Before You Buy a Wolf Pass at Great Wolf Lodge, Read This! An Honest Review of Wolf Pass Options.

Is the Wolf Pass Worth It at Great Wolf Lodge?

By Erin

* I am proud to serve as a Great Wolf Lodge Parent Pack Ambassador. As part of this ambassador program, I may receive complimentary experiences and/or other promotional consideration from Great Wolf Lodge. As always, all thoughts, opinions, and experiences shared on this website are entirely my own. I only recommend destinations, products, and experiences that I genuinely enjoy and believe will be valuable to my readers.*
Family making memories during a Great Wolf Lodge getaway with the Great Wolf Lodge Wolf Passes

After spending a few days exploring everything included with the Wolf Pass, I can confidently say it was one of the best decisions we made. Not only did it keep us entertained long after we left the water park, but it also saved us from constantly pulling out our wallets. 

The Wolf Pass gave us the freedom to try more activities, create more memories, and enjoy our vacation without worrying about the cost of every little experience.

If you’re planning a stay at Great Wolf Lodge Southern California in the Anaheim area, you’ve probably wondered whether the Wolf Pass is actually worth the extra cost.

I asked myself the exact same question before our stay.

Here’s exactly what our Wolf Pass included, how much value we got from it, and whether I recommend adding it to your next Great Wolf Lodge vacation.

What Is the Wolf Pass at Great Wolf Lodge?

The Wolf Pass is an activity package that bundles many of Great Wolf Lodge’s most popular attractions into one discounted price.

At Great Wolf Lodge Southern California, the Wolf Pass starts at $89.99 per person (plus tax) and includes:

  • One MagiQuest game for your entire stay
  • One MagiQuest Vellara Wand, Evergreen Leaf Mod, or Belt
  • One Pass Exclusive Furry Friend at Build-A-Bear
  • Three Northern Lights Arcade games *Excludes virtual reality/headset games
  • One Candy Cup from Great Wolf Candy Co
  • One Kids Ice Cream from Wood’s End Creamery
  • One round of Howl-in-One Mini Golf
  • One Laser Tag game
  • One admission to Howler’s Peak Ropes Course*
  • One round on the Howler’s Peak Adventure Trail*

*Some attractions have height requirements and require closed-toe shoes.

Are There Any Extra Costs with the Wolf Pass?

Yes, but only if you decide to upgrade certain items. And let’s be honest, your kids will probably have their eyes on some of those upgrades!

During our visit, we upgraded our wands, added wand mods, and chose some premium Build-A-Bear characters, outfits, and accessories. We kept the included sizes for the ice cream and candy cups, so we didn’t spend extra on those treats.

Family adventures at Great Wolf Lodge with attractions for all ages using the Wolf Pass.

Overall, we still found the Wolf Pass to be an amazing value because it includes discounts on additional purchases. And let’s be real, if your kids already love customizing their toys, getting a discount on those extras definitely helps!

Your Wolf Pass includes a MagiQuest Vellara Wand, but if you have your eye on one of the premium wand designs, you can upgrade by paying the difference (typically around $5–10, depending on the wand).

Vellara Wand included with the Wolf Pass at Great Wolf Lodge
Wolf Pass Wand Upgrades and Mods. Optional add-ons available for an additional charge with the Wolf Pass at Great Wolf Lodge

The same goes for the Build-A-Bear experience. During our visit, the Wolf Pass included three adorable furry friends at no extra cost. If you want to choose a premium character or personalize your new friend with outfits, accessories, sounds, or scents, you can add those extras for an additional charge. Wolf Pass guests also receive a discount on these optional add-ons, making it easier to customize your furry friend and create an even more memorable souvenir from your trip.

The three adorable furry friends included with the Wolf Pass at no additional cost at Build-A-Bear
The three adorable furry friend choices that are included with the Wolf Pass at no additional cost.

The included Kids Ice Cream and Candy Cup also make great treats, but if you want to upgrade to a larger scoop of ice cream or a bigger cup of candy (and trust me, it’s tempting!), you simply pay the difference.

Kids filling their Candy Cups with colorful candy as part of the Great Wolf Lodge Wolf Pass experience.

None of these upgrades are required, and we never felt like we missed out by sticking with what came included. However, I loved having the option to splurge a little and customize the experience when we wanted to.

Do You Need a Wolf Pass to Enjoy Great Wolf Lodge?

Absolutely not.

The indoor water park alone can easily fill an entire day, and Great Wolf Lodge offers free daily activities throughout the resort that families can enjoy without an additional cost.

However, if your family wants to spend time exploring attractions outside the water park, the Wolf Pass unlocks many of the experiences kids get most excited about.

For our family, the Wolf Pass completely changed our stay.

Instead of stopping at every attraction and debating whether it was worth purchasing separately, we simply enjoyed everything included with our pass. We had the freedom to say “yes” more often, try new activities, and focus on making memories together.

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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! 🙂