A Fright-Free Halloween Getaway for Texas Families: Great Wolf Lodge Grapevine Howl-O-Ween

Great Wolf Lodge Howl-O-Ween gives families of all ages a not-so-scary Halloween getaway with trick-or-treating, seasonal activities, and indoor water park fun. There is something for everyone to enjoy during your stay!

What is Great Wolf Lodge Howl-O-Ween?

Great Wolf Lodge Howl-O-Ween is a special seasonal event to celebrate Halloween. There is fun, but not spooky, family events, seasonal food and drink options, and of course, costumes are welcome! This special event runs September 24-October 31.

Ghostly Globes at Great Wolf Lodge: A Halloween Experience for Overnight Guests and Local Families

Howl-O-Ween gets a little more magical with the Ghostly Globes experience. Ghostly Globes gives families their own private space surrounded by glowing pumpkins, ghosts, bats, flickering candles, and other spooky details.

My family really enjoyed this experience. It features games, activities and an immersive dancing light show set to Halloween music. It definitely gets you in the Halloween mood! My son especially loved the build-your-own graveyard dessert, featuring lots of delicious candy options. My husband loved the delicious apple cider and how everything was already set up. Parents can just walk in, sit back and relax, while the kids participate in the activities. Or you can make it a family graveyard dessert building friendly competition!

Ghostly Globes is open from 5-9 pm daily and is about an hour-long experience. Seating for up to 6 guests is available, along with a seasonal menu featuring delicious food and drinks for an additional charge. It is best to reserve ahead of time online to make sure that you have a spot, but you can also check with the front desk to see if they happen to have any availability during your stay. Ghostly Globes is also available at the Pocono Mountains, Perryville, and LaGrange locations this year. 

Is Great Wolf Lodge Howl-O-Ween fun for older kids and teens?

Yes! There are so many events for the whole family. Our 12-year old's favorite part was the indoor water park, where slides like Coyote Cannon, Howlin' Tornado, and Thunder Run kept him going back time and time again for the fun and adventure of each different water slide. The indoor water park is perfect for families like ours.

He also enjoyed the games found in the Northern Lights Arcade, the above-mentioned Ghostly Globes and trying all of the different places to eat inside Great Wolf Lodge. After a long day of exploring and having fun, the awesome family suite was a great place to stretch out and relax.

Age and Height Requirements at the Great Wolf Lodge Water Park

Always make sure to check the height and weight requirements for the water rides. They will always be posted, but here are the current requirements for the rides at the Grapevine Great Wolf Lodge indoor water park:

River Canyon Run - minimum 42"

Coyote Cannon - minimum 42"

Alberta Falls - minimum 42"

Totem Towers - minimum 42"

Thunder Run - minimum 42"

Lightning Falls - minimum 42"

Howlin' Tornado - minimum 48"

Slap Tail Pond - minimum 48"

North Hot Springs - reserved for guests 18 and older only

Cub Paw Pool - maximum 48"

Fort McKenzie, Whooping Hollow, Chinook Cove, Big Foot Pass, South Hot Springs, Raccoon Lagoon and Crooked Creek are for all ages, but a supervising companion must stay with children under 14 at all times. Read up on the sensory level descriptions on the Great Wolf Lodge website to be prepared before your visit.

Other Great Wolf Lodge Howl-O-Ween Seasonal Activities

Other offerings just for the Halloween season include: Monster Bash Dance Party, Howl-O-Ween Crafts, Boo Bingo, Howl-O-Ween Trivia, and Ghoulish Games. The Trick-Or-Treat Trail is also a fun experience, and it is nice that older kids were also encouraged to join in on the fun! The best part is that all seasonal activities and events (other than the Ghostly Globes) are included with your stay.

Must Pack Items for Your Trip to Great Wolf Lodge Howl-O-Ween

• Costumes - Bring Halloween costumes for the kids, especially if they want to participate in the trick-or-treating and themed activities. Adults are welcome to bring costumes, too, and that would make it more fun for everyone. At the very least, a festive Halloween shirt would be fun and good for pictures.
• Halloween pajamas + slippers - There is nothing more fun than getting to wear your pajamas during the night time Halloween activities and Story Time.
• Face paint or Halloween accessories if allowed by your specific lodge's event rules. Think of fun headbands, glow-in-the-dark accessories, etc, rather than anything bulky. You can also purchase special edition Halloween headbands in the Great Wolf Lodge gift shop.
• A small backpack or tote - This is probably one of the most useful things to bring. You can carry costumes, cover-ups, water bottles, phones and other little things while you're walking around the lodge.

Also, you don't need to pack beach towels because Great Wolf provides towels in the water park and bathing towels in the suite. 

Best Time to Visit Great Wolf Lodge for Howl-O-Ween

Parents planning a trip may ask, "What's the best time to visit Great Wolf Lodge for Howl-O-Ween?" The best dates are what is right for your family and your family's calendar. I always look at the school calendar to see if we have any days off and usually during October, we have Fall Break. If you are able to go during the week when others are at school, it will be less crowded, but even during the weekends, it is still fun and manageable.

Always double-check when booking your stay to make sure the events you want to attend will be offered during the time that your family is visiting.