Mother's Day 2019 at the Great Wolf Lodge in Garden Grove

In My Honest Opinion…

The Boys had a Howlin’ Fun Time!

The question I asked myself when thinking about Mother’s Day Plans was— what would make me happiest on a day intended to honor motherhood?

The answer was easy— to see my two little boys, well, happy.

I also wanted to spend the day with my own mom

(Lupita Marquez) is just the most wonderful woman in my life. She has always a taught us the best life lessons without raising her voice and continues to give, give, give without ever asking anything of her daughters in return… wow, mami… I wanna be like you when I grow up!

But I digress, friends. The plan was to head to the Great Wolf Lodge for Mother’s Day Weekend with my sons, my sisters and my mom and enjoy a couple of nights at this Indoor water park and resort. Paul would not be joining because he has a new work schedule, etc. and my dad was likely going to be traveling the world somewhere so we counted him out too.

All in all, the boys had a blast.

No, they had an amazingly great blast!

The Great Wolf Lodge itself is quite pricey for a family of four. I did, however, purchase a themed Kids Cabin suite (which is considerably more expensive than a regular room) and pre-purchased Wolf and Pup passes for the boys (about $200 for both) which basically allow them to claim a bunch of gifts, treats and play time experiences at the resort’s shops, arcade, bowling alley, glow-in-the dark golf and laser quest.

Booking a Kids Cabin Suite and the Wolf & Pup Passes

This will add several hundred dollars to your final bill. Plus, if you’re like me and feel like you deserve to indulge in a nice glass of wine, especially on Mother’s Day Weekend, you’ll order from the wine down service which is delivered in your room during a time slot you select. It costs $45 for a bottle of wine and a tray of small bites.

For the most part,

We dined inside the resort. Tia Frenchee and Nina Irene treated us to a character breakfast buffet which costs approximately $20 per adult/$10 per child. This is an enjoyable option for kids because the breakfast comes with a waffle bar that features a variety of sweet toppings. Plus, there are many other breakfast food favorites available.

For adults, the Great Wolf Lodge offers

plenty of eating and drinking options with several restaurants and bars on site (try a Sangria Pitcher by Wave pool).

The place is convenient because you don’t have to leave when kids need a nap or get hungry. It’s very clean and the staff is friendly.

Nonetheless, if you want to save a few dollars, you can always order outside food delivery. Bringing your own adult beverages to enjoy in the hotel room, which comes equipped with a small fridge, coffee maker and microwave— is probably your best bet.

During our visit,

I noticed families from all ethnic backgrounds and walks of life (which I loved). The resort certainly didn’t lack diversity which is always a plus.

The kids were beyond happy. Toby took time to explore the toddler pool area and he went down some slides in the center water games area. Benny and Tia Frenchee were more adventurous in their thrill-seeking journey. They got on some pretty daring tube slides and attractions.

Post-water park tip— There’s a great dessert shop called “Bear Paw Sweets & Eats” where kids (and their moms) can order ice cream cones. Chances are the kids will be really tired by then but that’s okay….

There are interactive games that older kids can participate in—

like a Magiquest feature where a $40 magic wand unlocks a series of fun activations and discoveries inside the kids cabin suite and around the resort (think waving the wand at a wall and activating sparkling lights with sound effects). There’s also a 4D theater for kids at the Howly Wood XD Theater, which Benny said was “kind of cheap”… LOL. Only he knows what that means, his Wolf Pass allowed him to experience the attraction and we just watched from a screen outside the theater (both Magicquest and access to the Howly Wood XD Theater are included in the Wolf Pass):

The hotel offers many, many activities for the littles,

Those include morning yoga, story time and other fun experiences at no additional cost.

For people that are claustrophobic in bodies of water or don’t necessarily appreciate gazillions of happy, hyper, splashing, screaming kids— this is probably not the place for you. The Great Wolf Lodge is a family destination that is mostly popular for its water attractions which tend to create many perfect moments for happy, hyper, splashing, screaming kids.

Overall, yes I recommend the Great Wolf Lodge.

If there was one thing I could change, it would probably be the lack of outdoor space for kids. I love fresh air and even though there are outdoor cabanas and a few tables, I would be impossible to hang out outdoors while the kids are enjoying the pools inside.

All this to say, a Splash pad outside, with seating for families, especially now that the summer is approaching would be amazing… but that’s just me.

For more information on the Great Wolf Lodge, click here.

Thanks for reading, friends!

Xo,

-Anabel M.