How to Find the Best Deals on Great Wolf Lodge

Everyone wants a good deal on a vacation and I often get questions from parents who are looking for discounts on a Great Wolf Lodge trip. The hotel and water park occasionally run special promotions like a 48-hour sale or Groupon, which gives you the biggest savings. There are many ways to save on a regular visit as well. Below are a few tips to finding the lowest rates.

Tip 1: Sign up for the ePack newsletter 

It is hard to take advantage of a promotion if you never hear about it. Signing up for the ePack newsletter is an easy way to get updates whenever there is a new promotion. Visit www.greatwolf.com/esignup to add your name to the mailing list. When Great Wolf Lodge promoted the last 48 Hour Sale, ePack members received notice a day before the sale began, which gave you first dibs on the limited number of discounted reservations available.

Tip 2: Check out the deals page

Great Wolf Lodge has a deals page on their site which lists the discount codes for each month. From the homepage, click Suites and Deals in the header, and then select the Deals section in the drop down menu. You can usually see the special rate codes and discounts available a few months out.

One of the overlooked parts of this page is the Rate Calendar. There’s a link to this right above the “Book Now” button for each discount code. This is the only place I have found on the site where you can see a calendar view of rates. One the regular booking page, you have to manually adjust your arrival and departure dates to compare rates by day. The Rate Calendar makes this process much easier because you can see the full month at a glance and pick the rates that make the most sense for your budget.

Tip 3: Be flexible with your visit dates

Great Wolf Lodge adjust their room rates based on demand. By booking in advance and by visiting in non-peak times, you can find some very affordable rates. If you try booking a visit during peak times, like spring break, expect to pay a premium rate compared with what it would cost to visit the following month, mid-week.

For example, I can see that booking a last minute stay at the Grand Mound, WA lodge next week would run $379 per night for a standard Family Suite. If I were to wait until April 29 – May 1, I could book the same room for only $199 per night. The timing of your stay makes a big difference on the room rate.

Tip 4: Consider packages, like the Paw Pass, to save on multiple activities

If you have a few children in your family, or if you take advantage of several activities at the resort, you can often save about 30% when purchasing a Paw Pass. The items included in the Paw Pass vary by resort, but it usually costs around $60. It includes several of the most popular items, such as a MagiQuest game and wand, a plush animal, arcade credits, and a few snacks in addition to several other perks.

Planning ahead pays off

The best way to save on a Great Wolf Lodge trip is to plan ahead and to keep an eye on the discounts as they are announced. With a little preparation, you can book an affordable trip and can even save on activities while you are there.