Great Wolf Lodge, PA...Advice???

We have been going to GWL in the Poconos twice a year for the past 4 years. The first time we went, my twins were 18 months old and my daughter was almost 4. It was hard the first time b/c my twins didn't want to go in their pack n plays (they had never slept outside of their cribs before) so we didn't get much sleep. Obviously, now that they are 5, it was much easier when we went a few weeks ago.

They have fairly large refrigerators in the room so bring some food and snacks for your kids. Milk for night time (or take some from the dining room and put it in your fridge if your two year old likes milk.

They provide towels in the water park, but definitely bring a robe or some sort of beach cover up so that when you leave the 86 degree water park and head back to your room, you're not freezing. When my kids were little, I also had them wear water shoes (or crocs). They have a croc store right outside the water park now, so that's good.

The water park has life vests for the kids, but not sure if they have tiny ones for a one year old. Most likely, you'll be holding him/her so no need. But there will be small life vests for your 2 year old.

There is a Starbucks there and if your kids are early risers like mine, that could be good!!! They might also like the kids' craft and playroom area. Bring some cozy pajamas because there is a show and story time at 8:00 pm. It gets crowded but maybe your 2 year old would like it.

Outlet shops are 1/2 mile down the road... check it out on your way there or way home. Good deals on Carter's, Stride Rite Sneakers, Nike, Ralph Lauren, Ann Taylor etc...

Oh, one other thing, you can get into the water park at 1:00 the day you arrive but your room might not be ready until 4:00. They will text you on your cell phone when the room is available. We packed a day bag with bathing suits. I actually would recommend changing in the lobby bathroom rather than the pool bathroom b/c the pool bathroom is all wet and yucky. Easier to change kids were it is dry. Lobby bathroom is right near check in area.

The buffet is decent but expensive. Little kids might be free, though (or heavily discounted). We sometimes order pizza from the pizza hut in the pool level. It can be delivered to the room if your kids are too tired to eat in the buffet area.

The arcade is a lot of fun too, but maybe your kids are too young... you'll have to see when you get there... lots of flashing lights and noises.

Have fun!!!

You're going to have so much fun!! We loved it! My son was 5 at the time; he & hubbie went off to the slides.. My girl was 18mths & boy did she have fun. Water shoes are a must. She did lots of walking. They have a section where water shoots from the floor that she spent an hr enjoying! Not sure if your kids are old enough for the magic quest, but if they ask, you'll have to get one. Kids run wild through the hotel searching for clues. My son had so much fun with his, he could barely keep his eyes open past 8:30.. The buffet food was the only bad part. We ordered lunch at the same place & for some reason lunch was fantastic but the dinner wasnt. We quickly understood why everyone had a cooler & groceries while checking in. They give you a fridge & microwave, use it! We were there for 2nights/3days & spent over $300 on food. There's a burger & fries stand in the water park but the line was always too long..

When you go into the waterpark, the less you carry the better. Especially while chasing the kids around..
Good luck!

We did an indoor water park last year with a 3 year old and a 6 month old. It was kind of hard, but at 1 and 2 they should have a lot of fun!
Things you don't need to bring: life jackets or beach towels. We made the mistake of bringing our own. Since you have to use the stuff provided by the park, it's just one more thing to lug around.

Take a stroller though. Not an umbrella stroller, a big stroller. The basket underneath was great for carting around the diaper bag and both of our kids when they got tired.

Make sure to take extra swim diapers to the park too. And a few regular diapers for the time you spend out of the water.

You'll want shoes that have good tread on the bottom, but are really easy to slip on and off. A lot of kids had the water shoes on when we were there. Don't let them wear Crocs. They're easy to slip on and off, but the bottoms don't provide enough grip for the wet concrete surfaces. My daughter wore hers and slipped a fell a few times before we just let her go barefoot. But, barefoot in the bathroom is not a good idea. ;)

We bought bottles of water in the park, but then we refilled them all day at the drinking fountain.

Have fun! :D

bottles, medications, thermometers, warm clothing, second pair of shoes. Sounds like fun, enjoy...

We went there last year. It is geared towards children older than 1, but I still think your kids will love it. Food is expensive and yes, the chlorine was very strong, but it has to be. My 4 year old loved it. He is still talking about it and how he wants to go back. My 1 year old loved it too but I noticed the chlorine really bothered his eyes so I had to limit his time in the water park. Do not forget the bathing suit! I didn't forget mine, but it didn't really fit properly so bought one there and holy cow was it expensive! We didn't use the locker rooms, (they were kind of gross) we wrapped up in towels and
went back to our rooms to change. Over all we did have fun and will go back. I think we'll wait until our almost 2 year old is a little older.

i heard its a good place for the kids, don't forget waterproof pampers

I assume that you mean Great Wolf Lodge. I was there last year and we had a great time. The Breakfast was good but dinner was pricey. Look into it but consider leaving and going out to dinner or even (with such young kids) going out and picking up and eating in your room.

Get a big room if you can aford it. But keep the kids off the balcomy as it's not safe for such little ones.

The one thing that I HATED was the showers and changing rooms. We stayed only one night so the next morning we checked out and went to the water park. It's very chlorinated so we had to shower after. The showers were pretty gross and the private changing rooms were attached to the showers. So it was very wet in there, too. There we no hairdryers so if you are going in winter, you need to bring your own.

Other than that, you'll have fun. Although I think your kids are way too young to fully enjoy it. It's really meant for kids over 4. They do have life vests which is great.

Hi,
Dinner was expensive for the buffet and was not great....wish we had driven to friendlys, which we did for next day for lunch.
I thought it was a little chilly at times when out of the water so bring some comfy cover ups. Also, the towels are skimpy so I would bring my own next time. Story time for the kids is sweet. You will have a great time and the kids will be nice and tired. OH....the pillows were terrible, so if you are pillow picky just bring your own. Also, my son was 3 but he wanted to play the quest game everyone was playing. We did not play the right way but did buy him a wand so he could open all of the magic boxes and what not.
Have fun!

Bring a cooler full of food and drinks!