What To Expect At Great Wolf Lodge Bloomington, MN

We received a complimentary stay at the new great wolf lodge Bloomington, MN to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own.

Recently, we spent an amazing weekend at the brand new great wolf lodge Bloomington, MN.  This is actually the 15th location for Great Wolf Lodge and it features a 75,000 square foot water park!  They have tons of stuff to offer with the water park being the biggest draw for families, including my own. While we love to travel, I really appreciate that Great Wolf Lodge is close enough for a little stay-cation, especially during the long winter months!

The entire resort features a conscious layout as great wolf lodge wanted to ensure that both adult and kids experiences intertwined so everyone can have a great time.

The Heart Of the great wolf lodge Bloomington, MN

But first, when you enter the new great wolf lodge, you’re welcomed into the lobby, which is the heart of the lodge.  Featuring the only real log burning fireplace in the Great Wolf chain. It’s stunning and my family really enjoyed spending time in the lobby’s cozy environment.

The reason that the lobby is the heart of the resort is that there’s almost always something happening there.  From Yoga Tails and Story Time to the Northwoods Interaction Wall, Meet ‘n Greets, and more.

Note: The North Woods Wall is the first of it’s kind and features digital projection and moving parts.  The kids loved it!

You Won’t Go Hungry!

There are so many delicious options at the great wolf lodge!  We ate very well all weekend! Right off the lobby is the Campfire Kitchen and Barnwood Bar.  This particular lounge serves up specialty items including cocktails and specialty beers.

We dined at the Campfire Kitchen twice during our stay.  Once for their breakfast buffet and once for their supper buffet.  The entire family was extremely pleased with both.  There was truly something for everyone and even our Mr. Picky left stuffed both times.  My husband was especially fond of the variety as he was able to have some hot oatmeal and then a large plate of breakfast foods too.  He loves breakfast!

We also visited Hungry As A Wolf during our visit.  This is for the pizza, pasta, and salad lovers and perfect for a lunch break from the water park.  I was really surprised at how large the pizza was.  One pizza, one salad, and a 2 liter of pop fed six of us.  (Of course, Mr. Picky doesn’t eat pizza but he can vouch that the doughnut from Dunkin’ Donuts was good!)

We also attended a special Media Breakfast during our stay and it was absolutely amazing!  So many delicious options and all set up so pretty.

Allergy Awareness & Nut-Free Facility!

I know that many families these days struggle to find places to go safely because of food allergies and sensitivities.  So I was extremely pleased to hear that the entire great wolf lodge Bloomington, MN, including their restaurants and candy shop are nut-free!  And I even over-heard the chef come out and speak to a guest who was gluten free as he wanted to prepare her a meal that fit her needs!

Mascots

Throughout the day, you’ll find the great wolf lodge Mascots wandering the halls, doing meet and greets, or participating in story time.  This is a fun aspect that really added something special to our stay.

Check In To Your Family Or Themed Suite

At check in, I was surprised that we didn’t get the typical plastic key cards.  Instead, your water park wristband is programmed to open your door!  I LOVED that feature as I never know where to keep my room key when swimming.

The most popular room choice is the Themed Suites.  They currently offer three different styles including Camping, Cabin, and Mountain.  These suites feature a small nook style room built right into the hotel room which offers two double bunks, a television, and murals that children love.

After heading up to the 4th floor, we entered our Family Suite.  I was giddy with excitement to see how spacious the room was!  (We actually had two Family Suites as we have 7 people in our family.)  The first family suite consisted of two queen beds and a pull out sofa sleeper.

The second family suite had one queen bed, a set of bunk beds, and the pull out sofa.  Even when all seven of us hung out in one room, everyone had plenty of space.

Wine Down Service

A neat idea that many parents will probably enjoy is great wolf lodge Bloomington, MN’s Wine Down Service.  Just fill out the special tag with your order for the wine and snacks of your choice along with a time.  Place it on your outside door handle.  Then, at your allotted time, your delivery will appear!  The best part is that the staff won’t knock so as to not wake up your kids.  A brilliant way for adults to enjoy a night in once the kids are asleep!

Great Wolf Lodge Bloomington, MN Water Park

Now onto the main attraction – the water park!  Included with your stay are wristbands that give you access to the 75,000 square foot great wolf lodge Water Park!  Packed with a variety of attractions for all ages, we could have spent the entire weekend playing here.  Before I continue, I want to share that the Water Park is exclusive to hotel guests only.  The resort chose to not offer outside day passes.  While I know some people are unhappy with this decision, after speaking with the manager, I think it makes sense.  He said that based on staffing as well as optimal safety, they decided to keep it exclusive.  A bonus for guests, as that means smaller crowds!

Swim, Splash, & Slide

A big draw for a variety of ages is the Wolf Rider Wipeout.  It’s a surf simulator that allows riders to catch a wave.  Super fun, our 7 year old, all the way up to my husband gave it a try.  While we all took a turn wiping it, I loved that it actually didn’t even hurt!

There’s also another unique ride called River Canyon that has the added interactive technology of Splash Cinema.  Right before entering the raft, riders get to choose a theme from four different options.  Then, on the way down, there are lights and music to enhance the ride!

Everyone also really enjoyed the big wave pool.  Every so often, guests hear a howl and then the waves start to come.  My kids especially loved riding them in and out.  They were quite strong though, so young children should be wearing a life jacket.

The zero depth entry of the wave pool was appealing as it allowed even our 3 year old to play easily. And, it was a fun place for everyone to just hang out between waves.

Fort Mackenzie is geared for the younger crowd and it features a water fort tree house, complete with slides and toys, for little kids to enjoy.

They also offer several more water slides, both tube and body.  The body slides were not up and running yet, but should be very soon.  They also have a side pool that features basketball hoops and a large floating path to cross.

Of course, I couldn’t  skip mentioning what we spent LOTS of time doing…. Floating around the Crooked Creek Lazy River!  Relax and let the gentle current take you on a scenic tour of the park.  I lost count how many times we traveled this path!

Do you have a family member not fond of the water? No Problem! Great Wolf Lodde Bloomington MN offers lots of fun non-water activities too!

While all five of our children love water, I know that’s not always the case with every kid.  So I wanted to share some of the dry activities you can find at great wolf lodge Bloomington, MN.

MagiQuest

The resort exclusive MagiQuest game allows players to embark on magical quests throughout the lodge.  To start this live-action game, players choose their special magic wand and top it with powers.  Then, they set out on their adventure.  Players scour the designated areas for treasures, coins, and more.  They aim their wand and treasure chests open, crystals light up, and pictures display hidden images.  All the info is remembered by your wand as you need to collect the allotted things to move on.  Our first quest brought us to the big red dragon.

While it took a day and a half for us to learn how to conquer it, the kids absolutely LOVED MagiQuest.  We ran out of time when trying to complete our second quest but the kids have plans to renew their game on our next visit.  The nice thing is that you can take your wand to any great wolf lodge to renew and play!  All weekend, children all over the resort were immersed in the game.  It was a great way to keep the kids busy.  And when asked, my three older kids rated it as their favorite highlight from the weekend.

Ten Paws Bowling Alley

Honestly, after the water park, the great wolf lodge Blooming, MN Ten Paws Bowling Alley was my next favorite activity.  Featuring half length lanes and 5 pound balls, it’s extremely family friendly.

While typical bowling can’t keep our 3 year old’s attention, Ten Paw Alley sure did!  She LOVED it!  Plus, I liked how you could customize bumpers or no bumpers for each individual player.  Everything was automatic from scoring to the bumpers which made it so much easier for us.

And there are two game options: regular or animated.  We chose animated and were so glad we did.  The machine takes three photos of each player and then flashes them on the screen between turns.  It was fun to see the silly pictures go by and helped keep Lucy enthralled as well.

Howlers Peak Rope Course

I’ve always been curious about the climbing and challenging courses I’ve seen so I was particularly excited to get a chance to try the Howlers Peak Rope Course.  Overlooking the main hallway, rock wall, and mining, there’s lots of action in this area of great wolf lodge Bloomington, MN.

From balancing on ropes to to crossing bridges, this was another BIG hit with the family.  Designed with two levels, one made for the youngest of adventurers, even 5 year old Sam was able to try it out.

I’m usually Ms. Cautious these days (roller coaster….NO WAY!) but I felt completely safe up on the course and had a great time too!

The kids really took to the course.  After 30 minutes, our 7 year old Alex didn’t want to quit yet and was conquering the main level with ease.

Oliver’s Mining Co.

Another dry land activity that happens to include just a splash of water is the Oliver’s Mining Company.  Pan and sift your bag of sand to reveal beautiful minerals and gemstones.

My kids believe they can never have too many rocks so this was right up their alley.

Creation Station

This fun little shop has a variety of Great Wolf Characters to choose from.  Once the kids each settled on their friend, they got to help stuff the body!  And they even come with a handy backpack which was perfect for carrying in.

Rustic Ridge Climbing Wall

A 21 foot climbing challenge with paths of all skill levels.  Climbers get geared up in their safety harness and great wolf lodge Bloomington, MN staff get them secured for their climb.  All five of our kids enjoyed this.  While Lucy only made it a few feet, Hannah and Jack made it all the way to the top!

Northern Lights Arcade

We decided to give the arcade a try as our final activity before the travel back home from our stay-cation.   There were lots of games to choose from, dazzling lights, and something for everyone.  The one thing that we were disappointed in was that you can’t transfer your Paw Points.  So we ended up tossing all the cards with remaining 1 and 2 Paw Points because the games all took a minimum of 3 Paw Points.

Now, There Are Also A Variety Of Free Resort Activities Available As Well.  If You Need A Break From The Water But Aren’t Looking To Spend More Money, Try One Of These:

• Yoga Tails
• Story Time
• NorthWoods Wall Show
• Character Meet And Greet
• Craft Table
• Lunchtime Line Up
• BINGO
• Trivia
• Kiss Good Night Pajama Party

Final Thoughts About Great Wolf Lodge Bloomington, MN

Honestly, we couldn’t have had a better time!  Everyone had SOOO much fun.  Plus, the accommodations were clean and the staff friendly.  Great Wolf Lodge Bloomington, MN is also a great resort that offers lots to do.  That said, I’d love to see a slight drop in room pricing and activity fees to make it a bit more affordable, especially to larger families.  While they do offer Paw Passes that provide activities at a discount, a slight overall price cut is desirable.  With that said, we are already looking for a date to go back because it was such a great family friendly resort.

Now that you know what to expect at great wolf lodge Bloomington, MN, you’re probably ready to book your stay! You can do so directly from the Great Wolf Lodge website, just click here. After you book your stay, here’s a helpful list of what to pack for Great Wolf Lodge.