Great Wolf Lodge Boston / Fitchburg, MA

The one thing that made us uneasy was the parking lot. We left before our late checkout because of the weather and icy conditions. Parking was $20 a night, but there was significant snow and ice around the cars, and my three-year-old slipped and fell as we walked back to ours. Salt or sand around the parked cars would help families feel safer. I thought about extending our stay, but wasn't comfortable with the lot conditions and the chance of more snow. We still truly enjoyed our time at Great Wolf Lodge. Shawn at check-in saved our trip after I accidentally booked the wrong date. She worked out a same-day stay and kept our plans, including the Birthday Bash package and late checkout. She was kind and professional, and the rest of the staff were wonderful too. The waterpark was clean and well maintained, and the room cleaning staff were friendly and attentive. They made our celebration feel special.

The kids had a blast in the warm pools and loved the bunk room in our room. The beds were comfortable, and the room was warm too. We ran into some plumbing problems, but they didn't spoil the visit. The arcade and other extras cost a lot, though there were free yoga classes and dance parties. We also didn't have to take a major highway to get there. A great place to visit.

The room was clean, and we had a great time with the activities. My kids were frustrated that the small pool for toddlers wasn't open when we reached the waterpark, and then the wave pool had to close. A fire alarm went off at 12:35 AM, so we had to evacuate without knowing why, but it was over pretty quickly. All in all, a good experience.

The park was fun for the kids, but it was far too crowded. There were kids behaving unsafely and ignoring the lifeguards, putting others at risk several times. The guards would walk away without following through, and parents weren't keeping an eye on their children. It made the whole visit stressful. Parking was a mess too. We paid overnight parking for two nights, parked far away, and still found no open spots. People were making their own. We were charged $60 for towels supposedly not returned on Sunday, though we left before the waterpark even opened that day. On Saturday, we returned all four towels and scanned our bracelets. The charge is untrue and absurd, especially for such thin, cheap towels. Food and activities cost hundreds of dollars more than we expected, and the quality didn't justify it. Then our bill was severely overcharged, and when we called, we waited at least 30 minutes before being hung up on. After finally reaching someone and explaining the problem, we were hung up on again and had to call back and wait all over. This was our first trip, and I'm very disappointed and angry about the experience, the way we were treated, and charges for things that never happened.