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Reporter gets up close look at Great Wolf attractions
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Published: April 28, 2009
Updated: 04/28/2009 06:31 pm
CONCORD - I have been skeptical about Great Wolf Lodge since I first heard it was coming to Concord.
An indoor water park in a place known for its warm weather, seemingly endlessly sunny days and gorgeous Carolina blue skies? Really? Will that work? Why come to Great Wolf when I could drive about 40 minutes or so and go to an outdoor water park at Carowinds?
And if I'm trying to save money by not taking a big Florida trip, why not drive to Myrtle Beach?
These questions piqued my curiosity about why Great Wolf leaders chose Concord for their newest resort.
So, on the newspaper's dime, I took the toughest critics I know — my three kids and my husband — for a night at the new resort during its grand opening weekend.
We checked in at 5 p.m. Friday and went to our room, which was on the same floor as the water park, the arcade and a teen hangout. My 12-year-old stepdaughter Samantha and her friend Mariam, 13, asked if they could explore while the rest of us got settled.
Sure, I said. But I want a full report on Gr8 Space, a teen hangout near the resort's neon arcade — a blacklight Vegas for kids where a simple swipe of your wristband will charge $5 to your room for a handful of tokens. My kids nearly tricked me into doing this until I realized it wasn't free as they believed after watching others swipe their wristbands.
When Samantha and her friend returned, she declared, "This place is one big ripoff." She was disappointed that Gr8 Space costs an extra $10 per kid per stay. My stepson Harrison wanted to try MagiQuest, a virtual scavenger hunt through the entire resort. But it costs another $25 per player and that wasn't in the budget. You do get a cool souvenir wand for that price.
On Saturday, we finally made it to the water park, and then I started to get Great Wolf. The kids loved it. My 1-year-old Luke led his dad around the base of Fort Mackenzie, a four-story treehouse filled with water hoses and buckets of water to tip on unsuspecting people below. Luke loved the water fountains at the base.
Luke also enjoyed splaying in the tiny tikes area, where there's a slide for toddlers, teeter-totters in the water and play ski jets that skirt water.
The older kids hung out in the wave pool for a few hours, taking breaks to try the water slides.
I'm not a big fan of water slides. You usually spend hours baking in long lines for a 30-second thrill.
But my kids convinced me to try two of the big ones at Great Wolf. And I realized it's nice being indoors while waiting in line. Also, the lines weren't too long because Great Wolf limits use of the water park to resort guests. The longest I waited was about 10 to 15 minutes.
My stepson Harrison dragged me onto a group ride called River Canyon Run. It was a thrilling ride, but nothing I hadn't seen before.
Earlier in the day, my stepdaughter warned me to avoid the Howlin' Tornado as we bobbed in the wave pool. "You'll die," she warned.
Then after riding it a few more times, she decided I needed to try it, too.
As we wound around the stairs, I imagined how I could escape.
Then it was our turn. It starts out like your basic group water slide with four people in one large inner tube, winding at a comfortable pace down the slide.
"This isn't so bad," I thought to myself. Then I saw it. The tube seemed to disappear ahead into a disturbingly steep drop that opened up into a six-story funnel. We slid 30 feet up one side and back down and 30-feet up the other side - back and forth and back and forth - until we swished toward the exit. I couldn't help but feel like a goldfish being flushed down the toilet.
The last part of the tube was short and we shot out into the pool.
"I'm alive," I thought. "Let's do it again."
But it was time to go. I had fun and the whole family agreed we would return one day, but maybe in the winter next time.
Great Wolf will offer discounted rates for Cabarrus County residents starting Friday. Local families can stay for $149 per night Sunday through Thursday and $189 per night Friday and Saturday. The fee includes a family suite and passes to the guest-only indoor water park. The rate will be available from May 1-13 and May 17-20.
To receive the special rate, Cabarrus residents should visit Great Wolf Lodge online at www.greatwolf.com or call toll-free 1-866-925-9653 and provide the promotion code, LOCAL.
Contact reporter Karen Cimino Wilson: 704-789-9141
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