As travel rebounds from the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, family travelers are increasingly seeking unique and memorable experiences when selecting a destination. While this trend is not new, it has gained momentum post-pandemic, as many travelers are opting for indoor waterpark resort getaways in addition to other travel. This increase in demand prompted action from resorts as many reevaluated their strategies, enhancing amenities and activities – whether through new developments, renovations, or expansions – to cater to evolving traveler preferences. The December 2023 America’s Travel Outlook survey by IPX1031 found the top three reasons for trips planned in 2024 were relaxation, visiting family and friends, and adventure. While adventure often extends beyond the resort’s boundaries, resorts are innovating their offerings to fill that sense of adventure and to bring the excitement onsite, ensuring guests have immersive and engaging experiences right where they stay. This article highlights resorts Hotel & Leisure Advisors has studied that have successfully attracted high visitation by curating exceptional amenities that resonate with modern family travelers.

Great Wolf Resorts

Great Wolf Resorts was one of the early pioneers in the indoor waterpark resort industry, beginning in 1997 with a single property known as the Black Wolf Lodge in Wisconsin Dells. Since then, the brand has grown across the United States and Canada with 22 properties currently open and another slated to open in Connecticut in 2025 adjacent to the Foxwoods Resort Casino. Though many of the earlier properties offered a more modest-sized indoor waterpark, Great Wolf Lodge took a bolder approach in recent years by opening newer resorts that feature a larger guestroom count and a larger indoor waterpark. The last five properties to open offer at least 80,000 square feet of indoor waterpark space, which has allowed for the waterparks to enhance their attraction offering. In 2023, Great Wolf Lodge opened its largest resort by guestroom count in Perryville, Maryland, though two other resorts in the portfolio still claim slightly larger indoor waterparks. While the main attraction at Great Wolf Lodge is the indoor waterpark, the brand has continually expanded its attractions, ensuring a range of unique family experiences.

One of Great Wolf Lodge’s signature amenities is MagiQuest, an interactive role-playing game where participants use a magic wand to embark on a series of immersive quests. Select locations offer ShadowQuest, a similar adventure game. Another amenity offered across all Great Wolf Lodge properties is Oliver’s Mining Sluice, a gemstone mining activity where kids can pan for various gems and hidden treasures. Additional family-friendly amenities at each resort include mini bowling, Build-A-Bear, and an arcade. Much like the upsizing of the lodges overall, the new properties in Naples, Florida, and Webster, Texas, both offer at least a 60,000-square-foot family entertainment center (FEC), making the FECs significantly larger than many of their predecessors. In an effort to capitalize on the immersive and adventure trend in travel, the company has added new amenities at select resorts. The newest Great Wolf Lodge set to open in Mashantucket, Connecticut, will build on this trend and will offer a 91,000-square-foot indoor waterpark, ropes course, adventure trail, virtual reality attraction, arcade, MagiQuest, mini golf, Build-A-Bear, mini bowling, and gemstone mining.

Utilizing information from Placer.ai, which tracks foot traffic through cell phone location software, we have analyzed the annual visitation for the past three years. Though not able to show an exact attendance count, Placer data offers a representation of the number of visitors to the attraction. The following chart highlights three-year visitation levels for the eight most recently opened resorts with at least one full year of operation. The strongest visitation levels in 2024 were seen at the Great Wolf Lodge in Perryville, Maryland. Each of the eight properties welcomed at least 500,000 visits, which showcases the continued demand for family-friendly, immersive experiences.

Family Experiential Resorts Finding Success— Source: Hotel & Leisure Advisors (H&LA)

Kalahari Resorts & Conventions

Another early entrant to the indoor waterpark resort industry, Kalahari Resorts began in 2000 with their first resort in Wisconsin Dells. Though the original Kalahari Resort opened with a 50,000-square-foot indoor waterpark, it quickly expanded to 125,000 square feet, which set the stage for continued expansion of the property and the brand. Following the success of the original resort, Kalahari opened a second property in Sandusky, Ohio in 2005; a third in Pocono Manor, Pennsylvania in 2015; and a fourth in Round Rock, Texas in 2020. Now, the brand is preparing to open its fifth location in 2026 in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. Known for its massive scale and immersive experiences, each resort boasts at least 890 guestrooms and condos as well as an indoor waterpark with at least 174,000 square feet, except for the original location in Wisconsin Dells. However, a 75,000-square-foot expansion was announced in early 2025 at their Wisconsin resort that will bring the total indoor waterpark to an impressive 200,000 square feet.

While the indoor waterparks are the undeniable draw for families, Kalahari has also built a reputation for its large FECs. The 100,000-square-foot Tom Foolerys in Wisconsin Dells offers an indoor amusement park, bowling, axe throwing, arcade machines, laser interactive game, indoor go-kart track, mirror maze, and a golf simulator. The Round Rock location includes an 80,000-square-foot Tom Foolerys FEC with an indoor amusement park, escape room, bowling, mirror maze, mini golf, laser tag, and a dark ride. The newest location in Virginia will offer a 175,000-square-foot indoor waterpark and a 90,000-square-foot Tom Foolerys FEC. Each location offers a spa, fitness center, various food and beverage outlets, retail shops, and a convention center.

Each Kalahari Resort attracts a strong mix of leisure and group travel, made possible by their sprawling convention centers and experiential amenity offerings. Below, we highlight the visitation trends for the four existing resorts, showcasing their continued popularity and impressive attendance levels. In 2024, each of the four Kalahari resorts exceeded 1.7 million visits.

Family Experiential Resorts Finding Success— Source: Hotel & Leisure Advisors (H&LA)

Wilderness Resorts

What started as a modest 79-room lodge in 1995 has since transformed into one of the largest waterpark resorts in the country. Today, Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells boasts over 1,100 units, including hotel rooms, villas, condos, and cabins, offering families an unbeatable mix of comfort and adventure. In 2008, the brand expanded to the Smoky Mountains, opening Wilderness at the Smokies in Sevierville, Tennessee, a 713-room resort that quickly became a go-to destination for thrill-seekers. With properties of this scale, guests are treated to a massive lineup of attractions and activities.

The original Wisconsin resort has expanded throughout its history, including the addition of an illuminated hiking experience in 2024. The property is home to four indoor waterparks, four outdoor waterparks, a fly ride, indoor and outdoor go-kart tracks, adventure park, three arcades, laser tag, a ropes course, kid’s club, pottery painting, escape rooms, indoor and outdoor mini golf courses, an outdoor zipline, horse carriage rides, nature trails, and more. Guests have no shortage of entertainment and attraction options, which keeps them onsite during their stay.

While not as expansive as the original resort, the Wilderness at the Smokies in Sevierville holds its own in terms of offerings. One of the standout features is the $90 million, 50-acre Soaky Mountain outdoor waterpark that opened in 2021 near the resort. Though access to Soaky Mountain is included only on select days for resort guests, families are not left searching for things to fill their time. The resort debuted a 40,000-square-foot expansion of its indoor waterpark in late 2023 that included a new water coaster, lazy river, a renovation to the indoor and outdoor activity pool, and expanded seating options, including nine new cabanas. The resort features the indoor waterpark, two outdoor waterparks, and a rooftop pool. Beyond the aquatic features, the resort is home to indoor amusement rides, a laser maze, laser tag, mini bowling, an arcade, a dark ride, rock climbing, kid’s club, and pottery painting.

Both resorts continue to experience strong visitation from both overnight guests and day visitors. The Wilderness at the Smokies Resort saw approximately 1.6 million visits (combined at the River Lodge and Stone House Lodge labeled in green and yellow below) in 2024, excluding those who visited Soaky Mountain, while the Wilderness Resort along with Wilderness on the Lake in Wisconsin Dells saw almost four million visits, which is a testament to the brand’s enduring appeal as a premier family vacation destination.

Family Experiential Resorts Finding Success— Source: Hotel & Leisure Advisors (H&LA)

Showboat Resort Atlantic City

Opened in 1987, the Showboat Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey, operated for almost 30 years as the Showboat Hotel & Casino, boasting 1,331 guestrooms before closing in 2014. After initial plans to convert the property into a college campus fell through, the property was again sold in 2016. With its massive size and uncertain future, questions loomed as to what would come next. That was until developer Bart Blatstein stepped in with a bold vision to reinvent Showboat as a family-friendly resort. With the former casino space leaving a substantial hole at the heart of the property, the resort was faced with the challenge of repurposing it. Thus began the task of converting an empty casino floor into one of the largest arcades in the United States. Today, the Showboat Resort is home to a wide range of amenities including a large fitness center, a spa, gift shop, a convention center, and a prime beachfront location. However, the standout attractions are the 100,000-square-foot Lucky Snake Arcade and the 100,000-square-foot indoor Island Waterpark.

The arcade opened in 2021 and has continued to grow with the addition of new machines and a 40,000-square-foot indoor go-kart track that opened in 2022. Now home to more than 800 games, the arcade offers a mix of the latest in popular gaming and nostalgic classics with vintage arcade machines and pinball. Beyond the arcade machines, guests can enjoy indoor mini golf, mini bowling lanes, a roller-skating rink, and a billiards room, which makes it an immersive gaming hub that attracts guests of all ages. Building on the arcade’s success, the property debuted its state-of-the-art indoor waterpark with an OpenAire retractable roof structure in 2023, which further solidified its reputation as a top-tier family destination. The waterpark features a mixture of tube and body slides, a lazy river, kid’s play area, a dueling mat-racer slide, activity pool, and a FlowRider.

Showboat’s evolution from a casino resort to a family destination has allowed it to attract just under two million annual visits, which includes those visiting for the day and those staying overnight. The following chart shows the property’s visitation levels, highlighting its continued growth in 2023 and 2024 and its performance levels peaking in the summer when more families travel to the New Jersey shore.

Family Experiential Resorts Finding Success— Source: Hotel & Leisure Advisors (H&LA)

Outlook

The evolution of family experiential resorts is only gaining momentum, with travelers seeking more immersive and unforgettable experiences. As new trends emerge and evolve, innovation will continue to be at the forefront of the minds of many resort operators. Whether it comes in the form of expanding wellness offerings such as adding pickleball courts or outdoor fitness options, or finding ways to utilize artificial intelligence and technology to enhance the resort’s amenities, there are always new ways for properties to expand their reach. As travelers’ expectations grow, to match perceived value there will be additional pressure on resorts to elevate their offerings to ensure sufficient activities and amenities to compete with old and new properties that are embracing these emerging trends.

One of the most anticipated openings set for 2025 is the 404-room OKANA Resort in Oklahoma. The property will include a 100,000-square-foot indoor waterpark, outdoor waterpark and lagoon, sports simulators, and an FEC with arcade games, laser tag, mirror mazes, and escape rooms. While grand-scale developments like OKANA capture headlines due to the magnitude of the project, offering a unique experience is something a resort of any size can achieve. Take, for example, the seven-unit Ancient Lore Village in Knoxville, which is currently undergoing an expansion. Only a short distance from the vast Wilderness at the Smokies resort, this property is a one-of-a-kind destination inspired by a fantasy storybook that offers unique themed dwellings. Although it features more than its fair share of amenities, it stands in contrast to some of the larger, high-energy resorts in the region, offering a quieter, more intimate atmosphere.

Intentionality is key for resorts to consider when planning the types of amenities and experiences they wish to offer. Whether looking to develop a new resort or reimagining an existing one, choosing the right mix of amenities and experiences is essential. As seen in the strong visitation numbers at some of the leading family resorts, travelers are drawn to properties that deliver both excitement and authentic, memorable experiences.