Great Wolf Lodge Connecticut Review: Rooms, Dining & Water Park Tips

To break up the long winter here in Maine, my family escaped to Great Wolf Lodge in Connecticut for a few days of indoor water park fun. We booked a three-night stay using the 2626 deal, which saved us about $300 off our original reservation. Initially, we reserved the Wolf Den Suite but requested an upgrade to the KidCabin Suite—and were thrilled when it was approved. Our stay also included the breakfast package and the Ultimate Food & Fun Package, which was absolutely worth it for our family. I’ll share more details on why it made such a difference in our experience.

Visitors enjoy a day of fun and adventure at Otter Cave Waterworks, featuring exciting water slides and play areas under a rustic wooden ceiling.

We arrived at Great Wolf Lodge shortly after 10 a.m., and were pleasantly surprised that our room was already ready. Check-in took a little while since the line was long and only two team members were working the front desk. Although I completed the initial check-in at a kiosk, I still needed to visit the desk to receive our Ultimate Food & Fun wristbands and tags.

Our room was clean, spacious, and perfectly set up for our family. The kids were especially excited to each have their own bed—we had a queen bed, a sleeper sofa, a twin bed, and bunk beds. The room included a mini fridge and coffeemaker, and the bathroom featured a tub/shower combo. There weren’t any drawers or a safe, which was a bit disappointing since I prefer to fully unpack, but there was plenty of counter and shelf space to stay organized. We were able to tuck our suitcases neatly under the sink counter, keeping everything out of the way.

Children participate in a playful yoga session called "Yoga Tails" in a cozy, lodge-like setting with a large stone fireplace and charming chandeliers.

Once we got settled in our room at Great Wolf Lodge, we grabbed a quick lunch and picked up our refillable popcorn bucket and mugs included with the Food & Fun Package before heading to the water park. Since we arrived on a Monday, it was fairly busy and finding chairs took a little effort, but we eventually secured a couple of spots. The kids made a beeline for Crooked Creek, the lazy river, where the water temperature was just right for swimming and floating. They especially loved the wave pool that afternoon, and my two oldest even challenged themselves on Big Foot Pass.

After a few hours of water park fun, we changed and headed over to Adventure Park. One thing I really appreciated about this location compared to the Fitchburg property is that everything is centrally located, making it easy to move between attractions. Our Food & Fun Package included unlimited access to Ten Paw Alley, Howlers Peak Ropes Course, Howl in One Mini Golf, and the Howlers Peak Adventure Trail. We spent a couple of hours letting the kids enjoy each activity and got their MagiQuest wands activated so they were ready to dive into that adventure after dinner.

Children are captivated by the enchanting "Legend of Luna" bedtime story, projected onto a grand stone fireplace, as twinkling lights create a magical atmosphere.

The Connecticut location of Great Wolf Lodge offers two sit-down dining options: a buffet (which was only open Monday night since it operates based on occupancy, typically around 80% capacity) and Fireside, which features a set menu. The food overall was good, but service was noticeably slow—something we also experienced at the breakfast buffet. At Fireside, our waitress brought water right away but didn’t take our drink order until she returned to take our meal order. The total bill was on the higher side, but we were grateful to have $100 in dining credit from our Food & Fun Package to offset the cost.

One major perk of this location is that Foxwoods Resort Casino is right next door, giving you additional dining options if you want a break from lodge restaurants. We took advantage of that Tuesday night and had a great dinner at Wahlburgers. That said, Fireside’s dessert was a highlight—we actually returned Tuesday just for the Lodge S’mores, a fun and delicious s’mores fondue. One order was more than enough for our family of five.

The breakfast buffet was pretty standard—nothing extraordinary, but filling enough to fuel us for a full morning at the water park or Adventure Park (we packed our own lunches). The one place we wouldn’t return to is The Hungry Wolf Food Hall. We ate there Wednesday night, and unfortunately the food came out room temperature. For the price we paid, we honestly could have had a better meal at McDonald’s.

A cozy platter of lodge s’mores featuring a skillet of toasted marshmallows surrounded by graham crackers, strawberries, brownies, and cake squares, perfect for sharing by the fireside.

If you’re traveling with younger kids, be sure to take advantage of the daily lobby events at Great Wolf Lodge. The bedtime story was a huge hit with my middle and youngest—we ended up going two nights in a row because they loved it so much. In the mornings, they offer yoga, which my middle child enjoyed so much that they attended all three days of our stay.

Throughout the day, there are arts and crafts sessions, the Master Magi ceremony for kids who complete MagiQuest (both of my girls proudly finished it this trip!), dance parties, and even character meet-and-greets. All of the activities are listed in the lodge app, and you can set notifications so you don’t miss the ones your kids are most excited about.

Inside Oliver's Mining Co., a themed attraction featuring interactive exhibits and a gem panning area, warmly illuminated by colorful lights.

Overall, my family truly had a great time at Great Wolf Lodge. While there are definitely areas that could use improvement—particularly service and some of the dining—we’re still glad we gave this location a try. If we return, we’ll likely explore more of the restaurant options at Foxwoods Resort Casino instead of relying solely on the lodge dining.

The Food & Fun Package was absolutely worth it for us. Whenever the kids weren’t at the water park, they were tackling the ropes course or exploring the adventure trail. They played mini golf several times and went bowling a couple of times as well, but the ropes course was by far their favorite. I do feel this location is especially geared toward the under-12 crowd, though teens would still find plenty to keep them entertained. During our three-day stay, Monday was the busiest, while Wednesday was the quietest. I hope you enjoyed reading my review of the Connecticut Great Wolf Lodge. #neverlandingtravelbysara #greatwolflodgect