So these mini-vacations are a perfect and necessary thing for our family. The Lobby is one of the things I, and everyone in my family, really liked about Kalahari! Hi there, I appreciate you taking the time to write a review of your most recent stay. Hey, thanks for the great reviews! At Kalahari, there are two separate, toddler play areas. The lobby was somewhat hectic with the number of people filing in and out, restaurants, shops, carts filled with souvenirs for sale, and a long line at the guest registration desk. 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. This time we were on the third floor and had a balcony. Ax throwing, ropes course, zip line, off-road Segway tours through the forest & switchback UTV tour. Both seemed to make a small room work a little better and not feel as small as it actually was. Sopleaseclick on a link or two if you wish tosupport us& and our endeavors here. I have read other reviews where people did not enjoy the balcony but we did. There were a total of 3 TVs one in the Family Room where the pull out bed / couch was, one in the master suite and one in the second bedroom with the two queen sized beds. Tom Foolery's Adventure Park provides hours of playtime, with 80,000 square feet of interactive rides and attractions. Winner: Kalahari Resort Rooms Both resorts have "normal" hotel rooms as well as themed rooms. On the lower level by the entrance for the water park, there is a pizza place with some tables in the lower lobby area. For exact amenities lists, its best to view the Great Wolf Lodge or Kalahari website of the locations you are comparing. 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. The Poconos Great Wolf Lodge location has more kiddie water slides than the Williamsburg location. Featuring free WiFi and a seasonal outdoor pool, Great Wolf Lodge Grapevine offers accommodations in Grapevine. Mind you definitely not Disney level theming or branding but a good job. Adventure Update # 018: My Tricycle is Very Very Fast! Many of the activities are located right on the main level off to the left of the main lobby so they are very visible. We stayed from Tuesday through Thursday during July. If you can't afford it, don't bother making the trip. 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. Kalahari even has a five bedroom suite that can have a maximum of 22 guests. Likewise the lobby is magnificent! There was a microwave and mini-fridge in the room, which came in handy. [2] In addition to a water park, each resort features restaurants, arcades, spas, and children's activities. Chip, I am planning to go to waterpark with three kids, so I really enjoyed all details! The hostesses and the servers were professional and pleasant. 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. Staff always pleasant and friendly!FOOD - There is food available in the waterpark in addition to a steakhouse and Italian restaurant. There was a nice variety of the treats and each of the kids was able to find something appealing to them. (Remember that Kalahari is actually a desert in southern Africa.) It doesnt extend to the guest rooms and amenities. Expect to spend money on food, games, etc. One of Kalahari's Kiddie Areas Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review. Imagine what it takes to run this place?!? Coming Soon: Great Wolf Lodge in Webster! The short of it about the same as Great Wolf Lodge and FAR less than Kalahari! Yes it is HUGE but it is also laid out well and serves as a destination itself within the resort. It's the easiest way to hit the slopes! For our Wednesday November 24th, 2021 stay @ Aquatopia the cost of our room was $319.00 plus taxes & fees amounting in the amount of $71.10, bringing the total to $390.10. The clothing line in the bathroom was broken and the bed covers had an unpleasant smell. Several hot tubs, twice the amount of slides as Great Wolf Lodge, and something for all ages. The kids really enjoyed the cabin themed suite which was adorned with a lot of cute character images. The room was nice and clean but nothing particularly memorable. 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 rides for the kids are great, it is an entired water playground for toddlers with amazing water slides! Kalahari is newer and more efficiently run. Kalahari Resort has an African safari theme. (If we wanted to watch tv, we could go to our room.) Whereas, the roofline @ Great Wolf Lodge is blocky. Great Wolf Lodge has more charm and we enjoyed the lodge theme & the characters. Top Educational & Inspirational YouTube Channels for Families 2022, Waterpark Comparison Chart: Kalahari, Aquatopia & Great Wolf Lodge. The first thing that struck me the most was how dirty and unsanitary the waterpark was compared to before. A microwave and refrigerator are also included. Thankfully, we didnt have a 2+ hour line to check-in. Although I am admittedly not a big fan of buffets, we figured it would be easy for everyone to find something they liked. 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. Our balcony overlooked a very lightly used service road and then there was an unobstructed view of the forested mountain side. 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. The room was very clean and up-to-date. 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 you check in the lodge they should offer you and / or the kids wolf ears at no extra charge since, after all it is the Great WOLF Lodge!. Hello, Erika! Age and height requirements vary by location. 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. Im not sure when we will make it back there since we have a lot of other travel plans. (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. It felt cozy and definitely complimented the whole lodge theme & experience! Also, the post was never updated to include information about Aquatopia. Especially around the holidays, it has a warm and fuzzy fireplace vibe. 2 of themone outside by the immense outdoor pool and one heated one inside. Kalahari is newer and more efficiently run. Kalahari also has a wide variety of types of water slides drop slides, mat racer, raft slides, etc. It felt more intimate and clean, less crowded and sufficiently staffed. Both resorts have themed rooms that accommodate a wide-range of family sizes from two queen rooms to much, much bigger. 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. Virtual reality, tons of games, golf, bowling - this place though of everything. The theming is carried throughout multiple aspects of the total experience. Kalahari and Chula Vista - now that the "Flyin Mayan" ride is back - are also. Located below the main lobby is both the entrance to the water park and the arcade. but also read water is cold. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Lifejackets available, large amount of seating and tables!ARCADE - Another huge area! The fact that Aquatopia ALSO has an outdoor water park (Camelbeach) and its night-time illumination make it unique. Welcome to Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Round Rock 223,000 square feet, filled with wet, wild, fun. Thank you very much for your comment. Hence our balcony seemed to be under ground and we were looking at a high retaining wall for a view. Kalahari activities and attractions differ with each location. Kassie R, Social Media Coordinator at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos, responded to this review. I would like to further discuss the details of your stay. Some of the profit from any sale may merely make it intoourpocket instead of Jeff Bezos'! When he pulled down the Murphy's bed, dirty nastiness came down with it. This comparison guide will focus mainly on the Pocono resorts in Pennsylvania, but some of the information can be used to compare other locations of Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge. In November 2020, a competitor to GWL opened in Texas. Copyright 2022 by KSAT - All rights reserved. Our Dallas, TX resort offers an 80,000-square-foot indoor water park and exciting land attractions for the entire family. To the right of the entrance is check-in / hotel services. The wave pool was on par with that at Great Wolf Lodge. I went back into our pictures and corrected the post with the actual picture of the Great Wolf Lodge bathroom. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. It was a nice touch to have the lodge theme and a couple of characters at the front of the wave pool which is one of our favorite attractions. @Kelly We ate dinner off-site so I cant really compare the food fairly. I've been on trip advisor for years, but have never felt the need to leave a review until now. I would request a higher floor again because the 2nd floor gets all of the foot traffic as that is the lobby floor and the waterpark and arcade are on the lower 1st floor.Take a minute to just look around and notice the dcor, architecture, and design. Can I ask how the service levels compared at the two as well as the food? One time a lifeguard came out and caught one but without constant observation, it is impossible to parole this area. The kids do enjoy the characters and overall lodge experience. Its a tough call. Both resorts have huge water parks that include a wave pool, lazy river, splash areas and of course water slides. We went for the Italian the second night and the food was again wonderful. It seems, for obvious safety reasons, that a toddler area would be better located on the lowest level of the water park. The resort has a spa center, a hot tub and an on-site restaurant. We joke that we lost Sophie our 2 year old for 5 minutes in the immense suite! Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg, built in 2005, is listed as one of the five top things to do in Williamsburg by visitwilliamsburg.com. Activities could include yoga, character appearances, crafts, a nightly Forest Friends show, story time, and a dance party. The room was spotless. Just a small thing that can be easily rectified. 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). more. Expect to spend money on food, games, etc. The Great Wolf Lodge Resort is a family-friendly resort located a few miles from the LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Grapevine and offers deluxe accommodations, upscale amenities, and an indoor water park with several swimming areas and wave pools, water slides and rides, waterfalls, hot springs, and entertainment for children. Apart from those issues, I appreciate the detailed comparison. 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. It was, however, small. Two of my kids are begging to go back to Kalahari. All six Pocono ski resorts have snowtubing hills. We have been to the Williamsburg Virginia location where there was one but there is not one @ the Poconos location. Many of these water parks are resorts, meaning they also comparison guide for all three of these resorts, Lindt Chocolate Factory Outlet Carlisle, PA. On our previous visit a couple of years ago we felt the place was showing some wear and tear. Hours: Depending on the day, the indoor water park is open from 9am to 9pm or 10am to 8pm. They were definitely present - but not blowing their whistle when it was needed and didn't seem as focused. This is an exciting place for kids to be with lots of fun things to do from arcade games galore to a huge indoor water park. Have you been to both Great Wolf Lodge and Kalahari Resort? Use Great Wolf Lodge for what it is really good at and skip the rest! Great Wolf Lodge's water park is 80,000 square feet, but Kalahari's is over 220,000 square feet. 6 Best Texas . We usually just order a pizza and eat it in our room with maybe a salad. There is an indoor rock wall, laser tag, and indoor ropes course, etc. I love the theming of GWL and my kids are obsessed with Magi Quest, but the adults only things at Kalahari cant be beat! But the resort's smaller size makes it easier to keep an eye on the kids. Towel check-out is something new since our last visit. Generally we are there for some water park fun and that is what Great Wolf Lodge does best so that is where we spend the majority of our time. For the price I would expect better service. Advice: you can't come to a place like this and complain about how much things cost. My husband and I especially like the adults-only area at Kalahari, and we dont miss the late-night stomping of kids in the hallways playing MagiQuest at Great Wolf Lodge (if you know, you know). 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. We liked the artwork in the room. Park access for all family members is included in . There is also a fountain near the middle of the lobby with chairs and tables to sit and eat. 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. Heres a comparison guide for all three of these resorts. Clean, safe & staff so friendly! We feature kid-friendly activities, a range of dining options, interactive games, an adult-friendly wine down service, and more all under one roof. Friendly, accommodating, informative.we were very happy with the initial interaction. And with new locations in Arizona and Illinois, Great Wolf Lodges are becoming easier to reach wherever . Here's our overall review.Right away we were looking for and expecting a wonderful customer service experience, and Kalahari did not disappoint.