Our stay at the Great Wolf Lodge in Charlotte/Concord, NC, was fantastic. From the moment we placed our reservation, we knew this place was special.

With a desire to help those who visit this location, I have thoroughly shared our family’s fabulous experiences in the prior posts:

• Overview
• Reservation
• Arrival procedures
• Scheduling activities
• Waterpark amenities
• Additional activities

Today, I will focus the final post of this series on an overall review of our stay, including items left out and changes we will make in the future.

Overall Review

We are gearing up for our next visit. The best review a business could ask for is to have customers eager to return. Before arriving home, my children were asking when we would visit again.

The lodge’s atmosphere was inviting and welcoming. All the Pack Members were very helpful and willing to offer assistance. One gentleman stopped to take our picture for us.

Even after our visit, I found the staff very helpful in getting the information requested and getting me directly to those who have the answers.

We found the Great Wolf Lodge very organized, clean, and a water bucket of fun!

Checking out

Speaking of organized, I have not mentioned the checking-out procedures. The reason is because there are none.

I asked a Pack Member where we needed to checkout, and I was told that there was no need as our wristbands deactivated at 11:00 a.m.

Though we stayed at the waterpark much longer than 11:00 a.m., we made sure we had all our belonging out of our room by the 11:00 a.m. checkout time.

Communication after our Stay

1. Survey. Within a few days of our visit, we were sent a survey regarding our stay. I appreciated their willingness to hear feedback on how their location carried out their mission.

2. Receipt. After giving the lodge a week or so to release the $300 authorization on our credit card, I just checked our credit card activity and verified that we were only billed the taxes of $41.51.

Since I did not get a receipt, I used the Live Chat option through their website to inquire. I was informed that I needed to contact the lodge directly. I called, and the efficient Pack Member sent a receipt by e-mail immediately. Within a few minutes, I had my receipt in hand.

3. $25 Credit. A couple weeks later upon reviewing the finances from our trip and going through all the paperwork we received, I remembered that I never received any information on how to use the $25 credit that came with our Amazon Local deal.

Back to the Live Chat option I went, and my request was passed along to the corporate office. Within hours, I received a call from a Pack Member apologizing for the error. He explained that we should have used our wristbands to make purchases and the first $25 that we spent would have been free.

Since that was not explained to us and we did not use the one-visit-only credit, the Pack Member gave us a $50 credit towards our next booking and his direct line as he will make our reservation with the credit for us.

This was a generous offer as I should have followed up when I did not get any instructions after picking up our check-in packet. However, the Pack Member acknowledged the misunderstanding and made me a loyal customer with a discount on another stay.

Deals Offered after our Stay

Within our check-in packet, the lodge offers a 20% savings if you book your next stay before you leave.

We did not take this offer as we were visiting on a 48% discount through Amazon Local.

Upon returning home, we received a promotional code for 25% off our next reservation with a $30 credit to use during that stay.

When that deal expired, we were sent a 40% off promotional code. The deals will come, so don’t feel pressured into purchasing your reservation before you are ready.

Planning our Second Visit

Though we had a great time and found places for our 4-year-old to play, we plan to return to the Great Wolf Lodge but at another location.

We are considering the Cincinnati/Mason, OH, location where there is a lazy or crooked river. We loved the experience we had at the lodge in Charlotte/Concord, NC, but each location is different.

Having discovered the ebb and flow of the lodge’s activities, we would plan our visit a bit differently from our original schedule. The following is a revised schedule for a one-night stay:

Our Revised Schedule of Activities

1. Eat a big lunch before arriving at the lodge.
2. Enjoy the dry activities prior to getting our room at 4:00 p.m.
3. Get our room, change into our swimwear, and bring a few snacks down to the waterpark.
4. Swim, play, eat when needed, and enjoy the waterpark into the evening.
5. If we want to attend the Story Time, then head back to our room round 7:30 p.m. to change into pajamas for the 8:00 p.m. showing.
6. If no Story Time but the Clock Tower show, then head back to our room around 8:30 p.m. to change into pajamas.
7. If no shows, then just play until the waterpark closes at 9:00 p.m. (or 8:00 p.m. depending on the day of visit).
8. If we choose to participate in MagiQuest, then we would play after the 9:00 p.m. Clock Tower show.
9. In the morning, eat breakfast in our room and attend the 9:00 a.m. Wolf Walk.
10. Pack and load up our vehicle, except for a packed lunch and clothes in which to change.
11. Enjoy the waterpark until everyone’s tired.
12. Change and finish any dry activities before leaving the lodge.
13. Eat a good meal before heading home.

On our first visit to the Great Wolf Lodge, we had a blast. With plenty of time in the waterpark, my children still talk about the rides and slides. We are ready for another Great Wolf Lodge adventure.

In keeping an eye on the deals and checking our calendar, I’m sure our next visit will occur within the next few months. When that happens, I will post another series on that experience.

If you visit the Great Wolf Lodge in Charlotte/Concord, NC, then enjoy yourself. And please share any additional tips and tricks by leaving a comment.

Armed with a plan, guests can better navigate the rough waters of crowds, information, and procedures. I hope that this series gives you most of the information you need prior to your arrival. Wishing you a wonderful visit using time wisely at the Great Wolf Lodge in Charlotte/Concord. Happy Howling time!

Question: What tips and tricks would you add to this series?

Visiting the waterpark at the Great Wolf Lodge in Charlotte/Concord, NC, was the highlight of our spring.

Besides kicking off our spring break, we had a great time enjoying the waterpark.

Since our family stayed in the waterpark, we did not participate in most of the other additional activities and amenities at the lodge.

We did watch some individuals and families play a few of the activities to get an idea of the different games.

Before I jump ahead to list out all those additional activities, let’s recap our series thus far:

The Great Wolf Lodge in Charlotte/Concord, NC

• Overview
• Part One: Reservation
• Part Two: Arrival Procedures
• Part Three: Scheduling Activities
• Part Four: Waterpark Amenities
• Part Five: Additional Activities
• Overall Review

Part Five: Additional Activities

Located throughout the lodge, on the lower level, outside, and in the lobby, the Great Wolf Lodge in Charlotte/Concord, NC, offers these additional activities during your stay. You could also arrive on your check-in day and visit these activities prior to picking up your wristband at 1:00 p.m.

Activities Located throughout the Lodge

1-3. Interactive Adventure Games: MagiQuest, ShadowQuest, and Compass Quest

Found throughout the top three levels of the Great Wolf Lodge are the MagiQuest, ShadowQuest, and Compass Quest interactive adventure games. These games build upon one another, so the original game is MagiQuest.

1. MagiQuest

This interactive adventure game is a scavenger hunt. To play MagiQuest, one needs to have a wand and a quest.

This Great Wolf Lodge location sells a kit for $50 which includes the wand, a quest, a belt, and a scoop of ice cream from Bear Paw Sweets & Eats.

The quest is a series of clues. When purchased, the player receives a booklet explaining the quest and giving hints as to where to find the next item. Upon finding the exact location, one waves the wand over the correct response.

The stations are scattered throughout the lodge, so one will want to wear comfortable shoes while playing. We saw families playing with one wand. We also saw individuals playing against each other.

Once you finish your initial quest, you may purchase additional quests using the same wand. The additional games cost around$25 each. For the original game, there are a total of 10 quests to complete before moving into ShadowQuest.

2. ShadowQuest

Moving from a scavenger hunt format with detailed explanations, ShadowQuest is written in a story format without pictures of the items.

Participants must think through the quests played in MagiQuest to decipher the clues to solve. These games are sold individually and start around $20.

3. Compass Quest

Once one masters MagiQuest and ShadowQuest, then Compass Quest tests the participant’s knowledge and quickness.

After purchasing the package for $14.99 which includes an interactive compass with 9 more quests, the player must accomplish the tasks without any instructions and in timed sequences.

For example, one clue is to find the 10 chests with gold within 9 minutes. Well, the lodge has 15 chests scattered throughout the floors, and the participants must wave their wand over the correct chests and make it back to the starting point within the 9 minutes. If the player fails, then he must start that task again.

With multiple levels of MagiQuest with each quest building upon another, the participants find their way through good verses evil complete with dragons, fairies, and magic. The great part about this game is you can play in snippets of time. Find a couple of clues and then head to the Bear Track Landing Waterpark.

When the family needs a break from the water, go find a few more clues. After the story time and Clock Tower show, find more clues. These games do not need to be played in one session. So, one quest could last your entire stay.

This activity is also available to the public. You can just come to play MagiQuest, ShadowQuest, or Compass Quest without a reservation. It is one of the two activities available to non-staying guests.

4. Shopping

The MagiQuest Store is located on the third floor and is the resource for all the interactive games, accessories, and questions.

The store is open from 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. during the week and until 10:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Other shopping venues include the Buckhorn Exchange (off the Grand Lobby), Bear Essentials Swim shop (lower level in the Bear Track Landing waterpark area), and 3D Paw Prints are open throughout the day for mementos of your visit to the Great Wolf Lodge.

The Great Wolf Lodge Kid Store sells the stuffed animals, character merchandise, and toys. A favorite remembrance is a wolf-ears headband.

Activities Located on the lower level

5. Cub Club

This space is perfect for little ones with toys, puzzles, coloring pages, and crafts. The activities are FREE along with coloring pages.

However, the crafts cost between $5 and $20 based on the project chosen, but children can play without making a craft.

Miss 4 and Miss 6 colored a page and played in the log cabin while Mr. 8 found the Wii games entertaining.

We discovered the Cub Club when walking around the lodge at the end of our stay. Had we known about this room, we probably would have visited more.

If you plan to visit and arrive before 1:00 p.m. on the day of your check-in, you can enjoy the dry activities before getting your wristband.

6. Northern Lights Arcade

Guests purchase tokens, and each game takes between 1 and 4 tokens to play. This room is bright and noisy with lots of games for play.

At the time of our visit in March 2014, the pricing for the Northern Lights Arcade tokens was as follows:

Pricing	First Purchase	Recharge
$5	16 Paw Points and game card	20 Paw Points
$10	36 Paw Points and game card	40 Paw Points
$20	80 Paw Points, 8 Bonus Points, and game card	80 Paw Points and 12 Bonus Points
$50	200 Paw Points, 36 Bonus Points, and game card	200 Paw Points and 40 Bonus Points
$100	400 Paw Points, 96 Bonus Points, and game card	400 Paw Points and 100 Bonus Points

7. Ten Paw Alley

This bowling alley has short lanes that are half the distance of a typical bowling alley. All the bowling balls are 6 lbs. making bowling easier for little ones, and no special shoes needed.

The pins are on strings. When the ball knocks them down, the mechanism tightens the strings to reset.

Pricing in March 2014, was either 20 Paw Points or $5 per game per player (tax included).

8. Howly Wood XD Theater or Movie Triple-play

Buckle into your seat and hang on for this motion thrill ride. As you watch the movie events, you will also feel the ride. There are a minimum of 8 seats in the Howly Wood XD theater, so the whole family can experience the movie together.

• XD Theater – Pricing in March 2014, was either 24 Paw Points or $6 (tax included).
• Movie Triple-play – Pricing in March 2014, was either 60 Paw Points or $15 (tax included).

9. 4D World

This is an interactive game whereby the players wear 4D glasses and aim at targets competing with others. Unlike the MagiQuest game where the participants travel all over the lodge, 4D World occurs in one place.

Pricing in March 2014, was either 12 Paw Points or $3 per game per player (tax included).

10. AtomicRUSH

This game is similar to the Simon memory game, but on a bigger scale. The light patterns are on the wall and participants get an AtomicRUSH as they remember the light patterns.

Pricing in March 2014, was either 12 Paw Points or $3 per game per player (tax included).

11. Scooops Kid Spa

With an ice cream theme, the Scooops Kid Spa includes banana split thrones, flavors of chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry, and options of manicures, pedicures, and facials. Prices vary depending on the pampering choices.

12. Elements Spa Salon

Specializing in relaxation, the Elements Spa Salon offers massage, skin care, and waxing options. Though prices vary, the brochure gives more details on services and pricing.

13. Iron Horse Fitness Room

The workout room is open 24 hours to guests ages 21 and up. The fitness room contains the following equipment:

• 3 treadmills
• elliptical trainer
• recumbent bike
• 5 weight machines
• 2 stretching mats

The door remains locked; however, you hold the key. Just wave your arm in front of the fitness room sign, and your wristband will unlock the door. Pretty cool!

Activities Located Outside

14. Howl in One Mini Golf

Not only is the 18-hole mini golf course located outside, but also the hut that holds the clubs, golf balls, score cards, and pencils. Weather permitting, the course is open year-round.

To get to the hut, one needs to enter the waterpark and exit through the outside doors by MacKenzie Fort (the huge bucket of water).

The prices as of March 2014 are as follows:

Adults	$7.99 + tax
Children – ages 4-12	$4.99 + tax
Children – up to 3	FREE

Activities Located in the Lobby

15. Daily Activities

These activities include the Story Time and Character Meet & Greet, Clock Tower Show, Wolf Walk, Bingo, and Face Painting.

Evening

• 8:00 p.m. – Clock Tower Show in the Grand Lobby
• 8:15 p.m. – Story Time and Character Meet & Greet in the Grand Lobby
• 9:00 p.m. – Clock Tower Show in the Grand Lobby

Morning

• 9:00 a.m. – Wolf Walk in the Grand Lobby
• 10:00 a.m. – Clock Tower Show in Grand Lobby
• 10:15 a.m. – Bingo in the Grand Lobby
• 11:00 a.m. – Face Painting in the Grand Lobby

16. Dining

With the refrigerator and microwave in each room, families are welcome to bring their own food for their stay. Though we brought food, we chose to dine outside the lodge at Cracker Barrel. 

For those who choose to stay at the lodge, the following choices are available to feed your family:

• The Loose Moose Cottage – buffet-style meals along with menu choices for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and located in the Grand Lobby

• Bear Paw Sweets & Eats – sweet shop located outside the waterpark entrance

• Dunkin’ Donuts – serving donuts, bagels, sandwiches, and coffee all day in the rear of the Grand Lobby

• Hungry as a Wolf – located inside the Loose Moose Cottage in the Grand Lobby is this pizza take-out solution

• Buckets Incredible Craveables – serving cheeseburgers, hot dogs, pretzels, soft drinks, and ice cream and located within the waterpark to the left of Fort MacKenzie

Visitors are also welcome to come dine at the Great Wolf Lodge without having to book a stay. Eating is the second activity open to the public.

With a wide variety of activities and amenities, the Great Wolf Lodge in Charlotte/Concord, NC, provides ample opportunities for fun. Whether you are staying for one night or an entire week, the additional activities provide dry fun when the water play is done.

This series is winding down to our final installment as I review and reflect on what we will repeat and what we will do differently when we visit again. Stay tuned, and Happy Howling time!

Question: Of the above-listed 16 activities, which ones would your family enjoy? 

Though our stay at the Great Wolf Lodge was only about 30 hours, we had a great time playing and enjoying the waterpark.

With Miss 4 not liking water in her face, she started off very timid but grew braver the longer we stayed.

By the time we were ready to leave, she had all the buckets timed to where she knew how much time she had before the next splash. 😀

Having shared an overview of our time at the Great Wolf Lodge followed by posts on making a reservation, navigating the arrival procedures, and scheduling activities, we land on the fun of the waterpark amenities.

Part Four: Waterpark Amenities

Setup into main sections, the Great Wolf Lodge in Charlotte/Concord, NC, offers these 11 amenities to guests:

1. Cub Paw Pool

Located close to the entrance/exit and the restrooms/changing area, the Cub Paw Pool is designed for children under 54” tall. The pool is only 18 inches deep with lots of activities and 2 slides.

This area is where Miss 4 enjoyed staying as she slid down the blue slide without fear of water dumping on her. The yellow slide is the Whooping Hollow where periodically buckets of water dump very near the slide splashing water.

Though the slides are sturdy, the lifeguards will not allow parents to slide down with their children. The parent needs to stand next to the slide, hold the child’s hands, and walk or scoot sideways as the child slides down. The lifeguards spent so much of their time blowing their whistles at the parents, who were not paying attention.

I found this pool cooler than the other water areas. When we got cold, we warmed up in the wave pool.

2. Slap Tail Pond

This pool is the most centrally located attraction in the waterpark and the largest pool. Ranging from 0 inches to 5 feet, there is a spot for everyone. Approximately every 15 minutes, the waves begin for about 5 minutes.

As the waves get larger, I gave my non-swimmers instructions to stay within the 2-foot markers during wave times and within the 3-foot line during non-wave times.

Usually all of us congregated around the 6-inch area during the waves as Miss 4 could easily get knocked down.

We loved this area as my children were practicing how to float, the water is really warm, and nothing squirts, dumps, or splashes in this area.

3. Large Slides

To the right of the Slap Tail Pond are five large slides where each requires a raft, mat, or tube.

a. Mountain Edge Raceway

Allowing up to 4 individuals to race to the bottom at the same time, this slide requires a mat whereby the rider lays face down holding onto the mat’s handles.

The mats are located at the end of the ride. You get a mat and walk to the stairs. Make a right before the staircase by the tubes for Alberta Fall. Then head up the stairs following the signs for the Raceway.

This ride is fast as it slides up the sides of  the tube before running down the humps to the end. Water sprays in your face making it difficult to see, and be careful to keep your head up as I did bump my chin against the mat on a sharp turn. Of all the rides, this was my least favorite, but I still liked it and found it fun.

Spoiler Alert: The heaviest one will make it down first as the two times I rode this, I was the only adult. Though I was the last one to leave the top, I was the first one to the bottom.

b-c. Alberta Falls

Both of these slides are fun! They both require either a one-person or two-person tube. These tubes are picked up where the riders are exiting which is right next to the stairs.

To get to these tubes, one would walk down the side of the Mountain Edge Raceway and turn right in front of the stairs. The tubes are stacked against the wall. Then you go up the stairs following the signs to Alberta Falls.

This is the fastest line as there is one line but two slides. When you get to the slides, you will either go down the yellow or the blue slide. These slides start inside the lodge, but quickly twist and turn outside the lodge. You can better tell during the day whether you are inside or outside.

Both of these end in a pool of water (about 3-foot deep) where an attendant oversees the exiting process. After exiting, you either keep your tube and go again or return your tube to the pile.

d. River Canyon Run

All the way at the top of the stairs are the two large slides.

You only need to hike up the stairs as the white conveyor belt brings the rafts to the top.

This slide seats up to 4 riders in one big raft. There are no drops, but it does get dark at night.

We loved this ride, and I could ride this one all day. Miss 6 really liked it because only the big kids could ride, and she did so without getting scared.

e. Howlin’ Tornado

Most daring slide at this location, the Howlin’ Tornado starts out in the dark – whether day or night.

By the time you count to 10, you will drop into the 6-story funnel and swish back and forth getting water sprayed in your face until you slide through the rest of the ride into a pool of water.

Both the River Canyon Run and the Howlin’ Tornado end up in the same 3-foot deep pool of water.

Where the raft of the River Canyon Run is one big raft, the Howlin’ Tornado 4-person raft is 4 tubes together. Each person sits in their own tube.

The rafts of both are placed on the conveyor belt by the Pack Member to save guests the hassle of lugging these 4-person rafts up the stairs.

Miss 6 was really nervous to try this ride, but she, Mr. 8, and I went together. I made sure I held her legs with mine and covered her hand making sure I held on to her handle as the drop is a doozy.

After her first run, Miss 6 was good to go. She rode many times and loved it.

4. Fort MacKenzie

This 4-story structure has water spraying all over the place. There are lots of hoses and guns to spray your friends and family members, but beware because even strangers will get you.

There are two slides available for little ones with a red, yellow, or green band as well as adults.

Some water may spray in the rider’s face if lying down, but sitting up is a nice slide down.

The Totem Towers slides are for individuals, so parents cannot ride the same slide with their little one. The parent can ride one slide while the child rides the other and meet at the bottom.

The end of each slide is just a shallow area, no more than a foot deep. However, the large bucket on top dumps 1,000 gallons of water. The brave ones, including Mr. 8, gather at the bottom when they hear the dinging sound warning that it is about to dump.

It is fun to watch the water just drips from those who get soaked. If you are on the fort, you will get wet, but some coverage is available directly under the bucket.

5. Chinook Cove Activity Pool

With a number of basketball hoops and a Big Foot Pass with lily pads to test one’s balance, this 4-foot pool is great for older elementary-aged children.

If one is tall enough, there are ropes above the lily pads to help one get from one side of the pool to the other.

There was much fun and competition going on in that pool each time we passed. Our family never ventured into that pool area.

The green slide in the background is the River Canyon Run, and the cabana is one of a few that can be rented per day.

6. Raccoon Lagoon

Offering a bit of sun, this outdoor section is typically open from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

This area was closed during our March visit, but the information explains that it has basketball goals, a 0-inch to 4-foot deep pool, and a section of geysers for fun.

7. Spirit Island Snack Shop

Refueling is possible without leaving the waterpark. This snack shop offers burgers, hot dogs, pretzels, and soft drinks.

We brought in our picnic basket with turkey, cheese, crackers, and fruit. We also brought drinks as we still got thirsty and needed hydration – though we were surrounded by lots of water.

8. Seating

There are lots of chairs and tables available. Finding one in the afternoon is more difficult than finding one first thing in the morning or in the evening.

We used our shoes, picnic basket, and towels to save our seats. No one bothered our stuff even though Sunday was packed.

9. Towel Station

Located when you enter the waterpark are carts of clean, folded towels. You do not need to bring any linens with you to the Great Wolf Lodge.

Just pickup the number of towels you need, and take them to your seat. After drying off, you can just deposit them in the used bin as you exit the waterpark area.

Other items in this area include life jackets for those who need them, and lockers for a daily fee.

10. Restrooms, Showers, and Changing Areas

These areas are spacious. I was glad to have a changing space with a curtain where the girls and I could change together.

I packed extra plastic bags for our wet items including flip flops, so we only had one or two bags of wet items to take home.

Within these restrooms and changing areas are swimsuit wringers that spin out the water from your swimsuit. I found this device pretty neat as the swimsuits were not soaking wet for the trip home.

11. Safety Central

This post would not be complete regarding the waterpark without mentioning the wonderful job the lifeguards do to keep everyone safe. They have a very specific cadence to their area.

They bob their heads up and down as they scan from the middle to the edge of the pool while walking the length of their area. When they get to the end, they sweep their head around in a circle to check for anyone on the edges, turn, and repeat. They stay alert and watch carefully as families play in the water.

These waterpark amenities kept our family busy during our 1-night and 2-day stay at the Great Wolf Lodge in Charlotte, Concord, NC. The amenities vary from location to location.

Our family found the Cub Paw Pool, the Slap Tail Pond, Fort MacKenzie, and the large slides our favorite amenities at this Great Wolf Lodge location. Happy Howling time!

Question: Do you mind water splashing in your face while at the waterpark?