2013 has been a challenging year, with our family suffering several difficult losses, so it was high time we took some time to celebrate what’s important – each other!
We drove the 2 hours from Long Island to Mt. Pocono, where we splurged on a fireplace/jacuzzi room for ourselves and a Wolf Den Cabin for the children and our 2- and -year old grandchildren.
This was our first time at this property, and our umpteenth time in the Poconos, which continues to charm young and old alike as it did back in the days of “Beautiful Mount Airy Lodge” (I still hear that jingle – “all you have to bring is your love of everything…”). We timed our stay to coincide with the Fall foliage, however Mother Nature had another plan – endless summer, with temperatures averaging mid-70’s daily. It was a darned shame the outdoor pool was closed or we could have stayed outside all day!
The indoor water complex in this mini-Disney-north is a treat for kids of all ages. We were particularly impressed with the militaristic precision of dozens of vigilant lifeguards who rightly take the gravity of their responsibility very seriously. The inspect each section of the water complex in quadrants, drill constantly and tolerate no horseplay. Conversely, signage posted throughout the park continually remind patrons it is their responsibility to use the rides safely and ensure they are fit, meet height and age requirements for each.
The grandkids descended into this aquatic wonderland with howls of joy, and the little devils needed mere minutes to learn the ropes – jumping up to pull one which triggered a hose spray at unsuspecting parents and bikini clad girls again and again – no doubt in my minds these boys are Brocks! What fun!
A huge bucket atop the tallest tree-house alternately fills, then tips out gallons of water onto anyone hapless enough to ignore the alarm signal immediately preceding it below. There are slides and rides, and a lazy river, and a hot spring to soothe the aching grandparents bones after a day’s worth of waterplay in this amazing complex.
The rooms are large and amply furnished with all the trappings a family could want – microwave and fridge in both, jetted tub in ours (thank goodness – too old for waterslides without one!) and the Wolf Den in the kids’ room – a cabin within the room which affords mom and dad a good measure of privacy while providing the little ones with their own private outpost, complete with painted wall murals, bunk beds and a TV, most certain to stimulate the imagination of the millennials and their children into a simpler time (like the one before the iPad).
Rounded out with ample drawer space and closets, a second TV, coffee table, dining table for two, and a balcony (or patio on the 1st floor which we loved!) these rooms were immaculately clean and very well appointed. I wish some of the 5-stars I stayed in had the foresight to provide this many towels!
There are sufficient dining choices to keep families in the resort for a 3-day stay with enough variety, and plenty of healthy choices to be had for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
To appeal to the Harry Potter in every child, there is an interactive game requiring wands (for purchase, and more on that in a moment!) that takes young mages-in-training through a series of floors and games on a virtual scavenger hunt, using Mana and Experience Points (XP) and Gold. This was great fun if not expensive. The wands, and innumerable toppers, each acting as a decorative scabbard that furnishes the little magicians with additional powers (at significant cost to mom and dad), are needed to complete the stories, but in the end, we decided this was a little more intellectually and physically stimulating, as the game is played across the landings of three floors in the central part of the lodge.
Magical objects seemed to be in a persistent state of repair, based more on the overzealous wizards who insisted rapping the wands onto their treasures rather than being content to merely wave them, an unfortunate engineering oversight on the part of Magic Quest, the manufacturers of this immersive live gaming system. It is, in fact pretty neat, culminating in a floor with a garden dominated by a virtual reality fairy and a dragon room where runes are claimed before starting on the next chapter. And since the wands can be reused at Great Wolf and elsewhere similarly fitted out with this system, and seeing as there was not a child in sight who was not waving one of these things, and not a one using it as a weapon since there was so much more to be done with the things, we deemed it a great investment!
Rounding out the fun were an ice cream parlor, Starbucks (something’s gotta put the steam back in grandma and grandpa, and we were in the majority as multi-generational visitors to GWL), and indoor Mini-Golf green under black lights throughout, a story and crafts room and the most happening arcade I have ever seen in my life! To think I spent my summers in Wildwood NJ testing out the newest pinball games only a few decades ago, it was unreal to see the graphically rich interactive games and rides in here. Of course, the ubiquitous streams of red tickets for useless prizes holds true – at least some things never change!
We were at first a bit taken back by the price of the stay, but realizing the accommodations come with unfettered access to this Poseidon’s paradise I can see nothing but value in this vacation, and we are already booked for a repeat visit next year.
We loved our time reconnecting with family at Great Wolf and would highly recommend a trip here for friends and family!
