My family and I were invited on an expense-paid FAM trip at Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg at the beginning of the month. Although our accommodations and activities were covered, all thoughts are our own. I’m happy to answer any questions about staying at Great Wolf Lodge – there were so many things that didn’t make it into the post (I could just go on and on!).
I’ve always been curious about Great Wolf Lodge, but we’ve typically been the type of family that takes vacations to visit family and friends out of state. Somehow we just never made it to Great Wolf Lodge, which is just a couple of hours south of us in Williamsburg, Virginia. Now that we’ve experienced Great Wolf Lodge, we are counting the days til we can go back. It was an unexpected hit with the whole family!
I was initially worried that my kids would be a little too old to appreciate Great Wolf Lodge (my last 3 kids at home are 13, 15, and 17), but I was surprised to discover that there are a ton of engaging activities for kids of ALL ages.
We stayed in a standard family suite, which sleeps up to 6 comfortably (it’s so hard to find a good hotel room for bigger families, but this was perfect for us!), but there are a host of amazing options for families of all sizes and needs, like upgraded themed suites with bunk beds and fun decor!
Snowland at The Lodge
From the moment we walked into the lodge, we were transported into a winter wonderland. The atmosphere was delightful! Great Wolf Lodge has four seasonal themes each year, corresponding to the four seasons: Spring-a-palooza, Summer Fun in the Sun, Howl-o-ween, and Snowland.
I can’t wait to experience all four seasons at the Lodge!
We spoke with the director of guest services and found out that staff decorated the lodge for Snowland for about 9 days. They have 30 trees in the property, and 20 of them were new this year. It even “snows” every night in the main lobby. It is simply magical!
Santa makes an appearance every night between December 7th and the 25th and is available to take pictures with guests each night. Bonus: photos are complementary for guests and they are happy to snap pictures with your phone or camera for you!
Another fun winter season treat: you can get warm cookies and milk delivered to your room at night!
Year round, there are 10-20 activities available for guests of all ages each day, from morning yoga to story time at night, from dance parties and character appearances to arts and crafts. Activities are a little heavier on the weekends, but weekdays are still full of fun.
We enjoyed bowling, hours of fun at the 24-hour arcade, sharing cups of candy from the candy shop, and just hanging out together. We highly recommend the Paw Passes to get the best value for the paid activities like bowling, MagiQuest, miniature golfing, the rope course, etc.
My personal favorite activity was my 30-minute deep-tissue massage in the spa (they’ve got a kids’ spa, too!). I had the best, most relaxing massage of my life!
MagiQuest at Great Wolf Lodge
MagiQuest was a surprise hit for all three of my teens. We started our first afternoon off with a visit to the MagiQuest store, where they each picked out a wand, and chose a “magical” name to register and activate their account. The great news – they can bring their wands back to Great Wolf Lodge each time we visit again and only have to pay to activate a new game.
MagiQuest is an interactive game that sends kids exploring all over the hotel (there are stations on three floors). Kids can run from station to station on quests, interacting with things throughout the hotel and earning points along the way. All three of my kids agreed that MagiQuest was both fun and a great workout! Throughout the day, you’ll find kids thoroughly engaged in completing quests and gathering coins. It is nearly as popular as the waterpark with the older kids!
Great Wolf Lodge purchased the rights to MagiQuest so the game is ONLY available at Great Wolf Lodge. They release four to five new quests each year, so you can have a totally new game experience each time you visit.
The Indoor Waterpark
The enormous indoor waterpark is one of Great Wolf Lodge’s biggest attractions. No matter how cold it gets outside, it’s a comfortable 84 degrees in the waterpark. The slides were so much fun (we even got on one ride with all 5 of us together on a raft!) and we were sad when we had to end our day at the park. We could have used several more hours of water play time!
The Food
My husband could not stop talking about the French toast at the breakfast buffet in the main restaurant. He said it was the best French toast we had ever had. The dinner buffet was equally as enjoyable, with a huge variety of delicious foods. We also enjoyed a casual pizza night in our room while we watched a movie and had a burger and fries lunch while we were hanging out at the waterpark.
There are seven restaurants on the property, and there’s always something delicious to satisfy your cravings.
Big Changes Coming!
Starting in mid-January through the second half of March 2019, Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg will be undergoing a 20 million dollar renovation project, including all guest rooms and public places. The lodge will still be open during the renovations and guests will not be impacted. I can’t wait to see how they redecorate the 405 suites!
Have you been to a Great Wolf Lodge? Our family highly recommends it as a fun family getaway. You can check in and never leave the hotel until you’re ready to head back home! Find out more and book your stay at Greatwolf.com/williamsburg
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Nice review! I went to Great Wolf Lodge with my daughter’s Girl Scout troop last year and we all had a great time! Of course, we were so busy that I didn’t get to see some of the things you mentioned in your post. Next time I hope to go back with my husband and youngest daughter along as well!