I will note as a previous reviewer did that Great Wolf Lodge had SPECTACULAR lifeguards. Your goal is our goal. Im not sure when we will make it back there since we have a lot of other travel plans. A night at either place costs a small fortune, and the food is over-priced and mediocre. Swim Up BARS - An absolutely genius idea! To the right of the entrance is check-in / hotel services. (Activities vary by location). Better selection of local foods near Great Wolf. Kalahari I feel would be better for the adults to have fun as well. It sounds like you were able to experience nearly every feature our resort has to offer! Kalahari also has a wide variety of types of water slides drop slides, mat racer, raft slides, etc. No outside food or drink allowed. It has a transparent Texlon roof that lets in natural sunlight while providing protection against the suns harmful UV rays. Its a tough call. The water park @ Aquatopia was nice. Camelback Lodge and Great Wolf Lodge are two of the most popular family resorts in the Poconos with indoor water parks. I hope you and your family have a wonderful stay! It is disappointing to hear that you did not have as great of an experience this time around compared to your first two. Camelbacks Aquatopia resort opened their indoor water park in May of 2015. 11 Best Small Towns to Visit in Central Upstate New York, https://www.theparenthoodadventures.com/waterpark-comparison-chart-kalahari-aquatopia-great-wolf-lodge/. Camelback Mountain Resorts waterpark Aquatopia, Cafe & Bar (AKA, Mountain Market, World Bazaar Coffee Shop). Two of my kids are begging to go back to Kalahari. The suite had an interesting layout, but who could enjoy it when you were struggling not to vomit. They also enjoyed the Wiley & Friends video stories that you can find on one of the dedicated TV channels. The wave pool was on par with that at Great Wolf Lodge. After learning about the aspects of both of these resort, which one will your family choose? Kalahari has the most toddler slides by far when comparing the three resorts. We inquired about an potential upgrade and they granted us a special price to upgrade to an African Queen Suite which had 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms - perfect to provide privacy with 2 girls! When he pulled down the Murphy's bed, dirty nastiness came down with it. But having a wide variety of restaurants and foods was great! Hello! If there are any older children in your party, around 10 years and older, then they may not appreciate the kiddie theming that runs through Great Wolf Lodge. We stayed in the Desert room which was sufficient in size for 2 adults and 2 small kids. They did a fabulous job with the design of this place. 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. 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. I went back into our pictures and corrected the post with the actual picture of the Great Wolf Lodge bathroom. That sounds good. Family Fun at its best. Although our room was not yet ready (official check-in is at 4:00), we received our bracelets to use the waterpark downstairs and we were advised that we could store our luggage in an adjacent locked storage area. We have been to both resorts in the past but thought it would be fun to do a back-to-back comparison. 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!. At the towel dispensary you simply swipe your wrist band and the attendant will hand you the number of towels you request. Expect to spend money on food, games, etc. Check there and compare prices with their website to find the lowest prices for your stay. It reminds me of Disneys Wilderness Lodge. While the hallways of rooms may still be a bit long, its not as vast as Kalahari. The Poconos location has 401 rooms and each wing of the lodge has 4 floors. However, we felt $26 for chicken parm was a little steep. Just bundle up and head for the hillsdon't forget your gloves and boots! However, Great Wolf Lodge has a higher percentage of themed rooms available at a more reasonable price. Kalahari features a number of signature sit-down restaurants (Sortinos Italian Kitchen (Italian food), B-Lux Grill & Bar (Burgers & Shakes), Double Cut (Steakhouse). The fact that Aquatopia ALSO has an outdoor water park (Camelbeach) and its night-time illumination make it unique. Kalahari Resort has an entire grotto (both indoor and outdoor) for adults with a swim-up bar. Kalahari Resort has an African safari theme. 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). Lock in the lowest price from these sites. If you would like to read a little more about our trip down to the Poconos you can do so here: Adventure Update # 018: My Tricycle is Very Very Fast! This happened before on our previous visits but given the number of people this time, they kept closing the areas for cleaning constantly. Wisconsin Dells, WI https://www.greatwolf.com/wisconsin-dells Shooting Range (tourist favorite) is closer to Great Wolf. Thankfully, we didnt have a 2+ hour line to check-in. Kids jumping in and out, the areas are not guarded by staffsame problem as Great Wolf. 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. Finally, we did have a rather poor experience one morning ordering from the Cafe & Bar (AKA, Mountain Market, World Bazaar Coffee Shop). Thank you for your feedback. The entire Kalahari Resort is enormous. (assuming same accommodations we had for this past trip) and this is how they all answered. There is one primary restaurant on the main level on the left side of the lobby / front entrance. 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. The water is warm, but not too hot. Kalahariis the biggest of the 3 and has a wider range of offerings that will appeal to both adults & children. The only other complaint I have is that we came home with a number of bites. Great Wolf Lodge has a woodland creature and forest theme, while Kalahari has an African theme. Admission: Rates start at $277 a night for a standard four-person room. 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. Compare management, culture and compensation ratings for Great Wolf Lodge and Kalahari Resorts & Conventions. [2] In addition to a water park, each resort features restaurants, arcades, spas, and children's activities. Poconos Waterparks: How to Get the Best Deals at Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Aquatopia! 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. Kalahari Resort Market Cost The overnight costs for both of these resorts can vary widely throughout the year. It is a smaller resort, with plenty of employees who are prepared to work with young children. 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! I was wondering what your experiences have been with that. Thank you to the staff we mentioned for really making sure our stay was the best it possibly could be! I found the photos pleasing to look at and relaxing! The NACHOS did not disappoint. The room @ Aquatopia that we had was a double queen suite, a pull-out sofa and a balcony. We have patronized several of these places, if not all and the kids highly recommend them! Both resorts have normal hotel rooms as well as themed rooms. Try getting on the email lists of both of these resorts to learn about the discounts they offer throughout the year. Copyright 2023 The Parenthood Adventures! Various restaurants, childrens amenities and retail establishments will also be included in the new development. It is also something that Kalahari does well . We changed in the bathroom/changing areas, located a storage locker (for a fee), and found a table. Kalahari Resort, positioned in Spherical Rock, Texas, is analogous in some ways to Nice Wolf Lodge. Still it was a frustrating experience that cast a pallor over our time and experience there. Great Wolf Lodge boasts tons of activities sure to put a smile on your children's faces. 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. I' m not concerned about price, can get a deal. One of Kalahari's Kiddie Areas The lobby is ringed by various shops and the floor has wonderful decorative murals inlaid in the marble (Im sure these are probably decals??). 2) With COVID still hanging around and the holidays right around the corner it seemed to be prudent. Right away we were looking for and expecting a wonderful customer service experience, and Kalahari did not disappoint. We also liked some of the efficiency features of the room. There are a number of other activities available at the lodge. There were 2 bathrooms one off the walk-in area and the second one in the master suite. I'm going to breakdown each part of the resort that we visited and give you the key points: You could definitely capture everything this place has to offer in 2-3 days. Otherwise, she and the others had a very good time.Kalahari was worth the trip. As I mentioned above when we go to Kalahari (or Great Wolf Lodge, for that matter)- we are going for some water and swimming fun. On our previous visit a couple of years ago we felt the place was showing some wear and tear. I hope you have a wonderful time with your family! Apparently they were experiencing people taking the towels as souvenirs?? 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. There are quite a few activities to engage in @ Kalahari. For our Tuesday June 25th, 2019 stay @ Great Wolf Lodge the cost of our room was $209.99 with taxes & fees amounting to $51.59, bringing the total to $261.58. Expect to spend money on food, games, etc. Weve stayed at GWL Williamsburg and Kalahari in the Poconos. There was a large selection, with an emphasis on Italian cuisine. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. We really liked the 2 water falls that were present on the lazy river. 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. We ended up eating most of the fries and onions rings, while discarding the rest. Great Wolf is more for kids, but I feel like Great Wolf service is better than Kalahari. Both resorts also have onsite dining that continues the decor. Wet bar, fridge, microwaveIMPRESSED with the upkeep.WATERPARK - The place is absolutely huge. How does the resort compare to Great Wolf Lodge? We certainly do have a lot of different ways to entertain and excite the kids! Both Great Wolf and Kalahari have very luxurious condos that can accommodate a whole family easily. This 80,000-square-foot facility is perfect for families, although the water park portion is only open to hotel guests. Kids under the age of 6 were coming in and out with no parental supervision. Hey, thanks for the great reviews! The smell permeated EVERYTHING to the point of needing to open the door to air it out. Kalahari still boasts plenty of kiddie water slides, but it also has more thrilling slides for older children. However, there were at least 6 employees assisting at the registration desk and the line moved relatively quickly. The room was not only spacious, but didn't reek like cat urine. Great Wolf Lodge has 18 locations, all of which offer indoor water parks with multi-story forts, 1,000-gallon soaker buckets, wave pools, lazy rivers, waterslides of varying heights and speeds, raft rides, whirlpools, kiddie pools and more. Note that it may be quite a walk from your room to the water park, or any other destination on the Kalahari Resort campus. more. Its really a question of what the individual family prefers, as far as water park size, features and resort amenities. Kalaharis water park does the same, except with a jungle theme. B-Lux also features 12 lanes of state-of-the-art Brunswick bowling. 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. Yes, there were some healthy options just not a very good variety. All six Pocono ski resorts have snowtubing hills. We also enjoyed the balcony. We did not rent any of the cabanas that were located throughout. The cabin was towards the front of the room and was semi-private for the kids. The setting for them seems nicer, and they seem more elaborate than the ropes course offered @ Great Wolf Lodge. It was, however, small. The sound system is rather poor and the performance is rather loud. Water park temperatures at all three Poconos water parks is the same @ 84 degrees, year-round. Sincerely, Choosing which resort to bring your family to can be daunting as both resorts offer very similar attractions and amenities. The new Italian restaurant had a nice design and the food was good. Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews. The larger of the two play areas also includes a splash table for babies. 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. Adventure Update # 018: My Tricycle is Very Very Fast! The day we went, prices were similar to GWL. We visited Kalahari in the Pocono Mountains for a last minute trip with our two girls, ages 8 and 9. On a subsequent trip (after COVID) we also visited Camelbacks Aquatopia. Kassie R, Social Media Coordinator at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos, responded to this review. The Kalahari wave pool is much bigger than the Great Wolf Lodge wave pool. Why Kids Love It 111 Things to Do in the Adirondacks & Upstate New York! Poconos Waterpark Comparison Guide: Kalahari versus Aquatopia & Great Wolf Lodge! Enjoy your family vacation at one of the great indoor water park resort choices in your area! We love knowing that our attractions were fun for both the children and adults in your family! It features the Howlin' Tornado raft ride, Coyote Cannon water tubes (with a 40-foot drop), and a tree house fort that has a 1,000-gallon tipping bucket! It smelled like an overcrowded SPCA. Learn how your comment data is processed. We just stayed at Camelback the night before Thanksgiving and are actively working on updated the post. Some of the profit from any sale may merely make it intoourpocket instead of Jeff Bezos'! lindakmonty He's like "OH NO YOU DIDN'T" Joined Jun 24, 2005 Jun 30, 2006 #7 In my mind, Kalahari works best if you have a family with kids of different ages so each can be active. We stayed from Tuesday through Thursday during July. The kids really enjoyed the cabin themed suite which was adorned with a lot of cute character images. Thank you! We also only stayed one night, so Im not sure how often housekeeping visits. Im not sure if it something that they created or if it has its origins someplace else. 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 needs to be checked more often. 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. 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. Otherwise, it far exceeded our expectations and we will definitely be choosing Kalahari over Great Wolf for many years to come. One of the other simple theming aspects we enjoyed were the 2 Great Wolf Lodge video book stories playing on the resort TV channel. This time we were on the third floor and had a balcony. Which do you prefer? We liked the artwork in the room. Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. LOCATION: Within the 1st floor level of Tom Foolerys Adventure Park inside B-Lux Grill & Bar. In particular, it felt narrow. He was open to questions about the place and even offered a few suggestions. Looking up to the roofline Aquatopia does feel more open and expansive since it is more of a sweeping semi-circle in shape. However, please be aware that Camelback / Aquatopia charges for general parking I think it is $12 if you are just coming to engage in one of the activities. Advice: you can't come to a place like this and complain about how much things cost. This post will focus on the Leola New York City and upstate New York are close to many amazing indoor water parks. 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. Great Wolf Lodge: Outdoor ropes courses seasonal. It is especially better for younger kids ones who dont want or need a life jacket! Hi there! Chip. Many of the activities are located right on the main level off to the left of the main lobby so they are very visible. It's located in the Rockvale Outlets Fox Meadows Creamery has two locations, one in Ephrata, Pennsylvania and one in Leola, Pennsylvania. In addition to the arcade, there are six amusement park rides, including the Screamn Centipede roller coaster with 360-degree rotating cart. Thanks for your review! Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. 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? Check with the resort to confirm which activities are offered during the winter. Adventure Update # 020: 10 Years and 1/2 an Inch! 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). (We missed the burritos & soups from Kalahari!). And the staff was friendly. EXPECT IT and you will have a great time. Water park access was included. 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. We are happy to report that there were two night stands with our queen bed! Camelback is unique in that it has both an INDOOR water park (Aquatopia, which is open year-round) and a separate OUTDOOR water park (Camelbeach) that is only open for the summer season. Expect to spend money on food, games, etc. This is an interactive game that has players moving throughout the Lodge on quests. I love Great Wolf Lodge, but the water park is a little more for younger kids, while Kalahari is more for the older kids. Advice: you can't come to a place like this and complain about how much things cost. It is always wonderful to receive complements on our dcor as we want our guests to have as authentic an experience as possible. 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. The drive was almost exactly 100 miles for us and we arrived a few minutes after 1:00 pm. Whereas, the roofline @ Great Wolf Lodge is blocky. Book now and prepare your pack for adventure. Kalahari Resort's water park has more of everything and also includes a Flowrider, which is popular with older kids and teens. 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. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Hello, Erika! Get those lifeguards a little more focused and offer more options at the bars! Right away we were looking for and expecting a wonderful customer service experience, and Kalahari did not disappoint. There are a lot of food choices @ Kalahari of which we have only sampled a few. It was HORRIBLE! 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. All three resorts are located very close to each other in the Poconos. Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine has one adults-only hot tub. 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 water park has more of everything and also includes a Flowrider, which is popular with older kids and teens. Located in America's Historic Triangle of Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown, it was Great Wolf Resorts' first East Coast location. The lobby is big but not massive like it is at Kalahari! It can be more expensive but it's a better place to relax and see your kids enjoying without having to worry too much. I love the theming of GWL and my kids are obsessed with Magi Quest, but the adults only things at Kalahari cant be beat! EXPECT IT and you will have a great time. Each wing of the resort is 8 floors high and it has 977 rooms in total. 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. Its Manageable Size Is Perfect for Younger Kids The Kartrite Resort & Indoor Waterpark It's true: Kalahari is the biggest indoor water park in the country and Camelback has almost 50,000 square feet on Kartrite. Second, certain areas of the waterpark, especially the hot tubs, the wave pool and small kids areas were overcrowded. 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. The wave pool alternates between wave / no wave cycles. Many months later (due to COVID) we stayed at Camelbacks Aquatopia. I am on the mailing list and recently got a promotional offer that indicated the rooms had recently been renovated. Confusingly enough she was allowed to go on the small kids slides that were inside the waterpark. Try getting on the email lists of both of these resorts to learn about the discounts they offer throughout the year. (Remember that Kalahari is actually a desert in southern Africa.) 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. This past visit however was somewhat disappointing. Management thanks you for your suggestions and for noting how well-trained our associates are! Chip, I am planning to go to waterpark with three kids, so I really enjoyed all details! 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. 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. 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. As a native New Yorker, a bit of grit and grime doesn't scare me. Yes there were two night stands on either side of the bed in the master suite. As I mentioned earlier with 4 kids ranging in age from 2 10 we are not very often dining in @ a restaurant. 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! 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! The splash park or toddler area of the water park was rather small. Take care! Right away we were looking for and expecting a wonderful customer service experience, and Kalahari did not disappoint. So the water park is what we usually focus on. GWL has excellent sales. Robert, From what we saw of the pricing most of the activities were on the more expensive side. (It was almost like an obstacle course with the running kids, machines, flashing lights, and noise.) 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. Fortunately we only live about 2 hours away. However, each locations water parks and amenities vary. Although the room was designated for up to 6 people it felt like we were on top of each other at times. 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. Great Wolf seems to have more of a variety of theming for these bunk bed suites. Most of the time we were at Aquatopia we ate FROM Trails End Pub & Grille. It was voted the #1 indoor water park in 2015 by USA Today. The floors were full of paper, tissues, dirty towels, used dippers, used shampoo packets etc and there was no attendant in sight. Life-size animal statues adorn the outside. They looped continuously so they are readily accessible at any time. The top 10 winners in the category Best Indoor Water Park are as follows: Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark - Tannersville, Pennsylvania. Definitely two thumbs up for the adults area at Kalahari! Yes My oldest daughter and wife voted for Kalahari. 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. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. You enter Kalahari through a massive glass revolving carousel door and there is plenty of room for people to get where they are going whether it is to check-in, get food, get to the water park or any other number of destinations. The rides for the kids are great, it is an entired water playground for toddlers with amazing water slides! (Healthy, I know.) People who got there after her were served well before her. 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. Comparison between Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge water park Ax throwing, ropes course, zip line, off-road Segway tours through the forest & switchback UTV tour. We did still struggle with the menu & felt that it was very limited in that we found it difficult to find healthier options for our family. Most of the activities (at all of the resorts) are priced a la carte. Kalahari Resort also has an adult spa and fitness center plus live music entertainment at the steak house and piano bar. Speaking of loud There is usually a dance party in the evening which we found to be extremely loud! Winner: Kalahari Resort (especially for older kids and teens). 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. The food was not good at all. This old-school hot dog shack across from Penn Treaty Park mostly caters to truckers, hence its early-morning hours. It's the easiest way to hit the slopes! We recently visited Camelback Mountain Resorts waterpark Aquatopia (November 24th, 2021). However, having fewer food venue choices and adult amenities limits your stay to a very kid-centric experience. On the lower level by the entrance for the water park, there is a pizza place with some tables in the lower lobby area. 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. Im pleased to hear that you enjoyed the various sections of the waterpark. (GWL = Great Wolf Lodge & K = Kalahari). Then to get to the lower level you have to take the stairs. What are you waiting for? Likewise the lobby is magnificent! Rooms are bigger and have fun themes. We appreciate it! Both resorts have huge water parks and other indoor activities. Thank you for taking the time to comment! Great Wolf Lodge Pocono Mountains packs in all the family fun under one roof. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. Keep in mind theres a third indoor water park resort in the Poconos: Camelback Mountain Resort.