GREAT WOLF LODGE GRAPEVINE

As October rolls out, plans start building up for my Halloween Baby’s birthday (an 8 year old now, but will be my baby for ever :))

I think by now you all must know that our family enjoys water activities so it seemed best to spend his day doing some. Last year we enjoyed his birthday at the Great Wolf Lodge in California (You can read all bout it HERE) and totally loved it, so this year we decided to try the Grapevine resort.

Located off TX 121 in Grapevine, Great Wolf Lodge is an 80,000 square-ft. indoor water park located at 100 Great Wolf Dr, Grapevine, TX 76051, less than 7 miles from the Dallas International Airport and 3 miles from LEGOLAND.

The only way to enjoy the water park is to book a room in the hotel or if someone you know is already checked-in, you can go to the park as their guest after paying and getting a day pass. Since the water park is only accessible to registered guests there is no overcrowding or long wait lines. The best part is that even if you plan to stay for one night, you can enjoy the water park after you check out too.

When we reached the resort, we did valet parking which cost around $22 for an overnight stay. You get confirmation via text through which you access a website to call your car. No more calling the front desk and all that stuff. The entire lobby was decorated with spider webs, and balloon ghosts and pumpkins giving that eerie Halloween vibe. The people at the front desk were very sweet and we were in no time.

Oh, like last time, we got our wolf ears and the birthday boy got special ones with a birthday hat.

All the adults got RFID bands and the main person has his credit card linked to his band, meaning no more carrying your wallet/purse every where as everything lies in your wrist……literally 🙂

You can choose between standard rooms and themed rooms and suites.  The themed rooms are fancier and have bunk beds and separate TV for kids among other amenities. We chose a standard room as we only went in our room to sleep. The room was clean and fresh.

There are round-the clock activities for kids and most of them are included with the guest stay. Since it is Howl-o-ween time, there were a lot of activities revolving around the Halloween theme like Trick-Or-Treat Trail, where the kids go along the not to scary trail all around the resort collecting treats or Monster Bash Dance Party, where both the parents and the kids get to shake a leg on the popular songs or Candy Corn Guessing Contest, a huge jar filled to the brim with candy corns at the front desk, and the kids estimate how many candy corns are there. The guess closest to the correct number without going over will win a $25 dollar Great Wolf Lodge gift card at the end of the month.

After dropping our stuff in our room and changing, we headed down to the water park. The park is located at the lower level and you make your way to it by passing thorough fun attractions like Hollywood XD Theatre, a 4-D thrill ride; Laser Frenzy, skip, hop, bounce but don’t let the light touch you and the Northern Lights Arcade, a whole room full of games and much more.

There is also the Scoops Kids Spa, perfect for spoiling your kids by enjoying a pedicure or manicure with them and bonding over. The kids also get to take home a sparkly Tiara. How sweet!

There are also dining options like Hungry as Wolf Pizza, Starbucks,  Loose Moose Café, Lodge Wood Fire Grill. Some are located near the lobby while others are located on the same level as the water park.

Buckets is the only restaurant located inside the park and serves burgers, sandwiches, fries, ice-cream among other things meaning you don’t have to leave the water park to grab a bite.

The only room service available is for Food and Wine pairings.

You can also shop for souvenirs o keepsakes from a variety of shops like Buckthorn Exchange Gift Shop, Name Shop, Lazy One etc.

This time we also purchased the popular MagiQuest Scavenger Hunt Game. To play this game you need to purchase a wand which range from $15-$23 depending on your choice and another $15 to activate the game. There are wand toppers you can purchase separately but they are not a must to buy. The best part is that you get to keep the wand and bring it next time with you to play.

This magical quest is spread all over the resort and it was fun to see kids and parents going up and down the stairs reading clues and finding the hidden gems. set off on a quest. You set off in Vellara, a realm of enchantment, as you befriend the Treetop Pixies, battle Charlock, the evil dragon and fight to defeat the Goblin King. My kids loved it and trust me its tires them out.  I was tired after one quest, since going up and down the stairs is no joke.  This quest is not only for the kids, there were soo many adults playing it too. Each quest takes anywhere from 30 mins to three hours and there are multiple Quests and Adventures to choose from. For some you need to have the specific runes so you  cannot play it till you finish the adventure before it. This was the highlight for my 10-year-old. He was playing it till midnight and then slept like a baby 🙂

Now let’s head to the water park.

At the entrance “Bear Track Landing” is written in a bold font. As you enter, you kids will be checked for their height and given a specific colored band which tells you which rides are safe for them and for which they need to be accompanied by an adult.  Any kid above 48″ can enjoy all the rides by themselves.

You do not need to bring you own towels, life jackets or chairs as the park provides them.

You can put your valuables in lockers, available within the park for a certain amount of fee.

Since the majority of the park is inside, you do not need sunscreen. Plan to wear it if your kids will be going outdoors to the Racoon Lagoon or try to balance themselves on the Howlers Peak Ropes Course. Remember that this activity requires closed-toe shoes.

There are loads of water activities to choose from. From slides like the Howling Tornado and River Canyon Run, to Crooked Creek, a lazy river where all you need is a tube to relax to Slap Tail wave pool where artificial waves are generates at 10 minute intervals to Big Foot Pass, where you check your balance by walking over floating giant lily pads and much more.

There is a separate attraction for toddlers and young kids called the Cub Paw Pool where they can enjoy geysers, rainbow-colored jet ski with water cannons and kiddie slides.

Plan to take breaks after some activities to give your body some rest. You can always enjoy on the lounging chairs available to rent cabana with TV for some more ooomph factor.

Like I said we enjoyed the water park and MagiQuest till midnight and then went to our room to catch some ZZZZs.

We enjoyed Breakfast Buffet at the Loose Moose Lodge which costs around $16 for adults and $8 for kids 4-10. Kids under 3 eat for free. Breakfast is served from 8-11 am and there is a variety of food options to choose from like eggs made fresh according to your liking, pancakes, oatmeal, sausage, hash browns, muffins etc.

My son is gluten and dairy free and we were soo happy that this resort is well versed in all common dietary restrictions and food allergies and made his pancakes in a safe environment.

I highly recommend trying the buffet as it is a treat for the kids as well the adults.

When we visited the Great Wolf Lodge this time, we knew what to expect but the Howlers Peak Course and the Magi Quest added to our fun. If you have a Great Wolf Lodge near your home, you must go. It is pricy, but what it offers you and the fun memories you will be making with your kids, will be priceless.