It is disappointing to hear that you did not have as great of an experience this time around compared to your first two. We have been to both resorts in the past but thought it would be fun to do a back-to-back comparison. From the pricing you see above you can understand why we usually opt for the kids to miss a day of school when we head over to one of Poconos water parks! The Poconos Waterpark Showdown 2019. 2.) From our experience after visiting Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Camelbacks Aquatopia indoor water parks in the Poconos we felt that: Check out our comprehensive comparison chart of these three indoor water park resorts here: Waterpark Comparison Chart: Kalahari, Aquatopia & Great Wolf Lodge. However, each locations water parks and amenities vary. I look forward to hearing back from you. 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. 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! 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. So we decided to check it out and see how things had changed. We changed in the bathroom/changing areas, located a storage locker (for a fee), and found a table. Clean, safe & staff so friendly! Aquatopia offers a great selection of activities for tweens & younger teens, both inside & outside! Kalahari has the most amenities that you would expect from a high-end resort. Everything is close together in the resort, so not much walking between areas. 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. 2 of themone outside by the immense outdoor pool and one heated one inside. So please be aware of this fact when considering the total cost of the resort. Click here to go to the Aquatopia Poconos Indoor Water Park website. Thank you, again. Great Wolf Lodge, including Pocono Mountains location. It is in the middle in terms of the size of its indoor waterpark and in number of rooms at the resort. However, it was not a perfect experience in that the air conditioner vented right out onto the one end of the balcony. Thanks for your review! It needs to be checked more often. Some of the profit from any sale may merely make it intoourpocket instead of Jeff Bezos'! Most of the activities (at all of the resorts) are priced a la carte. Great Wolf Lodge is smaller than Kalahari. See you soon! 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! The wolf mascots host a nightly dance party and pj story time. It is the best themed lazy river out of the three water parks in the Poconos! The distance between Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos is a mere 7 miles. We recently took a little trip to the Poconos and stayed one night @ Great Wolf Lodge immediately followed by a one-night stay @ Kalahari. Expect to spend money on food, games, etc. ==> Kalahari: Kalahari is the BEST indoor water park & resort for families looking for a balance between kid activities and adult luxuries on vacation. We like archaeology and the lost river archaeology theme was interesting and well done. However, having fewer food venue choices and adult amenities limits your stay to a very kid-centric experience. Note that it may be quite a walk from your room to the water park, or any other destination on the Kalahari Resort campus. But, my kids are little fish who love swimming, and they cant get enough of this type of resort. The bartenders were great, DAVID and ROBIN especially. At times Kalahari actually felt a littletoo bigfor us. (Basically a jumpy seat for adults.) However, there seemed to be a noticeable amount of debris at the bottom of the pool which seemed to a combination of plastic and dirt. The new Italian restaurant had a nice design and the food was good. If you can't afford it, don't bother making the trip. Weve stayed at GWL Williamsburg and Kalahari in the Poconos. Great Wolf Lodge is known for their MagiQuest game. 2501 Great Wolf Dr> Mason, OH 45040 (800) 913-9653. First, Great Wolf Lodge is a decent size. Wilderness,Kalahari or Great Wolf? Great Wolf is good for the small children, Castaway is good for everyone, and Kalahari is beautiful but I find it leans more toward the older children and adults. We stayed from Tuesday through Thursday during July. Both resorts have huge water parks and other indoor activities. 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. The NACHOS did not disappoint. Thank you for your support! (especially Aquatopia & Great Wolf Lodge) If you were to drive from Kalahari, to Great Wolf Lodge, and then to Aquatopia the total distance would be approximately 11.3 miles and take just 26 minutes. We stayed from Tuesday through Thursday during July. The water park @ Aquatopia was nice. We have been to the Williamsburg Virginia location where there was one but there is not one @ the Poconos location. 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. Fortunately we only live about 2 hours away. The lobby is ringed by various shops and the floor has wonderful decorative murals inlaid in the marble (Im sure these are probably decals??). Water park access was included. I wouldn't pay a dollar to go to camelback. Just a small thing that can be easily rectified. Aquatopia Snowtubing, mountain coaster (4,500 feet steel track coaster), Euro Bungee tethered bungee jump. Hi Lexi! If you can't afford it, don't bother making the trip. Keep reading our Poconos water park guide & comparison to find out! Towel check-out is something new since our last visit. We have not yet patronized any of these establishments. Aquatopiais somewhere right in-between Kalahari & Great Wolf Lodge by almost every measure! I am pleased to hear that our staff was friendly and that our facilities were well maintained throughout your stay. Also, Outdoor pool and some small outdoor water slides (all seasonal). Kalahari I feel would be better for the adults to have fun as well. Subject: Great Wolf vs. Kalahari vs. Camelback vs. Massanutten. 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. Kalahari Resorts water park has more of everything and also includes a Flowrider, which is popular with older kids and teens. Overall, my family prefers Kalahari Resort. As a native New Yorker, a bit of grit and grime doesn't scare me. Thank you to the staff we mentioned for really making sure our stay was the best it possibly could be! It had its own TV and was adorned with a lot of cute character images. If youre looking for other vacation ideas check out our Family Travel Tips for Niagara Falls! The total cost for the night would have been $415.10. We joke that we lost Sophie our 2 year old for 5 minutes in the immense suite! While the hallways of rooms may still be a bit long, its not as vast as Kalahari. $13.35 per hour. Tiffany, Im so glad you found the post helpful. 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. Life-size animal statues adorn the outside. That was almost inedible. We also enjoyed the balcony. There are a number of other activities available at the lodge. With that being said it does appear that the ropes course and zip lines are something that we may try in the future. We did not rent any of the cabanas that were located throughout. Kalahari has a better reputation locally. The Poconos and Williamsburg Virginia location both have a small indoor wave pool. We were told that the elevator was on the convention center side, which was not really convenient for her. We like all three. Castaway has the wave pool, but the Kalahari has a great lazy river. 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. Kalahari features a number of signature sit-down restaurants (Sortinos Italian Kitchen (Italian food), B-Lux Grill & Bar (Burgers & Shakes), Double Cut (Steakhouse). For our Tuesday June 25th, 2019 stay @ Great Wolf Lodge the cost of our room was $209.99 with taxes & fees amounting to $51.59, bringing the total to $261.58. Please email me directly at PAConnect@kalahariresorts.com. Hello! 6 big ones + Fort Mackenzie slides (medium sized) 14 Total, 15 big ones + Splashdown Safari Slides (medium sized), 8 big ones + Kartrites Quest slides (medium sized), 7,450 sq.ft.flexible air-wall system allows it to be divided into different sizes, SUNDAY THURSDAY: 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM (opening 9:30 AM for Resort Guests), Yesilluminated at night, but gently, to make the waterpark feel like evening, Kalahari (Standard Room: Double Queen Sofa), Forfeit $100 if cancellation is at least 3 days prior to your arrival. Recently, my family visited Kalahari Resort for the first time. The indoor waterpark is open all year with various slides, play areas, a wave pool, and even a four-story interactive treehouse. Great Wolf Lodge offers resort lodges with indoor water parks near both large theme parks. Read on to find out which one is the BEST water park for your family vacation! Thank you for pointing out my mistake! Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. Have you been to both Great Wolf Lodge and Kalahari Resort? The Poconos location has 401 rooms and each wing of the lodge has 4 floors. Been at least six years ago. We were on the bottom level and we had a small patio walk out area next to the ropes course. We did still struggle with the menu & felt that it was very limited in that we found it difficult to find healthier options for our family. Overall we felt like Kalahari was much better before the expansion. Check there and compare prices with their website to find the lowest prices for your stay. Kalahari Resort has an African safari theme. There is one primary restaurant on the main level on the left side of the lobby / front entrance. Enjoy this list of fun and amazing Hoffer Park has the address of 235 Mill Street in Middletown, Pennsylvania. However, Great Wolf Lodge has a higher percentage of themed rooms available at a more reasonable price. Kids hearing is much more sensitive! One of Melani and my pet peeves with regards to hotel accommodations is when there is only one night stand for a queen bed. We also liked some of the efficiency features of the room. To read more about our experiences at these water parks and our evaluation of each please check out these other posts: Great Wolf Lodge VS. Kalahari VS. Camelbacks Aquatopia! For example when booking your accommodations you can select a themed suite, such as the KidCabin Suite which we did. Our obstinate 2-year-old was NOT able to enjoy ANY of these activities / attractions, or even the wave pool due to the fact that she refused to wear a life jacket which Kalahari required children under 4 feet in height to wear at all times when in any water. Your encounters with the lack of cleanliness in the room and waterpark was certainly not up to our standards, so I am interested in hearing more about it. The kids do enjoy the characters and overall lodge experience. The Poconos location has 401 rooms and each wing of the lodge has 4 floors. Burger and fries for $12, other sandwiches $12-$15.not excessive. 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. Likewise the lobby is magnificent! Not quite as good as the one @ Kalahari but better than you will find at Great Wolf Lodge. > We look forward to seeing you again! First, Great Wolf Lodge is a decent size. Click here to go to the Kalahari Poconos Water Park website. It seems that there are parts of the water park that are only staffed at peak attendance. ===> Aquatopia: Aquatopia / Camelback Resort is the BEST indoor water park & resort for families who are ready for a slightly larger water park than Great Wolf Lodge has to offer, want more kids activities and are be interested in more outdoor activities. And the staff was friendly. The IVORY COAST restaurant had a great selection of food and we thoroughly enjoyed doing takeout from there. Hi there! I hope you and your family have a wonderful stay! Comparison between Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge water park Sopleaseclick on a link or two if you wish tosupport us& and our endeavors here. Klahari is themed and decorated as an African resort. One is about 13 minutes long and is about Brinley Bears fun day and the other is about 8 minutes long and is about the origin of Great Wolf Lodge. Sitemap, The Ultimate Guide to Kalahari Resort Locations in the US, The Ultimate Guide to Great Wolf Lodge Locations in the US, The Ultimate Guide to Six Flags Locations in the US, US Cultural Hotspots: The top US cities for a vacation packed with culture, How Shipping Luggage With Ship Camps Makes Summer Camp Prep Easy, The Worlds Best Spring Break Destinations, Chicago Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting with Kids. I hope you have a wonderful time with your family! So the water park is what we usually focus on. 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. Wet bar, fridge, microwaveIMPRESSED with the upkeep.WATERPARK - The place is absolutely huge. Generally we are there for some water park fun and that is what Great Wolf Lodge does best so that is where we spend the majority of our time. Heres a comparison guide for all three of these resorts. Our suite was located on the same level as the entrance to the water park which was below the main level. Apart from those issues, I appreciate the detailed comparison. CHECK IN/ROOM - We checked in with Kassi at We visited Kalahari in the Pocono Mountains for a last minute trip with our two girls, ages 8 and 9. Great Wolf Lodge was nearly as inexpensive during the week as Aquatopia ($249 vs $238), and the cheapest on Saturday night. The larger of the two play areas also includes a splash table for babies. GWL has excellent sales. $25 if more than 3 days prior to arrival. We really liked the 2 water falls that were present on the lazy river. Poconos Waterparks: How to Get the Best Deals at Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Aquatopia! This is probably the one area that Aquatopia beats both Great Wolf Lodge & Kalahari. From the accommodation standpoint it was a much more memorable stay! This was because: 1) We are a family of 6 and eating out is not usually relaxing or enjoyable! Although the room was designated for up to 6 people it felt like we were on top of each other at times. Let me start by saying that we have visited the Great Wolf Lodge location in Fitchburg, MA on 2 separate occasions and had enjoyable visits each time. Speaking of loud There is usually a dance party in the evening which we found to be extremely loud! During our long walk to the room (the opposite end of the facility), he was VERY professional, engaging and helpful. 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! GWL isnt fast either, but 2+ hours to pay triple the price wouldnt work either. The suite had an interesting layout, but who could enjoy it when you were struggling not to vomit. To the right of the entrance is check-in / hotel services. We have talked that when we are finally able to get a night or weekend to ourselves, Kalahari is one of the places that would be high on our list! Kalaharis waterpark is the largest at 220,000 square feet & Camelbacks Aquatopia indoor waterpark is right in the middle at 125,000 square feet. Great Wolf Lodge was nearly as inexpensive during the week as Aquatopia ($249 vs $238), and the cheapest on Saturday night. It felt cozy and definitely complimented the whole lodge theme & experience! EXPECT IT and you will have a great time. 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. Enjoy your family vacation at one of the great indoor water park resort choices in your area! 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. Across from that there is a small decent sized souvenir shop / store and a small dessert kiosk. Our complaints fell on deaf ears, as we needed a certain amount of space for.our family, and the hotel informed us that there was nothing they could do. See our Advertiser Disclosure and Editorial Notehere. I went back into our pictures and corrected the post with the actual picture of the Great Wolf Lodge bathroom. Second, certain areas of the waterpark, especially the hot tubs, the wave pool and small kids areas were overcrowded. Yes My oldest daughter and wife voted for Kalahari. It is also carried through with the water park experience itself with some of the attractions incorporating the characters and /or lodge theme. Level Contributor 1,490 posts 39 reviews The splash park area of the water park devoted to smaller children (toddlers Penguin Play Bay) is very weak compared to Kalahari and somewhat awkwardly placed on a second tier of the waterpark close to some steps going down. This happened before on our previous visits but given the number of people this time, they kept closing the areas for cleaning constantly. Since we are usually there for just one night we resign ourselves to it being a pizza for dinner night. In November 2020, a competitor to GWL opened in Texas. CamelBack (Aquatopia) has 453 rooms and there are 6 floors (above ground) to the lodge. I have read other reviews where people did not enjoy the balcony but we did. > *Valid exclusively for past guests of Kalahari Resort - Sandusky, Ohio. If your brand of parenting involves stiff drinks, Kalahari is much more liquor focused, with bartenders and full drinks. Staff always pleasant and friendly!FOOD - There is food available in the waterpark in addition to a steakhouse and Italian restaurant. Thank you for reading & for your comment / question! The view felt somewhat private and we really enjoyed it! Great Wolf Lodges water park is 80,000 square feet, but Kalaharis is over 220,000 square feet. Great Wolf also has a neat Glockenspiel in the lobby that does a little show in the evening, and than a character comes out afterwards for a meet and greet. Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. However, if our kids were younger, Great Wolf Lodge would be more manageable due to its smaller size and its mascots that appeal to younger kids. But, if or when we do return, I look forward to spending more time in that adults-only grotto. Great Wolf Lodge is the perfect family vacation destination resort all year round. Guestrooms at Great Wolf Lodge Sandusky Oh offer furnished balconies and separate sitting and sleeping areas. It was unpleasant to see and to step on. Great Wolf Lodge has more traditional tube, body slides, and a bowl slide. Kids jumping in and out, the areas are not guarded by staffsame problem as Great Wolf. In particular, it felt narrow. I will be sure to pass your kind words along to Kassi, David, Robin, and Amanda! 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! Click here to go to the Great Wolf Lodge Poconos Water Park website. Kalahariis the biggest of the 3 and has a wider range of offerings that will appeal to both adults & children. The Lobby is one of the things I, and everyone in my family, really liked about Kalahari! 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. Part of the joy of Great Wolf Lodge is its size. The splash park or toddler area of the water park was rather small. We went for the Italian the second night and the food was again wonderful. Chip Williamson All Rights Reserved. Top Educational & Inspirational YouTube Channels for Families 2022, Waterpark Comparison Chart: Kalahari, Aquatopia & Great Wolf Lodge. So I guess you just dont need it that much. Its really a question of what the individual family prefers, as far as water park size, features and resort amenities. Kalahari Resort also has an adult spa and fitness center plus live music entertainment at the steak house and piano bar. Poconos Waterparks: How to Get the Best Deals at Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Aquatopia! It doesnt extend to the guest rooms and amenities. It felt like you were rubbing shoulders with other people all the time. Kids are going to want to explore all areas of this place and we find it frustrating reading reviews about those complaining about how expensive everything is. Activities could include yoga, character appearances, crafts, a nightly Forest Friends show, story time, and a dance party. Wireless Internet access is complimentary. It was, however, small. Sincerely, I'm displeased to hear of the strange odor in your room and that we were not able to correct this situation while you were staying with us. It is really the other aspects of the resorts and accommodations that will determine which resort is the better choice for your family! The theming is carried throughout multiple aspects of the total experience. The hot tub situation was disappointing. To the left of the lobby is almost exclusively devoted to games and activities for kids really tweens & teens. Chip. Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney. Each wing of the resort is 8 floors high and it has 977 rooms in total. Im not sure when we will make it back there since we have a lot of other travel plans. We are still having a debate on what it actually was.

Hells Angels Sues Sons Of Anarchy, Articles G