Visit Great Wolf Lodge

Being a single mother these days, especially with the economy the way it is, taking a family vacation is often overlooked or postponed since living expenses come first. When I finally did have enough money saved to take my son and his cousin on vacation, I wanted to make it worth their while since I didn't know how long it would be before we could go anywhere again. I began my research into finding the best kid friendly vacation without having to go over my budget!

I knew air fare was out of the question, so my search began knowing we would have to drive to our vacation destination. Driving means time away from having fun so I wanted to keep the drive time to a minimum. I also knew I wanted to have as much fun possible throughout the entire vacation. Both children accompanying me are good kids and deserve to have a first class time.

I live right on the North Carolina, Virginia border. My options were a little broader since I had two states in which to search. I began searching kid friendly vacation destination via the internet. Within a few hours I found the place that would make our family vacation unforgettable!

Located just outside of colonial Williamsburg is a quaint lodge called Great Wolf Lodge! Great Wolf Lodge is filled with adventures galore for children and adults of all ages. The pictures I saw on the web site didn't even come close to the adventures we had during our vacation. A huge indoor water park, arcade, special Magi Quest game, and putt putt are just a few of the things Great Wolf Lodge has to offer.

Considering I wanted to optimize the time my family had at Great Wolf Lodge, we decided to plan our vacation for a Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. I figured the weekends would be busier than weekdays and also the prices are cheaper if you travel during the week. I booked the vacation two weeks before our trip. Per the policy of Great Wolf Lodge, the deposit is the price of one night and is charged to your credit card at the time of booking.

The day finally arrived and we were off to Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg VA. When we finally arrived at Great Wolf Lodge, I have to tell you, I was impressed! The Lodge itself is gigantic and my son was absolutely amazed! I went to check us in at the front desk and was greeted by a friendly and helpful receptionist who was eager to get our vacation off to a wonderful start. She patiently explained where our room was located, told me how to get to the water park and presented me with a neat packet on the activities available during our visit.

When you enter Great Wolf Lodge, the atmosphere is family oriented. I noticed many children laughing and playing, bustling around filled with excitement. There were mothers, fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers, people of all walks of life just enjoying each others company. There were several couches and chairs for people to sit on and a clock tower right in the middle of the room where story hour happens every night.

We decided to check into our room before attempting to tackle the thrills the water park offers. I was impressed with the room layout considering I decided on a more economical room setting in lieu of themed room in order to safe a few dollars. The room was very homey and provided all the comforts of home. There was a TV, Nintendo, balcony, bathroom fully stocked with towels and toilet paper, two beds, and a pull out sofa. The beds were very comfortable although the pullout sofa was a little on the rough side. I was even more impressed with the bubble gum scented body wash provided for the children to bathe with. The room also had vanilla scented lotion and a shampoo conditioner for hair washing. There is a safe in every room free of charge for storing personal items in. This was wonderful as it gave me a place for money and medicines.

We quickly changed clothes and put bathing suits on and headed to the water park. Before actually venturing into the water park, we hit the second floor where there are huge glass windows that allow you too look at the water park and all the people having the time of their life. We quickly decided to head down and check it out first hand!

All I can say it the water park is amazing! There is a section totally devoted to smaller children with water appropriate activities and easy access for moms and dads. This area only allows children less than 48 inches so there is no worry of rough housing from older children. The height limit is enforced by the life guards. Speaking of life guards, they were everywhere. I was even more impressed with the life guards because even if someone asked them a question, even though they would politely answer, their eyes never shifted from the area they were in charge of. This went for all the life guards I came in contact with during my visit.

There is a huge tree house type exhibit, where children can climb up into and play with the many different water activities located all though the tree house. On top of the tree house is a huge bucket that slowly fills with water and dumps about every five minutes or so. Each time the bucket dumps, children scurry to be underneath the pouring waters.

There was a wave pool that would shift from still to beach like waves every five minutes. There would be a warning alarm just before the waves started coming for anyone wishing to avoid the waves and giving parents enough time to locate any stray stragglers. The wave pool was filled with people of all ages and water floats for the convenience of any lazy pool goers.

One of the most popular water slides was the Howling Tornado! We rode this slide over and over during our stay. It was loads of fun and a must do for any Great Wolf Lodge guest! It is the only water slide with a strongly enforced height limit. At the time of our visit, wait time was about ten minutes, though I am sure on busy days it could be longer. Two to four family members or friends can ride together to share the excitement!

There were other water slides as well locate through out the park. Some water slides required you be on a tube while others did not. There was an assortment and something for everyone. Of course we had to try them all out at one time or another. The water slides were well managed by the life guards and no one seemed to complain or be worried by having to wait and take turns.

A lazy river entwined around the water park to provide a break after hours of walking up and down the steps to the water slides. There were floats in the lazy river you could just grab and go with the flow. You had to keep an eye out to avoid some of the water traps that would fall on you if you got too comfortable.

For the more adventurous water park on goers, there was a simulation knee board exhibit. Here you could actually ride a knee board and get the full surfing experience in only a few inches of water. The simulator appeared to be a huge hit among the men as we watched them periodically throughout our visit show off and try different tricks.

When we were completely tuckered out from walking and sliding, we hit the Jacuzzis. There was one for adults over 21 and then there was a family one for all ages. This was a wonderful idea I thought since it gave everyone the chance to enjoy a relaxing hot tub.

In the evening hours after the water park closed, the children got to work on the Magi Quest game. In order to participate in the game, you had to purchase a Magic Wand and go around the lodge trying to complete a variety of quests. The Magic Wand interacts with objects around the lodge. It is like a whole new virtual world for the children to get lost in. There is an option of purchasing wizard and sorcerer outfits as well. I have to tell you I was impressed with how this worked. It is a great way for children to make new friends. The Quests take you up and down stairs and provides literally hours of fun. If you are able to complete all the tasks during your visit, there is a prize given. It is surely not as easy as you would think but the great thing about it is if you don't finish in your first visit, you can bring the Wand back on your next visit and pick up where you left off.

If you decide to take a break and just play arcade games, Great Wolf Lodge has a wonderful arcade. You collect tickets throughout your visit and turn them in before leaving for neat prizes. We enjoyed ourselves at the arcade and managed to rack up a pretty decent amount of tickets.

There is a Kids Club where children can make activities that they can take home with them as Great Wolf Lodge souvenirs of their visit. This is open during the day and you can take your child in anytime. Some of the activities cost money but everything is clearly spelled out. My son decorated a tie dyed pillow case. We actually were having so much fun he left the pillow case at the lodge. I called the day after we returned home and the wonderful staff mailed it right out to us free of charge. I was very impressed with how they handled the situation. It made my son's day for sure.

Though we did not venture into the spa on our trip, Great Wolf Lodge has a full service spa available to guests. The spa treatment prices were reasonable as I requested a brochure, they just did not fit into my budget this time around. There were spa treatments available for adults as well as treatments for children.

All good things must come to an end as our vacation to Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg Virginia ended way too soon. I strongly recommend if you are considering a vacation that is all inclusive and well worth the money, you consider going to the Great Wolf Lodge that is closest to you. You children will thank you and you will find yourself with a renewed sense of childhood spirit. Great Wolf Lodge is an excellent choice for family entertainment that is sure to leave you wanting more. Book your trip of a lifetime today!