My family has stayed in themed rooms at both resorts. We liked the water park @ Great Wolf Lodge! It is so fun for my children (12 & 4 years old) and for adults too!! We just stayed at Camelback the night before Thanksgiving and are actively working on updated the post. It has a transparent Texlon roof that lets in natural sunlight while providing protection against the suns harmful UV rays. At times Kalahari actually felt a littletoo bigfor us. This post will focus on the Leola New York City and upstate New York are close to many amazing indoor water parks. Poconos Waterpark Comparison Guide: Kalahari versus Aquatopia & Great Wolf Lodge! Kalahari Resort's water park has more of everything and also includes a Flowrider, which is popular with older kids and teens. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. 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. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. Kids hearing is much more sensitive! So if you are looking for a martini, you will have to hit one of the restaurants. Kalaharis waterpark is the largest at 220,000 square feet & Camelbacks Aquatopia indoor waterpark is right in the middle at 125,000 square feet. 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. Thats an AMAZING 425,000 square feet of indoor water parks in a very small geographical area!! Otherwise, it far exceeded our expectations and we will definitely be choosing Kalahari over Great Wolf for many years to come. Mary Claire Patton has been a journalist with KSAT 12 since 2015. Both resorts also have bunk bed suites with small alcoves just for the kids. Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg, built in 2005, is listed as one of the five top things to do in Williamsburg by visitwilliamsburg.com. It's located in the Rockvale Outlets Fox Meadows Creamery has two locations, one in Ephrata, Pennsylvania and one in Leola, Pennsylvania. This was because: 1) We are a family of 6 and eating out is not usually relaxing or enjoyable! Kalahari even has a five bedroom suite that can have a maximum of 22 guests. Heres a comparison guide for all three of these resorts. Second, certain areas of the waterpark, especially the hot tubs, the wave pool and small kids areas were overcrowded. I've been on trip advisor for years, but have never felt the need to leave a review until now. Kalahari vs Great Wolf Lodge Poconos Comparison - Kalahari Resort Poconos Top Flight Family 113K subscribers Subscribe 2.9K 310K views 3 years ago Are you trying to decide between. Great Wolf Lodge's water park is 80,000 square feet, but Kalahari's is over 220,000 square feet. EXPECT IT and you will have a great time. Hi there! 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. The bartenders were great, DAVID and ROBIN especially. Both resorts also have onsite dining that continues the decor. Keep reading our Poconos water park guide & comparison to find out! When you leave make sure to return the towels and swipe the wrist band again or you will be charged for the towels. We went for the Italian the second night and the food was again wonderful. Our suite @ Kalahari was HUGE! This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Can I ask how the service levels compared at the two as well as the food? For our Wednesday June 26th, 2019 stay @ Kalahari the cost of our room was $249.99 with taxes & fees amounting to $66.09, bringing the total to $316.08. Kalahari Resort, positioned in Spherical Rock, Texas, is analogous in some ways to Nice Wolf Lodge. Sincerely, Chip. Great Wolf Lodge also has a small bowling ally, gem mining, outdoor ropes course, arcade, and glow golf. We also liked some of the efficiency features of the room. Kalahari Resort Market Cost The overnight costs for both of these resorts can vary widely throughout the year. It was HORRIBLE! Mind you definitely not Disney level theming or branding but a good job. Copyright 2023 The Parenthood Adventures! It seems, for obvious safety reasons, that a toddler area would be better located on the lowest level of the water park. I felt the prices were reasonable for this type of American Pub food. Kalahari Resort has a huge upcharge for the one type of themed room. Great Wolf Lodge Pocono Mountains packs in all the family fun under one roof. Other than the water park & arcade our family hasnt really tried out any other ones. As I mentioned earlier with 4 kids ranging in age from 2 10 we are not very often dining in @ a restaurant. Both resorts have huge water parks that include a wave pool, lazy river, splash areas and of course water slides. 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. The kids really enjoyed the cabin themed suite which was adorned with a lot of cute character images. You used the same bathroom photo for both resorts. Although the room was designated for up to 6 people it felt like we were on top of each other at times. The day we went, prices were similar to GWL. Kalahari Resort in Round Rock, TX is like Great Wolf Lodge on steroids. Kalaharis water park does the same, except with a jungle theme. (It was almost like an obstacle course with the running kids, machines, flashing lights, and noise.) Kalahari still boasts plenty of kiddie water slides, but it also has more thrilling slides for older children. Both resorts are well-themed throughout the resort rooms and the water parks. The building must be completed within three years. You could definitely capture everything this place has to offer in 2-3 days. Chip, I am planning to go to waterpark with three kids, so I really enjoyed all details! Compare management, culture and compensation ratings for Great Wolf Lodge and Kalahari Resorts & Conventions. Both resorts have huge water parks and other indoor activities. The theming is carried throughout multiple aspects of the total experience. 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). They contain a variety of aquatic activities such as water slides, swimming pools, wave pools, lazy rivers, and splash pads. Camelback Lodge and Great Wolf Lodge are two of the most popular family resorts in the Poconos with indoor water parks. Kassi was terrific! (Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Camelbacks Aquatopia) Which is the right waterpark resort experience for your family? The water park @ Kalahari is HUGE. Expect to spend money on food, games, etc. Use Great Wolf Lodge for what it is really good at and skip the rest! Note: There is no Flowrider / surfing simulator attraction at the Poconos location for Great Wolf Lodge. (assuming same accommodations we had for this past trip) and this is how they all answered. 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. It is the best themed lazy river out of the three water parks in the Poconos! Waterpark admission included with your stay! 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? Why do the adults with hearing damage always make the decisions with regards to volume level! Would have been nice to have them inside as well.The waterpark overall was phenomenal - huge and definitely accommodates young and old. Great Wolf Lodge has a woodland creature and forest theme, while Kalahari has an African theme. Take care! I hope you have a wonderful time with your family! This 80,000-square-foot facility is perfect for families, although the water park portion is only open to hotel guests. There are a number of other activities available at the lodge. Chip Williamson All Rights Reserved. On a subsequent trip (after COVID) we also visited Camelbacks Aquatopia. 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. Fortunately we only live about 2 hours away. If you want averykid-centricexperience from top to bottom we would recommendGreat Wolf Lodge. I hope you and your family have a wonderful stay! It needs to be checked more often. 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. 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. As the kids went ahead, employee Jeremy helped to take bags upstairs. The view felt somewhat private and we really enjoyed it! A night at either place costs a small fortune, and the food is over-priced and mediocre. We visited Kalahari in the Pocono Mountains for a last minute trip with our two girls, ages 8 and 9. bellyrubbah1 2 yr. ago Cool. Looking up to the roofline Aquatopia does feel more open and expansive since it is more of a sweeping semi-circle in shape. 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!. 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. A report from KSAT sister station KPRC states that the indoor water park will break ground in 2022 in the city of Webster, just south of Houston. Have you been to both Great Wolf Lodge and Kalahari Resort? Very spacious, a flat screen TV in each room and in main living area with fireplace. DreamWorks Water Park - East Rutherford, New Jersey. We did the empirical research so you dont have to! Yes, there were some healthy options just not a very good variety. Come splash around! Book now and prepare your pack for adventure. Apparently they were experiencing people taking the towels as souvenirs?? I'm going to breakdown each part of the resort that we visited and give you the key points: Weve stayed at GWL Williamsburg and Kalahari in the Poconos. We also liked the master light switch in the room that made it very easy to turn off every light in the suite with one switch. Great Wolf Lodge has 18 locations, all of which offer indoor water parks with multi-story forts, 1,000-gallon soaker buckets, wave pools, lazy rivers, waterslides of varying heights and speeds, raft rides, whirlpools, kiddie pools and more. We did not have a car on the premises so driving was not an option, and walking was not very appealing since we tend to patronize the indoor water parks during the colder months and it was late November when we were at Aquatopia. It sounds like you were able to experience nearly every feature our resort has to offer! Thank you to the staff we mentioned for really making sure our stay was the best it possibly could be! 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. We also enjoyed the balcony. 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. When we were last at Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos we did not stay in a themed suite. 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. Located in America's Historic Triangle of Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown, it was Great Wolf Resorts' first East Coast location. Kalahari . 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. There is also a fountain near the middle of the lobby with chairs and tables to sit and eat. lindakmonty He's like "OH NO YOU DIDN'T" Joined Jun 24, 2005 Jun 30, 2006 #7 This was one of the few exceptions! We stayed from Tuesday through Thursday during July. 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. Been at least six years ago. Check there and compare prices with their website to find the lowest prices for your stay. We stayed in the Desert room which was sufficient in size for 2 adults and 2 small kids. Water park access was included. GWL has excellent sales. We joke that we lost Sophie our 2 year old for 5 minutes in the immense suite! The other kids and I voted for Great Wolf Lodge. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. We are still having a debate on what it actually was. Reservations are strongly recommended. 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. The suite had an interesting layout, but who could enjoy it when you were struggling not to vomit. It seems that there are parts of the water park that are only staffed at peak attendance. For exact amenities lists, its best to view the Great Wolf Lodge or Kalahari website of the locations you are comparing. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Likewise the lobby is magnificent! LOCATION: Within the 1st floor level of Tom Foolerys Adventure Park inside B-Lux Grill & Bar. 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. 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. However, there seemed to be a noticeable amount of debris at the bottom of the pool which seemed to a combination of plastic and dirt. Virtual reality, tons of games, golf, bowling - this place though of everything. If you can't afford it, don't bother making the trip. 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. Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews. Camelbacks Aquatopia resort opened their indoor water park in May of 2015. Definitely two thumbs up for the adults area at Kalahari! Another note worth mentioning the bathtubs @ Kalahari are huge! You can reach me at PAConnect@KalahariResorts.com. Both seemed to make a small room work a little better and not feel as small as it actually was. Report inappropriate content msmejkal chicago Kids under the age of 6 were coming in and out with no parental supervision. Several hot tubs, twice the amount of slides as Great Wolf Lodge, and something for all ages. (Healthy, I know.) 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. That makes it easy for families traveling with toddlers (and their little legs!). Great Wolf Lodge has an outdoor ropes course and indoor arcade. One of the other simple theming aspects we enjoyed were the 2 Great Wolf Lodge video book stories playing on the resort TV channel. It's the easiest way to hit the slopes! I look forward to connecting with you. Otherwise, she and the others had a very good time.Kalahari was worth the trip. On our previous visit a couple of years ago we felt the place was showing some wear and tear. It had its own TV and was adorned with a lot of cute character images. Nothing? 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. You all have multi room suites as well as an African Queen Suite.Let's talk about the African Queen Suite for a moment. 111 Things to Do in the Adirondacks & Upstate New York! Sincerely, How does it compare to Great Wolf Lodge? Their massive indoor water parks vary by location. There was one dedicated dessert/pastry kiosk located off the main lobby nestled in there with the souvenir shop.