Going to The Lodge

"Great Wolf Lodge", that is.

We had spent so much money on Evie's birthday party last year that I thought, why not have a fun family putting for all 4 of us this year for that same price? Well, to be fair... it was about that price in the spring. But, by the time I booked the trip... it was quite more. BUT (again with the "but's"), we had a fantastic time and Evie was a complete adventurer the entire trip so we got all our money out of this 1-night stay... so it was very worth it in the end.

Evie's 5th birthday was on a Monday this year. We wanted to stay overnight on her birthday but some swimming lessons made us bump the trip to a Friday-to-Saturday overnight the following weekend. Thankfully the place was not too crazy on Saturday like I feared - they only let guests into the indoor water park so it isn't too obscenely crowded.

We couldn't check-in until 4PM but they invite you to start playing at 1PM. We arrived at 12:50PM and I immediately got in the check-in line. I planned ahead and packed a separate bag with just our water gear so we could change in the bathroom. Here's Max clawing at me in the handicapped stall after Evie, he and I got dressed. This is what it is really like when you have two small children in a hot bathroom stall. Yes, it sucks for you as the person in the stall next to me... but you can clearly see it sucks as the mother, too. Right after this pic we went right to playing!

First it is important to point out that, right in the center of it all and right when you walk inside, is a completely interactive "fort" complete with water slides, pulley's, never-ending buckets of water, rope bridges, water pistols, pop-fountains and levers/rope-pulls to control sprinklers. Also, there's a 1000 gallon bucket that topples over almost every 15 minutes....

The first day there Max just enjoyed taking it all in. Evie, ran wild. I took Max with me into a figure-8 shaped "lazy river" where you sit in transparent tubes built for one or two people. He leaned into me and just soaked it all up. I also pulled Max's hands into the pop fountains and let him feel waves that crashed in the other pools... he preferred to be held and liked watching from afar. I have a feeling that this will all change when he is two years old.

By the end of day 1 and into day 2, Max seemed less nervous/shy but did remain rather cautious. He did "break free" in a few places. Max was very engaged in the water tables located by one of the larger/shallow pools designed for toddlers and very small children. He pulled on these valves and levers A LOT... I think he was also happy to be able to hold on to something, too, while standing...

Evie and I enjoyed a bit of the outdoor pool while Rob & Max secured our room key (on day one). The pool is 4ft at it's deepest end and has a very long, beach-like entrance. We did get scolded for Evie performing a water solo dance in her "water wings" (or, "floaties")... evidentially they are not allowed in the park. I took off Evie's flotation devices and she begged me for a swim vest. After having had her complete swim lessons just this week (and I know the pool was mostly accessible by her simply standing up) I said no. She frowned but she also quickly forgot about it.

I was actually very surprised and quite proud of Evie throughout this weekend. She tried the VERY fast, enclosed water slide with me. It featured club music and laser lights. She was skeptical when seeing it at the top of the stairs after we waited in a slightly lengthy line, but she went with it. I actually had my stomach drop shortly after launch and was totally freaked-out staring at her as she giggled UNCONTROLLABLY the whole way down. At the end she screamed, "LET'S DO THAT AGAIN!"

I did try another enclosed ride with her where we sat in a 2-seater transparent tube with my legs wrapped around her... equally as fun but in a different way. She wanted to do this one again sand again, too. Who is this child???? (Perhaps she is mine after all. And perhaps, I'm getting old to be so freaked-out by such rides!)

At 8:00PM every night they invite you to convene in the lobby where this center display of a lodge, trees, and characters come alive (robotics). They sing a song (it's rather cheesy... even Evie agreed but later recanted saying it was cool), things animate and the whole scene lights up. At the end of the "performance," out comes a Tara Reid look-alike that engages the kids in a story telling session with her fellow Great Wolf Lodge costumed character. Evie enjoyed the story... but she wanted nothing to do with meeting the character (I think he was "Wiley Wolf"?) afterward.

Evie had no trouble crashing out at a decent time.

The next day (again, it was just an overnight), Max was becoming rather listless as the day wore on. He slept directly across from the air conditioner and it did stress me out all night long. As the day wore on, I could tell he was getting sick and running a fever. Perhaps this was poor parenting on my part, but we decided to stay on since Max wasn't sick in terms of vomiting or diarrhea... I figured we'd just take turns holding him and letting him snooze while we went around & around on the "lazy river." This seemed to work out well and we stayed until 3:15PM (check-out was at 11AM but they invite you to 'stay and play')! I was so proud that 'Team Ullman' had fun and stayed on to play hard. Again, we pulled every last cent out of this trip and we all wanted "one last go on the water slide."

Taking turns with Max on the "lazy river" - Max clearly not up to his usual excited self.

In closing, we had a fantastic trip. Things I would advise: pack a bag with essential bathing gear so you can play while you wait to get your room, pack food for the room (I had milk & cereal for breakfast to cut costs - as well as snacks), and bring long-sleeves 'cause its cold in the room after all that playtime.
Things I learned: plan on getting sick (Max left with a fever that lasted 5 days until I finally got an antibiotic, Rob got the flu and was really sick the following 3 days, Evie got a fever/head cold, and I finally got sick after everyone else 1 week later), plan in advance to get a lower rate (I shared info with people what I paid and it was nearly double), and the cost of food there isn't too bad & is mediocre/decent.