7 reasons why MI’s Great Wolf Lodge is the ultimate spring break staycation

Indoor bowling, Magic “Quests,” and a candy store: Why Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City is an ideal place for Michigan families to spend spring break. 

While many of my fellow Michiganders are jetting off to sunny destinations for spring break, my family and I opted for a more budget-friendly option this year. We chose our favorite spring break staycation in Michigan, filled with tons of splashing and playing in the water, family games and bonding, ice cream, and even a bit of magic—Great Wolf Lodge!

With five kids, my husband and I have tried nearly every indoor water park in Michigan. We’ve taken the kids to Soaring Eagle Casino and Waterpark, Splash Village, and the Bavarian Inn (psst: the inn is opening a brand new waterpark called The Bavarian Blast that looks amazing, so stay tuned for that!), but Great Wolf Lodge is our tried and true favorite. 

Here are seven reasons why I think Great Wolf Lodge is the best indoor waterpark for families in Michigan. 

1. It’s ideal for all ages

I will say this: Great Wolf Lodge is best for the under-10ish crowd. The waterpark is on the smaller side, and there are only two “big” thrill slides, so it’s definitely geared toward families with younger children. But I took all five of my kids—teens included—and they all had a great time. 

The beauty of Great Wolf Lodge is that there is more to do than just the water park. My teens went down the slides a few times and lounged poolside for a bit, but then when they were bored, they had plenty of other options, like bowling, getting ice cream, or even trying their hand at the indoor Magi-Quest game. 

All ages can enjoy the on-site amenities at Great Wolf Lodge. (Chaunie Brusie)

2. The rooms alone are an event for kids

If it fits your family’s size and budget, I highly recommend choosing a themed family suite when staying at Great Wolf Lodge. The themed suites are rooms with special areas for kids to sleep: there is a “wolf den” and a Kidcamp room with a log cabin. Both rooms have bunk beds inside the kids’ area and fun kid-friendly decor. My kids’ favorite is the wolf den because it has three beds and a TV, which is always a highlight for my kids. 

As a bonus, the kids’ den is closed off from the parents (but still has an open doorway for littles), so it can feel like a bit of a vacation for the parents too!

3. The MagiQuest game is actually magical

We love everything about Great Wolf Lodge, but my hands-down favorite part of staying there is the MagiQuest game they offer. I am not sure who came up with the idea for this game, but it’s downright genius. The premise of the game is that the entire four floors of the hotel are set up with interactive displays and elements, like books, picture frames, and even a fire-breathing dragon station, that kids use to solve puzzles and gather clues to complete their magic “quests.” 

You purchase the game at the MagiQuest station, where kids get a magic wand, can choose to add personalized and custom wand toppers, and receive their game booklet. There are multiple levels and quests for all different ages, which makes it so fun for all ages. We’ve been going to Great Wolf Lodge for several years now, and this year, my 12 and 10-year-olds finally achieved “Master Magi” status, and they were so excited. You can keep your wand, like my kids have, and resume your status in the game when you come back—we had taken a several-year break, and it still had all of our kids’ information saved!

The beauty of the game is that it can be done fully independently, and although the stations are set up through four floors, they’re all centrally located, so kids aren’t running wild through the entire hotel. But the game provides a welcome break from the waterpark and is the ideal way to burn off some end-of-the-night energy. Some of my favorite staycation memories are grabbing a coffee and donut from the on-site Dunkin’ Donuts and trailing around my kids as they have a blast solving clues. It really is fun for the entire family. 

Working together to defeat the Dragon on the MagiQuest game gets the whole family involved. (Chaunie Brusie)

4. There is so much to do besides the water park

Don’t get me wrong, the waterpark is a blast and a highlight of the trip, but I have found that there is only so much waterpark fun my kids can tolerate. They get tired, everyone is cold and hungry and a little cranky, and our eyes start to burn from all the chlorine.

The beauty of Great Wolf Lodge is that when you hit your waterpark fun limit, there is so much to do on the property. There is an on-site restaurant outside of the waterpark that serves a delicious breakfast buffet, lunch, and full dinner, along with snack options, a bar for adults, a Build-a-Bear store, and so much family entertainment. 

We bowled the night away at the Ten Paw Alley, hit up the arcade (my teenagers loved that the arcade was open all night!), and enjoyed filling our cups at the candy store. Every night of our trip also had to end with a nightcap at the ice cream store, too, of course. If you visit during warmer months, there is also miniature golfing outside. 

Playing games at the all-night family arcade. (Chaunie Brusie)

5. Family passes and packages provide a ton of value

In the years past, I have always chosen a basic dining-and-brunch package for our time at Great Wolf Lodge. Adding a dining package to your stay is usually a great deal if you plan to eat at the on-site restaurant because it’s a voucher option that comes with built-in discounts.

This year, I explored the different passes and packages they had and chose the Ultimate Family Food & Fun package, which I would highly, highly recommend if you have a bigger family or plan on doing bowling while you are there. The pass includes a $100 dining voucher, four towels, two candy cups, and $50 arcade credit, refillable souvenir cups for all in your party, two MagiQuest games and wands, and unlimited bowling. One game of bowling alone is $7/person, so our family pass was 100% worth it for the value we got in bowling alone. Plus, the souvenir cups can be used for unlimited drinks for the entire trip, which came in handy for our large family. 

Bowling at Ten Paw Alley. (Chaunie Brusie)

6. The waterpark is the perfect size

Allow me to be clear—this is not a put-down on Splash Village at all. We have stayed at Splash Village many times with our children and enjoyed it. But we personally tend to get a little overwhelmed at the sheer size of Splash Village. It is a very large facility, and when I had four very young children to keep track of, it felt like too much.

Great Wolf Lodge, on the other hand, is contained in one area and set up in a way that I could always see my kids, so I was able to enjoy the time and be much more relaxed. 

7. They have great mid-winter pricing

Lastly, perhaps my favorite part about Great Wolf Lodge is the deals they offer for families. While weekend and holiday pricing will be more, of course, you can nab some great deals during mid-week or mid-winter times that are less busy. For instance, I was able to get a nightly rate of only $70 (which includes the waterpark passes). Our favorite strategy is to check in on a Sunday and stay for two nights, which lets us take advantage of a lower rate as the weekend crowd leaves. 

To sum up, Great Wolf Lodge is my favorite staycation destination for families in Michigan looking for indoor waterpark fun. It’s our family’s annual tradition to brush off the doldrums of mid-winter here in the mitten. My advice is to book a mid-winter deal, stay on a lower-rate night if possible, and explore the passes and packages for the best deals! 

Mid-winter pricing provides the ideal indoor Michigan escape at Great Wolf Lodge. (Chaunie Brusie)

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.