Great Wolf Lodge With a Toddler: Tips + Things to Do (2024)
Heading to Great Wolf Lodge with a 2 year old, or similar age toddler? You’re in the right place. We just got back from our Great Wolf Lodge vacation in Niagara Falls with our two children, the youngest being 2 years old.
Great Wolf Lodge, being far away for most families, and being a pricey place to stay, you might be wondering ‘is Great Wolf Lodge worth it with a toddler? Does it have enough activities for kids of this age? I can cover everything you’re wondering about.
Great Wolf Lodge is designed to be a family-friendly resort. While I would say its ideal for school-age children (because most of the activities are geared towards school age) there some activities set up for a 1-2 year olds to enjoy as well.
This article is based on my experience visiting the Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls – however, it is a chain so there are a lot of similarities. This will give you an idea of what they offer for toddlers.
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Great Wolf Lodge with a 1-2 or 3 year olds.
Great Wolf Lodge Activities for Toddlers
Here are the things there are to do at Great Wolf Lodge, and how you can enjoy them with toddlers
1. The Waterpark
I’m going to start with the waterpark, because its the main draw of Great Wolf Lodge. The waterpark is open all day.
Most of the activities in the Great Wolf Lodge waterpark are more enjoyed by older kids (such as all those big waterslides.) So although our 10 year old probably got more out of it than our youngest, our 2 year old really enjoyed it as well.
The Great Wolf Lodge has the following activities for todders:
- The wave pool (pictured in the photo above) need close supervision – especially when there are waves, as they are quite strong
- The wading pool area. It has fountains, and basketball nets, and water shallow enough for toddlers to walk in
- Toddler slides (with a height requirement)
Good to Know: You don’t need to bring a lifejacket to Great Wolf Lodge (although you can if you prefer.) They have them in all sizes available for you to borrow. You can just grab the size you need, and put it back when you’re finished!
It’s important to note that there’s a height requirement for the slides in the toddler area, and they do not allow adults to ride with a baby or toddler in their lap.
So your toddler must be the right height, and able to ride down on their own (with someone down at the bottom to catch them.)
The height requirement to ride the small slides in the toddler area of Great Wolf Lodge is 31″ tall. Unfortunately, our 2 year old was not yet this height so wasn’t able to ride the slides. She enjoyed splashing around in the wave pool and the wading pool.
However, most 2 year olds and even some 1 year olds may be at this height already so they may be able to use these slides. I recommend measuring your little one in advance to be sure that they’ll be able to use the slides. If they aren’t, they may still enjoy other activities at the waterpark.
Good to know: You can use the waterpark all day on the day you check in, as well as continue playing there on the day you check out. If you’re only staying 1 night, then get your time and money’s worth by getting to the waterpark early (leave all other belongings for check-in in the car) and the next day, continue to use the waterpark after check-out.
*In case you’re visiting with older children as well: the height requirement for the large slides is 48″ tall.
My 10 year old looked more than tall enough, so she didn’t even need a wristband – they just let her on. (I look forward to the day that our 2 year old can enjoy the big slides at Great Wolf Lodge with her too.)
2. The arcade
The arcade at Great Wolf Lodge is mostly geared at older kids, because most of the games are only things that an older kid would understand, such as video games and virtual reality. However, there was a carousel in the arcade room that our 2 year old absolutely loved.
We used our Paw Points Game Card to buy more and more rides for her. Our older child enjoyed riding the carousel with her.
3. Bowling
Bowling is of course something more geared to older kids. However, the Great Wolf Lodge in particular is set up to be easier for young kids, so it might be a good opportunity to teach your 2 year old how to bowl, if they’re interested.
The Great Wolf Lodge Bowling alley isn’t the same size as a regular bowling alley – its much smaller, and designed so that the ball cannot fall off track. This makes it much easier for young kids, and doable with a toddler.
Our 2 year old was not particularly interested in the bowling, despite our attempts – our 10 year old was more interested.
Luckily, there were a couple of those coin-operated car rides you often see in malls. She had a ball riding on that! We paid for it using our Paw Points Game Card (the same way you pay for everything at Great Wolf Lodge.)
4. The Cub Club
Aside from the waterpark and the lobby activities, The Cub Club is the only other activity at Great Wolf Lodge that is included in your cost of your stay.
At The Cub Club, you can make souvenir crafts to take home, such as ornaments and glitter tattoos. This is much easier for older kids to do independently, but you could help your toddler. If they’re used to a daycare setting where crafts are made, they’ll feel right at home here.
There are also toys in the Cub Club for toddlers to play with. The Cub Club is only open from 10 am until around 5 pm daily.
5. Activities in the Great Wolf lobby
The Great Wolf Lodge lobby is the main centre of the building where you can browse souvenir shops, or get a drink or something to eat.
The lobby also organizes a number of engaging activities and entertainment in the lobby for kids.
Some of them include:
- Dance party
- Magic show
- Yoga
- Story telling
Our 2 year old is used to daycare, so she actually wanted to sit down and watch the magic show for a little while.
Our 10 year old thought the tricks were a bit silly, whereas our 2 year old probably didn’t understand a lot of what was going on. But she enjoyed taking part in it.
So depending on your toddler’s temperament and interests, they may enjoy some of it -especially the dance party and storytelling.
Great Wolf Lodge Accommodations + Food for Toddlers
Let’s go over the basic amenities – accommodations and food.
Accommodations at Great Wolf Lodge
The Family Den at Great Wolf Lodge is larger than most standard family hotel rooms.
We brought a pack and play for our toddler, but you can also request a cot. The upgrade to this room has a fireplace as well – very cozy in winter months.
Great Wolf Lodge is a large complex of rooms, so I’d recommend bringing a stroller for your 1 or 2-year old. There are elevators that you can use, so the entire lodge can be travelled around with a stroller.
Food at Great Wolf Lodge
There were a few different food options: the waterpark had a few grab and go kiosks, so you can order and eat your food right in the waterpark.
We found this pretty convenient, especially with a toddler. We enjoyed not having to leave the waterpark, and just be able to eat right by the pool.
Buckets (in the waterpark) has kids meals, as well as options for vegetarians and vegans. The sweet potato fries were delicious. Also, there are highchairs for you to use at the waterpark, but there are a limited amount.
One thing I liked was that Buckets had fresh fruit and vegetable containers. We found this to be a good way to eat some reasonably healthy food.
Outside the waterpark, there are some sit-down restaurants. Our favourite was Antler Shanty (pictured below) where we had our breakfast buffet.
There were plenty of high chairs to use at Antler Shanty, and because its a buffet, it was pretty easy to pick out the food she’d enjoy (fruit, oatmeal, cereal, pancakes, waffles, etc.)
Pro Tip: If your toddler is too fussy for a sit-down meal at dinner, you can grab take-out pizza from Northwoods Pizza, the pizzeria right in the lodge. It was well priced, and yummy.
What to Bring to Great Wolf Lodge With a 2 Year Old
Be sure to bring a towel, swimsuit, swim diapers, and easy slip-on shoes. Don’t forget a stroller for walking around.
Tip: Measure your toddler’s height before you leave home, so that if you’re asked at the waterpark, you already know the answer and they can give your child an appropriate wristband. This wristband allows your 2-year old to use the kiddie slides, if they’re tall enough.
Great Wolf Lodge with a Toddler: Pros and Cons
Undecided about whether to spend the money and effort on a trip to Great Wolf Lodge with a 1 or 2 year old? Here are some pros and cons to break it down for you.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| -They will love the toddler area in the water park, the carousel in the arcade, and possibly the activities in the lobby -The whole resort is designed to be family-friendly -There is an elevator in case you want to use your stroller to get around -There are healthy food options, such as fresh fruit and veggies -You’re not confided to the lodge. You’re close to many other attractions in Niagara Falls for toddlers within a 10 minute drive | -There are some water slides they can ride on, but they don’t allow parents to ride with their toddler. Your toddler must be 31″ tall, and someone needs to catch them at the bottom (which requires the involvement of 2 people) -Most activities at Great Wolf Lodge are geared at school-age children |
Is Great Wolf Lodge with a Toddler worth it?
Between our 10 year old and our 2 year old, our 10 year old enjoyed Great Wolf Lodge more.
My honest opinion: I would say that 5-12 year olds are the ‘sweet spot’ for Great Wolf Lodge; however, this doesn’t mean that older or younger children can’t enjoy it. They just aren’t the target market for it.
Ultimately, we would say yes – Great Wolf Lodge is worth it with a 1-2 year old, especially if you also like waterparks.
Our 2 year old enjoyed her time. We were glad that we took her to Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls. We enjoyed the waterpark as much as we could, we slept well in their comfy beds, and made fun family memories.
Great Wolf Lodge FAQs
Here are some commonly asked questions about going to Great Wolf Lodge with a 2 year old or similar-aged toddler
What age is Great Wolf Lodge best for?
Great Wolfe Lodge is probably best for kids who are at least 48″ tall, so that they can enjoy the large waterslides. If they’re shorter than that, there are still many other things to be enjoyed in the waterpark. In general, Great Wolf Lodge is best suited to school-age children who can participate and play somewhat independently. However, there are a number of things to do at Great Wolf Lodge for a toddler too.
What is the cheapest month to go to Great Wolf Lodge?
The months between November and March are usually the easiest times to find deals at Great Wolf Lodge, but you can find deals at other times of the year too. I personally found a deal in May.
Final Thoughts on Great Wolf Lodge with Toddlers
We enjoyed our family trip to Great Wolf Lodge with a 2-year old. Will I return with a 2 year old? Probably not, but some of my friends have been to Great Wolf Lodge 2-3 times in one year with their 2-year olds and they enjoy going back as often as they can. I have to admit, seeing the excitement on your toddler’s face at the waterpark is pretty special.
If you’ve decided you want to book your Great Wolf Lodge trip, you can do it through their website or on Booking. I hope you’ve found this guide helpful!