Weekend Getaways=Family Memories
Sometimes you don’t need a week-long vacation to make great family memories.
Sometimes, you just need a change of scenery, a little adventure, and a place where everyone can have fun without spending hours in the car.
That’s exactly what I found during my weekend getaway at Great Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs.
As a travel advisor, I’m always checking out destinations and resorts so I can give my clients honest recommendations based on my own experience-not just what I see in a brochure. And after spending a weekend at Great Wolf Lodge, I can definitely see why it’s such a popular family getaway.
But I’m also going to give you the good, the bad, and the things I’d do differently next time.
Two Nights Is the Sweet Spot
If you’re considering a Great Wolf Lodge getaway, my biggest recommendation is simple:
Stay two nights.
I think that is the perfect amount of time.
Two nights gives you enough time to settle in, enjoy the water park, take advantage of the activities, and actually relax without feeling like you need to stay for an entire week.
One of the things I really liked is that you can start enjoying the resort as soon as you check in—even if your room isn’t ready yet.
So you can arrive, check in, change into your swimsuit, and start having fun.
Spend your first day getting settled and exploring, enjoy a full day at the water park and activities, and then have a little more time on your departure day before heading home.
It feels like a real vacation without requiring a huge amount of time away from work or school.
And let’s be honest—two nights is probably just about right before everyone starts saying, “One more time down the slide!” 😂
It’s So Much More Than a Water Park
Yes, the indoor water park is the star of the show, but there is so much more to do at Great Wolf Lodge.
One of the things that surprised me was how easy it was to fill our time without ever needing to leave the resort.
No loading everyone into the car.
No figuring out where to park.
No driving from one attraction to another.
Everything is right there.
And that makes this such an easy family getaway.
Don’t Overlook the Free Activities
Another thing I really appreciated was the number of complimentary activities available throughout the day.
You don’t have to spend money every time you want to do something.
During our stay, we enjoyed options such as:
- Nighttime dance parties
- Crafts
- Bingo
- Story time
- Family yoga
- Character meets
These activities are a great way to keep everyone entertained without constantly pulling out your wallet.
I also loved that there were options for different ages and interests. After spending the day racing down water slides, you can slow things down with a craft or story time—or keep the energy going with a dance party.
We Purchased the Adventure Park Pass
We also purchased the Adventure Park Pass, which gave us unlimited access to several activities during our stay.
It included:
- Mini golf
- Bowling
- Ropes course
- Rock climbing
The pass also offered discounts on other activities throughout the lodge.
For our family, it was a fun way to experience more of the resort without having to pay separately every time we wanted to try something.
If your family likes to stay busy and wants to experience more than the water park, I definitely recommend looking at the available activity passes and comparing them with the individual activity prices.
My biggest advice?
Look at the entire vacation—not just the room rate.
The activities, food, and extras can all add up, so knowing what your family actually wants to do before you arrive can help you plan your budget.
Additional Activities: Budget for a Little Extra Fun
While there are plenty of activities included with your stay—and the Adventure Pass can cover several of the bigger activities—there are also additional experiences available for an extra cost.
Depending on your family’s interests, you may want to budget for things like Build-A-Bear, gem mining, the arcade, and MagiQuest.
These can be a lot of fun, especially if you have kids who want to experience everything the lodge has to offer. But they can also add up quickly, so I recommend deciding ahead of time what your family is most excited about and setting an activity budget before you arrive.
My travel-advisor tip: Don’t feel like you have to do it all! Between the water park, free activities, the Adventure Pass, and the other entertainment throughout the resort, there is already plenty to keep everyone busy. Pick the extras that your family will enjoy the most and make those part of the adventure.
The Royal Wolf Suite
I stayed in a Royal Wolf Suite, and overall, it was a comfortable option for our getaway.
One thing I always tell my clients is that the “best” room isn’t necessarily the same for every family.
Some families need additional sleeping space. Others want room to spread out. And some families don’t care as much about the room because they’re planning to spend most of their time enjoying the resort.
That’s where having a travel advisor can be helpful.
I can help you look at the different room options and determine what actually makes sense for your family, your budget, and the way you plan to use the room.
Let’s Talk About the Food…
Now for the part where I’m going to be completely honest.
The food was probably my biggest disappointment.
We decided to give The Loose Moose Bar & Grill buffet a try for dinner. I had heard some less-than-great reviews beforehand, but I wanted to experience it for myself.
Unfortunately, the reviews weren’t far off.
The food was mediocre at best, and for the price we paid, I didn’t feel like the buffet was worth it.
The biggest disappointment for me was the lack of vegan options.
When I asked about what was available for someone eating vegan, the chef wasn’t able to clearly identify what was actually safe to eat. For someone with specific dietary needs, that can be frustrating—and concerning.
I would have expected a resort of this size to have a better understanding of common dietary restrictions and a few solid options available.
After that dinner, we decided not to eat at the resort again.
Instead, we DoorDash from a local restaurant, and honestly, that was a much better option for us.
So here’s my honest travel-advisor tip:
If you’re staying at Great Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs, consider eating off-property when you can.
After a long day at the water park, having dinner delivered right to the resort can be incredibly convenient. You don’t have to get everyone dressed, pile back into the car, and head somewhere else.
Food is subjective, of course, and everyone’s experience can be different. But when I recommend a resort to my clients, I want to share the good and the not-so-good.
For us, the food simply wasn’t a highlight of the trip.
Thankfully, there was so much else to enjoy that it didn’t ruin our getaway.
Is Great Wolf Lodge Only for Little Kids?
Absolutely not!
While Great Wolf Lodge is especially popular with families with younger children, I think there’s something for a pretty wide range of ages.
If your family enjoys water slides, games, activities, and having plenty to do, you’re likely to have a great time.
And parents can enjoy one of my favorite things about the whole experience:
You don’t have to plan every minute.
That is a vacation in itself.
A Few Things I’d Keep in Mind
If you’re considering Great Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs, here are my biggest takeaways:
Stay two nights.
It’s enough time to enjoy the resort without turning a quick getaway into a week-long vacation.
Check out the activity passes.
If your family plans to bowl, play mini golf, climb, or use the ropes course, compare the pass options with individual activity prices.
Take advantage of the free activities.
Check the schedule when you arrive. There may be more included with your stay than you realize.
Think carefully about your room category.
Consider the ages and number of people traveling and how much space your family actually needs.
Have a food plan.
Based on our experience, I’d budget for some meals off-property rather than relying entirely on the resort restaurants.
So…Would I Recommend Great Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs?
Yes.
Despite the food disappointment, I would absolutely recommend Great Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs for families looking for a fun, easy weekend getaway.
The indoor water park, activities, complimentary entertainment, and convenience of having everything in one place make it a great option for a short family vacation.
And that’s something I think families sometimes overlook.
A vacation doesn’t have to mean getting on a plane.
It doesn’t have to mean taking a week off work.
And it definitely doesn’t have to mean spending months planning every detail yourself.
Sometimes the best getaway is the one that’s easy to get to, packed with things to do, and just long enough to make some really great memories.
For us, two nights was the sweet spot.
Let Me Plan Your Next Getaway
This is exactly why I love what I do as a travel advisor.
I don’t just book the room.
I help you figure out where to go, where to stay, which room makes sense, what activities are worth adding, how to plan your time, and how to make the most of your budget.
Whether you’re dreaming about a Great Wolf Lodge weekend, a Disney vacation, a cruise, an all-inclusive resort, or your next big family adventure, I’d love to help you plan it.
You make the memories. I’ll plan the details.
Ready to plan your next getaway?
Let’s start planning!