Chip Williamson All Rights Reserved. more. However, Great Wolf Lodge has a higher percentage of themed rooms available at a more reasonable price. Mary Claire Patton has been a journalist with KSAT 12 since 2015. Blessed father of 4 wonderful children & trophy husband to 1 lovely wife. Great Wolf Resorts told KPRC in a statement, Were always looking for opportunities to introduce the Great Wolf Lodge resort experience to new audiences, and we are excited about the prospect of bringing one of our family-friendly indoor water park resorts to southeastern Texas.. Activities could include yoga, character appearances, crafts, a nightly Forest Friends show, story time, and a dance party. However, we felt $26 for chicken parm was a little steep. We did the empirical research so you dont have to! Located below the main lobby is both the entrance to the water park and the arcade. The lobby is big but not massive like it is at Kalahari! We had no problem finding a table and chairs to rest our towels and use for eating later. I would like to further discuss the details of your stay. In my mind, Kalahari works best if you have a family with kids of different ages so each can be active. We were really looking forward into the expansion since we really loved how great Kalahari was the first two times we visited. Magic wands are needed for this game, and there is a fee to activate them for a certain period of time. We may also participate in other affiliate programs from time-to-time and be compensated for referring traffic & business to these companies. There was a large selection, with an emphasis on Italian cuisine. It was, however, small. Kassie R, Social Media Coordinator at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos, responded to this review. Seriously, I'm not being dramatic. Note: There is no Flowrider / surfing simulator attraction at the Poconos location for Great Wolf Lodge. Located in America's Historic Triangle of Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown, it was Great Wolf Resorts' first East Coast location. Each wing of the resort is 8 floors high and it has 977 rooms in total. When we go to one of the three water parks in the Poconos we are usually going for water park & swimming fun so other activities are not our primary focus. After the meal there are plenty of places like the pastry shop, coffee shop or ice cream shop that have many enticing desserts for the children. Hello and thank you for the review! We had a cabin themed room for this stay (KidCabin Suite) and the kids enjoyed it more than I had expected! We certainly do have a lot of different ways to entertain and excite the kids! I'm going to breakdown each part of the resort that we visited and give you the key points:CHECK IN/ROOM - We checked in with Kassi at 12 noon and were happy to hear our room was ready. The room was spotless. Kalahari . After reading this post - which Poconos waterpark do you THINK you are most likely to go to? The Poconos Great Wolf Lodge location has more kiddie water slides than the Williamsburg location. This is probably the one area that Aquatopia beats both Great Wolf Lodge & Kalahari. Yes My oldest daughter and wife voted for Kalahari. Kalahari has a better reputation locally. 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 top 10 winners in the category Best Indoor Water Park are as follows: Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark - Tannersville, Pennsylvania. Just bundle up and head for the hillsdon't forget your gloves and boots! To the left of the lobby is almost exclusively devoted to games and activities for kids really tweens & teens. It is a wonderful family vacation spot that offers a lot of adventure & nature! I was wondering what your experiences have been with that. Kalahari is newer and more efficiently run. My son went to the prime rib carving station several times but the chef continued to serve him meat with chunks of fat on it - so he gave up. Burger and fries for $12, other sandwiches $12-$15.not excessive. No outside food or drink allowed. 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. We are a family of 6 with four kids ranging in ages from 5 12 years old. This happened before on our previous visits but given the number of people this time, they kept closing the areas for cleaning constantly. Great Wolf Lodge Poconos is a staple in the region. There is also a fountain near the middle of the lobby with chairs and tables to sit and eat. In particular, it felt narrow. There are a lot of food choices @ Kalahari of which we have only sampled a few. There was a microwave and mini-fridge in the room, which came in handy. Kalaharis waterpark is the largest at 220,000 square feet & Camelbacks Aquatopia indoor waterpark is right in the middle at 125,000 square feet. She has reported on several high-profile stories during her career at KSAT and specializes in trending news and things to do around Texas and San Antonio. I can't honestly say that anything bit me in the room, we may have been bitten while we were sleeping, or in all the time we were forced to spend on the patio because of the smell.The resort was fine, but I'd avoid this "upgraded suite". Confusingly enough she was allowed to go on the small kids slides that were inside the waterpark. Both waterparks are easily accessible from the lobby, and the dining and shops are also centered around there. Let's talk about the Royal Hospitality Suite at Kalahari Pocono. One time a lifeguard came out and caught one but without constant observation, it is impossible to parole this area. Very spacious, a flat screen TV in each room and in main living area with fireplace. Both resorts are well-themed throughout the resort rooms and the water parks. One of the other simple theming aspects we enjoyed were the 2 Great Wolf Lodge video book stories playing on the resort TV channel. All six Pocono ski resorts have snowtubing hills. 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. Although the room was designated for up to 6 people it felt like we were on top of each other at times. Great wolf is closer to shopping. Book now and prepare your pack for adventure. Only 2 of our bracelets worked, but we were able to get around that on more than one occasion. For the volume of people passing through it ( to check-in, check out, shop at the shops and access the activities) it feels a little small and congested. I love the theming of GWL and my kids are obsessed with Magi Quest, but the adults only things at Kalahari cant be beat! Part-time blogger, full-time nerd & aspiring Renaissance man! Get those lifeguards a little more focused and offer more options at the bars! Looking up to the roofline Aquatopia does feel more open and expansive since it is more of a sweeping semi-circle in shape. (We missed the burritos & soups from Kalahari!). Sopleaseclick on a link or two if you wish tosupport us& and our endeavors here. They were methodical and intense, and I just didn't get that feeling with many of the lifeguard staff here. Kalahari is a better choice for families with adolescents and teens, while Great Wolf Lodge is perfect for elementary-age children. Great Wolf Lodge has more traditional tube, body slides, and a bowl slide. My husband was brave enough to continue exploring as I sat out on the ground level patio. Thank you to the staff we mentioned for really making sure our stay was the best it possibly could be! But, if or when we do return, I look forward to spending more time in that adults-only grotto. Kalahari Resort also has an adult spa and fitness center plus live music entertainment at the steak house and piano bar. But, my kids are little fish who love swimming, and they cant get enough of this type of resort. Kalahari Resort vs. Great Wolf Lodge. We stored our bags with the assistance of bell staff and we went downstairs to check out the facilities.We had to go through a large (and very noisy) arcade to get to the turnstiles to the waterpark. Both resorts in the Poconos have a water coaster. Imagine what it takes to run this place?!? The advent of Great Wolf Lodge represents one of the most monumental The advent of Great Wolf Lodge represents one of the most monumental accomplishments in the Citys history, Webster city officials said. Take care! Which do you prefer? The sound system is rather poor and the performance is rather loud. Great Wolf Lodge also has activities that vary with the timing of your stay. 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! It's the easiest way to hit the slopes! It had a pretty good selection of desserts and chocolates. Great Wolf Lodges water park is 80,000 square feet, but Kalaharis is over 220,000 square feet. 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. The ladies bathroom and changing area looked tike a war zone! The hot tub situation was disappointing. Tom Foolerys also has a mirror maze, escape rooms, indoor ropes course, laser tag, rock climbing wall, XD dark ride and bowling. I hope you have a wonderful time with your family! Kalaharis water park does the same, except with a jungle theme. Several hot tubs, twice the amount of slides as Great Wolf Lodge, and something for all ages. A report from KSAT sister station KPRC states that the indoor water park will break ground in 2022 in the city of Webster, just south of Houston. There is one primary restaurant on the main level on the left side of the lobby / front entrance. At the towel dispensary you simply swipe your wrist band and the attendant will hand you the number of towels you request. Inspired parents sharing the joys & adventures of the parenthood journey! Kalahari Resort, located in Round Rock, Texas, is similar in many ways to Great Wolf Lodge. Welcome to Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Round Rock 223,000 square feet, filled with wet, wild, fun. He was open to questions about the place and even offered a few suggestions. Webster city officials released a statement on Facebook about the new Great Wolf Lodge development in December, stating that the water park and resort will bring more than 500 jobs to the area. We can engage in many of the other activities closer to our home (and probably at less expense). I have read other reviews where people did not enjoy the balcony but we did. The lobby is ringed by various shops and the floor has wonderful decorative murals inlaid in the marble (Im sure these are probably decals??). Kalahari even has a five bedroom suite that can have a maximum of 22 guests. Both resorts have normal hotel rooms as well as themed rooms. Both resorts also have onsite dining that continues the decor. It may come down to a simple question: How old are the children in your party? Read on to find out which one is the BEST water park for your family vacation! We liked the water park @ Great Wolf Lodge! We were also advised that we would receive a text message when our room was ready. Saturday, August 10, 2013 Great Wolf Lodge vs. Gaylord Texan By the time August rolls around our family is in desperate need of a get-away. Great Wolf Lodge has more charm and we enjoyed the lodge theme & the characters. They looped continuously so they are readily accessible at any time. It is a smaller resort, with plenty of employees who are prepared to work with young children. Offers more free activities in the main lobby. Thank you, again. There are a number of other activities available at the lodge. Is the higher food price of Kalahari worth it? We just stayed at Camelback the night before Thanksgiving and are actively working on updated the post. However, having fewer food venue choices and adult amenities limits your stay to a very kid-centric experience. A general view of the Great Wolf Lodge in Fort Mackenzie. Advice: you can't come to a place like this and complain about how much things cost. 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. We compared various aspects of the resort and water parks to help you determine which resort is the best for your family.