Our kids love waterparks and staying overnight, so what's better than the Great Wolf Lodge hotels for a full day of play? Not much, that's what!
These super kid-friendly hotels check off almost everything on the mini-vacation bucket list. And SO much is included when you get a day pass to Great Wolf Lodge!
(But, it's a much better vacation when I can get ahold of a Great Wolf Lodge coupon, that's for sure. Read on to get my best recommendations for saving big money on your next day pass for Great Wolf Lodge)
In this blog post, I want to share my BEST tips for helping you save on a day pass to Great Wolf Lodge – including the Great Wolf Lodge paw pass, waterpark pass and more.
Consider this blog post your one-stop-shop for learning ALL you need to know about day passes to Great Wolf Lodge, and how to save on them.
Booking Your Great Wolf Lodge Day Pass
You likely came here to find out “how much is a day pass at great wolf lodge”…
Are you ready? I'm going to tell you everything you wanted to know about a stay at Great Wolf Lodge Hotels, how you can get Great Wolf Lodge day pass deal and then some.
Buckle up for the ride and get ready for lots on information and travel tips to use on your next Great Wolf Lodge family vacation.
Check out the Newest Great Wolf Lodge Day Pass Promo Code HERE!
How Much is a Day Pass at Great Wolf Lodge?
Great Wolf Lodge day passes and tickets start at $50 per person and will fluctuate based on the most popular times to visit the waterpark. Ages 2 and under are free with a paid adult, though.
What Age is Free for Great Wolf Lodge Tickets?
Any child age 2 and under is free at Great Wolf Lodge resorts, just make sure to include them on your room reservation as noted in the resort policies.
Do Adults Need a Wolf Pass at Great Wolf Lodge?
Wolf passes are for kids at Great Wolf Lodge, adults do not need a wolf pass. The wolf passes are awesome for kids though, as they allow kids to experience all of the amenities at the resort just by showing their pass.
How Much are Lockers at Great Wolf Lodge?
As of 2022 when I last updated this post, lockers are $15. We never rented a locker at Great Wolf Lodge, we just kept our stuff together in a beach bag and stuck it under a chair.
Does Great Wolf Lodge Allow Outside Food?
In case you're wondering “can you bring outside food to Great Wolf Lodge” – the answer is YES! You will have a fridge and microwave in your room, so bring snacks and breakfast – this is a great way to save money on your stay. Just know that outside food and drinks beyond a reusable water bottle can't go into the waterpark area.
Check out the Newest Great Wolf Lodge Day Pass Promo Code HERE!
Can You Buy Paw Pass at Check In?
You will save an additional 10% when you buy a paw pass at check-in – but you can also buy them after you've checked in! You'll see signs around the resort breaking down differences between the pup pass, paw pass and wolf pass.
How Much is the Breakfast Buffet at Great Wolf Lodge?
The breakfast buffet at Great Wolf Lodges starts at $16.99 per person. If members of your family aren't huge breakfast eaters, a great way to save some money is by bringing small breakfast meals to be enjoyed in the room.
How to Best Use Your Day Pass at Great Wolf Lodge:
Here's where I'll start when discussing Great Wolf Lodge day passes:
You want to travel at non-peak times and you're in luck, as that's usually when the Great Wolf Lodge Groupon passes are available (scroll down for info on using a Groupon day pass!)
Unfortunately, if you work Monday through Friday this does mean that you'll want to take a day or two off from work as most of the Great Wolf Groupon passes are eligible only for Sunday through Thursday night stays.
But, I'm here to tell you, the savings are worth it!
Check out the Newest Great Wolf Lodge Day Pass Promo Code HERE!
Do you bring your own towels to Great Wolf Lodge?
Great Wolf Lodge provides towels for the waterpark area once you get into the waterpark. They just ask that you leave them in the waterpark dirty laundry bin before you leave. Make sure to pack towels or swim coverups for your walk back to your room, and in the public areas or restaurants.
How does a day pass to Great Wolf Lodge work?
When you purchase a standard day pass to Great Wolf Lodge, you are paying for:
- Your water park passes
- Other included amenities (see the full list here)
- Swim towels
- Free life jackets
- Lockers for rent with a locker room
- Showers to rinse off in
What about Great Wolf Lodge Water Park passes?
Whether you are planning to visit Great Wolf Lodge in June, July, August or even December, you can enjoy the 84-degree waterpark loaded with all of the water slides and pools you can dream of at the water park at your nearest Great Wolf Lodge with a Day Pass.
Half Day water park day passes as a part of the brand-new waterpark day pass program start at $40 per person and Full Day Passes start at $50 per person.
You'll receive free passes for children ages 2 and under.
Is there ever a Great Wolf Lodge Day Pass Groupon available?
Yes! Every once in awhile we will see a Great Wolf Lodge Groupon and will always update this post here when there is! Be sure to sign up for our Great Wolf Lodge email notifications HERE to be notified of the latest Great Wolf Lodge deals or Great Wolf day pass deal!
There ARE times that are better to swim in the water park.
In our experience with the waterparks at Great Wolf Lodge Hotels, it's best to hit the water park first thing in the morning when it opens — and on any given day you'll want to hit the big slides first.
As the day goes on, the lines will grow for the bigger slide attractions, so if you can get in a couple of rounds of the big slides without facing a huge line, you're in luck.
Another tip for using your day pass for Great Wolf Lodge – the lodge definitely slows down during meal times, well at least the waterpark does! So, eat at off-peak times and enjoy the waterpark while everyone else is eating. Win-Win!
Check out the Newest Great Wolf Lodge Day Pass Promo Code HERE!
How to Save on Your Great Wolf Lodge Day Pass:
Another thing that I absolutely love about Great Wolf Resorts is that, with just a little bit of planning, you'll never have to pay full price for a day pass. It's true! There are great wolf lodge day pass deals, and we love sharing those!
With resources like Groupon, Living Social and more, it's SO easy to find a Great Wolf Lodge day pass discount that you and the whole family can enjoy.
Below I outline some of my favorite tips:
How to Use the Great Wolf Lodge Groupon (Everything You Wanted to Know!)
- Guide to Great Wolf Lodge Prices, Discounts and Other FAQs
- Great Wolf Lodge Groupon! & Last Minute Deals
What do Great Wolf Lodge Groupon Passes Include?
Most Great Wolf Lodge Groupon passes offer a $25 credit per night for use in the Great Wolf Lodge shops and they've even been known to offer free perks like breakfast, a pizza or a scoop of their delicious Blue Bunny ice cream with your Groupon.
Great Wolf Lodge really shells it out and when they run a promotion, they make it really nice.
Other Ways to Save Money with Your Groupon for Great Wolf Lodge:
Each room has a small dorm-sized refrigerator, so bring anything you can to stick in there. As of when I'm writing this post each Great Wolf Lodge room includes:
- Two complimentary water bottles
- A coffee pot
- A packet of ground coffee ready to be brewed
But other than those items, plan to bring everything else.
You may also wish for a Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts drink which is also offered inside most locations.
Another thing that I recommend is bringing snacks to have in the afternoon and during the nightly story time and clocktower show.
Note, however, there is no outside food allowed in the water park area of Great Wolf Lodge hotels.
Great Wolf Lodge hotels have a story time in the lobby for the kids at 8 o'clock p.m. that is absolutely adorable and then, at some locations, there's also a heck of a dance party on the weekends after the story time that kids and adults alike can participate in — now, you're making memories!
And, maybe one of my favorite things about Great Wolf Lodge is that the Great Wolf Lodge employees are also known to go completely above and beyond if you're not completely satisfied with anything while you're a guest staying at one of their 12 resorts.
In fact, the first time that we had ever heard of Great Wolf Lodge was when they were featured on Undercover Boss. And while that was quite some time ago, I believe that they've kept their standards high and in check with their beliefs.
Their lifeguards are second to none and I have always felt like our kids are beyond safe while we're playing at the Great Wolf Lodge properties.
And, that leads me to tell you that Great Wolfe Lodge provides Life Jackets for kids. They have several sizes available in case you don't have one to bring. Or, of course you overpacked and have no more room in the car. (Like me – every.time.)
What is the best age for Great Wolf Lodge?
Although the Great Wolf Lodge age prices are all the same (2 and under are free!), there is a sweet spot for enjoying the lodge and in my experience that is 6-13, but older kids and even adults can have fun too! There are so many attractions to keep all ages and all personalities entertained.
Check out the Newest Great Wolf Lodge Day Pass Promo Code HERE!
What's the deal with the Great Wolf Lodge Paw Pass?
One more tip that I have to offer about staying at Great Wolf Lodge is that there are so many activities that are free that you might not want to invest in the Paw Pass or the Pup Pass.
While the passes are nice to direct you to all of the perks of the hotel, they almost give you too much to do to the point where you might not have enough time to enjoy the slides.
If you're staying for over three days and two nights, I'd recommend a Paw Pass or Pup Pass, or possibly if it's your first time going.
Otherwise, I recommend looking over the free agenda the staff will give you at checkin. That has loads of free things to do, including free crafts, more about story time, dance party, etc.
Do you know other ways to save at Great Wolf Lodge?
Have you been to a Great Wolf Lodge before? Do you have anything to add?
I'm sure that I've forgotten some things, so please, leave a comment below or email me at [email protected] and I'd love to add any more tips to save at Great Wolf Lodge that I could have missed.