We just celebrated Andrew’s 11th birthday at Great Wolf Lodge in Fitchburg, MA. The kids had so much fun with the endless activities and giant slumber party vibe.
There is so much to do at Great Wolf Lodge, it can seem overwhelming. I will tell you how we spent our two nights at the resort.
The first thing you may be wondering is if you should go for one night or two. We spent two nights there and never ran out of things to do. In fact, we were running around until the moment we checked out. One night is doable, but you have to be much more intentional about your time.
Choosing a themed suite
The next thing you need to decide when booking a room is if you want a themed suite. I think the themed suites are the best part of staying at Great Wolf Lodge, so I would highly recommend them.
The themed suites have a kid cave with their own little room and television. My kids feel so cool in their fort, they could go the weekend without leaving the room.
There is a choice between a wolf den theme which has twin bunk beds or a kid cabin which has bunk beds plus a third twin. I personally prefer the wolf den.
If you need more space, there are premium suites. When Lizzie was a baby, we upgraded to a Wolf Den King Suite and it was amazing. I loved having the second sleeping area to put the baby down to bed early and not worry about anyone disturbing her.
Great Wolf Lodge Birthday Packages
Since we were celebrating Andrew’s birthday, I added on a Birthday Package. I did the most basic package which was $39. They put a banner on the door, a balloon in the room with a card and a $10 gift card for the arcade.
There are two other upgraded in-room birthday packages to choose from which include a birthday cake, more balloons and pizza. It’s such an easy way to make a kid feel special.
Should I purchase a Paw Pass?
Another choice you have to make is if you should purchase a Paw Pass. Paw Passes help you enjoy the most popular attractions and treats at a discount. There are three options so you have to do a bit of research to decide which one will give you the most bang for your buck.
Pup Passes are geared towards younger children, a Paw Pass concentrates on the most popular activities, and the Wolf Pass lets you try a bit of everything.
We went with the Wolf Pass and what I really loved about it is that it was almost like a little bucket list. If we ever wondered what we should do next, we would just look at the back of our pass and choose a listed activity.
Great Wolf Lodge Check-in Time
While check-in is at 4:00, you can use the water park as early as 1:00. I would recommend using the mobile pre-check in to skip the long line that accumulates.
To do this, locate the self-service kiosks by the front desk and scan the QR code you receive in your email. Then head to the expedited kiosk to pick up your wristbands.
How to spend a weekend at Great Wolf Lodge
After we arrive, we like to settle into the room and head straight to Magiquest. Magiquest is like a virtual scavenger hunt that leads kids all over the resort. This is both of my boy’s favorite part of Great Wolf Lodge.
You start in the Magiquest store and choose a wand as well as a wand topper. Think of the wand as a game controller.
Then they head off completing different quests. They loved that when they pointed their wand at something, it would cause a reaction (open a chest, wake up a dragon, etc). Kids can save their wands and use them at every Great Wolf Lodge location.
Once we ran out of fuel, we head to the Lodge Wood Fire Grill for dinner. This buffet has such a huge variety of food options. There is also a kid’s pasta bar, nacho bar and even… wait for it… a dessert bar.
The kids were in heaven. Since we were in vaca mode, we gave them full control and it was amazing what they would come back with.
Harry reminded me of that scene in Elf where he shoves spaghetti and cookies and candy in his mouth all at the same time.
After dinner, we stop in the Build-a-Bear store. The kids love the bears they have made in the past and they bring them on every trip. I let them buy an outfit or an accessory.
At 8:15 every night, Great Wolf Lodge has a giant dance party in the lobby. After that, it is already time for bed. We don’t even make it to the water park the first night!
The next morning, we are up bright and early. We grab coffee and breakfast at Dunkin’ Doughnuts on site. The Dunks opens at 6:30 AM and the later you go, the longer the line will be.
After breakfast, we head straight to the water park which opens at 9:00 on the weekends (10:00 on weekdays).
Saturday is the busiest day at the water park and people had already claimed almost every seat by 10 AM. On Sunday, the crowd was minimal. If you have a larger group, I would consider renting a cabana.
Renting a cabana at Great Wolf Lodge
Renting a cabana is a great option for a family or large group. You will have reserved seating as well as a place to store your things.
Each cabana has a sofa, chairs, a safe, a television and a mini-fridge with waters. The curtains come down if you want some privacy or have a child needing a nap. Click here for more info and to book.
We spend the better part of our first full day at the water park. The water park is made up of two huge rooms that are big enough to each be their own water park.
Our favorites are the lazy river, the wave pool, the water slides and the hot tub where where you can walk through the wall to the outside. It was actually snowing out while we were in the hot tub which was such a cool experience.
Once we were shriveled and pruned, we had a late lunch at the Lodge Bar. This was a nice casual place with high tops. My husband could catch some of the game. Kids meals at about $10 and adult meals range from $15-30.
Howlin’ Timbers Play Park
For the rest of the day, we hit up all of the fun activities at Howlin’ Timbers Play Park. The boys loved climbing the rock wall and playing 10 pin bowling. Lizzie’s favorite activity was mining for gems. All of the kids loved mini golf and the ropes course.
We ended the night at the arcade and ordered pizza from Hungry as a Wolf. They give you a buzzer so you don’t have to wait around. We ate back in the room and crashed hard.
On our last morning, we snuck in one last trip to the water park before the 11:00 check out. You can use the water park until 1:00 but have to be out of your room.
The boys tried to fight the dragon one more time but were again defeated. If you beat the dragon in Magiquest, please give us pointers!
We had so much fun at Great Wolf Lodge. We walked out to a January blizzard and immediately missed that warm water. It is the perfect way to spend a winter weekend in New England.
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