“I get to take a friend?” my daughter asked in disbelief, her eyes wide. We’d planned a mom-plus-kids getaway to the Kalahari Resorts in the Poconos Mountains, but one bike accident and broken leg later, my teenage son would have to stay home with Dad.
That’s how I ended up driving two tween girls out to Pennsylvania for two nights at an indoor waterpark resort. Kalahari Resorts and Conventions has four enormous resorts located in the Poconos; Round Rock, Texas; Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin; and Sandusky, Ohio, with a fifth opening in 2026 in Spotsylvania, Virginia. The company proclaims largest indoor water parks in the U.S. status, with tons of watery fun and indoor and outdoor activities for families, plus convention facilities, a spa, and a mix of fast-casual and more refined dining options.
I admit to being a tiny bit apprehensive about the trip. We’d done a family trip to Maryland’s Great Wolf Lodge a few years ago, and I found many attractions to be geared toward younger kids than tweens and teens. But I’d also taken my waterslide-loving daughter on the cruise ship Icon of the Seas, where many of the slides were too extreme.
I needn’t have worried. The Kalahari Resorts makes good on its promise to offer something for everyone from 3 to 83, and my daughter and her friend had an absolute blast—sometimes in ways I wouldn’t have expected. Here’s how our trip went, and what I learned about taking older kids to Kalahari’s indoor water park resorts.
The tweens loved the indoor water park—but so would older and younger kids
The main attraction at Kalahari is its 220,000-square-foot indoor water park, and it did not disappoint. The 16 big-kid slides ranged from splashy fun to extreme thrills, so everyone can find watery rides they like.
The girls decided to start with the raft slides, and I smiled that they hadn’t yet reached the age where they’re embarrassed to be with me. However, we discovered that the clover-leaf rafts could take only two or four people—not three—and the girls weren’t heavy enough to ride alone. The kind slide operator found another twosome willing to pair with the girls, while I walked back down the stairs to meet them at the bottom.
Once we figured out to check the signs for each slide about whether a tube or raft was needed and which combinations of people could slide, we got into a groove. On many rides, the girls could slide together on a double tube and I could follow on my own. When my daughter wanted to do the drop slide, her friend and I did individual slides nearby; my daughter and I did a more thrilling raft slide together while her friend rode a less extreme tube slide in the same tower. I appreciated that the girls were old enough to stand in line alone or wait for each other at the bottom.
The girls were fans of the lazy river (the park has two), though I found it too crowded, and instead headed over to enjoy bobbing in the wave pool. They spent 10 minutes at the massive splash playground (with mini slides, misters and dump buckets) before moving on. We never hit the basketball pool, but the indoor/outdoor hot tub was a surprise hit. We enjoyed getting massaged by the bubbling jets in the hot water while our heads and shoulders cooled off in the mountain air.
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With 34 indoor waterslides and a variety of water play areas, Kalahari’s indoor waterpark does an exceptional job of catering to all ages. I was impressed by the enormous water play area for kids under four feet tall, with splash pads and mini slides perfect for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. I also saw many teens roving in packs, enjoying the extreme slides and the independence to enjoy the park on their own (while their parents kicked back in a hot tub or swim-up bar, I presume).
But they also wanted to hang out in the room
I had planned to stay at the water park all day, but after lunch, the girls wanted a break. Given the water park was open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., we had plenty of time to dry off and go back later.
It never ceases to amaze me how much kids love hotel rooms. The girls discovered they fit inside the wardrobe’s closet area, and would take turns hiding in there—or on the window ledge with the curtain closed. They built a fort between the bed and couch with the fuzzy throw blankets on each of our comfy queen beds. They snuggled in bed and watched a movie on our tablet (thanks to Kalahari’s included Wi-Fi) and snacked on granola bars and yogurt (kept cold in our minifridge) that I’d bought at a nearby supermarket.
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Our standard room was spacious and could have slept six with two queen beds and a pullout couch. (You can upgrade to suites and rooms with bunkbeds for kids.) The bathroom had a kid-friendly tub with a shower, and the sink was in the main room for more flexibility when getting a family ready to go.
My only complaint is there wasn’t enough space to hang wet towels and bathing suits for the three of us. A large family should consider bringing their own drying rack.
The ropes course was the surprise hit
I was expecting the ropes course at Kalahari to be an easy course like you find at Great Wolf Lodge or on a cruise ship. I figured it was something we’d do to kill an hour. I was wrong.
Gorilla Grove is the resort’s outdoor adventure attraction, and it’s either a three-minute drive or quick tram ride from the main resort building. It was definitely my daughter’s favorite attraction.
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The original plan was to visit the ropes course in the afternoon between water park visits, but it was closed due to rain. This was a blessing in disguise because when we went the next morning, we spent three hours doing the ropes course and zip line. We could have stayed longer if we wanted to do mini-golf and laser tag.
The ropes course is divided into six levels, each increasingly difficult, and younger kids will either need adult supervision on the course or be restricted in which courses they can do. And with good reason—even the easiest course is tricky. My daughter nimbly navigated the obstacles no problem, but her friend was more cautious and after a particularly challenging tightrope on course four, she chose to be rescued rather than continue. I made it to the end of level four, despite one slip and a ladder challenge I had to muscle my way up.
Cue the near-tantrum when I told my daughter we were going to skip level five rather than force her friend to sit around waiting for us. A cookie and a zip-line ride later, she was happy once again.
The game room and water park were loud
A note for all the families with sensitive kiddos: Kalahari’s 40,000-square-foot Big Game Room might seem like the perfect after-dinner activity, but when it’s packed, the arcade is loud and the bright lights and dinging bells can induce sensory overload. The girls lasted five minutes before begging to leave.
Instead, my early risers chose to show up at 8 a.m. when the game room opened and it was nearly empty of guests. It’s still loud, but not as unbearable. We played skee ball and a silly game that involved sitting on a toilet and shooting water at a cartoon person in a bathtub to win tickets we could redeem for plastic prizes and candy.
You can buy arcade credits and use them for video or ticket-earning games, or you can use them, or cash, for experiences, such as mini-bowling, indoor laser tag, escape rooms, a 7D motion theater, black light mini-golf, and a human version of the claw game. Set dollar limits for your kids in advance because it’s easy to keep spending in your quest for a stuffy prize.
The adult spaces look fun – I only saw them from afar
Kalahari Resorts in the Poconos Mountains has some enticing adult spaces, but chaperoning two tweens, I never made it to them. Kids under the age of 14 need to be supervised by an adult in the water park, and even if I didn’t have to be glued to their sides, I didn’t want to be tipsy either.
The water park has some fun bars, including a swim-up bar under a giant turtle and another in a cave-like grotto. I looked longingly at the tall frozen drinks I saw other moms sipping; they were likely vacationing with teens or a host of other adults. I never even found the piano bar located over in the convention wing of the property.
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The spa is tucked away between the bustling main lobby and the convention center, and I wouldn’t have minded a day in its Hydro Escape thermal suite with a sauna and indoor Jacuzzi. It does offer mani-pedis and facials for kids and teens, so you could splurge on a mother-daughter pamper session.
The resort’s more sophisticated sit-down restaurants, the Double Cut Steak House and Sortino’s Italian Kitchen, are also set by the convention space. They do have kids’ menus, so if yours aren’t sidetracked by the lobby’s taco, burger and mac and cheese outlets like mine were, you could arrange a nicer meal for the whole family after your water park fun.
You can easily spend a lot, but there are deals to be had
A night at the Kalahari starts at $249.99 (depending on date), but the costs quickly go up from there. Even though water park admission is included, you’ll be charged a mandatory $44.99 (plus tax) nightly resort fee to cover things like Wi-Fi, life jackets, and the fitness center, whether or not you use those amenities.
You can bring your own food to the resort (we made use of the minifridge, coffee maker and microwave for breakfast and snacks purchased from a nearby supermarket) but not into the water park. The dining options in the area are limited, so you’ll likely be enjoying a few meals on site (not to mention ice cream and other treats).
My always ravenous teen son would have broken the bank on the food, but the girls and I discovered some reasonable options. We split a gigantic 20-inch pizza at Cafe Mirage adjacent to the water park; for $30, it was far cheaper than ordering everyone individual meals and we had half a pizza left over for breakfast. We ate dinner at the mac n cheese venue; I got a salad with grilled chicken while they raved about the basic-yet-super-cheesy pasta.
The Big Game Room will test the limits of your budget, as will the outdoor ropes course. The best way to handle these upcharges is to plan in advance and look for bundles. When booking a room, you can add on game or dining credit that saves you money compared to the a la carte pricing. If you’re going for a spa day, you can combine services for a lower total cost; the same is true for Gorilla Grove adventure bundles.
Keep an eye out for deals advertised on site, too. We found a coupon in our room that entitled us to three free arcade games and two games of mini-bowling or mini-golf. If you ate dinner at a sit-down restaurant before 6 p.m., you got a free kid’s game of mini-golf.
Bottom line
The Kalahari Resorts in the Poconos Mountains turned out to be a great choice to take a pair of tweens. With so many activity options at the resorts, it’s clearly a fun getaway for families with older and younger kids as well. Just make sure you budget for the extra activities outside the included water park that your family will want to experience—and don’t forget to save a little something for that spa treatment or frozen drink for yourself.
