The Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg, Virginia- the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

This year as part of the kids Christmas gift we booked a 4 night trip to the Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg, Virginia. The day after Christmas, we loaded up the car and drove about 9 hours north from Florida to Williamsburg, Virginia. In this post we’ll cover our entire experience at the Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg- the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

If you’re not familiar with Great Wolf Lodge, it’s a hotel chain known for their indoor waterparks. Each Great Wolf Lodge is jam packed with family-fun amenities to help make your vacation one to remember!

The accommodation options at the Great Wolf Lodge are Standard Suites, Themed Suites, and Premium Suites. Most rooms will sleep 4 comfortably however, some options can sleep up to as many as 12 people!

Family Suite

Sleeps 4-6

Standard suite includes two queen beds as well as a living area with a full-size sofa sleeper.

2 Queen Beds
Full Sleeper Sofa
Full Bath
Living Area
Table & chairs

Family Fireplace Suite

Sleeps 4-6

Standard suite includes two queen beds and a semi-private living area with a full-size sofa sleeper.

2 Queen Beds
Full Sleeper Sofa
Full Bath
Living Area
Fireplace

Luxury King Suite

Sleeps 4

Standard suite includes one king bed and a full-size sofa sleeper, comfortably sleeping up to four people.

1 King Bed
Full Sleeper Sofa
Full Bath
Living Area
Table & chairs

ADA Queen Sofa Suite

Sleeps 4

Accessible Bathtub suite features one queen bed, a full-size sofa sleeper and is fully accessible.

1 Queen Bed
Full Sleeper Sofa
Accessible Bath
Table & chairs

Themed Kid Cabin Suite

Sleeps 6-7

Standard suite features a log cabin-themed sleeping area, three twin beds, a queen bed, and a full sofa sleeper.

1 Queen Bed
Cabin Theme
Bunk Beds
Full Sleeper Sofa
Full Bath

Themed Wolf Den Suite

Sleeps 4-6

Standard suite includes an in-suite cave-themed sleeping area, a queen bed, and full-size sofa sleeper.

1 Queen Bed
Cave Theme
Bunk Beds
Full Sleeper Sofa
Full Bath

Themed KidKamp Suite

Sleeps 4-6

Standard suite features a tent-themed sleeping area with bunk beds, a queen bed, and a full-size sofa sleeper.

1 Queen Bed
Tent Theme
Bunk Beds
Full Sleeper Sofa
Full Bath

Deluxe Wolf Den Suite

Sleeps 8-12

Standard suite includes an in-suite cave-themed sleeping area with a queen-sized bed, a private bedroom with two queen beds and two bathrooms.

3 Queen Beds
Cave Theme
Bunk Beds
Full Sleeper Sofa
2 Full Baths

Grizzly Bear Suite

Sleeps 6-8

Standard suite features a queen bed in a master bedroom, two queens in a second bedroom and a full-size sofa sleeper in the main area.

3 Queen Beds
Full Sleeper Sofa
Fireplace
Living Area
2 Full Baths

Loft Fireplace Suite

Sleeps 6-8

Standard suite includes three queen beds and a full-size sofa sleeper with a lofted bedroom.

3 Queen Beds
Full Sleeper Sofa
Gas Fireplace
Living Area
Full Bath

Majestic Bear Suite

Sleeps 6-8

Standard suite includes a king bed in the private master bedroom, two queen beds and a full-size sofa sleeper.

1 King Bed
2 Queen Beds
Full Sleeper Sofa
Breakfast Bar
Full Bath

Royal Bear Suite

Sleeps 4-6

Accessible Bathtub suite features a king bed, a queen bed, and a full-size sofa sleeper.

1 King Bed
1 Queen Bed
Full Sleeper Sofa
Accessible Bath

Check In/ Check out at Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg

Prior to arriving at the Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg you’ll receive a text with information for a pre-check in. You’ll identify your estimated arrival time and have an opportunity to ask any questions.

Once you arrive at the Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg, you’ll check in at the front desk on the righthand side of the main lobby. There was a little confusion amongst several people at check in. There wasn’t really a line system and people weren’t sure if we were standing in one line or forming multiple lines.

The front office staff was very courteous and helpful. The lady checking us in gave me the low down on our food package, issued us our Wolf Badges, offered up lots of information, and guided us to the best place to park the car for the easiest access to our room.

Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg Amenities & Attractions

Water Park
MagiQuest
Oliver Mining Sluice
Ten Paw Alley (bowling)
Laser Trail (laser tag)
Northern Lights Arcade
Candy store

Build-A-Bear Workshop
On-site restaurants
Bar
Gift shop
Planned activities
Wifi

The water park is such a huge attraction that it deserves a post of its own! We’ll soon be sharing all of our tips and tricks for the water park.

All About the Wolf Passes

The Great Wolf Lodge offers passes that bundle activities and special memorabilia. Purchasing the passes can help save you money in the long run. The passes are Wolf Pass ($99.99), Paw Pass ($79.99), and Pup Pass ($59.99).

We’ll explore the benefits of each of these passes in a future post.

Dining Options

Hungry as a Wolf– This pizza joint is open for lunch and dinner. They serve pizza, meatball subs, fresh salads, and cheese bread. View menu.

Dunkin’ Donuts– Grab donuts and coffee for breakfast lunch or dinner!

Loose Moose– This buffet is open for breakfast and dinner. Breakfast includes eggs, bacon, sausage, waffles, French toast, yogurt, fruit, and breakfast pastries. The dinner menu rotates but the sides pretty much stay the same. You’ll find mac n cheese, potatoes, salads, vegetables, and desserts. The entrees range from fish, ham, beef, chicken, and more.

Buckets Incredible Craveables- This spot is perfect for those enjoying the waterpark. It is open for both lunch and dinner. The eatery serves burgers, sandwiches, salads and desserts. View menu.

Bear Paw– Open for lunch and dinner, this sweet shop serves up cupcakes, ice cream, and chocolate covered fruit.

Our Honest Review

The Good

Before our arrival we received a text from “Willow” our “assistant” for our trip. Willow is actually anyone who is working down at the front office. They asked us if we had any questions or special requests. I was able to text back and forth with them before we arrived.
Great Wolf Lodge has an app that you can download that will tell you all of the events going on throughout the day. You can also pre-order some of your meals via the app.
We bought each of the kids a $100 Wolf Pass (there is also a $80 Paw Pass and a $60 Pup Pass). This offered the family plenty of things to do when we were not at the waterpark. If you plan on doing any of the extra stuff at the Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg, you may want to consider one of these bundles as ultimately, it could save you money.
The indoor water park was great. There was something for every different thrill level. There are complimentary towels and life jackets available.
The lifeguards in the waterpark are the most intentional lifeguards I’ve ever seen– and being from Florida, we see a lot of them. They make very calculated and deliberate sweeps of the pool areas to ensure everyone is safe. I was very impressed.
Someone is always cleaning! The overall cleanliness of the place is pretty impressive considering how many kids are running around the place.

The Bad

Although there are a couple of different eating options (a breakfast/dinner buffet, pizza, burgers, sandwiches, etc.), there aren’t lots of places outside of the pool area to sit down and enjoy a meal. One our first full day there, we ordered a pizza for lunch and ended up just sitting on the hearth of the fireplace in the lobby because there aren’t tables to enjoy a meal.
Our room wasn’t in the best condition when we checked in. It was clean however, I noticed some random things like there is no toilet paper holder (it’s been broken) and the cover for our lock was broken off and on the floor.
With the exception of the ropes course and a pool (both were closed during our visit), there isn’t anything for family’s to do outside. It would be nice if there was a firepit, outdoor hot tubs, or a play area outside.
The hotel has quiet hours that begin at 11 pm, which is pretty late considering the hotel is geared towards children.

The Ugly

My wife kept referring to the Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg as a “lawless land.” There were kids literally running around everywhere. We’ve stayed at kids hotels before (Legoland Hotel) and never experienced anything quiet like this. This wasn’t necessarily the Lodge’s fault, it’s more on the parents.
There doesn’t seem to be any enforcement of any sort of rules– this extended to the waterpark. We’ve been to several waterparks and there is always someone reminding kids to walk- that didn’t happen at all here. We saw several kids fall.
The MagiQuest game covers multiple-floors by near the main lobby and hotel rooms. Many parents let their kids play this on their own (we are all for independence!) which often ends up in the kids yelling and running from floor to floor. This noise carries over into the rooms near the stairwells and lobby. It would be better if the game had a dedicated area that was closed off and away from people’s rooms. However…I get that by having it out in the open more people see it and want to play it.

Tips for Visiting the Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg

Make sure you pack towels and/or cover ups for the pool. The hotel has towels, but you can only use them in the pool area. If you’re visiting during the colder months, it can get chilly walking through the lodge in a wet bathing suit.
Consider buying one of the passes (Wolf, Paw, Pup) to save money on the add-on attractions. Trust me, after seeing all of the other kids running around (literally) playing MagiQuest, your kid will want to, too.