Tips to Save you Time and Money at Great Wolf Lodge
“I take vacations as an investment in memories with my children.” – Nido Qubein
From our first time to our fourth return trip in 2009, Great Wolf Lodge (or GWL) has been an annual tradition for our family. While it isn’t the cheapest place on the block, GWL has something for everyone and, with a bit of searching, you may even find some codes to save some money! Here are the quick tips you need to know for your busy family to have a great time while not breaking the Bank!
Details
Great Wolf Lodge, 3950 Victoria Ave, Niagara Falls, ON L2E 7M8
Location
In the heart of the Niagara Falls tourist district, GWL is perfectly positioned to capture the GTA family market by being close enough to qualify as a ‘stay-cation’ but far enough to be considered a ‘family trip’.
Booking
While the option to book online is available, by calling in, we were able to access another special not advertised online for our February trip (similar to the ‘FEVER’ promotion except it was only available to return guests!).
A place to check out for some cheap GWL rates if you’re booking last minute is Rates To Go although their allotment of cheap rooms goes fast.
Codes are always fun to search for on the Internet. Several corporations provide codes for their employees but you need to present ID at check-in to qualify (i.e. CIBC, Police/Fire/Ambulance/Military, Teachers, etc.). There are also codes for those who live locally in the Area and then there are the advertised codes you can find on the GWL website or get in their emails.
If you’re an AAA/CAA member, call to make your reservation and you can also get a decent discount.
Remember that your stay includes 2 days of waterpark fun so on the day of your arrival, get your wrist band, change in the park and use a locker. The next day, enjoy the park but take a change of clothes down and put it in a locker first thing in the morning. You can then check out at the last minute and move your baggage to the car while everyone else stays in the park. When its time to go, your family can simply change using the clothes you stored in the locker.
Meals
On our first trip, the food was quite expensive and … well… terrible. Luckily, the food has gotten a bit better but you can save quite a bit of money by bringing your own food and/or eating out at a restaurant. I have to confess that we’re there to relax so we usually end up eating at the site… ah well…
Waterpark
You can avoid the crowds during the obvious times (early in the morning, later in the evening).
Watch out for the people in the tree-house trying to dunk or spray unsuspecting, fully-clothed people with water!
The wave pool is quite strong so keep close to your little ones.
Arcade
Quite the assortment of games and it breaks up the monotony of the waterpark. The attendants are quite generous with tickets if anything goes wrong with the games so don’t hesitate to ask for help!
Other Things to Consider
You can keep up to date with promotions and newer codes through their email newsletter or by checking out their Facebook Page.
Make sure you check out the times of the different events at the park (via the Lodge newsletter) so you’re on time for story time, or the wolf hunt, or any of the other events that happen at the Lodge.
Summary
Your family will have a blast but be prepared to spend a bit of dough for the experience.
Stay tuned for a full review of our upcoming trip in February, 2010!
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