Did you hear about the new water park in California just down the street from Disneyland? Great Wolf Lodge in Garden Grove is now open and is one of the most family friendly hotels in southern California. Here’s a guide to what every parent needs to know about this fantastic new resort.
What rides are in the water park?
The water park is the heart of the resort, so I’ll cover that first. Great Wolf is one of the best venues for families because it has a mix of thrill rides, water play structures, and a shallow play area for small children. Everyone from toddlers to teenagers has something fun to do.
The more adventurous members of your family will love attractions like the Wolf Tail water slide which starts with a vertical plunge through a trapdoor. There is a mat racer slide, a surfing simulator, and the iconic Howlin’ Tornado (which is the big funnel waterslide that you can see from Harbor Boulevard).
There is a 48 inch height requirement for the more thrilling rides. You can have your child measured when they enter the water park and they will receive a color coded wristband based on what rides they can enjoy. Life vests are available for young swimmers and swim diapers are available in the gift shop.
Speaking of little ones, the water park has an entire area designed just for toddlers. There is a zero depth entry pool that allows little ones to walk right into the shallow water and splash around. The area has plenty of water features to play with and a few small slides that are age appropriate. The children’s area has a few cabanas around the side of the pool, which are great to rent for birthday parties or groups. Additional cabanas are located outside along the outdoor pool.
Great Wolf Lodge is the only indoor water park in southern California and they keep the temperature at 84 degrees. This means that your family can enjoy the water slides, lazy river, or wave pool no matter how hot, cold, or rainy it is outside. The water park usually stays open until 9 pm, which is great if you want to visit Disneyland during the day and then float around the lazy river when you get back to your hotel.
Admission to the water park is included with the cost of your room. Great Wolf Lodge does not sell day passes to the water park, only guests of the hotel can enter, which is great because it prevents overcrowding.
Staying the night at Great Wolf also means you get two days of water park admission. On the day of your arrival, you can get into the water park at 1:00 and on your day of departure you can still enjoy the water park after you check out. There is a changing room and locker area inside the water park if you need it.
What Type of Room Should I Get?
Great Wolf groups their rooms into three categories: Family Suite, Themed Suite, and Premium Suite. All of the rooms are “suites” in name because even the Family Suites give you more square footage than a standard hotel room.
For my family of three, the Family Suite works great (rates start at $199 during the slow season). If you have a larger family, you can get something like a Grand Bear Suite (starts at $349) that can sleep up to 8 in the room.
When you look at the room types, pay attention to the where it says how many can stay in the room. For example, a standard room says “Sleeps: 4, Maximum: 6.” This means you can add two additional people to your room (for a total of six) for an additional $40 per person. Depending on the room rates, it may be a better deal to upgrade to a premium room, like the Kid Cabin Suite, that “Sleeps: 6, Maximum: 7.” This would save you from having to pay the additional $40 per person because six people are included in the base price.
If you book a Family Suite, it is always worth asking if an upgrade is available when you check in. Often times they will have a special rate if they have open rooms (this happens more often during the slower season). Your children will absolutely love the themed rooms, so I can honestly say they are worth the cost of upgrading.
The themed rooms give your child their own little cabin area inside your hotel room. We stayed in a Wolf Den Suite during our stay and there were unique surprises like a fish and a frog that would light up and sing when my son waved his MagiQuest wand at them. You can also activate these features if you have one of the stuffed animals from the Great Wolf Kids Store. There is an RFID chip in these toys that triggers the effects.
Each room has a mini refrigerator and microwave, which is worth noting because bringing your own snacks is an easy way to keep your vacation on budget.
What is there to do besides the water park?
For those who have never been to a Great Wolf Lodge, it is fair to think of it like a cruise ship. They have entertainment, food, and your hotel room all under one roof. You really don’t need to leave the place. So while the water park is a big part of the resort, the “dry land” activities and restaurants are just as important to the overall experience.
I highly recommend that parents purchase a “Paw Pass” which gives you a bundle of activities at a set cost. This helps you avoid blowing your budget and keeps your children happy because you get so many things included for the price. Whenever my son asks me to buy him something extra, I just ask him what’s on his Paw Pass and then suggest that we do one of those activities. It works out great.
MagiQuest is an interactive game played throughout the resort and is one of the most popular things to do at Great Wolf Lodge. The hotel’s lobby, common areas, and several floors of the hotel have MagiQuest elements tucked away. If you don’t have a magic wand in hand, you quickly feel left out.
For younger children, I recommend just getting the MagiQuest wand without having a game attached to it. This lets your child have fun waving the wand at various things (like treasure chests, animals, etc) and see them activate without having to play the game.
The Clubhouse Crew is another great option for younger children. The scavenger hunt uses a stuffed animal (instead of a MagiQuest wand) to activate the various clues. Your child gets to create the plush toy in the gift shop (picking an outfit, stuffing the toy) and it is a great little souvenir.
Great Wolf Lodge in California has an arcade (open 24 hours), a bowling alley (that is more similar to skee-ball than traditional bowling), glow-in-the dark mini golf, and the Howly Wood XD 3D shooting game. My son and I played the Howly Wood XD games a few times because it was so much fun.
Scoops Spa is the perfect spot for birthday parties or to pamper the little princess in your family. Your child gets a fluffy pink robe, a tiara, and then chooses which of the ice cream themed scents they’d prefer. Most of the nail polish options have glitter, of course. I have visited three different Great Wolf Lodge locations and Scoops Spa is always one of the most popular spots. The best part is the free ice cream you get at the end of the spa treatment.
What is there to eat?
This is a kid-friendly place, so there are plenty of options for pizza, macaroni & cheese, and chicken nuggets. The Loose Moose restaurant on the main floor is where you will find casual fare (burgers, salads) and the breakfast and dinner buffet. Don’t miss the Wiley the Wolf waffles.
The Lodge Wood Fire Grill is my favorite place to dine. They have steaks, ribs, and great burgers. The decor makes it look high end from the outside, but check out the menu and you’ll see that the prices are reasonable. You will actually pay less for a steak dinner here than you would for a burger and fries at Disneyland.
If you are in the water park, or just want to do something casual, the Hungry as a Wolf pizza restaurant on the lower level is perfect for take out. You can get a side salad and a 2-liter bottle of soda as well.
Great Wolf Lodge serves alcohol throughout the resort, which is a welcome reprieve for parents. There is even a bar inside the water park so you can sit poolside with a margarita in hand.
What else should I know?
If you are planning a Disneyland vacation, Great Wolf Lodge is a great spot for families. The hotel is within a few minutes of driving distance from the Disneyland Resort main entrance, so you can get there with a short Uber ride or taxi. It is too far to walk, in my opinion.
While you are at Great Wolf Lodge, everything can be paid for using your wristband. This is ideal for a water park because you don’t want to carry around soggy dollar bills. Instead, you just scan your wristband to pay for meals or snacks. Parents can set spending limits for their children. The wrist bands also work as your room key.
Great Wolf Lodge in California is the company’s largest indoor-outdoor water park in the United States. The $300 million, 600 room resort spans 10.3-acres and has more activities than you will be able to see in a single visit. Whether you are a local looking for a weekend getaway or visiting from out of town, Great Wolf Lodge is the family-friendly resort you’ll want to stay at in southern California.
