Klahari is themed and decorated as an African resort. We had a cabin themed room for this stay (KidCabin Suite) and the kids enjoyed it more than I had expected! 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. Advice: you can't come to a place like this and complain about how much things cost. 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. [2] In addition to a water park, each resort features restaurants, arcades, spas, and children's activities. Water park access was included. Both resorts also have bunk bed suites with small alcoves just for the kids. Kalahari is newer and more efficiently run. Chip. In November 2020, a competitor to GWL opened in Texas. Kalahari seems to have a bit more of a selection when it comes to very large rooms. Winner: Kalahari Resort Rooms Both resorts have "normal" hotel rooms as well as themed rooms. On our previous visit a couple of years ago we felt the place was showing some wear and tear. Apart from those issues, I appreciate the detailed comparison. Hence our balcony seemed to be under ground and we were looking at a high retaining wall for a view. There are some characters for the kids but they are not really developed and seem to have just been bolted on as an after thought. Some of the profit from any sale may merely make it intoourpocket instead of Jeff Bezos'! Park access for all family members is included in . Indoor Water Park & Resort | Grapevine Resort | Great Wolf Lodge One of the other simple theming aspects we enjoyed were the 2 Great Wolf Lodge video book stories playing on the resort TV channel. 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. Seriously, I'm not being dramatic. Thats an AMAZING 425,000 square feet of indoor water parks in a very small geographical area!! Another Wisconsin Dells question - Great Wolf vs. Kalahari vs Kalahari . 5 Indoor Water Parks for the Most Fun in Texas - Texas Hill Country Expect to spend money on food, games, etc. Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg, built in 2005, is listed as one of the five top things to do in Williamsburg by visitwilliamsburg.com. Just about everything seemed to be swimming in butter or oil, including the overcooked/overheated vegetables. That makes it easy for families traveling with toddlers (and their little legs!). Book now and prepare your pack for adventure. The lobby at Aquatopia is more spacious than the lobby at Great Wolf Lodge but far smaller than the lobby at Kalahari. Career Site - Self Service - ADP Mary Claire Patton has been a journalist with KSAT 12 since 2015. I found the photos pleasing to look at and relaxing! The wolf mascots host a nightly dance party and pj story time. The kids had a blast, and I think with some minor changes, this place will exceed 5 stars. The rides for the kids are great, it is an entired water playground for toddlers with amazing water slides! 4 Reasons Your Family Needs to Visit The Kartrite - NJ Family 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. Each wing of the resort is 8 floors high and it has 977 rooms in total. 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. We did the empirical research so you dont have to! I actually made the kids wear earplugs (as did I) to go to this! If you want averykid-centricexperience from top to bottom we would recommendGreat Wolf Lodge. It is especially better for younger kids ones who dont want or need a life jacket! Burger and fries for $12, other sandwiches $12-$15.not excessive. It seems that there are parts of the water park that are only staffed at peak attendance. Embarrassing that I never realized it was the same picture! 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. The Poconos Great Wolf Lodge location has more kiddie water slides than the Williamsburg location. We did really like the lazy river at Aquatopia. The water is warm, but not too hot. I will be sure to pass your kind words along to Kassi, David, Robin, and Amanda! If you're not up and about a 4:30 a.m., though, you can still get a. kalahari waterpark passes - tidningen.svenskkirurgi.se Both seemed to make a small room work a little better and not feel as small as it actually was. Weve stayed at GWL Williamsburg and Kalahari in the Poconos. We may also participate in other affiliate programs from time-to-time and be compensated for referring traffic & business to these companies. Socks are required in order to bowl. 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. 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. You could definitely capture everything this place has to offer in 2-3 days. The room was very clean and up-to-date. . Wonderful service.Lazy River - Longer than the one at Great Wolfbut lots of people and tubes jamming it up!Towels were only available outside, we heard there may have been a shortage but we didn't really experience that. Use Great Wolf Lodge for what it is really good at and skip the rest! 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. Our suite @ Kalahari was HUGE! 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. We changed in the bathroom/changing areas, located a storage locker (for a fee), and found a table. Great Wolf Lodge vs. Kalahari: Which Is Best For Families It smelled like an overcrowded SPCA. We stayed from Tuesday through Thursday during July. And the staff was friendly. We are still having a debate on what it actually was. GWL has excellent sales. We joke that we lost Sophie our 2 year old for 5 minutes in the immense suite! Speaking of the wave pool we did find the buzzer alert to notify guests of the beginning of a wave cycle to be very harsh and not conducive to the relaxing atmosphere that should be associated with a wave pool. However, there were at least 6 employees assisting at the registration desk and the line moved relatively quickly. Kalahari did a remodel on their indoor kid area about a year ago. The hostesses and the servers were professional and pleasant. Great Wolf Lodge Grapevine, Grapevine - Updated 2023 Prices - Booking.com So we decided to check it out and see how things had changed. There isnt any story that goes along with any of the characters as far as we were able to discern. Great Wolf is more for kids, but I feel like Great Wolf service is better than Kalahari. The top 10 winners in the category Best Indoor Water Park are as follows: Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark - Tannersville, Pennsylvania. To read more aboutHOW TO GET THE BEST DEAL& aPRICE COMPARISONof ALL THREE POCONOS WATERPARK RESORTS check out my NEW post:Poconos Waterparks: How to Get the Best Deals at Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Aquatopia! 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. The water facilities were great and there was a nice assortment of water slides. 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. Seriously, this place is awesome! Ax throwing, ropes course, zip line, off-road Segway tours through the forest & switchback UTV tour. I was wondering what your experiences have been with that. It is a wonderful family vacation spot that offers a lot of adventure & nature! Mind you definitely not Disney level theming or branding but a good job. It had its own TV and was adorned with a lot of cute character images. The Poconos and Williamsburg Virginia location both have a small indoor wave pool. The room was not only spacious, but didn't reek like cat urine. Im pleased to hear that you enjoyed the various sections of the waterpark. See you soon! Our suite was located on the same level as the entrance to the water park which was below the main level. However, Great Wolf Lodge has a higher percentage of themed rooms available at a more reasonable price. Kalahari is absolutely immense! We are happy to report that there were two night stands with our queen bed! However, each locations water parks and amenities vary. Kalahari Resort has an African safari theme. Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine is a great way to go for a weekend getaway. Many of these water parks are resorts, meaning they also comparison guide for all three of these resorts, Lindt Chocolate Factory Outlet Carlisle, PA. more. Several hot tubs, twice the amount of slides as Great Wolf Lodge, and something for all ages. Is the higher food price of Kalahari worth it? Great Wolf Lodge is one of the very best things to do in Dallas The splash park or toddler area of the water park was rather small. Kassie R, Social Media Coordinator at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos, responded to this review. There were not lights on both sides of the queen beds which made night-time reading hard for the person on the side with no light. Why do the adults with hearing damage always make the decisions with regards to volume level! She has reported on several high-profile stories during her career at KSAT and specializes in trending news and things to do around Texas and San Antonio. We liked the luggage rack near the door and the shelf over the microwave. This is probably a reflection of the fact that Kalahari is really a convention center first & foremost and the water park is just one of the many amenities they offer albeit a big one! 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. Thank you for your feedback. Well manicured and landscaped lawns.We arrived in the main lobby on Sunday 7/2 a little after 1:00 p.m. 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. At the towel dispensary you simply swipe your wrist band and the attendant will hand you the number of towels you request. 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. You can reach me at PAConnect@KalahariResorts.com. Thank you for pointing out my mistake! Kalahari Resort in Round Rock, TX is like Great Wolf Lodge on steroids. 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. Likewise the lobby is magnificent! Kids jumping in and out, the areas are not guarded by staffsame problem as Great Wolf. Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your recent visit. 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. Kalahari vs Great Wolf Lodge Poconos Comparison - YouTube The Lobby is one of the things I, and everyone in my family, really liked about Kalahari! It reminds me of Disneys Wilderness Lodge. Life-size animal statues adorn the outside. We ordered a burrito, nachos grande, chicken fingers, fries and onion rings from a predictable and acceptable selection of menu items. Two of my kids are begging to go back to Kalahari. The other kids and I voted for Great Wolf Lodge. There would have been another $25 for parking but we were able to avoid this since we had relatives staying just a few miles away. 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. Both resorts have huge water parks that include a wave pool, lazy river, splash areas and of course water slides. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. (assuming same accommodations we had for this past trip) and this is how they all answered. 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. Rooms are bigger and have fun themes. Hello, Erika! I would like to further discuss the details of your stay. We appreciate it! We stayed @ Great Wolf Lodge on a Tuesday night and then Kalahari on Wednesday night of the same week. Location: 1 Great Wolf Drive, Scotrun, PA. Come splash around! 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. 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 LOVED IT!More. Robert, I'm going to breakdown each part of the resort that we visited and give you the key points:CHECK IN/ROOM - We checked in with Kassi at 12 noon and were happy to hear our room was ready. 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. Great Wolf Lodge. It's located in the Rockvale Outlets Fox Meadows Creamery has two locations, one in Ephrata, Pennsylvania and one in Leola, Pennsylvania. Kalahari is amaizing! With that being said it does appear that the ropes course and zip lines are something that we may try in the future. Once again, the food was mediocre at best. The hot tub situation was disappointing. During our long walk to the room (the opposite end of the facility), he was VERY professional, engaging and helpful. Located in America's Historic Triangle of Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown, it was Great Wolf Resorts' first East Coast location. We were on the bottom level and we had a small patio walk out area next to the ropes course. Naturally, the hotel offers an indoor water park, plus character meet-and-greet experiences, live entertainment, an arcade, ropes course, bowling alley, mini-golf course and spas (one for kids and one for adults). Our Dallas, TX resort offers an 80,000-square-foot indoor water park and exciting land attractions for the entire family. Chip, I am planning to go to waterpark with three kids, so I really enjoyed all details! Thank you to management for a well-trained staff and an enjoyable time! Friendly, accommodating, informative.we were very happy with the initial interaction. There is a huge fireplace towards the back of the lobby that is adjacent to a huge window that overlooks the water park. 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. Both are reasonable attempts at having a meal on the healthier side. Both Great Wolf and Kalahari have very luxurious condos that can accommodate a whole family easily. Lifejackets available, large amount of seating and tables!ARCADE - Another huge area! Otherwise, she and the others had a very good time.Kalahari was worth the trip. African photos, statues, pictures, all kinds of things that mentally transport you to another world. Kalahari Resort vs. Great Wolf Lodge - CohaiTungChi Tech It was, however, small. 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!. To alert those in the wave pool of the wave rotation starting it has a wolf howl. Which Indoor Water Park in the Poconos Is Best for Your Family? 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 felt like you were rubbing shoulders with other people all the time. The farm is back a lane, and Lindt Chocolate Factory Outlet is located at 40 Logistics Drive in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The TV in the room seemed to be new and was the largest of any we saw at the three resorts. Thank you! We figured that we'd have a good dinner to make up for it.After another 90 minutes or so, we decided to check out the room. From the accommodation standpoint it was a much more memorable stay! Kalaharis water park does the same, except with a jungle theme. The Poconos location has 401 rooms and each wing of the lodge has 4 floors. But we generally dont patronize too many sit down restaurants with 4 kids with ages ranging from 2-10. Yes My oldest daughter and wife voted for Kalahari. 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. As the kids went ahead, employee Jeremy helped to take bags upstairs. For the price I would expect better service. We simply love everything about it! We recently visited Camelback Mountain Resorts waterpark Aquatopia (November 24th, 2021). Here's Where You Should Eat Hot Dogs in Philadelphia Great Wolf Lodge also has a small bowling ally, gem mining, outdoor ropes course, arcade, and glow golf. Thank you to the staff we mentioned for really making sure our stay was the best it possibly could be! Yes there were two night stands on either side of the bed in the master suite. Aquatopia at Camelback Lodge in Pennsylvania is 125,000 square feet. Hi, Pamela! Crystal, All three resorts are located very close to each other in the Poconos. Imagine what it takes to run this place?!? There are a number of other activities available at the lodge. If youre looking for other vacation ideas check out our Family Travel Tips for Niagara Falls! The balcony/patio was laughable. But, my kids are little fish who love swimming, and they cant get enough of this type of resort. When we were last at Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos we did not stay in a themed suite. We ended loading up the car, checking out (automatically at 11:00), and then using our onsite privileges for a few more hours before going offsite at a nearby restaurant to each lunch and hitting the highway to return home.My biggest concern about the facility itself is that the elevator from the lobby to the lower level waterpark is not easily discoverable or accessible. Great Wolf Lodge was nearly as inexpensive during the week as Aquatopia ($249 vs $238), and the cheapest on Saturday night. In our opinion, the splash park at Aquatopia was the weakest of the three. Kalahari features a number of signature sit-down restaurants (Sortinos Italian Kitchen (Italian food), B-Lux Grill & Bar (Burgers & Shakes), Double Cut (Steakhouse). Advice: you can't come to a place like this and complain about how much things cost. Sincerely, The Kalahari wave pool is much bigger than the Great Wolf Lodge wave pool. Kalahari Resort Market Cost The overnight costs for both of these resorts can vary widely throughout the year. Why Kids Love It People who got there after her were served well before her. We went for the Italian the second night and the food was again wonderful. Yes, there were some healthy options just not a very good variety. Hi there, I appreciate you taking the time to write a review of your most recent stay. Across from that there is a small decent sized souvenir shop / store and a small dessert kiosk. CamelBack (Aquatopia) has 453 rooms and there are 6 floors (above ground) to the lodge. Our Locations - Great Wolf Resorts We were really looking forward into the expansion since we really loved how great Kalahari was the first two times we visited. My family has stayed in themed rooms at both resorts. For just one four-year-old, I think Great Wolf is probably a better choice. 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. Although the room was designated for up to 6 people it felt like we were on top of each other at times. At times Kalahari actually felt a littletoo bigfor us. We have never patronized the restaurant as it does seem expensive. Sincerely, Chip. There is an indoor rock wall, laser tag, and indoor ropes course, etc. Kalaharis waterpark is the largest at 220,000 square feet & Camelbacks Aquatopia indoor waterpark is right in the middle at 125,000 square feet. Kids hearing is much more sensitive! Kids under the age of 6 were coming in and out with no parental supervision. Can I ask how the service levels compared at the two as well as the food? Kalahari activities and attractions differ with each location. Camelback Lodge vs. Great Wolf Lodge: Which Poconos Indoor Water Park Here's our overall review.Right away we were looking for and expecting a wonderful customer service experience, and Kalahari did not disappoint. 6 Best Texas Indoor Water Parks - VacationIdea Old Windmill Farm is located at 262 Paradise Lane in Ronks, Pennsylvania. 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. Kalahari Resort vs. Great Wolf Lodge - Miles For Family 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 love knowing that our attractions were fun for both the children and adults in your family! The 12 Best Indoor Water Park Resorts in the U.S. for 2021 6 Best Poconos Resorts for Families | Family Vacation Critic BoardingArea - Kalahari Resort vs. Great Wolf Lodge | Facebook 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. Thank you very much for your comment. There was a nice variety of the treats and each of the kids was able to find something appealing to them. Copyright 2022 by KSAT - All rights reserved. Located below the main lobby is both the entrance to the water park and the arcade. We do love both! The suite had an interesting layout, but who could enjoy it when you were struggling not to vomit. Lock in the lowest price from these sites. One time a lifeguard came out and caught one but without constant observation, it is impossible to parole this area. Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney. Hey, thanks for the great reviews! 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. We just stayed at Camelback the night before Thanksgiving and are actively working on updated the post. The room was nice and clean but nothing particularly memorable. Thanks for your review! Fortunately we only live about 2 hours away. This seems to be an archaeology /exploration theme that they incorporate to water park. 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). There were 2 bathrooms one off the walk-in area and the second one in the master suite. Speaking of loud There is usually a dance party in the evening which we found to be extremely loud! Chip Williamson All Rights Reserved. This was our 3rd visit to Kalahari, the 2 previous times we stayed was before March 2017 when the resort was only half way completed. The short of it about the same as Great Wolf Lodge and FAR less than Kalahari! After learning about the aspects of both of these resort, which one will your family choose? This post was incredibly helpful!!! Inspired parents sharing the joys & adventures of the parenthood journey! I'm going to breakdown each part of the resort that we visited and give you the key points: But having a wide variety of restaurants and foods was great! Post was not sent - check your email addresses! It had a large walk-in area that had a sink and kitchenette. Kalahari vs Great wolf lodge - Wisconsin Dells Forum Great Wolf Lodge has an especially fun indoor water park and the "under one roof" makes the stay warm and easy. Comparison between Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge water park 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). Waterpark admission included with your stay! Hello! We usually just order a pizza and eat it in our room with maybe a salad. And with new locations in Arizona and Illinois, Great Wolf Lodges are becoming easier to reach wherever . The room was spotless. The wave pool was on par with that at Great Wolf Lodge. 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. Hi there! There is also a cafe (Cafe & Bar) and a restaurant (Horizons) located right off the main lobby. Top Educational & Inspirational YouTube Channels for Families 2022, Waterpark Comparison Chart: Kalahari, Aquatopia & Great Wolf Lodge.