During our long walk to the room (the opposite end of the facility), he was VERY professional, engaging and helpful. Hopefully you can come again soon but until then, take care! The room was spotless. Kalahari has one indoor and one outdoor area - both are huge (Kalahari's is one of the largest indoors in the US). 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. Kalahari vs Great Wolf Lodge is often a topic debated by indoor water park visitors. Thank you for reading & for your comment / question! Located below the main lobby is both the entrance to the water park and the arcade. Heres a comparison guide for all three of these resorts. The short of it about the same as Great Wolf Lodge and FAR less than Kalahari! 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. However, having fewer food venue choices and adult amenities limits your stay to a very kid-centric experience. Kalahari has the most toddler slides by far when comparing the three resorts. There was a large selection, with an emphasis on Italian cuisine. It reminds me of Disneys Wilderness Lodge. We can engage in many of the other activities closer to our home (and probably at less expense). Friendly, accommodating, informative.we were very happy with the initial interaction. Learn how your comment data is processed. We also only stayed one night, so Im not sure how often housekeeping visits. As I mentioned above, we can engage in many of the other activities closer to our home. Hello! Thank you very much for your comment. We did really like the lazy river at Aquatopia. From our experience after visiting Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Camelbacks Aquatopia indoor water parks in the Poconos we felt that: Check out our comprehensive comparison chart of these three indoor water park resorts here: Waterpark Comparison Chart: Kalahari, Aquatopia & Great Wolf Lodge. lindakmonty He's like "OH NO YOU DIDN'T" Joined Jun 24, 2005 Jun 30, 2006 #7 What are you waiting for? Kalahariis the biggest of the 3 and has a wider range of offerings that will appeal to both adults & children. Great Wolf Lodge has more charm and we enjoyed the lodge theme & the characters. 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. Thats an AMAZING 425,000 square feet of indoor water parks in a very small geographical area!! Webster city officials released a statement on Facebook about the new Great Wolf Lodge development in December, stating that the water park and resort will bring more than 500 jobs to the area. 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 . The development is expected to break ground during. If you can't afford it, don't bother making the trip. Great Wolf Lodge Pocono Mountains packs in all the family fun under one roof. Hopefully you can keep returning and finding even more ways to have fun with us as the kids grow. Some of the profit from any sale may merely make it intoourpocket instead of Jeff Bezos'! Tiffany, Im so glad you found the post helpful. Is the higher food price of Kalahari worth it? Weve stayed at GWL Williamsburg and Kalahari in the Poconos. But be prepared to spend.it comes with the territory! However, we felt $26 for chicken parm was a little steep. It is in the middle in terms of the size of its indoor water park and in number of rooms at the resort. It needs to be checked more often. This is an interactive game that has players moving throughout the Lodge on quests. 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. Chip. We went for the Italian the second night and the food was again wonderful. Kalahari is newer and more efficiently run. The top 10 winners in the category Best Indoor Water Park are as follows: Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark - Tannersville, Pennsylvania. Winner: Kalahari Resort Rooms Both resorts have "normal" hotel rooms as well as themed rooms. Check there and compare prices with their website to find the lowest prices for your stay. The lobby is ringed by various shops and the floor has wonderful decorative murals inlaid in the marble (Im sure these are probably decals??). Offer a family slide option which is super fun to go on as a whole family. 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. Camelback charged my card the correct amount when I made the deposit on November 24th and then on November 27th (2 days after we had left the resort) I was charged $25 for a parking fee. 2 of themone outside by the immense outdoor pool and one heated one inside. There are a number of other activities available at the lodge. Kalahari activities and attractions differ with each location. 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. 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. 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. 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. Nothing? Although the room was designated for up to 6 people it felt like we were on top of each other at times. Water park access was included. We were on the bottom level and we had a small patio walk out area next to the ropes course. 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. For part of our stay both lazy river attractions were open and there were other times when only one was open. Recently, my family visited Kalahari Resort for the first time. Thats theming! Tom Foolery's Adventure Park provides hours of playtime, with 80,000 square feet of interactive rides and attractions. Great Wolf Lodges water park is 80,000 square feet, but Kalaharis is over 220,000 square feet. Apparently they were experiencing people taking the towels as souvenirs?? Kids under the age of 6 were coming in and out with no parental supervision. If youre looking for other vacation ideas check out our Family Travel Tips for Niagara Falls! The distance between Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos is a mere 7 miles. Its really a question of what the individual family prefers, as far as water park size, features and resort amenities. This seems to be an archaeology /exploration theme that they incorporate to water park. There was a microwave and mini-fridge in the room, which came in handy. If you have visited all three waterparks in the Poconos please let us know which one YOU liked best! (assuming same accommodations we had for this past trip) and this is how they all answered. It seems, for obvious safety reasons, that a toddler area would be better located on the lowest level of the water park. 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. Kalahari is absolutely immense! The only other complaint I have is that we came home with a number of bites. 6 Best Texas . It is the smallest of the 3 indoor water parks in the Poconos, Pennsylvania. There was one dedicated dessert/pastry kiosk located off the main lobby nestled in there with the souvenir shop. Great Wolf seems to have more of a variety of theming for these bunk bed suites. We usually ordered and brought the food to our room. 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. Try getting on the email lists of both of these resorts to learn about the discounts they offer throughout the year. WEBSTER, Texas Texas is set to add another Great Wolf Lodge location to its ranks. Your goal is our goal. People who got there after her were served well before her. Great Wolf Lodge has an especially fun indoor water park and the "under one roof" makes the stay warm and easy. The kids do enjoy the characters and overall lodge experience. 111 Things to Do in the Adirondacks & Upstate New York! Hence our balcony seemed to be under ground and we were looking at a high retaining wall for a view. Our suite was located on the same level as the entrance to the water park which was below the main level. If you can't afford it, don't bother making the trip. I hope you and your family have a wonderful stay! In particular, it felt narrow. 2) With COVID still hanging around and the holidays right around the corner it seemed to be prudent. We were also advised that we would receive a text message when our room was ready. Kalahari features a number of signature sit-down restaurants (Sortinos Italian Kitchen (Italian food), B-Lux Grill & Bar (Burgers & Shakes), Double Cut (Steakhouse). Each lane allows for up to six bowlers at a time. Kassie R, Social Media Coordinator at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos, responded to this review. 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). The drive was almost exactly 100 miles for us and we arrived a few minutes after 1:00 pm. 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. Life jackets are not required but are available as well as puddle jumpers. The room @ Aquatopia that we had was a double queen suite, a pull-out sofa and a balcony. . You can use the water park at 1pm on the day of check in until close on the day you leave. Have you been to both Great Wolf Lodge and Kalahari Resort? Hi, Pamela! Fortunately we only live about 2 hours away. 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. Im not sure when we will make it back there since we have a lot of other travel plans. We have been to both resorts in the past but thought it would be fun to do a back-to-back comparison. 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. Hi there! Ronks is southeast of Lancaster. Kalahari Resorts opened in 2015 in the Poconos. See you soon! 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. Expect to spend money on food, games, etc. Report inappropriate content msmejkal chicago Great Wolf Lodges water park continues their wildlife theme. We may also participate in other affiliate programs from time-to-time and be compensated for referring traffic & business to these companies. Located in America's Historic Triangle of Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown, it was Great Wolf Resorts' first East Coast location. Right away we were looking for and expecting a wonderful customer service experience, and Kalahari did not disappoint. Although I am admittedly not a big fan of buffets, we figured it would be easy for everyone to find something they liked. The water park @ Aquatopia was nice. I will note as a previous reviewer did that Great Wolf Lodge had SPECTACULAR lifeguards. Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg, built in 2005, is listed as one of the five top things to do in Williamsburg by visitwilliamsburg.com. The fact that Aquatopia ALSO has an outdoor water park (Camelbeach) and its night-time illumination make it unique. Its a tough call. Kalahari Resort has an African safari theme. Great Wolf Lodge is known for their MagiQuest game. Many months later (due to COVID) we stayed at Camelbacks Aquatopia. It doesnt extend to the guest rooms and amenities. The KSAT 12 News Team provides a look at local, regional, statewide and national news events and the latest information on local traffic and weather issues. There were a few things that we liked about the expansion. 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 was definitely newer and nicer but also more expensive. As I mentioned earlier with 4 kids ranging in age from 2 10 we are not very often dining in @ a restaurant. Thank you! Both resorts also have onsite dining that continues the decor. They did a fabulous job with the design of this place. 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! Ax throwing, ropes course, zip line, off-road Segway tours through the forest & switchback UTV tour. Imagine what it takes to run this place?!? Socks are required in order to bowl. Imagine what it takes to run this place?!? Check with the resort to confirm which activities are offered during the winter. It may come down to a simple question: How old are the children in your party? We love knowing that our attractions were fun for both the children and adults in your family! This past visit however was somewhat disappointing. 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? The Poconos Great Wolf Lodge location has more kiddie water slides than the Williamsburg location. Both resorts have huge water parks that include a wave pool, lazy river, splash areas and of course water slides. As a native New Yorker, a bit of grit and grime doesn't scare me. Im guessing the youngest of your children voted for GWL? This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Rooms are bigger and have fun themes. Part of the joy of Great Wolf Lodge is its size. The theming is carried throughout multiple aspects of the total experience. 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. This activity requires participants to roam all over the lodge to find clues and solve a quest. 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 went back into our pictures and corrected the post with the actual picture of the Great Wolf Lodge bathroom. We joke that we lost Sophie our 2 year old for 5 minutes in the immense suite! There are a lot of food choices @ Kalahari of which we have only sampled a few. (Healthy, I know.) To alert those in the wave pool of the wave rotation starting it has a wolf howl. Well manicured and landscaped lawns.We arrived in the main lobby on Sunday 7/2 a little after 1:00 p.m. Wisconsin Dells, WI https://www.greatwolf.com/wisconsin-dells There is one primary restaurant on the main level on the left side of the lobby / front entrance. The Kalahari Resort is well appointed, nicely decorated, and the facilities are well maintained. CLICK HERE TO VIEW VARIOUS CREDIT CARDS AND AVAILABLE SIGN-UP BONUSES, New Private Luxury Facility Coming to DFW, Virgin Atlantic Makes it Official and More, March Transfer Bonuses: Marriott, Avianca, Virgin Red, Royal Caribbean Quietly Reduces Housekeeping to Once per Day, Hyatt Announces 2023 Hotel Category Changes, Easy: Changing AAdvantage Award flight via Twitter DM. (Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Camelbacks Aquatopia) Which is the right waterpark resort experience for your family? Both resorts have themed rooms that accommodate a wide-range of family sizes from two queen rooms to much, much bigger. The building must be completed within three years. 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. Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine is a great way to go for a weekend getaway. The room was very clean and up-to-date. One of Kalahari's Kiddie Areas