If you’re planning a trip to Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg, Virginia, you’ll want to take a look at the Paw Pass package. Depending on what activities you and your family are planning on participating in, the Paw Pass has the potential to save you a lot of money.
Is the Great Wolf Lodge Paw Pass worth it? Well, let me tell you all about it and you can decide!
Here’s the quick overview of what the Paw Pass will get you:
- One MagiQuest game
- Choice of one MagiQuest classic wand, standard topper, MagiQuest totem or Magi belt
- One Great Wolf Kids Character at Creation Station with Clubhouse Crew Adventure Game (outfit not included)
- One admission to Howlers Peak Ropes Course
- One game at Ten Paw Alley
- One Paw Points Arcade/Attractions Card with 20 Paw Points
- One serving of select bulk candy
- One pair of select great wolf lodge swim goggles
- One Glitz Glitter Tattoo
- One souvenir Leather Treaty name Bracelet from The Name Shop
Let’s look at the package in more detail:
MagiQuest
“Immerse yourself in Vellara, the realm of imagination, as you help the Guardians to protect the realm portals. Along the way, befriend the Treetop Pixies, battle the evil dragon, Charlock, fight to defeat the Goblin King, and earn the title of Master Magi.”
This was our “bread and butter” attraction when we weren’t at the water park. Let me tell you, it is much more involved than you would initially think! No exaggeration, kids are known to spend between 4-6 hours working on completing all of these quests. It’s incredible. It gets especially crazy in the evenings after the water park closes. Little magi are running everywhere determined to complete their missions.
MagiQuest is a mix of video game and live-action interactions. The video game portion takes place at “portals” where you choose what quest you’d like to begin. The selected quest is programmed into the wand and off you go! Throughout the hotel wings, you will find different interactive objects such as treasure chests, oil paintings, glowing crystals, and more that correlate to your quest. It’s a pretty fantastic concept!
The quest objectives vary in their length. For example, the pixie quests are a bit shorter and simpler, so it’s great for shorter attention spans. The dragon quest and goblin quest are longer and more involved and are great for kids who are a little older. For children under 5 years old, there is a special version of MagiQuest called “Mini Magi Mode” that makes the game a bit more accessible to them.
The only downside to MagiQuest is the expense. It costs $14.99 to participate in the game. On top of that, you’ll need to at least purchase a wand which costs between $15.99 – $21.99. Accessories are an additional variety of prices on top of that. However, on the plus side, once you’ve purchased the wand, you can use it again anytime you visit a great wolf lodge! You’ll only need to pay the $14.99 to participate in the game. So, if you have a child who wants to participate (and most children will!) make sure you set aside at least $35 for your initial start with MagiQuest.
Creation Station
“Your Wolf Pup’s favorite Great Wolf Kids character comes to life right before your eyes at the Creation Station. Choose a friend-for-life, and take your pick of outfits, colorful costumes and accessories. Then watch in awe as your plush toy gets filled. You can even dress your child in clothing to match!”
This was pretty cool and the kids loved this portion of the visit. The Creation Station allows you to build your very own plush. (Think Build-A-Bear Workshop). Character options include Wiley the Wolf, Violet the Wolf, Oliver the Raccoon, Rachel the Raccoon, Brinley the Bear, Sammy the Squirrel, and a red dragon. The kids got to help fill their plush animals with stuffing with the assistance of the Great Wolf staff. The plush animals turned out adorable! Also available are additional accessories so you can further customize your new plush friend.
There are a variety of cool things to buy at the creation station. Each plush is $34.99, pillows are $19.99, accessories range from $5.99-$7.99, and sweatshirts are $6.99.
The Creation Station leads directly into the next attraction:
Clubhouse Crew
“Bring your child’s favorite Great Wolf Kids plush toy to life at the Creation Station, and set out on an exciting, interactive adventure that transforms the lodge into a giant playground. Clubhouse Crew invites you to be part of the action with the Great Wolf Kids. You’ll interact with different characters, and find fun activities at every stop.”
Once you’ve got your new plush friend built at the Creation Station, it’s time to set out on your adventure! At each new station you’ll meet a new virtual character and interact with them in some way. It’s a short but fun activity that adds variety to the day.
Howlers Peak Ropes Course
“Take your family on an invigorating aerial adventure that will have you balancing on ropes, crossing bridges and climbing through obstacles: all from the safety of a climbing harness! Our Ropes Course offers high-flying fun that will elevate your family vacation to a whole new level.”
We didn’t get to try this one out as it was closed during our visit. If you plan on participating in this attraction, you’ll need closed toe and heel athletic shoes. No flip flops! I hope we can come back to try this one. It looks like so much fun!
Ten Paw Alley
“Enjoy bowling for toddlers, teens and tall ones alike! Shorter lanes and smaller bowling balls make this a perfect way to spend time together as a family whether you’re trying for a perfect 300-game or simply playing for fun. No special shoes required.”
This is the coolest little bowling alley! Everything is miniaturized for children sort of like the duckpin lanes at your local bowling alley. Maggie, Jacob, Zellene, and Gideon really enjoyed this activity. The dark with cool lighting effects makes for a pretty cool atmosphere.
Northern Lights Arcade
“The Northern Lights Arcade is packed with incredible games to challenge and entertain the entire family. Lights, action and energy fill the arcade with excitement as you’re surrounded by the newest and best games, and great prizes, too. The more you play, the more you can win! And it’s open 24-hours so the fun never ends. Remember, your Paw Points don’t expire. Bring your card back when you visit again for more dazzling arcade fun.”
I’ve never been big on Arcades but I like helping the kids play when the chance comes up! The joy kids get out of winning candy or a plush out of a claw machine is so cute. Jacob’s intensity when playing video games always cracks me up and it’s no different in an arcade setting. He was down to business when we were there. Once he’s in the zone, a meteor could strike the arcade and he wouldn’t notice.
Zellene saw some large plush s’more characters in a giant claw machine and went full ham trying to get them. She didn’t win any this time but I’m sure she’ll try again if they’re still around next time we go back. Jacob won a ton of tickets and, being the amazing brother that he is, shared them with his siblings. Naturally, they all turned them in for candy!
Swag – Bulk Candy, Swim Goggles, Glitter Tattoo, Leather Name Bracelet
In addition to the attractions we’ve covered above, the Paw Pass also nets you some cool stuff to take home in addition to the adorable plush from the Creation Station. You’ll get a serving of bulk candy from the Great Wolf Candy company, a pair of children’s swim goggles, a glitter tattoo, and a leather name bracelet!
Great Wolf Candy Company
“Delight and dazzle your pack with our sweet confectionary. Satisfy your sweet tooth by choosing from a wide assortment of packaged candies and chocolates. Or create a personal candy mix of your favorites from our bulk candy choices.”
Our kiddos collectively have a tremendous sweet tooth. They love candy. Seriously. LOVE IT. As part of the Paw Pass, your kids will get a large cup (I believe about 12oz) to fill with whatever type and flavor of bulk candy they’d like. Delicious!
Swim Goggles from the Bear Essentials Swim Shop
“Don’t fret the forgotten flip-flop…the vanishing swim trunks…or whatever was left behind. Maybe you didn’t forget your suit, you just want something new or you were sure last year’s suit would fit your ever growing little one – only to realize a little too late it’s a size small! Bear Essentials™ Swim Shop has you covered. Pick up all the necessities from bathing suits and swim diapers to goggles and sarongs, the most popular brands in swimming attire are available.”
With each Paw Pass, you’ll be able to choose a pair of select children’s swim goggles. I hadn’t brought goggles with us, so this was a welcome perk of the Paw Pass! The kids, of course, liked getting to choose their color.
Glitter Tattoo
The glitter tattoo is available at the Great Wolf Kids Store (where the Creation Station is also located). Kids can select their tattoo from a large assortment of available styles. Next, they pick their favorite glitter color(s). A sticky stencil is placed wherever they’d like their “tattoo”. Next, a special skin-safe adhesive is applied and then glitter is applied over that. The stencil is then peeled away to reveal their completed tattoo! These tattoos are pretty durable and are said to last about a week. Ours lasted quite a bit longer.
Leather Name Bracelet
“Get your personalized souvenir here! The Name Shop is the only place where you can get your name on just about anything. Find everything you can imagine from coffee mugs, keychains and kid’s cups to photo frames, Great Wolf Kids character merchandise and more. Pop in and choose a favorite personalized souvenir. And for wolf pups with unique names or spellings; customize a Leather Treaty bracelet or key chain while you wait.”
These are available at The Name Shop located within the Great Wolf Kids Store. A pretty wide assortment of colors are available as well as a selection of several font styles. Amusingly, our kids chose to use their bracelets as “collars” for the plush characters they made at the Creation Station. Pretty cute and creative use of the bracelets on their part!
A few of our children have names that are not common, so it’s rare that they find products featuring their names. I love that since the personalization is done right there, they were each able to have a bracelent with their name on it, even Zellene!
Other Passes
There are actually other passes available for purchase based on the age or ability of the recipient. I’d recommend the Paw Pass for children who are Kindergarten age and up. For younger preschool children, I’d recommend the Pup Pass which includes:
- One Color-Your-Own item at The Great Wolf Kids Store
- One Great Wolf Kids Character at Creation Station with Clubhouse Crew Adventure Game
- One Great Wolf Kids Character T-shirt at Creation Station
- Two plays at Oliver’s Time Challenge
- One game at 4D World
- One Paw Points Arcade/Attractions Card with 20 Paw Points
- One Glitz Glitter Tattoo
And for preteen or teen children I’d recommend the Wolf Pass which includes:
- One MagiQuest game
- Choice of one MagiQuest classic wand, standard topper, MagiQuest totem or Magi belt
- One Great Wolf Kids Character at Creation Station with Clubhouse Crew Adventure Game
- One Great Wolf Kids Character Outfit at Creation Station
- One admission to Howlers Peak Ropes Course
- One ride on Howly Wood XD Theater
- One climb on Eagles Peak Rock Wall
- One game at Ten Paw Alley
- One Paw Points Arcade/Attractions Card with 20 Paw Points
- One Paw Prints photo – 6×8
- One souvenir Leather Treaty name Bracelet from The Name Shop
The prices of the Pup Pass is $44.99 plus tax per package, the price of the Paw Pass is $79.99 plus tax per package, and the Wolf Pass is $99.99 plus tax per package. If you decide that the package items listed are ones your children would want to participate in, the Passes offer fair savings over having to purchase the attractions and items individually!
Is the Great Wolf Lodge Paw Pass Worth It?
The kids LOVED all of the fun activities and souvenirs included in the Paw Pass. And it came with SO much! If your planning to spend a little extra while at great wolf lodge for souvenirs and fun, the Paw Pass is definitely worth it!
Jacob absolutely loved the MagiQuest and would have preferred an extra day just for that. We will set aside more time for it on our next trip. All of the kids were really excited to create their own stuffed animal as well. Unlike other animals, they’ve gotten in the past, ever since we’ve been home they have continued to play with them and sleep with them at night. One managed to need washed already (bedtime accident) and it came out of our washer and dryer looking perfect. I’m so glad they are made to stand up to a lot of wear!
At a place like great wolf lodge, there are so many activities and souvenir options. In the past we have walked into gift shops or visited other resorts where the options almost overwhelm our children. They don’t know which to choose and it’s a painful experience for us as the parent as we wait for them to make up their mind. The Paw Pass gave my kids direction which was a welcome relief! They knew just which special things they were going to receive and they were more than happy with that!
Anna
Monday 2nd of January 2023
Can you purchase the passes for the adults too
Miranda
Monday 2nd of January 2023
Yes you can!
Jen
Saturday 7th of November 2020
I am loving the idea of the passes but curious if the adults want to play mini golf or go bowling with the kiddos is there an extra fee?
Miranda
Saturday 7th of November 2020
Hi Jen,
Yes, the adults do need to purchase a game as well if they want to fully play along. However, what our family does is rotate through and share our games so my husband and I just take a turn from time to time to join in on the family fun without adding more cost.
monique s
Tuesday 7th of April 2020
Sounds like the pass is a great money saver and gets you lots of fun things for the kids to enjoy
Gina
Wednesday 26th of February 2020
Hi Miranda,
I was wondering if the paw passes are only good for one day? Or if they are good until you have had a chance to do all the activities? We will be there two nights and I’m wondering if I have to buy a paw pass everyday? Thank you!!
Miranda
Wednesday 26th of February 2020
Hi Gina,
The Paw Passes/Wolf Passes/Pup Passes are good for the entire duration of your stay! The one-time use items get crossed off. But at our local location, the ropes course can be done again and again throughout the entire stay. Like wise, the MagiQuest can be played the entire stay. So you only have to purchase one pass, no matter how long you stay.
Nancy
Tuesday 22nd of October 2019
Hey, I was wondering are the passes per family or per person? I have 3 kids ages 6, 5 and 2 and would love to do this when we go but don’t want to over pay on passes/packages if it isn’t necessary.
Thank you
Miranda
Tuesday 22nd of October 2019
Hi Nancy,
They only offer per person. So you have to purchase one pass for each child. (I love the idea of a family pass though. I hope they consider coming out with that next!?)