Need Vacation Advice Fast Please

My parents go every year to Florida and there is a standing invitation for kids to go down and visit (we pay our own airfare). This year is the first year that it seems like all the kids are taking them up on their offer - my brother with his 10 year old, my sister and her husband with their 8 year old twins, and potentially myself and my nanny with the boys. Trouble is that there isn't enough room, my parents want to have all the kids in the two middle weeks (they completely need the rest of the time to be grandkid free, that's for sure) so somebody has to be in an apartment close by (don't know how close by) and guess who that somebody is...the 5:30 a.m. wakers. Can't blame them but I'm trying to assess whether it is worth it. The flight would be $2272 and for what? Well, my kids loooove their grandparents, they will be excited beyond belief to be on an airplane, I think pelicans will blow their minds and they've never seen a sandy beach. Then again, I can't imagine them happier than kicking a ball around in the park at home - they really couldn't be laughing any harder at least. Is there a big difference in traveling with kids at 2.5 then waiting until next year? Will they be "easier"? Will they be able to appreciate things more? I'm assuming they will be pt by then ??? I'm thinking they MAY be out of cribs by then (though I hope not ) as right now we'll have to rent them. Is it worth the money at this age?

The other option I'm looking at is 2 nights at Great Wolf Lodge (about an hour from our house) and a night or two by myself at a spa (did I mention they wake up at 5:30?) I could do both of these things for about $1200 together if I did it right and probably about a thousand if I cut back on various things like size of room (kind of don't want to share a bed with my nanny...)

Anybody btdt and could advise me? I kind of have to make up my mind quickly (parental pressure).
Thanks

 

I can't answer your actual question; my girls are only 2.5 so I can't compare with 3.5... but figured I'd share our recent trip experience. DH had a conference in San Diego so we tagged along for five days. We stayed in a really nice hotel overlooking a golf course and the ocean. One day we did the SD Zoo, next day was the Aquarium, third day was the beach, every afternoon we went swimming in the hotel pool. All in all a lovely time and very different from our regular life. My girls were great and we all had fun, but they didn't appreciate things (like the ocean) the way I had hoped. After about ten minutes of whatever new or exciting sight, they were ready for the next adventure. And it was a lot of work! DH and I were so tired by the time we got home that we needed another vacation.

Mine are potty trained and sleep in regular beds, so we were able to put them in one hotel room with a queen sized bed. If I had to do the trip with rental cribs I probably wouldn't have bothered. My two cents...

 

A year later, being potty trained, being in beds, will make a huge difference. I say wait until next year when you can stay right with the grandparents. Do Great Wolf Lodge this year and take time for yourself. I have no problem traveling with my girls but if faced with a decision like this, I would choose to wait. :good:

 

Big ditto! We didn't do a big vacation with ours when they were 2.5 (we just rented a house an hour away from here for 5 days), for that exact reason. A change of scenery was nice for everyone, but a week would have been too long, and they weren't old enough to know how to be patient and cope with tiredness, lack of routine, unfamiliar food, etc.

This year (they were exactly 3.5) we went to Boston/Maine for 10 days and it was awesome. DH and I often remarked on how different (and not in a good way) it would have been if we'd tried to do that a year earlier.

 

There is a huge difference vacationing with 2.5 years than 3.5 year olds. Those are the ages my two were in the summer (we go to the beach for a week each summer) and this summer at 3.5 was much easier. :good:


I personally would not want to do Great Wolf Lodge with little ones though. I went with my 9 year old and her Brownie troop last summer, and it definitely seemed like it was more of an older kid place. I mean there were a few things that little ones could do, but not much. Honestly it looked like too much work to take little ones too that could not swim on their own, JMO. It was great for older kids who could swim and do all the water slides though.

 

I would wait a year if I were you! The kids likely won't remember it this year, but might remember the tradition if it starts next year. I love a good day at the spa, though... so that idea really appealed to me. I hope, whatever you do, that you have a great time!

 

I would wait. We did a beach vacation this past summer, but it was very low key, and we drove. Plus we took our Peapod Plus travel beds for K&K, so I didn't have to rent cribs.

Still, it was *interesting* being in a non-baby-proofed condo with two crazy 2-year-olds.

We have the opportunity to go to Hawaii in February with my DH's family -- his uncle is actually paying for the trip, but we have to pay for airfare. And, that would be more than $1,000 each for our family of five...plus, the hours on a plane, the time change, etc. is daunting. So, we're leaning against it, even though it's killing me to pass it up!

 

I would probably wait also..although I am considering take a trip with my two (and older daughter-16) when they're 2 3/4

This last summer we went to the beach for a week, 3 times. Each time the lil ones did better, but we brought most of their conveniences from home (we drive to the beach) We brought their porta cribs, toys, blankies, etc. It was difficult at first being in a condo/townhouse that wasn't child proof with two 2 year olds. Luckily we had family each time to help us ~ DH, my older daughter, grandparents a couple of times, etc.

I'm still trying to decide on our Disney trip for the end of March/beginning of April. I'm hoping they'll be PT'd by then, and since they're out of cribs now we won't have to bring those. It's still a tough decision. We all want to go on vacation, but not sure it's much of a 'vacation' if it's a lot of work while there.

Whatever you choose ~ I hope you have a great time!

April

 

Thanks so much for the fairly unanimous advice. I've decided to skip Florida this year and go to Great Wolf Lodge and the Spa instead. My mom is even going to join us for a day at the lodge in January so that should be fun. The spa will be a last minute thing depending on work schedules. Feels like the right decision but I'll be jealous and lonely in February - that's for sure.

 

We just returned from a long weekend at Great Wolf Lodge with our almost 4 year olds. There was one pool area that they really enjoyed and used -- the other stuff was just way beyond them. While we had a great time, I did find they were a little young for it -- the 9-12 year old crowd seemed to enjoy it the most. And, all of us were "tired" of it by the end, since the attractions there were a bit limited beyond the water park. So, I'm not sure how they would have done at 2.5 at Great Wolf -- I do think that might be too young to really be able to do much, but you are the best judge of that.

And, since you will have "help" at the Lodge, you should know -- the one we went to had a Spa right there! So you can combine Lodge and Spa, if you want.

Enjoy!

Meg -- mom to 3.75 year old boy/girl twins

 

I honestly think each age has its advantages and disadvantages. No particular age has stopped me from traveling. The kids have traveled so much and at every age they'll find something to enjoy. Sometimes I found diapers easier (less worries) than being potty trained, cribs are sometimes easier than regular beds. I don't think there is a perfect age to travel, and the fact that they won't remember is not an issue for us. We want to get out of our regular routine as a family, enjoy something else, be somewhere else. Of course, my twins will never remember they've been born in Chicago, visited Jamaica, been to China, Paris, and all these places, etc. but who cares, since we're here, have the opportunity, we enjoy it, and so do they. Sure it's hard work, and not always relaxing in terms of what that meant prior to having kids, but our lives haven't stopped because we had kids. It's a great opportunity for them too, to have different experiences, and see different things. You'll get more experienced every trip and learn to be more flexible as well.

I am not saying you should go this year or next year (and you've already made your decision) but just saying, there will always be something, but there is also always something to enjoy as a family.