Great Wolf Lodge vs. Kalahari: Which Is Best For Families Which do you prefer? The Poconos Great Wolf Lodge location has more kiddie water slides than the Williamsburg location. Hello, thank you so much for writing this I found it very helpful! Kids under the age of 6 were coming in and out with no parental supervision. Yes My oldest daughter and wife voted for Kalahari. Find not only one but TWO Great Wolf Lodge water parks in Ohio. The water facilities were great and there was a nice assortment of water slides. That was almost inedible. Great Wolf Lodge is the best water park for younger kids & toddlers because it has the most charm and does a better job of theme ing with its characters throughout the entire experience (lodging, dining & waterpark) compared to either Aquatopia or Kalahari. Hello! We changed in the bathroom/changing areas, located a storage locker (for a fee), and found a table. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this sites author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. We appreciate it! Thank you to the staff we mentioned for really making sure our stay was the best it possibly could be! (Remember that Kalahari is actually a desert in southern Africa.) @Kelly We ate dinner off-site so I cant really compare the food fairly. To read more aboutHOW TO GET THE BEST DEAL& aPRICE COMPARISONof ALL THREE POCONOS WATERPARK RESORTS check out my NEW post:Poconos Waterparks: How to Get the Best Deals at Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Aquatopia! However, Great Wolf Lodge has a higher percentage of themed rooms available at a more reasonable price. The splash park or toddler area of the water park was rather small. Great Wolf Lodge recently renovated their suites to a more updated style and clean look. The other kids and I voted for Great Wolf Lodge. Generally $50 if canceled 8 or more days before arrival. Seriously, I'm not being dramatic. 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. Warwick Memorial Park is located along Memorial Drive in Jamison, Pennsylvania. My wife & I both agree we would, hands down, pick Kalahari. 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. Much more concise! Both resorts also have bunk bed suites with small alcoves just for the kids. One of Kalahari's Kiddie Areas 2501 Great Wolf Dr> Mason, OH 45040 (800) 913-9653. Poconos Waterparks: How to Get the Best Deals at Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Aquatopia! The room was nice and clean but nothing particularly memorable. But be prepared to spend.it comes with the territory! For the price I would expect better service. At times Kalahari actually felt a littletoo bigfor us. We ordered a burrito, nachos grande, chicken fingers, fries and onion rings from a predictable and acceptable selection of menu items. However, there were at least 6 employees assisting at the registration desk and the line moved relatively quickly. Also, the post was never updated to include information about Aquatopia. Kalahari vs Great Wolf Lodge Poconos Comparison - Kalahari Resort Poconos Top Flight Family 113K subscribers Subscribe 2.9K 310K views 3 years ago Are you trying to decide between. We were really looking forward into the expansion since we really loved how great Kalahari was the first two times we visited. We put together this side-by-side comparison of Kalahari, Camelbacks Aquatopia & Great Wolf Lodge to help you choose the right resort or water park for your family vacation! Royal hospitality suite not royal not hospitable. When you leave make sure to return the towels and swipe the wrist band again or you will be charged for the towels. So we decided to check it out and see how things had changed. Aquatopia made an effort to do some theme-ing with the Kartrite Quest /Adventures but this really only covers the water park and the activities for kids to the left of the lobby. Pros: . Water park access was included. 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. Kalahari features a number of signature sit-down restaurants (Sortinos Italian Kitchen (Italian food), B-Lux Grill & Bar (Burgers & Shakes), Double Cut (Steakhouse). We stayed in the Desert room which was sufficient in size for 2 adults and 2 small kids. Poconos Water Park Comparison Guide - Been There Done That with Kids However, please be aware that Camelback / Aquatopia charges for general parking I think it is $12 if you are just coming to engage in one of the activities. It reminds me of Disneys Wilderness Lodge. We liked the artwork in the room. If you can't afford it, don't bother making the trip. Check your pack into a world of adventure. It is disappointing to hear that you did not have as great of an experience this time around compared to your first two. Kalahari vs Great Wolf Lodge: Discover the Differences Hi, Pamela! Multiple-Room Suites There are currently 4 locations for the chain with the Poconos location being its largest facility. really? Kalahari is a better choice for families with adolescents and teens, while Great Wolf Lodge is perfect for elementary-age children. Advice: you can't come to a place like this and complain about how much things cost. They looped continuously so they are readily accessible at any time. Second, certain areas of the waterpark, especially the hot tubs, the wave pool and small kids areas were overcrowded. Especially liked the Learn to Surf place. Hence our balcony seemed to be under ground and we were looking at a high retaining wall for a view. We LOVED IT!More. Standard rooms in both hotels come with two queen beds, a pull-out sofa bed, and a small table with chairs. Great Wolf Lodge also has activities that vary with the timing of your stay. The cabin was towards the front of the room and was semi-private for the kids. We compare the size of the waterparks, number of restaurants, room pricing, hours of operation, activities offered & many other aspects. I will be sure to pass your kind words along to Kassi, David, Robin, and Amanda! Looking up to the roofline Aquatopia does feel more open and expansive since it is more of a sweeping semi-circle in shape. We have been to the Williamsburg Virginia location where there was one but there is not one @ the Poconos location. Imagine what it takes to run this place?!? With that being said it does appear that the ropes course and zip lines are something that we may try in the future. Splash Lagoon . Likewise the lobby is magnificent! Water park access was included. The closet was pretty small, and the bathroom was almost as small (with the sink located next to the fridge); however, those were relatively minor inconveniences.We went to Great Karoo Buffet around 5-5:30 and was relieved to see that it wasn't that crowded. Most times I find that the pictures or decorations in a motel/hotel really dont add anything to the experience. Camelbacks Aquatopia seems to strike a particularly good balance for children in the 10 + age group and is the best water park for pre-teens and early teens. Use Great Wolf Lodge for what it is really good at and skip the rest! The kids had a blast, and I think with some minor changes, this place will exceed 5 stars. There was also a buffet which was closed but other little caf options for grab and go type food, a coffee bar, ice cream stand, bakery.they forgot nothing!We felt like we needed more than one night so we asked to extend our stay another night and we were given a great rate to stay in our upgraded room so we jumped on the deal. All three resorts are located very close to each other in the Poconos. 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. I prefer Great Wolf by a long shot. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Miles for Family with appropriate and specific directions to the original content. The employees at Great Wolf are s. I worked at Great Wolf Lodge for a year, and I have been to Kalahari before. The Poconos location has 401 rooms and each wing of the lodge has 4 floors. The wave pool was on par with that at Great Wolf Lodge. Kalahari seems to have a bit more of a selection when it comes to very large rooms. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. You could definitely capture everything this place has to offer in 2-3 days. That is with just 2 adults and 4 kids. They did a fabulous job with the design of this place. EXPECT IT and you will have a great time. It is the smallest of the 3 indoor waterparks in the Poconos, Pennsylvania. Life-size animal statues adorn the outside. On our previous visit a couple of years ago we felt the place was showing some wear and tear. Better selection of local foods near Great Wolf. So the water park is what we usually focus on. Apart from those issues, I appreciate the detailed comparison. The water park @ Aquatopia was nice. I went back into our pictures and corrected the post with the actual picture of the Great Wolf Lodge bathroom. As I mentioned above, we can engage in many of the other activities closer to our home. Whereas, the roofline @ Great Wolf Lodge is blocky. more. I was wondering what your experiences have been with that. Sincerely, Chip Williamson All Rights Reserved. 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. Arrive as a family and leave as a pack at Great Wolf Lodge. Kalahari was the cheapest on Friday evening but the most expensive during the week & the second most expensive on Saturday evening. We may also participate in other affiliate programs from time-to-time and be compensated for referring traffic & business to these companies. Many of the activities are located right on the main level off to the left of the main lobby so they are very visible. Thanks to Amanda at the front desk for helping facilitate this! Clean, safe & staff so friendly! Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. We just stayed at Camelback the night before Thanksgiving and are actively working on updated the post. They were definitely present - but not blowing their whistle when it was needed and didn't seem as focused. I will note as a previous reviewer did that Great Wolf Lodge had SPECTACULAR lifeguards. I would request a higher floor again because the 2nd floor gets all of the foot traffic as that is the lobby floor and the waterpark and arcade are on the lower 1st floor.Take a minute to just look around and notice the dcor, architecture, and design. Berrellis Italian Chophouse wasnt really an option for us as this restaurant is physically located in a different building from where we were staying & where the indoor water park is located. Chip. I also added a note how COVID-19 has delayed our plans to stay @ Aquatopia. Thank you very much for your comment. He was open to questions about the place and even offered a few suggestions. We stayed from Tuesday through Thursday during July. I am pleased to hear that our staff was friendly and that our facilities were well maintained throughout your stay. I actually have a hard time believing that the square footage of the park is larger than the water park @ Great Wolf Lodge. For our Wednesday November 24th, 2021 stay @ Aquatopia the cost of our room was $319.00 plus taxes & fees amounting in the amount of $71.10, bringing the total to $390.10. Finally, we did have a rather poor experience one morning ordering from the Cafe & Bar (AKA, Mountain Market, World Bazaar Coffee Shop). This post was incredibly helpful!!! The lobby at Aquatopia is more spacious than the lobby at Great Wolf Lodge but far smaller than the lobby at Kalahari. It has a transparent Texlon roof that lets in natural sunlight while providing protection against the suns harmful UV rays. It had its own TV and was adorned with a lot of cute character images. 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. Great Wolf Lodge has a woodsy/lodge theme and decor. Only 2 of our bracelets worked, but we were able to get around that on more than one occasion. We appreciate it! This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC. This comparison guide will focus mainly on the Pocono resorts in Pennsylvania, but some of the information can be used to compare other locations of Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge. Friendly, accommodating, informative.we were very happy with the initial interaction. At that point, it was unmistakably the smell of cat urine. Billing Issue: I did have a billing issue with Aquatopia / Camelback. The side-lite mirror was a nice feature that we enjoyed. This is an exciting place for kids to be with lots of fun things to do from arcade games galore to a huge indoor water park. (GWL = Great Wolf Lodge & K = Kalahari). Just about everything seemed to be swimming in butter or oil, including the overcooked/overheated vegetables. Just a small thing that can be easily rectified. We did not rent any of the cabanas that were located throughout. Especially around the holidays, it has a warm and fuzzy fireplace vibe. The Kalahari wave pool is much bigger than the Great Wolf Lodge wave pool. Advice: you can't come to a place like this and complain about how much things cost. Adventure Update # 040: Toilet Seat Police! Kalahari I feel would be better for the adults to have fun as well. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Copyright 2023 The Parenthood Adventures! The new Italian restaurant had a nice design and the food was good. The hot tub situation was disappointing. It is really the other aspects of the resorts and accommodations that will determine which resort is the better choice for your family! Im not sure if it something that they created or if it has its origins someplace else. Other than the water park & arcade our family hasnt really tried out any other ones. Would have been nice to have them inside as well.The waterpark overall was phenomenal - huge and definitely accommodates young and old. There is a huge fireplace towards the back of the lobby that is adjacent to a huge window that overlooks the water park. I believe you get what you pay for--any insight as the the huge difference in rates?!!! It is a wonderful family vacation spot that offers a lot of adventure & nature! Kassi was terrific! I would like to further discuss the details of your stay. 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. They also enjoyed the Wiley & Friends video stories that you can find on one of the dedicated TV channels. It sounds like you were able to experience nearly every feature our resort has to offer! Chip Williamson All Rights Reserved. https://www.theparenthoodadventures.com/waterpark-comparison-chart-kalahari-aquatopia-great-wolf-lodge/. > Reserve the Desert or Hut Room, Sunday - Friday through June 30, 2006 at Kalahari Resort - Sandusky, Ohio for $99 for up to 4 guests! My husband was brave enough to continue exploring as I sat out on the ground level patio. Kalahari activities and attractions differ with each location. Keep in mind theres a third indoor water park resort in the Poconos: Camelback Mountain Resort. We had no problem finding a table and chairs to rest our towels and use for eating later. When looking at Great Wolf Lodge and Kalahari as destinations for families, they both offer plenty of fun activities. Kalahari even has a five bedroom suite that can have a maximum of 22 guests. Throughout the day those areas were also closed several times for about 15 min at a time for cleaning since the kids were pooping and vomiting in the water. 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. Although our room was not yet ready (official check-in is at 4:00), we received our bracelets to use the waterpark downstairs and we were advised that we could store our luggage in an adjacent locked storage area. I look forward to connecting with you. It is also something that Kalahari does well . Try getting on the email lists of both of these resorts to learn about the discounts they offer throughout the year. 2.) EXPECT IT and you will have a great time. 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. bellyrubbah1 3 yr. ago. The Kalahari Resort is well appointed, nicely decorated, and the facilities are well maintained. 7000 Kalahari Dr. Sandusky, OH 44870 (419) 433-7200. . Our suite was located on the same level as the entrance to the water park which was below the main level. But having a wide variety of restaurants and foods was great! We simply love everything about it! We had a cabin themed room for this stay (KidCabin Suite) and the kids enjoyed it more than I had expected! Kalahari Resort has Tom Foolerys, a gigantic indoor adventure park. Great Wolf Resorts (formerly known as Great Wolf Lodge) is a chain of eighteen indoor water park resorts located in the United States and Canada. I wouldn't pay a dollar to go to camelback. Not quite as good as the one @ Kalahari but better than you will find at Great Wolf Lodge. See you soon! There was a microwave and mini-fridge in the room, which came in handy. There was one dedicated dessert/pastry kiosk located off the main lobby nestled in there with the souvenir shop. The bartenders were great, DAVID and ROBIN especially. Part-time blogger, full-time nerd & aspiring Renaissance man! Huge rate difference! Report inappropriate content Conard10 Cleveland, Ohio Level Contributor 357 posts 21 reviews 83 helpful votes 5. Both resorts have themed rooms that accommodate a wide-range of family sizes from two queen rooms to much, much bigger. Top Educational & Inspirational YouTube Channels for Families 2022, Great Wolf Lodge Poconos Water Park website, Aquatopia Poconos Indoor Water Park website. Ohio offers several indoor and outdoor water parks for summer fun We figured that we'd have a good dinner to make up for it.After another 90 minutes or so, we decided to check out the room. Thank you for your support! Kalahari Resort The inside is light and bright. The distance between Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos is a mere 7 miles. Otherwise, it far exceeded our expectations and we will definitely be choosing Kalahari over Great Wolf for many years to come. * > Please call 1-877-KALAHARI (525-2427) and request booking code O1107. We stayed from Tuesday through Thursday during July. Several hot tubs, twice the amount of slides as Great Wolf Lodge, and something for all ages. Across from that there is a small decent sized souvenir shop / store and a small dessert kiosk. Although the room was designated for up to 6 people it felt like we were on top of each other at times. Kalahari Resorts and Conventions Water Park. My family has stayed in themed rooms at both resorts. Both resorts have also utilized Groupon for deals. Recently, my family visited Kalahari Resort for the first time. The Poconos Waterpark Showdown 2019. We liked the water park @ Great Wolf Lodge! The town is also beyond tacky. The best playgrounds near Bucks County, PA are some of the best playgrounds in Pennsylvania. Then to get to the lower level you have to take the stairs. The floors were full of paper, tissues, dirty towels, used dippers, used shampoo packets etc and there was no attendant in sight. Please see our partners for more details. Both resorts are well-themed throughout the resort rooms and the water parks. First, Great Wolf Lodge is a decent size. Overall we felt like Kalahari was much better before the expansion. We love knowing that our attractions were fun for both the children and adults in your family! Virtual reality, tons of games, golf, bowling - this place though of everything. My sister, who was also staying at this resort had the African Queen suite and there was PLENTY of room for all of us if they would have moved us. Copyright 2023 The Parenthood Adventures! This is an interactive game that has players moving throughout the Lodge on quests. Yes there were two night stands on either side of the bed in the master suite. Embarrassing that I never realized it was the same picture! 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. Here is some guidance to help you decide on which Poconos water park would be best for your family vacation, based on our experience at all 3 resorts: => Great Wolf Lodge: Great Wolf Lodge is the BEST indoor water park & resort for a very kid-centric experience from top to bottom. Ax throwing, ropes course, zip line, off-road Segway tours through the forest & switchback UTV tour. Great Wolf Lodge vs. Kalahari vs. CamelBack's Aquatopia! THE POCONOS It was voted the #1 indoor water park in 2015 by USA Today. What we usually do @ Kalahari is claim a couple of tables next to the fountain in the lobby and while one of us stays with the family the other runs around to the different food venues to obtain the items we desire to assemble a meal. We have not yet patronized any of these establishments. Kalahari Resort has an entire grotto (both indoor and outdoor) for adults with a swim-up bar. There is a very small / non-standard sized bowling alley, a miniature golf course, an arcade, MagiQuest, etc We have done some of the other activities in the past but only if they were included with our stay or one of the bundled package passes (Paw Pass, Pup Pass and Wolf Pass). Our balcony overlooked a very lightly used service road and then there was an unobstructed view of the forested mountain side. Check there and compare prices with their website to find the lowest prices for your stay. Within 45 minutes of our arrival, I received a text message that our room was ready, but no one was ready to take a break.Warning: You cannot bring outside food into the waterpark so if you want something to eat, you have to purchase food inside. Great Wolf Lodge is the perfect family vacation destination resort all year round. We certainly do have a lot of different ways to entertain and excite the kids! 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. I will say we were on the 7th floor..and it was perfectly quiet. Part of the joy of Great Wolf Lodge is its size. 2) With COVID still hanging around and the holidays right around the corner it seemed to be prudent. You can reach me at [email protected]. To alert those in the wave pool of the wave rotation starting it has a wolf howl. Im not sure when we will make it back there since we have a lot of other travel plans. As I indicated above I should not have been charged a fee for parking since we did not leave a vehicle at the resort and were dropped off. Thanks! It felt more intimate and clean, less crowded and sufficiently staffed. (If we wanted to watch tv, we could go to our room.) Great Wolf Lodge Sandusky vs Kalahari Resort - trippy.com The distance from the lobby to our room was an extremely long haul for her. Im pleased to hear that you enjoyed the various sections of the waterpark. I would appreciate your input as we would like to plan a resort getaway for just the two of us for our anniversary. Yes, there were some healthy options just not a very good variety. Some of the profit from any sale may merely make it intoourpocket instead of Jeff Bezos'! We can engage in many of the other activities closer to our home (and probably at less expense). (assuming same accommodations we had for this past trip) and this is how they all answered. My wife went there one morning to order some breakfast and it took nearly an hour to get our food after ordering it (she was also in line for nearly an hour before even getting to place her order). Both resorts have huge water parks that include a wave pool, lazy river, splash areas and of course water slides. Comparison between Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge water park The Poconos and Williamsburg Virginia location both have a small indoor wave pool. It may come down to a simple question: How old are the children in your party? Great review, were leaning towards Kalahari but wanted to know about outdoor activities in the winter, could our kids go snow tubing or something related at any of these three resorts? I hope you and your family have a wonderful stay! Great Wolf Lodge offers resort lodges with indoor water parks near both large theme parks. Shooting Range (tourist favorite) is closer to Great Wolf. Speaking of loud There is usually a dance party in the evening which we found to be extremely loud! After reading this post - which Poconos waterpark do you THINK you are most likely to go to? In our opinion, the splash park at Aquatopia was the weakest of the three. Ranked: Pennsylvania's three best water parks - York Daily Record