We’ve visited Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound Washington two years running now, and it’s fast become one of our favorite traditions. The first year we went, it just so happened that we booked it two weeks before our trip to Disneyland, because the rates were unbeatable. We did it again this past October, and once again it was cheaper than most regular hotel rooms for a one night stay. Great Wolf offers a spectacular fall blowout, and if you’re willing to play hookey during the week, it can greatly pay off with incredible savings. We booked October 15-16th {a Monday and Tuesday}, and the total was $135.28. This included all taxes and fees, and two days passes to the water park.
Check in is 4pm, but you are able to enter the water area at 1pm the day you arrive. We packed a separate bag with swimsuits and sandals, and enjoyed several hours of play before even checking into our room. Checkout is 11am, but again, you do not have to run out the door! You are able to play all day until the park closes, so you absolutely get your fill of all the fun this place has to offer.
This indoor waterpark / lodge combination is convenience personified.
Nestled in Grand Mound, Washington just off Interstate 5, this sprawling hotel boasts 75,000 square feet of family water fun for any and and all ages. They maintain exclusive access to the park for guests only, and this definitely helps to keep lines at a minimum.
There are four giant water slides, an expansive babies / toddler area, massive wave pool, water fort, hot springs soaking spa, and much more to entertain you for hours on end. Kept at a perfect 84° year around, the temperature is just right for lounging, swimming, playing, or shooting hoops / hopping floating logs in the larger swimming pool.
At night, we donned our cozy jammies and headed down to the lobby for the great clock tower show and bedtime story. My kids loved this part, and truly this is one hotel where you do not need to worry about being noisy! Families are constantly milling about, and there are even magic wands you can purchase to go on an adventure around the entire resort. Chose your wand, add extra powers, and you are ready to set off on your quest.
There is also an arcade on the second floor, and plenty of other land activities for kids. So if you’re getting a bit pruny in the water, you can take a break and dry off with some crafting and gaming.
Dining out is always fun in my opinion, and Great Wolf takes snacking to a whole new level. Several restaurants and snack hubs are on site, so even the pickiest of esters can find something they love. Here’s the full list of restaurants, and the ones we’ve visited I've described in parenthesis:
~Lodge Wood Fired Grill
~Hungry as a Wolf pizza {really good pizza, and so satisfying after a full day of playing in the water. We grabbed this nightly and took it back to our room to lounge and veg}.
~Buckets Incredible Craveables {inside the water park, this little snack shack is convenient for grabbing a bite without having to leave the warmth of the water arena. The burger was filling, and the kids loved the family sized platter of fries}.
~The Loose Moose Cottage
~Grizzly Robs Bar
~Bear Paws Sweets and Eats {the best finish to the day. Ice cream, cupcakes, pastries, cheese cake, cookies ... so many goodies, so little time. Richard and I had had cheesecake and a cookie, and the kids enjoyed ice cream}.
~Starbucks {having my favorite coffee chain right on site was a major perk ... get it ☕️}.
The most convenient aspect of the entire experience were the all-purpose waterproof bracelets we got a check in. They not only let us into the waterpark whenever we desired, but allowed us entry into our hotel room plus purchase of any food throughout the lodge. Not having to carry a key around was a major plus, as we were able to simply walk out of our rooms and head wherever we wanted at any time ... and grabbing food without having to go back to the room and fetch our wallets was wonderful. We simply relaxed and enjoyed our entire two days!
I highly recommend this resort. It’s a not-too-far 5.5 hour drive from Medford, so doing an overnight trip feels totally worth it. Two days in the park was perfect for my kids, but you could also stay longer and participate in more activities surrounding the lodge! They have a full list of area attractions on their website if you want to extend your stay.
We visited one other location while in Washington this past October, and that was the Boom Shaka Extreme Air Sports trampoline park. Located in Olympia {which was about a fifteen minute drive from GWL}, it’s fun for everyone from the most timid bouncers to the most fearless flippers. A one hour jump time is PLENTY, and we were beat when we hit the road to head home after our bounce time was done.
Great Wolf is such a fun, quick getaway, and it can be completely affordable if you pick the right time of year! I signed up for their email alerts, so I reguarly look for their sales. Rooms under $200 a night aren’t that hard to come by if you are flexible with your travel dates.
If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me a message ... happy water-parking! 🌊
Leave a Comment