While the hallways of rooms may still be a bit long, its not as vast as Kalahari. That sounds good. bellyrubbah1 2 yr. ago Cool. EXPECT IT and you will have a great time. My husband was brave enough to continue exploring as I sat out on the ground level patio. Kalahari Resort, positioned in Spherical Rock, Texas, is analogous in some ways to Nice Wolf Lodge. We usually just order a pizza and eat it in our room with maybe a salad. We liked the water park @ Great Wolf Lodge! He was open to questions about the place and even offered a few suggestions. Is the higher food price of Kalahari worth it? I also added a note how COVID-19 has delayed our plans to stay @ Aquatopia. What are you waiting for? Great Wolf Lodge has an especially fun indoor water park and the "under one roof" makes the stay warm and easy. Thats theming! Just a small thing that can be easily rectified. There was also only one sink in the room (as well as only one bathroom which had only a standard sized tub). Kalahari Resort, located in Round Rock, Texas, is similar in many ways to Great Wolf Lodge. Which Poconos waterpark do you like best? THERE ISNOADDITIONAL COST TO YOU if you buy something from Amazon! Kalahari features a number of signature sit-down restaurants (Sortinos Italian Kitchen (Italian food), B-Lux Grill & Bar (Burgers & Shakes), Double Cut (Steakhouse). 6 Best Texas . Great Wolf Lodge is known for their MagiQuest game. One of Melani and my pet peeves with regards to hotel accommodations is when there is only one night stand for a queen bed. At Kalahari, there are two separate, toddler play areas. A night at either place costs a small fortune, and the food is over-priced and mediocre. We recently took a little trip to the Poconos and stayed one night @ Great Wolf Lodge immediately followed by a one-night stay @ Kalahari. EXPECT IT and you will have a great time. We were on the bottom level and we had a small patio walk out area next to the ropes course. After reading this post - which Poconos waterpark do you THINK you are most likely to go to? @Kelly We ate dinner off-site so I cant really compare the food fairly. I would like to further discuss the details of your stay. Your goal is our goal. Management thanks you for your suggestions and for noting how well-trained our associates are! I can't honestly say that anything bit me in the room, we may have been bitten while we were sleeping, or in all the time we were forced to spend on the patio because of the smell.The resort was fine, but I'd avoid this "upgraded suite". All three resorts are located very close to each other in the Poconos. Kalahari is newer and more efficiently run. The new Italian restaurant had a nice design and the food was good. 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. Adventure Update # 018: My Tricycle is Very Very Fast! The sound system is rather poor and the performance is rather loud. The lobby is ringed by various shops and the floor has wonderful decorative murals inlaid in the marble (Im sure these are probably decals??). Yes My oldest daughter and wife voted for Kalahari. CHECK IN/ROOM - We checked in with Kassi at We visited Kalahari in the Pocono Mountains for a last minute trip with our two girls, ages 8 and 9. Aquatopia Snowtubing, mountain coaster (4,500 feet steel track coaster), Euro Bungee tethered bungee jump. Camelback Lodge and Great Wolf Lodge are two of the most popular family resorts in the Poconos with indoor water parks. I am pleased to hear that our staff was friendly and that our facilities were well maintained throughout your stay. This was because: 1) We are a family of 6 and eating out is not usually relaxing or enjoyable! It is especially better for younger kids ones who dont want or need a life jacket! This happened before on our previous visits but given the number of people this time, they kept closing the areas for cleaning constantly. It has a transparent Texlon roof that lets in natural sunlight while providing protection against the suns harmful UV rays. Kalahari Resort vs. Great Wolf Lodge. Check with the resort to confirm which activities are offered during the winter. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. EXPECT IT and you will have a great time. Wisconsin Dells, WI https://www.greatwolf.com/wisconsin-dells We stayed @ Great Wolf Lodge on a Tuesday night and then Kalahari on Wednesday night of the same week. 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. That said, I wouldnt pay triple the price for Kalahari. 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. Inspired parents sharing the joys & adventures of the parenthood journey! (Activities vary by location). The lobby is big but not massive like it is at Kalahari! For our Wednesday November 24th, 2021 stay @ Aquatopia the cost of our room was $319.00 plus taxes & fees amounting in the amount of $71.10, bringing the total to $390.10. Other than the water park & arcade our family hasnt really tried out any other ones. Very spacious, a flat screen TV in each room and in main living area with fireplace. This old-school hot dog shack across from Penn Treaty Park mostly caters to truckers, hence its early-morning hours. Both resorts have huge water parks that include a wave pool, lazy river, splash areas and of course water slides. Park access for all family members is included in . 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 has a woodland creature and forest theme, while Kalahari has an African theme. The drive was almost exactly 100 miles for us and we arrived a few minutes after 1:00 pm. Our 2-year-old who would have nothing to do with a life jacket was able to play in the toddler splash park and wave pool as long as Melani or I was right with her. 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. My wife went there one morning to order some breakfast and it took nearly an hour to get our food after ordering it (she was also in line for nearly an hour before even getting to place her order). But we generally dont patronize too many sit down restaurants with 4 kids with ages ranging from 2-10. Hello! Why Kids Love It If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. Aquatopia offers a great selection of activities for tweens & younger teens, both inside & outside! Right away we were looking for and expecting a wonderful customer service experience, and Kalahari did not disappoint. Both seemed to make a small room work a little better and not feel as small as it actually was. . Ronks is southeast of Lancaster. GWL has excellent sales. Ask erikas213 about Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos, Ask PinkHibiscus32 about Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos, Ask lljPa about Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos, Royal hospitality suite not royal not hospitable, Ask kelismom14 about Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos, Ask mcapellan78 about Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos, Ask Pamela C about Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Poconos. The development is expected to break ground during the first quarter of 2022 and construction of the facility will begin no later than April 2025, according to KPRC. We liked the luggage rack near the door and the shelf over the microwave. The TV in the room seemed to be new and was the largest of any we saw at the three resorts. 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. The shop is along Interstate 81, making it a Busy Bodies Play Cafe is an indoor play space for children who are 1 year old through 6 years old. They were definitely present - but not blowing their whistle when it was needed and didn't seem as focused. Adventure Update # 020: 10 Years and 1/2 an Inch! But, if or when we do return, I look forward to spending more time in that adults-only grotto. Hello, Erika! The day we went, prices were similar to GWL. Lately we have been hitting the snack bar (Pizza Pub) down in the arcade for the burritos and then the store (Marrakesh Market) right at the edge of the lobby for some of the soups. It is in the middle in terms of the size of its indoor water park and in number of rooms at the resort. As I mentioned above, we can engage in many of the other activities closer to our home. You can also see the water park from the windows on this side and from the Cafe & Bar. The view felt somewhat private and we really enjoyed it! (Basically a jumpy seat for adults.) Great Wolf seems to have more of a variety of theming for these bunk bed suites. The wave pool alternates between wave / no wave cycles. To the credit of one observant & kind employee he noticed the exceedingly poor service my wife had received and apologized to her later in the day when he saw her. On our previous visit a couple of years ago we felt the place was showing some wear and tear. We are happy to report that there were two night stands with our queen bed! A 14-inch pie was 8 slices, 2 toppings $21. My family recently visited Kalahari Resort in Round Rock, Texas. 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. Kalahari seems to have a bit more of a selection when it comes to very large rooms. If you can't afford it, don't bother making the trip. It had its own TV and was adorned with a lot of cute character images. 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 is better for his age? The room was nice and clean but nothing particularly memorable. Advice: you can't come to a place like this and complain about how much things cost. The distance between Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos is a mere 7 miles. One of Kalahari's Kiddie Areas Some of the profit from any sale may merely make it intoourpocket instead of Jeff Bezos'! 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. In November 2020, a competitor to GWL opened in Texas. 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. Imagine what it takes to run this place?!? It is so fun for my children (12 & 4 years old) and for adults too!! There was a large selection, with an emphasis on Italian cuisine. It is hard to believe that Aquatopia/Camelback would actually be charging extra for the balcony /patios at this level! Magic wands are needed for this game, and there is a fee to activate them for a certain period of time. kalahari waterpark passesmr patel neurosurgeon cardiff 27 februari, 2023 . Definitely two thumbs up for the adults area at Kalahari! We have been to the Williamsburg Virginia location where there was one but there is not one @ the Poconos location. I noticed that Kalahari may have a larger toddler area. When we were last at Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos we did not stay in a themed suite. Thank you for pointing out my mistake! Great Wolf Lodges water park continues their wildlife theme. Both are great options for kids. Great Wolf Resorts told KPRC in a statement, Were always looking for opportunities to introduce the Great Wolf Lodge resort experience to new audiences, and we are excited about the prospect of bringing one of our family-friendly indoor water park resorts to southeastern Texas.. Here's our overall review.Right away we were looking for and expecting a wonderful customer service experience, and Kalahari did not disappoint. 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. Enjoy your family vacation at one of the great indoor water park resort choices in your area! Thank you for your support! My daughter walks with a medical device. Mind you definitely not Disney level theming or branding but a good job. Which do you prefer? We were really looking forward into the expansion since we really loved how great Kalahari was the first two times we visited. It needs to be checked more often. 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 are other places with better miniature golf courses and a regular bowling alley does a better job for bowling so we tend not to spend our dollars on those activities when we are at Great Wolf Lodge. 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! Clean, safe & staff so friendly! This was one of the few exceptions! It may come down to a simple question: How old are the children in your party? Thanks to Amanda at the front desk for helping facilitate this! It had a pretty good selection of desserts and chocolates. Sincerely, Chip. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. 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. There is also a cafe (Cafe & Bar) and a restaurant (Horizons) located right off the main lobby. Finally, we did have a rather poor experience one morning ordering from the Cafe & Bar (AKA, Mountain Market, World Bazaar Coffee Shop). but also read water is cold. Kalahari Resort Market Cost The overnight costs for both of these resorts can vary widely throughout the year. How does the resort compare to Great Wolf Lodge? 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). With that being said it does appear that the ropes course and zip lines are something that we may try in the future. There are 2 lazy river type rides, the wave pool is immense, there are 2 hot tubs that are partly inside the building AND partly outside of the building with a narrow channel to traverse back and forth. Seriously, I'm not being dramatic. 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. Reservations are strongly recommended. One time a lifeguard came out and caught one but without constant observation, it is impossible to parole this area. 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. Great Wolf Lodge has a woodland creature and forest theme, while Kalahari has an African theme. [3] Great Wolf Resorts is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. I felt the prices were reasonable for this type of American Pub food. TripAdvisor review of Great Wolf Lodge Poconos, TripAdvisor review of Kalahari Resort Poconos, Booking.com review of Great Wolf Lodge Poconos, MommyNearest Great Wolf Lodge vs Kalahari vs Camelback. For exact amenities lists, its best to view the Great Wolf Lodge or Kalahari website of the locations you are comparing. 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. Virtual reality, tons of games, golf, bowling - this place though of everything. It had a large walk-in area that had a sink and kitchenette. 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!. I'm going to breakdown each part of the resort that we visited and give you the key points: Finding fun places to take your kids in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia. I will say we were on the 7th floor..and it was perfectly quiet. Keep in mind theres a third indoor water park resort in the Poconos: Camelback Mountain Resort. We stayed in the Desert room which was sufficient in size for 2 adults and 2 small kids. We certainly do have a lot of different ways to entertain and excite the kids! Thankfully, we didnt have a 2+ hour line to check-in. We were told that the elevator was on the convention center side, which was not really convenient for her. I actually have a hard time believing that the square footage of the park is larger than the water park @ Great Wolf Lodge. Great Wolf Lodge. 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! Its really a question of what the individual family prefers, as far as water park size, features and resort amenities. Ax throwing, ropes course, zip line, off-road Segway tours through the forest & switchback UTV tour. We had no problem finding a table and chairs to rest our towels and use for eating later. Well manicured and landscaped lawns.We arrived in the main lobby on Sunday 7/2 a little after 1:00 p.m. Both resorts have normal hotel rooms as well as themed rooms. There are a lot of food choices @ Kalahari of which we have only sampled a few. We have not yet patronized any of these establishments. Speaking of loud There is usually a dance party in the evening which we found to be extremely loud! They were methodical and intense, and I just didn't get that feeling with many of the lifeguard staff here. On the lower level by the entrance for the water park, there is a pizza place with some tables in the lower lobby area. Contemporary and tasteful.we give that an A+!Overall, we can't wait to return to Kalahari! Otherwise, she and the others had a very good time.Kalahari was worth the trip. There are quite a few activities to engage in @ Kalahari. Great Wolf Lodge has more charm and we enjoyed the lodge theme & the characters. Billing Issue: I did have a billing issue with Aquatopia / Camelback. From what we saw of the pricing most of the activities were on the more expensive side. Kalahari Resort has an entire grotto (both indoor and outdoor) for adults with a swim-up bar. The only other complaint I have is that we came home with a number of bites. However, having fewer food venue choices and adult amenities limits your stay to a very kid-centric experience. There were 2 bathrooms one off the walk-in area and the second one in the master suite. 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. Read on to find out which one is the BEST water park for your family vacation! This post was incredibly helpful!!! However, each locations water parks and amenities vary. Kalahari even has a five bedroom suite that can have a maximum of 22 guests. The room @ Aquatopia that we had was a double queen suite, a pull-out sofa and a balcony. 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. For just one four-year-old, I think Great Wolf is probably a better choice. The resort has a spa center, a hot tub and an on-site restaurant. There are some characters for the kids but they are not really developed and seem to have just been bolted on as an after thought. 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. There isnt any story that goes along with any of the characters as far as we were able to discern. At that point, it was unmistakably the smell of cat urine. Use Great Wolf Lodge for what it is really good at and skip the rest! Hours: Depending on the day, the indoor water park is open from 9am to 9pm or 10am to 8pm. I hope you have a wonderful time with your family! You all have multi room suites as well as an African Queen Suite.Let's talk about the African Queen Suite for a moment. 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). 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. Life jackets are not required but are available as well as puddle jumpers. I hope you and your family have a wonderful stay! Poconos Waterpark Comparison Guide: Kalahari versus Aquatopia & Great Wolf Lodge! I'm going to breakdown each part of the resort that we visited and give you the key points: Whereas, the roofline @ Great Wolf Lodge is blocky. It is also carried through with the water park experience itself with some of the attractions incorporating the characters and /or lodge theme. Wet bar, fridge, microwaveIMPRESSED with the upkeep.WATERPARK - The place is absolutely huge. 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). 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. I am on the mailing list and recently got a promotional offer that indicated the rooms had recently been renovated. Location: 1 Great Wolf Drive, Scotrun, PA. Our Dallas, TX resort offers an 80,000-square-foot indoor water park and exciting land attractions for the entire family. Including a story time, dance time, crafts and more. It seems that there are parts of the water park that are only staffed at peak attendance. We also enjoyed the balcony. If you have visited all three waterparks in the Poconos please let us know which one YOU liked best! Located below the main lobby is both the entrance to the water park and the arcade. Especially around the holidays, it has a warm and fuzzy fireplace vibe. As the kids went ahead, employee Jeremy helped to take bags upstairs. Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine is a great way to go for a weekend getaway. included with your stay Waterpark Admission Waterpark admission is always free when you stay with us. The room was not only spacious, but didn't reek like cat urine. Take care! It reminds me of Disneys Wilderness Lodge. Heres a comparison guide for all three of these resorts. See All Waterpark Features Waterpark (and more!) Lifejackets available, large amount of seating and tables!ARCADE - Another huge area! The advent of Great Wolf Lodge represents one of the most monumental The advent of Great Wolf Lodge represents one of the most monumental accomplishments in the Citys history, Webster city officials said. Have you been to both Great Wolf Lodge and Kalahari Resort? Part of the joy of Great Wolf Lodge is its size. The overnight costs for both of these resorts can vary widely throughout the year. People who got there after her were served well before her. It's the easiest way to hit the slopes! Hence our balcony seemed to be under ground and we were looking at a high retaining wall for a view. You might prefer the chart we put together along with our conclusions. 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. 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! Kalahari Resort's water park has more of everything and also includes a Flowrider, which is popular with older kids and teens. The IVORY COAST restaurant had a great selection of food and we thoroughly enjoyed doing takeout from there. Kalahari has a better reputation locally. Overall we felt like Kalahari was much better before the expansion. Kids under the age of 6 were coming in and out with no parental supervision. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review. It sounds like you were able to experience nearly every feature our resort has to offer! 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. Address: 100 Great Wolf Drive Grapevine, TX 76051 Phone: 817-488-6510 Website: greatwolf.com EXPERT TIPS BY: Ilene Jacobs Dallas Local Expert Water Parks: "Day passes can be purchased online or. Note: There is no Flowrider / surfing simulator attraction at the Poconos location for Great Wolf Lodge. We ordered a pizza and had it delivered to the room from the in-house Pizza Pubit was quite good and we felt reasonably priced! It doesnt extend to the guest rooms and amenities. Kalahari is newer and more efficiently run. The size of the indoor water park is roughly 125,000 square-foot, which makes it slightly larger than the Great Wolf Lodge water park @ roughly 79,000 square-foot, but decidedly smaller than Kalaharis indoor water park which is roughly 220,000 square-foot. The water facilities were great and there was a nice assortment of water slides. 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. Tiffany, Im so glad you found the post helpful. Hi, Pamela! really? GWL isnt fast either, but 2+ hours to pay triple the price wouldnt work either. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Both waterparks are easily accessible from the lobby, and the dining and shops are also centered around there. Offer a family slide option which is super fun to go on as a whole family. Kids hearing is much more sensitive! The front desk staff was extremely professional, friendly and helpful. 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. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! (Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Camelbacks Aquatopia) Which is the right waterpark resort experience for your family? 2) With COVID still hanging around and the holidays right around the corner it seemed to be prudent. The fact that Aquatopia ALSO has an outdoor water park (Camelbeach) and its night-time illumination make it unique. It's located in the Rockvale Outlets Fox Meadows Creamery has two locations, one in Ephrata, Pennsylvania and one in Leola, Pennsylvania. Learn how your comment data is processed. (especially Aquatopia & Great Wolf Lodge) If you were to drive from Kalahari, to Great Wolf Lodge, and then to Aquatopia the total distance would be approximately 11.3 miles and take just 26 minutes. CamelBack (Aquatopia) has 453 rooms and there are 6 floors (above ground) to the lodge. 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. Location: 3001 Kalahari Blvd. Since we are fans of Indiana Jones we like most archaeology theme including this one but I would not say the theme-ing is immersive other than the lazy river.