Thanks for your review! Location: 3001 Kalahari Blvd. There would have been another $25 for parking but we were able to avoid this since we had relatives staying just a few miles away. Kalahari has the largest indoorwater park of the 3, and is the largestresortlocated in the Poconos. (It was almost like an obstacle course with the running kids, machines, flashing lights, and noise.) In the center right past the check-in area there is a large animatronic display where the nightly bedtime story (The Forest Friends Show) takes place. See you soon! Chip, I am planning to go to waterpark with three kids, so I really enjoyed all details! With Kalahari Careers, you become part of our dedicated team at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions. The room was not only spacious, but didn't reek like cat urine. It needs to be checked more often. The distance between Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos is a mere 7 miles. This was terrific we will likely do all three spaced out over a few years, but this absolutely helped us figure out what order to go in. The sound system is rather poor and the performance is rather loud. TheParenthoodAdventures.comis owned & operated byChip Williamsonwho is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program that enables websites like this to earn advertising fees from Amazon.com. Which is better, Kalahari or Great Wolf Lodge? - Quora This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Which Indoor Water Park in the Poconos Is Best for Your Family? Were going in January. Great Wolf Lodge. Thank you for taking the time to comment! The lobby was somewhat hectic with the number of people filing in and out, restaurants, shops, carts filled with souvenirs for sale, and a long line at the guest registration desk. Wet bar, fridge, microwaveIMPRESSED with the upkeep.WATERPARK - The place is absolutely huge. Hey, thanks for the great reviews! The TV in the room seemed to be new and was the largest of any we saw at the three resorts. The IVORY COAST restaurant had a great selection of food and we thoroughly enjoyed doing takeout from there. My six year olds love the slides, and they are allowed to ride on everything at Great Wolf, but my teens get bored very quickly. The company owns and operates its family resorts under the Great Wolf Lodge brand. Great Wolf Lodges water park is 80,000 square feet, but Kalaharis is over 220,000 square feet. The Great Wolf Lodge resort in the Poconos was constructed in 2005 and is one of roughly 19 locations for the chain. Great Wolf Lodge Pocono Mountains packs in all the family fun under one roof. Webster city officials released a statement on Facebook about the new Great Wolf Lodge development in December, stating that the water park and resort will bring more than 500 jobs to the area. Sitemap, Revealed: The US Airports & Airlines With The Most Frequent Flight Delays, The Ultimate Guide to Kalahari Resort Locations in the US, The Ultimate Guide to Six Flags Locations in the US, Palm Springs Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting With Kids, Seattle Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting with Kids, Las Vegas Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting with Kids, Florida Keys Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting with Kids, Myrtle Beach Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting with Kids, The Bahamas Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting with Kids. Speaking of loud There is usually a dance party in the evening which we found to be extremely loud! Age and height requirements vary by location. more. As I mentioned above when we go to Kalahari (or Great Wolf Lodge, for that matter)- we are going for some water and swimming fun. The wave pool alternates between wave / no wave cycles. Which do you prefer? Management thanks you for your suggestions and for noting how well-trained our associates are! We can engage in many of the other activities closer to our home (and probably at less expense). It is in the middle in terms of the size of its indoor water park and in number of rooms at the resort. You might prefer the chart we put together along with our conclusions. 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. https://www.theparenthoodadventures.com/waterpark-comparison-chart-kalahari-aquatopia-great-wolf-lodge/ Lifejackets available, large amount of seating and tables!ARCADE - Another huge area! Recently, my family visited Kalahari Resort for the first time. The water facilities were great and there was a nice assortment of water slides. Kalahari vs Great Wolf Lodge: Discover the Differences The building must be completed within three years. Kalahari Resort has an entire grotto (both indoor and outdoor) for adults with a swim-up bar. The Great Wolf Lodge Resort is a family-friendly resort located a few miles from the LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Grapevine and offers deluxe accommodations, upscale amenities, and an indoor water park with several swimming areas and wave pools, water slides and rides, waterfalls, hot springs, and entertainment for children. One of Melani and my pet peeves with regards to hotel accommodations is when there is only one night stand for a queen bed. Kalahari has the most toddler slides by far when comparing the three resorts. The room was clean and a good size and the 4 of us had enough room to spread out, with one person taking the full-size, pullout sofa bed. We joke that we lost Sophie our 2 year old for 5 minutes in the immense suite! The farm is back a lane, and Lindt Chocolate Factory Outlet is located at 40 Logistics Drive in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Advice: you can't come to a place like this and complain about how much things cost. Our Locations - Great Wolf Resorts (Activities vary by location). Thank you to the staff we mentioned for really making sure our stay was the best it possibly could be! You used the same bathroom photo for both resorts. We stayed from Tuesday through Thursday during July.Let me start by saying that we have visited the Great Wolf Lodge location in Fitchburg, MA on 2 separate occasions and had enjoyable visits each time. 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. B-Lux Bowling | Texas | Kalahari Resorts Camelback Mountain Resorts waterpark Aquatopia, Cafe & Bar (AKA, Mountain Market, World Bazaar Coffee Shop). Kalahari even has a five bedroom suite that can have a maximum of 22 guests. Kalahari Resort, located in Round Rock, Texas, is similar in many ways to Great Wolf Lodge. Kids jumping in and out, the areas are not guarded by staffsame problem as Great Wolf. I noticed that Kalahari may have a larger toddler area. The distance from the lobby to our room was an extremely long haul for her. So we decided to check it out and see how things had changed. We didn't expect gourmet food at a waterpark, but the nachos were so tasteless that my 12-year old pushed them aside and asked for a chicken finger. Virtual reality, tons of games, golf, bowling - this place though of everything. Kalahari vs. Great Wolf Lodge -- Sandusky - DISboards.com Both are great options for kids. It is so fun for my children (12 & 4 years old) and for adults too!! The Undomestic Goddess: Great Wolf Lodge vs. Gaylord Texan - Blogger but also read water is cold. We say this because Aquatopia has the most activities (rock wall, laser tag, escape room, etc) at its resort that will likely appeal to pre-teens and early teens. Burger and fries for $12, other sandwiches $12-$15.not excessive. We stored our bags with the assistance of bell staff and we went downstairs to check out the facilities.We had to go through a large (and very noisy) arcade to get to the turnstiles to the waterpark. The Lobby is one of the things I, and everyone in my family, really liked about Kalahari! Wisconsin Dells, WI https://www.greatwolf.com/wisconsin-dells Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg, built in 2005, is listed as one of the five top things to do in Williamsburg by visitwilliamsburg.com. For our Tuesday June 25th, 2019 stay @ Great Wolf Lodge the cost of our room was $209.99 with taxes & fees amounting to $51.59, bringing the total to $261.58. Please email me directly at PAConnect@kalahariresorts.com. The 3 "kids" (ages 12-20) and I were impressed with the front of the resort. 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. It was HORRIBLE! Kalahariis the biggest of the 3 and has a wider range of offerings that will appeal to both adults & children. Many months later (due to COVID) we stayed at Camelbacks Aquatopia. There is also a cafe (Cafe & Bar) and a restaurant (Horizons) located right off the main lobby. See our Advertiser Disclosure and Editorial Notehere. The food was overpriced but tasty. Comparison between Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge water park Great Wolf Lodges water park continues their wildlife theme. 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. Embarrassing that I never realized it was the same picture! When we were last at Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos we did not stay in a themed suite. Great Wolf Lodge has more charm and we enjoyed the lodge theme & the characters. And with new locations in Arizona and Illinois, Great Wolf Lodges are becoming easier to reach wherever . Since we are usually there for just one night we resign ourselves to it being a pizza for dinner night. Socks are required in order to bowl. Weve stayed at GWL Williamsburg and Kalahari in the Poconos. We are happy to report that there were two night stands with our queen bed! That was almost inedible. We ended loading up the car, checking out (automatically at 11:00), and then using our onsite privileges for a few more hours before going offsite at a nearby restaurant to each lunch and hitting the highway to return home.My biggest concern about the facility itself is that the elevator from the lobby to the lower level waterpark is not easily discoverable or accessible. Apparently they were experiencing people taking the towels as souvenirs?? For part of our stay both lazy river attractions were open and there were other times when only one was open. Here's our overall review.Right away we were looking for and expecting a wonderful customer service experience, and Kalahari did not disappoint. 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). There was a nice variety of the treats and each of the kids was able to find something appealing to them. The suite had an interesting layout, but who could enjoy it when you were struggling not to vomit. 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. Our suite @ Kalahari was HUGE! Thank you! Great Wolf Lodge has more traditional tube, body slides, and a bowl slide. Why do the adults with hearing damage always make the decisions with regards to volume level! 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. Finally, we did have a rather poor experience one morning ordering from the Cafe & Bar (AKA, Mountain Market, World Bazaar Coffee Shop). It had a pretty good selection of desserts and chocolates. 10 Best Family Resorts in Texas for 2023 - Great Wolf Lodge Family Fun We did not rent any of the cabanas that were located throughout. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review. What are you waiting for? We stayed from Tuesday through Thursday during July. But having a wide variety of restaurants and foods was great! The Poconos Great Wolf Lodge location has more kiddie water slides than the Williamsburg location. Kalahari I feel would be better for the adults to have fun as well. Great Wolf Lodge was nearly as inexpensive during the week as Aquatopia ($249 vs $238), and the cheapest on Saturday night. The bartenders were great, DAVID and ROBIN especially. EXPECT IT and you will have a great time. The water park @ Kalahari is HUGE. Kalahari has one indoor and one outdoor area - both are huge (Kalahari's is one of the largest indoors in the US). We liked the water park @ Great Wolf Lodge! A general view of the Great Wolf Lodge in Fort Mackenzie. The room @ Aquatopia that we had was a double queen suite, a pull-out sofa and a balcony. We inquired about an potential upgrade and they granted us a special price to upgrade to an African Queen Suite which had 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms - perfect to provide privacy with 2 girls! 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. Camelback charged my card the correct amount when I made the deposit on November 24th and then on November 27th (2 days after we had left the resort) I was charged $25 for a parking fee. After learning about the aspects of both of these resort, which one will your family choose? It had a large walk-in area that had a sink and kitchenette. We appreciate it! Church work is not for the faint of heart, and by the end of the summer church has just flat taken its toll on all of us. The 12 Best Indoor Water Park Resorts in the U.S. for 2021 The resort recently completed a huge expansion that added 130,000 sq feet of conference facilities to the 100,000 sq feet of existing facilities. So if you are looking for a martini, you will have to hit one of the restaurants. Several hot tubs, twice the amount of slides as Great Wolf Lodge, and something for all ages. It is the best themed lazy river out of the three water parks in the Poconos! Magic wands are needed for this game, and there is a fee to activate them for a certain period of time. The setting for them seems nicer, and they seem more elaborate than the ropes course offered @ Great Wolf Lodge. We have been to the Williamsburg Virginia location where there was one but there is not one @ the Poconos location. There is also a fountain near the middle of the lobby with chairs and tables to sit and eat. Im guessing the youngest of your children voted for GWL? There is one primary restaurant on the main level on the left side of the lobby / front entrance. Sincerely, Kalahari is newer and more efficiently run. As I mentioned above, we can engage in many of the other activities closer to our home. For the price I would expect better service. Kalahari has a lot of complaints on Google about 2+ hour check in times and no housekeeping. Winner: Kalahari Resort Rooms Both resorts have "normal" hotel rooms as well as themed rooms. Indoor Water Park & Resort | Grapevine Resort | Great Wolf Lodge Aquatopia Snowtubing, mountain coaster (4,500 feet steel track coaster), Euro Bungee tethered bungee jump. Also, the post was never updated to include information about Aquatopia. Offer a family slide option which is super fun to go on as a whole family. It sounds like you were able to experience nearly every feature our resort has to offer! For our Wednesday June 26th, 2019 stay @ Kalahari the cost of our room was $249.99 with taxes & fees amounting to $66.09, bringing the total to $316.08. My husband was brave enough to continue exploring as I sat out on the ground level patio. Another note worth mentioning the bathtubs @ Kalahari are huge! Hello! (Remember that Kalahari is actually a desert in southern Africa.) We like archaeology and the lost river archaeology theme was interesting and well done. Hopefully you can keep returning and finding even more ways to have fun with us as the kids grow. Check with the resort to confirm which activities are offered during the winter. Great Wolf Lodge is known for their MagiQuest game. Overall we felt like Kalahari was much better before the expansion. CEO approval 75 % approve of John Murphy (Murph)'s performance 74 % approve of Todd Nelson's performance Salary satisfaction 49 % think they are paid fairly at Great Wolf Lodge 40 % Copyright 2023 The Parenthood Adventures! After the meal there are plenty of places like the pastry shop, coffee shop or ice cream shop that have many enticing desserts for the children. Great wolf is closer to shopping. That sounds good. Kalahari still boasts plenty of kiddie water slides, but it also has more thrilling slides for older children. Tiffany, Im so glad you found the post helpful. Thank you for your feedback. Since our last visit to Great Wolf Lodge they have established a relationship with Dunkin Donuts and there is one located on the main floor just off the right of the lobby. 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. My husband and I especially like the adults-only area at Kalahari, and we dont miss the late-night stomping of kids in the hallways playing MagiQuest at Great Wolf Lodge (if you know, you know). Why Kids Love It Speaking of the wave pool we did find the buzzer alert to notify guests of the beginning of a wave cycle to be very harsh and not conducive to the relaxing atmosphere that should be associated with a wave pool. Great Wolf Resorts - Wikipedia For our 6 and 8 year olds who have never been to an indoor waterpark, were doing GWL first and will get to the others later. Seriously, I'm not being dramatic. We just stayed at Camelback the night before Thanksgiving and are actively working on updated the post. Mind you definitely not Disney level theming or branding but a good job. Overall, my family prefers Kalahari Resort. Kalahari also has a wide variety of types of water slides drop slides, mat racer, raft slides, etc. Thank you very much for your comment. Poconos Waterpark Comparison Guide: Kalahari versus Aquatopia & Great No outside food or drink allowed. Camelback Lodge vs. Great Wolf Lodge: Which Poconos Indoor Water Park It had its own TV and was adorned with a lot of cute character images. There were not lights on both sides of the queen beds which made night-time reading hard for the person on the side with no light. 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. However, there seemed to be a noticeable amount of debris at the bottom of the pool which seemed to a combination of plastic and dirt. (Healthy, I know.) Yes it is HUGE but it is also laid out well and serves as a destination itself within the resort. Its a tough call. Hello, Erika! Try getting on the email lists of both of these resorts to learn about the discounts they offer throughout the year. I actually made the kids wear earplugs (as did I) to go to this! Winner: Kalahari Resort (especially for older kids and teens). Kalahari Resort vs. Great Wolf Lodge. In particular, it felt narrow. Definitely two thumbs up for the adults area at Kalahari! Kalahari vs Great wolf lodge - Wisconsin Dells Forum 2) With COVID still hanging around and the holidays right around the corner it seemed to be prudent. In our opinion, the splash park at Aquatopia was the weakest of the three. Your encounters with the lack of cleanliness in the room and waterpark was certainly not up to our standards, so I am interested in hearing more about it. Still it was a frustrating experience that cast a pallor over our time and experience there. Gaylord Texan Resort and Spa vs Great Wolf Lodge Grapevine - Trippy Kalahari Resort also has an adult spa and fitness center plus live music entertainment at the steak house and piano bar. My daughter walks with a medical device. EXPECT IT and you will have a great time. They were methodical and intense, and I just didn't get that feeling with many of the lifeguard staff here. Yes there were two night stands on either side of the bed in the master suite. It doesnt extend to the guest rooms and amenities. It can be more expensive but it's a better place to relax and see your kids enjoying without having to worry too much. Then to get to the lower level you have to take the stairs. As the kids went ahead, employee Jeremy helped to take bags upstairs. Please see our partners for more details. I will note as a previous reviewer did that Great Wolf Lodge had SPECTACULAR lifeguards. 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. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Yes, there were some healthy options just not a very good variety. BoardingArea - Kalahari Resort vs. Great Wolf Lodge | Facebook 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. A microwave and refrigerator are also included. Copyright 2022 by KSAT - All rights reserved. Thankfully, we didnt have a 2+ hour line to check-in. Our 2-year-old who would have nothing to do with a life jacket was able to play in the toddler splash park and wave pool as long as Melani or I was right with her. The cabin was towards the front of the room and was semi-private for the kids. It seems, for obvious safety reasons, that a toddler area would be better located on the lowest level of the water park. The resort has a spa center, a hot tub and an on-site restaurant. The hostesses and the servers were professional and pleasant. Ask erikas213 about Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos, Ask PinkHibiscus32 about Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos, Ask lljPa about Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos, Royal hospitality suite not royal not hospitable, Ask kelismom14 about Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos, Ask mcapellan78 about Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos, Ask Pamela C about Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos. This is probably the one area that Aquatopia beats both Great Wolf Lodge & Kalahari. Hello and thank you for the review! The development is expected to break ground during. Learn how your comment data is processed. The lobby at Aquatopia is more spacious than the lobby at Great Wolf Lodge but far smaller than the lobby at Kalahari. Adventure Update # 018: My Tricycle is Very Very Fast! How does it compare to Great Wolf Lodge? It reminds me of Disneys Wilderness Lodge. The development is expected to break ground during the first quarter of 2022 and construction of the facility will begin no later than April 2025, according to KPRC. The room was very clean and up-to-date. Get those lifeguards a little more focused and offer more options at the bars! 11 Best Small Towns to Visit in Central Upstate New York, https://www.theparenthoodadventures.com/waterpark-comparison-chart-kalahari-aquatopia-great-wolf-lodge/. Kalahari was the cheapest on Friday evening - but the most expensive during the week & the second most expensive on Saturday evening. My family has stayed in themed rooms at both resorts. Water park access was included. If you would like to read a little more about our trip down to the Poconos you can do so here: Adventure Update # 018: My Tricycle is Very Very Fast! Thats theming! Let me start by saying that we have visited the Great Wolf Lodge location in Fitchburg, MA on 2 separate occasions and had enjoyable visits each time. The NACHOS did not disappoint. On a subsequent trip (after COVID) we also visited Camelbacks Aquatopia. Just bundle up and head for the hillsdon't forget your gloves and boots! Kalahari activities and attractions differ with each location. The other kids and I voted for Great Wolf Lodge. If you have visited all three waterparks in the Poconos please let us know which one YOU liked best! [2] In addition to a water park, each resort features restaurants, arcades, spas, and children's activities. I'm going to breakdown each part of the resort that we visited and give you the key points: But we generally dont patronize too many sit down restaurants with 4 kids with ages ranging from 2-10. Top Educational & Inspirational YouTube Channels for Families 2022, Waterpark Comparison Chart: Kalahari, Aquatopia & Great Wolf Lodge. Otherwise, it far exceeded our expectations and we will definitely be choosing Kalahari over Great Wolf for many years to come.
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