ARRIVAL/CHECK-IN: As our daughter was just newly 18 months old at the time of our visit, this was our first foray into the world of waterpark resorts where the main clientele is children, versus adults. We survived! But it’s not hard to do at Great Wolf Lodge, as the brand has keeping kids entertained down to a science.

Also, we arrived early, knowing our room might not be ready, but it meant we checked in during the turnover between check-out and check-in, so it wasn’t overly chaotic. Self-parking is easy — but it can be tough to find a spot depending on the time of day — and luggage carts are readily available to help unload. Our guestroom wasn’t ready, but we grabbed lunch and got our bearings around the resort; and before we knew it, a text came through that our room was ready.

© Great Wolf Lodge

GUEST QUARTERS: Our one-bedroom Family Suite can sleep up to six guests, with two queen-sized beds, one full sleeper sofa, one full bath, a TV and mini-fridge. We asked for a Pack ‘n Play to be in the room for our daughter. We placed this between the long table/dresser and a two-seater round table in the corner. We had more than enough space for the three of us in the room. However, families don’t come to these types of resorts to hang in the guestroom!

SERVICES/AMENITIES: We’ve come to the main draw, which is all that is on offer for the kiddos. We spent Saturday at the 126,000-square-foot indoor water park that maintains an 84-degree temperature year-round — perfect for our March visit. Our daughter is still young, but she has a bit of a daredevil side, and she loved taking on her first water slide (with Dad) as well as swimming around in the pools, splash pads and lazy river.

Other amenities are too numerous to detail but include the MagiQuest game, a bowling alley, a ropes course, an arcade, mini golf … and the list goes on. We kept our little one fully enthralled the whole time while also enjoying the ease of the all-in-one resort, so we could make simple exits for naps and downtime in the room. Be sure to check out the various daily events, too.

© Great Wolf Lodge

A variety of dining options are on offer, from quick service like Dunkin to something a bit fancier at Barnwood (which we enjoyed on the second night of our stay). Use the app to order ahead, as we did with pizza from Hungry As a Wolf one night, and dine in your room. Freshwoods Market was perfect for buying milk and other snacks and drinks. Alcoholic beverages for adults are available.

TOP TAKEAWAYS:

• Our reservation came with a Wolf Pass, which includes added amenities like the MagiQuest game with choice of a wand, a candy cup, a game of bowling and so much more.
• We also took advantage of the Silver Dining Credit, or $150 worth of dining credit to be used at any of the dining outlets.
• GWL’s location in Perryville, Maryland, is a reasonable drive from the main town, but outside of the lodge, the closest convenience option is Wawa. We saw many families using services like DoorDash and Uber Eats to deliver food.

GREAT WOLF LODGE WATER PARK | PERRYVILLE
1240 Chesapeake Overlook Parkway
Perryville, MD 21903
tel 888 983 9653