We liked the luggage rack near the door and the shelf over the microwave. In November 2020, a competitor to GWL opened in Texas. See All Waterpark Features Waterpark (and more!) Right away we were looking for and expecting a wonderful customer service experience, and Kalahari did not disappoint. Kalahari I feel would be better for the adults to have fun as well. Im not sure if it something that they created or if it has its origins someplace else. Kalahari Resorts opened in 2015 in the Poconos. Imagine what it takes to run this place?!? You could definitely capture everything this place has to offer in 2-3 days. Expect to spend money on food, games, etc. Both resorts are well-themed throughout the resort rooms and the water parks. 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. Waterpark admission included with your stay! Water park access was included. 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. Aquatopia offers a great selection of activities for tweens & younger teens, both inside & outside! 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. There is also a cafe (Cafe & Bar) and a restaurant (Horizons) located right off the main lobby. TripAdvisor review of Great Wolf Lodge Poconos, TripAdvisor review of Kalahari Resort Poconos, Booking.com review of Great Wolf Lodge Poconos, MommyNearest Great Wolf Lodge vs Kalahari vs Camelback. This time we were on the third floor and had a balcony. Great Wolf Lodge has an especially fun indoor water park and the "under one roof" makes the stay warm and easy. The TV in the room seemed to be new and was the largest of any we saw at the three resorts. Great Wolf is more for kids, but I feel like Great Wolf service is better than Kalahari. 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. 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 Lodge was nearly as inexpensive during the week as Aquatopia ($249 vs $238), and the cheapest on Saturday night. Each play area includes slides and swings. 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. We stayed from Tuesday through Thursday during July. Kids hearing is much more sensitive! But we generally dont patronize too many sit down restaurants with 4 kids with ages ranging from 2-10. We just stayed at Camelback the night before Thanksgiving and are actively working on updated the post. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Virtual reality, tons of games, golf, bowling - this place though of everything. We stayed from Tuesday through Thursday during July. Location: 1 Great Wolf Drive, Scotrun, PA. 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. I noticed that Kalahari may have a larger toddler area. Ax throwing, ropes course, zip line, off-road Segway tours through the forest & switchback UTV tour. Poconos Waterpark Comparison Guide: Kalahari versus Aquatopia & Great Wolf Lodge! 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. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. Both resorts also have onsite dining that continues the decor. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Come splash around! If you can't afford it, don't bother making the trip. Kalahari Resort also has an adult spa and fitness center plus live music entertainment at the steak house and piano bar. The room @ Aquatopia that we had was a double queen suite, a pull-out sofa and a balcony. We love knowing that our attractions were fun for both the children and adults in your family! The Kalahari Resort is well appointed, nicely decorated, and the facilities are well maintained. To the credit of one observant & kind employee he noticed the exceedingly poor service my wife had received and apologized to her later in the day when he saw her. Has a fun magic quest as an additional . Seriously, this place is awesome! It smelled like an overcrowded SPCA. There are 2 lazy river type rides, the wave pool is immense, there are 2 hot tubs that are partly inside the building AND partly outside of the building with a narrow channel to traverse back and forth. 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. Yes there were two night stands on either side of the bed in the master suite. It had its own TV and was adorned with a lot of cute character images. It is always wonderful to receive complements on our dcor as we want our guests to have as authentic an experience as possible. 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. There is also a fountain near the middle of the lobby with chairs and tables to sit and eat. 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. For example when booking your accommodations you can select a themed suite, such as the KidCabin Suite which we did. This is probably the one area that Aquatopia beats both Great Wolf Lodge & Kalahari. Water park temperatures at all three Poconos water parks is the same @ 84 degrees, year-round. It is disappointing to hear that you did not have as great of an experience this time around compared to your first two. We really liked the 2 water falls that were present on the lazy river. I have read other reviews where people did not enjoy the balcony but we did. If you have visited all three waterparks in the Poconos please let us know which one YOU liked best! Kalahari Resort has an entire grotto (both indoor and outdoor) for adults with a swim-up bar. (GWL = Great Wolf Lodge & K = Kalahari). I will note as a previous reviewer did that Great Wolf Lodge had SPECTACULAR lifeguards. Kalahari was the cheapest on Friday evening - but the most expensive during the week & the second most expensive on Saturday evening. Im not sure when we will make it back there since we have a lot of other travel plans. Great Wolf Lodges water park is 80,000 square feet, but Kalaharis is over 220,000 square feet. 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. Great Wolf Lodge has a woodsy/lodge theme and decor. Kalahari vs Great Wolf Lodge is often a topic debated by indoor water park visitors. Kalahari has a better reputation locally. I will be sure to pass your kind words along to Kassi, David, Robin, and Amanda! Swim Up BARS - An absolutely genius idea! To alert those in the wave pool of the wave rotation starting it has a wolf howl. Round Rock Source: Round the Rock With so much fun and excitement in one place, Kalahari remains a top destination for families throughout Texas. Chip Williamson All Rights Reserved. Kalahari has the most toddler slides by far when comparing the three resorts. Camelbacks Aquatopiaseems to strike a particularly good balance for children in the 10 + age group. Its a tough call. Would have been nice to have them inside as well.The waterpark overall was phenomenal - huge and definitely accommodates young and old. Thank you for pointing out my mistake! They contain a variety of aquatic activities such as water slides, swimming pools, wave pools, lazy rivers, and splash pads. As part of the U.S.' largest group of family-friendly water parks, this indoor water park has perfected how to maximize family fun for all ages. It was HORRIBLE! Very spacious, a flat screen TV in each room and in main living area with fireplace. 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. Great Wolf Lodge has a woodland creature and forest theme, while Kalahari has an African theme. Also, the post was never updated to include information about Aquatopia. When I called, the charge was removed & the service rep was polite enough but, apparently Aquatopia/Camelback fully expects there to be a parking fee added to every invoice! (Healthy, I know.) Kalahari also has a wide variety of types of water slides drop slides, mat racer, raft slides, etc. Great review, were leaning towards Kalahari but wanted to know about outdoor activities in the winter, could our kids go snow tubing or something related at any of these three resorts? My daughter walks with a medical device. One of Kalahari's Kiddie Areas The lobby is big but not massive like it is at Kalahari! That is with just 2 adults and 4 kids. Especially around the holidays, it has a warm and fuzzy fireplace vibe. The overnight costs for both of these resorts can vary widely throughout the year. Kalaharis water park does the same, except with a jungle theme. We recently took a little trip to the Poconos and stayed one night @ Great Wolf Lodge immediately followed by a one-night stay @ Kalahari. When we were last at Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos we did not stay in a themed suite. They looped continuously so they are readily accessible at any time. Every room at this resort is air conditioned and has a TV with cable channels. All three resorts are located very close to each other in the Poconos. There was also only one sink in the room (as well as only one bathroom which had only a standard sized tub). Rooms are bigger and have fun themes. There was a microwave and mini-fridge in the room, which came in handy. 2) With COVID still hanging around and the holidays right around the corner it seemed to be prudent. 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. See our Advertiser Disclosure and Editorial Notehere. Great Wolf Lodge Pocono Mountains packs in all the family fun under one roof. It felt like you were rubbing shoulders with other people all the time. Since we are fans of Indiana Jones we like most archaeology theme including this one but I would not say the theme-ing is immersive other than the lazy river. I asked everyone in the family if we are going back down to the Poconos and staying at one of the resorts tomorrow night where would you want to stay? I hope you have a wonderful time with your family! For just one four-year-old, I think Great Wolf is probably a better choice. I look forward to hearing back from you. Many of the activities are located right on the main level off to the left of the main lobby so they are very visible. There is one primary restaurant on the main level on the left side of the lobby / front entrance. With that being said it does appear that the ropes course and zip lines are something that we may try in the future. There were 2 bathrooms one off the walk-in area and the second one in the master suite. Finding fun places to take your kids in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia. There is a very small / non-standard sized bowling alley, a miniature golf course, an arcade, MagiQuest, etc We have done some of the other activities in the past but only if they were included with our stay or one of the bundled package passes (Paw Pass, Pup Pass and Wolf Pass). Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review. Thank you to the staff we mentioned for really making sure our stay was the best it possibly could be! WEBSTER, Texas Texas is set to add another Great Wolf Lodge location to its ranks. Sincerely, Chip. It is really the other aspects of the resorts and accommodations that will determine which resort is the better choice for your family! The lobby is ringed by various shops and the floor has wonderful decorative murals inlaid in the marble (Im sure these are probably decals??). Kalahari has a lot of complaints on Google about 2+ hour check in times and no housekeeping. 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. EXPECT IT and you will have a great time. Our complaints fell on deaf ears, as we needed a certain amount of space for.our family, and the hotel informed us that there was nothing they could do. Kalahari Resort has a huge upcharge for the one type of themed room. 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. My family has stayed in themed rooms at both resorts. It was, however, small. The wave pool alternates between wave / no wave cycles. 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 side-lite mirror was a nice feature that we enjoyed. Copyright 2022 by KSAT - All rights reserved. My family has enjoyed a handful of stays at the water park hotel Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Texas (and one visit to the GWL in Southern California). Why do the adults with hearing damage always make the decisions with regards to volume level! African photos, statues, pictures, all kinds of things that mentally transport you to another world. They were definitely present - but not blowing their whistle when it was needed and didn't seem as focused. 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. We ordered a burrito, nachos grande, chicken fingers, fries and onion rings from a predictable and acceptable selection of menu items. Most times I find that the pictures or decorations in a motel/hotel really dont add anything to the experience. It has a transparent Texlon roof that lets in natural sunlight while providing protection against the suns harmful UV rays. How does the resort compare to Great Wolf Lodge? Kalaharis waterpark is the largest at 220,000 square feet & Camelbacks Aquatopia indoor waterpark is right in the middle at 125,000 square feet. They did a fabulous job with the design of this place. included with your stay Waterpark Admission Waterpark admission is always free when you stay with us. It had a pretty good selection of desserts and chocolates. In particular, it felt narrow. It features the Howlin' Tornado raft ride, Coyote Cannon water tubes (with a 40-foot drop), and a tree house fort that has a 1,000-gallon tipping bucket! So if you are looking for a martini, you will have to hit one of the restaurants. "The advent of Great Wolf Lodge represents one of the most monumental accomplishments in the City's history," Webster city officials said. In my mind, Kalahari works best if you have a family with kids of different ages so each can be active. 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. So these mini-vacations are a perfect and necessary thing for our family. The room was very clean and up-to-date. So we decided to check it out and see how things had changed. When you leave make sure to return the towels and swipe the wrist band again or you will be charged for the towels. It's the easiest way to hit the slopes! While the hallways of rooms may still be a bit long, its not as vast as Kalahari. We were also advised that we would receive a text message when our room was ready. EXPECT IT and you will have a great time. Whereas, the roofline @ Great Wolf Lodge is blocky. Great Wolf Lodge has more traditional tube, body slides, and a bowl slide. We joke that we lost Sophie our 2 year old for 5 minutes in the immense suite! My family recently visited Kalahari Resort in Round Rock, Texas. Friendly, accommodating, informative.we were very happy with the initial interaction. 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. We visited Kalahari in the Pocono Mountains for a last minute trip with our two girls, ages 8 and 9. The entire Kalahari Resort is enormous. The Kalahari wave pool is much bigger than the Great Wolf Lodge wave pool. So the water park is what we usually focus on. The size of the indoor water park is roughly 125,000 square-foot, which makes it slightly larger than the Great Wolf Lodge water park @ roughly 79,000 square-foot, but decidedly smaller than Kalaharis indoor water park which is roughly 220,000 square-foot. Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your recent visit. So I guess you just dont need it that much. Kalahari did a remodel on their indoor kid area about a year ago. You can reach me at PAConnect@KalahariResorts.com. Here's our overall review.Right away we were looking for and expecting a wonderful customer service experience, and Kalahari did not disappoint. Tiffany, Im so glad you found the post helpful. We did really like the lazy river at Aquatopia. Both resorts have also utilized Groupon for deals. Kalahari Resort vs. Great Wolf Lodge. Just about everything seemed to be swimming in butter or oil, including the overcooked/overheated vegetables. 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. 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. The sound system is rather poor and the performance is rather loud. We can engage in many of the other activities closer to our home (and probably at less expense). Many of these water parks are resorts, meaning they also comparison guide for all three of these resorts, Lindt Chocolate Factory Outlet Carlisle, PA. Chip, I am planning to go to waterpark with three kids, so I really enjoyed all details! Kalahari seems to have a bit more of a selection when it comes to very large rooms. Camelback Mountain Resorts waterpark Aquatopia, Cafe & Bar (AKA, Mountain Market, World Bazaar Coffee Shop). The kids really enjoyed the cabin themed suite which was adorned with a lot of cute character images. Camelbacks Aquatopia resort opened their indoor water park in May of 2015. At the towel dispensary you simply swipe your wrist band and the attendant will hand you the number of towels you request. 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. All three resorts are really good choices for water park fun with a family. The room was not only spacious, but didn't reek like cat urine. Activities could include yoga, character appearances, crafts, a nightly Forest Friends show, story time, and a dance party. To the right of the entrance is check-in / hotel services. This was because: 1) We are a family of 6 and eating out is not usually relaxing or enjoyable! It needs to be checked more often. Thankfully, we didnt have a 2+ hour line to check-in. 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. 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. Embarrassing that I never realized it was the same picture! Inspired parents sharing the joys & adventures of the parenthood journey! The shop is along Interstate 81, making it a Busy Bodies Play Cafe is an indoor play space for children who are 1 year old through 6 years old. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. @Kelly We ate dinner off-site so I cant really compare the food fairly. There are a number of other activities available at the lodge. Overall, my family prefers Kalahari Resort. If you are looking for more of a balance between kid activities and adult luxuries Kalahari has a wider range of offerings that will appeal to both adults and children. The day we went, prices were similar to GWL. Use Great Wolf Lodge for what it is really good at and skip the rest! And the staff was friendly. The resort's mammoth 80,000-square-foot indoor waterpark has nine waterslides, six pools, and a four-story treehouse waterfort and utilizes nearly 380,000 gallons of water.Beyond the massive indoor waterpark, Great Wolf Lodge offers families daily activities and amenities on the dry side. The kids do enjoy the characters and overall lodge experience. You might prefer the chart we put together along with our conclusions. Aquatopia at Camelback Lodge in Pennsylvania is 125,000 square feet. The larger of the two play areas also includes a splash table for babies.
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