Getting ready forGreat Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs.
An indoor water park resort in Colorado Springs, kept at 84 degrees, with a Colorado Sensory Guide that rates the slides, pools and attractions for each sense, and a multi-colored wristband for neurodivergent guests on request at check-in.
Water park hours are posted by date on the lodge's Indoor Water Park page and on the Day Pass page. For day passes, call Customer Service at 844-553-9653. Overnight guests: check-in begins at 4 pm or as rooms become available, and you can use the water park any time after opening on your arrival day until closing time on your departure day. Half Day Passes run from 4 pm to close.
“We can offer a special multi-colored wristband to signal to our Pack Members that the wearer is neurodivergent. If interested, please request this wristband during check-in.”
“IBCCES helped us develop a sensory guide for each slide, pool, ride, attraction, show and activity found at Great Wolf Lodge.”
“Each Lodge is unique in its layout, but each has public areas that are generally quieter than the more popular attraction areas.”
Look over the layout when you arrive so you know where a quieter area is, and feel free to ask any Pack Member (that's what staff are called) if they can recommend one. Overnight guests also have their guestroom for a break, and cabanas can be rented in the water park for a reserved area for your group.
Overnight guests: kids' wristbands come without the RFID chip unless you ask. If your kid may wander from your group, the lodge suggests asking for an RFID wristband for them, so staff can find your reservation and reunite you quickly.
Lines are more likely at the larger slides you reach by a tower staircase. Pools and water park play structures often have no line, and the arcades and lobby entertainment are likely to be without one too. For shorter waits, the lodge suggests the beginning or end of operating hours, or a midweek visit outside school breaks, when the lodge is usually less busy.
Slap Tail Pond, the wave pool, has swells from a five-foot deep end to zero-depth entry shallows, and the guide notes it can get crowded. Waves go on and off through the day, and a warning signal sounds before each wave cycle. Guests under 48 inches tall, weak swimmers and non-swimmers should wear a life jacket and stay in the shallow end.
Northern Lights Arcade (sound 8 of 10: noisy when busy, sounds may echo, music and buzzers, blinking and flashing lights)not stated
Howlin' Tornado slide (sound 7 of 10: loud rushing water and other guests, and the Fort Mackenzie bell can be heard)not stated
Ten Paw Alley bowling (sound 7 of 10: sounds from bowling and music, and sounds may echo)not stated
Fort Mackenzie water fort (sound 6 of 10: a bell dings before the bucket dumps water)not stated
Wolf Tail slide (sound 6 of 10: the trap door makes a sound)not stated
Grand Lobby (sound 5 of 10: can be busy and active during events, and microphones and music may be used)not stated
Howlers Peak Ropes Course (sound 5 of 10: loud clicking sounds as people move through it)not stated
Howl in One Mini Golf (sound 5 of 10: clicking sounds from the ropes course overhead, and sound echoes)not stated
Quieter, in the lodge's words
Build-A-Bearquiet zone
Oliver's Mining Co.quiet zone
MagiQuestquiet zone
Day Pass: the water park from open to close. Half Day Pass: 4 pm to close. Everyone needs a day pass to enter the water park, even if they aren't swimming. Day passes are free for children 2 and under, non-refundable (all sales are final), and limited in number, so some dates sell out. See the Day Pass page for prices, or call Customer Service at 844-553-9653. Day pass guests skip the lobby check-in line and go straight to Water Park Guest Services. Dry-land attractions and dining cost extra.
No outside food or drink in the water park, including glass containers and personal coolers. Overnight guests can keep outside food and drinks in their suite, and coolers are welcome in the lodge but not the water park. Day pass guests can't bring outside food or drink. The lodge is cashless: use a card or set up your wristband for purchases.
Food allergies: email the lodge's executive chef before you go (the address is under the Dining tab for the Colorado Springs lodge), or talk to the front desk or restaurant staff when you arrive, and the chef or sous chef will come out to talk with you. With advance notice, the culinary team can often provide personalized options.
Coast Guard approved life jackets are included, first come, first served, and you can also bring your own. The lodge strongly recommends that children under 48 inches and weak or non-swimmers wear a life jacket. Towels are included; the lodge asks that water park towels stay in the water park area, and there's a fee if one isn't returned. Inflatable toys aren't allowed, and all adults and children must have empty pockets. Any child who still uses diapers or is susceptible to accidents must wear a protective swim diaper, sold in the lodge.
The Water Park page lists height limits for each attraction, for example a 42 inch minimum for Fort Mackenzie, Totem Towers, Alberta Falls and Mountain Edge Raceway, and a 52 inch maximum for Whooping Hollow and Cub Paw Pool.
All children under 18 should be with a supervising adult at all times in the water park. The lodge's lifeguards are not a substitute for a parent watching: always keep your child within arm's reach, and if your child is in the water, you should be too.
The lodge suggests packing swim goggles, earplugs, flip flops or aqua socks, and a plastic bag for wet suits. Small lockers rent by the day for a nominal fee, and pool chairs are first come, first served. On the lodge map, Splash Services handles towels, first aid and cabana rental.
Parking is $20 a night plus tax for any vehicle parked more than 30 minutes, and there's designated accessible parking on site. Service animals as defined by the ADA are allowed in all areas of the resort, but not in the pools and attractions of the water park. A limited number of waterproof wheelchairs are available for use at no charge at specific locations; waterslides and elevated attractions are not wheelchair accessible.
With a stay, the lodge lists free daily events, including the nightly family dance party, arts and crafts, and story time. Accessibility questions: accessibility@greatwolf.com or 800-905-9653 (mention you'd like to speak to someone about accessibility features).
