Mrs. S. and I wanted to take the mini-strikers on a family vacation in early April over the daughter’s Spring Break. The wife and I are pretty much up for anything, but the problem is that the kids are fairly far apart in age. Young Miss is 12 and the boy is 4, and neither likes doing the same things. Boy is pretty much typical boy (my wife wonders if the sound effects are there at birth), and the daughter is more cerebral.
Obviously, the less expensive, the better. To us, Disney seems to be the best choice, since they seem to have something for everyone, but we are open to a variety of suggestion.
Disney isn’t cheap by any stretch of the imagination… and most likely you and your wife would end up splitting up since some attractions that are appropriate for a 12 yo wouldn’t be for a 4 yo. I think a cruise might be easier on everyone and would give the kids a chance to make friends and exlore on their own while you and the wife could relax by the pool. Well you wouldn’t want the 4 yo to roam alone but they have programs for kids that keep them occupied during most of the day. They can be quite economical if you can avoid the expensive land excursions. You might not be the “cruise” type, so YMMV. Not sure where you live but there are 4 day cruises out of LA and Miami that are fairly cheap right now.
Cruise was my first thought. I’m not the cruise “type” either but after just one, I’m addicted (we’re off to the South Pacific for Christmas in five days and three hours). If you can get past the fact that it’s a quasi-personal hell, they are fabulously easy holidays*.
*when I was a kid, my weird-ass parents thought a fun trip was dragging suitcases about from overnight train to cheap hotel. I found used syringes in my bedside cabinet once and I’m not over it.
Thanks, we were thinking a Disney cruis may be a great option for us. I like the fact that they have things designed specifically for the kids so mom and dad can have some time to do what they want as well. They are also running a 12 and under are free promo right now on their 3 night cruises, which helps the affordability. Now I guess I need to make some money.
We’ve done two Disney cruises and we’ve been to Disney with kids about half a dozen times.
The parks offer a lot more to do at all age levels - and a lot you can do with the family - plus some things you can do separate. You could take the twelve year old to catch the coasters first thing while your spouse takes the four year old to Dumbo. And I think you can do the parks as afford ably as you can cruise - cruising over Spring Break will be really expensive - particularly on Disney.
Orlando has awesome deals on offsite timeshares through Skyauction. I’ve heard of people staying in Orlando for a week for $200 for the whole week - in a condo with a pool. If you are close enough to drive to Orlando anyway, this can be a real deal (if you have to rent a car, you’ll need to factor the difference, as Disney will negate all transportation expenses if you stay on site - if you are off site, you’ll also need to pay for parking at the parks.)
That isn’t to say the cruises aren’t nice. They are.
Another option is to do an all inclusive beach resort. I’m expecting great deals to come out this Spring with the recession for the DR, Jamaica, and Mexico. They’ll have a pool and a kids club - and most kids are pretty happy with a pool. You can do a few excursions out to spend a day or two - if you do the Mexican Riviera Tulum is worth a visit (pack a stroller).
Dangerosa- I did some looking on SkyAuction, and it looks like there are some great deals to be had. Have you used them before? I guess some of it looks a little too good, so I am a little leery.
Also, would a 3 day cruise be worth it, or should I look at something with a few more days. It just seems like that is not a lot of time for the money?
An all inclusive beach deal may be really nice, my concern is the kiddies, since these always seemed more adult oriented. I agree that there will be deals coming in the next 2 months with the travel industry hurting.
I like the four day cruise - three days is too short. The seven is about a day too long for my taste and the four is a day too short.
I haven’t used Skyauction, but I know a lot of people who have.
A lot of the all-inclusives have kids clubs and family activities - some are VERY adult oriented, but others (like Beaches) cater specifically to families. There are a lot of web sites out there specifically for travel where you can ask questions on which resorts would be a good choice.
They have the best rates for taking a cruise and thousands to choose from. Usually more than 50% off face value. Me, my mom, and grandma took a 4 day trip to the Bahama’s from Port Canaveral in 05’ and only spent no more than a grand overall. The tickets themselves were only $200 a piece. This was on Carnival. Had it not been short notice and limited to specified time I’d probably go with Royal Caribbean for atleast a week. Can’t say they’re the best, but that’s just my personal opinion. Always seemed attracted to their advertisements.
There are tons of different cruises you can take. Always a good vacation. I’d really recommend taking a cruise for about a week. The time flies when you’re out there.
Really though, I’d consider Disney if they’d never been there. Disney World… Do the whole shibang! Definitely something you’ll have to experience sooner or later. But Disney can wait if you’re wanting to save money. They are damn expensive.
You’re profile say’s you live in Texas. I checked VacationsToGo and the port at Galveston has a bit to choose from in the $350-$600 range, per person, all ranging 5-7 days mostly. Keep in mind this includes food and shelter so there won’t be too many other out of pocket expenses. They have about 1-3 cruises leaving there per week at any given time of year so you’re not limited by any means on when you go.
DR- you are right, there are tons of sites out there, I just trust dopers more. I think we are just about on the same wavelength with cruise lengths, 7 days at sea is a long time, even if you are porting along the way.
EN- Thanks for the site reference, I’ve started poking around on that, on there seem to be some very good deals. Unfortunately, I live in Cincinnati, I just use Macho Grande because of the Airplane! reference, so I am going to have to fly to depart from anywhere.
Land vacation at Disney is still a possibility. Mrs. Striker has been there, and loves it, Young Miss is not big on coasters/ rides, but would love the science, international, and animal park stuff, and the boy is up for it all. I really wish i had the money to book them now, because they are having a book 4 nights gets 3 free promo. Unfortunately, you have to book by 12/20.
Well in that case, you can always find a port on the coast (there are plenty) and just drive there… hell, it’d probably be just as much money and less hassle to just fly for the 550 mile journey to the coast. Go check Kayak.com for flights. They are almost as good as vacationstogo…
Disney has been promo-ing a lot since about June - in a normal economy it isn’t like that - but in this economy I’d expect promos to get extended or something else to come along. And even if you don’t trust Skyauction there are a lot of values in the Orlando area. Register for the Mousesavers newsletter (www.mousesavers.com).
Is your Spring Break actually over Easter - cause if it is I wouldn’t go NEAR WDW - its too crowded to do anything. And I’d go to a beach or on a cruise where crowds are more controllable - even when Disney has an off year (which they will this year) Christmas and Easter are a zoo.
Their break is the week before Easter, and the Monday after, so I am guessing it is going to be packed. That was the only worry with the boy, he will not want to do lines too much, and I don’t want to have him on a leash.
Thanks for the mousesavers link, I will have to check it out, as well as the kayak link for flights.
Is out of country travel a huge hassle with kids in general?
We actually did a 4-day cruise with a 3-day WDW visit tacked on at the end. The kids really enjoyed it, although by the time I got home I needed a vacation! There are obviously lots of other options… a road trip, fly to someplace fun like Hawaii, or hit one of the many Six Flags parks. It really depends on your budget, how much time you have to spend and what your family enjoys.
I should also mention that visiting some of our beautiful National Parks can be a great way to spend your vacation. You can either camp, stay at a lodge or stay inexpensively at a motel in a town near the park. Yellowstone, Glacier and Yosemite are all great places to visit, although there are a lot of smaller and much less crowded parks spread around the country that are nice too. (You can always get an annual pass that pays for itself once you have been to 2 or 3 parks). Half the fun is planning the trip and seeing parts of the country you are unlikely to see otherwise. Lots of options out there…
Out of country travel is possible… but adds some tricky logistical issues. Travel time to and from Europe, let’s say, cuts into your vacation time significant;y, especially considering that you will be jet lagged when you get there. Some kids handle jet leg well… others don’t.
Canada is a great place to visit and the jet lag is usually minimal. Check out Montreal or the Lake Louise and Baniff area in Alberta. If you have a lot of time and money you can take the train for part of the way, which is fun and unusual. I would avoid Mexico unless your kids are seasoned travelers. Asia and Australia are pretty fair, and South America can be challenging. Traveling overseas can be a great adventure, or a complete disaster, depending on how well the family adapts to strange food and getting around in a foreign country. I took my daughter to Paris and London when she was 9 and she had a great time, however I had been to both places numerous times and knew my way around.
I like the parks idea, and I think the boy would love the hikes, climbing, etc… I know the wife would not like the camping idea, but lodges would most likely be passable. My concern is having enough to keep YM from getting too bored.
Thanks for the tip on Mexico, I was considering an all-inclusive, but this will be the boy’s first big vacation, and I don’t know how well he would deal. I would love to do Europe, but I am not sure that the youngest would deal with it or appreciate it, and I am thinking it may break the bank a bit.
Honestly, if it was up to me, we would get in the family truckster and hit the backroads going from one goofy place to another. Somehow, I don’t think the kids would be as appreciative of this experience as I would be, and my wife may hurt someone, including me. No penis would ensue.
When I said to avoid Mexico I wasn’t really refering to the all-inclusive resorts like Club Med, or a tourist area like Cancun, which is fairly safe and tailored to Americans, more of the ‘lets explore Mexico’ kind of vacation where you drive around and see the sights.
Traveling in Mexico isn’t like traveling in the US or Canada and being stopped for no reason by the local police for a ‘shakedown’ is a common occurance you may have to get used to. I just think it adds a level of stress and risk you don’t need when you are out with the entire family.
However, as always YMMV and many intrepid travelers have had a great time in Mexco exploring the sights…