Taking Little Kids to Kalahari: Chaos, Fun & Unexpected Surprises
After our first Wisconsin Dells trip with toddlers to Great Wolf Lodge (read about it here!), we decided to try something new—Kalahari Resort! Our kids were 3 and 4 (almost 5) at the time, and we were curious to see how it compared. Would there be enough for our little ones to do? How would it differ from Great Wolf Lodge? With the biggest indoor water park in Wisconsin Dells, Kalahari promised plenty of fun—but was it toddler and kid-friendly? Here’s what we loved, what surprised us, and what you should know before you go!
Why We Chose Kalahari Resort
Having grown up in Wisconsin, I had been to Kalahari before—when I was 14, I even got to bring my friends for my golden birthday, and we were upgraded to a suite with a hot tub on the balcony! Coming back as a parent, though, I was in for a different experience.
One of my biggest memories from childhood Kalahari trips? Their sea salt caramels. They used to sell them in a little shop down by the lobby, and they were the best. Every time we visited, I made sure to grab some. Another thing that stood out from those early trips? The live tiger that used to be right out front. As a kid, I thought it was so cool, but now that I’m older (and much more aware of ethical animal treatment), I was actually relieved to see that Kalahari no longer has the tiger on display. Instead, they’ve replaced it with a beautiful fountain, which feels like a much better fit for the space.
Kalahari has grown a lot over the years. It feels much more like a full resort now, with multiple restaurants, expanded attractions, and more commercialized spaces. One noticeable change? Check-in is entirely self-service. Unlike Great Wolf Lodge, where you’re greeted at the front desk and given wristbands in person, Kalahari has moved to a fully digital process with kiosks for check-in. It’s efficient, but it also adds to that feeling of Kalahari being a more corporate, large-scale resort. We were excited to check it out, but we quickly realized that it’s a lot of walking, especially for young kids. We stayed in the Sands Building, and while it was nice, it added extra steps (literally!) to our daily routine.
Our main reason for choosing Kalahari this time was to compare experiences and see how it would work for our kids at this stage. If you’re planning a trip to Wisconsin Dells with young kids, you might be wondering: Which resort is better—Great Wolf Lodge or Kalahari? Since we’ve now done both, we’re breaking it all down! Be sure to check out our Great Wolf Lodge review and for a full comparison to see which one might be the best fit for your family, read our comparison post here.
Water Park Fun for Toddlers
Like many who travel to Wisconsin Dells, the indoor water park was the biggest reason we booked Kalahari. My biggest concern, as always, was whether there would be enough my petite kids (ages 3 and 4) could actually do. I had remembered the Kalahari having more “big kid” type of slides and activities, but that might be because we had usually gone when I was in middle or high school so I likely didn’t pay attention to anything they had to offer for the little kids. Of course, the waterpark delivered, and my kids had a blast!
Areas We Loved:
- Wave Pool – Both kids loved it! The waves were intense!!
- Toddler Play Areas (Two Separate Zones!) – The toddler-friendly play areas were amazing. There were plenty of ways for little ones to play and stay entertained. The Leopards Lair had a variety of slides and swings (which were a fan favorite for our kids!). They also had multiple water slides that both kids could easily find their way up to. Tiko’s Watering Hole was also a huge win for us, even though we didn’t discover it until our second day in the park. It was a toddler’s paradise, but even my nearly 5 year-old had a blast going down the slides and floating in the kid’s short lazy river.
- Lazy River – Always a win for little ones who love floating around. Although, I will say the lazy river at the Kalahari is connected to their wave pool and it has many fountains throughout. One of my favorite memories from our Great Wolf Lodge trip was that my daughter (two years-old at the time) napped on us as we floated around the lazy river. We were hoping to replicate this experience as she still takes an afternoon nap, but it was much more difficult with the fountains and wave pool being easy disturbances to her sleep. Despite the challenges, our mission was accomplished at least one of the days of our stay!
- Victoria Falls – the circular raft ride was by far our kid’s favorite ride at the Kalahari. What was fun about this one was that three people could fit, so the kid’s could actually go on a water slide* together.* Seeing them ride together was priceless and the commentary while going through the dark tunnel was even better!
What Wasn’t Ideal:
- Height Restrictions – Some slides had higher height requirements than we expected, so if your little ones are on the shorter side, it’s worth checking restrictions ahead of time. Our kids couldn’t do as many slides, which was a little disappointing, but they still had a great time! I found it wild that my two year old could go on an inner tube slide with me last year at a different resort, but couldn’t go on a similar type of ride this year even though she was much taller and definitely more capable of hanging on safely!
- Slide Landings – At Kalahari, many of the kid slides end in a run-out rather than a pool, which was fine, but we noticed that kids can pick up a lot of speed. If they land at the wrong angle, there’s potential for bumps and scrapes. On our last day, our son took a hard landing and ended up with a little battle wound on his forehead—definitely something to keep in mind! Something I remember about Great Wolf Lodge is that many of the kid’s body slides ended in a pool of water, making them feel like “big kid” slides. This was nice because it allowed our son to explore larger bodies of water and learn more about swimming.
- Lots of Walking – Since the resort is bigger, getting to the water park from our room took more effort, which can be tricky with younger kids.
That said, the toddler-friendly play areas were a huge plus!
Other Activities for Kids
One difference we noticed right away was that Kalahari doesn’t have as many non-water activities for young kids.
Story Time
They offered it, but you could tell it wasn’t a big focus for them. It felt much more low-key than Great Wolf’s, and when we went, there were only two other families there.
Tom Foolerys Adventure Park
Tom Foolerys is Kalahari’s indoor amusement park, and while it looks amazing, it’s more suited for older kids. We walked through, but our kids weren’t tall enough for most of the rides. There were a few toddler-friendly attractions, but we ultimately skipped it to save money.
Build-A-Bear Workshop
This was a fun surprise! In addition to the Kalahari gift shop, they have a full Build-A-Bear shop as well. Our kids used their gift cards from Grandma to each build a stuffed animal, which made for a great memory. Our son got glasses about 6 months prior to this trip, and he chose to accessorize his new puppy, Patch, with a pair of glasses that matched the ones he wore regularly. Core memory for sure!
Money-Saving Tip: If you want to do Build-A-Bear, consider checking the Outlet Mall location first—it’s more affordable than the resort’s version. While the resort may have exclusive options, prices are definitely higher. Grandma always gets the kids gift card’s to spend at the resort so we stayed in-house, but if you’re just going for the experience, consider the mall.
Life Jackets & Safety
Kalahari provides life jackets, which is so helpful! We also found the lifeguards to be very attentive, just like at Great Wolf, which made us feel comfortable letting our kids explore within safe limits.
Would We Recommend Kalahari for Toddlers?
Kalahari is a great resort for families with young kids, but I can definitely see it being an even bigger hit once our little ones are older and can take full advantage of the bigger slides and attractions! If you’re looking for a more expansive resort experience, Kalahari has a lot to offer, and as always, Wisconsin Dells continues to be one of our favorite quick family getaways.
We’re already excited for our next trip! Next up, we’ve decided we would like to try the Wilderness Resort. Stay tuned for our review to see how it compares.
If you’ve been to Kalahari with young kids, I’d love to hear your thoughts! What did your toddlers love most? What other questions do you have about traveling to the Wisconsin Dells with kids?