In case you guys missed the social media posts, I gifted our kids a trip to the Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells for Christmas. They had to wait a month before we actually got to go (I blame their dad's hunting season), but it was totally worth it.
THE WILDERNESS RESORT
I booked two nights at the Wilderness Resort, after hearing nothing but GREAT things for several years now. We arrived Friday evening, along with many other people, but check in was smooth and if I would have realized there were two lobbies, it probably would have gone even faster. Our room was fantastic, it was a suite with a wet bar, microwave, mini-fridge, two beds and a pull-out couch (BONUS that my 14 year old didn't have to share a bed with his little brother). There was plenty of room for the 4 of us and would have been still perfect with a couple more kids or a babysitter/nanny. There are several areas of the resort that had even bigger cabins and condo-style accommodations (up to 5 bedrooms that can sleep 18 people!). We needed to unload and grab dinner first, and the Wilderness offered plenty of options for food. We walked around to check out the waterparks and found Survivor's Bar and Grille. They had pizza, sandwiches, and a variety of entrees with reasonable prices so we decided it was a good stop for dinner. I promised the kids waterpark as soon as they opened in the morning, because I didn't feel like hassling with wet clothes by the time we were done eating at 7pm, it wasn't hard to convince them that it would be a good time to check out the arcade. I do wish that we would have done the Go Kart races, because we never made it back there. We spend the rest of our free time tackling the water fun!
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The Wilderness Resort, America’s largest waterpark resort offers the perfect location for any fun-filled family getaway. It has 4 indoor and 4 outdoor waterparks and a variety of dry amenities too, including a huge (FREE) play place and three arcades (two inside the Wilderness Resort and one at Glacier Canyon)! In addition, hotel guests receive discounted golf rates at the nearby course and a complimentary shuttle service is available to take them wherever they want to go on resort grounds. I really think you could spend a week there and not even leave the resort.
Wilderness Resort officials also recently announced some exciting changes in 2020. We are going to have to go back in the Summer time for sure! Here’s a taste of what guests can expect:
Camp Social
Camp Social, which opened at the start of 2020, is the first food hall of its kind in Wisconsin Dells. It includes: The Burger Bar, a full‐service bar serving up a small menu of great burgers; the Coffee Canteen, serving locally-sourced Bella Goose coffee, juices, smoothies, and doughnuts; a hearty Breakfast Buffet, serving everything from French toast to omelets and more; an all you can eat pizza and salad bar Lunch Buffet; a Dinner Buffet, serving all you can eat favorites like mac 'n cheese, paninis, pizza, salads and more; and The Candy Cabin, where guests can satisfy their sweet tooth with unique candy and ice cream innovations.
This spring the resort will also be adding to Camp Social a campy rec room area where patrons can relax while playing games, watching sports on the big screen, or even sitting around a cozy fire to swap stories. In addition, pop-up carts will be selling Wisconsin novelties.
Take Flight
Take Flight is an aerial adventure ride, which will be opening in summer 2020. It will allow 60 participants at a time to experience soaring over some of the most popular landmarks and famous destinations in the United States before coming closer to home to get a birds-eye view of Wisconsin Dells. The new attraction will be located off of the New Frontier lobby and will be open to the public.
Lost Cabin Laser Tag Arena
The Lost Cabin Laser Tag arena will be located right next to the Timberland Playhouse in the Wild West region of the hotel. The 3,000+ square foot area will allow up to 20 players at a time to battle each other using state-of- the-art laser tag equipment. The stimulating battlefield will feature a fog machine, interactive targets and a helicopter hovering overhead. It is set to open in March.
The Twister Room Escape
The Twister Room Escape will be based on the 1974 Super Outbreak, which was the second largest tornado outbreak on record for a single 24-hour period, and the most violent tornado outbreak ever recorded with 30 F4/F5 tornadoes confirmed. Participants will have only 60 precious minutes to find and retrieve valuable items from the massive tornado’s wreckage, and to get safely to shelter before the second twister hits. The new room will be open to the public and will be completed in time for Spring Break 2020.
New Frontier Lobby
The New Frontier lobby is being completely re-imagined. It will feature cathedral ceilings 3 stories tall and floor to ceiling windows on three sides of the space. Cozy seating, a convenience store, three party rooms, additional check in stations and a glass elevator that will take guests up to Camp Social will also be part of the space. On the exterior, guests will be able to enjoy a new registration drive-up with three dedicated lanes for guest traffic and another lane for Wilderness shuttles. There will also be a large patio area complete with fire pits and patio seating for lounging with friends and family. It will be completed in Spring 2020.
To book your stay, find specials, and check out more of the attractions, go to The Wilderness Resort website.
Timberland Play Park | Water Dome |
BUFFALO PHIL'S PIZZA AND GRILLE
We did manage to venture off resort for lunch on our second day. It was a nice little break from the water park that we had been in since it opened at 9am. Buffalo Phil's was just a few blocks away near the Kalahari resort and is connected to a place called "Knuckleheads", which offered bowling, arcade games, and a whole slew of other activities. Buffalo Phil's is known for their train delivered food (and drinks and even a bubble machine) and has a new LEGO brick city for the kids to check out. Both kids got the buffet and the prices were great. There was a good variety of pizzas, pastas, and salad bar-type items. I was most impressed that they had a gluten free menu that was pretty extensive (more than a couple of salads or just sandwiches without bread). The service was quick and polite, the drinks and entrees arrived via train without much of a wait. The whole experience was unique and very kid-friendly, which was pretty much the point of going for us.
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Buffalo Phil's has an All-You-Can-Eat Lunch Buffet with Pizzas, Pastas, Salads and Soups served daily from 11am-3pm. And they even offer FREE delivery to most of the area hotels and resorts.
You can see more about Buffalo Phil's, check out their specials, and see the menu online HERE.
HIGH ROCK CAFE
As we departed Wisconsin Dells (sadly) on Sunday morning, I thought a nice brunch would be perfect to keep everyone full and happy for the 3 hour drive home. The High Rock Cafe has a beautiful downtown location and boasts a brand new brunch menu that I was dying to try. They had some great gluten free offerings, plus cold-pressed juices. I know in my pictures it looks like a Bloody Mary, but it was a orange-carrot juice blend called "Super Senses" and it was fantastic (and probably slightly better for me than the Bloody Mary would have been, I'm sure). The kids ordered banana pancakes, which were banana slices dipped in pancake batter and served with chocolate, strawberry, and maple syrups on super fancy platters... it seemed similar to having a banana split without the ice cream. I did the Spanish Scrambler burrito: eggs, thinly sliced Angus Beef, sautéed peppers and onions with melted mozzarella and cheddar, and fresh spinach, topped with pico de gallo and creamy cilantro lime dressing. Served with oven roasted potatoes. But mine was wrapped in egg like an omelet, rather than in a tortilla (because I'm gluten free) and they were super accommodating, knowledgeable, and willing to work with my gluten free diet. My husband did the Monte Cristo, which is one of those things he orders when it's available in new places. He loved it and ended up having to share it with our teenager too.
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Brunch and Lunch are served on Saturday and Sunday from 9am-2pm. You can check out their website and the brunch menu HERE.
Overall, we had a fantastic weekend at Wisconsin Dells. I know that it tends to be busier in the Summer, but I think it was a great winter trip to get out of Iowa and experience some great meals and indoor family fun. I highly recommend all of the locations that we visited and will probably be planning a longer trip in the future!
If you are thinking about taking the trip too, make sure you head over to the official Wisconsin Dells website to help you plan ALL your family fun, check out resorts, and find some great new places to visit.
