A Lazy Dad's Review of Great Wolf Lodge

We recently had the privilege of visiting the Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Texas. We visited the lodge with our two children, who are 3 and 4, and my wife's parents and sisters. The room we stayed in was big enough for eight people and was appropriately called the Grizzly Bear suite.

From the start of our stay we were greatly impressed with the Lodge's attention to detail. Check-in was smooth and organized from very friendly front desk clerks. I must admit that from the second I walked into the facility I began going into sensory overload. The facility is absolutely enormous. The two huge wolves that overlook the massive drive up to check in was our first glimpse into how big this place really was.

My wife and I are absolute sticklers for clean rooms. We have been known to change rooms multiple times when checking into a Hotel if it is found to be less than clean. I must say that I was absolutely impressed with how clean our room was. The attention to detail was impressive. Nothing was out of place, and the room was most assuredly modern and up to date as far as fixtures and furniture.

Upon arrival we found out the water park does not open until 4 p.m. This was great, we were wanting a nap and were hoping that our children would follow suit. Our greatest complaint about the property starts now. About half an hour after our naps began there began a pounding coming from the walls that surrounded us. At first I thought this was a rude set of neighbors, so after 20 minutes of consistent pounding I set out to knock on their door. To my surprise their was nobody in the room. Upon finding one of the many Lodge's employees, he helped me find the source of our aggravation. To our surprise our room was located under one of the many kitchens in the facility. To our great dismay the cooks had begun pounding out the chicken fried steak. They did this for the next 2 hours. Due to the facility being completely booked, we had no option but to go without a nap.

As 4 o'clock approached so did our excitement about visiting the massive indoor water park that we walked passed as we entered the facility. Upon arriving with our bathing suits on (modesty required by the Lodge), we began scouting out the first place for our kids to get wet. Within the water park their is a place for all ages. Our children rotated between the toddler water area, and the elementary age area. I found the elementary age playground perfectly suitable for our 4-year-old, but our 3-year-old was a bit daunted. The most impressive thing about the water park was the number of lifeguards on duty and their attention to the water. I found every lifeguard to be constantly watching the water. As a parent I felt my children were remarkably safe.

The water park is not just for children. More than half of the water park is designed for older children and adults. We found the wave pool to be a bit undersized, and the lazy river to be greatly undersized. However the indoor slides did not disappoint. There were 5 indoor slides, three of which could be ridden by children at least 42 inches tall. My 4 year old loved the big slides as well as her adrenaline-junkie dad. I was greatly surprised however at the Tornado. If the Tornado were the only slide in the water park it would be worth staying here.

The amenities at GWL are second to none. There were more restaurants than I can count, whether it was for fine dining, or fast food the amount of food is ample. Prices varied from reasonable to outrageous ($15 for the breakfast buffet). The gift shops were well stocked but highly priced

One of the neatest things occurring at GWL were the children who found the scavenger hunt. If your child is between 6 and 12 years old they will love being able to explore every inch of the building. The hunt involves using a wand purchased in the gift shop to bring pictures, treasure chests, and many many other items to life. While my family did not participate in this, there was an obvious exuberance noticed on the face of every child wielding a wand.

A family with older children will appreciate that the building and water park are safe enough to let your children play while you relax either in your room, or in the lobby that looks down into the water park. This makes lazy worn out dads happy.

Overall, I was greatly impressed with our visit. The weekend was a bit pricey, but we will be going back. Make sure and visit their website to look for monthly specials.