We recently enjoyed a family getaway to Great Wolf Lodge in Sandusky, Ohio. Located about an hour west of Cleveland, it is just far enough away to not be considered a “staycation”, but is close enough that you don’t spend a lot of your family time driving.
This was our first real family vacation, and it was easy to make it fit within our budget too! There are some great things about Great Wolf Lodge that make it not just a family-friendly, but also budget-friendly getaway. Here are some of the tips I have after our first visit!
1. Watch for promotions
There are always great promotions going on for Great Wolf Lodge. One way to stay on top of them is to sign up for epack, their newsletter that includes all current promotions. Living Social and Groupon often have deals for Great Wolf Lodge, just keep an eye on date restrictions. We took advantage of the Early Bird promo, and got 25% off our room! Shortly after our visit, they send us a promo code to get 25% off our next visit too!
2. Share rooms
We took our trip with my sister, her husband, and my 3-year-old nephew. To reduce costs, we shared a suite with them for our 2 nights there. We booked the most basic room, and it fit all 6 of us comfortably. We brought our own pack n’ play, and the room had 2 queen beds and a pull out sofa. Some of the larger rooms have a separate bunk bed area for the kids too. Sharing rooms may be a squeeze, but it cuts your costs in half!
3. Bring your own food
Your stay doesn’t include any meals, so eating at the resort can get costly. We stopped at the nearby grocery to pick up items for breakfast, lunch, and snacks before we checked in. We budgeted to eat our dinners at the resort’s restaurant. This worked out great, and the room had a mini-fridge and microwave as well. I would recommend bringing a cooler for anything that won’t fit in the mini-fridge. You can’t take food into the water park, but it is a short walk back to you room when it is time to eat.
4. Go out for coffee
Since we brought our own food, we didn’t have to purchase much while at the resort. I wasn’t all about the in-room miniature coffee pot, so I decided to head down to the lobby each morning to purchase coffee. Their coffee is definitely over-priced, especially for coming out of a machine. Even a regular coffee is more than $3.50. If you are as reliant on coffee as I am in the morning, either make your mini-pot in the hotel room or run out to an area coffee shop to pick up a cup.
5. Take advantage of their free activities
Lucky for us, our toddlers were too young to want to play in the arcade or do MagiQuest. However, they can’t spend every waking moment in the water park. Great Wolf Lodge does a great job of having other things for your kids to enjoy when they need a break from the water! When you check-in, they give you a schedule of events that are free for kids to attend. Our favorite was storytime, when the kids all gathered in the lobby for an animatronics show and story read by one of their staff members. They also got to meet a Great Wolf Lodge character too! We also took advantage of Cub Club for some playtime and coloring.
6. Get every minute out of those water park passes
Your passes for the water park are included with your room (be sure to check the number of passes that come with your room compared to the number staying). The great thing about Great Wolf Lodge is that it is only available to resort guests. Because of this, they let you get as much out of it as you can! Check-in is not until 4 pm, but you can begin using the water park at 1 pm! We were there right at 1 pm ready to go! Check-out is at 11 am, but you can use the water park all day!
7. Consider getting a Paw Pass
If you are visiting with older kids, you might want to consider getting a Paw Pass. These come with a lot of the extras (MagiQuest, Creation Station, etc.) and goodies for the kids. It will allow them to take advantage of these, but with the limits already set. You will have the option to add these on with your reservation, or you can purchase them when you arrive.
We enjoyed our trip to Great Wolf Lodge, and it didn’t break the bank! We can’t wait to go back!
Susan Smith
Very helpful tips! Heading there on 10/21/2016.