5 Reasons you NEED to Visit Six Flags Great Escape Lodge and Theme Park!

I received a free nights stay at Six Flags Great Escape Lodge as well as free ticket to both theme park and water park for my review. The opinions and text are all 100% mine.

I have been going to The Great Escape since I was a little girl. You may sense a little bias when it come to me describing the theme park and that’s just because I love it so much. I have created such awesome memories there, and now, I am super excited to be able to share it with my own child. The Six Flags Great Escape lodge on the other hand, is brand new to me.

I live VERY local to The Great Escape theme park so I never had the need to stay near it. I was recently given the opportunity to stay overnight and I jumped on it. Let me just say, I am so glad I did! It was such an awesome experience.

Besides having a whole entire 38,000 square foot water park in it, The Great Escape Lodge is so close to the theme park you can walk. It was so nice to be able to just wake up in the morning and head right over to The Great escape without having to worry about parking and all of that other nonsense. I seriously wish I stayed at The Great Escape Lodge sooner!

Have a family vacation coming up? Check out the top 5 Reasons you NEED to Visit Six Flags Great Escape Lodge and Theme Park!

The Rooms

Six Flags Great Escape Lodge is an Adirondack themed resort with over 200 suits. It is also the FIRST hotel in New York State with an indoor water park! It’s also right off I87 (the Northway) which makes it completely easy to get to.

Upon walking into the Six Flags Great Escape Lodge, you will be greeted with an impressive lobby that will remind you of a real (expensive) woodsy cabin. Each traditional suite carries the Adirondack theme and offers a generous amount of room, a divider between sitting and sleeping areas, and a small microwave along with the mini-fridge. They also have special Klub Moose suites with a special built-in cabin for the kids. I have not personally seen one of these, but looking online they are super cute.

Each traditional suite runs about $199 BUT also includes passes to BOTH the indoor water park (White Water Bay) and the theme park (Six Flags Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom). When you figure in ticket cost for a family of four, they are basically giving you the room for FREE. Plus, if you don’t mind visiting in the off season you can even snag Groupons for Six Flags Great Escape Lodge making this a totally affordable family getaway!

I never realized how wonderful it would truly be just to wake up, eat breakfast, and head straight down to the water park. Not having the hassle of getting everyone dressed, loading up the car, making sure we had everything we would need for the day, plus all of the other tedious activities that make trips take that much longer is irreplaceable for me. We can not wait to stay again.

The Water park

Having a water park right in your hotel is something all kids dream of and White Water Bay does not disappoint. Like I said before, the Six Flags Great Escape Lodge was completely new to me. I had never been to the water park and was a little nervous about bringing my 3-year-old.  I was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to do too much and didn’t want him to be disappointed.  To my relief, that was not the case.

To start, White Water Bay offer life jackets in every size right at the entrance. No need to worry about bringing your own (unless you want too). They also offer you towels right at the door so you don’t have to worry about bringing your down from your room. White Water Bay has a variety of attraction for every age group. My son was able to go on most everything except the bigger water slides. As a family, loved the Avalanche. It offers a family sized raft and the actual slide runs in and outside of the building which is so neat.

My son’s personal favorite was actually the Tall Timbers Treehouse. That is an area with mostly smaller slides and a splashy little play area. There are all kinds of little water sprayers, things to move, and nobs to turn. Once you see it, you will know exactly why children love it so much. Truthfully, I had a blast playing in there as well.

If you are looking for something more relaxing, there is an 18 and over only hot tub hidden behind some boulders right near the lazy river. It blends in so nicely you can almost not see it. If you are up for it, you can also try your hand at boogie boarding on the Boogie Bear Surf.

If you choose not to stay at the resort but still want to hit the park, passes are available to purchase at the check in counter and run about $40 for a full day pass and $30 for a twilight pass (4 PM -9 PM). The water park is open year round and is always around 80 degrees making it a perfect winter escape.

The Theme Park

I love Six Flags Great Escape! I have always had such a blast every single time I have ever gone. I have been dying to share that same joy with my son but was waiting because I actually didn’t think he was ready. I wanted him to be able to actually do things. When I thought about going, the big roller coasters like the comet always popped up in my head along with other things I knew he couldn’t do. I didn’t want him to be disappointed, so we waited.

Much to my surprise, a lot of it is actually age appropriate! I couldn’t believe how much my little 3-year-old was actually able to do. Now, I wish we would have gone sooner!

Inside Six Flags Great Escape there is a clearly marked kids section called Timbertown, perfect for toddlers. You can find several smaller rides designed just like the “big kid “rides. My son really had such a blast here and felt like such a big boy being able to ride the rides alone.

Six flags Great Escape isn’t just for kids! My husband even got in on the fun! One of his favorites was the Greezed Lightnin’.  The all-new Greezed Lightnin’  is a looping coaster that rocks forward and backward, pendulum style suspending you over 70 feet in the air. It is one of the most intense things I have ever seen and should definitely be on your list of things to try when you visit the park.

The Food

When staying at Six Flags Great Escape Lodge you will have a variety of food choices. Within the water park there is Birch Bark Grill where you can grab things like pizza, burgers, and plenty of snack foods. In the lobby there is the Coffee corner where you can snag breakfast basics like coffee, bagels, yogurt, and pastries. You can also do a more traditional restaurant style mean by heading to the Tall Tales Tavern and Eatery.

When we stayed the first night we went to the Tall Tales Tavern and Eatery and really enjoyed it.  The food was good, the service was good and being able to just relax and have an adult meal was really wonderful. If you are looking for a more fun option, head to Johnny Rockets right downstairs.

At Johnny Rockets you will find an old 50’s style malt shop with table top jute boxes. While we didn’t go for dinner, I can tell you the breakfast was amazing. It was the perfect start before we headed out to The Great Escape.

The Deal

As I mentioned before, staying at the lodge really does pay for itself over and over. Getting FREE tickets to both the theme park and water park really makes staying at Six Flags Great Escape Lodge an affordable option for every budget no matter your family size.

There is a ton of fun to be had at the lodge with an arcade, spa, 2 gift shops and all of the other awesome amenities. It is truly a place for everyone and I can’t wait to go back!

If you have been thinking about taking a family vacation, now is the time! You can learn more about the Six Flags Great Escape Lodge by visiting their website.