Ep 2. Great Wolf Resorts

Undercover Boss is a reality television show that puts CEO's in disguise to get a firsthand look at their company's operations and employees. In season 2, episode 2, titled "Great Wolf Resorts," the CEO of the indoor waterpark and hotel franchise, Great Wolf Lodge, Don Yahrling, poses as a game attendant, lifeguard and housekeeper.

Don begins his undercover journey at the Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Texas where he quickly learns the importance of customer service, especially when parents and their children are staying in one of the Lodge's themed rooms. Don particularly wants to understand how guest services contribute to making the family vacation experience special so that they would come back for more.

In his first disguise, Don poses as a game attendant named Dan and immediately gets to work spraying "silly string" on children and interacting with their families. With the help of his supervisor Paulette, Don learns how to handle the pressure of long lines and crowds while keeping everyone happy. He also realizes that small interactions with guests, like getting down on one knee to speak directly to children, can make a huge difference in their experience.

Don's next undercover identity is as a lifeguard named Tom. Don works alongside his fellow lifeguards to ensure that all guests are safe in the water, but he also gets to experience how the lifeguards' job doesn't just entail rescuing kids from the water, but also holding babies and comforting children who are upset. He learns how to watch out for incidents in the pool without intimidating swimmers and realizes that the more he takes his duties seriously, the more guests appreciate their stay at his resort.

In his final disguise, Don poses as a housekeeper named Don. He is assigned to clean family suites with the help of a housekeeping team headed by no-nonsense supervisor, Evelina. Don quickly discovers that the workload of housekeeping is not an easy job and that cleaning 17 rooms in one day is no small feat. Don also learns about how housekeepers often serve as ambassadors for the Lodge and take on tasks well beyond their stated job description.

Through his journey on Undercover Boss, Don gains a newfound appreciation for the hard work and dedication of the employees who are responsible for making Great Wolf Lodge a fun-filled vacation destination for families. He realizes that there are areas where they need to provide better training or equipment that will help the staff to do their job better. Don meets many amazing employees and is even inspired to share his own story and the values that drive him and his company with some of the workers.

In the end, Don returns to his role as CEO and invites some of the employees he worked with to a meeting. He reveals his true identity and expresses his gratitude to them for all their hard work. Don tries to use the experience to make his workforce feel more appreciated and empower the workers to continue improving their service to the guests. The episode ends with Don meeting with his operations team to discuss the changes that need to be made in response to his experiences. Undercover Boss season 2, episode 2, "Great Wolf Resorts" provides a heart-warming and insightful look at how frontline workers contribute to giving families a memorable vacation experience.