Unaudited Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2012	May 04, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 35,531	$ 27,775		$ 33,767
Escrows	5,758			2,618
Accounts receivable	7,244			3,660
Accounts receivable - affiliate	2,041			3,243
Accounts receivable - consolidating entities	0			0
Inventory	7,013			7,570
Other current assets	10,404		7,504	6,212
Total current assets	67,991		71,448	57,070
Property and equipment, net	624,489			576,262
Investment in consolidating entities	0			0
Investment in and advances to affiliate	25,623			24,311
Other assets	10,162		20,604	20,556	21,236	22,678	23,443	26,034
Goodwill	97,497		1,365	1,365
Intangible assets	50,636			25,310
Total assets	876,398		(709,111)	704,874	721,549	736,444	753,572	758,623
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt	67,201			67,678
Accounts payable	3,620			5,301
Accounts payable - affiliate	17			27
Accounts payable - consolidating entities	0			0
Accrued interest payable	14,081			8,012
Accrued expenses	24,751			24,211
Advance deposits	9,853			7,715
Other current liabilities	8,645			7,529
Total current liabilities	128,168			120,473
Mortgage debt	399,707			366,951
Other long-term debt	60,893			80,545
Deferred Tax liability	17,200		11,961	11,907	11,853	11,798	11,744	11,690
Deferred compensation liability	2,086			1,502
Total liabilities	608,054		594,478	581,378	586,028	602,706	613,399	617,158
Commitments and contingencies
Great Wolf Resorts Inc. stockholders' equity:
Common stock	0			325
Preferred stock	0			0
Additional paid-in-capital	264,973			404,714
Accumulated deficit	(1,490)		(290,512)	(281,314)	(268,673)	(269,925)	(263,067)	(261,601)	(204,278)
Deferred compensation				(200)
Total Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. stockholders' equity	263,483		114,675	123,525	135,547	133,783	140,196	141,474
Noncontrolling interest	4,861			(29)
Total equity	268,344		114,633	123,496	135,521	133,738	140,173	141,465
Total liabilities and equity	876,398		709,111	704,874	721,549	736,444	753,572	758,623
Parent [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	10,581	23,340		10,039
Escrows	0			0
Accounts receivable	409			327
Accounts receivable - affiliate	(11)			0
Accounts receivable - consolidating entities	268,223			10,417
Inventory	0			0
Other current assets	1,235			1,138
Total current assets	280,437			21,921
Property and equipment, net	0			0
Investment in consolidating entities	268,670			200,123
Investment in and advances to affiliate	0			0
Other assets	2,473			4,272
Goodwill	0			1,365
Intangible assets	0			0
Total assets	551,580			227,681
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt	0			0
Accounts payable	0			1
Accounts payable - affiliate	0			0
Accounts payable - consolidating entities	203,668			5,730
Accrued interest payable	627			723
Accrued expenses	2,860			866
Advance deposits	0			0
Other current liabilities	2,849			4,384
Total current liabilities	210,004			11,704
Mortgage debt	0			0
Other long-term debt	60,893			80,545
Deferred Tax liability	17,200			11,907
Deferred compensation liability	0			0
Total liabilities	288,097			104,156
Commitments and contingencies
Great Wolf Resorts Inc. stockholders' equity:
Common stock	0			325
Preferred stock	0			0
Additional paid-in-capital	264,973			404,714
Accumulated deficit	(1,490)			(281,314)
Deferred compensation				(200)
Total Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. stockholders' equity	263,483			123,525
Noncontrolling interest	0			0
Total equity	263,483			123,525
Total liabilities and equity	551,580			227,681
Issuer [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	19,545	3,909		15,980
Escrows	0			0
Accounts receivable	(2,054)			0
Accounts receivable - affiliate	(1,780)			0
Accounts receivable - consolidating entities	475,558			472,289
Inventory	0			0
Other current assets	0			0
Total current assets	491,269			488,269
Property and equipment, net	0			0
Investment in consolidating entities	276,846			274,959
Investment in and advances to affiliate	0			0
Other assets	1			6,702
Goodwill	0			0
Intangible assets	0			0
Total assets	768,116			769,930
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt	0			0
Accounts payable	0			0
Accounts payable - affiliate	0			0
Accounts payable - consolidating entities	227,249			341,588
Accrued interest payable	12,506			6,253
Accrued expenses	13			12
Advance deposits	0			0
Other current liabilities	0			0
Total current liabilities	239,768			347,853
Mortgage debt	259,678			221,954
Other long-term debt	0			0
Deferred Tax liability	0			0
Deferred compensation liability	0			0
Total liabilities	499,446			569,807
Commitments and contingencies
Great Wolf Resorts Inc. stockholders' equity:
Common stock	0			0
Preferred stock	0			0
Additional paid-in-capital	262,773			456,693
Accumulated deficit	5,897			(256,570)
Deferred compensation				0
Total Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. stockholders' equity	268,670			200,123
Noncontrolling interest	0			0
Total equity	268,670			200,123
Total liabilities and equity	768,116			769,930
Subsidiary Guarantor [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	(1,158)	(3,941)		814
Escrows	0			0
Accounts receivable	5,350			1,335
Accounts receivable - affiliate	2,398			1,461
Accounts receivable - consolidating entities	495,465			582,378
Inventory	2,643			2,882
Other current assets	2,742			1,673
Total current assets	507,440			590,543
Property and equipment, net	331,650			330,496
Investment in consolidating entities	0			0
Investment in and advances to affiliate	1,056			0
Other assets	7,507			7,964
Goodwill	43,285			0
Intangible assets	47,615			4,668
Total assets	938,553			933,671
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt	0			14
Accounts payable	2,161			1,907
Accounts payable - affiliate	0			10
Accounts payable - consolidating entities	691,680			747,086
Accrued interest payable	0			0
Accrued expenses	13,255			13,702
Advance deposits	4,396			2,685
Other current liabilities	2,886			1,132
Total current liabilities	714,378			766,536
Mortgage debt	0			0
Other long-term debt	0			0
Deferred Tax liability	0			0
Deferred compensation liability	2,086			1,502
Total liabilities	716,464			768,038
Commitments and contingencies
Great Wolf Resorts Inc. stockholders' equity:
Common stock	0			0
Preferred stock	0			0
Additional paid-in-capital	207,615			163,514
Accumulated deficit	14,474			2,119
Deferred compensation				0
Total Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. stockholders' equity	222,089			165,633
Noncontrolling interest	0			0
Total equity	222,089			165,633
Total liabilities and equity	938,553			933,671
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	6,563	4,467		6,934
Escrows	5,758			2,618
Accounts receivable	3,539			1,998
Accounts receivable - affiliate	1,434			1,782
Accounts receivable - consolidating entities	68,963			206,399
Inventory	4,370			4,688
Other current assets	6,427			3,401
Total current assets	97,054			227,820
Property and equipment, net	292,839			245,766
Investment in consolidating entities	0			0
Investment in and advances to affiliate	24,567			24,311
Other assets	181			1,618
Goodwill	54,212			0
Intangible assets	3,021			20,642
Total assets	471,874			520,157
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt	67,201			67,664
Accounts payable	1,459			3,393
Accounts payable - affiliate	17			17
Accounts payable - consolidating entities	185,612			177,079
Accrued interest payable	948			1,036
Accrued expenses	8,623			9,631
Advance deposits	5,457			5,030
Other current liabilities	2,910			2,013
Total current liabilities	272,227			265,863
Mortgage debt	140,029			144,997
Other long-term debt	0			0
Deferred Tax liability	0			0
Deferred compensation liability	0			0
Total liabilities	412,256			410,860
Commitments and contingencies
Great Wolf Resorts Inc. stockholders' equity:
Common stock	0			0
Preferred stock	0			0
Additional paid-in-capital	55,158			293,179
Accumulated deficit	(401)			(183,853)
Deferred compensation				0
Total Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. stockholders' equity	54,757			109,326
Noncontrolling interest	4,861			(29)
Total equity	59,618			109,297
Total liabilities and equity	471,874			520,157
Consolidation Adjustments [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0		0
Escrows	0			0
Accounts receivable	0			0
Accounts receivable - affiliate	0			0
Accounts receivable - consolidating entities	(1,308,209)			(1,271,483)
Inventory	0			0
Other current assets	0			0
Total current assets	(1,308,209)			(1,271,483)
Property and equipment, net	0			0
Investment in consolidating entities	(545,516)			(475,082)
Investment in and advances to affiliate	0			0
Other assets	0			0
Goodwill	0			0
Intangible assets	0			0
Total assets	(1,853,725)			(1,746,565)
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt	0			0
Accounts payable	0			0
Accounts payable - affiliate	0			0
Accounts payable - consolidating entities	(1,308,209)			(1,271,483)
Accrued interest payable	0			0
Accrued expenses	0			0
Advance deposits	0			0
Other current liabilities	0			0
Total current liabilities	(1,308,209)			(1,271,483)
Mortgage debt	0			0
Other long-term debt	0			0
Deferred Tax liability	0			0
Deferred compensation liability	0			0
Total liabilities	(1,308,209)			(1,271,483)
Commitments and contingencies
Great Wolf Resorts Inc. stockholders' equity:
Common stock	0			0
Preferred stock	0			0
Additional paid-in-capital	(525,546)			(913,386)
Accumulated deficit	(19,970)			438,304
Deferred compensation				0
Total Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. stockholders' equity	(545,516)			(475,082)
Noncontrolling interest	0			0
Total equity	(545,516)			(475,082)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (1,853,725)			$ (1,746,565)