It's Time to Go! My Favorite Tips for Family Travel

It's getting to be that time of year that families start packing their bags with spring break upon us and summer fast approaching. So I would like to offer some tips to make this year's family vacation memorable and stress free.

Travelling with a young one under 3 and would love to have some adult time? This is a tricky one because most kids clubs both on land and sea start at age 4 and require potty training. Of course Disney Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean on certain ships have a pay for nursery for your youngest, but what about land? Beaches Resorts, with 2 locations in Jamaica and the Turks & Caicos has certified nannies with a ratio of 3:1 included, but after hours care is extra. Karisma Resorts' Generations & Azul brands offer babysitting/nanny service for a fee. Another idea, invite the grandparents along, if they are anything like my late mother, she would insist you go out to dinner every night while she fusses over those kids. And don't think you need to pack a suitcase full of diapers & other supplies, there are companies who will have your favorite supplies waiting for you.

Thinking about visiting my friend Mickey at Disney World? Have you made your dining reservations yet? How about making your FastPass+ selections and what colors did you pick for your MagicBands? Still want to plan this yourself? Our travel agency’s knowledge of Disney products has earned us the distinction of being named an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. We were given this special designation by Disney as a result of our agency’s ongoing focus and commitment to planning customized, magical trips to the Disney Parks, Disney Cruise Line® and other Disney vacation destinations worldwide. Plus my insider knowledge gleaned from our many land & sea Disney trips.

Sailing the seas this summer? My December Cruise Tips give some of my top tips for cruising, which are even more important when travelling with toddlers to teens. Let's face it at any age kids don't like to wait and they do less well than us adults having to wake up at some ungodly hour to catch that early flight to the port. So flying in the previous day can help with those sulks and tantrums waiting to board the ship. Since your big suitcases will be delivered to your stateroom later, make sure you pack those swimsuits in your carry-on, because those slides will be calling your kids before they even see them.

Have a family unit bigger than 4 people and you haven't booked your trip yet? Get to it now! Those types of accommodations book fast, so don't wait. Depending on your family make up of ages, consider 2 rooms/staterooms, come on mom & dad do you really want to squeeze into one room and not have your privacy and worse have to share a bathroom with teens?

Also if you can't afford to leave a favorite toy or blanket, make sure that is the first thing that goes in the bag. Trust me on this, we made it to older childhood and luckily didn't leave a blankie behind. But watch what goes in a carry on. One of our bags was given extra time in the x-ray machine do to someone's Godzilla & friends collection, our eldest was in charge of that bag. He assumes that it was Hedorah, who is shaped a lump that caused TSA to give the bag an extra look or the TSA agent was just checking out my youngest's  Godzilla collection. Silly as it maybe it's moments like this, as the kids grow up that you remember. They are only young once, don't miss your chance to take Godzilla to the beach!

Park City, Utah - A Great Summer Destination

       If your like my family, mention Park City, and the image of a world-class ski destination comes to mind.  Everyone in my family loves our annual ski holiday at one of the great ski resorts that surrounds the city.  From the perfect snow to the world class restaurants on Main Street, to the convenience of being located only a 45 minute drive from a major airport in Salt Lake City; to my family and thousands of other families, Park City offers the perfect winter holiday.  But those same traits, along along with some great new ones, make Park City a great destination for an unforgettable summer family vacation.

       In the summer, the city comes alive with great festivals and is a mecca for outdoor activities.  Summer lasts longer too, with moderate temperatures well into the Fall.  With quick and easy access from Salt Lake City International airport, Park City offers something most other western resorts do not - time savings -  in eliminating the hours waiting for a connecting fight at an airport, to reducing the hours of driving from an airport to arrive there.  Best of all, the hotel rack rates are drastically less than what you'd pay in the winter; including some world class facilities.

Outdoor Adventures
       From great and affordable public golf, with spectacular mountain views to hiking and biking, adventure parks to great mountain fishing, Park City has many ways to enjoy the great outdoors.  The Utah Olympic Park, where you can watch Olympic hopefuls training or enjoys activities including a bobsled ride on the actual Olympic course, or an alpine ride.   Don't miss the Flying Ace All Star Freestyle Show on Sundays, where the winter Olympic hopefuls zoom down ski ramps and land in the pool.  The three Park City City ski resorts, (Deer Valley Resort, Park City Mountain Resort, and the Canyons Resort), each offer many miles of trails for hiking and mountain biking surrounded by spectacular scenery.  If you want even better vistas for enjoying the view, consider a ride on one of the gondolas or chair lifts the resorts run during the summer.  The Canyons and Park City resorts also offer even more activities including ziplines, an alpine coaster, fishing and horseback riding.

Entertaining Arts
       Summer in Park City offer seemingly endless opportunities to enjoy the arts, surrounded by the great outdoors.  Festivals are held throughout the season, including the Park City Kimball Arts Festival, held in early August with over 200 artists exhibiting along with local artisan food tastings.  The always popular Deer Valley Music Festival features the Utah Symphony giving pop-style outdoor concerts.  Other great music venues include the Saturday Summer Concerts Series, running all summer at the Canyons Resort, and the Big Stars Bright Nights Concerts Series at Deer Valley, featuring world famous artists that reach across the music spectrum from Lyle Lovett to Mandy Patinkin.  If your a foodie, then the Savor the Summit, and the Park City Food and Wine Classic are for you.  These two events, both taking place on Main Street, are great outdoor dinner parties, with tastings and classes, showcase why Park City has so many award winning restaurants.  If you have ever wanted to attend the Sundance Film Festival in January, but can't make it, go to the Canyons Resort Summer Film Series.  Shown outdoors all summer beginning at dusk, the film series presents a selection of Sundance Festival films.

Main Street
       Even with three great resorts, and all the area activities, the heart of Park City can still be found on Main Street.  The street itself is lined with great local restaurant serving a wide variety of mouth-watering delights that will satisfy any appetite. Mix in numerous shops featuring local artists and plenty of artisan and craft bars, yes you can drink in Utah, and you have a great place to enjoy a relaxing day or evening and hiking the trails.  Don't miss the weekly Park Silly Sunday Market, held every Sunday, where Main Street is closed to autos and the street is open to pedestrians to enjoy local arts and crafts, activities for the kids, food vendors, and a beer garden with live entertainment that runs all day.  If you want to learn about the colorful past of Park City in the 1800's as a mining town, check out the Park City Museum or take a popular ghost tour of the old town.

Summer Travel 2014: The Travelers Are Back!

       Say the word summer, and for tens of millions of Americans the word is most associated with travel and vacation.  Unfortunately for the travel industry, all segments; from airlines, to resorts, to cruise lines saw huge losses in demand from the recession as the American consumer cut back on both the quantity and amount spent on leisure travel.  The good news is the travel industry has seen small steady growth over the last several years, as consumer confidence has slowly returned.  The reports from several travel industry groups show that trend is accelerating, as more Americans  not only want to travel more this summer, but are willing to spend more while they travel.

       According to a AAA survey, a post-recession record 36.1 million people are expected to travel during the  Memorial Day weekend.  This is a 1.5 percent increase, for the traditional start of the summer travel season.  The US airlines expect 210 million passengers to fly this summer, the highest in 6 years, including a record 29.9 million on international flights.  In addition the AAA report stated that not only are more people planning on traveling over Memorial Day, they are willing to spend more.  AAA also reports that hotels rates are going up 2% and airfares are up 6% from a year ago.  This increased spending trend is supported by a spokesman from the travel website Priceline, who recently told CNBC that summer travel spending is up over 1% from last year.

       Not only are Americans planning on travelling more this summer, they want to travel longer and are willing to upgrade.  According to a recent American Express Travel survey, the average summer trip in 2014 will last 10 days, a huge jump from last years 7 days.  Also people want more out of their trips, and want to upgrade their experiences.  In an interview with NBC News, Laura Fink, vice president of marketing at American Express Travel, stated; " across the board...people are paying a little more for the extras, cabin upgrades on cruise ships, better rooms at hotels".

       What this means, if you have procrastinated and haven't finished planning and booking that trip you want to do this summer, you may want to contact a travel professional. It will save you hours looking up airfare, researching resorts and your sanity.