The Wilderness has rooms available this spring for as little as $99 a night.  A 2 night stay could end up only costing $75 a night when booked with the coupon.  That is an excellent deal considering that $99 a night is as low of a rate as you’ll usually see at the Wilderness.

The news report states that the Kalahari, Wilderness & Chula Vista stand to do the best during the economic downturn.  I think that some of the smaller Dells resorts & motels may also see a bump in their business in 2009.  Visitors who still want to make their annual trip to the Dells might consider staying at a smaller Dells resort or one of the many motels in the area to save money.   Several Dells motels have partnered with Mt. Olympus to offer passes to the Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park during the summer months.  Money saving programs like the Dells City Pass might also appeal to cost conscious travelers this year. 

The Channel 3 report can be viewed below.  The text version of the story can be found on their website.

Chula Vista

• Week of 3/29 – standard rooms from $149
• Week of 4/5 – standard rooms from $139
• Week of 4/12 – standard rooms from $99

Chula Vista also is offering a couple of Spring Break packages that are worth looking into.  The Family Fun Package is $159 a night (2 night mid week stay required), and includes a large pizza, $25 dining certificate, and 100 arcade tokens.  The Spring Party Package is $199 a night (2 night mid week stay required), and includes a stay in a 2 bedroom condo, large pizza, $30 dining certificate, 2 games of bowling, 2 orders of chicken wings & a 6 pack of soda.  Details on these packages can be found on the Chula Vista specials page.  Reservations can be made here.

Great Wolf Lodge

• Week of 3/29 – standard rooms from $199
• Week of 4/5 – standard rooms from $199
• Week of 4/12 – standard rooms from $169

Great Wolf has a promotional code of BREAK on their website, however prices are the same if you use the code or not.  Reservations can be made here.

Hotel Rome

The Hotel Rome at Mt. Olympus has some great Spring Break packages, as I wrote about last week. For the next several weeks, you can get up to 3 additional free nights depending on how many nights you pay for. You also get passes to come back to Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park during the summer. Click here to go to Hotel Rome’s website for more details.

Kalahari

• Week of 3/29 – standard rooms from $229
• Week of 4/5 – standard rooms from $199
• Week of 4/12 – standard rooms from $199

There are several specials going on at the Kalahari during the weeks surrounding Easter.  For example, the week of 4/5, you can get 2 nights plus 4 passes to the Indoor Theme Park for $299 (the passes normally sell for $20 each for hotel guests).  To see all of the specials for March and April, check out their specials page. Reservations can be made on their reservations page.

Wilderness

• Week of 3/29 – standard rooms from $150
• Week of 4/5 – standard rooms from $180
• Week of 4/12 – standard rooms from $150

The best deal that the Wilderness is offering is the Wild Fun Package from 3/29 – 4/4.  For $150 a night you get your choice of any Wilderness hotel room and 4 Wild Fun Passes, which gets you mini golf at two new indoor courses – the Wild Abyss course & the Wild Buccaneer course, a game of laser tag at the Wilderness Ok Corral Lazer Runner, and 8 arcade tokens.  The code for the Wild Fun Package is I-FUN.  For details on this promotion and the other Spring Break promotions, check out their April Specials page.  Reservations for the Wilderness can be made here.

The two new mini golf courses are only open to guests of the Wilderness. The Wild Abyss course costs $7 for adults, and $5 for kids, while the Wild Buccaneer course is $4 for adults and $3 for children.  A better value is the Wild Fun Pass for $10.  The pass includes golf at both new courses, admission to the OK Corral laser tag attraction, and 8 tokens for use in the Northern Lights Arcade.

Christmas Mountain Village, S944 Christmas Mountain Road, Wisconsin Dells, has 12 runs, 2 chairlifts, and a couple of tow ropes.  Skiers and snowboarders will find plenty to do in an afternoon or evening visit.  Prices are reasonable, starting at $15 for adult weekday evening sessions.  Christmas Mountain Village also offers snow tubing with a tow rope to get you back up to the top of the hill quickly.  Tubing starts at $15 for 2 hours (tube rental included).  As I wrote about in December, if you stay at Mt. Olympus this winter, they’ll throw in free lift tickets at Christmas Mountain.

About 20 miles southeast of the Dells in Merrimac is Devil’s Head.  Devil’s Head offers 28 runs and 2 terrain parks serviced by 10 chair lifts and 5 tow ropes.  Prices start at $30 for adult weeknight evening sessions, however on Thursdays it is only $14 for the evening session.

Also about 20 miles from the Dells is Cascade Mountain in Portage.  Cascade is the largest ski hill in the area with 36 trails and 4 terrain parks with 8 chairlifts and 2 tow ropes.  Prices start at $25 for night skiing.  Cascade also offers tubing for $22 all day during the week, or $22 for 2 hours on the weekend. 

The Wilderness also has a snow tubing hill named Glaciers Edge located at the Glacier Canyon Lodge.  Unfortunately they have decided to close the hill early this year, so it is no longer open.   They must not have been getting much use from visitors since they are equipped to make their own snow with snow making machines.

Resorts

Chula Vista (Hwy 13 North, 608-254-8366) is hosting Chula Fest 2008.  Admission is $49.95 for adults 21+ ($24.95 ages 12-20 and $12.95 ages 11 and under).  Admission includes all drinks, and celebration events.  There are 3 different themed rooms – a DJ room, a live band room, and a kids carnival.  You don’t need to be a guest at Chula Vista to attend Chula Fest 2008.  Rooms start at $149 a night with a 2 night minimum.

Great Wolf Lodge (1400 Great Wolf Drive, 608-253-2222) has a New Years Eve buffet, crafts for the kids, an early countdown to 2009 for families with younger children, and music in the lobby.  Also featured is their Great Duck Race, where hundreds of rubber ducks are dropped into the lazy river.  A free night stay is awarded to the person whose duck finishes first.  Rooms start at $349.

Kalahari (1305 Kalahari Drive, 608-254-3217) is offering a very unique African themed buffet starting at 5:00.  Some of the offerings are South African smoked prime rib, Moroccan bisteeya (chicken & almonds in a pastry), flame grilled king fish, Libyan beef cigars, Ethiopian grilled vegetables, and Dukkah nut dip.  They also have separate teen and a family parties that are free for hotel guests.   Included are a DJ, dancing, prizes, snacks, a midnight balloon drop & champagne toast.   Rooms start at $349. 

Meadowbrook Resort (1533 River Road, 608-253-3201) has a Family New Years Eve party for guests of the resort.  Included are snacks, non-alcoholic beverages, games, face painting, party favors and more.  There is an early 2009 countdown at 10:00.  A continental breakfast on New Years Day is also included.  Rooms start at $189.  Visit the Meadowbrook website for more information on their party.

The Wilderness (511 E. Adams Street, 800-867-9453) will be having their party in the Glacier Canyon Conference Center.  Admission is $10 in advance or $15 at the door for ages 12 and up.  Ages 3-11 is $5 in advance or $7.50 at the door.  Included is a DJ, dancing, kids activities, appetizers, and a balloon drop at midnight.  There will also be hourly prize drawings.  Rooms start at $220.

Bars & Restaurants

Nearly all Wisconsin Dells bars & restaurants will be opening and celebrating New Years Eve on the 31st.  The following are those that are hosting special events, in addition to the traditional midnight toast.

The Dells Comedy Club (591 Wisconsin Dells Parkway, 608-253-9453) opens at 8:00 with comedian Kevin Downey Jr., followed by the Wild 4 Hypnosis Comedy show.  Party favors, a DJ, a champagne toast & a midnight balloon drop are included.  Also included is a midnight buffet.    Tickets are $35 in advance or $45 at the door.  More information can be found on their website.

Monk’s at the Wilderness (45 Hillman Road, 608-254-6665) is hosting a party starting at 10:00 with a live band on the lower level.  Party favors and a midnight champagne toast are included.  The cover charge to see the band is $5, otherwise you can party in the bar area for no cover.  The downtown Monk’s (220 Broadway, 608-254-2955) is not having any special New Years Eve events.

Marley’s (1470 Wisconsin Dells Parkway, 608-254-1800) New Years Eve party starts at 10:00 with a DJ and dancing.  There is a champagne toast at midnight as well as a balloon drop.  Cover charge is $10.

Taxi Services

A discussion of New Years Eve in the Dells wouldn’t be complete without information about taxi services.  The following is a list of companies that serve the Wisconsin Dells and Lake Delton area.

Wisconsin Dells Taxi – 608-415-7433

Dells Cab Co. – 608-253-7722

Sureway Taxi – 608-253-2129

Dells Delton Shuttle Taxi & Limousine Service – 608-253-6746

There are a lot of events going on for Thanksgiving in the Dells.  Here are some of the biggest:

(Please note that this information was compiled for a previous year. Call the numbers below for the most up to date information).

Chula Vista is featuring the Grand Thanksgiving Dinner.  This is an all you can eat buffet with the standard Thanksgiving fare.  Unique to Chula Vista’s Thanksgiving dinner is that they will actually provide an entire turkey for you to carve at your table.  In order to receive this, you need to have four or more adults, and you need to reserve and request this in advance.   The price for the Chula Vista buffet is $21.95 for adults, $8.95 children 6-11 and $4.95 for children 2-5.  Additional details about their buffet can be found on their website.  Reservations can be made by calling 800-388-4782.

Chula Vista also has room specials available for Thanksgiving.  They are advertising $99 for a standard room, or $199 for a 2 bedroom condo.

Kalahari is serving their buffet in the Kalahari Convention Center.  Prices are $29.99 for adults, and $12.99 for children 3-10.  Additional details can be found on their website.  Reservations can be made by calling 608-254-3217.

Kalahari also has a special Thanksgiving Stay and Buffet Special, which includes a room and the Thanksgiving buffet for 2 adults and 2 children.  The price for a standard room is $199 for Wednesday, November 26th or $299 for Thursday, November 27th.  Suites are available for $100 more each night.

The Wilderness is serving their Thanksgiving buffet at the Wild Canyon Cafe.  Prices are $19.99 for adults, $10.99 for children 6-12, and $8.99 for children 3-6.  Reservations can be made by calling 800-867-9459.

Great Wolf Lodge has 2 different options for Thanksgiving dinner.  In the Loose Moose Bar & Grill, they are serving a sit down four course meal.  Prices are $19.95 for adults, and $9.95 for children 3-10.  They are also serving a buffet at the Camp Critter Buffet.  Prices are $24.95 for adults, and $14.95 for children 3-10. Call 800-559-9653 for reservations.

Field’s at the Wilderness is serving a sit down dinner.  Adults are $19.95 and children are $14.95.  Call 608-253-1400.

For a more casual Thanksgiving dinner, consider the Moosejaw Brew Pub.  In addition to the turkey, cranberries, sweet potatoes, etc.  they will be serving pizza and beer and cheese soup.  Prices are $15.95 for adults and $14.95 for children.  Reservations can be made by calling 608-254-1122.

• Wilderness, $69 a night Monday – Thursday Nights, select dates excluded.  1-800-867-9453.
• Kalahari, $109 a night, selected dates.  Coupon Code W1032.  1-877-525-2427.
• Great Wolf Lodge, 20% off.  Coupon Code HEROES.  1-800-559-9653.
• Antiqua Bay Resort, $62 a night.  1-800-543-3557.
• Chula Vista, 10% off.  Availability based on occupancy.  1-800-388-4782.
• Hotel Rome, 10% off.  Active military only.  1-800-800-4997.
• Raintree Resort, 10% off.  1-877-254-7400.

The best deal by far is the $69 Wilderness special.  Most of the resorts offer the discount to active military and veterans, but it is best to check when you make your reservation.  Some resorts also extend the discount to EMT’s, so check if you are an EMT.

There are some restrictions of course.  In November, the rate is available for stays on Sunday  – Thursday nights.  Thanksgiving weekend is excluded.  In December the rate is available for stays on Sunday – Friday nights until December 19th.  There are a “limited number of rooms” available at these special rates, so book early to ensure availability.