Sometimes you need a little indoor waterpark action in the middle of January to relieve that cabin fever. So, this past Saturday, we had an amazing weekend getaway to the Great Wolf Lodge in the Pocono Mountains, PA. If you've never heard of Great Wolf Lodge, it's North America's Largest Family of Indoor Waterpark resorts with a rustic Northwoods theme. I think it was our best Great Wolf trip ever, since were the 1st place winners of the duck race which means we get a gift certificate to come back and stay another night for free. Woohoo!
I'm so glad we....
- Wore our bathing suits under our clothes and had a pool bag packed. The line to check in was long, but, luckily, Great Wolf had someone at a seperate podium who could tell you if you're room was ready or not. She told us our room wasn't ready yet and gave us wrist-bands so we could head right to the waterpark. Our pool bag was packed with the essentials including: flip flops, goggles for the kids, some snacks & drinks.
- Brought bath robes for the kids. I love the warm towels that they provide in the waterpark. But, the kids like to wear their robes up to the rooms. This keeps them warm and cozy as they trek through through the hotel hallways.
- Had Glow Wands for the little guys. In my opinion, the 4 and under crowd are really too small to appreciate MagiQuest, so we just bring magic glow wands from the dollar store which they LOVE! And, these are great for the Saturday night dance party in the lobby too.
Next time we go, I would...
- Get to the 8pm story time much earlier. We arrived when it was starting as it was mobbed. If you want your kids to get a good seat on the floor, arrive early.
- Bring more drinks. Swimming makes you thirsty, it's nice to have some extra drinks on-hand.
- Join in the Saturday night dance party. There were more adults dancing than kids, and they were having a blast! My little ones were dancing too, and I loved watching them, but, next time, I am going to dance too.
If you want to win the duck race...
I'm sure it was all just luck, but if you want to win the duck race, you might want to try what we did...
- Eat a pizza from Pizza Hut for dinner. They will deliver straight to your room, and it is delicious.
- Take the kids down to the Saturday night disco in the lobby and make sure your little ones bring their glow sticks.
- While the dance party is going on, register your duck at the front desk. You need to do this to be eligible.
- Then, when it's time for the duck race, go into the waterpark and sit under the stairwell that leads to the Alberta Falls Slides. This is where we sat, so it's officially our "lucky spot." It's not a good place to sit if you want to see the ducks cross the finish line. But, it's the perfect place to sit if you want to watch the ducks emerge from the water slide and work their way through the lazy river.
This was the third year that my family went to Great Wolf in the Poconos, and I know it won't be the last since the kids LOVE it there and it's a great winter getaway. Also, They just announced on Twitter that they're having their first 48 hour sale of the year. I know that Chambana Moms are heading to Great Wolf soon... Is anyone else?