Back in July, I took advantage of the Lays Chip Trips program and redeemed some points towards admission at Casa Loma here in Toronto. A week later, when my husband suggested we take the family on a trip for a few days, I knew I had to take advantage of some more Chip Trips savings. We debated going to the Fallsview Waterpark or Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls since there were savings offers for both. We had been to Great Wolf Lodge before so we decided to return, knowing that the kids would really enjoy it there. And I am so glad we did!

Great Wolf Lodge entrance by night

With my sister and my nephew, we drove down to Niagara Falls during a sudden heavy rainfall. We arrived at the Lodge at around 2 pm and checked in. It was great. Not a lineup in sight. In fact, the place was pretty empty compared to the last time we went, probably because we went in the middle of the week. Check-in is at 4 pm but you can check in as early as 1 pm and play at the water park until your room is ready.

If you have yet to visit a Great Wolf Lodge water park, you should. You won't be disappointed. This place has everything. Small waterslides for the little ones in a wading pool with sprinklers and basketball hoops, more waterslides for the more adventurous and tube waterslides for the thrill-seeker. My sister stayed with the kids our first night so that my husband and I could sneak off to enjoy the last half hour before it closed for the night. It was a bit of a fun prelude to our wedding anniversary. They also have a large tube waterslide that is great for a family of up to 4 people, so long as your littlest one can sit up and hold onto the straps on his/her own. We took our son who had a blast until he got splashed with water. He much preferred the kiddie slides, of which he could not get enough! I'm telling you, it was the cutest thing to watch him grin from ear to ear each time he came down those slides. Even my nephew tried them out and loved them. He's 6 and wouldn't go knee deep in water last summer so this was a huge feat for him. The best part about going to the waterpark at Great Wolf Lodge is that there are lifeguards everywhere you look. This really made it feel like a safe place for our kids.

I want to take this time to share a tip with those of you who plan on making a return trip to Great Wolf Lodge. I would not have known this if it weren't for a tweet I received from a Twitter friend, @sherriemae23. She was kind enough to inform me that you can fill out a ballot that is given to you at check in and enter to be the Family of the Day. So the next morning, I did as she suggested. There were only four ballots in the box and just before the doors to the waterpark opened, one of the children staying at the Lodge was asked to draw a ballot and sure enough, she pick ours! How's that for karma! I tweeted my excitement and had a number of people asked me what happens when you're Family of the Day. You're dying to know, too, aren't ya? Well, let me just say I felt like a V.I.P! We were escorted to our very own private cabana by the outdoor pool and found our own mini refrigerator with bottled water and a tray of fruit kebobs, veggies (for the kids, of course) and cookies (which I 'forced' myself to eat - oh, the sacrifice!). 

There was also a basket on the table with fresh towels, a pack of Great Wolf Lodge playing cards and coupons good for free admission to their mini golf, tokens at the arcade, a free action photo and a coupon towards their Kids' Club crafts. We also enjoyed storytime by the fire from the comfort of our cabana. Ah, the good life! A big thanks to Sherrie Mae from Good Karma Baby for sharing such a great tip!

Enjoying the free mini golf passes

All in all, we had a great time. The food was good, the service friendly and the fun endless. *Howl* The kids really loved having their own 'cabin' with bunk beds and their own t.v. which is standard in the Kid Cabin suite. It's large enough to accommodate 6 people with the pull-out sofa bed, Queen size bed and additional single bad in the kids' cabin. We were on the same level as the waterpark, which is one level below the lobby, and it was great to have a walk-out to a nice patch of grass for the kids to run around. It was also handy to have easy access to the car for loading and unloading. On another note, I was a little disappointed that a lot of the arcade games weren't working probably. We did get some of our tokens back but it was a bit of a hassle. The least they could do was put "Out of Order" signs on them.

Great Wolf Lodge is only minutes from all the action of Niagara Falls so we also stopped by Clifton Hills and took a ride on the Skywheel, walked through the Fun House and enjoyed some ice cream. Ah, the memories!

If you want to take advantage of the Chip Trips savings, you can redeem 50 points (the equivalent of 5 large bags of Lays Chips) and get 50% off your second night's stay. And with all the fun to be had, one night is just not enough. Visit the Great Wolf Lodge Niagara website for more information on all they great things they have to offer. But before you go, have you signed up for the Chip Trips program yet? If so, what places have you visited? And do you have any recommendations? I'd appreciate your thoughts and suggestions. Thanks!