Taking Toddlers to Great Wolf Lodge in Wisconsin Dells? Here’s What You Need to Know
I have a confession to make—I’ve never been to Wisconsin Dells in the summer. I know, I know, it’s the Waterpark Capital of the World, and summer is when most families pack up and head there. But growing up in Wisconsin, we already had incredible summers, so vacationing here during the winter just made sense.
As a kid, Wisconsin Dells was our winter escape. I only ever remember staying at two places—Great Wolf Lodge when we were younger and Kalahari when we got older. My biggest memory from Great Wolf Lodge? That giant tipping bucket. Every time it went off, we’d run to stand under it, waiting for the massive splash. And at Kalahari? The thing that stuck with me most was their sea salt caramels—they sold them at the bakery when you walked in, and they were the best.
Now, as a parent, I get why my parents took us to Great Wolf Lodge when we were younger. It’s on the smaller side, easy to navigate, and perfect for little kids. We took our kids (ages 2 and 4) to Great Wolf Lodge, and it was such a fun and memorable experience. From navigating the water park with little ones to the best toddler-friendly activities, I’m sharing everything we learned so you can plan your own stress-free trip!
If you’re wondering how the Great Wolf Lodge compares to other Dells resorts? After staying at Kalahari with our toddlers, we put together a full Great Wolf Lodge vs. Kalahari comparison so you can see which one is the best fit for your family!
Why We Chose Great Wolf Lodge
When we decided to visit Wisconsin Dells, we knew we wanted a family-friendly resort that would be fun for young kids but also manageable for us as parents. We landed on Great Wolf Lodge because:
- It’s specifically designed for families with young children
- It has a great mix of water park attractions for toddlers and big kids
- They offer fun extra activities beyond just the water park
Since our kids were still little (ages 2 and 4), we weren’t sure how much they’d be able to do, but we quickly realized Great Wolf Lodge is set up perfectly for younger families!
Water Park Fun for Toddlers
One of my biggest fears going into this trip was that my kids, who are petite for their age, wouldn’t be able to do much. I had visions of them being too small for all the slides or not wanting to participate in the activities. However, I was so relieved to find that Great Wolf Lodge offers plenty of options for smaller kids, and they were both able to have a blast!
The indoor water park was our biggest reason for choosing Great Wolf Lodge, and it did not disappoint! Here’s what worked well for our toddlers:
- Cub Paw Pool – A shallow play area with mini slides, fountains, and plenty of space to splash. We didn’t spend a lot of time in this space. The one time we had tried, a another little on had an accident and the staff was closing it down for cleaning so naturally we avoided it like the plague!
- Whooping Hollow – A toddler-friendly slide area where younger kids can safely go down smaller water slides. Near this area was the lily pads. You know, the ones you remember as a kid where your
- Lazy River – A calm, relaxing way to float with your little ones in tow. This was one of my favorite parts of Great Wolf Lodge. My daughter (two years old at the time) actually napped on us as we floated around! We tried to replicate this at Kalahari, but their lazy river is connected to the wave pool and has more fountains, which made it a little tougher for nap time. If you’re curious about how the toddler water areas compare, I break it all down in my full Kalahari review!
- Wave Pool – This was our 4-year-olds absolute favorite. He loved floating in the deeper areas while the waves carried him, but our 2-year-old preferred watching from the edge.
A quick note about bigger water slides – our kids were able to go down the inter tube slide as long as they were with us. They both LOVED this! Our son also loved the few body slides he could go down – they made him feel like a “big kid” and one of my favorite memories was racing him to the bottom. We would each start at the top, see who could get to the bottom first. I loved these slides because they landed in open water and he’d often go under, and then have to swim to the steps – great for learning how to maneuver in open water!
What Wasn’t Ideal:
One thing we found really interesting was that our kids were drawn to totally different things at the water park. Our daughter loved the shallow splash areas and mini fountains, while our son was all about the body slides, tube slides, and wave pool. It was so fun (and rewarding!) to watch them develop their own preferences and confidence in the water.
- The bigger slides – Our kids weren’t quite tall enough or brave enough for some of the larger slides.
- Fort Mackenzie (Water Treehouse) – While fun, the giant tipping bucket of water was a little overwhelming for our kids. There is also quite a bit of spewing water in all areas of the water playground so it took a bit of time for them to get used to it. I also remember it being cold!!
Pro Tip: If your toddler isn’t used to loud or busy environments, the water park can feel a bit overstimulating at first. We found that starting in the calmer areas helped ease them in.
One-on-One Parent-Kid Time: An Unexpected Bonus
One of the things that left us feeling refreshed and rewarded by the end of our trip was realizing that our kids naturally gravitated toward different activities. Our daughter was drawn to the shallow splash areas and calmer water features, while our son was all about the few body slides he could go on, the tube slide, and the wave pool.
At first, we thought this might be a challenge—would we constantly be juggling between their different preferences? But it actually turned out to be a huge win for us as parents. We opted to just split up, and it gave us an opportunity to have really great one-on-one time with our kids. I would take my son down waterslides while my husband played in the splash pools with my daughter, and then we’d switch. Having this dedicated time with each child made the trip even more special, and it’s something we hadn’t even considered when planning the trip.
Other Toddler-Friendly Activities
One of the things I loved about Great Wolf Lodge is that there’s more to do beyond the water park! Here are some of the non-water activities our toddlers enjoyed:
MagiQuest (But Modified!)
This interactive wand game is more geared toward older kids, but our 4-year-old loved waving the wand at things to make them move! We didn’t follow the full quest, but it was still a fun way to explore the resort. Truthfully, had we not purchased one of the passes that the Great Wolf Lodge offers as a promotional add-on to your stay (more on this in a bit), we probably wouldn’t have gone to MagiQuest this time.
Character Meet & Greets
The kids loved meeting Great Wolf Lodge characters like Brynley Bear, Wiley the Wolf, and Violet. These happen throughout the day, and they’re a great break from swimming. They also have the large interactive clock display in the lobby which sings and puts on a show on a regular basis.
Story Time & Dance Party
Each night, Great Wolf Lodge hosts a storytime in the lobby followed by a family dance party. You could tell that this was a big deal for the resort. There was a small stage set up, the employees wore mics, and there were always 30+ families in attendance.
A Favorite Family Memory: The Wolfie Cage
One of our absolute favorite moments from this trip was watching our son make a big decision about how to spend his gift card from Grandma. We don’t typically give our kids money for gift shops, so this was a new experience for them.
Early in the trip, he spotted a little wolf rescue toy in the gift shop—what we ended up calling the Wolfie Cage. From the moment he saw it, he kept coming back to it every time we passed the store.
Since his gift card had a set amount, we talked a lot about money and choices. The Wolfie Cage was more expensive (you know as a parent when you’re like this is a total inflated price for this silly thing – that was us LOL), and he knew that if he got it, he wouldn’t have any money left for other things. By the end of the weekend, he was carefully watching to see if people were buying them, checking if any were still left.
Finally, he made up his mind: “Mom, I’m okay if I don’t have any more money—I just really want the Wolfie Cage.” Watching him take his time, weigh his options, and confidently make his decision was such a rewarding moment as a parent.
And yes, Wolfie came home with us. 😊
Tips for Visiting Great Wolf Lodge with Toddlers
After our visit, here are a few things I’d recommend to make your trip smoother:
Skip the Life Jackets
Don’t make the same mistake I did by lugging your whole slew of swim gear along with you. The Great Wolf Lodge provides life jackets for kids, making it one less thing to pack. And I have to say—I was so impressed with the lifeguards. They did not mess around. They were constantly scanning the water, staying alert, and rotating positions in a way that was really reassuring as a parent. It made us feel comfortable letting our kids explore within safe limits.
Take Advantage of their Vacation Packages (If You Want Extras)
Great Wolf Lodge offers a variety of passes that bundle extra activities like arcade credits, MagiQuest, hotel swag, ice cream, and more. If you plan to do several of these activities, the passes can save you money or at the very least encourage you to take advantage of everything they have to offer. The deals rotate, but when we went we snagged a pass that included the Oliver’s Mining Sluice gemstone mining experience, MagiQuest wands, ice cream, and arcade credit. We also added on a family dining package that included souvinier cups with unlimited refills, towels, and $150 in dining credit for the duration of our stay. I actually really recommend this because we weren’t able to bring in our own food and drinks to the water park. This was great to have for quick breakfasts in the morning, snacks or lunch at the waterpark, ice cream or coffee from the shop near the lobby, and more. We actually had a hard time using all of our dining credit so it was more than enough for our family of four.
Plan Your Time Strategically
The excitement can be a lot for little ones! We made sure to strategically plan our day. On days we grabbed an early breakfast we would take advantage of activities before the waterpark opened, grab a mid-morning snack, and then go to the waterpark for most of the afternoon. On days we got a late start, we would eat a later breakfast, hit up the waterpark as soon as it opened, swim for 2-4 hours, go back to our room to get cleaned up, and eat an early dinner so we could enjoy the waterpark in the evening when most people were leaving for the day.
Would We Recommend Great Wolf Lodge for Toddlers?
Absolutely! Great Wolf Lodge was the perfect first water park experience for our young kids. The mix of toddler-friendly water play, fun resort activities, and convenient indoor setup made it a stress-free trip for us as parents.
That said, if your kids are older or more adventurous, you might want to consider a resort with bigger slides and attractions—but for toddlers, Great Wolf Lodge is a fantastic choice.
After this fun trip, we also decided to give the Kalahari Resort a try. If you want a detailed look at Kalahari, here’s our Kalahari Resort with Toddlers review! And, if you’re wondering how Great Wolf Lodge stacks up against Kalahari, check out our full resort comparison!
If you’ve been to Great Wolf Lodge with young kids, I’d love to hear your thoughts—what did your toddlers love most?