Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg Resort in VA Review
Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg Resort in VA Review
If your family is considering a trip to Great Wolf Lodge, specifically Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg, be sure to read this ultimate family review of Great Wolf Lodge first to get details on lodging, food, amenities, cost and everything you have ever wanted to know plus more about this family-friendly resort in Williamsburg, VA! You may be coming for the indoor waterparks and water slides at Great Wolf Lodge, but the entire family will go home exhausted and happy in the most family friendly hotels across the United States!
Ultimate Family Review Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg
Did Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg Virginia live up to the hype that everyone shares? All of our family and friends that have been to Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg raved about their experience. We had an AMAZING time at Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg and cannot wait to return soon. The boys are already asking when we are heading back, so all parents will know this means a good trip!
What is the Best Age to Take My Kids to Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg?
Great Wolf Lodge is designed for ages 7-13 as the primary target age.
However, my 3- and 5-year-old had a blast just as much as my 7 year old. Great Wolf Lodge does a great job of diversifying the experience for various age groups. For example, while at the water park at Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg my 3-year-old enjoyed the younger kid area with slides, interactive water play, and shallow pool while my older kids were able to also have age-appropriate options.
This was the reason why Great Wolf Lodge is a perfect family destination because children of all ages are happy and engaged and entertained. Noone feels left out and it is an all around great trip for all.
What are the must do attractions while at Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg?
You absolutely must head to the Great Wolf Lodge water park while there. While most families spend the bulk of their time at the water park, we enjoyed all of the other fun too!
MagiQuest Adventure Game -
MagiQuest helps you fully immerse yourself in Vellara, the realm of imagination, as you help the Guardians to protect the Realm Portals. Along the way, befriend the Treetop Pixies in the forest realms, battle the evil dragon, Charlock, recover stolen jewels from the Goblin King, and earn the title of Master Magi while having a lot of fun.
MagiQuest turns the hallways and walkways, and lobby of the hotel into an interactive experience with magical items and actual game that will keep your child running, exploring and interacting with every hallway and piece of artwork and fixture on the wall and ceiling. If your child enjoys playing video game options then Magiquest will be a hit.
Bowling
This smaller lane alley was so much fun for our first-time kid bowlers. The helpful staff at Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg told us to come bowl between 10am-12pm and/or 3-5pm because most families would be at the water park. This was super helpful advice and paid off!
Arcade
Laser Tag
It’s a small area and each group goes for 5 minutes. We were able to do Laser Tag with just our family which was perfect for our younger aged kids!
Build A Bear
Gem Mining
What is Included with your Stay at Great Wolf Lodge?
Most importantly, your room at Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg includes water park passes to use each day during your reservation!
Great Wolf Lodge does an amazing job of planning free activities in the lobby all day through the evening available to join. Each stay at a Great Wolf Lodge includes access to the water park and free activities in the lobby. These free activity schedule can be found on a sign at the lobby desk or on the Great Wolf Lodge app. Free Great Wolf Lodge activities in the lobby include things like arts and crafts, charades, yoga, character appearances, story time and dance parties, depending on when your visit occurs. My children LOVE the free activities in the lobby, and they are so easy because you do not need to sign up for them just show up for the ones your children are interested in!
How Many Nights Does My Family Need at Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg?
We stayed at Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg for 2 nights. This was the perfect amount of time to experience everything on the kids Pup Pass and Wolf Passes.
I know the majority of families reported to me that they usually stay one night at Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg, and this is definitely a way to keep costs down a lot, but I think your family would be extremely rushed to fit it all in. There is no way we could have drug our kids out of Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg after one night. They would have revolted on us big time!
Even after staying two nights and packing in TONS of fun during the two nights at Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg it is definitely a place that we could return, and the boys would still enjoy as much as they did the first time.
Do My Kids Need the Pup, Paw or Wolf Pass While at Great Wolf Williamsburg?
YES! YES! YES! Your family needs to add on the Pup, Paw, or Wolf Pass to your stay at the Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg location. The Pup Pass was great for our 3-year-old and the Wolf Passes were perfect for our 5- and 8-year-old.
The value of the pass is far more than the out-of-pocket cost. The pass made it so fun to check out activities that Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg has to offer that we may have totally missed if not.
We checked off every item on this list for each kid and pass during our Great Wolf Lodge stay. The only add on activity we did while at Great Wolf Lodge was the mining activity and that cost approximately 10$ a kid. We got a discount on this activity due to having the pass, which was awesome.
You can read more about the various passes Great Wolf Lodge offers, and which one may be good for your family here.
The boys LOVED racing around the resort to check off the items on their passes. We also felt this was helpful when it was time to leave Great Wolf Lodge. We explained that we did everything on the pass, and it was time to leave. It really seemed to help the boys leave vs being super bummed we had to leave such a cool place.
If you are a return guest at Great Wolf Lodge, the pass may not be necessary if you are bringing your Magi Quest wand back to the resort with you. However, I do plan on purchasing the passes for the kids even if we go back because it added such fun and value to our trip!
What Do I Need to Know About Great Wolf Lodge Indoor Water Park?
Seriously, there is something for every age group at the Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg water park. Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg is a 67,000-square-foot indoor water park that is an amazing attraction for families and kids of all ages. Your family will spend a TON of time at the Great Wolf Lodge Indoor Water Park, so read my review here to have all of the details before you go. From zero entry area at the wave pool lounging to outdoor pool fun in the warm summer months in Virginia, the indoor water park is the major hit and show stopper of Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg!
What are the Dining Options at Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg?
There are so many options for food at Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg. I was impressed by the ability to find healthy options while on Great Wolf Lodge property too.
For sit down dining, there is the Loose Moose Bar & Grill which is located on the main floor right off of the lobby. It has a ton of seating, and we were able to walk in during peak dinnertime and be seated immediately which was nice. Loose Moose Bar & Grill is a buffet style restaurant. The boys engulfed their chicken nuggets and potato wedges and deemed them delicious and were so impressed by the dessert options. For all 5 of us to eat dinner at the Loose Moose Bar & Grill buffet and each have an adult beverage, our total was around $125. I definitely would skip the buffet dinner during our next visit to save money.
Hungry As a Wolf was delicious - and most families cannot go wrong with pizza! The large pizza was 16.99 and you could add soda or other items to your meal. They also have salads available at this dining location. Hungry As a Wolf is located on the first floor by the water park. You can grab a buzzer at peak dinner times and head off to the bowling alley, laser tag, or arcade while waiting which was great. We will definitely return to this option next visit.
Buckets Incredible Craveables was a food option we frequented often while in the water park. We got the large size of the meals available (cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets with fries) and shared. We knew the boys would not want to sit down for an entire meal while at the water park so sharing was a great way to get some food in their bodies before they ran off. We also got the refillable cup for 9.99 here and were able to refill around the park during our stay for free. Definitely recommend grabbing this cup while at Great Wolf Lodge. The service was really fast too!
Grizzly Rob’s Bar is located inside the water park for adult beverages. My husband loved this option because Grizzly Rob’s has two TV’s and he could grab a quick sports update while also keeping his eyes on our kids.
Freshwoods Market was a gem! It had great healthy options for snacks or meals.
Dunkin Donuts is available in the lodge on the main floor but was PACKED with parents needing coffee in the mornings. We brought our own doughnuts to Great Wolf Lodge and ate them for breakfast in the room.
Can I Bring My Own Food to Great Wolf Lodge?
YES! Great Wolf Lodge is totally fine with guests bringing food onto the premises as long as it’s consumed in your room. We brought donuts and snacks for the boys to have, and I am so glad we did. All rooms have a mini fridge, microwave and a Keurig as well.
Great Wolf Lodge has an on-site restaurant and dining options that are family and kid friendly easy meals at the water park and on site like chicken tenders, pizza and hot dogs, as well as Dunkin donuts! But I would recommend packing snacks and your own food for the room to save money. Each Great Wolf Lodge room has a mini fridge We pack fruit for breakfast, prepacked snacks to have to refuel after a long day at the Great Wolf Lodge water park and running around for Great Wolf Lodge Magiquest.
Ideas for snacking for the hotel room:
Granola Bars
Pretzels
Goldfish
Fruit
Crackers
Gatorade
Dining Packages at Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg
You can add dining packages to your Great Wolf Lodge stay but we opted not to do this since we live an hour away and had room in our car to pack a ton of snacks and breakfast foods. If we were traveling from afar or did not bring food from home, this would be a more economical way to eat and would be a great way to pay ahead and then not worry about food costs when you are on family vacations.
Why Do I Need a Wristband at Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg?
At check in at Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg you will receive your family’s wristbands. These are SO IMPORTANT! Put them on immediately so you do not lose. Your wristbands are key during your time at Great Wolf Lodge as they get you into your room, allow you to charge food, drinks, gifts, etc.
As a mom of 3 tiny humans who normally has to lug everyone’s items around the wristband was a favorite for me. I didn’t need ANYTHING as we navigated the resort.
What is the check in process like at Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg?
Check in time at Great Wolf Lodge is 4pm. However, Great Wolf Lodge front desk welcomes you as early as 1pm on the day of check in. If your room isn’t ready, you can still grab your wristbands and start having fun and bring your items to your room when its ready. If your family wants to pack in the fun and are only staying one night, arriving at 1pm ready to go is the way to go!
The day of check in I received an email from Great Wolf Lodge with pre-check in details. I filled this out and it made the process so much faster and smoother. The pre-check-in form would be extremely helpful if you are traveling and checking in during a high traffic time of year or time of day. The hotel lobby has luggage carts to grab which I would highly recommend, especially if your room is at the end of the hallway.
What Time is Check Out at Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg?
Check out time during a family vacation always feels so depressing. But the true gift of check out at Great Wolf Lodge is that you can stay on property the day of check out until the water park closes.
We packed our items and put in the car at 11am so the staff could turn the room over for the next guests and headed right back inside!
We stayed on Great Wolf Lodge property until 6pm the day we checked out. I loved the freedom to leave the Great Wolf Lodge resort when we were ready vs feeling rushed to leave.
What Room Should I Book for My Family?
This answer varies depending on the size of your family and the ages of your children. Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg has 3 types of rooms: Standard, Themed or Premium. We stayed in a suite which was great for our family of 5 to have space. If you would like to see a tour of this space, you can watch a video here that I filmed showing the large suite in more detail. Most rooms have a day bed / sofa bed as well which is helpful for family vacations and spreading out!
You could easily book a smaller space if you are not planning on being in the room outside of sleeping and want to save money. All of the rooms at Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg are amazing and kid friendly. Also keep in mind that room rates are cheaper during the week. You can also find the lowest rate by really watching sales and traveling to Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg outside of school breaks and summer.
What Should I Pack / Wear at Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg?
This great wolf lodge packing list is going to have your family prepared for your first visit in no time! Let these simple packing list ideas prepare your family for your first stay with these great wolf lodge tips so you can relax and have so much fun and not stress the entire time! 15 Items You Must Pack for Great Wolf Lodge Successful Trip
The dress code is so relaxed. There were guests walking around in sweatpants and some in bathing suit cover ups. I packed comfortable cotton dresses and flat shoes because I knew we would be walking around a lot. There is no need to pack your fancy apparel for this trip. Comfortable is the way to go!
Keep in mind that your family can arrive at the Great Wolf Lodge resort prior to check-in time on arrival time and enjoy the indoor water park to make the most of your time at Great Wolf Lodge with your family. This is a great way to maximize your fun at the Great Wolf Lodge resort at the time of your visit. If you are planning to arrive early, have your pool bag packed with items your family will need to have on hand prior to being able to unpack in the hotel room.
Is the Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg Day Pass Worth It?
If you have been to Great Wolf Lodge before and live close to the resort, I could see the day pass being helpful to celebrate something on a small scale. It could be a great idea to have a day out for 1:1 with a child or as a reward. However, I think for most guests that go for a guest pass end up spending money on food and other items around the Great Wolf Lodge resort for items that would be included with the room stay. I definitely would recommend booking a stay at Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg vs the day pass to get the entire experience that Great Wolf Lodge has to offer.
The Great Wolf Lodge Day Pass cost is 70$ per person and includes your entrance to the water park. Children 2 and under do not require a day pass.
Are You Looking for More Great Wolf Lodge Tricks / Tips?
Feel free to peruse my Great Wolf Lodge highlight icon on instagram with tons of videos and photos for more in depth review of Great Wolf Lodge as well.
Water Park Review: Great Wolf Lodge VA Great Wolf Lodge Indoor Water Park. The Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg Resort has so much to offer families and the indoor water park area is a huge draw for many visitors.
Ultimate Family Review Great Wolf Lodge Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg is a 67,000-square-foot indoor water park that is an amazing attraction for families and kids of all ages. Your family will spend a TON of time at the Great Wolf Lodge Indoor Water Park, so read my review here to have all of the details before you go. Another portion of Great Wolf Lodge that my children absolutely loved was Great Wolf Lodge Family MagiQuest. MagiQuest helps you fully immerse yourself in Vellara, the realm of imagination, as you help the Guardians to protect the Realm Portals. Along the way, befriend the Treetop Pixies, battle the evil dragon, Charlock, recover stolen jewels from the Goblin King, and earn the title of Master Magi. The MagiQuest game turns the hallways and walkways of the hotel into an interactive experience that will keep your child running, exploring and interacting with every hallway and piece of artwork and fixture on the wall and ceiling.
Are you planning a future visit to Great Wolf Lodge and wondering whether you should purchase a Wolf Pass, Paw Pass or Pup Pass for your child? Let me break down why buying a wolf pass at Great Wolf Lodge for your child is a great idea! We have visited Great Wolf Lodge twice as a family and we have purchased the Wolf Pass on our first visit and during our second visit to Great Wolf Lodge we purchased the Paw Pass and highly recommend purchasing these during your visit next time.
Has your family traveled to or visited Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg before? If so, what was your favorite part of the trip?
Where is Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg Located?
Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg is located at 549 E Rochambeau Dr, Williamsburg, VA 23188.
Great Wolf Lodge is right off of the highway and very easy to get to. You are within close proximity to Walmart and other stores as well as many restaurants and the Williamsburg Outlets. However, your family will not want to leave premises once you arrive at Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg. I would definitely plan to stay on premises the entire time.
Tip: Download the Great Wolf App
Download the Great Wolf app for family event notifications, ordering food, resort map, and more.
