Great Wolf Lodge Waterpark

[ponyfool]

Just got back from a weekend at the Great Wolf Lodge (the new one that just opened up in Centralia, Washington - half way between Portland and Seattle for those not from the NW).

It was good fun for the family. I'm told this particular one isn't as big as some of the ones they have in the mid-west, but it still has a 54,000 sq ft waterpark with a variety of rides and structures for the kids (and adult kids).

The big attraction for this park is the Howling Tornado water slide. It is a 2 to 4 person slide that is the closest thing to a water roller coaster I've ever been on. The ride itself only lasts about 15 seconds (maybe as long as 30), but it has a fun dip before throwing you into the tornado chamber that's very visible off of I-5.

The next big attraction is their wave pool. It has two modes of waves, a regular systemic wave pattern which is pretty mild, and a choppy "lost at sea" wave generator that creates 5' chops of water. That's pretty fun.

Like all resorts, they have their ways to gouge and sneak money out of your wallet, but, all in all, it wasn't a bad deal. However, that may be because we got in on the "grand opening specials" that run through the end of the month. For 6 of us, it was $400 for two full days of waterpark fun, lodging, food, and arcade/entertainment.

I think the best part was, it is not a day park in that you have to stay at the hotel to use the waterpark. That limited the number of people in the park, so it never felt crowded.

The other best part was also the worst part: Everyone was wearing bathing suits.

 

[TCMike]

We have been to the on in the Wisconsin Dells a couple of times. It is a great get-a-way/stress reliever for the whole fam. Rumor has it, that they are in the planning stages for on next to the Mall Of America. That'll be nice, and close for us.

The only problem we had was keeping the kids away from the arcade. It's a damn casino for kids.........machines suck up your money faster than you can put it in.

 

[dean]

we went to one in sandusky, ohio (i can't remember the name, but it was a huge indoor water park). it was really, really nice, considering it was in the middle of winter. lots of lifeguards everywhere. cool slides/rides, wave pool, the whole 9 yards. oh, and we had free passes as my wife was there for a conference. woohoo!

dean

cincinnati

 

[TechJunkie]

Just got back from a weekend at the Great Wolf Lodge (the new one that just opened up in Centralia, Washington - half way between Portland and Seattle for those not from the NW).
It was good fun for the family. I'm told this particular one isn't as big as some of the ones they have in the mid-west, but it still has a 54,000 sq ft waterpark with a variety of rides and structures for the kids (and adult kids).

The big attraction for this park is the Howling Tornado water slide. It is a 2 to 4 person slide that is the closest thing to a water roller coaster I've ever been on. The ride itself only lasts about 15 seconds (maybe as long as 30), but it has a fun dip before throwing you into the tornado chamber that's very visible off of I-5.

The next big attraction is their wave pool. It has two modes of waves, a regular systemic wave pattern which is pretty mild, and a choppy "lost at sea" wave generator that creates 5' chops of water. That's pretty fun.

Like all resorts, they have their ways to gouge and sneak money out of your wallet, but, all in all, it wasn't a bad deal. However, that may be because we got in on the "grand opening specials" that run through the end of the month. For 6 of us, it was $400 for two full days of waterpark fun, lodging, food, and arcade/entertainment.

I think the best part was, it is not a day park in that you have to stay at the hotel to use the waterpark. That limited the number of people in the park, so it never felt crowded.

The other best part was also the worst part: Everyone was wearing bathing suits.

We took the kids to a Wolf Lodge and loved it. The boys slept in a bunk bed that looked like a tree and each bed had a TV an video game console. They had a great arcade and we all enjoyed the water park. I agree that allowing only guest to use the water park makes it much more enjoyable. You are not packed in like sardines and the lines are always fast. The boys are a couple of years older now but they still talk about it and we would still go back.

 

[dean]

i just read that the epa or whoever just investigated great wolf lodge in cincinnati over complaints of fumes. they found no violations, but gwl had made changes subsequent to the complaint, but before investigators showed. they did find that the venitlation could use improvement.

dean

cincinnati