Please notice that this Nice Wolf Lodge evaluation may be very particular to the Harmony, North Carolina location as that’s the solely location now we have visited as a household, nevertheless they’ve a number of places all around the United States and plenty of look like very related.
I formatted this evaluation put up primarily based off the questions you guys despatched my manner on Instagram however you probably have any questions you’d like me to deal with that you simply don’t see the solutions to beneath, merely let me know within the feedback part and I’ll remember to get again to you!
Disclosure: Our household has been invited to Nice Wolf Lodge for a media go to previously however we’ve paid for our keep and returned to go to on our personal as properly. This put up shouldn’t be sponsored or affiliated with GWL in any manner and is an sincere rundown of our experiences as patrons of the Harmony, NC location a number of occasions over.
Nice Wolf Lodge Overview
Nice Wolf Lodge Lodge
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What age is finest for a first-time go to?
(Flashback image from our first go to in 2018)
We visited Nice Wolf Lodge for the primary time when Chase was 3.5 years outdated and Ryder was 6 months outdated and had the very best time. They each beloved the water park and numerous actions and Chase thought it was enjoyable to try MagiQuest (we simply purchased him a wand and he went round lighting issues up however couldn’t actually do it but).
Quick ahead six years and I now assume the candy spot for Nice Wolf Lodge actually exists for ages 4+ and possibly even 5+. At this age, they’re sufficiently old to do many of the actions, they don’t must nap they usually can have a blast in additional areas of the water park however they will nonetheless take pleasure in a number of the youthful child actions (crafts, story time, character meet-and-greets) as properly.
Tip: I extremely advocate testing the Discover by Age instrument on the Nice Wolf Lodge web site to see what actions may match finest and be essentially the most acceptable in your youngsters’ ages.
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What time of 12 months do you want to go to?
We’re ALL about winter visits to Nice Wolf Lodge for a myriad of causes: First, by the point we go to in December, it’s usually been months since our boys have had the prospect to swim, in order that they’re further psyched for some pool/water park time. Second, the lodge is totally decked out for the vacations as a part of their annual Snowland celebration so it feels further magical. (Actually simply strolling into the foyer will get our youngsters SO excited!)
They’ve a faux-snowfall happen within the foyer twice a day and Christmas music is enjoying within the halls, including to the vacation magic. Plus, most households who go to throughout this time of 12 months appear to actually lean into the vacation magic so that you’ll see lots of people sporting their matching vacation pajamas 24/7 which is one thing we’ve additionally totally embraced!
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What number of nights do you want to remain for if you go to Nice Wolf Lodge?
We’ve stayed for one evening and two nights and, for our household, one evening is our candy spot. Why? We solely reside half-hour away, so it’s not a protracted journey to get to Nice Wolf Lodge (it’s considered one of our favourite day journeys from Charlotte) and, truthfully, we don’t sleep nice after we go, primarily as a result of we keep up late as a result of our youngsters need to benefit from all of the actions (just like the 9 p.m. snowfall within the lodge throughout Snowland) after which they’re all up earlier than 7 a.m. as a result of they’re so excited to start out the day.
As a substitute of staying two nights, we maximize our single evening keep by arriving within the late afternoon after we go to so we will do the water park, MagiQuest and arcade on day one. Then, we keep all the way in which up till meal time on the second day. Throughout our most up-to-date go to, we paid for a late try (2 p.m.) for our room (it was $69) so we had been in a position to depart our belongings in our room as a result of it’s very, very helpful to have a room to go to if you’re flip-flopping forwards and backwards between so many actions (particularly the water park). After try, we simply locked our belongings within the automotive and went again into the lodge till we had been prepared to move house.
For households touring from farther away, I can see how a two-night keep may make the journey really feel extra worthwhile and I’m pretty sure we’d keep for longer if we had been visiting Nice Wolf Lodge from a farther distance or if we had been making it an enormous household trip with a number of households, buddies, and so on. which we’ve observed lots of people appear to do after they ebook a keep.
One scorching tip: Nice Wolf Lodge usually affords a second evening keep for a significantly discounted worth the day you’re set to take a look at in the event that they aren’t fully full. If we determined we DID need to keep a second evening, we may’ve booked a second evening for round $150 (plus all the additional charges), although we’d’ve needed to change rooms. (You’ll be able to keep in your similar room if nobody else has it booked which might be further handy!) This requires some flexibility however is price protecting in thoughts if you’re versatile.
One other tip: While you examine in on the entrance desk, you’ll have the choice to have your wristband activated so you’ll be able to cost issues on to your room fairly than fear about carrying your bank card round with you. I extremely advocate profiting from this because it’s great to really feel like you’ll be able to depart your room with completely nothing apart from your youngsters!
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What kind of room do you ebook for your loved ones?
There are quite a lot of completely different room choices and we’ve stayed in fairly a number of! After a handful of visits, now we have our most well-liked room selection nailed down and it’s the Youngsters Cabin, one of many themed rooms, which has a separate sleeping space for 3 youngsters (and not using a door although, so that you’re all nonetheless very a lot collectively).
Our boys flip for the bunk mattress and twin mattress within the little log cabin-like youngsters’ sleeping part. (For households with two youngsters, the Child Kamp is an analogous choice with out the additional twin mattress.) The principle space has a queen-size mattress Ryan and I share and in addition has a sleeper couch should you want it. One thing about staying in a themed room actually provides to the thrill for our youngsters, now that they’re slightly older.
Right here’s a photograph tour of the Youngsters Cabin Room:
After we had one toddler and one child, we stayed in a typical household suite and considered one of us shared one of many queen beds with Chase in the primary space, whereas the opposite individual acquired their very own mattress after which we arrange a pack ‘n’ play for Ryder across the nook of a partitioned wall. This was advantageous for an evening or two for our household. One in every of my greatest complaints for GWL lodging is that there aren’t any closets or separate sleeping areas for pack ‘n’ performs for little ones to be fully separated from the household for higher sleep until you need to significantly splurge for one of many premium suites that accommodate 6+ visitors.
One other tip: In case you’re slightly bougie about your pillow if you sleep, for the love of all issues, pack your personal pillow. The pillows at Nice Wolf Lodge are horrendous.
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How do you’re feeling concerning the cleanliness total?
I do know there are set jokes on the market about the way you’re mainly assured to get sick after a go to to Nice Wolf Lodge (or actually some other kids’s play place) however fortunately we haven’t had that occur in our household. Additionally price noting: I’m undoubtedly a type-B individual in terms of freaking out about germs however we do our greatest to scrub palms in any case actions (particularly the arcade) and have discovered our lodge room and the general public loos within the lodge to be clear. Waterpark loos gross me out generally, however this isn’t particular to Nice Wolf Lodge. One thing about water + loos makes me need to gag. Very not often I’ve observed folks neglect to wash up meals or cups in the primary areas but it surely’s by no means been one thing that’s taken away from me feeling like I’m in a comparatively clear surroundings created for teenagers and households.
Nice Wolf Lodge Waterpark
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Inform us concerning the waterpark! Good for all ages?
Nice Wolf Lodge’s indoor waterpark is such a spotlight for our youngsters and an enormous draw, particularly within the colder months when swimming and water play is so restricted. At Nice Wolf Lodge in Harmony, the waterpark is sort of massive with a number of water slides, tube slides, a wave pool, toddler play space, an enormous splash pad treehouse and extra. It’s the primary exercise provided at Nice Wolf Lodge and a “should do” for many households who go to, and for good motive. Whether or not your child is a thrillseeker and needs to fly down quick waterslides, prefers to swim round within the wave pool or simply enjoys splashing in a calmer toddler pool, youngsters of all ages who take pleasure in swimming and water play may have a blast. (Word: The waterpark is nowhere close to the dimensions of your typical out of doors waterpark, but it surely’s loads huge for a day or two of water enjoyable and has by no means felt too small to our household.)
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Can your youngsters do all the waterslides?
Lots of the waterslides have top restrictions (usually between 42” and 48”) so our 9-year-old can do all of them, our 6-year-old can do all however considered one of them and, regardless of a top requirement of 42” (which I truthfully didn’t learn about till I noticed it on their web site when scripting this weblog put up), when our boys have been youthful and smaller, they’ve at all times allow them to do the slower, simpler slides within the water tree home (Totem Towers in Fort Mackenzie), which our 4-year-old likes to do. One big spotlight is that fairly a number of of the waterslides are tube slides two (or extra!) folks can do collectively which makes the waterpark quite a lot of enjoyable for the entire household to expertise collectively.
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My child can’t swim. Will they nonetheless have enjoyable on the waterpark?
After we first went to Nice Wolf Lodge, we had a 3-year-old and a 6-month-old and each had been nowhere close to swimming independently but. They nonetheless had a blast within the toddler space of the waterpark, created only for youthful youngsters.
The power to expertise the waterpark totally may be very restricted, however at their ages, our boys didn’t care and had been thrilled to take a seat on jet skis that squirted water (however not of their faces) and splash round. There’s additionally a bigger, extra standard-size pool (aside from the wave pool) the place they will swim with you, in the event that they really feel snug swimming and and splashing round with an grownup. Additionally, Nice Wolf Lodge gives life jackets should you want one in your baby, although chances are you’ll want to convey your personal if there’s a sure type/suit your baby is used to sporting. (Rhett is sporting one of many offered life jackets within the above image from 2023 if it helps to see what they appear to be!)
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Do you pack your personal towels if you go to the Nice Wolf Lodge waterpark?
We don’t convey our personal towels after we keep in a single day. Nice Wolf Lodge gives towels to visitors that you simply scan out and scan again in utilizing your wristband if you’re carried out utilizing them earlier than you permit the waterpark. When Chase went to the waterpark as a part of a birthday celebration, I packed a towel for him to make use of so this was not one thing he needed to fear about doing on his personal.
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Any negatives to share relating to the waterpark?
That is very particular to me personally, however I completely HATE chilly water and I really feel just like the water at Nice Wolf Lodge could possibly be hotter. Our children have a blast after they’re working round and swimming up a storm but it surely feels just like the minute they decelerate a bit, they’re left shivering and asking for towels. I feel hotter water would assist our whole household final a lot, for much longer on the waterpark and hate that everybody feeling chilly is commonly the rationale we’re carried out with water enjoyable.
Moreover, quite a lot of the waterslides have top restrictions which is comprehensible however a bummer for teenagers who’re *virtually* on the acceptable top however sturdy swimmers. Our huge youngsters (and Rhett, too, truthfully) are very sturdy swimmers and we’ve been grateful that when they’re nearing the required top to journey a sure slide, the lifeguards have provided them slightly little bit of wiggle room.
Additionally, I’m not positive if different Nice Wolf Lodge places have a lazy river, however the Harmony location does notice. I feel an indoor lazy river can be such a beautiful addition to the waterpark, as our youngsters love a lazy river they usually’ve been such a enjoyable exercise for us to do collectively as a household in any respect ages at different waterparks we’ve visited.
One extra notice: It may be fairly loud within the indoor waterpark, with a number of youngsters enjoying and in addition with numerous water spray stations, the large bucket of water within the treehouse space spilling over, and so on. I can simply see how this is able to be very, very overwhelming to youngsters who’re slightly nervous concerning the waterpark to start with or those that are simply overstimulated. Simply one thing to bear in mind as you determine whether or not a waterpark go to is the very best match for your loved ones!
Issues to Do At Nice Wolf Lodge
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What are your youngsters’ favourite actions?
For our youngsters, the waterpark and MagiQuest make a visit to Nice Wolf Lodge price it. These two actions are truthfully all they should assume Nice Wolf Lodge is the good place. MagiQuest is an absolute blast for them (extra on this beneath) they usually additionally love splashing round within the waterpark. We’ve been to Nice Wolf Lodge a handful of occasions at this level so the extra actions they take pleasure in outdoors of those two issues have different a bit in response to their ages. They’ve at all times beloved the arcade, in order that’s one other must-do for our household. We’ve additionally had enjoyable bowling (it’s a mini bowling alley, so splendid for small youngsters) and gem mining (that is small as properly) however now we have but to attempt laser tag, mini golf, Construct-a-Bear and the XD theater.
Of their youthful years, our boys have actually loved the character-led dance events within the foyer (particularly throughout Snowland when it “snows”), arts and crafts tasks and the scavenger hunts led by Nice Wolf Lodge employees, however these actions can differ relying on if you keep.
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Do you assume the Paw Passes are price it? Which one would you advocate?
I feel this relies so, a lot on what your youngsters take pleasure in and the way a lot you’re planning on doing throughout your go to. We’ve carried out passes previously (they had been nice for after we had been first stepping into MagiQuest as they included a wand) and our boys actually loved them as a result of they basically gave them a guidelines of issues they knew they may do and check out throughout our go to. Most actions at Nice Wolf Lodge price extra cash, so should you worth out the actions you’re planning on doing throughout your keep, a move could be price it. Nonetheless, should you seemingly wouldn’t pay to do a number of the actions included in a move, paying as you go may make extra sense financially.
This 12 months, we opted to skip passes as a result of we already had MagiQuest wands and knew we’d be spending most of our time in three places: MagiQuest, the waterpark and the arcade.
Word: There are three move choices — Wolf Go, Paw Go and Pup Go — and costs differ for every move relying on the variety of actions and perks every move comprises. I personally don’t assume the Pup Go is price it for toddlers because it’s mainly a move that will get them a single stuffed animal, and a bunch of sweet/treats.
All about MagiQuest
Throughout our first go to to Nice Wolf Lodge, I had NO thought what MagiQuest was however realized rapidly after noticing a bunch of youngsters working all around the lodge with wands of their palms. MagiQuest is basically an interactive sport the place gamers use a magic wand to finish quests and adventures. Wands permit gamers to work together with objects, defeat legendary creatures, acquire magical objects and progress by numerous ranges of the sport. Quests differ in issue and can take you all around the lodge in the hunt for gems, runes, work, maps, and extra. (We simply stroll 5+ miles up and down the varied flooring of the lodge simply enjoying MagiQuest everytime we go to GWL.)
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What’s the finest age to start out MagiQuest?
MagiQuest is the HIT of Nice Wolf Lodge for our huge youngsters (ages 6 and 9). They’re completely obsessive about finishing numerous quests and assume changing into a Grasp Magi is the good factor on this planet. (Chase additionally went to GWL for a buddies’ birthday celebration this previous fall and his buddies’ mother mentioned the group of 8- and 9-year-olds spent half of the time on the water park and the opposite half of the get together doing MagiQuest collectively, so I don’t assume that is distinctive to Chase!) That being mentioned, whereas youthful youngsters Ryder’s age (6-years-old) can have a beautiful time with MagiQuest, after they’re slightly older (7+) they will learn and do extra of the quests with out the necessity for a grownup to be over their shoulder the entire time which I feel makes it slightly extra enjoyable for them. (We see pre-teens and younger teenagers working throughout GWL with buddies/siblings and no adults they usually at all times appear to be having the very best time finishing the quests.)
At Rhett’s age (4-years-old), we acquired him a wand which let him mild up treasure packing containers, gems and different MagiQuest objects round Nice Wolf Lodge, however we didn’t pay to activate his wand as a result of he didn’t know the distinction and was merely thrilled to have a wand to level at interactive stuff all weekend lengthy.
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Are MagiQuest wands reusable?
Sure! We purchased the massive youngsters’ wands years in the past and pay to reactivate their wands after we go to so wands are a one-time buy you need to use once more for all future visits. We now have paid for brand spanking new wand toppers (they screw into the highest of the wand) as a particular deal with for the boys however their wands are the identical.
Locations to Eat Round Nice Wolf Lodge
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Are there eating places on property?
Sure. Nice Wolf Lodge in Harmony has a myriad of eating choices, together with Unfastened Moose (a buffet-style household restaurant), Lodge Wooden Fired Grill (the nicest however costliest choice), Dunkin’ Donuts, Hungry As A Wolf (our household’s go-to for pizza), Buckets (the waterpark eating choice that gives burgers, fries, alcohol, and so on.) and Bear Paw (for grab-and-go ice lotions, desserts, cupcakes, and so on.). There’s additionally a fill-your-own-cup with sweet station within the reward store.
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How do you deal with meals throughout your keep? Looks as if it may well get costly!
An enormous caveat price sharing: Our children couldn’t care much less about meals and sit-down eating experiences. Eating collectively in a restaurant can be soooo low on their listing of priorities throughout a GWL go to, so it’s not one thing we do throughout our keep. (Going out to eat with our youngsters generally shouldn’t be one thing we like to do as a result of play > meals for all 3 of our boys.)
Just a few food-related issues we do throughout our keep: Most (if not all?) rooms include a mini fridge and we make the most of the heck out of that factor. We fill it with fruit and pre-sliced veggies, yogurt, sandwiches from house, and so on. as a result of contemporary, wholesome meals is difficult to come back by at GWL and our whole household capabilities higher if we aren’t consuming junk 24/7 throughout our keep. (Price noting: Lodge Wooden Fireplace Grill has extra meals choices that attraction to me — salads, salmon, steak, veggie bowls — and I assumed the meals I had there throughout a previous media go to was good. It’s simply not the most suitable choice for our household with youthful youngsters, because it’s a sit down restaurant and we desire grab-and-go on this section of life.)
For breakfast, you’re restricted to the buffet-style restaurant or Dunkin’ Donuts on property however our location is a 60-second drive from probably the greatest donut outlets within the space, so we usually elect to eat fruit and yogurt in our room and head off-site for a deal with at OMGDonuts (and low)!
For lunch, we virtually at all times eat the meals we packed from house and saved in our mini fridge. For dinner, our household at all times orders pizza from Hungry As A Wolf to convey again to our room. (We make the most of the app for this so we will order it forward of time and simply choose it up when it’s prepared.)
We’re additionally a sucker for Dippin’ Dots in our home, in order that’s often our dessert of selection that seize from Bear Paw towards the tip of the evening.
Nice Wolf Lodge Day Go
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Have you ever ever purchased a Nice Wolf Lodge day move and simply gone for at some point? Would you advocate?
I feel a day move is an excellent thought and a improbable choice, particularly should you’re not sure whether or not or not your loved ones would actually love Nice Wolf Lodge, or should you’re feeling anxious about staying the evening with youngsters in a lodge room (particularly throughout the child days — phew)! As a household we’ve by no means purchased a day move and have at all times stayed in a single day, but it surely’s completely one thing I might do and one thing I’ve thought-about, particularly for one of many boys’ birthdays. Chase, our 9-year-old, has been as soon as by a day move for a birthday celebration and thought it was the very best birthday celebration ever.
Price noting: After we’ve priced it out, it has made extra sense financially for our household to ebook a room and keep in a single day within the type of room we usually choose to ebook versus shopping for 5 weekend day passes which, on the weekend, usually run near $100 a chunk. In fact this doesn’t embrace the worth of meals, different actions, and so on. however these are additionally issues chances are you’ll be paying for out of doors of a day move as properly. I’d undoubtedly worth it out earlier than assuming a day move will prevent cash. Day move costs do differ, nevertheless, and you probably have weekday availability, they could be a way more inexpensive choice to look into! I’ve seen day passes as little as $50 and as excessive as $130, and the pricing seems to be very calendar-dependent with holidays and weekends being the most costly. Half day passes are additionally out there with waterpark entry from 4 p.m. to closing.
Tip: We’ve had buddies ebook a day move, and both on the day they had been set to reach or the day earlier than, they acquired an e-mail from Nice Wolf Lodge asking in the event that they needed to ebook a room as a significantly discounted price, so maintain a watch out should you may need to keep in a single day and have a day move booked.
Query of the Day
Have you ever ever been to Nice Wolf Lodge? If that’s the case, please share any suggestions, tips or suggestions beneath for anybody who hasn’t been earlier than!
In case you haven’t been to Nice Wolf Lodge and would love one thing addressed that I didn’t cowl within the above weblog put up, please be happy to ask beneath!
