Great Wolf Lodge - LaGrange, Georgia

Our trip to Great Wolf Lodge in LaGrange, GA (GWL) was a surprise birthday present for our turning 9 yr old. We arrived around 1:30pm to check in. The exterior of the building was beautiful! It looked like a grand, rustic mountain lodge.

Rooms weren't available for occupancy until 4pm, but the Lodge allows guests to use the facility anytime after 1pm. I had packed a separate bag with our swimsuits, cover-ups, and flip flops, so we left the rest of the luggage in the car and headed into the Waterpark.

Upon entering the Waterpark, we were immediately hit with the strong smell of chlorine and loud Kidz Bop-esque music. Both things quickly dissipated. We then rented a locker for our belongings. A small locker cost about $15 per day which I thought was worth it to hold your wallet, bag, sunglasses, flip flops, whatever, and avoid a trip back up to the room. There were also cabanas you could rent to keep your belongings and ensure you had a seat. Yes, lounge chairs are first come, first serve, and we apparently were not there first.

GWL provided towels from a desk area. We made the mistake of taking towels immediately upon entering the Waterpark. This wasn't necessary because we then had to find a place to keep the towels when we were in the pools or on the water rides, and as I stated earlier, at that hour, there were no available seats for a family of four. We decided later, it was better to just go do the water stuff, then get a towel to dry off if going to the bathroom, returning to your room, heading to eat, or you want to take a break and sit down a while (providing there is an empty chair somewhere).

Our GWL had a wave pool, an activity pool with basketball hoops and a "log stump" crossing, the Fort Mackenzie area which was an elevated area with small slides, water cannons, and various ways to get drenched, a lazy river, a smaller children's play area, and an area that contained all the raft and "big kid" slides.

We spent the majority of our time indoors though there was also a lovely outdoor pool area, with plenty of (available) lounge chairs, a tanning shelf, cabanas, and a 21+ hot tub (though no one was enforcing the 21+ part so it was not as relaxing as it sounds).

We ate all of our meals with the exception of breakfast at GWL. There were several dining options available. At Hungry as a Wolf, you could get pizza, pasta, salad, or wings. Campfire Kitchen was a sort of buffet style, where you chose your entree, sides, and dessert. Timbers Tacos was a food truck with really excellent tacos and Buckets had burgers and the like. There was pretty much something for everyone. Barnwood was just about the only place where we did not eat. That was more of a sit down restaurant, where real clothes were preferred. As we spent the majority of this trip in bathing suits and cover-ups, that restaurant wasn't quite our style.

Within the food area of the resort, was a putt-putt golf course, a ropes course, an arcade, and a small bowling alley. I can see these being great alternatives to the pool area if you are spending more than a couple days here or the weather is bad. However, we didn't partake in these activities. 

For the few minutes we weren't enjoying the Waterpark, we were in our suite. We stayed in a "Wolf Den Suite", which included a queen sized bed for the parents, and a cool cave-like bunk room for the kids. 

I thought the room was spacious enough for the four of us. We really only slept there, spending most of our time downstairs in the Waterpark.

All in all, we had a lot of fun at Great Wolf Lodge in LaGrange, GA. It was an active vacation where the whole family could participate. The lodge and room theming were great. And the number of pools and slides kept us entertained for hours without having to wait in lines. We felt safe letting the kids explore the different water areas by themselves, but also enjoyed getting in and doing the activities with them. 

I think it would be a great place to go with other family members or friends who had kids of all ages. It definitely caters to all age ranges. And I actually didn't feel self-conscious walking around in a swimsuit all day, sliding down slides, splashing in the water, and sunning myself. I felt like a kid again! Thanks, Great Wolf Lodge! 

Duration: no more than 2 days
Fun Meter: 4 thumbs up

Visit date: July 2018