dickcheney

Heading to the Dells in mid-October for a long weekend stay with 3 kids. Any opinions welcomed as to quality/variety/excitement factor of the following four resort waterparks:

Kalahari, Wilderness, Great Wolf & Polynesian. Any and all positive or negative comments appreciated. Also, opinions as to room quality would be great. Thanks in advance!!

Cheese

We go every winter to the Dells. Never been there during the summer! For our money, we like the Great Wolf the best. Last year they added a coffeeshop that has ice cream, sandwiches, baked goods,etc. They have also added an Aveda Spa we are anxious to try. The staff is great! We always have a blast! Think about getting a Fort Waterman suite. Our kids are 6 and 9. They love the bunk beds. McDonalds is close by for those egg MCmuffins in the mornings. The game room is fun, too. The waterpark is just enough for our kids. There are two separate areas, my kids like the treehouse area the best. The slides are good. Makes me want to go now! Have fun!

Badger

Check the Kalahari. They are in progress of expanding, but I don't know when it is scheduled for completion. A recent drive-by, makes it appear to be soon, and they are advertising as soon to be, the Nation's largest indoor water park.

Brian

The two mentioned above, black wolf, and kalahari, are the two premeire indoor water parks in wi dells. Kalahari right now is slightly better and will be imensly better when they complete there exspasion, (check with them when this will be done). Other good choices may be Treasure Island bay of dreams, the raintree, and Chula Vista(outsideWi dells). If possible you may want to go midweek in october because 1 the rooms will be cheaper, and 2 the waterparks sell admission to none guests so their may be various youth groups ect there that will make it very crowded.

Have fun

Cheese

I would like to add a remark about the rooms at the Great Wolf. They are clean and well maintained. We thought they were the best value in the area for ammenities received.

The management team at the Great Wolf is one of the best in the business! The employees were friendly and wanted to make our stay pleasant. I can't tell you how many times the kids were asked, "Are you guys having fun?". Or, "Did you try the such and such slide?". This was from the housekeeping staff, lifeguards,etc.

When we were there last winter, I was talking to one of the managers. She was telling me how the Kalhari didn't have the great morale and team work. She said the hotel and waterpark are expanding at such a rate that it is hard to get good staff. She said she used to work at the Kalahari, but enjoys the 'Great Wolf family' atmosphere better! Just my 2 cents!

Mary

Another huge Egg McMuffin fan! Yeah! My husband teases me when he gets into my truck and sees a small pile of small McDonald's bags on the passenger-side floor. He knows exactly where I've been.

Anyway, I have to agree with Great Wolf but it also depends on what type of "theme" you're into most.

David

1. the one with the big slide
2. the one with the tube in the middle
3. the one with the Pirate stuff
4. the one with the mini-putt place next door
5. the one with the big snack bar.

anne

What are the Dells like? Is there anything in terms of outdoors activities. Is it like the Poconos, Vegas, Myrtle Beach????

Janette

Think of the tackiest place you can imagine, chock full of obese, belly-hanging-out-the-open-shirt, greasy burger chomping, yahoos you can conjure up.
If that's you, go to the Dells and join the crowd.
Just thinking about that place makes me feel sweaty and dirty.

Dave

Author: Janette ([email protected])
Date: 09/26/2002, 08:53 pm
Message: Think of the tackiest place you can imagine, chock full of obese, belly-hanging-out-the-open-shirt, greasy burger chomping, yahoos you can conjure up.
If that's you, go to the Dells and join the crowd.
Just thinking about that place makes me feel sweaty and dirty.
---------------------------------------
LOL! So true, but that's what I like about the place. I wouldn't plan my one and only yearly vacation around the Dells, but it has to be seen at least once to be believed.

Mary

While I agree "downtown" Wisconsin Dells or the "strip" is cheezy (although they got some fun bars up there), the natural beauty of the surrounding area, away from all the cheeze, is wonderful to behold.

Years ago we would camp and canoe the area quite often. It doesn't get much better than that in terms of nature.

Dells visitor

The Dells are cheezy but so it MB SC and any other town that the souvenir sellers and Ripley's Believe It or Not can overrun. However, the Dells Ducks (the WW2-type amphibious vehicles the Army used to have) are cool but make sure to go on the green and white ones not the red, white and blue ones. You get a better tour with the green & white company. Also, be sure to ask whether it's the Lower or Upper Dells that are most picturesque. I'm pretty sure it's the lower but it's been a few years since we went on the Duck. I've been to Kalahari and Bay of Dreams. Both were very crowded even on a weekday. Been inside but haven't stayed at Great Wolf but it looked very nice. Wilderness has a $79/night Sun-Thurs rate this fall. Check it out.

For those of you who rip on the Dells: Peole who frequent there are family-oriented and enjoy this type of activity for a 1 or 2 night getaway. If you don't understand that then you will probably die old and lonely some day.

anne

Uh, Thanks, but it doesn't sound as if I'm ready for it quite yet. Or rather, it doesn't sound like the kind of place I would have to fly to for about 3 hours. I was looking ofr a place for Christmas vacation (and the indoor waterparks sounded like a good idea if the weather is bad outside).

suzi

Anne--you're right you probably wouldn't want to stay in the Dells for more than a weekend in December. Generally, it's a "summer town". Most of the indoor themed water parks are quite new.
How about a couple days in Chicago or Milwaukee and then drive up to the Dells. December in Wisconsin hasn't been too bad the last couple years, so the roads should be pretty good--it is interstate all the way.
On the downside, although this is Wisconsin, we may not have the snow or cold temps. needed to ski or snowmobile in December.

Mary

Anne: I agree. I wouldn't pay for airfare and fly 3 hours to see the Dells. But for me it's the perfect weekend getaway since it's only 1-1/2 hours away by car.