Priced Out of Disney, Guests Are Fleeing to a New Resort

A Walt Disney World vacation is expensive. That is not news. However, the fact that some families are taking, on average, $2,000 in debt for a Disney World vacation is news. 

Related: Signs Are Pointing to a Very Slow Summer for Disney World

With inflation putting unprecedented pressure on American families, they seek a less expensive summer travel option. Luckily, a relatively close option has presented itself.

With families choosing shorter, more frequent vacations, Great Wolf Lodge has found its niche as a family alternative to a trip to a Disney Park. And now, Great Wolf Resorts is expanding across the country.

In the past decade, 20 new Great Wolf Lodge locations have opened in the United States and Canada. Great Wolf Resorts will open two more locations this year, including one in Disney World’s backyard, Naples, Florida.

A Great Wolf Resort has borrowed a concept from Walt Disney World Resort: to entertain guests throughout the day and keep them on the property.

Great Wolf Lodge is known for its indoor water park, but most resorts have ropes courses, mini golf, bowling, and restaurants. Unlike a trip to Walt Disney World, which is enormous, staying at a Great Wolf Lodge allows guests to quickly return to their rooms for a midday break for the kids.

Josh Martin, president and creative director of Martin Aquatic, a design and engineering firm based in Orlando, Fla., that develops water-based attractions, said: 

Great Wolf has done a really good job of branding themselves as a true destination. With their expansion, it feels like they’re bringing the destination to you.

The expansions have also made getting to a Great Wolf Lodge easier for guests. John Murphy, CEO of Great Wolf Resorts, estimates that 90 percent of America’s population is within a four-hour drive of one of its North American resorts.

Most Disney guests must fly to Central Florida or Anaheim to visit a Disney park. This creates an additional expense that families must account for before they plan their vacation.

And then, there’s the cost difference. The Daily Mail did the math on a Walt Disney World Resort vacation vs. a Great Wolf Lodge Resort vacation, and the difference was astonishing.

On average, a trip to Disney World costs a family of four around $500 a day, while a trip to a Great Wolf Resort costs around $135 a day. However, that cost does not include food or extras at Walt Disney World like a Disney Genie Plus Lightning Lane pass, and as Disney fans know, the costs always escalate when you get inside the parks.

You’re never seen a campsite like this! We love this lodge’s balloon set-up for Summer Camp-in!

📸 @ maggicalluzllc pic.twitter.com/EShbEp8ojU

— Great Wolf Lodge (@GreatWolfLodge) June 13, 2024

With Walt Disney World and the Disneyland Resort planning major expansions, many guests may postpone their trips to the theme parks. This trend also helps to explain why Disney World may be empty this summer.

For now, guests are finding more affordable options at a Great Wolf Lodge Resort, and Disney might suffer in the future as its competitors continue their expansion plans.

Have you ever been to a Great Wolf Lodge Resort? What was your experience like?