Splish splashing and memory making–these are the things we did at Great Wolf Lodge. Great Wolf Lodge is Southern California’s first indoor water park, and made for a great destination for our staycation & celebration of our daughter’s birthday.
From the suites to the slides, I can’t wait to share some of the fun with you!
This post is not sponsored. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Resort
Great Wolf Lodge Southern California is located in Garden Grove, just minutes south of Anaheim. It is easily accessible for local guests as well as out-of-towners. It boast 603 suites and a 105,000 square foot indoor water park.
Prior to arrival, we received an email with helpful tips. The most important of which contained information about when the fun could begin.
Parking
Upon arrival, you can choose to self-park or valet. Valet parking is $17/night, and self-parking is $10. Using your wristband given to you at check-in, you are free to enter and exit the parking structure as often as needed.
Check-in
Check-in is at 4 PM, or whenever your room becomes available. However, you can begin your fun at 1 PM the day of arrival.
As you may not have access to your room immediately, pack your bathing suits separately. It is also advised that you leave your luggage in your car. There are luggage carts to aid you in transporting your luggage to and from your car.
Upon check-in, each guest will receive a wristband. The adults’ are a RFID, or radio frequency identification device. Your wristband serves as both a room key and wallet, as you can charge items to the credit card on file.
Rooms
Depending on your group size and budget, you have many options for suites, namely Standard, Themed, or Premium.
We selected a “family suite” for our family of 2 adults and 3 children. My sister’s family was in the neighboring suite for extra fun! A microwave, coffee maker, and refrigerator were supplied in our suite. The only one we end up using was the fridge to keep drinks and snacks from home cool.
Decorated with a forest theme, without being cheesy, our room was clean and large enough for us to rest in comfortably. But it really wasn’t about the rooms; it’s about the water.
The Water Park & Attractions
Planning is part of the vacation fun for me, so I researched the water park attractions ahead of time. I also chatted with friends who had been there to ensure there’d be fun for everyone in my family. There absolutely was!
You can check out the all of the water park attractions here. I also plan on sharing favorites, based on my children’s ages.
The majority of the fun is held within a 105,000 square foot space, that reminded me of an airplane hanger. You’ll find numerous water slides, allowing for single riders or groups as large as four. There’s an indoor treehouse that drenches guests as they climb, slide, and shoot water cannons.
Catch a wave in the wave pool or body board on an endless wave. You can relax in an inner tube on the lazy river. And for the youngest wolf in your pack, there’s the Club Paw Pool playground area.
For our one-night stay, we were able to spend both the day of check-in (starting at 1 PM) and the whole next day enjoying the water park. Yet, there’s so much more going on at Great Wolf Lodge. The kids all tried Howly Wood XD Theater, a virtual reality video game. Your days could be filled with scavenger hunts, games, spa treatments, shows, and storytimes.
As with all vacations, researching is part of the preparation. Get your family excited by checking out the water park and the activities you’d like to do while staying at the resort. Our plans changed as we explored, but we felt confident we were going to have a howling great time from the second we booked our stay.
Are you planning on staying at Great Wolf Lodge? What would you like to know before you go?
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