Hi there! I’m Emily Zei—Corporate Social Media Manager for Great Wolf Resorts. I am a self-proclaimed social media nerd. When I’m not blogging, posting or tweeting on behalf of Great Wolf, I’m blogging, posting or tweeting for myself. I’m addicted to my smart phone. Fascinated by the psychology of social media. And constantly trying to wrap my arms around the ever changing medium.
Stick with me and you’ll get to peak at the social side of Great Wolf Lodge.
With the kick-off of our Wolf Your World Tour less than a week away, I wanted to introduce you to the awesome tour team. Of course you know Sammy the Squirrel, Oliver Raccoon, Wiley and Violet the Wolf, Rachel Raccoon and Brinley Bear. But they are only half of the team that will be traveling lodge-to-lodge this summer. While the Great Wolf Kids Characters are being—well, kids—our human pack members will be following them around the country, howling as they go. So of course, you should get to know them too!
On the left we have Kristen—she’s our Brand Marketing Manager. You will see her at our Concord, Mason and Williamsburg lodges. Be sure to give her lots of high paws, they’re her favorite.
Then there’s our social wolf—Emily (that’s me!). I’m the Social Media Manager and love taking selfies with Sammy. I’ll be running around the Pocono Mountains, Traverse City and Grand Mound.
In the middle is Lynnsey—our Sr. Manager of Kids Experience. The Great Wolf Kids Characters are her best friends and she knows everything there is to know about them. Don’t believe me? Ask her! She’ll be at our Pocono Mountains, Grapevine and Sandusky lodges.
Next to her is Susie—our Director of Communications. You’ve seen all of her fun stories on our blog. This summer you can find her at our Grapevine, Traverse City and Williamsburg lodges.
All the way on the right next to Brinley is Colleen—she’s our Advertising & Partnerships Manager. This summer she’ll be heading to Concord, Mason and Kansas City. Whenever you see her, show her your Great Wolf Stomp. She loves to “Stomp, Stomp, Clap, Clap, Howl”.
Throughout the summer you’ll see photos on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter from the tour team. And don’t miss the blog posts about their adventures on the road.
See you this summer!
Summer is the absolute best time for road trips. The sun, the open road, the breeze in your fur—it’s perfect. So perfect that we decided to head out for our own summer road trip with the Wolf Your World Tour.
How exactly does one wolf their world, you ask? With Great Wolf Kids Characters and wolf ears, of course!
Last year we introduced a new Great Wolf Kids Character to our lodges. This year we decided to bring the whole pack—Wiley, Violet, Oliver and their friends Rachel Raccoon, Brinley Bear and Sammy the Squirrel. All six characters will be hitting the road with our Tour Team spreading wolfie cheer wherever they go. They will start in the Pocono Mountains and travel to every lodge until they end up in Grand Mound, WA. Along the way, they will stop for TV and radio interviews, sightseeing and even some events outside of the lodge. And for this summer only, guests of the lodge can catch Story Time with ALL SIX CHARACTERS! (Sorry for the shouting, I’m just that excited).
And here’s where it gets even better, they will be handing out more than 50,000 FREE pairs of wolf ears to everyone they meet. Want to get your own pair of wolf ears? Visit www.wolfyourworld.com to follow the tour and see where you can find the Tour Team in a town near you.
While you’re there, you can also sign up for our Wolf Your World Summer Sweepstakes. This is your chance to win the Ultimate Great Wolf Lodge getaway—a two-night stay for up to 25 (yes 25!) people and a banquet dinner at the lodge of your choice. Told you it was the ultimate.
If that isn’t enough, you can also join the conversation on social media.
Post your favorite Great Wolf Lodge pics on Instagram and tag them with #WolfYourWorld. Tweet with the tour team @GreatWolfLodge, don’t forget the #WolfYourWorld hashtag. And then there are our weekly Wolf Your World photo contests on our Facebook page. Each week we will announce a different theme, like “Wear Your Wolf Ears Playing Outside”. Just take a pic that matches the theme and upload to our Wolf Your World Facebook app. You could win a $50 Great Wolf Lodge prize pack.
We some serious summer fun ahead with lots of chances to interact with us and win some awesome prizes. I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty excited.
We recently announced our 2013 Ask-A-Mom (and dads)—our resident parent experts who provide their tips and tricks for a great trip to the lodge. Over the coming weeks, we are going to introduce you to each of them and give you a look at why they love Great Wolf Lodge. Today, meet Chris Lewis for our Traverse City lodge—father of two girls blogging about the trials and tribulations of living (and surviving) in a Divadom on a daily basis.
As a father I am always looking for experiences that will leave lasting memories in the minds of my daughters. Whether this is small day-to-day events, or big scale vacations—all are things that I work hard on so that they can look back on their childhood with fondness. What I love about Great Wolf Lodge is that it provides families of all income brackets the opportunity to get away on either a mini or extended vacation that will leave lasting memories. Whether you enjoy water and spending time in the waterpark, racing down waterslides and having tons of water dump on top of your head or you want to go on a magical journey battling dragons and hanging out with fairies, there is so much to do at Great Wolf. On top of all of this, Great Wolf employees are so down-to-earth and friendly and are there to make the experience magical, at least the ones that I have met have.
These are some of the larger scale things that stand out in why we love Great Wolf Lodge. I have to go further though and say that it is more than this—it is the smaller moments with the characters that make my children smile. It is the family oriented menu at the restaurant. It is seeing all of the kids coming together for a bedtime story or a morning trek which both educates and entertains. It is all of these things that make this resort special and one that I have constantly shared with all of my friends.
The final thing that I love about this resort is that for me, they are close enough that I can drive, but far enough away that it makes my whole family feel that we are getting away from home to a fun location.
So for me—a dad that makes it my aim in life to be present and engaged with my daughters—this resort, and its staff go out of their way to make it easy for me to bring something special and magical into their lives (outside of what I already provide at home). Also, the absolute joy shown on their faces when we arrive at Great wolf is simply priceless.
We recently announced our 2013 Ask-A-Mom (and dads)—our resident parent experts who provide their tips and tricks for a great trip to the lodge. Over the coming weeks, we are going to introduce you to each of them and give you a look at why they love Great Wolf Lodge. Meet Diana, our Sandusky, OH Ask-A-Mom. She and her family have a passion for amusement parks and waterparks in Sandusky and go at least twice a month, especially in the summer months.
Whoever coined the phrase “relaxing vacation” definitely wasn’t a mom. No matter where the destination and no matter the duration of the trip, Mom always has to be on her toes to plan for the unexpected and be at the ready with kisses, wet wipes, crayons or whatever else might be needed at a moment’s notice. That’s why I love taking my family to Great Wolf Lodge. They too have tried to plan for everything, making my job as a mom that much easier, making it possible for me to kick back and relax. They’ve thought of everything so I don’t have to. There’s the amazing water park, with water slides and pools for every age, even special areas for small toddlers. If the family needs a break from the water fun, there’s still so much to do—craft activities, arcade games, evening Story Time, and even a kid’s spa! I also don’t have to worry about meals because they have lots of dining options and menus that are kid friendly. That means I don’t have to pack peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for our entire stay!
Great Wolf hasn’t forgotten about mom and dad either. Time in the whirlpool is just what we need after a day of fun with our busy toddler. And if we didn’t get enough of a workout throughout the day, there’s always the on-site fitness center. Call me crazy, but the room suites are one of my favorite things about Great Wolf Lodge. They have so many options to fit any size family. A must for our family is a separate living area so that the hubby and I don’t have to sit in the dark once it’s time for our son to go to bed. Of course the thrill of sleeping in a bunk bed in one of the themed suites is almost as exciting as the water park!
So while some moms thrive on stress during their vacations, I prefer to have a hassle-free, fun adventure at Great Wolf Lodge. Because I shouldn’t have to worry about my family having fun— that’s guaranteed at Great Wolf Lodge!
Great Wolf Lodge - Traverse City recently celebrated the big 1-0 like anybody would celebrate such a milestone—with a giant birthday party.
Festivities included a special birthday Story Time.
A Dance Party—some lifeguards even got in on the fun.
Gifts for Wiley the Wolf—gotta love the old “snake in the potato chips can” trick.
There was even a balloon drop.
The party was great, but the best part of all was celebrating the 21—yes TWENTY ONE—original pack members that are still working at the lodge today.
Congratulations everybody, here’s to 10 more GREAT years!
Left to Right: Cindy Murray, Dawn McMichael, Nicole Stellard, Gabe Martin, Robert Blake III, Robin Ward, Sue Husted, Emily Emmott, Laura Neubauer, Jean Winowiecki, Tim Mikovitz, Charlette Kalbach, Angela Lawrence, Paul Schneider, Diane Chamberlain, Lori Elliott, Sandi Lindstrom
Not Pictured: Dawn Koszyk, Tami Leonard, Stuart Ashley, Ann Machelski
We recently announced our 2013 Ask-A-Mom (and dads)—our resident parent experts who provide their tips and tricks for a great trip to the lodge. Over the coming weeks, we are going to introduce you to each of them and give you a look at why they love Great Wolf Lodge. Meet Dave for our Pocono Mountains lodge—husband, father of two, runner with a PhD in neuroscience with a passion for travel.
Why does my family love Great Wolf Lodge? Wow, that’s a loaded question now, isn’t it? Nevertheless, I’ll take a stab at it. Things our family loves:
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens.
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens.
Brown paper packages tied up with strings.
Wait! Shoot, wrong list, sorry about that. While we do love all those things mentioned above, this is the list I meant to include:
Spending time together.
Swimming and laughing.
Cookies, Brownies, ICE CREAM.
All of these things we can do at Great Wolf Lodge. Yes, of course they are not exclusive to Great Wolf Lodge, but we relished them during our recent stay at the Sandusky, OH property, and the family memories created have produced a soft spot in our heart for the resort.
Admittedly, I am not an expert on Great Wolf Lodge, but in addition to Sandusky, OH, we have also visited the Niagara Falls, Ontario location. That being said, as a Dad who likes to travel and is the family’s vacation planner, I do consider myself somewhat of an expert on family travel (at least our family travel). We have journeyed extensively throughout the country—from New York City, to Walt Disney World, to California and many places in between. And our stays at Great Wolf Lodge compare favorably to any other vacation, and have always allowed us to unwind and relax in a fun, safe environment.
If I had to think of a favorite experience at Great Wolf Lodge, it has to be the water park itself. Having access to a full water park, only steps away from our luxurious hotel suite, is heavenly. The water was toasty warm (a definite plus for the cold water wimp in me) and we took advantage of every slide and water feature in the park. And after playing for hours in the warm water, it was soooooo easy to fall asleep in our soft and cushy bed.
Why would I like to be selected for Great Wolf Lodge’s Ask-a-Mom (or Dad) Panel? Mostly because I really enjoy sharing my travels and have a spot in my heart reserved for Great Wolf Lodge.
We recently announced our 2013 Ask-A-Mom (and dads)—our resident parent experts who provide their tips and tricks for a great trip to the lodge. Over the coming weeks, we are going to introduce you to each of them and give you a look at why they love Great Wolf Lodge. Today, meet Naomi, our Kansas City Ask-A-Mom. A native of Oahu, Hawaii (jealous), she lived in Texas, Washington and Tennessee before landing in Wichita, Kansas.
We live in the middle of Kansas, in the middle of the country. It’s very flat and dry here, which is pretty much the opposite of where I grew up in the Windward Mountains of Oahu, Hawaii. Being landlocked is okay, for the most part, but the weather here is totally insane.
The skies here in the plains states are unbelievably gorgeous. Wide open and blue with nothing to interrupt the endless horizon, it’s easy to see why a song like “Home on the Range” was written. But the past two summers have been so hot and dusty that the kids haven’t even wanted to go outside. It’s like being inside of an oven for much of the year. Or, more accurately, like walking into a hairdryer since hot wind whips all around you. In the wintertime, the winds are icy cold and cut right through to your bones. For two or three weeks a year, intermittently, the weather is perfect here in Wichita. It’s kind of hard to plan family get-togethers when Mother Nature is always playing tricks on you.
One of the things my family loves most about Great Wolf Lodge is that the environment is controlled. Sure, it’s a three hour drive from Wichita, but once we get there it’s going to be a balmy 84º no matter what time of year it is—and no matter what kind of craziness is going on outside! Everything is under one family-focused, climate-controlled roof. We can spend our days in bathing suits, on fantastic quests or even getting pampered in the spa. My kids note that even bedtime is more fun at Great Wolf because they get to sleep in the Wolf Den. Anytime going to bed is less than a struggle, I am mightily impressed! Truth be told, they’re usually ready for sleep after packing all the Great Wolf Lodge fun into their day.
We recently announced our 2013 Ask-A-Mom (and dads)—our resident parent experts who provide their tips and tricks for a great trip to the lodge. Over the coming weeks, we are going to introduce you to each of them and give you a look at why they love Great Wolf Lodge. Today, meet Dan Anderson for our Grand Mound lodge. Dan is a husband, father to a son, two Golden Retrievers and a bearded dragon named Spike.
My family enjoys having fun together, which is why we love Great Wolf Lodge—there is something for everyone and we can experience it all as a family.
My 4-year-old son, Matthew, loves playing in the water and has been taking swim classes at our local pool. Although he is not yet ready to conquer the big thrill rides, Great Wolf offers plenty of fun appropriate for his age. The indoor waterpark is perfect for him and the giant tipping bucket dumping on his head is always a highlight. Of course, it is more fun when mom and dad play along, which is why the design at Great Wolf is so great for our family.
My wife, Amy, is partial to the Starbucks in the lobby—we truly can’t start our day without a good cup of coffee. Having our favorite coffee place in the lobby makes all the difference and makes you feel like home. While my wife and I have our coffee, Matthew always gets a cup of steamed milk which he also refers to as “coffee.”
I am a bit of a technology geek, which is why I get a kick out of Great Wolf Lodge’s innovative games like MagiQuest. It is neat how Great Wolf has used the technology to create a fun experience that can keep families entertained for days. I also like MagiQuest because it is something that my family can do together.
The overall value is a larger part of why my family loves Great Wolf Lodge. Family vacations are expensive and we try to make the most out of every trip. With a visit to Great Wolf, our admission costs are bundled into the price of the room. This is great for us because we don’t have to worry about paying separate fees for admission to the park, like we have to do with trips to Disneyland.
The rooms at the hotel are wonderfully themed, especially the Wolf Den Suite, which is another reason why we enjoy visiting Great Wolf Lodge. My son loves having his own space to play and sleep in. My wife and I love that we’re not all crammed into a small hotel room, and actually have space to spread out and enjoy being away from home.
The best part of Great Wolf is that it is nearby for a quick escape. Living in the Pacific Northwest can be tough when you go for several weeks without the sun. Having a warm, indoor waterpark within driving distance is a huge perk and makes those cold winter days more bearable.
My family loves having fun together and Great Wolf Lodge is one of our favorite places to visit. There is something for each of us, but the best part is that we can enjoy it all together.
We recently announced our 2013 Ask-A-Mom (and dads)—our resident parent experts who provide their tips and tricks for a great trip to the lodge. Over the coming weeks, we are going to introduce you to each of them and give you a look at why they love Great Wolf Lodge. Today, meet Anne Loucks for Great Wolf Lodge – Niagara Falls—lover of skiing, swimming, boxing, spinning and traveling with her family.
When the snow is blowing and the winds are howling, this Canadian family starts to think of traveling. Great Wolf Lodge is an escape that has been coined “Mini Canadian Disneyland” by my family. No planes to catch and my family has everything they need under one roof.
My son sings the Raffi song “I think I must be growing” in desperate attempts to see if he can go on the big slides yet. At a mere 45 inches, he still has a little ways to go. As my daughter follows everything her older brother does (the only female Spiderman for Halloween) she is excited to be tall enough to break out of the splash zone tree house area.
Promises of an adventure that includes: make your own sundaes, crafts that don’t mean colouring on the dining room table, arcade games, Story Time and of course waterslides have my children packing in record time.
As a parent, I want planning a vacation to be simple and take less time than one load of laundry. Great Wolf Lodge reservation system is foolproof. I can pick bedrooms that suit whatever my vacation demands. Having two children born in the winter makes it challenging for birthdays. With a trip to Great Wolf Lodge I can book a Wolf Den and everyone comes away happy and feeling special.
Niagara Falls is only 6 hour from Ottawa, with outlet malls, casinos, fall wine tours and a place my children can have fun on slides year-round, who could ask for more?
Having 2 waterparks in our town, means I am constantly checking lifeguard safety. I am impressed with Great Wolf Lodge’s ability to hire competent, friendly and efficient lifeguards—something you don’t get to see enough of these days. This puts parents’ minds at ease, knowing and trusting that safety is a top concern.
To sum it up, Great Wolf Lodge is a journey to adventure that should happen as often as possible. It is easy to promote a vacation hot spot when it is as fantastic as Great Wolf Lodge. With a fun theme, various activities for all ages (MagicQuest, hot tubs, parent free time) it leaves you with a burning desire to book again as soon as possible.
Although we don’t live in an igloo, we do have a woodstove and shovel lots of snow. My children are asking (aka begging) for Great Wolf Lodge “pleeeaaasee”.
We recently announced our 2013 Ask-A-Mom (and dads)—our resident parent experts who provide their tips and tricks for a great trip to the lodge. Over the coming weeks, we are going to introduce you to each of them and give you a look at why they love Great Wolf Lodge. Today, meet Jenna Jackson for our Mason lodge. Jenna is a wife, blogger and stay-at-home mother of two boys and one spoiled dog named Harleigh.
Three Reasons Why My Family Loves Great Wolf Lodge
1. AWESOME STAFF - This past summer my husband and I, our two boys, ages 4 and 7, and my 78 year old grandmother all took a road trip and traveled to Wisconsin Dells, WI for our summer vacation. This was our very first experience at a Great Wolf Lodge. Our first impression of the lodge started at the front desk with the very accommodating staff. We informed them that my grandmother was with us and has a hard time walking long distances and they asked us which floor we preferred. Although the room wasn't ready yet, they went ahead and gave us our room keys and waterpark wristbands, took my cell phone number and told us that they would call as soon as it was ready and to go ahead and start enjoying the park. Within the hour they called with our room number and we were all set. Our room was conveniently located right around the corner from the entrance to the indoor waterpark, which was great for grandma. We appreciated the staff's kindness and it made our stay so much better knowing she was comfortable and could enjoy the amenities that the park had offered without walking a mile.
2. AWESOME ACTIVITIES - Who knew you could go to a Great Wolf Lodge and never have to leave. Honestly there was so much to do for our whole family. The indoor waterpark was huge and offered both indoor and outdoor activities for the whole family. The fun didn't stop in the water, though. Our boys loved hanging out in the arcade and couldn't wait for Story Time when the Clock Tower came alive. We also loved that the facility offered a spa, numerous planned activities throughout the day and a fitness center.
3. AWESOME RESORT AMENITIES - We loved the dining options at Great Wolf Lodge, again you never have to leave the facility. The Great Wolf Lodge in the Dells offered The Loose Moose Bar and Grill, Camp Critter Buffet, Wolf's Den Snack Bar, Bear Paw Sweets & Eats and our favorite—pizza!
Great Wolf Lodge is officially a favorite of the Jackson Family.
We recently announced our 2013 Ask-A-Mom (and dads)—our resident parent experts who provide their tips and tricks for a great trip to the lodge. Over the coming weeks, we are going to introduce you to each of them and give you a look at why they love Great Wolf Lodge. Meet Kira Riley for our Williamsburg lodge—wife, mother of two, freelance writer, blogger and owner of Love Media.
My family loves Great Wolf Lodge because it’s a 5-star resort experience, extremely close to home at a very affordable price. When paying for a family vacation, you want to feel as if you are getting the most value for your money. At Great Wolf lodge, I feel like we receive that and so much more.
We love to travel as a family and enjoy exotic vacations and fun getaways. We often cruise to the Bahamas, Bermuda or have a getaway to Massanutten or Atlantic City. After visiting Atlantis in Nassau and various cruise vacations, I became hard to impress when it came to traveling after an experience of that magnitude. I remember after our first trip to Great Wolf Lodge in May 2011 I was so blown away I called and raved to family and friends that they had to join us on our next trip.
From the moment you drive up to the property, you are transported to a magical place. The exquisite carvings of the wood and the majestic wolves make you feel like you are in another place altogether—not just 20 minutes from home. The feeling of excitement from the time we check in until the time we check out never ceases to amaze me. No matter how many times we visit, it feels like the very first time. Now, when my kids hear the words “We are going to Great Wolf Lodge,” they know they are in for an amazing mix of family and fun.
Each one of us has our favorite thing to do while we are there, but they all bring us together and allow us to enjoy quality time with one another. The sprawling property has so much to offer that every time we visit we come away with a different experience. Since our first stay, we have enjoyed 3 wonderful vacations at the resort in addition to countless day trips just to enjoy the arcade and The Loose Moose Bar & Grill. We enjoy the atmosphere so much; it is hard to stay away.
I don’t think we could possibly love Great Wolf Lodge any more than we already do—until the next time we visit, of course!
Get ready to fill out a different kind of bracket this March! Starting today, we're letting our Facebook fans vote for their favorite Great Wolf Kids Character. You can help determine who will reign as champion of Great Wolf's inaugural Character Bracket Challenge! Will it be Rachel Raccoon or Wiley the Wolf? Oliver or Brinley Bear? You decide. Head over to the Great Wolf Lodge Facebook page to vote your favorite character through their bracket—all the way to the championship round. The winner will receive a featured spot in our Facebook cover photo.
Each of our loveable Great Wolf Kids characters has their own special talents and abilities—your family can decide which one they relate to the most. Are your kids adventurous like Wiley the Wolf or sweet and playful like Brinley Bear? Would they rather build a fort with the Beaver Brothers or bake a delicious cake with Sprinkles the Bear? Let them decide and then help their favorite character win each mascot showdown, all the way through the final matchup.
Keep an eye on the Great Wolf Lodge Facebook page and make sure to vote for your kids' favorite characters from now through the end of the month. Whichever character wins each of his or her matchups will be crowned as the champion of the 2013 Great Wolf Character Bracket Challenge. Let the games begin!
We recently announced our 2013 Ask-A-Mom (and dads)—our resident parent experts who provide their tips and tricks for a great trip to the lodge. Over the coming weeks, we are going to introduce you to each of them and give you a look at why they love Great Wolf Lodge. Today, meet Chris Wilkinson—husband, father of two and award-winning Broadcast Photojournalist.
This is a true story—you just can't make this stuff up. On a recent trip to Dallas we decided to try the “other" resort across the street from the Great Wolf Lodge. As we got close our boys knew where they were. They sat up in their seats. They put the iPad down. (You know something is good when the iPad goes down.) They were getting excited and then Dad starts to turn left. "NO!" screamed Quinn at the top of his little 5 year old lungs. "This way! This way!" his tiny finger pointing to the right.
It's not that we had a bad time at the massive resort across the street; we just didn't have a REALLY good time like we do when we go to the Great Wolf Lodge. The massive resort was TOO massive. The pool area was fun but TOO far away. They CHARGE both a resort fee AND for parking.
Never again.
We love the FREE parking. We love the friendly staff. We love the hidden items we discover with each visit. We love helping new families understand the quest starts down the hall and then goes up the stairs. We love the fun rooms. But most of all we LOVE watching our boys bounce around, slide, swim, climb and sleep peacefully in their bunk beds surrounded by critters.
On our next trip to Dallas we drove down the same highway. Took the same exit. The boys started to notice where we were. There was tension. "Where are we going?" asked the older brother Calvin. "It's a surprise" I answered. They both sunk into their seats. Defeated. I turned on my blinker. Celebration erupted. "YEAH!", declared Quinn, "We're going right Calvin! We're going right!"
The rest of the weekend was filled with fun, magic, splashing, snacks, games, prizes and two boys who fell asleep with wands clutched in their sweet little hands. We learned a valuable lesson that weekend—always turn right at the light!
We recently announced our 2013 Ask-A-Moms (and dads)—our resident parent experts who provide their tips and tricks for a great trip to the lodge. Over the coming weeks, we are going to introduce you to each of them, giving you a look at why they love Great Wolf Lodge. First up, Anitra Elmore for our Charlotte/Concord lodge. Anitra is a wife, blogger and stay-at-home mother of two living in Cary, North Carolina.
We are not your typical family. When it comes to having fun, we each like very different things and have very strong opinions. Since none of us are afraid to speak our minds, it makes for some challenging times when we’re deciding what to do together. And when we decide to get away, it’s not always easy to make the right choice.
Except, of course, when our destination is Great Wolf Lodge.
Where else can we go, within driving distance, where we find something to please each of us? Mom can enjoy the spa while dad and the kids play in the water. Mom and the kids can run wild playing MagiQuest, while dad relaxes in the lobby or works in the cozy suite. We all enjoy mini-golf, bowling and the arcade, so that keeps us busy together for a while. When the kids need some quiet time, the Cub Club comes valiantly to the rescue.
We discover something new each time we visit. It’s amazing how much they’ve tucked away in the nooks, crannies and hallways of the lodge. While there are things we haven’t tried, like the kids spa, we definitely have our favorites—Story Time and the water slides are a must. And, if we decide not to eat at one of the restaurants on property, we’re surrounded by so many of our favorites right there in the area.
There’s absolutely no room for anyone to get bored when we visit. The concept is absolute genius and each time I’m there, I am overwhelmed at how well thought out everything is. We were hooked from the first time we heard that “Goin' to the Lodge” and we remain hooked because Great Wolf Lodge delivers what they promise. It’s the ideal place for families to make memories, and I am proud to say that we have indeed made a few.
As a blogger, I spend a considerable amount of my time making recommendations to other moms. When I find a product, service or destination that helps us enrich our family life, I’m pleased to shout it from the rooftops and across all of my social media channels. Great Wolf Lodge is definitely one of these places.
Ask Anitra a question about our Concord lodge online at askamom.greatwolf.com
Last fall we launched a nationwide search inviting moms and dads to join our 2013 Ask-A-Mom panel—our resident parent experts who provide their tips and tricks for a great trip to the lodge. After reading every submission and watching every video (there were a lot) we’ve finally made our selection.
Here they are folks, our new Ask-A-Moms (and Dads)!
Stay tuned for upcoming blog posts introducing you to each of our panelists. In the meantime, head over to askamom.greatwolf.com to ask them a question.
Did you just book your first trip to the lodge? Curious about all of the slides that we have? Or are you just missing your favorite and want to reminisce?
You can visit our website or YouTube channel and watch over 40 videos of your favorite slides. Shot from a first-person angle, you can see what it’s like to ride the Niagara Rapids Run or slide down River Canyon Run.
Now that you’ve watched them all, which is your favorite? Leave a comment and let us know. Good luck choosing just one.
As a family entertainment brand, we are always interested in articles about families—moms, dads, kids, grandparents. As a social media manager for a family entertainment brand, I’m especially interested in articles about how all these family members use social media.
There have been a bunch of new articles released containing information about parents on social media. More specifically—why they are on Facebook.
One recent article by Mashable says that one in two parents join Facebook to keep tabs on their kids. They even included a fancy little infographic with all the specifics. We are seeing more and more kids on our Facebook page letting us know how much they love us. And of course, we see parents doing the same.
This growing trend of parents on Facebook got me wondering, why do parents “like” Great Wolf Lodge on Facebook? Sure, there are tons of articles out there about why people like brands, but I want to know straight from you, the fans.
So here you go, let us know why you “like” us on Facebook. Do you want to see fun photos from the lodges? Do you like to watch Great Wolf Lodge videos? Or do you just love sharing your own photos for the Facebook world to see?
Or do you prefer the world of Twitter? Why do you follow @GreatWolfLodge? Is it everything you hoped it would be?
Leave a comment and let us know.
I know I’ve said this before, but I just love hearing stories from our guests about the experiences they have at our lodges. One particular story, emailed to our Niagara Falls lodge by David Vernon, caught my eye. It’s a simple story really—the tale of a father, a daughter and a friendly bet.
My family and I have visited Great Wolf Lodge for the past few years and always have a great time. Last year was the best because we discovered your latest addition—MagiQuest.
After last February's visit, my daughter was looking at her wristband and asked how long I thought it would stay on her arm. I told her that it would probably wear out and fall off within a few months. Being a typical 11 year old, she said that she thought it would last a long time, "like, at least a year".
This is where it got interesting—she wanted to bet me that she could wear it for one year and that it would not fall apart. If she won, I’d take her to Great Wolf Lodge again. Foolishly, I made the bet.
Just this past month we hit the one year mark, and what do you know, she still has that wristband on her arm.
It’s a little bit worn, but the darn thing is still there. I never would have thought that it would last that long. Of course I assumed that it was made of strong material and designed to last for a typical visit, but had no idea it would hold up for an entire year. It is a true testament to the strength and durability of those things. So much durability that it just cost me $500.
We are getting ready to come again to Great Wolf Lodge and wondered if anyone is interested to see it. She might sell it for say......$500
I wonder if there is a record for wearing one.
As you’ve read in past blog posts and seen in our lodges, we’ve been really busy lately. We’ve launched two new websites, added new attractions, hosted fun family events and even helped break a world record. All while working to deliver the best experience to all of our guests. Like I said, we’ve been busy.
And it’s great to be recognized for all the hard work—from our guests and from the industry. Back in December we found out that we are the winner of five HSMAI Adrian Awards.
I was lucky enough to travel to New York City to accept the awards on the behalf of Great Wolf Resorts.
The event took place at the Marriott Marquis on Times Square. Among the attendees were other hotel greats like Hilton, Marriott and InterContinental. There were also a lot of travel folks there like our friends at Pocono Tourism and Visit Cabarrus.
The evening started with networking over dinner—where our Gold entries were displayed for attendees to see—and ended with the big awards show to honor the Platinum winners and the Best of Shows.
It was an honor to be in the room with so many great leaders in the hospitality industry. And of course, winning five awards wasn’t bad either.
We took home Bronze in the TV Commercial category with our “Everybody In” campaign. Two Silver awards included our GreatWolf.com redesign and our new GreatWolfKids.com. And last, but not least, two Gold awards for our Gingerbread House campaign and our blog—Behind the Howl. (Yes, you are reading an award winning blog.)
Thank you to HSMAI for recognizing us in these categories and thanks to our fans and guests. All of this hard work is for you.
As guests of our lodges know, there are a ton of fun events that happen every day—like Story Time and DJ Dance Parties.
But I bet they don’t know just how fun our corporate office is—yes, you can have fun at a corporate office. In a recent article on careerbliss.com, we were actually featured for our annual office Halloween party.
We even have a team of people who come up with new ways to have fun at our corporate office. Their latest event—the Super Bowl Dip Contest. Last Thursday, members of our corporate pack brought in all kinds of dips. We had salsas, guacamoles, spinach and pizza-flavored dips. And no Super Bowl party would be complete without a buffalo chicken dip.
After all the dips were tasted (tough job), we voted for the favorite. And of course, our Corporate Director of Food & Beverage won. (Yes, I’m still a little bitter, but it’s hard to beat a trained chef). It took a little begging, but I managed to get the recipe. Now you can bring an award-winning dip from a Great Wolf Lodge Chef to your Super Bowl party.
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Ingredients:
Directions:
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