Great Wolf Lodge - Concord Charlotte in CONCORD, NC

We had a blast during our 3 day/ 3 night stay at the Wold Lodge. Family group of 7. The staff was nice, the activities were perfect for the grandkids and the bars were convenient and appreciated for the adults. Some gripes: We arrived from 3 different states at 3:30 pm. The room wasn't available until 5:30 pm. The room floors were sticky. We bought a mop and spray cleaner to clean the room after checking in. We also bought a coffee pot for our room. Breakfast buffet was convenient, but the dishes were dirty; still had food stuck to them. There is NO GUEST LAUNDRY. We had to pack and fly home with dirty wet clothes. We all got an itchy rash by day 3. Chlorine overdose? Maybe? The stairs accessing the slides are dirty.

Great Wolf Lodge is truly an all-in-one family vacation. If your goal is to keep your kids entertained without constantly getting in the car or planning outings, it's absolutely worth the price. The biggest perk is that water park access is included with your stay. You can start using it as soon as it opens on check-in day and keep playing until it closes on checkout day, which means you’re getting two full days of water fun. And when you're ready for a break from the water, there's a ton more to do! Great Wolf Lodge runs free daily activities like crafts, story time, dance parties, and character appearances. If you want to splurge a little, there are also paid extras like MagiQuest, bowling, laser tag, mini golf, virtual reality games, and a big arcade — all of which were big hits with our kids. The rooms were super clean and spacious, which we appreciated after long, active days. They also offer a variety of food options onsite, with everything from full-service restaurants to quick snacks — plenty of "fun" food like pizza, burgers, and fries, but healthy options too. And it's not just for little kids. Our teens and tweens had so much fun at the water park and doing all of the activities. They were busy from morning to night! If you want a low-stress family trip where the fun is built in and your kids are entertained nonstop, Great Wolf Lodge is a great choice!

We've been going every year for 13 years, but this was our last year. The new parking is a nightmare, they give you tickets you're suppose to scan to pay, which we did but then they wouldn't work. Our large family goes and rents several rooms, 5 different vehicles and all 5 had issues getting out, as did the cars in front of us. Trying to leave the parking lot and then come back is also a nightmare, we ended up being charged for one car 3 times in one day. Along with the new awful parking is the fact that they've decreased access to items while increasing the costs of stays. It was a super fun place when it first opened and over the years, but the last 2 yrs its just been getting worse. On the bright side, we do have lots of wonderful family Christmas memories there, it's just time for a change, the hassle and costs have just began to outweigh the good.

Let me start by saying my kids had fun. The water park is the main attraction, and it delivers. The slides are a lot of fun, great for families. The mini bowling was fun too. However, the fun is constantly undermined by a corporate strategy so focused on extracting every last dollar that it becomes an outright annoyance. Great Wolf Lodge hasn't just adopted the nickel-and-dime philosophy; they have perfected it. From the moment you arrive, the wallet-whittling begins, welcomed by a $19 per day surprise…to park your car in what is essentially a suburban parking lot sets the tone for what's to come. At check-in I asked the person checking me in to help place the band on my wrist. His response was “I can show you, all you have to do is pull the sticker off and wrap it around your wrist.” Thanks for your lovely tutorial, but I just wanted some help getting it on because it’s easier for someone with two hands free to place it than me with my one free hand. I asked again explaining why, but he really had zero inclination to help me. The "Wolf Pass" Deception: We purchased the Wolf Pass, thinking it was a good value. It is more so designed to make you pay more. · The "20 arcade credits" included are good for literally two, maybe three, games on modern arcade machines. · The "Laser Tag" and "VR Experience" are so short (less than 8 minutes each) that you spend almost as much time putting on the gear than playing. They feel like free demos you'd get at a mall, not a featured activity. · The "Build-a-Bear" is a classic bait-and-switch. You get to choose from the three most boring, basic animals. Want clothes or any accessory? That's a separate $12-$20 upsell. Everyday Items Become Luxuries: · The Infamous Soda: I have never, in my life, seen a fountain drink system like theirs. You pay for a cup that you have to SCAN and it’s limited to 12 ounces per cup, ie they REALLY don’t want you getting a single refill. But the real kicker? The scan expired after dispensing only 8 ounces. It’s a petty, patronizing system that perfectly encapsulates the GWL experience. · Food & Drink: Be prepared for sticker shock. A tiny, unremarkable kids' meal will set you back $12, literally 5 tiny nuggets and fries. Everything is premium priced for cafeteria-quality food. · Basic Necessities: Even a safe place to put your wallet and phone isn't included. The lockers at the water park cost almost $20 per day, which feels like a ransom for the simple right to enjoy the main attraction without worrying about your belongings. · Celebrations? That'll Cost You: We paid $40 for birthday decor. For our money, we received a small banner on the door and a single balloon in the room. It felt like an afterthought, not a celebration. The Inconvenience Upsell: Even simple requests are designed to be a hassle. We paid for late checkout, but they can't pre-program your band. You must physically go to the front desk at 11 AM to get a new one, interrupting whatever fun you were trying to have. The Verdict: Great Wolf Lodge is a brilliantly designed trap. They get you in the door with the water park, and then take advantage. Every smile you want to put on your child's face comes with an explicit price tag attached to it. If you want to feel like you got a good value, go elsewhere. The water park is fun, but it is not worth the money you will inevitably drop on everything surrounding it. You’re really just funding a corporate case study on how to monetize every single aspect of a guest's stay, no matter how small or petty. If you go, expect to pay more than anticipated.

We had a great time at Great Wolf Lodge Charlotte/Concord. As a tired mom, I really appreciated that everything was under one roof and very convenient and easy to get to. I highly recommend the Wolf Pass for all of the activities, which makes it super easy to say "yes" and be the fun mom for the weekend! The food was better than I expected, the bunk room was a huge hit, the roms and space were clean. The water park was crowded but it was a school long weekend so I was not surprised. My kids LOVED the extra activities like Laser Tag, MagicQuest, Build a Bear. Just a huge hit for the family!