Thank you to the staff we mentioned for really making sure our stay was the best it possibly could be! CEO approval 75 % approve of John Murphy (Murph)'s performance 74 % approve of Todd Nelson's performance Salary satisfaction 49 % think they are paid fairly at Great Wolf Lodge 40 % Both resorts also have bunk bed suites with small alcoves just for the kids. Water park access was included. Let's talk about the Royal Hospitality Suite at Kalahari Pocono. 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? The Great Wolf Lodge resort in the Poconos was constructed in 2005 and is one of roughly 19 locations for the chain. 11 Best Small Towns to Visit in Central Upstate New York, https://www.theparenthoodadventures.com/waterpark-comparison-chart-kalahari-aquatopia-great-wolf-lodge/. I love the theming of GWL and my kids are obsessed with Magi Quest, but the adults only things at Kalahari cant be beat! I hope you have a wonderful time with your family! 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. Old Windmill Farm is located at 262 Paradise Lane in Ronks, Pennsylvania. 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. I will be sure to pass your kind words along to Kassi, David, Robin, and Amanda! That sounds good. 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. We went for the Italian the second night and the food was again wonderful. Kalahari Resort also has an adult spa and fitness center plus live music entertainment at the steak house and piano bar. Great Wolf Lodge has an especially fun indoor water park and the "under one roof" makes the stay warm and easy. The TV in the room seemed to be new and was the largest of any we saw at the three resorts. 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. Waterpark admission included with your stay! Can I ask how the service levels compared at the two as well as the food? 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. The lobby at Aquatopia is more spacious than the lobby at Great Wolf Lodge but far smaller than the lobby at Kalahari. Great Wolf Lodge is known for their MagiQuest game. It was unpleasant to see and to step on. Saturday, August 10, 2013 Great Wolf Lodge vs. Gaylord Texan By the time August rolls around our family is in desperate need of a get-away. Thank you for pointing out my mistake! 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. Kassie R, Social Media Coordinator at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos, responded to this review. There is one primary restaurant on the main level on the left side of the lobby / front entrance. Other than the water park & arcade our family hasnt really tried out any other ones. Kalahari is newer and more efficiently run. Which Poconos waterpark do you like best? Im not sure if it something that they created or if it has its origins someplace else. Various restaurants, childrens amenities and retail establishments will also be included in the new development. 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. Snow tubing in PA requires no special skills or equipment and is appropriate for almost everyone. Sincerely, My household has loved a handful of stays on the water park lodge Nice Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Texas (and one go to to the GWL in Southern California). Location: 3001 Kalahari Blvd. According to the contract, the family resort and water park will feature at least 400,000 square feet of lodging and entertainment space and the indoor water park will be at least 75,000 square feet. We also enjoyed the Lazy River and the wave pool. bellyrubbah1 2 yr. ago Cool. Aquatopia at Camelback Lodge in Pennsylvania is 125,000 square feet. All six Pocono ski resorts have snowtubing hills. We usually just order a pizza and eat it in our room with maybe a salad. He was open to questions about the place and even offered a few suggestions. 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. Your goal is our goal. The side-lite mirror was a nice feature that we enjoyed. 111 Things to Do in the Adirondacks & Upstate New York! 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. It can be more expensive but it's a better place to relax and see your kids enjoying without having to worry too much. Kalahari has a better reputation locally. 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 have patronized several of these places, if not all and the kids highly recommend them! 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. It was HORRIBLE! The Kalahari wave pool is much bigger than the Great Wolf Lodge wave pool. Hello and thank you for the review! (Healthy, I know.) Great Wolf Lodge has an outdoor ropes course and indoor arcade. The day we went, prices were similar to GWL. 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). I am pleased to hear that our staff was friendly and that our facilities were well maintained throughout your stay. There is also a cafe (Cafe & Bar) and a restaurant (Horizons) located right off the main lobby. The hot tub situation was disappointing. We are a family of 6 with four kids ranging in ages from 5 12 years old. And the staff was friendly. Keep reading our Poconos water park guide & comparison to find out! Great Wolf is more for kids, but I feel like Great Wolf service is better than Kalahari. Thank you for taking the time to comment! Kalahari still boasts plenty of kiddie water slides, but it also has more thrilling slides for older children. EXPECT IT and you will have a great time. This is probably the one area that Aquatopia beats both Great Wolf Lodge & Kalahari. Great Wolf Lodge has a woodsy/lodge theme and decor. Aquatopia offers a great selection of activities for tweens & younger teens, both inside & outside! Kalaharis waterpark is the largest at 220,000 square feet & Camelbacks Aquatopia indoor waterpark is right in the middle at 125,000 square feet. It is so fun for my children (12 & 4 years old) and for adults too!! Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney. This was one of the few exceptions! The water park @ Aquatopia was nice. When you leave make sure to return the towels and swipe the wrist band again or you will be charged for the towels. Staff always pleasant and friendly!FOOD - There is food available in the waterpark in addition to a steakhouse and Italian restaurant. The splash park area of the water park devoted to smaller children (toddlers Penguin Play Bay) is very weak compared to Kalahari and somewhat awkwardly placed on a second tier of the waterpark close to some steps going down. Although I am admittedly not a big fan of buffets, we figured it would be easy for everyone to find something they liked. Most times I find that the pictures or decorations in a motel/hotel really dont add anything to the experience. Kalahari Resort in Round Rock, TX is like Great Wolf Lodge on steroids. Definitely two thumbs up for the adults area at Kalahari! It is especially better for younger kids ones who dont want or need a life jacket! It reminds me of Disneys Wilderness Lodge. We do love both! Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Copyright 2023 The Parenthood Adventures! The clothing line in the bathroom was broken and the bed covers had an unpleasant smell. Only 2 of our bracelets worked, but we were able to get around that on more than one occasion. The total cost for the night would have been $415.10. The building must be completed within three years. Life-size animal statues adorn the outside. That makes it easy for families traveling with toddlers (and their little legs!). Otherwise, it far exceeded our expectations and we will definitely be choosing Kalahari over Great Wolf for many years to come. In particular, it felt narrow. (Basically a jumpy seat for adults.) (It was almost like an obstacle course with the running kids, machines, flashing lights, and noise.) Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. 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). Finding fun places to take your kids in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia. It is disappointing to hear that you did not have as great of an experience this time around compared to your first two. The Great Wolf Lodge Resort is a family-friendly resort located a few miles from the LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Grapevine and offers deluxe accommodations, upscale amenities, and an indoor water park with several swimming areas and wave pools, water slides and rides, waterfalls, hot springs, and entertainment for children. The photos were nature themed and glossy. Apparently they were experiencing people taking the towels as souvenirs?? The kids really enjoyed the cabin themed suite which was adorned with a lot of cute character images. Kalahari is newer and more efficiently run. Hi there! It's located in the Rockvale Outlets Fox Meadows Creamery has two locations, one in Ephrata, Pennsylvania and one in Leola, Pennsylvania. The food was overpriced but tasty. Camelback Lodge and Great Wolf Lodge are two of the most popular family resorts in the Poconos with indoor water parks. Choosing which resort to bring your family to can be daunting as both resorts offer very similar attractions and amenities. Our suite @ Kalahari was HUGE! See you soon! Read on to find out which one is the BEST water park for your family vacation! There was a microwave and mini-fridge in the room, which came in handy. What are you waiting for? We did not rent any of the cabanas that were located throughout. You can also see the water park from the windows on this side and from the Cafe & Bar. To the right of the entrance is check-in / hotel services. What we usually do @ Kalahari is claim a couple of tables next to the fountain in the lobby and while one of us stays with the family the other runs around to the different food venues to obtain the items we desire to assemble a meal. 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. We also enjoyed the balcony. One of the other simple theming aspects we enjoyed were the 2 Great Wolf Lodge video book stories playing on the resort TV channel. 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. LOVED the concept - didn't like the fact that they were not full bars - they only made a few specialty drinks and offered beer and wine. 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. I look forward to connecting with you. This 80,000-square-foot facility is perfect for families, although the water park portion is only open to hotel guests. The lobby is ringed by various shops and the floor has wonderful decorative murals inlaid in the marble (Im sure these are probably decals??). Welcome to Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Round Rock 223,000 square feet, filled with wet, wild, fun. In our opinion, the splash park at Aquatopia was the weakest of the three. I have read other reviews where people did not enjoy the balcony but we did. That is with just 2 adults and 4 kids. How does the resort compare to Great Wolf Lodge? THERE ISNOADDITIONAL COST TO YOU if you buy something from Amazon! 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. 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. The floors were full of paper, tissues, dirty towels, used dippers, used shampoo packets etc and there was no attendant in sight. The resort has a spa center, a hot tub and an on-site restaurant. The room was not only spacious, but didn't reek like cat urine. Our obstinate 2-year-old was NOT able to enjoy ANY of these activities / attractions, or even the wave pool due to the fact that she refused to wear a life jacket which Kalahari required children under 4 feet in height to wear at all times when in any water. That was almost inedible. The lobby is big but not massive like it is at Kalahari! Well manicured and landscaped lawns.We arrived in the main lobby on Sunday 7/2 a little after 1:00 p.m. I look forward to hearing back from you. We stayed from Tuesday through Thursday during July. Kalahari vs Great Wolf Lodge is often a topic debated by indoor water park visitors. After learning about the aspects of both of these resort, which one will your family choose? In November 2020, a competitor to GWL opened in Texas. [3] Great Wolf Resorts is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. We had a cabin themed room for this stay (KidCabin Suite) and the kids enjoyed it more than I had expected! 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. 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. LOCATION: Within the 1st floor level of Tom Foolerys Adventure Park inside B-Lux Grill & Bar. Many of these water parks are resorts, meaning they also comparison guide for all three of these resorts, Lindt Chocolate Factory Outlet Carlisle, PA. I am on the mailing list and recently got a promotional offer that indicated the rooms had recently been renovated. Adventure Update # 018: My Tricycle is Very Very Fast! If you want averykid-centricexperience from top to bottom we would recommendGreat Wolf Lodge. Once again, the food was mediocre at best. We did the empirical research so you dont have to! Also, Outdoor pool and some small outdoor water slides (all seasonal). Here's our overall review.Right away we were looking for and expecting a wonderful customer service experience, and Kalahari did not disappoint. Kalahari Resorts opened in 2015 in the Poconos. There are currently 4 locations for the chain with the Poconos location being its largest facility. It was nicely decorated and efficiently arranged. Were going in January. Two of the biggest and best (and among the industry's early pioneers) are in the water park capital of the world, Wisconsin Dells: Kalahari at 125,000 square feet and Chula Vista at 110,000 square feet . Seriously, I'm not being dramatic. There was also a buffet which was closed but other little caf options for grab and go type food, a coffee bar, ice cream stand, bakery.they forgot nothing!We felt like we needed more than one night so we asked to extend our stay another night and we were given a great rate to stay in our upgraded room so we jumped on the deal. I'm displeased to hear of the strange odor in your room and that we were not able to correct this situation while you were staying with us. There were a few things that we liked about the expansion. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. One time a lifeguard came out and caught one but without constant observation, it is impossible to parole this area. Our Dallas, TX resort offers an 80,000-square-foot indoor water park and exciting land attractions for the entire family. Tom Foolerys also has a mirror maze, escape rooms, indoor ropes course, laser tag, rock climbing wall, XD dark ride and bowling. CamelBack (Aquatopia) has 453 rooms and there are 6 floors (above ground) to the lodge. Would have been nice to have them inside as well.The waterpark overall was phenomenal - huge and definitely accommodates young and old. Right away we were looking for and expecting a wonderful customer service experience, and Kalahari did not disappoint. Kalahari was the cheapest on Friday evening - but the most expensive during the week & the second most expensive on Saturday evening. more. Both resorts in the Poconos have a water coaster. The cabin was towards the front of the room and was semi-private for the kids. Located below the main lobby is both the entrance to the water park and the arcade. 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. For size reference, Great Wolf Lodges water park is the smallest at about 79,000 square feet. This is an interactive game that has players moving throughout the Lodge on quests. 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. From what we saw of the pricing most of the activities were on the more expensive side. The water facilities were great and there was a nice assortment of water slides. 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. DreamWorks Water Park - East Rutherford, New Jersey. Offers more free activities in the main lobby. 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. Which do you prefer? 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. They contain a variety of aquatic activities such as water slides, swimming pools, wave pools, lazy rivers, and splash pads. Great review, were leaning towards Kalahari but wanted to know about outdoor activities in the winter, could our kids go snow tubing or something related at any of these three resorts? Crystal, It felt more intimate and clean, less crowded and sufficiently staffed. It is the smallest of the 3 indoor water parks in the Poconos, Pennsylvania. Check there and compare prices with their website to find the lowest prices for your stay. Great wolf is closer to shopping. Kalahari Resort has an African safari theme. Kalahari Resort, positioned in Spherical Rock, Texas, is analogous in some ways to Nice Wolf Lodge. For the size of the main lobby, it is the same order with Great Wolf Lodges lobby being the smallest, Kalaharis main lobby being the largest and Aquatopias lobby size somewhere in the middle. However, each locations water parks and amenities vary. 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. One of Kalahari's Kiddie Areas It is always wonderful to receive complements on our dcor as we want our guests to have as authentic an experience as possible. Why Kids Love It We liked the artwork in the room. Note: There is no Flowrider / surfing simulator attraction at the Poconos location for Great Wolf Lodge. We were on the bottom level and we had a small patio walk out area next to the ropes course. 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. It needs to be checked more often. I'm going to breakdown each part of the resort that we visited and give you the key points: We liked the luggage rack near the door and the shelf over the microwave. For example when booking your accommodations you can select a themed suite, such as the KidCabin Suite which we did. In November 2020, a competitor to GWL opened in Texas. We stayed @ Great Wolf Lodge on a Tuesday night and then Kalahari on Wednesday night of the same week. It is a wonderful family vacation spot that offers a lot of adventure & nature! It seems that there are parts of the water park that are only staffed at peak attendance. It is in the middle in terms of the size of its indoor water park and in number of rooms at the resort. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. When I called, the charge was removed & the service rep was polite enough but, apparently Aquatopia/Camelback fully expects there to be a parking fee added to every invoice! Try getting on the email lists of both of these resorts to learn about the discounts they offer throughout the year. My family has stayed in themed rooms at both resorts. Take care! Both resorts also have onsite dining that continues the decor. As I mentioned above, we can engage in many of the other activities closer to our home. But, if or when we do return, I look forward to spending more time in that adults-only grotto. 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. Advice: you can't come to a place like this and complain about how much things cost. But we generally dont patronize too many sit down restaurants with 4 kids with ages ranging from 2-10. 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. This comparison guide will focus mainly on the Pocono resorts in Pennsylvania, but some of the information can be used to compare other locations of Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge. The front desk staff was extremely professional, friendly and helpful. The view felt somewhat private and we really enjoyed it! 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. Each play area includes slides and swings. For just one four-year-old, I think Great Wolf is probably a better choice. We visited Kalahari in the Pocono Mountains for a last minute trip with our two girls, ages 8 and 9. It had a pretty good selection of desserts and chocolates. Great Wolf Lodge is smaller than Kalahari. They looped continuously so they are readily accessible at any time. I'm going to breakdown each part of the resort that we visited and give you the key points: The Kalahari Resort is well appointed, nicely decorated, and the facilities are well maintained. Expect to spend money on food, games, etc. There are quite a few activities to engage in @ Kalahari. Right away we were looking for and expecting a wonderful customer service experience, and Kalahari did not disappoint. Thank you very much for your comment. Check with the resort to confirm which activities are offered during the winter. Im guessing the youngest of your children voted for GWL? The balcony/patio was laughable. It is the best themed lazy river out of the three water parks in the Poconos! I noticed that Kalahari may have a larger toddler area. Im pleased to hear that you enjoyed the various sections of the waterpark. Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. At times Kalahari actually felt a littletoo bigfor us. Kalahari Resort, located in Round Rock, Texas, is similar in many ways to Great Wolf Lodge. Thank you! 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!. Poconos Waterpark Comparison Guide: Kalahari versus Aquatopia & Great Wolf Lodge! Try getting on the email lists of both of these resorts to learn about the discounts they offer throughout the year. You can reach me at PAConnect@KalahariResorts.com. 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. For part of our stay both lazy river attractions were open and there were other times when only one was open. Also, the post was never updated to include information about Aquatopia. Great Wolf Lodge has a woodland creature and forest theme, while Kalahari has an African theme. There was one dedicated dessert/pastry kiosk located off the main lobby nestled in there with the souvenir shop. Yes it is HUGE but it is also laid out well and serves as a destination itself within the resort.
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