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. Water park access was included. 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. Aquatopia at Camelback Lodge in Pennsylvania is 125,000 square feet. It is disappointing to hear that you did not have as great of an experience this time around compared to your first two. Copyright 2023 The Parenthood Adventures! Mind you definitely not Disney level theming or branding but a good job. It is the smallest of the 3 indoor water parks in the Poconos, Pennsylvania. We also enjoyed the Lazy River and the wave pool.
Great Wolf Lodge vs Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Indeed Kids jumping in and out, the areas are not guarded by staffsame problem as Great Wolf. GWL isnt fast either, but 2+ hours to pay triple the price wouldnt work either. The Poconos Waterpark Showdown 2019, and. With that being said it does appear that the ropes course and zip lines are something that we may try in the future. It was a nice touch to have the lodge theme and a couple of characters at the front of the wave pool which is one of our favorite attractions. 2 of themone outside by the immense outdoor pool and one heated one inside. The new Italian restaurant had a nice design and the food was good. But we generally dont patronize too many sit down restaurants with 4 kids with ages ranging from 2-10. 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. Why do the adults with hearing damage always make the decisions with regards to volume level! EXPECT IT and you will have a great time. $25 if more than 3 days prior to arrival. Shooting Range (tourist favorite) is closer to Great Wolf. 111 Things to Do in the Adirondacks & Upstate New York! Hello, Erika! Especially liked the Learn to Surf place. 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. We stayed from Tuesday through Thursday during July. You never even need to leave the lodge, with tons of activities for kids, onsite dining, shopping opportunities, and more. They also enjoyed the interaction with the characters and the Wiley & Friends video stories that can find on one of the dedicated TV channels. 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. Staff always pleasant and friendly!FOOD - There is food available in the waterpark in addition to a steakhouse and Italian restaurant. Im not sure if it something that they created or if it has its origins someplace else.
Great Wolf Lodge vs Kalahari Resort | What's the Best Choice in They also enjoyed the Wiley & Friends video stories that you can find on one of the dedicated TV channels. Located below the main lobby is both the entrance to the water park and the arcade. The side-lite mirror was a nice feature that we enjoyed. Both resorts are well-themed throughout the resort rooms and the water parks. It may come down to a simple question: How old are the children in your party? For the volume of people passing through it ( to check-in, check out, shop at the shops and access the activities) it feels a little small and congested. Although I am admittedly not a big fan of buffets, we figured it would be easy for everyone to find something they liked. Hello and thank you for the review! 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. I hope you have a wonderful time with your family! After reading this post - which Poconos waterpark do you THINK you are most likely to go to? This seems to be an archaeology /exploration theme that they incorporate to water park. 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. Thanks for your review! Winner: Kalahari Resort (especially for older kids and teens). One is about 13 minutes long and is about Brinley Bears fun day and the other is about 8 minutes long and is about the origin of Great Wolf Lodge. > We look forward to seeing you again! (If we wanted to watch tv, we could go to our room.) We were also advised that we would receive a text message when our room was ready.
Camelback Lodge vs. Great Wolf Lodge: Which Poconos Indoor Water Park Our suite was located on the same level as the entrance to the water park which was below the main level. From the pricing you see above you can understand why we usually opt for the kids to miss a day of school when we head over to one of Poconos water parks! Hey, thanks for the great reviews! The kids had a blast, and I think with some minor changes, this place will exceed 5 stars. Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Camelbacks Aquatopia resort are all located in the Poconos and are VERY close to each other!
Great Wolf Lodge vs. Kalahari vs. CamelBack's Aquatopia! THE POCONOS There are a number of other activities available at the lodge. Both resorts also have onsite dining that continues the decor. At times Kalahari actually felt a little too big for us (both the resort & the water park). When we go to one of the three water parks in the Poconos we are usually going for water park & swimming fun so other activities are not our primary focus. (Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Camelbacks Aquatopia) Which is the right waterpark resort experience for your family? Great Wolf Lodge has 19 locations across the U.S. and Canada (Photo: Great Wolf Lodge Resorts) Great Wolf Lodge is easily accessible for many families, with 19 Great Wolf Lodge locations across the U.S. and one in Niagara Falls, Canada.All Great Wolf properties feature indoor water parks with slides, spraygrounds, lazy rivers, and wave pools. That was almost inedible. Great Wolf Lodge recently renovated their suites to a more updated style and clean look. If you are going to Cedar Point, Castaway is located right at the beginning of the causeway to CP. Life-size animal statues adorn the outside. The room @ Aquatopia that we had was a double queen suite, a pull-out sofa and a balcony. We appreciate it! We like all three. Chip, I am planning to go to waterpark with three kids, so I really enjoyed all details! Thank you, again. Camelback Mountain Resorts waterpark Aquatopia, Cafe & Bar (AKA, Mountain Market, World Bazaar Coffee Shop).
Ohio offers several indoor and outdoor water parks for summer fun We have been to the Williamsburg Virginia location where there was one but there is not one @ the Poconos location. 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! The water park @ Aquatopia was nice. Lifeguard. Copyright 2023 The Parenthood Adventures! We also liked some of the efficiency features of the room. In addition to hair dryers and clock radios, guestrooms provide microwaves, refrigerators, coffeemakers, and minibars. Both are great options for kids. This is an exciting place for kids to be with lots of fun things to do from arcade games galore to a huge indoor water park. Only 2 of our bracelets worked, but we were able to get around that on more than one occasion. 2.) 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. One time a lifeguard came out and caught one but without constant observation, it is impossible to parole this area. The kids really enjoyed the cabin themed suite which was adorned with a lot of cute character images. My sister, who was also staying at this resort had the African Queen suite and there was PLENTY of room for all of us if they would have moved us. Both seemed to make a small room work a little better and not feel as small as it actually was. A 14-inch pie was 8 slices, 2 toppings $21. To alert those in the wave pool of the wave rotation starting it has a wolf howl. Second, certain areas of the waterpark, especially the hot tubs, the wave pool and small kids areas were overcrowded. It seems that there are parts of the water park that are only staffed at peak attendance. But, my kids are little fish who love swimming, and they cant get enough of this type of resort. Kalahari Resort, located in Round Rock, Texas, is similar in many ways to Great Wolf Lodge. We usually just order a pizza and eat it in our room with maybe a salad. If youre looking for other vacation ideas check out our Family Travel Tips for Niagara Falls! We stored our bags with the assistance of bell staff and we went downstairs to check out the facilities.We had to go through a large (and very noisy) arcade to get to the turnstiles to the waterpark. My family has enjoyed a handful of stays at the water park hotel Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Texas (and one visit to the GWL in Southern California). Is the higher food price of Kalahari worth it? The best indoor water park will depend on your family, age of your kids and what you are looking for in a resort experience.
Best Indoor Waterparks in Ohio | SheBuysTravel - Traveling Mom Hi Lexi! 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,). Blessed father of 4 wonderful children & trophy husband to 1 lovely wife. At Kalahari, there are two separate, toddler play areas. 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. Great Wolf and Kalahari were about $289--same dates, same room type. Both resorts have themed rooms that accommodate a wide-range of family sizes from two queen rooms to much, much bigger. The Poconos location has 401 rooms and each wing of the lodge has 4 floors.
Poconos Waterpark Comparison Guide: Kalahari versus Aquatopia & Great Part-time blogger, full-time nerd & aspiring Renaissance man! The kids really enjoyed the cabin themed suite which was adorned with a lot of cute character images. In November 2020, a competitor to GWL opened in Texas. Winner: Tie Water Park Both resorts have huge water parks that include a wave pool, lazy river, splash areas and of course water slides. Kalahariis the biggest of the 3 and has a wider range of offerings that will appeal to both adults & children. We certainly do have a lot of different ways to entertain and excite the kids! Telephones have voice mail; TVs come with cable and pay movies. Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine has one adults-only hot tub. 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.
Which is better, Kalahari or Great Wolf Lodge? - Quora Your encounters with the lack of cleanliness in the room and waterpark was certainly not up to our standards, so I am interested in hearing more about it. As the kids went ahead, employee Jeremy helped to take bags upstairs. The water is warm, but not too hot. Both resorts have huge water parks that include a wave pool, lazy river, splash areas and of course water slides. The setting for them seems nicer, and they seem more elaborate than the ropes course offered @ Great Wolf Lodge. But having a wide variety of restaurants and foods was great! There are a lot of food choices @ Kalahari of which we have only sampled a few. Imagine what it takes to run this place?!? For part of our stay both lazy river attractions were open and there were other times when only one was open. If you have visited all three waterparks in the Poconos please let us know which one YOU liked best! Experience a world of play, all under one roof. There were a total of 3 TVs one in the Family Room where the pull out bed / couch was, one in the master suite and one in the second bedroom with the two queen sized beds. Great Wolf Lodge, including Pocono Mountains location. Both are reasonable attempts at having a meal on the healthier side. In the center right past the check-in area there is a large animatronic display where the nightly bedtime story (The Forest Friends Show) takes place.
Kalahari vs Great Wolf Lodge Poconos Comparison - YouTube It sounds like you were able to experience nearly every feature our resort has to offer! Bigger waterpark and more rides than Great Wolf Lodge. 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. 16 years ago Save I'm pricing a stay for a Christmas gift and Wilderness is about $100 less per night ($165). > *Valid exclusively for past guests of Kalahari Resort - Sandusky, Ohio. Virtual reality, tons of games, golf, bowling - this place though of everything. Weve stayed at GWL Williamsburg and Kalahari in the Poconos. It had a pretty good selection of desserts and chocolates. Finding fun places to take your kids in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia. We recently took a little trip to the Poconos and stayed one night @ Great Wolf Lodge immediately followed by a one-night stay @ Kalahari. 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. Great Wolf Lodges water park continues their wildlife theme. Kalahari vs Great Wolf Lodge is often a topic debated by indoor water park visitors. Adventure Update # 64: Summer Vacation 2022! We have been to both resorts in the past but thought it would be fun to do a back-to-back comparison. 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. 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. The fact that Camelback ALSO has the Mountain Resort (skiing, tubing, etc), the outdoor water park (Camelbeach) and its nightime illumination make it unique. Kalahari Resort has an entire grotto (both indoor and outdoor) for adults with a swim-up bar. I look forward to hearing back from you. Kids under the age of 6 were coming in and out with no parental supervision. It is a wonderful family vacation spot that offers a lot of adventure & nature! Kalahari Resort has Tom Foolerys, a gigantic indoor adventure park. EXPECT IT and you will have a great time. The drive was almost exactly 100 miles for us and we arrived a few minutes after 1:00 pm. The Poconos Waterpark Showdown 2019. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Miles for Family with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.
(But It Wasnt Horrible), Using United Miles to Increase my Relatives Chances of Getting Hungarian Visas. Kalahari has a lot of complaints on Google about 2+ hour check in times and no housekeeping. Also, the post was never updated to include information about Aquatopia. (Healthy, I know.) We changed in the bathroom/changing areas, located a storage locker (for a fee), and found a table.
The floors were full of paper, tissues, dirty towels, used dippers, used shampoo packets etc and there was no attendant in sight. The fact that Aquatopia ALSO has an outdoor water park (Camelbeach) and its night-time illumination make it unique. Most of the activities (at all of the resorts) are priced a la carte. (assuming same accommodations we had for this past trip) and this is how they all answered. Note: There is no Flowrider / surfing simulator attraction at the Poconos location for Great Wolf Lodge. (It was almost like an obstacle course with the running kids, machines, flashing lights, and noise.) Wilderness,Kalahari or Great Wolf? Aspiring super-mom - who is still anxiously awaiting the arrival of her homemaker skills & superpowers of organization to arrive from Amazon Prime. There is one primary restaurant on the main level on the left side of the lobby / front entrance. Which do you prefer? ==> Kalahari: Kalahari is the BEST indoor water park & resort for families looking for a balance between kid activities and adult luxuries on vacation. You might prefer the chart we put together along with our conclusions. A night at either place costs a small fortune, and the food is over-priced and mediocre. This is another thing that I think Kalahari does well and it makes it a little easier to satisfy everyone and their differing tastes with so many food choices. We were on the bottom level and we had a small patio walk out area next to the ropes course. 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!. Robert, We went to all three water parks in the Poconos (Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Aquatopia) to find out which one is the BEST water park. Billing Issue: I did have a billing issue with Aquatopia / Camelback. 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. Overall, my family prefers Kalahari Resort. On our previous visit a couple of years ago we felt the place was showing some wear and tear. Looking up to the roofline Aquatopia does feel more open and expansive since it is more of a sweeping semi-circle in shape. Contemporary and tasteful.we give that an A+!Overall, we can't wait to return to Kalahari! The day we went, prices were similar to GWL. Expect to spend money on food, games, etc. It felt like you were rubbing shoulders with other people all the time. We had no problem finding a table and chairs to rest our towels and use for eating later.
14 Best Indoor Water Park Resorts in the U.S. - FamilyVacationist I believe you get what you pay for--any insight as the the huge difference in rates?!!! So please be aware of this fact when considering the total cost of the resort. For the price I would expect better service. The wave pool alternates between wave / no wave cycles. CamelBack (Aquatopia) has 453 rooms and there are 6 floors (above ground) to the lodge. Kalahari Resorts and Conventions Water Park. The mountainous / hilly location complimented the overall lodge theme and it was nice to sit out there with the kids as the weather cooled in the evening. There was one dedicated dessert/pastry kiosk located off the main lobby nestled in there with the souvenir shop. Here is the full list of recognized Pennsylvania locations: 1.) In particular, it felt narrow. Expect to spend money on food, games, etc. 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. Some of the profit from any sale may merely make it intoourpocket instead of Jeff Bezos'! We compare the size of the waterparks, number of restaurants, room pricing, hours of operation, activities offered & many other aspects. 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.