When Cara and I booked our fall break staycation at Great Wolf Lodge months ago, we had no idea they lean into Halloween with their Howl-o-Ween special programming for overnight guests.
For the full month of October, the property offers not-so-scary, festive activities and activations throughout the property to extend the festive feeling of Halloween.
Not only did Great Wolf Lodge extend our Halloween festivities, but it also helped the days on property stay exciting for the kids, as there were a lot of pop-up parties to mix into jumping in the wave pool and playing in the water park.
Our kids are 19 months, 5 and 7, so we had a varied age group to entertain together, and the extra programming helped keep the day moving along for these age groups.
Read on for a few of our favorite activities during Great Wolf Lodge’s Howl-o-Ween festivities and a few tips based on our experiences. It’s available through Halloween night.
Parent hack: The Halloween offerings are included for overnight guests at no additional charge.
XO,
East Valley Moms
Monster Bash Dance Party
This Great Wolf Lodge signature bedtime activity turns the playlist into family Halloween classics during October with songs like Thriller and Monster Mash. Dance party hosts have Halloween accessories on, and lead dancing to help kids get the last of their energy out before bedtime.
It is late for little ones, starting at 9 p.m., but most kids come dressed in their pjs so they can go straight to bed.
Trick or Treat Trail
The best perk of all, each night at 7:30 p.m., kids are invited to wear their costumes and follow a themed trick or treat trail through the outdoor pool cabanas.
Each cabana is thematically decorated including the staff passing out candy; our favorite was Frankenstein. He stayed in character the whole time!
Mixed along the trail are activities like hula hooping and large connect-four games to keep kids entertained.
Great Wolf Lodge also offers non-candy options for the trick-or-treat trail for those with food allergies which we appreciated.
We arrived at 7:30 p.m. and it was pretty backed up; we recommend arriving halfway through to avoid longer wait times, since the trail is open until 8:30 p.m. It took about 20 minutes to go through the full experience.
Un-book-lievable story time
Another classic guest experience that Great Wolf Lodge adjusts for the season, this is another evening activity where kids are invited to wear costumes, so if you’re staying multiple nights like we were, there was something different to do each night.
The staff reads the tale about the Great Wolf Kids Howl-o-Ween adventure, and it lasts about 15 minutes. (Parent hack: we ordered wine from the restaurant next to story time that we could sip during the event.)
MagiQuest
Technically this is available year-round, but magic wands and a wizarding game sure feels appropriate for Halloween.
Not included in the base price for overnight guests, this is one of the add-ons (totaled $100 out the door including both kids choosing a wand, want topper and paying for the game access). It’s included in the middle tier package parents can purchase bundled, but it’s also available a la carte even though it isn’t advertised.
This is the only activity that Cara’s kids (ages 5 & 7) did without Maverick (they timed it to do while he napped). It was also fun for them to do between other activities as the game portals are located all over the property.
Cara let her kids choose 1 activity to do while they were there instead of purchasing on of the passes. She didn’t see the value in it for her kids for this visit as they were sort of in between ages and couldn’t agree on activities that aligned with the passes.
Other Halloween activities offered included a seasonally-themed kids yoga class, boo bingo and seasonal arts and crafts.
COVID-19 considerations at Great Wolf Lodge
Called their Paw Pledge, the resort boasted high standards for safe play for guests and staff. Masks are worn by all staff, even the lifeguards on duty inside the water park. Guests are asked to wear masks throughout the resort (except for the water park) and were quick to offer masks to guests who needed one.
