The top 10 winners in the category Best Indoor Water Park are as follows: Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark - Tannersville, Pennsylvania. We usually just order a pizza and eat it in our room with maybe a salad. Finally, we did have a rather poor experience one morning ordering from the Cafe & Bar (AKA, Mountain Market, World Bazaar Coffee Shop). Been at least six years ago. Burger and fries for $12, other sandwiches $12-$15.not excessive. Tom Foolerys also has a mirror maze, escape rooms, indoor ropes course, laser tag, rock climbing wall, XD dark ride and bowling. 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. The Poconos location has 401 rooms and each wing of the lodge has 4 floors. Great Wolf Lodges water park is 80,000 square feet, but Kalaharis is over 220,000 square feet. Great Wolf is more for kids, but I feel like Great Wolf service is better than Kalahari. From what we saw of the pricing most of the activities were on the more expensive side. Our Dallas, TX resort offers an 80,000-square-foot indoor water park and exciting land attractions for the entire family. We visited Kalahari in the Pocono Mountains for a last minute trip with our two girls, ages 8 and 9. Poconos Waterpark Comparison Guide: Kalahari versus Aquatopia & Great Wolf Lodge! Let's talk about the Royal Hospitality Suite at Kalahari Pocono. 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. Winner: Kalahari Resort (especially for older kids and teens). Great Wolf Lodge has a woodland creature and forest theme, while Kalahari has an African theme. It is especially better for younger kids ones who dont want or need a life jacket! 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. I have read other reviews where people did not enjoy the balcony but we did. This past visit however was somewhat disappointing. Great Wolf Lodge boasts tons of activities sure to put a smile on your children's faces. If I was ever to get a weekend alone with my wife we would go to Kalahari since there are more amenities and it is not so kid-centric. The splash park or toddler area of the water park was rather small. There was a microwave and mini-fridge in the room, which came in handy. [3] Great Wolf Resorts is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Billing Issue: I did have a billing issue with Aquatopia / Camelback. Weve stayed at GWL Williamsburg and Kalahari in the Poconos. Although I am admittedly not a big fan of buffets, we figured it would be easy for everyone to find something they liked. lindakmonty He's like "OH NO YOU DIDN'T" Joined Jun 24, 2005 Jun 30, 2006 #7 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. Advice: you can't come to a place like this and complain about how much things cost. The lobby is big but not massive like it is at Kalahari! Age and height requirements vary by location. At times Kalahari actually felt a littletoo bigfor us. We did not have a car on the premises so driving was not an option, and walking was not very appealing since we tend to patronize the indoor water parks during the colder months and it was late November when we were at Aquatopia. Advice: you can't come to a place like this and complain about how much things cost. If there are any older children in your party, around 10 years and older, then they may not appreciate the kiddie theming that runs through Great Wolf Lodge. The Poconos Great Wolf Lodge location has more kiddie water slides than the Williamsburg location. On our previous visit a couple of years ago we felt the place was showing some wear and tear. We certainly do have a lot of different ways to entertain and excite the kids! 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. My family recently visited Kalahari Resort in Round Rock, Texas. I'm going to breakdown each part of the resort that we visited and give you the key points: Choosing which resort to bring your family to can be daunting as both resorts offer very similar attractions and amenities. Top Educational & Inspirational YouTube Channels for Families 2022, Waterpark Comparison Chart: Kalahari, Aquatopia & Great Wolf Lodge. kalahari waterpark passesmr patel neurosurgeon cardiff 27 februari, 2023 . Socks are required in order to bowl. I hope you and your family have a wonderful stay! The balcony/patio was laughable. Here's our overall review.. African photos, statues, pictures, all kinds of things that mentally transport you to another world. One of Melani and my pet peeves with regards to hotel accommodations is when there is only one night stand for a queen bed. The photos were nature themed and glossy. Compare management, culture and compensation ratings for Great Wolf Lodge and Kalahari Resorts & Conventions. (Healthy, I know.) Hence our balcony seemed to be under ground and we were looking at a high retaining wall for a view. Every room at this resort is air conditioned and has a TV with cable channels. I am pleased to hear that our staff was friendly and that our facilities were well maintained throughout your stay. Thats an AMAZING 425,000 square feet of indoor water parks in a very small geographical area!! Overall we felt like Kalahari was much better before the expansion. It was HORRIBLE! If you're not up and about a 4:30 a.m., though, you can still get a. This is another thing that I think Kalahari does well and it makes it a little easier to satisfy everyone and their differing tastes with so many food choices. When I checked out on the 25th I asked for a receipt, and the amount I was charged was correct ($390.10) When I received my credit card statement on December 9th I noticed that what I was charged from Aquatopia/Camelback was $25 higher than it should have been. (We missed the burritos & soups from Kalahari!). We didn't hear a peep after 10pm and slept soundly. The fact that Aquatopia ALSO has an outdoor water park (Camelbeach) and its night-time illumination make it unique. But be prepared to spend.it comes with the territory! The only other complaint I have is that we came home with a number of bites. I was wondering what your experiences have been with that. You might prefer the chart we put together along with our conclusions. 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. 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. To the left of the lobby is almost exclusively devoted to games and activities for kids really tweens & teens. We recently made a trip to the Poconos in Pennsylvania to visit a water park resort but didnt know which resort we should go to so we went to all 3 of them! Lifejackets available, large amount of seating and tables!ARCADE - Another huge area! There isnt any story that goes along with any of the characters as far as we were able to discern. Great Wolf Lodge Poconos is a staple in the region. Great Wolf Lodge is known for their MagiQuest game. Im pleased to hear that you enjoyed the various sections of the waterpark. Kalahari activities and attractions differ with each location. 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. 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. Towel check-out is something new since our last visit. And the staff was friendly. We review each of the Poconos water parks on several criteria including: If you want to cut right to the chase you can jump to the conclusion by clicking here: Conclusion, Great Wolf Lodge does a good job of branding and theming (theme ing) the lodge. Located in America's Historic Triangle of Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown, it was Great Wolf Resorts' first East Coast location. 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. Here's our overall review.Right away we were looking for and expecting a wonderful customer service experience, and Kalahari did not disappoint. It is in the middle in terms of the size of its indoor water park and in number of rooms at the resort. Kalaharis waterpark is the largest at 220,000 square feet & Camelbacks Aquatopia indoor waterpark is right in the middle at 125,000 square feet. Both resorts have huge water parks and other indoor activities. This old-school hot dog shack across from Penn Treaty Park mostly caters to truckers, hence its early-morning hours. You can use the water park at 1pm on the day of check in until close on the day you leave. It's located in the Rockvale Outlets Fox Meadows Creamery has two locations, one in Ephrata, Pennsylvania and one in Leola, Pennsylvania. Looking up to the roofline Aquatopia does feel more open and expansive since it is more of a sweeping semi-circle in shape. This post will focus on the Leola New York City and upstate New York are close to many amazing indoor water parks. 2 of themone outside by the immense outdoor pool and one heated one inside. So we decided to check it out and see how things had changed. However, Great Wolf Lodge has a higher percentage of themed rooms available at a more reasonable price. It felt cozy and definitely complimented the whole lodge theme & experience! Great Wolf Lodges water park continues their wildlife theme. Well manicured and landscaped lawns.We arrived in the main lobby on Sunday 7/2 a little after 1:00 p.m. Thank you for pointing out my mistake! According to the contract, the family resort and water park will feature at least 400,000 square feet of lodging and entertainment space and the indoor water park will be at least 75,000 square feet. I felt the prices were reasonable for this type of American Pub food. Hopefully you can keep returning and finding even more ways to have fun with us as the kids grow. 6 Best Texas . An unpleasant smell hit us as soon as we opened the door, although I couldn't quite place it, at least not until we stepped further into the suite. As I indicated above I should not have been charged a fee for parking since we did not leave a vehicle at the resort and were dropped off. For example when booking your accommodations you can select a themed suite, such as the KidCabin Suite which we did. It needs to be checked more often. Admission: Rates start at $277 a night for a standard four-person room. However, having fewer food venue choices and adult amenities limits your stay to a very kid-centric experience. Reservations are strongly recommended. Kalahari is absolutely immense! 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. but also read water is cold. Great Wolf Lodge has an outdoor ropes course and indoor arcade. Thank you for reading & for your comment / question! Hi there, I appreciate you taking the time to write a review of your most recent stay. Thank you to management for a well-trained staff and an enjoyable time! The suite had an interesting layout, but who could enjoy it when you were struggling not to vomit. Please see our partners for more details. Chip. Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. This seems to be an archaeology /exploration theme that they incorporate to water park. Kalahari was the cheapest on Friday evening - but the most expensive during the week & the second most expensive on Saturday evening. Right away we were looking for and expecting a wonderful customer service experience, and Kalahari did not disappoint. The kids do enjoy the characters and overall lodge experience. Most of the time we were at Aquatopia we ate FROM Trails End Pub & Grille. Definitely two thumbs up for the adults area at Kalahari! I'm displeased to hear of the strange odor in your room and that we were not able to correct this situation while you were staying with us. It is disappointing to hear that you did not have as great of an experience this time around compared to your first two. Location: 3001 Kalahari Blvd. Camelback Mountain Resorts waterpark Aquatopia, Cafe & Bar (AKA, Mountain Market, World Bazaar Coffee Shop). In my mind, Kalahari works best if you have a family with kids of different ages so each can be active. He was open to questions about the place and even offered a few suggestions. 111 Things to Do in the Adirondacks & Upstate New York! The cabin was towards the front of the room and was semi-private for the kids. While the hallways of rooms may still be a bit long, its not as vast as Kalahari. It seems, for obvious safety reasons, that a toddler area would be better located on the lowest level of the water park. If you want averykid-centricexperience from top to bottom we would recommendGreat Wolf Lodge. 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. Hopefully you can come again soon but until then, take care! 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. So I guess you just dont need it that much. Yes it is HUGE but it is also laid out well and serves as a destination itself within the resort. The other kids and I voted for Great Wolf Lodge. The day we went, prices were similar to GWL. Lock in the lowest price from these sites. 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. The floors were full of paper, tissues, dirty towels, used dippers, used shampoo packets etc and there was no attendant in sight. This post was incredibly helpful!!! This was one of the few exceptions! (GWL = Great Wolf Lodge & K = Kalahari). It is the best themed lazy river out of the three water parks in the Poconos! As a native New Yorker, a bit of grit and grime doesn't scare me. The Kalahari wave pool is much bigger than the Great Wolf Lodge wave pool. But the resort's smaller size makes it easier to keep an eye on the kids. Both Great Wolf and Kalahari have very luxurious condos that can accommodate a whole family easily. 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. Copyright 2023 The Parenthood Adventures! Not quite as good as the one @ Kalahari but better than you will find at Great Wolf Lodge. Kalahari Resort has an entire grotto (both indoor and outdoor) for adults with a swim-up bar. GWL isnt fast either, but 2+ hours to pay triple the price wouldnt work either. 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. Apparently they were experiencing people taking the towels as souvenirs?? really? 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. Kalahari has one indoor and one outdoor area - both are huge (Kalahari's is one of the largest indoors in the US). Many months later (due to COVID) we stayed at Camelbacks Aquatopia. Great Wolf Lodge. Old Windmill Farm is located at 262 Paradise Lane in Ronks, Pennsylvania. B-Lux also features 12 lanes of state-of-the-art Brunswick bowling. The distance from the lobby to our room was an extremely long haul for her. Im not sure if it something that they created or if it has its origins someplace else. Management thanks you for your suggestions and for noting how well-trained our associates are! When we were last at Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos we did not stay in a themed suite. There is also a fountain near the middle of the lobby with chairs and tables to sit and eat. Great Wolf Resorts (formerly known as Great Wolf Lodge) is a chain of indoor water parks. She has reported on several high-profile stories during her career at KSAT and specializes in trending news and things to do around Texas and San Antonio. There is also a cafe (Cafe & Bar) and a restaurant (Horizons) located right off the main lobby. The TV in the room seemed to be new and was the largest of any we saw at the three resorts. Much more concise! Finding fun places to take your kids in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia. Mind you definitely not Disney level theming or branding but a good job. Book now and prepare your pack for adventure. 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. Then to get to the lower level you have to take the stairs. Part-time blogger, full-time nerd & aspiring Renaissance man! Two of the biggest and best (and among the industry's early pioneers) are in the water park capital of the world, Wisconsin Dells: Kalahari at 125,000 square feet and Chula Vista at 110,000 square feet . Report inappropriate content msmejkal chicago 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. What are you waiting for? 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. We stayed from Tuesday through Thursday during July. With that being said it does appear that the ropes course and zip lines are something that we may try in the future. We recently took a little trip to the Poconos and stayed one night @ Great Wolf Lodge immediately followed by a one-night stay @ Kalahari. Wisconsin Dells, WI https://www.greatwolf.com/wisconsin-dells Activities could include yoga, character appearances, crafts, a nightly Forest Friends show, story time, and a dance party. If youre looking for other vacation ideas check out our Family Travel Tips for Niagara Falls! 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. Great Wolf Lodge also has a small bowling ally, gem mining, outdoor ropes course, arcade, and glow golf. I went back into our pictures and corrected the post with the actual picture of the Great Wolf Lodge bathroom. Another note worth mentioning the bathtubs @ Kalahari are huge! Aquatopia made an effort to do some theme-ing with the Kartrite Quest /Adventures but this really only covers the water park and the activities for kids to the left of the lobby. Sincerely, Throughout the day those areas were also closed several times for about 15 min at a time for cleaning since the kids were pooping and vomiting in the water. Great Wolf Lodge Poconos Water Park Toddler Play. I can't honestly say that anything bit me in the room, we may have been bitten while we were sleeping, or in all the time we were forced to spend on the patio because of the smell.The resort was fine, but I'd avoid this "upgraded suite". The lobby at Aquatopia is more spacious than the lobby at Great Wolf Lodge but far smaller than the lobby at Kalahari. This is probably a reflection of the fact that Kalahari is really a convention center first & foremost and the water park is just one of the many amenities they offer albeit a big one! Across from that there is a small decent sized souvenir shop / store and a small dessert kiosk. Kalahari I feel would be better for the adults to have fun as well. Great Wolf Lodge has a woodland creature and forest theme, while Kalahari has an African theme. 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. It seems that there are parts of the water park that are only staffed at peak attendance. The rides for the kids are great, it is an entired water playground for toddlers with amazing water slides! The room was spotless. Keep in mind theres a third indoor water park resort in the Poconos: Camelback Mountain Resort. Hi there! There were 2 bathrooms one off the walk-in area and the second one in the master suite. 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. The ladies bathroom and changing area looked tike a war zone! The advent of Great Wolf Lodge represents one of the most monumental The advent of Great Wolf Lodge represents one of the most monumental accomplishments in the Citys history, Webster city officials said. Adventure Update # 020: 10 Years and 1/2 an Inch! This happened before on our previous visits but given the number of people this time, they kept closing the areas for cleaning constantly. We love knowing that our attractions were fun for both the children and adults in your family! If you can't afford it, don't bother making the trip. Park access for all family members is included in . For size reference, Great Wolf Lodges water park is the smallest at about 79,000 square feet. Offer a family slide option which is super fun to go on as a whole family. It doesnt extend to the guest rooms and amenities. For just one four-year-old, I think Great Wolf is probably a better choice. Kalahari also has crafts, escape room, mini golf, mini bowling, and arcade. I'm going to breakdown each part of the resort that we visited and give you the key points:CHECK IN/ROOM - We checked in with Kassi at 12 noon and were happy to hear our room was ready. This time we were on the third floor and had a balcony. Life-size animal statues adorn the outside. A general view of the Great Wolf Lodge in Fort Mackenzie. If you can't afford it, don't bother making the trip. Kalahari Resorts opened in 2015 in the Poconos. Better selection of local foods near Great Wolf. 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. After reading this post - which Poconos waterpark do you THINK you are most likely to go to? See All Waterpark Features Waterpark (and more!) We are a family of 6 with four kids ranging in ages from 5 12 years old. Water park access was included. Swim Up BARS - An absolutely genius idea! Ronks is southeast of Lancaster. 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. We do love both! Kalahari and Wilderness are kind of overwhelming. 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. A microwave and refrigerator are also included. Kalahari Resort in Round Rock, TX is like Great Wolf Lodge on steroids. Kalahariis the biggest of the 3 and has a wider range of offerings that will appeal to both adults & children. The place is ENORMOUS and although it's extremely busy and pretty crowded most of the time, there is plenty of seating in the waterpark. It had a pretty good selection of desserts and chocolates. I will note as a previous reviewer did that Great Wolf Lodge had SPECTACULAR lifeguards. Wet bar, fridge, microwaveIMPRESSED with the upkeep.WATERPARK - The place is absolutely huge. Try getting on the email lists of both of these resorts to learn about the discounts they offer throughout the year. (especially Aquatopia & Great Wolf Lodge) If you were to drive from Kalahari, to Great Wolf Lodge, and then to Aquatopia the total distance would be approximately 11.3 miles and take just 26 minutes. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! It was, however, small. [2] In addition to a water park, each resort features restaurants, arcades, spas, and children's activities. 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 water facilities were great and there was a nice assortment of water slides.