great wolf lodge vs kalahari

The Kalahari Resort is well appointed, nicely decorated, and the facilities are well maintained. Although the room was designated for up to 6 people it felt like we were on top of each other at times. Located below the main lobby is both the entrance to the water park and the arcade. As I indicated above I should not have been charged a fee for parking since we did not leave a vehicle at the resort and were dropped off. We also enjoyed the balcony. A microwave, refrigerator, and small coffee maker are other amenities in the room. However, we felt $26 for chicken parm was a little steep. Water park temperatures at all three Poconos water parks is the same @ 84 degrees, year-round. Check your pack into a world of adventure. I believe you get what you pay for--any insight as the the huge difference in rates?!!! Camelbacks Aquatopia seems to strike a particularly good balance for children in the 10 + age group and is the best water park for pre-teens and early teens. African photos, statues, pictures, all kinds of things that mentally transport you to another world. Great Wolf Lodges water park continues their wildlife theme. (Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Camelbacks Aquatopia) Which is the right waterpark resort experience for your family? Adventure Update # 018: My Tricycle is Very Very Fast! EXPECT IT and you will have a great time. Thank you for reading & for your comment / question! For the price I would expect better service. Can I ask how the service levels compared at the two as well as the food? Hopefully you can keep returning and finding even more ways to have fun with us as the kids grow. It is the smallest of the 3 indoor water parks in the Poconos, Pennsylvania. My son went to the prime rib carving station several times but the chef continued to serve him meat with chunks of fat on it - so he gave up. The distance from the lobby to our room was an extremely long haul for her. We stayed from Tuesday through Thursday during July. (But It Wasnt Horrible), Using United Miles to Increase my Relatives Chances of Getting Hungarian Visas. Apparently they were experiencing people taking the towels as souvenirs?? However, it was not a perfect experience in that the air conditioner vented right out onto the one end of the balcony. I love the theming of GWL and my kids are obsessed with Magi Quest, but the adults only things at Kalahari cant be beat! We like all three. (assuming same accommodations we had for this past trip) and this is how they all answered. (It was almost like an obstacle course with the running kids, machines, flashing lights, and noise.) Anonymous. The rides for the kids are great, it is an entired water playground for toddlers with amazing water slides! We may also participate in other affiliate programs from time-to-time and be compensated for referring traffic & business to these companies. The Lobby is one of the things I, and everyone in my family, really liked about Kalahari! If you have visited all three waterparks in the Poconos please let us know which one YOU liked best! Advice: you can't come to a place like this and complain about how much things cost. Right away we were looking for and expecting a wonderful customer service experience, and Kalahari did not disappoint. It had a pretty good selection of desserts and chocolates. Since we are usually there for just one night we resign ourselves to it being a pizza for dinner night. (We missed the burritos & soups from Kalahari!). Unfortunately, the kids loaded up on an assortment of dessert and we went back to the room to change back into our swimwear for a last hurrah in the water.Off the lobby there are also a sweets shop, bakery, and ice cream shop, with what appears to be a nice selection of goodies.The next morning, the kids wanted to get in a few hours at the waterpark before our 11:00 checkout. This past visit however was somewhat disappointing. 2.) To read more about HOW TO GET THE BEST DEAL & a PRICE COMPARISON of ALL THREE POCONOS WATERPARK RESORTS check out my NEW post: Poconos Waterparks: How to Get the Best Deals at Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Aquatopia! We were told that the elevator was on the convention center side, which was not really convenient for her. more. The wolf mascots host a nightly dance party and pj story time. We did still struggle with the menu & felt that it was very limited in that we found it difficult to find healthier options for our family. Kalahari has a better reputation locally. At times Kalahari actually felt a little too big for us (both the resort & the water park). CHECK IN/ROOM - We checked in with Kassi atWe visited Kalahari in the Pocono Mountains for a last minute trip with our two girls, ages 8 and 9. Kalahari is newer and more efficiently run. Thank you for your feedback. I prefer Great Wolf by a long shot. We appreciate it! Per night, plus tax. Which Poconos waterpark do you like best? 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! We had no problem finding a table and chairs to rest our towels and use for eating later. The main dry activity, however, is the MagiQuest interactive wand game. Compare salary information for Great Wolf Lodge and Kalahari Resorts & Conventions. Keep in mind theres a third indoor water park resort in the Poconos: Camelback Mountain Resort. Kalahari is absolutely immense! 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. The food was overpriced but tasty. EXPECT IT and you will have a great time. 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. Great Wolf seems to have more of a variety of theming for these bunk bed suites. Robert, It was nicely decorated and efficiently arranged. Both resorts have themed rooms that accommodate a wide-range of family sizes from two queen rooms to much, much bigger. When I checked out on the 25th I asked for a receipt, and the amount I was charged was correct ($390.10) When I received my credit card statement on December 9th I noticed that what I was charged from Aquatopia/Camelback was $25 higher than it should have been. We simply love everything about it! It seems that there are parts of the water park that are only staffed at peak attendance. The toddler splash park area is very big at Kalahari with a lot of water-table type attractions and activities for the little ones. Thanks! Great Wolf Lodge is better for younger kids, IMHO (ages 2-12, maybe); there are more self-contained areas for easier supervision, whereas Kalahari is better for slightly older kids (maybe 5-15,). Several hot tubs, twice the amount of slides as Great Wolf Lodge, and something for all ages. Then to get to the lower level you have to take the stairs. For part of our stay both lazy river attractions were open and there were other times when only one was open. Camelbacks Aquatopia also had the highest resort fee and the prices quoted on the website do not include the $25/night parking fee. GWL isnt fast either, but 2+ hours to pay triple the price wouldnt work either. $12.02 per hour. The resort recently completed a huge expansion that added 130,000 sq feet of conference facilities to the 100,000 sq feet of existing facilities. After the meal there are plenty of places like the pastry shop, coffee shop or ice cream shop that have many enticing desserts for the children. Please email me directly at PAConnect@kalahariresorts.com. Keep reading our Poconos water park guide & comparison to find out! My wife went there one morning to order some breakfast and it took nearly an hour to get our food after ordering it (she was also in line for nearly an hour before even getting to place her order). Thank you, again. * > Please call 1-877-KALAHARI (525-2427) and request booking code O1107. We changed in the bathroom/changing areas, located a storage locker (for a fee), and found a table. People who got there after her were served well before her. I will be sure to pass your kind words along to Kassi, David, Robin, and Amanda! Hello, Erika! The indoor waterpark is open all year with various slides, play areas, a wave pool, and even a four-story interactive treehouse. 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. Aquatopia at Camelback Lodge in Pennsylvania is 125,000 square feet. It smelled like an overcrowded SPCA. Especially liked the Learn to Surf place. The kids really enjoyed the cabin themed suite which was adorned with a lot of cute character images. 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. 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. Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your recent visit. Great Wolf Lodge is smaller than Kalahari. It was, however, small. Salaries are taken from job posts or reported by employees and are not adjusted for level or location. For size reference, Great Wolf Lodges water park is the smallest at about 79,000 square feet. It is in the middle in terms of the size of its indoor waterpark and in number of rooms at the resort. As I mentioned earlier with 4 kids ranging in age from 2 10 we are not very often dining in @ a restaurant. Kalahari Resorts and Conventions Water Park. It felt like you were rubbing shoulders with other people all the time. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. I look forward to hearing back from you. The room @ Aquatopia that we had was a double queen suite, a pull-out sofa and a balcony. Try getting on the email lists of both of these resorts to learn about the discounts they offer throughout the year. Likewise the lobby is magnificent! Hi there! Whereas, the roofline @ Great Wolf Lodge is blocky. There were a few things that we liked about the expansion. Better selection of local foods near Great Wolf. So I guess you just dont need it that much. Both are reasonable attempts at having a meal on the healthier side. The view felt somewhat private and we really enjoyed it! Virtual reality, tons of games, golf, bowling - this place though of everything. Adventure Update # 018: My Tricycle is Very Very Fast! I know that camelback has a swim up bar at its resort but I have never been to the other two. Im guessing the youngest of your children voted for GWL? I have read other reviews where people did not enjoy the balcony but we did. Chip Williamson All Rights Reserved. We visited Kalahari in the Pocono Mountains for a last minute trip with our two girls, ages 8 and 9. We may also participate in other affiliate programs from time-to-time and be compensated for referring traffic & business to these companies. I will note as a previous reviewer did that Great Wolf Lodge had SPECTACULAR lifeguards. Kalahari Resorts water park has more of everything and also includes a Flowrider, which is popular with older kids and teens. 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. Splash Lagoon . Camelback is far From dc metro; close to ny metro. I felt the prices were reasonable for this type of American Pub food. We joke that we lost Sophie our 2 year old for 5 minutes in the immense suite! Kalahari is awesome, but it is very large and also a bit noisier compared to the others. Heres a comparison guide for all three of these resorts. But having a wide variety of restaurants and foods was great! Kalahari also has a wide variety of types of water slides drop slides, mat racer, raft slides, etc. Not only are the room prices significantly cheaper during the week for all 3 waterparks but the resorts are a lot less crowded as well! I've been on trip advisor for years, but have never felt the need to leave a review until now. Experience a world of play, all under one roof. 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 Resorts (formerly known as Great Wolf Lodge) is a chain of eighteen indoor water park resorts located in the United States and Canada. Comparison between Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge water park There were 2 bathrooms one off the walk-in area and the second one in the master suite. (Remember that Kalahari is actually a desert in southern Africa.) I look forward to connecting with you. I am on the mailing list and recently got a promotional offer that indicated the rooms had recently been renovated. We really liked the 2 water falls that were present on the lazy river. I found the photos pleasing to look at and relaxing! What we usually do @ Kalahari is claim a couple of tables next to the fountain in the lobby and while one of us stays with the family the other runs around to the different food venues to obtain the items we desire to assemble a meal. 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 were really looking forward into the expansion since we really loved how great Kalahari was the first two times we visited. The total cost for the night would have been $415.10. Both resorts in the Poconos have a water coaster. 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. Thanks to Amanda at the front desk for helping facilitate this! Winner: Tie Water Park Both resorts have huge water parks that include a wave pool, lazy river, splash areas and of course water slides. The outdoor small kids area with slides was a nice addition to the park however my daughter who is 53" tall was not allowed to go on them. Camelbacks Aquatopiaseems to strike a particularly good balance for children in the 10 + age group. We put together this side-by-side comparison of Kalahari, Camelbacks Aquatopia & Great Wolf Lodge to help you choose the right resort or water park for your family vacation! Here is a quick breakdown of the outdoor activities offered at each resort: Kalahari: Monkey climb ropes course, zip lines and mini golf. Towel check-out is something new since our last visit. Its a tough call. Thank you for your support! Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. The new Italian restaurant had a nice design and the food was good. It is really the other aspects of the resorts and accommodations that will determine which resort is the better choice for your family! Bigger waterpark and more rides than Great Wolf Lodge. They also enjoyed the interaction with the characters and the Wiley & Friends video stories that can find on one of the dedicated TV channels. You'll be able to keep a better eye on the kids at the other water parks. 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. Mind you definitely not Disney level theming or branding but a good job. Use Great Wolf Lodge for what it is really good at and skip the rest! It doesnt extend to the guest rooms and amenities. The sound system is rather poor and the performance is rather loud. Ax throwing, ropes course, zip line, off-road Segway tours through the forest & switchback UTV tour. Thank you very much for your comment. We like archaeology and the lost river archaeology theme was interesting and well done. There was one dedicated dessert/pastry kiosk located off the main lobby nestled in there with the souvenir shop. Contemporary and tasteful.we give that an A+!Overall, we can't wait to return to Kalahari! Kalahari I feel would be better for the adults to have fun as well. Only 2 of our bracelets worked, but we were able to get around that on more than one occasion. There is also a cafe (Cafe & Bar) and a restaurant (Horizons) located right off the main lobby. 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. We have been to the Williamsburg Virginia location where there was one but there is not one @ the Poconos location. Berrellis Italian Chophouse wasnt really an option for us as this restaurant is physically located in a different building from where we were staying & where the indoor water park is located. They did a fabulous job with the design of this place. But, if or when we do return, I look forward to spending more time in that adults-only grotto. All three resorts are really good choices for water park fun with a family. Arrive as a family and leave as a pack at Great Wolf Lodge. I can't honestly say that anything bit me in the room, we may have been bitten while we were sleeping, or in all the time we were forced to spend on the patio because of the smell.The resort was fine, but I'd avoid this "upgraded suite". Thanks for your review! 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. 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. Still it was a frustrating experience that cast a pallor over our time and experience there. See our Advertiser Disclosure and Editorial Notehere. First, Great Wolf Lodge is a decent size. Kalahari also has crafts, escape room, mini golf, mini bowling, and arcade. 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. Blessed father of 4 wonderful children & trophy husband to 1 lovely wife. In this video, I break down the differences between Great Wolf Lodge and Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells, including the rooms, water parks, dining options, and other amenities, to help. That said, I wouldnt pay triple the price for Kalahari. With multiple flexible rooms and more than 15,000 square feet of outdoor event space, our Wisconsin Dells resort has your next special occasion covered with: Adaptable event spaces for birthdays, weddings, cocktail receptions, conferences, meetings, and more. The ladies bathroom and changing area looked tike a war zone! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review. Both resorts have also utilized Groupon for deals. However, having fewer food venue choices and adult amenities limits your stay to a very kid-centric experience. It is the smallest of the 3 indoor waterparks in the Poconos, Pennsylvania. We have been to both resorts in the past but thought it would be fun to do a back-to-back comparison. We just stayed at Camelback the night before Thanksgiving and are actively working on updated the post. On a subsequent trip (after COVID) we also visited Camelbacks Aquatopia. This was one of the few exceptions! 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. We are a family of 6 with four kids ranging in ages from 5 12 years old. 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. Guestrooms at Great Wolf Lodge Sandusky Oh offer furnished balconies and separate sitting and sleeping areas. 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. If youre looking for other vacation ideas check out our Family Travel Tips for Niagara Falls! We also only stayed one night, so Im not sure how often housekeeping visits. We are still having a debate on what it actually was. It is in the middle in terms of the size of its indoor water park and in number of rooms at the resort. Chip. If you want averykid-centricexperience from top to bottom we would recommendGreat Wolf Lodge. Jamison is a small town in Warwick Township, Bucks Ringing Rocks County Park is located on the border of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, along Ringing Rocks Road, in Upper Black Eddy, QuiNBy's Playground recently opened in 2022. Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Level Contributor 1,490 posts 39 reviews Each play area includes slides and swings. The drive was almost exactly 100 miles for us and we arrived a few minutes after 1:00 pm. I wouldn't pay a dollar to go to camelback. Great Wolf Lodge recently renovated their suites to a more updated style and clean look. Definitely two thumbs up for the adults area at Kalahari! You all have multi room suites as well as an African Queen Suite.Let's talk about the African Queen Suite for a moment.

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