A Day of Play at Great Wolf Lodge Southern California

A  Day of Play at Great Wolf Lodge Southern California

By Donna Biroczky

Last week, I got to fulfill a dream for my kids: visit Great Wolf Lodge here in Southern California! The state’s largest indoor water park, Great Wolf is a resort like no other. Fitting for kids of all ages, including us adults that love water slides, once you park your car – or leave it with the valet – you’re good to go for your entire stay, without ever leaving the property!

Great Wolf Lodge opened in Anaheim in February 2016, joining a double-digit list of other GWL water parks scattered throughout the United States and Canada. Once you walk through the distinctive entry, you’re in a new world. The entire property is themed after an enormous lodge, from the massive fireplace to your left when you enter the lobby to the decor in the rooms. And then the rooms themselves have to be seen to be believed. Rooms are designed with families in mind, and with the latest addition of 18 new Deluxe Wolf Den King Suites, larger families can now all stay in one suite together.

Great Wolf Lodge SoCal

Deluxe Wolf Den King Suites include a built-in wolf’s den with bunk beds for the kids and special animations that respond to MagiQuest wands (available downstairs for purchase when you enroll in a game of MagiQuest), a king-size bed in a private room for mom and dad, and a queen-size bed and sofa sleeper in the main suite area. Each of the two rooms has its own full bathroom, so no sharing or going between rooms in the middle of the night. There are also other levels of rooms available, extending your lodge experience all the way through your visit. Bunk beds, in-room refrigerators, wi-fi, murals, TVs and more, it’s no wonder this is a very popular family destination!

Speaking of middle of the night — Great Wolf Lodge is like a city in itself, with activities and things to do 24/7. The Northern Lights Arcade is open overnight. Another fun activity to play during the day is MagiQuest. It’s an interactive role-playing game, where players assign themselves a name, pick a wand and topper, and head off around the property to fulfill certain tasks. If you’ve never played the game, you’re in for a treat. A full game can take 6-8 hours to complete, but it’s a fun game even if you don’t complete all the levels. Great Wolf Lodge has added on a new knighting ceremony that takes place twice a day (2pm and 7pm) for those who have defeated Charlock, the evil dragon, so be sure to keep room in your schedule to attend if you do play all the way through!

New to Great Wolf Lodge in Anaheim is the Wine Down Service, designed solely for the adults in the group. The signature wine, cheese and dessert pairing program allows parents to “wine down” after a full day of busy activities once the children are asleep. Pairings include Kids Snoring, More Pinot Noir-ing (chocolate truffles and a velvety Pinor Noir) and Rekindle the Bonfire (dark chocolate-covered strawberries with a bottle of Chloe Prosecco) are sure to make your night more special once you’re in your room for the night. Even better, they don’t knock on your door so the kiddos aren’t woken up; you will receive a text to your phone announcing its delivery, so you can sneak out and grab it without any surprise visitors for your “wine down” enjoyment!

General Manager Phil Cunningham has listened to guest feedback throughout his tenure at the lodge to provide guest enhancements and new activities. The day we visited was his last day at the Anaheim lodge, but he leaves the location in good hands. My son went over to thank him for all he did, and he had an engaging conversation for several minutes. My heart always melts a little when an adult, particularly one so busy and in-demand, takes the time to speak to a child or teen and listen to his or her gratitude and joy. Thank you, Mr. Cunningham! You left an impression on my son!

Chef Hany Ali also does an amazing job of ensuring all guests do not go hungry. The Lodge Grill restaurant served us all lunch during our visit and wow, did we all eat well. The children had a buffet available, including everyone’s favorite, gourmet mac and cheese, finishing off with small jars full of candy, like gummy bears and mini M & M’s. My son ate off the adult menu but he’s still a kid inside and that jar of candy was the perfect end to his meal.

The adult food was beyond compare. We started with a butternut squash soup served inside of an acorn squash. Seasoned perfectly, with a velvety consistency, this soup was a wonderful way to start our five-course meal. Next on the menu was an arugula salad with a bread stick, goat cheese, roasted peach slices and a small personal jar of salad dressing. We were all ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the presentation of all the courses — every piece of serving ware seems purposeful yet appealing to the eye.

Our main course was grilled sea bass, which literally melted in my mouth, over risotto, and veal with microgreen topping served over buttery grits. An array of roasted vegetables, such as heirloom carrots and shiseito peppers, sat in between the two protein courses. It got really quiet for a while as everyone enjoyed the food. Dessert was a beautifully plated roasted apple tart and house-made strawberry ice cream. We were so full by then but who wants to send back a dessert plate with anything on it?

One very big deal to know about meals at the Great Wolf Lodge is that they keep everyone’s dietary and medical needs in mind. If you have a child with food allergies, please advise the staff when you book. You will be provided your own special chef to ensure all your child’s food is completely safe and meets their needs and preferences. Isn’t that amazing?

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Spring-a-Palooza at Great Wolf Lodge

Spring-a-Palooza at Great Wolf Lodge

By Kyla
Spring-a-Palooza is in full bloom at Great Wolf Lodge and guests are sure to have a howling good time celebrating the return of spring to the resort. Now through April 16 Great Wolf Lodge is rolling out the colorful spring decorations and making the Grand Lobby Spring-a-Palooza Central. There is even a special character-themed garden for the kids to explore!

Spring-a-Palooza not only means the Great Wolf Lodge will be decked out in all things spring, it also means spring themed entertainment options for guests to enjoy. There will be special spring-inspired activities and events taking place daily. They include Spring Picnic, Bubble Dance Party, Spring-a-Palooza Story Time, Spring Scavenger Hunts, Character Themed Flower Gardens, Jelly Bean Guessing Game, and Spring Themed Crafts.

During the Spring Picnic you can grab a blanket, spread it on the floor, and join Violet for an afternoon picnic in the Grand Lobby. Sip on a complimentary glass of lemonade from Violet’s Lemonade Stand and play a round of “Take a Wiley Guess” card game.

Put on your guessing goggles and check out the gigantic jar filled to the tippy top with jelly beans that sits in the Grand Lobby. Make your best guess for the Jelly Bean Guessing Game with how many candies you think fill up that giant jar. The guests with the guesses closest to the correct number (without going over) will be entered to win a $25 Great Wolf Lodge gift card!

The two Spring Scavenger Hunts will require your best detective skills to find all the items so you can claim your prizes! The “I Spy Spring” scavenger hunt will have you searching the entire Grand Lobby to find a dozen hidden objects. Once you’ve conquered that hunt, then the “Spring Sprint” scavenger hunt has ten clues for you to solve that will take you on a journey through the lodge and ends with a sweet prize!

Even the food is celebrating during Spring-a-Palooza! The new spring menu items features fresh and delicious spring vegetables, delicious honey glazed backed salmon, wild mushroom risotto, and stuffed chicken with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and goat cheese. If you thought you were going to get chicken nuggets and french fries, you were sorely mistaken! Executive Chef Hany Ali has so much more planned for your palates and tummies!

Along with the Spring-a-Palooza beginning in March, Great Wolf Lodge Southern California also celebrate its first birthday!!! To commemorate this exciting occasion artist Linda Mihara was commissioned to create the world’s largest origami birthday cake! Standing 9 feet tall and taking more than 2 weeks to create, this work of art is topped with what else – a howling wolf!!!

General Manager Phillip Cunningham shared his gratitude for the Southern California community for making the Great Wolf Lodge’s first year such a success. He treated those in attendance to delicious cupcakes and the beautiful origami birthday cake. An origami cake was chosen because the first anniversary gift is supposed to be paper and what says paper better than a giant paper cake!

 There are so many fun things happening at Great Wolf Lodge during Spring-a-Palooza – you will definitely want to take your family to enjoy all spring fun the resort has waiting for you! It’s only here until April 10th, so grab your swimming suits, pack your bags, and spend your spring break at the Great Wolf Lodge.

Kyla Armstrong is the creator and writer of the Orange County crafty lifestyle blog Funky PolkaDot Giraffe. When she isn’t writing for her site, you can find her busy crafting, baking, juggling three kids, and trying to steal a moment for herself in the pages of a good book. You can keep up with her Southern California adventures on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Hard Hat Tour at the Great Wolf Lodge near Disneyland! | #GWLSoCal @GreatWolfLodge

Hard Hat Tour at the Great Wolf Lodge near Disneyland!

By Erin

Get ready SoCal! Great Wolf Lodge Southern California is a first-class, full service, indoor water park resort that is in the works to open its doors in early 2016. The other week I was invited to participate in the Hard Hat Tour at the Great Wolf Lodge as it is currently under construction. We even had a very special tour guide… 😉

Great-Wolf-Hard-Hats

Located on Harbor Boulevard in Garden Grove, it’s just down the road from Disneyland. I am very happy to report that it is on schedule to open in February 2016. The first indoor water park resort in Southern California, it is designed to impress with a 105,000 square f00t water park including over 4,000 feet of water slides exclusive to resort guests in woodsy-themed rooms (some with bunk beds) sleeping anywhere from 4 to 8 guests.

Great Wolf Lodge So Cal

What can you expect during a stay at the Great Wolf Lodge?

Accommodations:

  • Family Suite – Sleeps up to 6 guests. The Family Suite features two queen beds and a full sofa sleeper.
  • Double Queen Suite – Sleeps up to 4 guests. The Double Queen Suite features two queen beds.

Kids Bunk Beds

  • Wolf Den Suite® – Sleeps up to 6 guests. The Wolf Den features a queen bed, full sofa sleeper and a themed Wolf Den, complete with a set of bunk beds.
  • KidCabin® Suite – Sleeps up to 7 guests. The KidCabin suite features a queen bed, full sofa sleeper and a Great Wolf Kids-themed KidCabin complete with bunk beds and a twin bed.

Great Wolf Lodge Rooms

  • Grizzly Bear Suite – Sleeps up to 8 guests. The Grizzly Bear Suite features two private bedrooms, one with a private master bedroom with a king bed and full bathroom and a second bedroom with two queen beds.The main area includes a full sleeper sofa and a second bathroom.
  • Grand Bear Suit-Sleeps up to 8 guests. The Grand Bear Suite features a private master bedroom with a king bed and a full bathroom. The main area includes two queen beds, a full sofa sleeper and a second bathroom.

Great-Wolf-Lodge-Resort-Room-Animals

  • Great Bear Suit- Sleeps up to 6 guests. The Great Bear Suite features two queen beds and a semi-private living room complete with a private master bedroom with queen bed.
  • Great Bear King- Sleeps up to 6 guests. The Great Bear King Suite features two queen beds and a semi-private living room complete with a private master bedroom with king bed.

Indoor Waterpark

*Great Wolf Lodge Southern Califormia’s 105,000 square foot indoor water park is exclusive to resort guests.*

  • Fort Mackenzie® – Multi-level tree house water fort that combines suspension bridges, treetop slides, swinging cargo nets and spray stations. The park’s signature tipping bucket dumps one thousand gallons of water every four minutes.
  • Totem Towers – Five three-story body slides attached to Fort Mackenzie.
  • Wolf Tail™ – 360-degree thrill ride with a vertical plunge through a trapdoor into an enclosed tunnel.
  • Howlin’ Tornado™ – Six-story funnel slide.

GWL-SoCal-Water-Slide-Garden-Grove-Disneyland

  • River Canyon Run™ – A 476 foot long family raft ride.
  • Alberta Falls® – Two four-story enclosed tube slides.
  • Coyote Cannon – Pipe-style spiral flume ride with a 40’ drop.
  • Mountain Edge Raceway® – Four-story water slide with body surfing mat allows riders to race one another as they slide down the hills.

Great-Wolf-Lodge-WaterPark

  • Whooping Hollow – Kiddie slides exclusively for guests under 48” tall.
  • Slap Tail Pond® – Gigantic wave pool complete with waves reaching up to three feet in height as they roll through every five minutes.
  • Chinook Cove – Water playground for children of all ages featuring basketball and floating obstacles.
  • Big Foot Pass – Unique water obstacle challenges kids and adults alike to balance on floating logs and lily pads and hold on to hanging nets as they try to get across the pool.
  • Crooked Creek – Winding lazy river.
  • Cub Paw Pool – Zero-depth entry children’s pool with water fountain features and spray-and-play adventures.
  • Raccoon Lagoon® – Zero-depth entry pool extends the water park fun outdoors.
  • Wolf Rider Wipeout – Double indoor surf simulator with ocean-like waves that reach five feet; perfect for knee-boarding and surfing.

Dining

It’s no secret that I enjoy checking out new places to dine at! I can’t wait to try all of these!

  • Lodge Wood Fired Grill® – Full service a la carte restaurant open for lunch and dinner with delectable shareables and unique signature items to create the perfect place to eat.
  • Hungry as a Wolf® – Family meals on the go for lunch and dinner featuring fresh made pizza, sandwiches, salads and pasta.
  • Bear Paw Sweets & Eats™ – Confectionary that offers a variety of treats, such as fresh-baked pastries, ice cream, lodge-made fudge and more.

GWL-Foodie

*Fresh made fudge from Bear Paw Sweets & Eats and Donuts from Dunkin Donuts. Yum!*

  • Buckets Incredible Craveables® – Located inside the water park, the casual menu offers burgers, hot dogs, French fries, cold beverages, ice cream and more.
  • Loose Moose Family Kitchen – Open for breakfast and dinner, this buffet style restaurant has options for the entire family.
  • Grizzly Jack’s Bar and Grill – Located by the outdoor water park and with a variety of food and drinks to choose from, this is the place to refuel for more fun in the sun.
  • Dunkin’ Donuts® – America’s favorite all-day stop for coffee and baked goods, right in the resort.

Attractions and Entertainment

  • Character Appearances – Daily appearances with Wiley® the Wolf and Violet® the Wolf.
  • Story Time – The entire family gathers in the Grand Lobby each evening to hear a story about the Great Wolf Kids characters before bedtime.
  • Wolf Walk™ – Learn about the many animals and wildlife living in the Northwoods, and make an origami wolf to take home.
  • MagiQuest® – Battle dragons, befriend a pixie and wave a magic wand in this live-action adventure game throughout the resort. The games features three unique chapters, each with their own challenges and quests.
  • The Great Wolf Kids® Program – Daily activities for kids that take place around the resort, including dance parties, face painting and games such as Wiley bingo, character floor memory and character trivia.
  • Howly Wood® XD Theater – This motion thrill ride transports riders directly into the movie action with every effect amplified creating an unforgettable experience.

GWL-Entertainment

  • Howl at the Moon™ Mini Golf – 9-hole themed indoor miniature golf course.
  • Northern Lights™ Arcade – More than 100 interactive video and redemption games that allow guests to redeem points for prizes.
  • Scooops® Kid Spa – A unique spa created just for kids complete with ice cream-themed manicures, pedicures and more. Each service also includes a real ice cream treat.
  • Ten Paw Alley™ – Family-style bowling with pint-sized bowling balls.
  • Clubhouse Crew – Interactive scavenger hunt through the resort starring the Great Wolf Kids characters.  Perfect experience for the resort’s youngest guests.
  • Lazer Frenzy – Exciting arcade-style game with the latest in touch and LED technology. Players can see who is fastest as they dart between the “laser beams.”

Shopping

  • Buckhorn Exchange™ Gift Shop – Remember a Great Wolf Lodge adventure by taking home the perfect souvenir.
  • Bear Essentials™ Swim Shop – From flip flops to swimwear, Bear Essentials has it all and is conveniently located in the water park.
  • Great Wolf Kids® Store – Find a Great Wolf Kids character on an assortment of apparel, toys, drinkware and more.

Conference Center

GWL-Conference-Room

*Featuring over 20,000 sq. feet of meeting and banquet space with 12 separate and configurable meeting rooms.*

Seasonal Events

*Month-Long Seasonal Events*

  • Howl-O-Ween™ – October
  • Family-friendly Halloween celebration all month long featuring:
    • Trick-or-Treat Trail
    • Spooktacular Story Time
    • Daily Costume Parade
    • Monster Bash Dance Party
  • Snowland® – December
  • The resort is transformed into a winter wonderland complete with:
    • Daily snow showers in the Grand Lobby
    • Special appearances by Santa Claus
    • Dine in the life-size Gingerbread House
    • North Pole University

For more info  on Great Wolf Lodge– Garden Grove, CA click here

12681 Harbor Blvd. | Garden Grove, CA 92840

Reservations: greatwolf.com/southerncalifornia | 888.960.9653
I can’t wait until February to check the place out when it opens! The food, the waterpark, the rooms, glow golf, there are so many fun things here to look forward too! 🙂