A week ago we went to Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg and had a blast! Here is the recap!
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Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg
The last time we went to Great Wolf Lodge, Mazen was six and Birch was just four months old! (Read that post here!)
Five years ago:
We’ve been wanting to go again and picked a day when city schools had a teacher work today to take the boys back. We also wanted to bring our nephew along – the more the merrier! Going on a weeknight and school day was the right move – it wasn’t too crowded and we didn’t have to wait long for the rides. Only the very peak times seemed a bit busy.
We left Charlottesville after school on Thursday and arrived at Great Wolf Lodge around 5:30 for check in, dinner, and a waterpark session.
Kid Cabin Suite
We got our room on a promo for a little less than $200 which is a fantastic value considering how many people it slept and because the waterpark is included in your stay!
We had bunk beds and a twin for the three kids and a queen for the adults. Thomas and I noted how small the bed looked and also that there was a pull out sofa, so we ended up sleeping in separate beds! We both slept GREAT! I’m not sure why they don’t upgrade to king beds for these suites.
Waterpark Round 1
After checking in and dropping our things, we changed into our bathing suits and headed for the waterpark. This place is truly a dream for kids! There are four big waterslides for the big kids, a few medium slides, a wave pool, a lazy river, a surfing area, ninja course, toddler pool, and water fort.
Zero Entry Toddler Pool
Birch loved the yellow and orange slides here. It was also super shallow for little kids
The Water Fort
I wish I could say this was Birch’s favorite, but he was TERRIFIED of the giant bucket that dumped gallons of water every five minutes. The noise alone was terrifying to him, but he was scared of getting dumped on too. It’s too bad because this area is perfect for younger elementary kids! There were two body slides that Mazen and I went on once.
The Big Slides
The big slides were so awesome! The yellow and blue slides were pitch black (because it was dark outside) and I love that element of a surprise drop in the dark. Then there were two slides that fit four people: “The Green One” was slower and not as fast.
The Tornado
Then there is the Tornado!! At night it was also pitch black dark and SO scary and fun!! You go through a tube with a huuuuge drop and end up in a funnel that you climb the walls. My first ride I went backwards, in the dark, and it was so fun!!!! Mazen and Nash did the Tornado double digit times! I probably went five times. It was awesome! It was also much less scary in the daytime if you have younger kids.
The end of the tornado:
The Wave Pool
The crowd pleaser was the wave pool. Birch loved it. The big boys came in when the waves turned on every 5 minutes or so for a few minutes. It was a great spot to all meet up.
The Surfing Area
The big boys also loved the surfing simulator. I tried it once and didn’t do so well, haha. Mazen was really good at it!
The Lazy River
We didn’t spend much time here, but it was great that the tube slides fed into it.
The Hot Tubs
The pool water wasn’t cold, but it wasn’t terribly warm either. So a visit to the hot springs was most welcome from time to time! Up above was adults only, and the middle one was for the kids. Generally it didn’t get too crowded.
Great Wolf Lodge Waterpark Tips
Timing
So that’s the lay of the land! It’s such a great park included in your stay. You can get there early on your arrival day and use the waterpark before check in, and you can stay late on checkout day too. If there were specific times were supposed to leave by, I wasn’t aware of them. You didn’t need to show anything official to enter. We were there from 6-8pm on Thursday and then again from 9-1:30 on Friday and could have stayed longer!
Lifeguards
The lifeguards are incredibly attentive. It was actually a little silly to watch them because they do a lot of visual cues to let others know they’re scanning the pool and sides. But as a parent, these were great to see!
Cleanliness
The waterpark was very clean, and the whole resort was in good shape. The staff were very helpful and nice too. Again, I always have very low expectations for places like this given the amount of people that come through, and we were pleasantly surprised.
Food & Snacks
There is a “no outside food” rule, but we saw plenty of people with snacks and drinks brought in. We brought a few snacks for Birch and I few seltzers for us in a cooler and that all seemed fine. They have a ton of options in the store and dining windows, including plenty of adult bevs! Some Virginia craft beers and both canned and bottles of wine.
Valuables
We didn’t bring any valuables, including our wallets, into the park since we left our stuff on a table. We did leave our phones hidden. They have lockers you can rent, but they cost extra $ and I thought that was a little lame.
Temperatures
The air temp was great – given that it was February we weren’t cold inside or even waiting in line wet. The water temps were warm, but not very warm, so we did get chilly after a while. Thank goodness for the hot tubs! The kids never seemed to get cold.
Dining
When we arrived at the park the kids scattered (Thomas with Birch) and I ordered pizza on the app. The app ordering was so great, and I highly recommend using the apps! This is the kind of place where they lines could be a mile long and they were not. But app ordering made it so easy, and the food came out fast. The pizza was pretty good!
There is a restaurant with a buffet there also, but we knew our kids wouldn’t want to leave the waterpark to eat, and it is pricey for what you get, so we decided to make food a low priority and eat casually.
I cannot imagine staying here for more than one night, but I met a family who had been there for four days!! I think if we had stayed more than 1 night and the kids had swam all day we’d be more interested in a restaurant dinner.
Evening Activities
After the waterpark closed at 8, we took quick showers and went back out for some dessert and arcade games.
Birch and I stopped at the dance party!
The arcade was a great hit for the kids, but $75 disappeared in about an hour and I do have some regrets about that. We finished up around 9:30 and headed back for bed. Next time we will check out the lazer tag and bowling alley instead!
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Donuts for Breakfast
There is a breakfast buffet option, but we went for the easy app-ordered donuts instead! The coffee was pretty good too.
The grownups tried to get some protein with egg sammies
Pack up
Thomas took the kids to the waterpark in the morning while I packed up our room and loaded the car. We checked out of our room at 11 and had day packs with dry clothes for when it was time to leave.
My second breakfast: AG1!
We spent a few hours playing before it was time for a late lunch and hitting the road.
The kids opted for more pizza!!
I brought a mom lunch:
One night was the perfect stay for us, and the kids can’t wait to return next year! I took the best shower when I got home : )
