Great Wolf Lodge’s annual Howl-O-Week offers a seasonal twist on the popular water park. With festive decor, seasonal souvenirs and popular trick-or-treating in the Grand Lobby, Howl-O-Ween at Great Wolf Lodge is perfect for anyone who loves to mix holidays with their Great Wolf Lodge visits! Whether it will be your first visit to Great Wolf Lodge during their holiday season, or you are a seasoned visitor, this post will give you everything you need to know about visiting in October during Halloween and also in November and December for Snowland, their festive occasion celebrating winter and Christmas.
Visiting Great Wolf Lodge During Halloween: Tips for Enjoying Howl-O-Ween
Planning Tips
Pack the Costumes
Packing costumes is probably the most important part unless you plan to purchase a MagiQuest one from the shop on site.
Utilize the Fridge
Utilize the bar-sized fridge and bring yourself some healthy snacks, fruits and veggies etc as those options are limited on site. This will also save you some money. There is a coffee maker in the room but it is single pouches so very limited! If you are a coffee junkie, bring your own portable coffee maker! I am one of those people and I have been known to travel with a coffee grinder as well!
You can read my Great Wolf Lodge Guide and Packing Lists for more info you will want to know before you visit!
Don’t try and do EVERYTHING
If can be exhausting to try and fit everything into your Great Wolf Lodge visit. Especially if it is your first time. Pick just a couple of things to do, for my son, completing MagiQuest was on the top of his priority list, and he was so happy to be crowned a Master Magi before we left!
What to Expect for Howl-O-Ween
Costume Parade and Trick or Treat Trail!
The main event is the trick or treating that occurs nightly in the Grand Lobby at Great Wolf Lodge during Howl-O-Ween! Usually at 6 pm (check the schedule they give you on arrival, it’s packed with every event each day) until 7pm. We found it ended very quickly just before 7pm so do not be tardy!
But MY BIGGEST TIP is to start the Trick-or-Treat Trail at about 6:15 as there was a HUGE lineup just before 6 and by 6:15 all of those in line had got their gift bag at the first stop and continued on their way! at 6:15 you could walk right up to the start and then follow the crowds around the lobby.
While you wander the lobby, keep an eye out for the signs, as the stops are really random in the lobby and if you do join in late, you will not have the lineup of kids to follow along with! The last stop is by the pool, so get there before 7pm as they disappear quite quickly (and were gone by 7 when we arrived the first night)
Monster Bash Dance Party
The nightly dance party at Great Wolf Lodge is replaced with a “Monster Bash Dance Party” during Howl-o-ween. Dozens of kids and parents can enjoy fun songs and bubbles in their costumes before bed!
Utilize the Pool at Dinner and during the Costume Parade
If you have done the costume parade, or are on night two, the pool is super quiet after 6 as families are getting ready for the costume parade.
When is Howl-o-ween and Snowland 2021?
If seasonal festivities are you kind of thing, you can still catch Snowland for the 2021 season! Howl-o-ween at Great Wolf Lodge goes from Oct 1-31 and then it is transformed into Snowland which is from around Nov 30th until Jan 5th. (But check your local Great Wolf Lodge for their exact dates!)
Lindsay Nieminen hails from Vancouver, Canada and shares her love of travel on this website. She is passionate about showing others that they should not put off traveling the world just because they have children or are single parents. She aims to encourage them to seek out adventure, whether it is at home or abroad by providing information on how just about everywhere can be a destination to explore as a family.