What to Wear at Great Wolf Lodge: Your Family Packing Guide
Want to be prepared for your Great Wolf Lodge experience? Wondering what to wear at Great Wolf Lodge? I got you. In reality, you can buy everything you need at the lodge, but, like Disney, the markups are insane. So let’s go prepared!
This post contains affiliate links, which means I may get some coffee money if you purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. Quite frankly, it hasn’t happened yet, but I still appreciate you stopping by, because I put a lot of time into these posts 🙂
- 🛟Read the complete Great Wolf Lodge survival guide with additional money-saving hacks
- 🤑Don’t forget to use my FREE hack to triple-dip on hotel booking cashback and rewards!
Swimwear
Think of Great Wolf Lodge like a regular water park. People dress casually here, but you may want to dress up nice for your own photos!
There will be a lot of tubing, standing around, running around after your kids, so think about what you might wear if you actually went tubing, such as swim shorts or swim skirts and trunks with zippered pockets.
Most of the main attractions, like the big and small slides, wave pools, are indoors. There are some Great Wolf Lodges with outdoor pools, but they are basic pools and if the summer, it does get very sunny. This is something to keep in mind.
For the Adults: Comfort and Coverage
- Swim Dress: I was apprehensive at first, but they actually look super cute! Actually cuter than regular swimwear. Personally, I don’t find that it’s a place to hang out in a bikini, and the extra coverage gives me more confidence to move about without always reaching for a cover-up.
- Trunks with Zippered Pockets: Guys, opt for swim trunks that are comfortable and stay put during all the water activities. A fantastic bonus? Trunks with zippered pockets!
Swim trunks with pocket liner and zipped pockets
Swim trunks with patterned liner and zipped pockets
For the Kids: Bright, Bold, and Secure
The park is big and crowded, so you want to easily be able to spot your kids from far away. Opt for bright or neon colors. If they like to go outside, choose one with long sleeves.
Cover-Ups and Robes
It can get cold in the hotel especially if you are wet from the pool. You will need a cover up for grabbing a bite to eat, or even waiting for the elevators!
For the Adults: Easy wet-patch free cover ups
- Cover-Up: No one wants to walk around like they are still nursing a newborn 🙂
Striped loose-fitting cover up
For the kids: Safe and cozy robes
- Kids’ Robes: The big flowy ones are popular, but keep safety in mind – make sure the cover up won’t block your child’s view of their path to avoid falls.
Footwear
You need footwear that is waterproof and preferably non-slip, so you can walk from the indoor pool area to the hotel room.
- Water Shoes: These are actually a great hack for kids. If you’ve ever been concerned about your kids accidentally tripping in flip flops, there are the solution. These are also just so useful to have if you like outdoor pursuits like tubing and kayaking.
- Flip Flops: Enough said.
Must-have Accessories
- Waterproof phone pouch. If there is ONE THING you take away from this article, it is that you NEED a waterproof phone pouch. You and your spouse or friends WILL be separated at some point in order to buy food, grab something from the hotel room, take a child to the bathroom, or accompany kids wanting to do different things. It is important for keeping your phone on you, so you can take pictures, and stay in touch.
- Bubble wands. The staff roll out a whole cart of these light-up wands that blow bubbles and play music and they make a killing on them, selling them for around $30 each. Yes, they are as annoying as they sound 🙂
Bonus Tips for Water Park Wardrobe Success
Beyond the essentials, here are a few extra tips to ensure everyone is well-prepared:
- Pack Extras: It’s always a good idea to pack an extra swimsuit, especially for the kids. This way, if one gets wet and takes a while to dry, they’ll have a dry one ready to go.
- Sun Protection: Don’t forget sun-protective swimwear with UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) built-in, especially for little ones who will be spending a lot of time outdoors or near windows.
- Small Waterproof Bag: A small waterproof bag or pouch can be useful for carrying essentials like room keys, waterproof phone cases, or small snacks within the water park.
- Consider the Season: While Great Wolf Lodge water parks are indoors, consider the outside temperature when packing cover-ups and robes, especially for the walk to and from your room.
Let me know in the comments if you have other packing tips to share!
- 🛟Read the complete Great Wolf Lodge survival guide with additional money-saving hacks
- 🤑Don’t forget to use my FREE hack to triple-dip on hotel booking cashback and rewards!
