Lake Country Family Fun is a HUGE fan of the family-friend Wilderness Resort.
- We suggest a day trip to enjoy a Take Trip Flight experience, a candy store visit and some food from Camp Social.
- We also suggest an overnight visit (one night really doesn’t do because there is so much to do) to stay for kids of ALL ages.
For an overnight stay, there is absolutely so much to do that everyone from babies to adults will have a blast. I saw a lot of parents with little kids have wagons, and I thought that would be a good idea. Also, renting a locker is a helpful tip. I also recommend checking out their website close to your stay so you can be in the know about all the resort “extras” going on. For example, when we were there, Santa visits were taking place and Christmas bingo as well as hores-drawn carriage rides (all free!) Go make those family memories to last a lifetime at the Wilderness Resort.
Wilderness Resort and Moment Factory partnering to bring Aquavia Lumina, an Enchanted Night Walk through a canyon of wonders
WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. – Wilderness Resort officials announced in spring 2024 that they are partnering with Moment Factory to present Aquavia Lumina, an Enchanted Night Walk through a canyon of wonders. The new attraction will allow guests the opportunity to travel through the Wilderness Canyon located between the main resort and Glacier Canyon Lodge, and across a multimedia pathway inspired by the wonders of the Dells. The project, which will be open to the public, is expected to be completed in fall 2024.
Aquavia Lumina will be the 21st Lumina Enchanted Night Walk in the international series created by the Montreal-based multimedia entertainment studio. The immersive experience will transport visitors into another world with creative storytelling that accentuates the natural beauty tucked within the resort’s property. It will feature mystical multimedia experiences and thousands of luminous lights and lasers that create a magical environment full of surprises.
According to Joe Eck, chief operating officer for Wilderness Resorts and Waterparks, “We first met Moment Factory at an industry trade show and were curious about their awe-inspiring creations, so we went to Canada to visit three of them. Then we found out that they were going to present Astra Lumina Night Walk at Anakeesta in Gatlinburg by our sister property Wilderness at the Smokies. We were so excited by how Anakeesta’s project turned out that we then commissioned Moment Factory to create Kaleiodoscope Kavern – the world’s first immersive lazy river for us at our Smokies property. We’re now so incredibly excited to be bringing Aquavia Lumina to the Dells so our resort can highlight the natural beauty of the Dells’ sandstone cliffs that made our region first become a tourist destination.”
On the enchanted Aquavia Lumina Night Walk, visitors will enter a dreamlike world where nature is enhanced by lighting effects, video projections and original music. They will follow a mystical deer through the Wilderness Canyon in search of ‘The Source’, a legendary spring said to transform nature with the magic of water.
Aquavia Lumina will be a family-oriented nighttime experience for people of all ages to experience when they visit Wisconsin Dells. The fun will begin at nautical dusk so when the waterparks close for the evening families can be immersed in this magical multimedia attraction. Aquavia will be open at nightfall every month throughout the year. For more information on the project visit https://www.aquavialumina.com/
For more information on the resort or for reservations, visit https://www.wildernessresort.com/ or call 1.800.867.WILD (9453).
3 Exciting Changes to the Wilderness
1. Wild West Waterpark Renovations
The Wild West Waterpark underwent a HUGE renovation in 2022 and it shows! Our family stayed in December of 2022 and it was unanimous that our favorite area was the Wild West Waterpark area! There are two incredible new slides and a new Wild West-themed multi-level play and spray structure, among many other improvements! For adults, there is a new swim-up bar area. One of the new slides is a two-lane dueling tube ride while the other is a two-lane dueling, head-first mat racer. Both sides feature eye-popping translucent slide effects as well as multiple “rally points” where riders will be able to see their competition as they dash down the slides. My son and I did these dueling slides and they were a blast. The resort’s popular Fantastic Voyage and Black Hole slides currently in the Wild West are still there – and they are amazing too! My five-year-old was able to go down the Fantastic Voyage (like six times!) and my kids made me do the Black Hole, which was seriously thrilling!
2. Guest Room Renovations
The resort completed room renovations to all of its 446 guest rooms at the Wilderness Hotel. The rooms got new paint, carpet, flooring, countertops, furniture, artwork, and televisions. We loved our room in the Hotel. The kids loved the new furniture and we love the storage spaces and countertop space throughout. Being a family of 5, we loved having two beds plus a pull-out couch. We also loved having a TV for us and the kids so we don’t have to get stuck watching cartoons. A huge update that is new as of December 2022 is RFID wristbands! They were the best – didn’t have to worry about tracking our room keys all weekend.
In the collage below, you will see we had plenty of counter room, nice beds (and a pull-out bed), a sink separate from the bathroom (great for five people) and updated decorations and details!
3. New Films at the Take Flight theater
Sensory enhancements like wind, motion seats, and scents make these films totally immersive and realistic experiences. My kids ages 5, 8 and 10 loved Take Flight and they want all their friends to try it. My husband said it was really cool and longer than he expected. He wants to see another show. I’ve been three times now and love it. I also love that it is open to the public – we recommend this experience in the Dells. Note: The requirement for kids is they must be 4 years old and 32″ to ride. We can’t wait to see what the 2023 shows will be!
Book and learn more about Take Flight here.
BONUS: View our Instagram reel from our stay in December 2022 here.
About the Wilderness
The Wilderness Resort consists of over 600 wooded acres in Wisconsin Dells and is home to Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort, which features 446 guest rooms, 40 Vacation Villas, 76 Frontier Condominiums and 35 cabins. It is also home to Wilderness on the Lake which features 108 luxurious two and three bedroom condominium units overlooking Lake Delton; and Glacier Canyon Lodge, which features 460 upscale condominium units.
Combined, these three properties offer four indoor and four outdoor waterparks that total nearly 500,000 square feet – that’s over 12 football fields of extreme water fun! The resort is also home to Glacier Canyon Conference Center; Sundara Spa; Wild Rock Golf Club; The Woods 9-Hole Golf Course; three massive prize arcades; Timberland Play Park; three Clip ‘N Climb Challenge Walls; The Wild Abyss indoor 3-D black light mini golf; bumper boats; indoor and outdoor go-karts and kiddy-karts; zip line tour; Northern Lights Sky Ropes Course; three Room Escapes by DOA; and outdoor Jurassic mini golf. Dining options include Field’s at the Wilderness; Sarento’s; Survivors; Thirsty Buffalo and several other quick service options.
The Wilderness’s Extra Touch
When I booked our stay, I mentioned we were celebrating our son’s birthday on our trip. So, when we arrived to our room, the door was decorated with streamers and a Happy Birthday poster with our son’s name on it. This made his day!
Our room was located on the third floor with a balcony overlooking the Lake Wilderness Outdoor Water Park. The room was spacious and well laid out for a family. When you entered the room there was a nice sitting area with fold out couch, TV, wet bar, mini fridge, microwave and bathroom. What I liked about the bathroom was that the sink was located off the main sitting area, outside
of the bathroom. For a family this is great! Family members can get ready at the sink while others use the shower.
This area flowed nicely into the bedroom with two queen beds, table for two, TV and balcony. The bed and bedding was one of the comfiest I have ever had at a resort. A good night sleep is always a big plus for me, as a mom!
ATTRACTION 1: ESCAPE ROOM
The first attraction at the Wilderness that we visited was the Circus Escape Room located at Wilderness on the Lake. The age range starts at 6 years old for the Circus Escape Room, which I believe is appropriate.
Our family had great fun helping the Ringling Brothers find their lost animals and getting them back to the circus! Our son at seven years old was able to be very active in finding and solving clues to help us escape the room. There were simple math problems and puzzles he was able to solve to help us unlock boxes and find our way to the key at the end.
If you do get stuck finding clues there is a game master available to ask for clues by walkie talkie. The walkie talkie was also a cool added perk for our son. We solved all puzzles and revealed the hidden key to escape the room with 1 second to spare!
The whole experience had a 30 minute time limit, which is great for younger kids. We were busy the whole thirty minutes, and it held our son’s attention. We would definitely recommend this activity!
ATTRACTION 2: TAKE FLIGHT
As you enter the Take Flight waiting area, you are fully immersed into a flight experience. The waiting area is modeled after an airport complete with a map of your flight plan and time zone clocks. If you have to wait in line there is also a kiosk to keep your little ones entertained. At this station they can create their own airplane or hot air balloon on a tablet. Once they complete their aircraft they can add their name to it. It then appears flying over a cityscape with other patron’s creations circulating the scene for the next 24 hours.
As you make your way through the line there is a picture taking point which I highly recommend. When you come out of the ride you are able to purchase your picture. You can choose from two fun scenes. The first scene is a puddle jumper plane behind your family or all the sights from your flight framing your family. This is a great addition to the cover of the story book available for purchase highlighting your flight! This book was specially written for the Take Flight Adventure and Wilderness Resort. Your kiddos will love this story to hold on to and remember their trip to the Wilderness Resort!
Before you board your flight you will watch a short pre-flight video introducing you to your pilot Scout. When you enter the theater you will be seated in one of the twelve different ride vehicles situated between three stories. With Covid-19 precautions in mind, they are seating one family per vehicle. All seats and touch areas are sanitized after each ride.
Once you take your seat you are secured in by a seatbelt in front of a metal rolling door. Once you are fastened in, your flight attendant sends you into flight mode. The lights turn off, the door rolls open, and your vehicle slowly moves forward past the open door. Your feet dangle over the edge in front of a huge 65 foot by 47 foot domed screen. The sights are spectacular as you fly over the Wisconsin River Duck tours. Your seats rise, lower, turn and tip to give you the sensation of flight! An incoming boat makes a quick stop and you feel the spray of water! As you continue over the pines they are so close, you can literally smell the pine in the air!
If you are at all worried about how your little ones or other family members may react to the ride, rest assured there is video monitoring in place. Ride attendants are able to zoom in on each cart to make sure everyone is safe and enjoying the ride. If need be, they can alter the movement of your cart.
Take Flight is truly an exhilarating adventure for all of your senses! You don’t want to miss this experience!
*If you are prone to motion sickness, bring your favorite remedy along.
ATTRACTION 3: BLACK LIGHT INDOOR MINI GOLF
Our family had unlimited wrist bands which was a plus for our mini golf loving son! We were able to play mini golf several times throughout our stay. The wristband is totally worth the money and allows unlimited use of laser tag, mini golf and the ropes course. The arcade also has plenty of fun games for many different age groups. You can purchase a gaming card with pre-loaded tokens on it. This is great to just be able to hand over to the kids and let them pick and choose the games they want to play.
When you are done venturing through the arcade you can stop at the redemption counter and pick your prizes. Thankfully you don’t have to keep track of a fist full of tickets. They are electronically loaded onto your gaming card. Not only do the kids get to play games but they get to pick their prizes after!
FINAL THOUGHTS ON OUR WILDERNESS RESORT EXPERIENCE
Overall our stay at the Wilderness Resort was fantastic! Everything is laid out and flowed so well to make our stay family friendly. The amount of different activities and restaurant options available at the Wilderness Resort is unbelievable! You literally do not have to leave the property for your entire stay.
We hope to visit again in the summer to take advantage of the great outdoor spaces! Our family highly recommends a stay at the Wilderness Resort, and we look forward to our next stay!
Be sure to tag Lake Country Family Fun and the Wilderness Resort and TakeFlightWilderness during your stay! We want to see all the fun you and your family are enjoying!
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