpful to other families who are thinking of bringing there family to great wolf.
Activities We Did:
We have started at the Great Wolf Lodge a few times, the first being Halloween 2009, Summer 2010, Christmas 2010, Summer 2011, Christmas 2011 and recently July 2012. We usually spend 2-3 nights and use the waterpark, kids play area, and town.
Good to Go!:
The resort is amazing for children. There are moving&talking animals in the lobby (similar to Rainforest Cafe) and they hold a story time there nightly as well as “parties” and “dances” on certain nights. There’s something to do all year round and in the fall there was trick or treating, pumpkin carving and Halloween crafts and parties. Christmas, New Years, Valentine’s, etc., all have special themed activities. It’s cheaper off season than during holidays or summer as well. The resort has an indoor waterpark that provides towels, safety equipment, lots of fun for all ages and life guards.
The play center has supervised activities and you sign your children in and out and provide detailed info and instructions. We were also provided in room babysitting (extra cost) by a qualified caregiver so we could go into Niagra Falls for a late dinner and check out the casino. I also had a sitter who played with Maya in the play center, arcade and walked around so she wouldn’t get bored while I visited the spa. The spa is a nice relaxing touch and has packages for little girls too.
The rooms are pretty nice considering it’s a waterpark and people track water in everywhere. All rooms have a patio or balcony which is nice in summer.
In summer there are outdoor swimming pools too.
There is a large store inside with lots of snacks, drinks, clothes, gifts and even build a bear.
The lodge is close to Tim Horton’s for breakfast and there are grudges and microwaves in the rooms.
Not so Much/ Suggestions for Improvement:
The resort gets very busy and is popular with tourists from all over the world especially Americans. It can get quite noisy at times in the halls and we even heard noise in our room before. Depending on hoe late it is, this can be hard with a light sleeping child like mine.
The food is TERRIBLe and e only thing I wish they would change or improve immensely. The buffet is expensive and average. I dislike buffets generally and is one didn’t change my mind. The only other choice to the buffet is Pizza Hut which is ok. We usually end up doing a take out pizza in our room one night. We bring drinks, snacks and some food to jeep in fridge and heat up in microwave. Otherwise we eat in town. I would never get the inclusive packages as I would hate to feel obligated to eat there. However, I have met families who like the buffet.
Prices for your stay can be steep ut it’s a great place and we get “deals” emailed to us and take advantage of those. It is a vacation that I would on,y do with children and we choose it because of all the child friendly amenities and caregiving help/activities.
Quick Tips for Others:
You can use the waterpark if you arrive before your room is ready and after checkout. You will have to use the change rooms and washrooms in the waterpark.
If you want some quiet or have a small child, ask for a room away from the waterpark and on upper levels at end of hall. If you want convenience and plan to spend most time at the waterpark, ask for rooms on lower level near park.
You can buy passes just for waterpark for guests or if you are wanting to go for the day only.
Additional Ratings:
- Amenities: 4/5
- Value: 4/5
Activities We Did:
We used the indoor waterpark which was well maintained. They take safety seriously with ample lifeguard staff. We also did the mini golf outside.
Good to Go!:
There are lots of activities for younger kids. As soon as you walk in there’s a big talking tree. They have crafts, story time, etc. There’s even a spa for kids (pricey).
Not so Much/ Suggestions for Improvement:
The food is terrible even by fast food standards. The buffet breakfast was good, but a bit pricey.
Quick Tips for Others:
If you stay only one night, you can use the waterpark both days. Go out for your meals.
Additional Ratings:
- Amenities: 3.5/5
- Value: 3.5/5