Spotlight: Orange County - Great Wolf Lodge

Spotlight: The Great Wolf Lodge is a chain of 15 resorts around the country (and even Canada) which specialize in Indoor Water Parks. Now you might wonder why southern California needs an indoor water park. Although Orange County is known for its mild winters, it is still too cold to go swimming outside - which makes the Great Wolf Lodge a fabulous destination for those seeking a respite from winter doldrums with a shot of warm weather. The temperature inside the water park area stays in the 80's whether the weather is 40 degrees or 90+ outside.

Location: The Great Wolf Lodge Garden Grove is located at 12681 Harbor Blvd., Garden Grove, CA.

Cost: Standard room packages are $299.99/night; Themed room packages are $429.99/night; Premium room packages are $649.99/night. Packages include water park passes and select activities.

Time: We stayed one night, which gave us access to the water park from check-in (1:00 pm) until closing time (8:00 pm) the next day. This was perfect for us, but we didn't really take advantage of the other activities.

Description: Although the rooms are nice and roomy, and include some fun themed rooms (caves and cabins), you probably won't spend a whole lot of time in them. There is too much to do. Some of the many family-friendly activities included in your vacation package include: yoga (for kids), the Forest Friends show, a Wolf Walk, arts & crafts, face painting, balloon twisting, and a PJ party with dancing, games, and a bedtime story. Woodland characters often appear at these activities adding a little spice to the event.

     In addition to the above activities, there are other attractions which cost extra. These include: MagiQuest, Lazer Frenzy, the Ten Paw bowling alley, miniature golf, the Northern Lights Arcade, and the Creation Station (where you create your own plush toy).
     There is also a wide variety of dining options for whatever suits your mood: the Lodge Wood Fired Grill, Hungry as a Wolf (pizza), Buckets Incredible Craveables (poolside burgers, hotdogs, etc.), Grizzly Jack's Bar & Grill, the Loose Moose Family Kitchen, Dunkin' Donuts, and Bear Paw Sweets & Eats. And of course there are several themed gift shops.

     Of course the main attraction is the water park (which is included in your vacation package). There are activities for visitors of all ages. The first thing you'll see is the Fort Mackenzie Tree House which sports water blasters, a variety of slides, and a giant bucket that dumps gallons of water into the splash zone every couple of minutes. There are a variety of themed pools with fun activities and features - obstacle course, basketball, floating animals and lily pads, shooting fountains, water blasters, the Crooked Creek, and a wave pool. One of more popular attractions is the Wolf Rider Wipeout - featuring both flowboarding and bodyboarding. And then there are the slides. The Mountain Edge Raceway allows riders to race each other down four slices on mats. The River Canyon Run sends 2-5 riders down a long twisting slide in a giant rubber raft. The Howlin' Tornado (my personal favorite) sends 2-4 riders down a steep enclosed slide in a giant raft. Alberta Falls sends riders down twisting slides on one or two-person inner tubes. Coyote Canyon features a 40-foot drop (in inner tubes) into a swirling vortex where you can catch your breath before being flushed down the drain into the wading pool. The craziest ride is the Wolf Tail. Riders climb inside a coffin-like tube and stand against the wall with their arms and legs crossed waiting for the floor to open up and drop them down a twisting chute.

Mountain Edge Raceway

Tubing

Fort Mackenzie

Water dump

Rating: 4 1/2 stars (out of 5) - would have been 5 more of the other attractions didn't cost extra

Things You Should Know: - Customer Service was great. I lost my phone while there and checked with the front desk. They checked their lost and found and it hadn't been turned in. I filled out a claim form but figured it was gone. A couple of days later, I got a phone call informing me that it had been found, and offered me a few options on how to claim it. My mother, who made the reservations, also raved about the excellent service she received when making the arrangements for our entire clan to visit over Thanksgiving.
- The Wolf Rider Wipeout has different times for bodyboarding and flowboarding. I missed out on flowboarding because I didn't go right away.
- All guests have access to the fitness center 24/7.
- Guests may continue to use the water park for the rest of the day even after they check out.
- If you go during the holidays, the lodge will be all decked out in festive decor.

- Other cities that host a Great Wolf Lodge include: Traverse City, MI; Wisconsin Dells, WI; Grand Mound, WA; Colorado Springs, CO; Kansas City, KS; Grapevine, TX; Charlotte/Concord, NC; Williamsburg, VA; Atlanta/LaGrange, GA; Cincinnati/Mason, OH; Sandusky, OH; Scotrun, PA; Niagara Falls, Canada; and Fitchburg, MA.

Nearby: Haster Basin Recreational Park, Anaheim Stadium, Disneyland, Adventure City, Medieval Times