***Update as of 5/25/2019 we no longer consider Kalahari allergy friendly. The large assortment of allergy free snacks available last time are no longer stocked at Kalahari. There is a restaurant inside the game area that will acommodate allergies, however. But the snacks by the pool and waterpark are gone.

The #1 Allergy Friendly hotel for families would be across the street at THe Great Wolf Lodge where the entire hotel and facility is nut free. All restaurants, snacks and treat are safe to those with nut allergies. They take ALL allergies seriously and work to ensure each guest is having a great time. ***

This week, my husband had some work stuff going on at the Kalahari Convention Center and Waterpark and we decided to tag along. As with any over-night stay, my main priority is keeping the kids safe when it comes to food and snacks. The day before we left, I packed a small cooler bag with:

  • mini-bags of Boom Chicka Pop
  • snack size bags of grapes
  • smart water
  • graham crackers
  • honest juice boxes
  • beef jerkey

We arrived at night and immediately took advantage of the arcade and had a delicious meal at Wisconsin Brew Pub.  The staff at the Wisconsin Brew Pub was very attentive to our food allergies. We had:

  • fish + chips
  • macaroni and cheese with fruit
  • the pork pull
  • baked cavatappi

The arcade was amazing – games for all of us. I was a little blown away with how much there was to do, inside as well!  The weather was cold, so having everything indoors was great. Some fun things to enjoy:

  • giant ferris wheel
  • climbing wall
  • ropes course
  • bowling alley (with couches at every lane, YAAAS!)
  • mini-golf
  • big kid arcade games
  • little kid arcade games
  • Carousel
  • bumper boats
  • Race track / go carts
  • WATERPARK!

Our night was full of laughs, games lots of tokens and some really fun prizes at the end of the night.

I think one of the biggest misconceptions about being a parent is that “it gets easier” and it doesn’t. Every age, every stage will come with its own set of challenges. Granted, a 5 year old is pretty self sufficient and needs a lot less care than a 3 year old. Our kiddos thought it would be fun to snuggle Mom and Dad, meaning we each shared a bed with one of our kids. This was a horrible idea and the reason why I ALWAYS book a suite, or two rooms so that we all have our own beds. The kids were windmills and my hubs and I got kicked all night long!!!  Needless to say, it was a LOOOONG night of barely any sleep.  The kids were up at the crack of dawn, yes, of course! There was a waterpark that needed us! I wasn’t ready to get up, but sharing one hotel room, I don’t have many options. We loaded up the car and got a swim bag ready.
We decided to have breakfast in the room, I had brought some travel size safe cereal boxes.
The waterpark rocked and the kids were eager to dry up and go check out another arcade, playhouse and Kalahari Kids Craft area.
It was lunch time when we decided to attempt a meal at another resort restaurant. We visited Ingraffia’s Pizza Kitchen. We learned that the pizza is made 100% in-house and nut-free. In fact, there are no nuts in this restaurant. They also had Enjoy Life brand (top 8 allergy free) cookies, chocolate bars, chips, and trail mixes available for purchase. The beverage option was impressive, and the kids enjoyed their very first ICEE smoothies.
We had a great time and we can’t wait to go back!
I thought this was interesting:

Believe it or not, Kalahari Resorts & Conventions all started with pizza.
In 1983, Owners Todd and Shari Nelson opened what would soon become an icon within their hometown of Wisconsin Dells, WI:Pizza Pub. With a work ethic second to none, they quickly became the largest producer of quality pizza as well as the number one pizza delivery service in the community. Hard work, determination, high-quality ingredients, and an impeccable attention to detail became the foundation for the family’s success. From Pizza Pub, to the first Indoor Waterpark Resort in the Country, The RainTree Resort, and ultimately Kalahari Resorts & Conventions – It truly all started with pizza! We invite you to try this delicious pizza here that feature patented sauce and cooking process only available on the award-winning Pizza Pub Pizza. Enjoy a slice of history.