Parent Club Review: Great Wolf Lodge

The lobby of Great Wolf Lodge, Niagara Falls is amazing. Enormous antler-clad chandeliers, a glowing hearth and big welcoming chairs. Wolves (robotic wolves!) looked down from their ledges above the fireplace. This is some-kind-of-place!

On check-in, we get our first two tastes of family-friendliness...

First: hand prints are etched along the wall - where kids can touch and hear animal sounds during check-in. Whoever thought of engaging the kids during check-in and check-out must be a parent!

Second: we are given, each, a wrist band. The microchip in each wristband is a room key, lock for the change room lockers and can have money added to it in lieu of carrying around a wallet. Should a child become separated from his caregiver, says Keith Simmonds, (General Manager of Great Wolf Lodge, Niagara Falls) the wristband can be scanned - to find the room number and then the family name of the child. In such a large and populated facility, they have never lost a child outside of the building.

We stayed in a Kid Cabin suite; a large accommodation with a queen bed, pull out couch, refrigerator, microwave, TV, gas fireplace, patio and cabin for the kids. The cabin was an almost separate sleeping space (no doors or windows to actually separate it - so you can keep an eye on the kids) housing two bunk beds, one single bed and the kids very own TV (note: cartoons are the first channels to come up on the menu). Ah, luxury!

The kids notice the recycling bins in the rooms straight away. In fact, water conservation and recycling are seen throughout the hotel and water park. From shower heads to composting kitchen waste to large recycling bins (complete with raccoon sitting atop) Great Wolf is a green destination - demonstrating that mini-vacations and fun can be environmentally friendly.

8pm is The Great Forest Friend Show and Story time - where kids in pjs (ahem...some adults in pjs too - not judging - just reporting) gather to enjoy a free show. Talking (robotic) moose, bear, tree and those wolves above the hearth entertain the kids. If you have a nervous child - this might be scary, but most children are very much entertained.
Should you want to go out after the kids go to bed (perhaps visit the falls?) there are themed programs for in room care ("Cub Care") by trained and certified attendants.

We chose to go back to our suite, though only a drive from Toronto -it is far enough to feel like you're getting away without a long travel time. The kids were more than happy to tuck into the bunk beds in their own little cabin. They knew, to be up for breakfast at 8am to have a visit with Wiley or Biko (the mascots) in Antler Shanty. [Ed. Note: they were up at 6am]

There is a reason why Great Wolf Lodge, Niagara Falls was the 2009 Traveller's Choice Winner: Best For Families...*

*part 1 of series