The goal of this post is to teach you some of the hacks to take advantage of the cheapest possible stay at Great Wolf Lodge, Niagara. Obviously, you may choose to travel at a different time of year, or spoil your little ones with French fries and ice cream – and that is all perfectly okay!
The Groupon Coupon Solution
The most expensive part of the whole trip is accommodations because it includes your room and your waterpark bracelets. The best deals can be found on Groupon. Each year I’ve bided my time and around Christmas have pulled the trigger on the Groupon deal for $240/night, plus an additional 10% off with a coupon code.
The Math:
A regular room with two Queen beds was priced at $240/night
Now apply the coupon code and the rate becomes $216/night
Plus Tax and fees (@14%) = $246.25/night
Fine print – to get this super cheap rate, you have to be willing to go mid-week. Tuesday and Wednesday nights were the cheapest. Also the max value of the coupon code is $50, so if you book for more than two nights you will exceed the benefit value.
BUT WAIT – THERE’S MORE!
The Groupon also includes a $50 credit! It has great benefits as follows:
Perk #1: $25 credit towards the Arcade/Spa/Quest or Gift Shop.
Perk #2: $25 credit towards Dining at any of three restaurants
The French Fry is its own Food Group
The resort really is all-inclusive, but that means the mediocre food is overpriced. Each room comes with a microwave and a mini-fridge so take advantage! We brought food for breakfast (cereal, oatmeal) and lots of snacks. For our first dinner we ordered in pizza (cost $50). I felt a little diabolical doing this until the next morning when I walked down the hallway that was littered with pizza boxes. We then ate pizza for lunch the next day as well.
The resort does offer a meal plan, and if you intend to eat at least two meals there then it is worth it.
Cost for a kid = $30.50 Adult = $58.75 both including taxes but not tip.
We did splurge on one dinner in the restaurant which serves a buffet of decent food (and amazing desserts!). Including our $25 credit and the fact our bill included some (*ahem) adult beverages the total after tip was $94.
Practice saying no to your kids before you go
There’s a great Berenstain bears book called “Get the Gimmies” and if you’re not careful, this is a prevalent disease at GWL. Everywhere you look kids are flaunting wands, licking massive ice cream cones and sporting giant Paw Passes or wolf ears. Mostly every kid activity that does not take place in the lobby costs money…a lot of money. The solution to the Gimmies for the Berenstain bears is to set expectations in advance of arriving so that everyone is clear on how much will be spent.
For example, we agreed in advance that the $25 credit we had would be all that we would contribute to the arcade. For my two kids that was plenty to entertain them over our two-night stay, but we also did not take advantage of the bowling which would have eaten a large portion of our credit.
Mom (and Dad) Hacks
On top of these money saving tips, I would be remiss if I didn’t throw in some general ‘Parenting Tips’ so you can keep your sanity.
Hack #1: Are your kids under 36 inches? Don’t go!
This is going to be a contentious statement for many, but THIS IS A WATER PARK! You are paying for the access and costs to run large waterslides. If you cannot use these slides then basically you are paying minimum $250/night for a warm pool. I bet there are lots of local swimming pools and even hotels in your area which provide slides for toddlers and would cost a lot less! I watched too many adults spend entire days standing in ankle deep water hoping their puddle-jumper-wearing toddler wouldn’t drown. Not worth it!
Hack #2: Best time to go
From my personal experience, the cheapest months are the less popular ones: January, April, and October. We saw a noticeable increase in lines from the end of January (great time to go!) to the first week in February. If you’re flexible with your travel dates, sign up for the online newsletter which will often offer reduced rates. And keep an eye out for the Groupon – Christmas time has been the best time to score it.
Hack #3: Get gift cards
A great present (birthday or Christmas) leading up to the trip is to ask Grandma/Grandpa or Aunts and Uncles for a $40 gift card. Why $40? This is the exact amount that buys you a magical wand and the ability to complete Quests (aka hotel treasure hunts). Wands and Quests are best enjoyed by children old enough to read and who have the patience to follow clues all over the hotel. For kids under 7, I’ve heard of parents bringing a wand from the dollar store and with so many kids running around zapping everything, their little ones think they too have magical powers. Devious – but effective!
Hack #4: Times of day to avoid the lines
You would think that first thing in the morning would be the best time to avoid the lines, but surprisingly, that is not the case. The water park only opens at 9am, and with checkout at 11am, most families were there when the doors opened.
The absolute best time to go is during story time when 80% of the kids are in the lobby. Between 7:30pm and 8:00pm when the park closes were the shortest lines of the day (if you can talk your kids into missing storytime).
Hack #5: Odd numbered families beware
Are you a family of five? Be forewarned that nearly everything about the park is built for even numbers. For example, the “Family slide” (Wooly Mammoth) fits only four people. Plan ahead how you will be dividing up your family to accommodate this ride! Also, the suites have bunk beds, but only two of them, so one child will be sleeping on the pull-out couch or an air mattress. I can see the fights already!
These are my biggest tips for saving money and your sanity at Great Wolf Lodge, Niagara!
Have a Great Wolf Trip!