I think people looking to spend a weekend at a hotel with an indoor waterpark will naturally think of some place in the Dells, but there is another option closer to Madison.
Deer Valley Lodge is located in Barneveld, slightly under 40 min. from Madison. It's a place to go if you have small children (10 years or younger), because the waterpark is tiny--a toddler's wading area, a pool, hot tub and two slides comprise the entire waterpark. There's also a small arcade in the upstairs area, though the temperature in that room is close to 90 degrees.
The rooms are typical of any hotel, though the sound proofing could be improved a bit as hallway noise seemed to carry more easily into your room. Free wifi (though not the strongest signal) is included.
Deer Valley Lodge also has free continental breakfast (basically some mini muffins and bagels) and a small bar that doesn't stay open late. This hotel is not close to any restaurants, so it was surprising that it doesn't have better dining options.
If you're looking for things to do while staying here: The golf coure adjacent to the hotel is nice, though a few holes are in the bluffs/trees, making it extremely difficult to see where your drive went. Botham Vineyard is only a five-minute drive, and Mt. Horeb is 15 minutes away.
Check out the Web site for more info and for specials: www.deervalleylodgewi.com
Showing posts with label waterpark. Show all posts
Showing posts with label waterpark. Show all posts
Monday, March 01, 2010
Friday, May 29, 2009
The New Kalahari
In December, the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells completed yet another expansion, this time building an indoor amusement park that connects the hotel to both Damon's and the movie theater (both were stand-alones before). The indoor park is full of fun activities from bowling to go-karts to video games to an indoor ferris wheel. Admission is free; the activities cost money.
Both the indoor and outdoor waterparks at the Kalahari are great. I have been there about 5-6 times in various times of the year, and never has the line for any ride been longer than 10-15 min. (some lines at Noah's Ark are 45+ min.). Cool rides include the toilet bowl and the surfing ride.
Of course, this is a family-friendly environment, but adults can have fun, too. Be sure to check out the bar Kahunaville, for example. The bartenders do a great performance nightly in which they acrobatically make drinks.
If you stay in a suite, you'll probably be at the Sands, an addition to the Kalahari near Kahunaville. While a bit of a walk to the waterpark, at least guests have their own outdoor pool. The parking lots for the Sands are not as close to the main entrance as they could (or should) be.
Behind the Sands are the condos. Again, quite a bit of a walk to use the rest of the Kalahari's amenities, but they are good for a more secluded getaway.
If you plan on staying, make sure to check out the Kalahari's Web site for specials.
Both the indoor and outdoor waterparks at the Kalahari are great. I have been there about 5-6 times in various times of the year, and never has the line for any ride been longer than 10-15 min. (some lines at Noah's Ark are 45+ min.). Cool rides include the toilet bowl and the surfing ride.
Of course, this is a family-friendly environment, but adults can have fun, too. Be sure to check out the bar Kahunaville, for example. The bartenders do a great performance nightly in which they acrobatically make drinks.
If you stay in a suite, you'll probably be at the Sands, an addition to the Kalahari near Kahunaville. While a bit of a walk to the waterpark, at least guests have their own outdoor pool. The parking lots for the Sands are not as close to the main entrance as they could (or should) be.
Behind the Sands are the condos. Again, quite a bit of a walk to use the rest of the Kalahari's amenities, but they are good for a more secluded getaway.
If you plan on staying, make sure to check out the Kalahari's Web site for specials.
Saturday, June 25, 2005
Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park Review
Mt. Olympus Theme Park merged this year with Family Land, creating Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park in Wisconsin Dells (just north of Noah's Ark).
For a $32 all-day, all-access pass, you can do all the stuff at both areas. I used a buy one, get one free coupon. Most motels in the area have a deal with Mt. Olympus, so you can get tix for free or at a discount by staying there (i.e. the Luna Inn). Be sure to ask!
Mt. Olympus has a lot of go kart tracks. Basically, once you do one, you've done them all. As with any go karts, some are faster than others. There was no wait for Helios, which was a so-so course. The 30-minute wait was far too long for Poseidon, although the course was much better. Ride it if there's no line.
The rollercoasters are fun. None of them loop, so they're great for those who don't like those kind of rollercoasters [with the negative g-force]. The Pegasus ride was short but nice; the line wasn't too long at all. This was a great warm-up ride.
Cyclops was similar to Pegasus and it also had a short line. Zeus was a lot better and longer; in fact, we rode it twice because the line for Hades was ridiculous. Because of that, we waited in line at Atlantis, similar to Splashfalls at Noah's Ark. But that line didn't move at all; it was probably a 45 min. wait with just 30 people in line so we skipped it.
So back to Hades, the most publicized ride as it goes underground (twice). We waited about 30 min., and the ride did not disappoint. Going underground was definitely unique and fun. If the line is not too far into the sidewalk from the stair case, get in line! Otherwise, you're looking at a long wait.
The indoor waterpark at the park was tiny (well, relative to Kalahari's and Great Wolf's) and only worth using if you have kids or it's raining. We passed a purple and yellow water ride on route but decided to skip them.
Family Land has not changed in the past 10 years. It only takes two hours, depending on the lines, to get through all the waterslides.
The Blue Mag's body slides (Twister, Kamikaze, etc.) had severely disorganized lines. The kamikaze's line was the worst; we went on the other three and they were all somewhat similar.
The Double Up tube slides didn't have much lines, so you can ride them pretty quickly.
The water temp in the Tidal Wave pool was really cold, probably like 50 degrees!
For a $32 all-day, all-access pass, you can do all the stuff at both areas. I used a buy one, get one free coupon. Most motels in the area have a deal with Mt. Olympus, so you can get tix for free or at a discount by staying there (i.e. the Luna Inn). Be sure to ask!
Mt. Olympus has a lot of go kart tracks. Basically, once you do one, you've done them all. As with any go karts, some are faster than others. There was no wait for Helios, which was a so-so course. The 30-minute wait was far too long for Poseidon, although the course was much better. Ride it if there's no line.
The rollercoasters are fun. None of them loop, so they're great for those who don't like those kind of rollercoasters [with the negative g-force]. The Pegasus ride was short but nice; the line wasn't too long at all. This was a great warm-up ride.
Cyclops was similar to Pegasus and it also had a short line. Zeus was a lot better and longer; in fact, we rode it twice because the line for Hades was ridiculous. Because of that, we waited in line at Atlantis, similar to Splashfalls at Noah's Ark. But that line didn't move at all; it was probably a 45 min. wait with just 30 people in line so we skipped it.
So back to Hades, the most publicized ride as it goes underground (twice). We waited about 30 min., and the ride did not disappoint. Going underground was definitely unique and fun. If the line is not too far into the sidewalk from the stair case, get in line! Otherwise, you're looking at a long wait.
The indoor waterpark at the park was tiny (well, relative to Kalahari's and Great Wolf's) and only worth using if you have kids or it's raining. We passed a purple and yellow water ride on route but decided to skip them.
Family Land has not changed in the past 10 years. It only takes two hours, depending on the lines, to get through all the waterslides.
The Blue Mag's body slides (Twister, Kamikaze, etc.) had severely disorganized lines. The kamikaze's line was the worst; we went on the other three and they were all somewhat similar.
The Double Up tube slides didn't have much lines, so you can ride them pretty quickly.
The water temp in the Tidal Wave pool was really cold, probably like 50 degrees!
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