Great Wolf Lodge, Grapevine- review & tips

We just got back from Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine. Overall, a fun trip! I wanted to share some tips, reviews, & things I wish I'd known before going in case it helps someone.

Hotel- 
Great decorations and atmosphere (except they had scary Halloween decor. Don't even get me started on this. Why? just why?...)
Not comfortable, the bed and couch and even the kids' bunks were not very comfortable. For the price I expected a lot more. There were 2 big craters in our bed.
The walls are thin. TIP: bring earplugs. Even the cleaning staff was loud right outside our door late at night.
TIP: bring your own shampoo/conditioner if you're picky. This may have been the worst shampoo I've ever put on my head, & it didn't condition, but I'm not picky, lol.
There is a micro/fridge in every room, which was a huge plus. We brought our own breakfasts & snacks.

Activities-
Story time was OK. The kids enjoyed it, but I think older kids might not. TIP: get there early for games & a good seat.
Skipper (age 4) loved the "dance party". The staff were really into it & great with the kids.
We did the nature walk one morning. Eh, so-so.

Food-
Was not exceptional & was overpriced. I mean, not Disney overpriced, but somewhat. The outside pool restaurant waiters were not friendly, & didn't want to do their jobs, like cleaning tables. The others were ok.
TIP: Eat out for dinner and at the Lodge for lunch. We went here, here, & to In & Out Burger near the freeway. All great.
Starbucks was great, and the line wasn't too long.

Water park-
Was excellent, overall. Lifeguards were great & helpful. There are slides for all ages & levels of bravery. 3 kiddie slides, along with lots of water shooting toys, 2 medium body slides that went pretty slowly (even littles are allowed to ride), 3 indoor bigger tube slides that are fast if you're riding double or large, but not so much if you're alone, & 2 indoor higher thrill tube slides with steeps drops (the green 1 inside & the red & white one that goes outside immediately). There are also a wave pool, a lazy river, 2 hot tubs (1 for adults only, the other connects to an outside one), & another activity pool.
The outside was open during the weekends only when we went (September). I think it's closed entirely once it gets cold out, & open every day in the summer. There is a big activity pool & 2 tube slides that were fun, as well as lots of places to lay out.
There are life jackets & a few puddle jumpers available, as well as plenty of towels. 3 shower stalls for the whole park aren't enough, but there are 2 big bathrooms.
TIP: Go during non peak times- early morning, Sunday evening, & weekdays (except Fri night, that's crowded.) The lines never got super long, but the other pools did get crowded during peak times. I tried to plan our water times around those.
TIP: If there's not a line for the showers, rinse kids off before leaving the pool (there are soap dispensers in the showers), then you won't have to bathe them!

TIP: Search for deals! You can get as much as 1/2 off if you book early or find a deal on Groupon.
TIP: If something goes wrong, call the front desk & politely let them know. We were out of hot water for just awhile one morning, and they comped us $75 back from our room fee! If they ask if you're eating breakfast or whatever meal at one of their restaurants, and you say "yes" they will comp that instead, so be aware of that. We would rather have $ off our room!

Family Vacation 2016!

Why did we take vacations when the kids were babies? I can't remember. I'm sure I'll say the same thing about this age when they're older. By the 3rd morning, we definitely were dealing with a few attitude issues, but it seemed calmer & less stressful than former vacations. Only having to drive a few hours really helped. It also helped that I, the Queen of Vacation Freak Out, decided beforehand to attempt to stay calmer & more flexible, to take what comes. (Haven't I decided that at the beginning of every vacation, though? ;) ) Whatever the reason, while physically drained, we had a blast at Great Wolf Lodge & Legoland for 4 days & 3 nights.

Kids loved the room & their bunks

Dallas sunset

Skipper loved the characters.

The boys have been begging me to go to Legoland. CA is a little bit of a drive, so I was thrilled to learn there's one right here in TX. I found BOGO tickets online as well!

R2-D2

The water park, the main attraction. I may have had more fun here than the boys did.

Vacay tips:

• Plan, plan, plan! While you don't have to plan every second or every meal (unless you're on a tight budget), know where you're going to stay & what you're going to do for the most part. Last minute decision making, when energies are low & drama is high, is a time waster. Planning also lets you know what to pack, and some tickets are cheaper if purchased ahead online.
• Leave some wiggle room; be flexible! 
• Pace yourself. It's tempting to jam pack the days so you can see & do everything, but it's important to plan some down time so you don't burn out, especially if traveling with babies or small children! We had an hour of "in your bunks" time in the middle of each day. I also planned 1 day for myself to sleep in. (I crash & burn quickly without that.) If you'll be gone a week or more, plan a couple of half days off from activities.
• Trade time away with your spouse. Super Dad wanted to watch football Saturday evening, so I took the kids to the kiddie pool. Then Sunday afternoon, the boys wanted to stay in their hotel room & build legos, so I slipped away to lay out in the hot tub for an hour. Both being introverts, it's best for my husband & I to have some of that time away.
• Pack breakfast if your hotel doesn't include it. (GWL didn't.)
• Pack non-screen activities for the car. We use screens; I just didn't want them on them the entire trip. We also do 30 minutes of "quiet time" when things get crazy for the adults' sanity.
• Don't go far when your kids are little. It's just not worth it unless you're going to visit family.

Tour of Texas!

We packed up the car and headed around Texas to see family. 792 miles over 12 days! It was SO fun!

Stop #1- The in-laws for my SIL's wedding!

 

Gorgeous bride!

 My beautiful youngest SIL. (#10) & #1's husband on guitar.

 Too much cuteness.

 Fam...

 Two more SILs, #4 & #6.

 I mean, really...

 #1 SIL with her kiddos.

 Waiting... K was supposed to go sit down after he walked the aisle, but he just stood up there with the rest of the men, lol. We had to go get him.

 Father & son.

 #2 with her family.

 #3 with his family. :)

More ILs :) - #5 & #7

 My nephew was jealous of the flower girl & ring bearer getting to wear costumes, so he brought his own. Genius.

 Breaking it down at the rehearsal dinner. He really was, but of course as soon as I get the video camera out he stopped.

 DH carrying 2 tuckered out boys home.

The in-laws with all 9 grandchildren.
We stayed with DH's sister and their 4 kids. Our kids had a blast playing together. This was the first time all 10 of the siblings have been together in over a year. It was so good to see everyone!

Stop #2- My mom's:

 My brother came to see us. I promise we are not fat, but it makes me feel better that we both look fat in this pic!

 Nana had a dirt pile. Boy Heaven!

While there, I got to see my awesome nutritionist and also get a massage from like, the best massage therapist ever. He's actually not even a therapist; he's considered a practitioner. I got some treatment for my piriformis muscle and plantar faciitis which has been acting up lately.

Stop #3- My oldest brother & SIL's house. They have 3 girls; the youngest is less than 3 wks younger than K.

 The older 2 girls were a great help.

 My brother reading them a story.

 

We went to ride the park train and then out to lunch.

All tuckered out.

Stop #4- My Dad's place:

 K teaching Major to fetch,

 ... and sit.

 G-man loved the Gator!

 G-man riding.

K riding the horse.

 Playing with Lincoln Logs.

 So big.

 The boys went fishing early one morning.

Stop #5- My grandmother, Gran. My aunt came to see us as well! We went swimming one afternoon and other than that, just hung out. The boys loved the handicap chair that goes upstairs.