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Great Wolf Lodge
Categories: Event Planning & Services Hotels Hotels & Travel Hotels Active Life Swimming Pools Hotels, Swimming Pools [Edit]
10401 Cabela DrKansas City, KS 66111
(913) 299-7001
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
17 reviews for Great Wolf Lodge
17 reviews in English
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Review from Anne N.
1/6/2012
We stayed at the Great Wolf Lodge with our 4 daughters over a chilly December weekend. It was completely gratis thanks to a thoughtful friend, which was incredible since we would never pay those rates to stay there. Each room will accomodate a family of six as long as you're comfortable with 2 to a bed. Thankfully, we had a couple of rooms. They won't knock your socks off since they're pretty standard accommodations: 2 full beds, a sofa-sleeper, old televisions, mini-fridge. But the rooms are clearly not the draw here. Great Wolf Lodge has plenty of amenities for the kiddies. Besides the water park, they offer scheduled activities throughout the day & evening, an interactive game called MagiQuest that my younger girls loved, and an arcade.
On the first evening we took our younger girls, ages 8 & 9, to the pajama story time. I think an animatronic moose is supposed to tell the story but they were having tech difficulties and a girl with a headset microphone stepped in and read from a book. It was embarrassingly awful. I almost volunteered to read the story since reading aloud is my only real talent, but I didn't want to embarrass the girl further.
The hotel itself was nicely decorated for Christmas, had Santa available in the lobby for pictures and supposedly had "snow" falling at appointed times in the evening but we always missed it. There was even a real gingerbread house that could be reserved for dinner through the in-house restaurant. At first I thought that was charming until I realized that everyone who walked by looked into the house and gawked at the family inside like it was feeding time at the zoo.
While snacks and beverages in the hotel are predictably pricey, we saw several families bringing coolers to their rooms after check-in to avoid overspending. There's a Wal-Mart and Target close by if you need to grab some cheaper late night snacks or forgotten necessities. Also, being so near the Legends there are multiple restaurants in the area.
Overall it was a pleasant experience, especially for the kids, but I doubt we'll return at $300 per room. Of course, if anyone else wants to toss a couple of free rooms our way... -
Review from Lou M.
Omaha, NE
12/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Wife and I debated on how to rate this place. I rate it much lower than her - but since our daughter (who is nearly 8 at time of thie review) enjoyed herself - I obliged and did the 3 star rating.
Not sure how to do this rating - but I'm just gonna go for it and be all over the palce. Here we go...
The price was over $200 per night for us. The rooms were very nice in size and overall looked pretty decent. The sink in the room always got clogged, the shower/tub was small as was the whole bathroom (meaning toilet and shower room). The bathroom sink was outside the bathroom. Lots of counter space in the room too. Themeing was well done throughout the Lodge. We did not go into the arcade at all. Nor did we use the kids or adults spa areas.
The restaurant was ok - we used it for breakfast both mornings. One morning had bad/very slow wait service and the next morning we had very nice service. We got the breakfast buffet and it was just fine for what it is.....a buffet.
Now for the water park. The looks and size of it was grand in nature, the feel of it was COLD in nature....VERY cold. Did I say cold...I mean very dissapointing cold for this being an INDOOR water park. The life guard kids told us that the water heaters were broke/recycling and that it should be fixed in a few hours. That was on night 1 of our stay. When we left of day 3 - it was basically the same. Even some of the life guards were shivering in the pool at the end of the water slide exit pools. I mean this is the lodge's $$ maker - the water park. This is why we or people stay there usually.
We did bring this up the the manager on day two and she told us that is was not the heaters. She said it was due to the portions of the water slides that go outside the lodge and hit outside temps that cool the water down.
We didn't buy it. The portions of the water that is outside compared to the portions of water inside is no where near enough to cool it down that much. The outside temps the days were were there was in the 40's. If the case is what was explained to us is true - then I imagine when KC gets in the low teens or colder them pools must realy be freezing even worse. So much so that they probably should close the water par - but I bet they dont. Anyway......that was really dissapointing.
The Christmas thins going on throughout the lodge was cute and all so that was nice. For the cost, I dont care to go back. -
Review from Matt F.
Los Angeles, CA
11/22/2011
I try to not get to wordy on this, despite the urge to vomit words on them.
I'm a visiting dad from L.A. who likes to pick up my offspring and find an adventure to build memories around. I heard G.W.L. was amazing and perfect for the kids (2 girls, 15 and 9), I heard from people who think Wal-mart offers luxury products in select aisles.
The Water park was 5 slides, 2 hot tubs, a 4 foot deep pool with basket ball hoops, a rope bridge thing and a lazy river at perfect knee scrapping depth. There is a kiddies area and an outside select but we came with older kids and in winter so both were off limits. After an hour the park is on repeat, But the kids didn't seem to mind.... however when I offered a movie at the mall they didn't whine about leaving.
The temper is 84...in the water, outside it was damn cold...blue lips and hard nips cold.
The rooms are crap...nothing witty to say about it, just crap. The adult side of the room's bed was sagging in the middle...obviously a few over-weight couples got buck on it, hopefully not at the same time. I would start at the side and find myself embraced by the linen taco walls in an hour. My girls thought the walk-in closet with a bunk bed was fun to play in but the mattresses were 7 inch discount futons with easy clean fake leather skins (I used to sell futons), and could not sleep on them. We all were crowding each other in the adult side bed every night.
The Arcade is fun and clean, and all the games worked and were in good condition. We were killing it on Fruit Ninja.
The magic treasure hunt they offer is an insult to kids. I understand youth have trouble seeing quality 3d and film work (shame on you Disney and Nick for not upping the standards), but G.W.L. just about threw glitter on some local actors and said they were fairies. My 9 year looked at me with an expression of confusion when a man's face with brown make up was slop comped on to a tree came up. Save your 30 bucks.
Final statement, which will piss a few off. There seemed to be great gathering of competitive eaters and the members of their training teams. I was the only adult that came in below 180. I'm used to Mid America gult but this slapped me in the face. If America was a mattress it would have a huge dip in the middle. -
Review from Brian N.
Overland Park, KS
2/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
Met most of my expectations, although I thought the rooms would have more of a resort feel...they seemed average. Waterpark is AWESOME and VERY safe. The Kids cabin room was nice for a small birthday weekend for our daughter and a few friends.
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Review from Robert H.
Topeka, KS
11/27/2011
You would think for the $300+ I spent on the hotel room they would not take every chance they got to sell another product or take more money. But every time I turned around they wanted more money out of my pocket. Even the Story time was a thinly veiled sales pitch. "Who played in the arcade? Who Has a magic wand? Who has their stuffed wolf? Who is a Cub Pack Member? Oh, and who went to the waterpark..." I almost left. Thanks for making my son feel second class because I did not feel like spending another $100 on a kids pack.
One, I was told I could bring my own food and make it in my kitchenette. That IS true, but you can NOT take anything into the pool. The beer in the pool was advertised as $4.99 for a draft beer, nothing else stating that the Boulevard would be another $.30 more. Times that by six....
Two, It was always a cold trip going from the pool to my room, as you could not take towels from the pool to your room (and I did not want to take my room towels to the pool for fear of having them taken and being charged.)
Three, I did NOT appreciate having my weight questioned on a slide when I was trying to go down. (Max weight, 250, me 240) I don't think it is a teen-age lifeguard's responsibility to judge people on their weight.
Four, for an indoor-water park, we were all cold. We spent time rotating from the lazy river and kid's play area into the hot tub. This prevented us from even going to the park the second day. -
Review from Aaron S.
Papillion, NE
6/21/2011
Not a good value. The special deal on the KidKamp "suite" (the suite is a closet with a bunk bed for your child to sleep in) is $220 per night. Sleeps 4-6, but more like 3. Room quality is poor (drawers falling apart, lights not working, carpet dirty & wet). The room itself is closer to a low end motel than a $200-$400 per night space. $50-$100 per night would be more suited to the space.
Room service food is terrible, but plenty of good restaurants at the nearby outdoor mall. In-house vendors are overpriced, but that is to be expected.
WiFi did not work. I would guess they charge a few bucks to use it when it does.
Staff was not consistently friendly. Some were, others were not. Services not open during the posted hours (outdoor bar was closed by 4 in the summer, and the staff did not know why, or what the normal hours were. I did find the hours posted that it was to be open until 8PM). Most of the time I felt as though I was imposing on the staff when asking questions.
The pool is good, but overbooked. I expected crowded with kids, but literally shoulder to shoulder in many areas was a bit much.
If the price were lower, this place would be fine, but for the money it is just not worth it. I recommend you stay at the Hampton Inn or Holiday Inn right next door, then buy the swimming pass for $25. I've stayed at the Hampton, and the rooms are much nicer. That is a much better deal. -
Review from Matthew G.
Mission, KS
12/18/2010
We went to the Great Wolf Lodge in early November. We all went, me, my wife, and our three boys (9, 6, and 4). We stayed overnight on a Saturday in a KidCabin Suite. Overall it was very fun for the kids and OK for us adults; this is what we wanted so it worked for us.
Here is my detailed review.
The Reservations
I booked everything online, which was very easy and convenient. I did call in to make sure I understood how the rules worked and to find out if my boys could wear their prescription goggles in the water park. The service was good, informative, and friendly.
We booked a KidCabin Suite, which has a queen bed for the adults and a small "cabin" in the room with a bunk bed and a single. It was perfect and fit all 5 of us.
The Hotel and Room
The lodge is a mid-level hotel with full service. It is decorated to the max with a "lodge" theme, including stuffed animals, crazy carpet, and fake log walls. It was a cozy feel.
The room was good sized, like a suite size in most hotels. We had a balcony and a fake fire place. The kids cabin was great for the kids. It was a walled in little space with a bunk bed and a single. It had fake log walls, a little TV, and a table. The kids loved it. The only complaint I have is that the cabin walls did not reach the ceiling and there was no door. This meant the kids were still in the same room as my wife and I and our TV watching at night kept them up.
The Water Park
This is why we booked the trip in the first place. With check-in at 3:00 they told us we could use the water park at 1:00 and we had all day the next day, even after we checked out. This was great.
The park was big, but not overly so. They had lots of staff and life guards. many on the guards were hyper alert, especially in the pools. With only one door in and out we felt safe letting the boys run around alone.
My 9 and 6 year old just made the height requirement for all the rides and my 4 year old was tall enough for all but the Triple Twist.
The park has 3 large water slides, accessed from a set of stairs. Each needed a different tube to ride on. This was a little confusing at first; there are no instructions telling you what tube to use where and how to get a tube. Getting a tube proved to be just waiting until someone else gave theirs up.
There were 2 smaller slides that did not need tubes, these were great for the kids to just use again and again.
There is a lazy river, which was fun but a little crowded at times.
There was a water structure in the middle with ropes and buckets and spray that the kids could play with. It also had a 1000 gallon bucket at the top that dropped water every 5 minutes. It would ring a warning bell when the drop was coming and everyone would run and get a spot under the deluge.
There was a kids pool with a shallow pool and two little slides perfect for toddlers.
There was an adult pool that was fenced from the others and a larger pool with basketball, a rope-like bridge, and a large floating snake to climb on.
The kids just loved the park.
The amenities were water-park-like; expensive crappy snack food, industrial, rough towels, and a gift store with over priced stuff that I had to argue with my kids not to buy.
The Food
We only ate breakfast at the hotel and that was from the buffet. It was water-park food. I would not go to the lodge for the food because it was just OK. The kids ate well, but they will eat most anything at breakfast time.
Summary
If you have $400+ to spend this is a really fun weekend for kids of any age. It is like a small amusement park. -
Review from Karrie G.
Wayland, IA
7/1/2011
This hotel is okay for young kids or easily amused teens.I'm neither,I'll be writing this from my point of view.
My first impression was oh dear god there are alot of little kids.It's like a lodge musty odor,stuffed animals,etc.
Our room was the "wolf den" I slept on the couch instead of one of the bunk beds,my little sister said the floor was better.
Note most of the cleaning staff WILL NOT UNDERSTAND you.When we stayed most of them were hispanic but did not speak english.
The arcade is a loud flashy place and excites the guys,sure it looks fun but I was not for it.
The water park is decent,lots of lifeguards.Some nicer then others.I had to accompany my little sister frequently.
The whole place is kind of pricey so be careful there is a lot of shiny things to make kids want to spend money.
Me being twelve the only fun I honestly truely had was staying out until 12 at night with a kid I met at the pool.Really it's a younger kids thing. -
Review from Margaret B.
Mission, KS
12/27/2010
Usually, themed-chains like this aren't up my alley - but both times we've been the children absolutely loved it and we found ourselves having fun also. You really get into the spirit of how you felt when you were a kid to see their faces light up. It is a bit pricey (since we already live in KC), but they do have coupons, specials, and some discounts - just check the website or call. Another perk about the Legends' Great Wolf Lodge, is that it's right in the middle of great shops and restaurants, as well as the T-Bones Stadium and the KS Speedway (and soon-to-be state of the art soccer stadium!).
The water park is fun, with something for all ages, even the adults (we can't get enough of the shriek-inducing water tubes). My niece, who is 2 years old, enjoyed the kiddie pool, as well as some of the other water play areas. Our son, who was just 5 months old when we went, loved the kiddie pool and even getting sprayed by the giant bucket when it over-spilled with water on it's eagerly awaiting victims.
And I really like the rooms, there's a variety of themed ones to choose from. We've stayed both times in just the regular, cheapest room, and it has 2 Full/Queen Beds & a separated area with a pull-out couch/bed. It also has a balcony and fridge. Although the rooms were super clean, each time I've felt like the carpet was a bit damp. I'm sure this is because the rooms are never able to completely dry properly from all the wet guests that stay here. Perhaps Great Wolf should look into letting rooms air out every now and then before booking the next guests? We also had an issue with noise at one point, when the children staying in the room above us decided to jump on the beds and floor non-stop. I mean, even our mirrors were shaking and it sounded like they'd come through the ceiling at any second. However, almost immediately after I called the front desk, they decided to cease their jumping competition. Coincident or not, I was thankful.
Overall, there's so many different activities they have available for kids - including a club house for crafts, an arcade (don't even bother cashing in on any of the "prizes"), and the ever popular MagiQuest virtual walking tour game. They even have a children's "Spa", complete with ice cream (not that I'd ever pay those prices myself). I, however, did partake of a 30 minute upper body massage in the "adult" Spa. It was very nice (being the first professional massage I've had), except that it didn't last nearly long enough and unfortunately, my masseuse talked the entire time about her troubled life. Not that I mind usually, I felt very bad for her, it's just that it brought me down when I wanted to relax completely for the first time since becoming a new mom.
Another good tip - bypass the restaurant (unless you get breakfast or the buffet) - each time we've eaten here, the food and service have been very average. The food is very bland, boring; and therefore over-priced for what it is. I would, however, recommend the Great Wolf Pizza that can be delivered to your room for a more reasonable price, for how absolutely yummy it is!
Lastly, we went here in October, and they offered a Halloween Trick-or-Treat "haunted" tour for all the kids - for free! And I must say, they did an excellent job! A wing of the hotel was converted into different, scary-themed rooms - and the kids had a blast (as did the adults). They even gave each child a goodie bag of Halloween treats and toys.
So the verdict? I would recommend Great Wolf Lodge for the occasional special celebration with the kids, and more often if you do not live near a Lodge, as that would make it more affordable and worthwhile. A word of warning, however: be prepared for large crowds of kids gone crazy with fun overload! Since we have our own little monkeys, we expected nothing less. -
Review from Kristen S.
KS
5/28/2008
This place is absolutely crazy. We went on a weekend in March, "Spring Break season" per the front desk. Must be why we waited in line over a half hour to check in. It was sooo crowded, I think if I ever went back I would shoot for a weekday night.
It is fun, but pricey. Our kids loved their "Wolf Den" room. It had bunk beds and a separate TV just for them. At $280 and up a night, it should be a nice room.
The water park is really cool. Waterslides galore, lazy river (not really very lazy on a crowded day), kids pool, adult pool too (I didn't get to check that out). But, there is really no escape from the humid chlorine-infused air here, even in your room. At some point it all began to feel a bit toxic, and I was ready to head home for some peace and quiet. -
Review from Ian Y.
Overland Park, KS
11/29/2010
Background: Stayed 1 night during Thanksgiving. I also went to the GWL at Wisconsin previously.
Comparing the two... the one in KC is much smaller... the waterpark is probably only half the size of the one in Wisconsin Dells'. What's worse, the Thunder Bay is outdoors in KC location, which means less fun for winter.
Also tried the Thanksgiving dinner which is $19.99 per adult. The dessert is horrible, and the warm food is equally bad. The fish nugget and fries are the only "brighter spots" (yes, the ones for kids)... and GWL put the trays on shorter tables so kids can easily help themselves, which is a nice touch.
I forgot to bring toothbrush this time, and the Guest Services told me to buy from the giftshop instead of giving me one. Items like this are complimentary in most hotels/motels nowadays.
I won't go there during summer as the waterparks in Gardners and Olathe costs just a fraction and offer pretty nice lazy river and slides. After this experience, I doubt I'll go back in Winter as well given the small size.
A general comment about GWL in any location: If they allow guests to get into waterpark before the check-in, they should let the guest have the lockers for free. -
Review from Lisa H.
Rosemount, MN
8/17/2011
My experience was negative. In addition to paying for the room and the waterpark our kids were begging the whole stay for a package that was $60 per child. This package included a stuffed animal, wands to play a 4 hour Magiquest game, glitter tattoos, and mini golf, etc. Right when we walked through the door there was a cart to stuff an animal! Ploys to make more money! They need it, too. The rooms were not that great. The air conditioning unit made the room stink like mold or something, the wallpaper was peeling off the walls in the bathroom, in our 1st room the sink was leaking onto the carpet, and in our 2nd room the toilet seat was loose so my husband took it upon himself to tighten it-gross! There weren't even any soap holders in the shower, which I thought was the cheapest of cheap! But, the beds were fairly comfortable and there was a fridge and microwave in the room.
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Review from MELINDA M.
Argonia, KS
6/9/2011
I have stayed at Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City 6 or 7 times in the last 5 years. We have stayed twice near Halloween, near Christmas, New Years Eve, during spring break and in the summer. Each time we go, we have a different experience.
The rooms are way overpriced for what they offer, but we keep going back because they kids like it enough that staying at the hotel can be an entire vacation without driving through the city.
There are definitely some cleanliness issues as stated in the other reviews. This last time we stayed (June 2011), we actually had a cockroach in our room. I let the front desk know when we checked out. The lady seemed concerned and asked which room I was in. Maybe they will have it sprayed, I don't know.
Staff has not been consistent through the years. During this last visit, the waterpark staff was very friendly, whereas in the past they all seemed like they didn't want to be there. The concession staff has never been friendly and we have always had to wait a very long time for our food which comes out one meal at a time so we don't end up eating together as a family.
The waterpark is fun, but it is small compared to other Great Wolf Lodges. The restaurant is ok but I recommend getting the pizza/salad/soda/breadsticks added at your reservation because it is a whole lot cheaper for so much food you won't be able to finish it (or eat at Legends). Basically, this place is funner for younger kids and the older your kids are, the pricier this excursion gets as they want to do/buy everything. There is a lot for sale. Once you are a guest, you will get return guest rates periodically which will save you money next time. If you plan on going more than once, the MagiQuest wand/game is a good deal. No need to waste money on the belt or decorations for the wand though, a wand and topper is sufficient.
TV's are old but you won't want to hang out in the room anyway. In one visit we were moved from our room to another because the hotel got hit by lightning or something prior to our visit and the tv's and phone did not work. We got a free upgrade though. -
Review from Matthew K.
Kansas City, MO
12/21/2008
A great place to water blast people you normally wouldn't with squirt guns (jk). Whether you are 6 or an aspiring adult, this place makes for a good weekend to pretend you don't live in Kansas City. Go to this lodge if you cannot afford Cancun, want to return to your youth, or want to go nuts in the indoor water park. If you are 8, tell your parents that this place has hot tubs and a make believe river, and good pizza. Yaaay!
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Review from Vince A.
7/29/2009
This gets three stars from me because I've been to better water park hotels (i.e., the Wilderness in the Dells). It's a nice hotel, the rooms are fine, the water park itself can be a bit small and crowded especially if there is rain and every one gets to go inside. The dining leaves alot to be desired. We ate here the first night and I wouldn't go back. Who messes up a club sandwich? They did. You can find deals, so keep your eyes open.
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Review from Katey R.
Waterloo, IL
1/31/2011
We just got back from GWL January 26th. The kids (4 and 1) had a great time. My oldest daughter was able to go on some of the larger slides and she just loved it. We had planned to go shopping at the Legends, but didn't get around to it, they were having way too much fun at the waterpark. We did eat at the T-Rex cafe, which is pricey but very fun for the kids. GWL storytime and the "snow" in the lobby is a great touch.
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Review from Cas M.
Bentonville, AR
9/6/2007 1 photo
Wonderful location at Village West next to Cabela's and the Kansas Motor Speedway. The area now has a large promenade style mall called Legends with tons of restaurants and shopping. The hotel is a bit on the pricey side but there was just two of us. The hotel really supports families of 4, 6 or 8. They have an arcade much like you would see at Chucky Cheese, mini-golf, an interactive "Magicquest" but their best known for the indoor water park. A lazy river, a basketball pool, two hot tubs (one adults only), a kiddie area for the little ones, an outdoor pool and inside, 5 water slides-3 tubes and 2 none needed. It is a blast as the tubes make their way from inside to outside and back inside. A huge play area of water sprayers is topped with a huge bucket that dumps every 5 minutes. Lifevests are provided for small kids at no extra charge. The only thing is your waterpark pass-it must be worn at all times during your stay. You sleep in it because once you put it on, you cannot take it off or its $15 to replace. Did not venture into the restaurants on site because there are so many nearby to choose from. Overall, its a great time and would be perfect when swimming is no longer available outside
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