Great Wolf Lodge

Did you enjoy your holidays with a few too many cookies?

Extra helping of pie?

Pants feeling a little tight?

Wanting to join the millions of others with a weight loss resolution?

Well let me tell you how to get your weight loss started...

Put on a bathing suit and spend two days at Great Wolf Lodge with your family.

Oh how I dislike my body in a bathing suit, but we had a great time!

Let me back up a bit.  Our family tradition for Christmas is that Santa brings an unwrapped gift and fills stockings.  The hubby and I get each child three gifts in three-Wise men-style.

This year as their third gift, I filled up a package with inexpensive games and crafts...and a note.

The note talked about what a gift it is to have us ALL together this year and how much fun family time is.

Then the note revealed the family's third (shared) gift (thank you sooo much Groupon)...

An overnight to Great Wolf Lodge!!
(They screamed with excitement and I loved it.)

 

Let me tell you friends, it was worth it.   

The room rocked and there was enough room for all seven of us to be comfortable.  Check it out HERE. 
It is called the Loft Fireplace Suite.
It had two levels, 3 queen beds, 1 and a half baths, fridge, microwave, balcony, wet bar area,
living area, and 3 TV's.
(I actually had to double check that it was covered under the Groupon because it seemed
too nice to be part of the deal.)
Here are some of my favorite and least favorite things about our visit.

SO COOL...

1) No one had a near drowning. I didn't lose misplace any of the littles. There was enough fun stuff for everyone to do despite their age or height. My 9 and 7 year olds did pretty much everything together and checked in with us frequently, while H and I played with the three little ones.

I must confess at one point, I pushed helped JJ down a small slide which resulted in terror and a bit of crying when Daddy caught her at the bottom. The rest of the time she and CM entertained themselves mostly splashing in shallow water while J loved the slides and wave pool.

2) Free pack-n-play, microwave, and refrigerator in the large two-level suite.  We packed fruit, snacks, juice boxes, and cereal bars which cut down on food purchases.

3)  Check-in at 4 pm and check out is the next day at 11am, yet you can start swimming at 1pm on the day of check-in and until close on the day of check-out.

4) Wristband also doubles as the room key so you don't have to carry around a key...just don't lose that stinkin' bracelet.

5) Groupon deal also included lunch (pizza, breadsticks, 2-liter of pop, and large salad), which fed us all with leftovers.  Probably a $30 or more value.

6) Towel and life jackets are provided.

7) Storytime each night and planned daily activities in the hotel lobby.

8) Hubs and 9 year old LOVED the water coaster where they say you "actually go faster when you are going up."  This apparently was crazy-fast!

9) Our trip was Monday to Tuesday, and Tuesdays are a slow day for the park so not very crowded plus most kids were back in school.  Luck us, our kids didn't go back until Wednesday.

10) CLEAN!

NOT SO COOL...

1) Can you say $8 kids meal NOT INCLUDING a drink?  Rip off.  We went off site to eat dinner for this reason.

2) $10 for a locker for one day or $20 for both days.

3) I wish they had some clocks in the waterpark area so that you know what time it is, since my phone was in the very expensive locker...see above.


So as you see, we consider the trip a success.  I would go back, definitely but I wouldn't pay full price because it can get quite expensive. 
Again, thank you Groupon for this great family mini-vacation.

Check out Great Wolf Lodge locations on their website HERE.