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“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list”
Quote by Susan Sontag, but it pretty much sums up my life! And since I have not been everywhere… yet, I am so excited to have Nancy, from Miles for Family sharing her review of Great Wolf Lodge Southern California with the Momma To Go readers!
Photo credit: knitsteel via VisualHunt.com / CC BY-SA
Great Wolf Lodge Southern California
Last month, my family spent two nights at Great Wolf Lodge Southern California. This was our third visit to Great Wolf Lodge, as we have visited the one near our home in Texas twice before.
The hotel is located just two miles from Disneyland Resort on Harbor Boulevard, so it’s a convenient add-on to a Disney vacation. Find out if Great Wolf Lodge Southern California is a good fit for your family!
photo of Great Wolf Lodge Southern California. Photo courtesy of Great Wolf Lodge
Great Wolf Lodge Southern California Rooms
One of the things I love about Great Wolf Lodge is that it offers many room options for larger families. Most rooms fit at least six people, which is great for my family of five that often has fewer options.
For this trip, we booked a Standard Family Suite with two queen beds and a sofa bed.
The room also had a refrigerator and microwave.
Great Wolf Lodge also has themed rooms at a higher cost. In the location near Dallas, we have splurged on the KidCabin Suite in the past. Our kids loved having their own sleeping area with a separate TV!
Tip: If you booked a standard suite, ask about the price of an upgrade to a themed suite at check-in.
Great Wolf Lodge Southern California Waterpark
Waterpark passes are included in the room rate, and only overnight guests can enter the park. The indoor waterpark is HUGE, and, there is something for every age level. The best part is that no sunscreen is necessary!
There is a large indoor splash area with small slides for the younger crowd. The park also has a larger play structure for older kids that includes taller slides, water squirt areas and a big bucket water dump. My 13-year-old can’t get enough of the wave pool. It’s just like being at the beach!
My youngest loves the lazy river that is the perfect depth for kids. My 9-year-old will go on the big slides over and over again. The Howlin’ Tornado takes you down a large outdoor funnel, and the River Canyon Run is a raft ride that will fit your entire family.
Great Wolf Lodge Southern California also has an outdoor saltwater pool open during daylight hours.
When you stay just one night at Great Wolf Lodge, you can use the waterpark from 1:00 p.m. on your check-in day until the park closes on your check-out day. That’s a lot of time in the water!
Great Wolf Lodge Southern California Tip: Wear water shoes, as the floor can get slippery in some spots.
Other Entertainment at Great Wolf Lodge Southern California
If you get waterlogged, don’t worry. There’s so much more to do at the resort! Great Wolf Lodge is really a self-contained theme park.
Some of the entertainment costs extra like bowling, glow-in-the-dark miniature golf, MagiQuest wand adventure, arcade games and the Howly Wood XD Theater. If you plan to splurge on some of these extra, consider purchasing a Paw Pass to save on a bundled package.
However, Great Wolf Lodge also offers plenty of other entertainment that is included in the price of your room. The wolf characters Wiley, Violet and Oliver make appearances throughout the day. While we were there, my daughter attended the nightly pajama party that included a dance, clock tower show and story time with Violet.
For extra themed entertainment, consider staying during October or December to experience Howl-O-Ween and Snowland activities. During a previous stay at the Texas location in December, it snowed in the lobby!
Tip: If you have an upcoming trip, add a Paw Pass to your child’s birthday or holiday wish list for extended family. My kids’ grandparents gave them Paw Passes for Christmas one year, and they were a big hit!
Great Wolf Lodge Southern California Food Options
Since the rooms have microwaves and refrigerators, we have always brought some of our own food. However, Great Wolf Lodge has many options on-site.
The Great Wolf Lodge Southern California has a Dunkin’ Donuts downstairs. It’s very convenient for a quick breakfast sandwich or donuts.
There are also two counter service grills inside the waterpark and two quick options just outside of the waterpark. Splitting a large pizza at the Hungry as a Wolf restaurant is an economical way to feed the whole family!
The resort has two full-service restaurants, Lodge Wood Fired Grill and the Loose Moose Family Kitchen. We were so starving one night that we splurged on the dinner buffet at the Loose Moose. It’s a little pricey, but the food was much better than I anticipated! We enjoyed the selection and quality, plus we stuffed ourselves with desserts.
Great Wolf Lodge Southern California Tip: Consider walking to a nearby restaurant for additional less expensive options. My family walked to Dairy Queen for a quick bite and treat!
What about Disneyland?
Great Wolf Lodge Southern California does provide free transportation to Disneyland. However, I don’t recommend it as a home base for visiting the Disneyland parks. My family is always exhausted after walking around all day, and I couldn’t picture us combining these activities.
On our trip, we stayed close to Disneyland for three nights while we toured the parks. Then, we moved to Great Wolf Lodge for two nights so that we could focus solely on the resort’s activities.
Getting the Best Price at Great Wolf Lodge Southern California
Rooms at Great Wolf Lodge are not cheap! Here are some ways to reduce the cost:
- Stay on a weekday while school is in session. I know with kids that isn’t always feasible, but those are the cheapest rates.
- Create an account at Great Wolf Lodge online to qualify for special “member” rates.
- Watch your emails for flash sales. I just booked an overnight at the Great Wolf Lodge near us during a 48-hour sale!
- Always check the “Special Offers” tab to see what promo codes are currently available.
- AAA members can save! Put AAA into the promo code box, and the site will prompt you to enter your AAA number.
- Check Groupon and Living Social for special rates. Our local Great Wolf Lodge has deals on these sites a few times a year.
- Use your credit card reward points to stay for free! Check out the Barclaycard Arrival Plus, which allows you to erase travel purchase with points. The current bonus is 40,000 points, worth $400 in free travel!
Have you stayed at Great Wolf Lodge Southern California or another location? What do you think?
Nancy is a contributing writer at Miles For Family, which focuses on family travel using credit card sign-up bonuses and rewards. She lives in a suburb of Dallas with her husband and three kids ages 6, 9 and 13.
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So cool! I can’t wait to take my son to the GWL near us!
What a fantastic resort! I’ve added it to the list for the next time I’m on the other coast 🙂
I have been wanting to check out the Great Wolf Lodge near us for so long! I can’t wait to take my daughter when she is older!
Looks like such a great day out and also a great alternative to Disney! A great informative post and really well structured! X
That place looks so fun!!
Thanks for all the tips. Great Wolf Lodge just opened in Colorado this past year and we hope to be able to check it out soon.
I have heard such wonderful things about Great Wolf Lodge. The themed suites look really cool; I’ll have to remember these tips.
Such a cool idea for a family trip! Growing up in Germany I haven’t been to the Great Wolf Lodge but I’ve spent some time in California so reading about great places there is super great. Always makes me happy to learn about it 🙂
I smiled when I read the first recommendation to get the best price. That’s what some of my son’s friends’ parents did. If only they give prices like that once or twice during summertime.
that is true! Although I thought that the one here in PA does give some discounts in the summer (as opposed to a winter time school holiday- peak prices) because our outdoor season is so short here in the NE, who wants to go to an INDOOR water park in the summer?
I’d love to go to a Great Wolf Lodge. There is one near us in Kansas City, but we haven’t been yet. My daughter really doesn’t do water slides, so it seems like she wouldn’t get much out of it right now. She loves the pool, though. Maybe my husband and I should just go!
Wow! This place looks like a destination itself. I bet it is perfect for kids with all the fun activities to do and the kid themed room.
I want to stay at one of these resorts!
this looks like an incredible place, from the themed kids rooms to that massive water park!!! incredible
My son wants to go to a Great Wolf Lodge so bad…I always so MAYBE and it doesn’t happen. Maybe some of these tips will help me save and it will seem more doable! Thank you!
I know my kids keep asking too!
Looks like a fabulous place to stay. Would love to visit. Great photos !!
This looks like such a cool resort, I wish we had these in the U.K.!
We are massive fans of water parks! Looks fab!
We’ve been to the new Great Wolf Lodge in Colorado Springs. It was a fun time close to home. Although our daughter enjoyed the dry activities best!
“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list” – Is pretty much the what I say to people when they ask about my travels 😀 (I just hope I get to see them all ) The lodge looks like a great getaway for families, however in saying that as somebody who doesn’t have kids – I could still see myself enjoying myself here 😀
I know! They should have one of these for grown ups!
We are just getting one in our city. My youngest child is now 12 years old. I hope that she will be keen to spend a night there once it arrives!
I wish we had one closer – the PA one is about two hours away (contingent on traffic)
I keep meaning to try out a Great Wolf Lodge! I think they offer homeschool discounts sometimes….I might have to try it then!
I’ve heard such great things about this place! Looks awesome! xo
Currently looking at so cal for a hol so useful reading
#fearlessfamtrav
We just moved from LA but I was always so curious about the new Great Wolf Lodge! Thanks for the great overview, we’ll definitely have to check it out when we get back to the states.
I have heard great things about this place. It looks and sounds amazing! Thanks for the tips.
I have heard great things about this place. It looks and sounds amazing! Thanks for the tips. #bebevoyage
It looks like a great place. I love the KidCabin Suite concept, my littles would love that too. We will be in Colorado soon to visit family, will check out the one there. Thanks for linking up with #bebevoyage
I’ve been wanting to visit a Great Wolf Lodge! This one looks like lots of fun.
That looks incredible! The pool and splash area is so large – and it looks like they’re well set up for family travel. Nice Susan Sontag quote. One of my favourites
I love the alternative to Disney (which I bet is much more expensive!). I’d like to get out to Southern California again in the future and will definitely add this place to my list as an option!
Plus they have great wolf lodge properties around the US. By me there is one in PA
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