Disclosure: Special thanks to Great Wolf Lodge, Kansas City, for offering my family a media rate for our stay. All opinions are my own.
The Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City, Kansas, provided the perfect winter getaway. Only 3 hours from Omaha, this quick trip offered plenty of fun packed into two full days.
During our first visit to a Great Wolf Lodge, we wanted to make the most of our entire experience. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, answering any questions we had and offering suggestions along the way.
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6 Tips for First Time Visitors to Great Wolf Lodge
1) Can play in waterpark almost two full days!
Guests are able to use the waterpark and other amenities beginning at 1:00 p.m., and can check-in beginning at 4:00 p.m. (or earlier if your room becomes available). For your convenience, changing facilities, towels, and lockers are available inside the waterpark.
On the day of check-out, visitors can use the waterpark all day until close! This allowed us to play in the waterpark for almost two full days with one nights stay!
2) Waterpark – Activities for all ages
The Waterpark includes activities for all ages including a zero-depth entry play area with little waterslides for the youngest visitors, a pool area with basketball hoops and Big Foot Pass (floating lily pads and cargo nets the kids can climb across), hot tub area, and 3 tube waterslides that 1-3 people can ride down!
The kids loved the Water Fort Tree House filled with interactive water features, variety of climbing structures, and 2 waterslides. Be sure to look out for the giant bucket!
3) Kids Activities
A variety of Kids Activities are available included Character Visits, Evening Storytime, Wolf Walk, and more. The kids also received Wolf Ears when checking in, which provided a great souvenir of our trip. It was adorable to see all the little kids in their pajamas and wolf ears at Storytime! Check the schedule of events when you check-in.
4) MagiQuest
How it works: MagiQuest is like a scavenger hunt through designated areas of the resort. Kids select one of nine quests, and are given the items they need to find in order to collect their Rune. As they travel up and down stairs and through hallways, they wave their wands in front of various treasure chests, pictures, and other objects trying to find all of the necessary items to complete the quest. It can take up to 4-6 hours to complete.
Our experience: My son loved figuring out the clues and enjoyed trying to remember where each of the items was located. My daughter enjoyed pointing the magic wand at the various treasure chests and crystals to see them light up. Parts of the game can be frustrating (defeating the dragon) and exhausting (going up and down stairs multiple times), but overall, we enjoyed the experience together.
We decided to purchase one basic wand and one game to do as family together in the evening after a full day in the waterpark. These are the most basic items needed to play, and cost around $32. You can upgrade with toppers, different colored wands, wand belt, and more, if desired.
As with other games and attractions offered, MagiQuest is completely optional, along with the Arcade, Creation Station (Create your own stuffed animal), Mini golf, Clubhouse Crew, and Scooops Kid Spa.
5) Restaurants
Guests can bring food into the waterpark from other Great Wolf Lodge restaurants. You can purchase a kids meal + side (fries, side salad, etc) at the main restaurant for a similar price to just a hamburger in the restaurant at the waterpark. They also have pizza available.
6) Try to Visit during Week
If possible, plan your visit during the week (Monday – Thursday). We stayed on a Thursday evening, and noticed a significant difference in the number of people and length of lines for water slides between Thursday/Friday morning and Friday afternoon.
Favorite Sites to Visit Nearby:
- Wyandotte County Lake Park (91st Street & Leavenworth Road – approx. 10 minutes away) – Beautiful lake setting with large playground, hiking trails
- Union Station/Crown Center (approx. 20 minutes away) – Many free activities, plus Omaha Children’s Museum members receive Free Admission to Science City (Valid at time of posting. Verify for participation before visiting).
- Deanna Rose Farmstead (13800 Switzer Rd, Overland Park, KS – approx. 25 minutes away) – Admission: Free or $2/person depending on day/time of week.
See Also:
Disclosure: Special thanks to Great Wolf Lodge, Kansas City, for offering my family a media rate for our stay. All opinions are my own.
