Review of Great Wolf Lodge, Williamsburg, VA
by Our Kids
August 22, 2008

549 East Rochambeau Drive
Williamsburg, VA 23188
Google map

Great Wolf Lodge will have your kids howling with delight!

The Our Kids team recently made an overnight dash to Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg and had an incredibly fun time. Located just outside the city of Williamsburg, Great Wolf Lodge (GWL) is a "first-class, full-service, year-round family destination resort" and touts a vacation there as a "land-cruise." You do not have to leave the facility if you do not want to. The resort offers lodging, a waterpark, restaurants, extra entertainment and other great perks. We did not want to leave, and we'd recommend more than one night to take advantage of all the resort has to offer.

The Lodge

We stayed in a KidCabin® suite that we found was plenty for a family of four but can sleep up to 6 people. The suite included a queen bed, pull-out sofa and a separate 'cabin' for the kids. There was also a balcony, refrigerator, microwave, full-size bath, hair dryer and fireplace. The KidCabin® was one of the highlights for the OK interns. There was a bunkbed plus another single bed and it had a 15" flat screen TV. The cabin was decorated in a northwoods theme with a very cool mural. What more could a kid want?

Consider vacationing with family or friends and go for one of their larger accommodations. Choose from the Grizzly Bear™, Majestic Bear™ Wolf Den™, KidKamp™, Quest Master and Loft Fireplace Suites. Photos of these rooms and others can be found online.

Quiet hours are from 11pm to 7:30am. OK recommends that you bring earplugs if you are sensitive to hotel noises. While GWL will do its best to ensure these quiet hours remain such, you can't predict the other guest's behavior.

Check-in is at 4pm, but you can arrive earlier to use the waterpark (see below). We arrived on a Thursday afternoon and had virtually no wait to check-in, but Great Wolf Lodge does advise guests that lines can get long before 4pm due to the high volume of incoming and outgoing guests. The front desk staff and every other employee we met was efficient, friendly and helpful.

OK recommends visiting the resort anytime Sunday through Thursday to avoid the crowds. When you check-in you receive a wristband for each member in your party, which serves as room key, waterpark entry and, if you choose, a debit to your room charge account. You'll also receive a map of the resort, along with a calendar of events for the week. Before heading to your room, show the kids around the lobby, including the Great Clock Tower, which comes to life three times a day. The evening show includes storytime by the fireplace.

The Waterpark
Whoa! Wow! Whoa! Those were the first three words from the Our Kids interns, ages 6 and 8, on seeing the waterpark. The waterpark, named Bear Track Landing™ is a 67,000 square-foot facility and is always a comfortable 84 degrees year-round. "Customers have an expectation of a great time and that will happen" says Cathy Chaplin, Director of Sales & Marketing. "You are guaranteed a weather-proof experience at Great Wolf Lodge."

Though check-in doesn't start until 4pm, you can arrive as early as 1pm to use the waterpark. Be sure to pack a separate bag with swimsuit and other essentials so you don't have to dig around in your suitcase for your things. Same applies to check-out, which is at 11am. You can choose to stay the remainder of the day at the waterpark as long as you wear your wristband. Rent a locker for $10/day inside the waterpark to store anything you need, or just leave it in the car. GWL offers hot towels in the waterpark, so there is no need to bring towels from home or drag them down from your room.

The waterpark is HUGE! Families (or singles) of all ages and stages will find something to enjoy. There are plenty of tables and chairs throughout the facility and we were able to find a place to store our towels and flip-flops easily. There are also separate cabanas for rent, starting at $149.99. The cabanas include lounge chairs, a flat screen TV, towels, a fridge with drinks and a few other amenities.

One of the best things about GWL is that the waterpark is for guest use only. Cathy Chaplin explained that this "eliminates long lines often seen at other attractions and allows for a more exclusive experience for guests." We'd agree, and are happy to report that we barely stood in a line, even on the more popular waterslides.

The signature attraction at Great Wolf and a highlight for our team of reviewers was Fort Mackenzie™, a "four-story interactive treehouse waterfort" in the middle of the park. At the top of Fort Mackenzie™, a giant bucket fills and every few minutes tips to spill nearly 1,000 gallons of water on everything in its path. Kids can spend hours on this attraction alone, climbing cargo nets, crawling through tunnels, squirting water from various tools and then sliding down the Totem Towers body slides to begin the trek back up again. Both the body slides of Fort Mackenzie™ are great fun, no raft-required and perfect for kids who have perfected the smaller slides in Cub Paw Pool™.

Another huge draw for our team was Beaver Tail Lake™, a wave pool that ranges from zero-depth entry to five feet. Rafts are provided all around the pool for guests to use to 'ride' the waves or you can brave it and just hang out bobbing up and down in the pool. The wave pool runs in 10-minute intervals, which is perfect so that kids (and adults) take a break from the waves. The signature Hoooooowwwwwlllll, accompanied by screams from all the patrons alerted you to the fact that the waves were about to begin. The OK interns spent the rest of their trip howling and giggling.

After getting our initial fill of the wave pool, we headed to several of the nine different waterslides throughout the park. We tried River Canyon Run™ first (dubbed the "family ride" by our team of reviewers) because it is the one ride we did as a family. It is the longest waterslide in the park and can 'seat' up to four riders at a time. We loved this ride, it can be a little scary at first, but we went back many more times. Other fun waterslides include Alberta Falls™, two separate one person or two-person raft waterslides that take you outside the Lodge before re-entering and dropping you into a plunge pool.

We enjoyed Chinook Cove™, a pool that boasts a floating snake and beaver for kids to play on, a lily pad hopping activity that attracted 'tweens and a water basketball court. Smaller cubs will enjoy Cub Paw Pool™ that includes some fun hands-on water stations, two tame waterslides and a zero-depth entry.

Ready to relax? We were on several occasions so we took a few trips down Crooked Creek™, the lazy river. Kids can go in one person or two-person inner tubes and float around the river, avoiding (or not) the strategically placed buckets that pour water on you as you float by. You can also relax in the North (for adults) and South Hot Springs™ (for families) near the wave pool.

From Memorial Day to Labor Day guests can also use an outdoor pool, Raccoon Lagoon™. You can enjoy a nice warm day, while the kids play in the zero-depth to four-foot pool, complete with spray features and water basketball. There is also an outdoor grill and bar that had a nice selection (and reasonably-priced) of food and beverages. (The outdoor pool area allows smoking, but the waterpark is smoke-free.)

There were two features we did not try -- FlowRider and Howlin’ Tornado™. FlowRider is a simulator that allows you to surf. We watched the kids and adults taking on the surf, some on their body and some on boards all having a blast. We couldn't convince the OK interns to try Howlin' Tornado™, the tallest of all the waterslides where you drop into a 65-foot tunnel, twist back and forth in a cylinder, dropping 30 feet per second, to finally plunge down the final tunnel back into the waterpark. We asked an adult and his son what it was like and he said "It is the BEST waterslide in the park. It's quick, fast and fun!"

Pool quality in our opinion, is based in part on the quality of the lifeguards. We were very impressed by the attentiveness and friendliness of the lifeguard staff. We even had one attendant strike up a conversation with us about how much he loved working at Great Wolf and how much fun it is to be at. One other note -- life jackets are available throughout the waterpark.

The Food
The Loose Moose Cottage is one of the main restaurants which serves buffet style breakfast, lunch and dinner. We opted for dinner here and were pleasantly surprised with the large selection of food to please all taste palettes. Cost was $16.95/person for adults and $7.95/person for children. The buffet includes drink, the buffet and a dessert bar.

Camp Critter Bar & Grille is the other main restaurant option, which we did not get to sample, however they do serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. We're told that main menu favorites include pizza, soups, salads and various appetizers. "Table Top S'mores and the Campfire Sundae are two of the signature desserts to choose from."

While we were in the waterpark, we ate lunch at Spirit Island™ Snack Shop. This is like a typical pool snackbar, with kids meal choices of hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken tenders and more. The meals are $4.95 and include a drink, cookies and fries. Adults can choose from standard hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza and other selections.

There are several other options for a quick snack or meal throughout the resort. Hungry for pizza? Pizza Hut Express is located in the lobby and is open from 11am to 11pm daily. Looking to satisfy your sweet tooth? Head to Bear Claw Café™ where you will be tempted by a scrumptious selection of fresh homemade fudge, candies and other sweet goodies. Still need a bit of caffeine after all that excitement? Starbucks is also available there.

Our only plea to Great Wolf Lodge would be to add some additional healthy selections to the menus in their various eateries.

The Extras

If you need a break from the waterpark, the resort offers many additional activities for children and adults. Our first activity was MagiQuest™, which topped the list of exciting moments during our visit for our two Harry Potter-loving children. MagiQuest™ is an interactive fantasy game where players are challenged to complete various quests in four Magical Realms around the lodge. There is an extra charge for this game. $9.99 per person for the game and $14.99 and up for wands, which the kids can keep and bring on a subsequent visit to continue their quest.

Cub Club™ is a special room for the younger set, where there is always an activity going on. Whether it be a craft (some are a nominal charge) or storytime, this is a nice respite for kids needing a little waterpark downtime. For the elementary-aged child and up, Northern Lights™ Arcade features over 100 video games, where you can earn tickets that you can redeem for prizes.

Never fear, there is something extra for adults! Elements™ Spa is on-site with a menu of options featuring facials, massages, nail services, a full service hair salon and more. The spa features Aveda® products. For the kid 12 and under, Scooops™ Kid Spa features ice-cream themed manicures and pedicures and some other options. Make your appointment before heading for your vacation. Call 757.345.7128.

Other Tips:

• OK recommends a visit to GWL for families of all ages. To get maximum benefit it is ideal for ages 5 and up; however, there were lots of people with infants and toddlers enjoying GWL.
• OK recommends that you spend at least two nights at GWL to get a full experience. Make your reservations online and be sure to check the Great Deals page for various discounts that are being offered.
• Remember to bring a separate bag with bathing suit and other swim needs so you can use the waterpark before check-in. There is a changing table in the bathroom along with shower facilities. There are only three shower stalls in the ladies room and we experienced a bit of a wait, so be prepared.
• Bring snacks and healthy breakfast foods to stock up your in-room fridge. You can head back to your room for some R&R in between visits to the waterpark. You cannot bring outside food into the actual waterpark area. The waterpark does have water fountains (for drinking, that is), so you don't actually need to buy or bring bottled water.
• Life jackets are available throughout the park.
• Don't forget your swim diapers, but if need be, there are several shops in the resort to purchase things you might have forgotten.
• Dress the kids in bright colors or similar bathing suits so they are easy to spot in the crowd.
• There is a fitness center on site.
• If you must, the resort is wireless and you can connect to life back at home. We saw a single laptop in the middle of the waterpark and were glad it was the only one.
• If you know you'll be using all the amenities at the resort, consider purchasing a bundled services discount pass. You can purchase a Pup Pass ($29.99), which includes one small tattoo from Bear Essentials in the waterpark, 32 arcade tokens, a mover and shaker from Loose Moose Restaurant and your choice of an edutainment program. Or choose the Paw Pass ($59.99) which includes one game and one wand a MagiQuest™, one round of mini golf and one climb on the rock wall, animal land animal, one entry into GR8 space and your choice of an activity at the Cub Club™. Some restrictions apply.
• In town for several days and want to check out other attractions in the area? Visit the concierge desk for discounted tickets at local attractions.
• Plan on about a three hour drive from the DC area, subject of course to traffic and weather.

Bottom Line:
Great Wolf Lodge = Great Family Fun!

OK Reader Comments:

• "Based on your review of Great Wolf, my family went for 2 days after the election. We loved it, but I wanted to add a few things. 1.) Since we read the reviews of the food, we brought some grownup food -- nice cheese and crackers and other goodies we bought at the Williamsburg Freshmarket. Kids were happy with pizza hut and the other choices, but having something for us meant we didn't have to depend on the buffet. 2.) They surprisingly, have really nice liquor brands and micro beers. I was able to get a Sapphire martini that was expertly mixed in the Camp Critter Bar & Grille. 3.) Food at Camp Critter Bar & Grille was much better than the buffet (Loose Moose Cottage). 4.) We played mini-golf, a good way to break the water logging we were all feeling. But it's just an average course, with no tricks or surprises. Just talking animals that startle you when you approach a hole. 5.) If you are going to go to Colonial Williamsburg on the same trip (as we did), do it first. Once you are in the lodge, you are never coming out. 6.) The elevator down to the waterpark "conveniently" shows you the arcade as you go down through the glass. After lots of begging, I started taking my kids down the stairs from the main lobby. Avoided a lot of whining about not going there, and I wish I had done it from the beginning so that they never saw the arcade." - Anne D.
• "We just returned from the Lodge yesterday (1/9/09). It is all you have listed, but the dinner buffet price has gone up to $21.95 (we decided to skip it). I found the waterpark to be chilly, even though they advertise it as being a comfy 84 degress. The water temperature also varied from 'pool to pool.' I was so cold, I didn't even venture to the slides, fearing I'd freeze to death while waiting (not that there were any lines per se - not very crowded this time of year). The rooms are nice and spacious, and loved the fact that they have microwaves and refrigerators in them. We were given a tip to ask for a room close to the lobby; so glad we did. The hallways are very long and you don't want to be schlepping little ones back and forth down those long corridors 4, 5, 6 times a day." - Ginger M.

Have you been to Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg? What's your opinion? Just drop us a note and Our Kids will add your comments to this review.