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. Great Wolf Lodge. Get those lifeguards a little more focused and offer more options at the bars! 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. Aquatopia Snowtubing, mountain coaster (4,500 feet steel track coaster), Euro Bungee tethered bungee jump. LOVED the concept - didn't like the fact that they were not full bars - they only made a few specialty drinks and offered beer and wine. 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! 2) With COVID still hanging around and the holidays right around the corner it seemed to be prudent. This post will focus on the Leola New York City and upstate New York are close to many amazing indoor water parks. I noticed that Kalahari may have a larger toddler area. We're in the business of making memories. Keep reading our Poconos water park guide & comparison to find out! Come splash around! Camelback is unique in that it has both an INDOOR water park (Aquatopia, which is open year-round) and a separate OUTDOOR water park (Camelbeach) that is only open for the summer season. Fortunately we only live about 2 hours away. GWL isnt fast either, but 2+ hours to pay triple the price wouldnt work either. Embarrassing that I never realized it was the same picture! Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Welcome to Great Wolf Lodge! After learning about the aspects of both of these resort, which one will your family choose? Great Wolf Lodge vs. Kalahari vs. CamelBack's Aquatopia! THE POCONOS Some of the profit from any sale may merely make it intoourpocket instead of Jeff Bezos'! Saturday, August 10, 2013 Great Wolf Lodge vs. Gaylord Texan By the time August rolls around our family is in desperate need of a get-away. 111 Things to Do in the Adirondacks & Upstate New York! Tom Foolerys also has a mirror maze, escape rooms, indoor ropes course, laser tag, rock climbing wall, XD dark ride and bowling. The KSAT 12 News Team provides a look at local, regional, statewide and national news events and the latest information on local traffic and weather issues. You enter Kalahari through a massive glass revolving carousel door and there is plenty of room for people to get where they are going whether it is to check-in, get food, get to the water park or any other number of destinations. (Activities vary by location). Lock in the lowest price from these sites. Our Dallas, TX resort offers an 80,000-square-foot indoor water park and exciting land attractions for the entire family. We were really looking forward into the expansion since we really loved how great Kalahari was the first two times we visited. Copyright 2022 by KSAT - All rights reserved. Each lane allows for up to six bowlers at a time. bellyrubbah1 2 yr. ago Cool. It was nicely decorated and efficiently arranged. We liked the luggage rack near the door and the shelf over the microwave. The first thing that struck me the most was how dirty and unsanitary the waterpark was compared to before. It has a transparent Texlon roof that lets in natural sunlight while providing protection against the suns harmful UV rays. Kalahari vs. Great Wolf - WE HAVE A WINNER!! - Tripadvisor For the volume of people passing through it ( to check-in, check out, shop at the shops and access the activities) it feels a little small and congested. Expect to spend money on food, games, etc. There are other places with better miniature golf courses and a regular bowling alley does a better job for bowling so we tend not to spend our dollars on those activities when we are at Great Wolf Lodge. We certainly do have a lot of different ways to entertain and excite the kids! Kalahari . Great Wolf Lodge's water park is 80,000 square feet, but Kalahari's is over 220,000 square feet. Imagine what it takes to run this place?!? 5 Indoor Water Parks for the Most Fun in Texas - Texas Hill Country But the resort's smaller size makes it easier to keep an eye on the kids. I actually made the kids wear earplugs (as did I) to go to this! Lifejackets available, large amount of seating and tables!ARCADE - Another huge area! We visited Kalahari in the Pocono Mountains for a last minute trip with our two girls, ages 8 and 9. 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. Kids are going to want to explore all areas of this place and we find it frustrating reading reviews about those complaining about how expensive everything is. Great Wolf Lodgeis the best for younger kids because it has the most charm and does a better job of theme ing with its characters throughout the entire experience (lodging, dining & water park) compared to either Aquatopia or Kalahari. Although I am admittedly not a big fan of buffets, we figured it would be easy for everyone to find something they liked. 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. 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. Overall, my family prefers Kalahari Resort. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Great Wolf Lodge has a woodland creature and forest theme, while Kalahari has an African theme. The Poconos and Williamsburg Virginia location both have a small indoor wave pool. It was HORRIBLE! They were methodical and intense, and I just didn't get that feeling with many of the lifeguard staff here. Better selection of local foods near Great Wolf. (Healthy, I know.) When he pulled down the Murphy's bed, dirty nastiness came down with it. The clothing line in the bathroom was broken and the bed covers had an unpleasant smell. At the towel dispensary you simply swipe your wrist band and the attendant will hand you the number of towels you request. Activities could include yoga, character appearances, crafts, a nightly Forest Friends show, story time, and a dance party. Thank you for pointing out my mistake! Kalahari activities and attractions differ with each location. This was our 3rd visit to Kalahari, the 2 previous times we stayed was before March 2017 when the resort was only half way completed. 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. It is also carried through with the water park experience itself with some of the attractions incorporating the characters and /or lodge theme. I actually have a hard time believing that the square footage of the park is larger than the water park @ Great Wolf Lodge. The drive was almost exactly 100 miles for us and we arrived a few minutes after 1:00 pm. The mountainous / hilly location complimented the overall lodge theme and it was nice to sit out there with the kids as the weather cooled in the evening. I also added a note how COVID-19 has delayed our plans to stay @ Aquatopia. It needs to be checked more often. However, if our kids were younger, Great Wolf Lodge would be more manageable due to its smaller size and its mascots that appeal to younger kids. People who got there after her were served well before her. Kalahari Resort has a huge upcharge for the one type of themed room. Address: 100 Great Wolf Drive Grapevine, TX 76051 Phone: 817-488-6510 Website: greatwolf.com EXPERT TIPS BY: Ilene Jacobs Dallas Local Expert Water Parks: "Day passes can be purchased online or. Advice: you can't come to a place like this and complain about how much things cost. We did not rent any of the cabanas that were located throughout. We stayed @ Great Wolf Lodge on a Tuesday night and then Kalahari on Wednesday night of the same week. Kalahari vs Great Wolf Lodge: Discover the Differences Chip. Only 2 of our bracelets worked, but we were able to get around that on more than one occasion. Thats theming! Kalahari is newer and more efficiently run. B-Lux Bowling | Texas | Kalahari Resorts Both resorts also have bunk bed suites with small alcoves just for the kids. 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. EXPECT IT and you will have a great time. The wolf mascots host a nightly dance party and pj story time. But having a wide variety of restaurants and foods was great! We ordered a burrito, nachos grande, chicken fingers, fries and onion rings from a predictable and acceptable selection of menu items. We were told that the elevator was on the convention center side, which was not really convenient for her. My daughter walks with a medical device. We like archaeology and the lost river archaeology theme was interesting and well done. Great Wolf Resorts told KPRC in a statement, Were always looking for opportunities to introduce the Great Wolf Lodge resort experience to new audiences, and we are excited about the prospect of bringing one of our family-friendly indoor water park resorts to southeastern Texas.. 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. We also enjoyed the Lazy River and the wave pool. Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine is a great way to go for a weekend getaway. Finally, we did have a rather poor experience one morning ordering from the Cafe & Bar (AKA, Mountain Market, World Bazaar Coffee Shop). Kassie R, Social Media Coordinator at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos, responded to this review. Both waterparks are easily accessible from the lobby, and the dining and shops are also centered around there. This was one of the few exceptions! If you can't afford it, don't bother making the trip. Kalahari still boasts plenty of kiddie water slides, but it also has more thrilling slides for older children. If you can't afford it, don't bother making the trip. Can I ask how the service levels compared at the two as well as the food? The building must be completed within three years. Seriously, I'm not being dramatic. Tom Foolery's Adventure Park provides hours of playtime, with 80,000 square feet of interactive rides and attractions. This activity requires participants to roam all over the lodge to find clues and solve a quest. 11 Best Small Towns to Visit in Central Upstate New York, https://www.theparenthoodadventures.com/waterpark-comparison-chart-kalahari-aquatopia-great-wolf-lodge/. kalahari waterpark passes - tidningen.svenskkirurgi.se We didn't hear a peep after 10pm and slept soundly. Kalahari Resort also has an adult spa and fitness center plus live music entertainment at the steak house and piano bar. See our Advertiser Disclosure and Editorial Notehere. 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. A microwave and refrigerator are also included. Great Wolf Lodge is one of the very best things to do in Dallas The lobby is ringed by various shops and the floor has wonderful decorative murals inlaid in the marble (Im sure these are probably decals??). We visited Kalahari in the Pocono Mountains for a last minute trip with our two girls, ages 8 and 9. The Poconos location has 401 rooms and each wing of the lodge has 4 floors. If you want averykid-centricexperience from top to bottom we would recommendGreat Wolf Lodge. We LOVED IT!More. We ended up eating most of the fries and onions rings, while discarding the rest. Each wing of the resort is 8 floors high and it has 977 rooms in total. The wave pool alternates between wave / no wave cycles. Snow Tubing in the Poconos | PA Resorts, Info & Conditions Would have been nice to have them inside as well.The waterpark overall was phenomenal - huge and definitely accommodates young and old. 6 Best Texas Indoor Water Parks - VacationIdea The 12 Best Indoor Water Park Resorts in the U.S. for 2021 I' m not concerned about price, can get a deal. There are some characters for the kids but they are not really developed and seem to have just been bolted on as an after thought. Mary Claire Patton has been a journalist with KSAT 12 since 2015. Otherwise, it far exceeded our expectations and we will definitely be choosing Kalahari over Great Wolf for many years to come. 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. Texas Location | Kalahari Resorts - Welcome to Kalahari | Kalahari Resorts But, my kids are little fish who love swimming, and they cant get enough of this type of resort. Poconos Water Park Comparison Guide - Been There Done That with Kids The best Wisconsin Dells waterpark for you and your crew - OnMilwaukee African photos, statues, pictures, all kinds of things that mentally transport you to another world. For the price I would expect better service. The toddler splash park area is very big at Kalahari with a lot of water-table type attractions and activities for the little ones. Kalahari has a better reputation locally. Poconos Waterpark Comparison Guide: Kalahari versus Aquatopia & Great