When our original Labor Day weekend plans changed at the last minute, Ryan and I scrambled to put together a fun weekend for our family since we already had non-refundable boarding arranged for our dog and wanted to make the most of the time off. We tossed around a few options but the minute the words “Great Wolf Lodge” left our lips, the decision was all but made when our boys flipped out and said, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” As seasoned Great Wolf Lodge visitors (we’ve easily gone 7+ times at this point), Ryan and I knew enough to know that booking last minute is often the BEST way to book a stay at Great Wolf Lodge, assuming they have availability. And they did!

15 Great Wolf Lodge Tips for the Best Family Trip

We nabbed a room at the Concord, North Carolina location of Great Wolf Lodge for a fraction of the price of the typical room. When I mentioned this on Instagram, my DMs were very quickly flooded with requests for more Great Wolf Lodge tips we’ve come to learn over years of visits to this family-friendly hot spot! So that’s what we’re chatting about today: 15 Great Wolf Lodge Tips! These are the tips we’ve picked up on from trial and error, in-person experiences and years of visits with three boys ranging in age from babies under one year old to a tween who is now 11 years old.

In case you’d like to check out a more in-depth review-style post with FAQs I’ve received about Great Wolf Lodge, this post may also be worth a read: Great Wolf Lodge Review

Also worth noting: Our family was invited to Great Wolf Lodge for a media visit in the past but we’ve paid for our stay and returned to visit many, many times over on our own as well. This post is not sponsored or affiliated with GWL in any way and is an honest rundown of our experiences as repeat patrons of the Concord, NC location.

Great Wolf Lodge Tips for Families

When it comes to booking a stay at Great Wolf Lodge and making the most of your time at the resort, there are few things are worth mentioning that can make a big difference in both your family’s overall enjoyment of your time at Great Wolf Lodge as well the amount of money you spend or can potentially save.

Please note that the Great Wolf Lodge tips I am sharing below may be specific to the Concord, North Carolina location as that is the only location we have visited as a family, however there are lots of GWL locations all over the United States and many appear to be very similar.

1. Look for a Great Wolf Lodge Discount Before Booking

This is my number one tip when it comes to saving money at Great Wolf Lodge! If you are flexible with the dates of your visit, certain times of year are more expensive than others and booking during an off-peak time will save you hundreds of dollars — truly!

We’ve found the summer months and the holiday season to be the most expensive (but December is SO FUN because the lodge is transformed into a winter wonderland!) while January through March and September through November are typically the less expensive times of the year to visit. We’ve also had great luck booking discounted rooms at Great Wolf Lodge when we’ve booked at the last minute (48 hours or less before our stay).

Additionally, Great Wolf Lodge is wonderful about offering a lot of seasonal sales and promotions we’ve found through their email lists as well as following them on Instagram.

2. Consider Visiting During the Week

If you have weekday availability, that’s often also where you can save the big bucks! Planning a trip to Great Wolf Lodge during the week or during non-holiday times of the year will help you snag lower prices and you’ll also enjoy the benefits of shorter lines and a less crowded water park.

3. One Night May Be Enough

Our family has stayed at Great Wolf Lodge one night and two nights and, for our family, one night is our sweet spot. Why? We only live 30 minutes away, so it’s not a long journey to get to Great Wolf Lodge (it’s one of our favorite day trips from Charlotte) and, honestly, we don’t sleep great when we go. We stay up late because our kids want to take advantage of all the activities (like the 9 p.m. snowfall in the lodge during Snowland) and then they’re all up before 7 a.m. because they’re so excited to start the day.

Also worth noting: If rooms are available, Great Wolf Lodge will often roll out a super-discouted rates on a second night stay when you’re there. This has happened to us almost every time (except a couple of times during the holiday season) and we’ve been offered a second night stay for $150, so keep that in mind if you might be on the fence about extending your stay and have some flexibility. You can also often pay for a late checkout (2 p.m.) so you can leave our belongings in your room if you know you’ll want to go back and forth a lot which can be handy especially if you’re flip-flopping back and forth between the water park and other activities.

Here’s how we maximize one night at Great Wolf Lodge: We arrive in the late afternoon on our arrival day so we can do the water park and a few activities on day one. Then we stay all the way up until dinner time on the second day and maximize the heck out of the water park and additional activities. During our most recent visit, after check out, we just locked our belongings in the car and went back into the lodge with a large pool bag filled with our necessities, dry clothes, etc. and left it on a chair while we were at the water park until we were ready to head home.

4. Arrive Early on Check-In Day

While room check-in typically begins later in the day, overnight guests are able to use the water park before their room is ready! Of course you’ll want to verify the exact access time with your specific Great Wolf Lodge location, but we’ve been able to head straight to the water park upon our arrival in the mid-afternoon every time.

5. Compare Rooms to Find the Best Fit for Your Family

There are a lot of different room options and we’ve stayed in quite a few! After a handful of visits, we have our preferred room choice nailed down for our family of 5 and it’s the Kids Cabin. This is one of the themed rooms and it has a separate sleeping area for three kids (without a door though, so you’re all still very much together).

Our boys flip for the bunk bed and twin bed in the little log cabin-like kids’ sleeping section. (For families with two kids, the Kids Kamp is a similar option without the extra twin bed.) The main area has a queen-size bed Ryan and I share and also has a sleeper sofa if you need it. Something about staying in a themed room really adds to the excitement for our kids!

One of my biggest complaints for Great Wolf Lodge accommodations is that there aren’t any closets or separate sleeping areas for pack ‘n’ plays for little ones to be completely separated from the family for better sleep unless you want to seriously splurge for one of the premium suites that accommodate 6+ guests.

Another tip: If you’re a little picky about your pillow when you sleep, for the love of all things, pack your own pillow. The pillows at Great Wolf Lodge are horrendous.

6. Download the Great Wolf Lodge App

This is not a must-do but it is really helpfulf for a myriad of reasons, including easily-accessible activity schedules (especially helpful for younger kids who might be especially interested in story times, craft activities, etc.), mobile check-in, a layout/map of the lodge, dining information and ordering, etc.

7. Review the Activity Schedule as Soon as You Arrive

This is one thing we always do that was especially pivotal for us when our kids were younger. If you think your kids will want to see characters, attend story times, be in the lobby for the winter “snowfall” (aka foam snow our kids love!), etc., you’ll definitely want to take a glance at the activity schedule so you know when everything is and can plan your water park time or activities around these experiences.

8. Set Expectations About Extras Before the Trip

This is a big one, as kids will see a lot of exciting things they’ll want to do during a trip to Great Wolf Lodge. We try to keep expectations in check and explain what we will and won’t be doing before we arrive so all of the tempting add-ons aren’t calling to them all weekend long and they know what to expect before we arrive. For our kids, the water park, MagiQuest and arcade are their top 3 favorites, so that is what we prioritize during our visits.

Great Wolf Lodge Water Park Tips

9. Pack a Separate Water-Park Bag

This one is super important if you are planning to visit the water park before you can check into your room or if you hope to visit the water park after check out. A separate water park bag will help you take full advantage of the water park without carting around all of your luggage! We always have a large water park bag on hand during our Great Wolf Lodge stays and pack it with swimsuits, goggles, sunscreen (if needed — our location has a small outdoor pool available for use when it’s warm outside), some snacks we bring from home as well as an easily-accessible change of clothes.

10. Visit the Water Park During Less-Popular Hours

The water park is a blast but it can be very busy. A few things can help when it comes to making your time at the water park more enjoyable and less crazy! We like to visit the water park right when it opens if possible and hit up the slides we love most right away. It’s also often a little less busy later in the day. We had a great time and were able to ride the slides with very minimal lines when we went during the last two hours it was open last Friday.

11. Leave Towels and Life Jackets at Home

Great Wolf Lodge provides both towels and life jackets, so there is no need to pack them unless you are particular about your towels and have life jackets your kids strongly prefer to use.

How to Save Money at Great Wolf Lodge

12. Bring Food and Drinks for Your Room

Every room we’ve stayed in has come with a mini fridge which we’ve used to store food we’ve brought from home including yogurt, carrots, apples, string cheese, etc. I’ve even packed lunches for our family before which is another option if you’re looking to save money and avoid buying all of your meals during your stay. I also pack a ton of shelf-stable snacks like bars, granola, snack mixes, meat sticks, etc. And don’t forget your water bottles!

13. Decide Which Meals Are Worth Buying at the Resort

Our Great Wolf Lodge location in Concord, North Carolina is very close to a lot of restaurants so going off-property for meals that are less expensive is another option. You may wish to eat some meals within the lodge (we always do a pizza night during our visits) but visiting a nearby fast-casual restaurant or packing your own food can definitely save some money. We always leave to go to OMG Donuts for breakfast (literally one minute away!) because their donuts are fantastic!

14. Price Out the Activity Passes to See What Makes Sense for Your Family

Whether or not the activity passes offered at Great Wolf Lodge are worth it for your family will vary depending on what activities appeal to your kids as well as your budget. We’ve done passes in the past (they were great for when we were first getting into MagiQuest as they included a wand) and our boys really enjoyed them because they essentially gave them a checklist of things they knew they could do and try during our visit. Most activities at Great Wolf Lodge cost extra money, so if you price out the activities you’re planning to do during your stay, a pass can be worth it. However, if you likely wouldn’t pay to do some of the activities included in a pass, paying as you go might make more sense financially.

Note: There are three pass options — Wolf Pass, Paw Pass and Pup Pass — and prices vary for each pass depending on the number of activities and perks each pass contains. I personally do not think the Pup Pass is worth it for toddlers as it’s basically a pass that gets them a single plush animal and a bunch of candy/treats.

15. Look for Discounted Activity Passes Close to Your Arrival Day

Passes are another thing that often get discounted as you get closer to your trip! On our most recent visit, we were able to get passes for our boys for 50% off the original price so we grabbed them at the last minute.

What to Pack for Great Wolf Lodge

One thing I’ve learned after multiple visits to Great Wolf Lodge is that you don’t need to pack too much! The resort itself is crazy casual so leave all your fashion-forward or dressy apparel at home. Everyone pretty much runs around in pajamas, swimsuits and coverups, sweats and athleisure.

Swimsuits (Ideally more than one per child/adult. Our swimsuits never seem to air dry in our rooms so more than one suit is a must!)
Coverups
Water shoes (We don’t find these necessary but a lot of people wear them.)
Goggles
Pajamas
Sweatshirts (Super helpful as we find the lodge to be a little cold.)
Closed-toe shoes for certain activities (These were required for virtual reality and laser tag during our last visit.)
Refillable water bottles
Snacks and easy breakfast foods
Wet bag or plastic bag for damp swimsuits
Separat pool/waterpark bag
Very casual clothes/athleisure
Noise machines (Can be helpful if you have little ones who nap or are sensitive to hallway noise. We love these small but powerful mini noise machines for travel.)

What Not to Bring to Great Wolf Lodge

Some items you do NOT need to pack:

Towels for the water park
Life jackets (unless preferred)
Dressy outfits
Cash (many lodges are cashless)

Is Great Wolf Lodge Worth It?

This obviously depends on your family’s personal desires and preferences but for our family, we’ve really loved the family-friendly atmosphere, the water park and the engaging activities offered at our Great Wolf Lodge location. (I’d absolutely look up reviews on your local GWL location before visiting as I am sure experiences vary depending on specific resorts!)

Also, for my more in-depth review of Great Wolf Lodge, this post may be worth a read: Great Wolf Lodge Review

When we are able to book discounted rooms during off-peak times, the price of a one-night stay has absolutely been worth it to us, as our boys have the best time and seeing them light up and enjoy themselves so much makes it a blast for ALL of us! It’s also awesome knowing weather is not an issue — if it rains, it’s no big deal because the best parts of GWL are indoors so you know your trip will still be a blast!

Great Wolf Lodge Tips: Frequently Asked Questions

What time should you arrive at Great Wolf Lodge?

We prefer to arrive in the early afternoon and hit up the water park to really maximize our time at Great Wolf Lodge!

Can you use the water park before your room is ready?

Yes!!! It’s worth checking with your specific Great Wolf Lodge location, but we’ve always been able to use the water park before our room is ready. This is a big part of why I always recommend packing a separate water park bag!

Can you use the water park after checkout?

Yes! You can use the water park until closing time on the day of your departure.

How many nights should you stay at Great Wolf Lodge?

I covered this in more detail above but for our family, one night works best! We live closeby so this absolutely plays into this working well for our family. If we were staring down a long drive, two nights might be a better optoin.

Does Great Wolf Lodge provide towels?

Yes! Bath towels are provided in your room and beach towels are provided at the water park.

Should you bring water shoes to Great Wolf Lodge?

This depends on your personal preference. We saw a bunch of people wearing them but the ground was not rough and we did not feel like we needed them. We all had slide sandals we wore a lot but for swimming and water slides, we just went barefoot.

Can you bring food to Great Wolf Lodge?

You can! We always bring snacks and most rooms (if not all?) come equipped with mini fridges.

Is MagiQuest worth it?

For our kids, aboslutely YES. They flip for MagiQuest! They are absolutely obsessed with completing various quests and think becoming a Master Magi is the coolest thing in the world. (Chase also went to GWL for a friend’s 9th birthday party and his friend’s mom said the group of 8- and 9-year-olds spent half of the time at the water park and the other half of the party doing MagiQuest together, so I don’t think this is unique to Chase!)

That being said, while younger kids can have a wonderful time with MagiQuest, when they’re a little older (7+) they can read and do more of the quests without the need for a grownup to be over their shoulder the whole time which I think makes it a little more fun for them. (We see tweens and young teens running all over GWL with friends/siblings and no adults and they always seem to be having the best time completing the quests.)

When our boys were younger (under 4 years old) we got them a wand which let them light up treasure boxes, gems and other MagiQuest objects around Great Wolf Lodge, but we didn’t pay to activate their wands because they didn’t know the difference. They were simply thrilled to have a wand to point at interactive stuff all weekend long.

What ages are best for Great Wolf Lodge?

We mostly see toddler age children to young teens at Great Wolf Lodge! I feel like we’re in the sweet spot for experiencing all that Great Wolf Lodge has to offer with 3 boys ages 6, 8 and 11.

Final Thoughts

As it goes with planning pretty much any family vacation, a trip to Great Wolf Lodge can feel a little overwhelming when you first begin the planning process. There are so many activities, room options, dining choices and more but after visiting Great Wolf Lodge a handful of times we feel like we’ve got a good trip dialed in and I really hope these Great Wolf Lodge tips are helpful to you if you’re planning a visit in the near future!

And for those who have already been to Great Wolf Lodge, I’d love to hear from you!! Please feel free to share your Great Wolf Lodge tips below in the comments!