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My quest to find and share all-inclusive opportunities has led me to Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City. Living in the St. Louis Metro area, we don’t have to travel too far to access multiple “all-inclusive” opportunities. By choosing a destination that offers all-inclusive packages you can decrease stress and anxiety, as well as eliminate barriers depression may put in your way, so you can truly enjoy your time away.
Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City offers many of activities and amenities that you can access to help your overall mental health while you are on property. The resort, which is primarily known for its theme suites and indoor water park, is a great destination for families looking to take a break from their daily routine and focus on their mental well-being. This review and post will be focused on families, because seriously this is not the place for you if you don’t have kids. Great Wolf’s spokespeople may say you can go there alone or as a “couple’s get away” but there are WAY TO MANY children running around for this to be enjoyable to anyone who does not have children. There will be other blog posts for you if you want to travel alone or as a couple, please be patient as there will be more to come.
There are several reasons why a trip to Great Wolf Lodge (with all-inclusive packages) can be used to support mental health during your family trip due to providing an opportunity to escape from the stresses of daily life. By taking a break from work, school, or other responsibilities, you and your family can give your minds a chance to recharge and reset. It is a great place to re-connect with each other in a fun and relaxed environment, and can be a great way to build and strengthen your connection. The resort offers a variety of physical activities that can help improve mental health, focus and grounding into your body, including swimming, climbing, and playing games. Physical activity has been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression and can also help with stress management. Taking time to relax and unwind can be incredibly beneficial for everyone’s mental health and it’s what going to the lodge is all about.
Below are a few tips and reasons why I think Great Wolf can be a good family getaway, and how you it can reduce anxiety, decrease depression and increase your mental health during your stay.
Great Wolf Lodge Kansas City is only 3½ hours away from the St. Louis Metro area and is right off Interstate highway 70, which makes the drive very easy for a quick trip and not intimidating. We were able to do everything we wanted to do and only stayed 1 night at the lodge! This is great for those who don’t have a lot of time off or have increased anxiety when away from home for long periods of time. It is also easy so that there are less barriers your depression needs to overcome to be able to make it there. If you have more time, you can stay longer, however you can still have a good break in a relatively short period of time.
Tip – You can check into the Lodge as early as 1 p.m. the day you arrive, if your room isn’t ready you can store your bags with the front desk and use the pools and amenities, then pick them up later when you want to go to your room for a break. On the day you check out of your room you can still have access to the water park until they close. By taking advantage of early arrival and staying at the pool until close, you will have more than enough time to take advantage of everything Great Wolf has to offer only staying one night on property.
Heads up – You have the option to pre-check-in 24 hours ahead of arrival. When you do pre-check-in the system asks you to place a credit card on file for your expenses incurred while you are there. If you want to use a different credit card then the one you originally placed your room reservation on, you will have to do regular onsite check-in. The pre-check-in system will not allow you to save the new card (even though the system gives you the option).
When you check in to the lodge, each member of your family gets a wristband. The wristband is the key to your room and the way you pay for everything during your stay. You don’t have to worry about locking your key card in your room, keeping track of cards/money or keeping a purse or wallet with you. This is definitely an easy button!
Pay attention to this – Only adult wristbands open doors—kiddos cannot get back into the room if they are not accompanied by an adult.
There are a variety of theme suites available such as the Wolf Den, Kids Camp and Kids Cabin. These will make your stay as a parent more enjoyable. Wolf Den rooms have beds which seem to be meant for toddlers/young elementary age kiddos. The Kids Camp and Cabin rooms will fit older children. For perspective, I could have fit/slept in the Kids Camp beds, where I was too large for the Wolf Den beds. Kids LOVE staying in their own fun/decorated space in the room, and parents have the rest of the room for themselves to be able to relax.
Tip – Weekday rates are much less then weekend rates! Plus you can find multiple deals on the website where you can save a lot of money. We saved $550 applying a coupon code from the website’s deal page! Financial wellness helps your mental wellness.
Throughout the day there are multiple activities preplanned by staff including arts and crafts, yoga, dancing and a Great Clock Tower show. Wolf ears are included with your stay, but you have to ask for them. If anyone is celebrating anything they will also get a pin to wear during their stay.
Before you arrive you have the opportunity to buy packages, which will make your stay at the Lodge turn into an all-inclusive experience. These packages make your life easy! Depending on the age of your kids there are activity packages (Paw/Pup Passes), which will set up your experience with multiple activities you prepurchase at a discount. Parents and kids with anxiety, this will lower your anxiety because your trip is preplanned and laid out—you just choose based on age/interest. Parents who experience depression leading to planning or setting up experiences being too much energy or mental load, this will take away any barriers, all you have to do is click one of the packages and your activities are planned.
Tip – If you want to do MagiQuest, buy all of you items from the store early. Don’t wait to do it after swimming all day! The game is open till 11 p.m., however, the store closes promptly at 9 p.m.
There are also dining deals and breakfast vouchers. Buy these! Not only do they give you a deal but it also makes the lodge all inclusive. All of your food and beverages will be purchased through your wristband and it will either be applied to a credit card or the money you prepaid through a dining deal. I bought the Gold Dining Deal for $85 ($100 of dining credit), which fed four of us dinner the night we arrived, lunch and multiple snacks at the pool café. Totally worth it! We spent all of it and only went $6 over, feeling full the entire time.
Tip – The dining deal money is available from the time you check in till 5 p.m. the day you check out. You must use all of the money by 5 p.m. the day you check out or you will lose it.
Breakfast vouchers included a well-stocked hot and cold buffet, unlimited hot and cold self-serve beverages, plus gratuities. Breakfast is served in a cabin style restaurant near the entrance to the Lodge. There are multiple options of Midwest breakfast fare such as paw-shaped waffles, biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, an omelet station, bacon, sausage, and a wide variety of fresh fruit, plus much more! You will not go hungry and the food quality was great!
In the waterpark area there are multiple cabanas around the parameter. These are a refuge! If you get over stimulated by noises, crowds or too much going on around you, they are a haven. All have a sectional couch, large locking cabinet, table/chairs, 4 towels, a fridge, 4 water bottles and 2 lounge chairs. No waiting in line getting towels before you get in which eliminates anxiety and a barrier/one extra thing for depression to not have to tackle. You don’t have the pressure to pick the “right spot” because it is already picked for you. (Your name will be on a board by the pool entrance indicating which cabana is yours.) It is an easy to find meeting place after everyone enjoys different parts of the waterpark. Anyone can rest or take time to regulate/decompress by closing the curtains, turning on the fan and giving you an oasis in middle of a busy, exciting waterpark.
Hopefully, this review can offer some insight on viewing the Great World Lodge’s all-inclusive benefits from a mental health perspective and let you know you CAN go and enjoy yourself. It will not be too overwhelming—you got this! Go and experience life because you deserve it.
