Family Beach Vacations - Tips and Deals

Walt Disney World has introduced special winter savings. Guests can now stay six nights and seven days at a select Disney Value Resort Hotel for US$433 each, a savings of US$121, based on two adults occupying one standard room. This includes upgraded tickets with Park Hopper Option and Water Park Fun & More Option, and is available most nights during the periods Jan. 1 to 12, 2006 and again Jan. 16 through Feb. 15.

The offer is also valid for travel most nights Feb. 16 through March 8 for US$533 p.p., which constitutes a savings of US$143. Families can add up to two kids in the same room for US$172 per child, aged three to nine. The number of packages available at these rates is limited and no group rates or other discounts apply.

January 9, 2006 - Club Med Adds More Family Beach Vacation Fun

From infants to teens, Club Med has always offered a fun and enjoyable vacation experience with villages that have been designed especially for families.

Club Med has now announced a number of new additions at the children's club at various locations. One of them is Petit Tennis, kids from 3 to 7 years old will enjoy tennis lessons geared just for them. With the use of mobile kits and specially designed equipment for young children, the program helps kids develop hand-eye coordination, teamwork and self confidence. It is available at Sandpiper, Punta Cana, Ixtapa and La Caravelle.

Hip hop dance fitness is now available for kids ages 4-17. Kids will get to learn the cool dance moves of their favourite music stars. Choreography is broken down into smaller steps and segments to make it easier for kids to learn. This new kids program is available at Sandpiper, Punta Cana, Ixtapa and La Caravelle.

There is also the addition of Putumayo World Playground Adventures. Here kids can explore and celebrate the world's cultures with interactive activities ranging from mask making to multilingual sing alongs and instrument playing. This is again available at Sandpiper, Punta Cana, Ixtapa and La Caravelle.

January 11, 2006 - Kids are focus at Dreams and Sunscape Resorts

The Seven Dreams and Sunscape resorts in Mexico and the Dominican Republic have added new Explorer's Club programs for children to their all-inclusive offerings. The fully supervised club is open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and incorporates activities for different age groups, varying by resort. The club is for kids aged three to 12.

For more information visit Dreams Resorts and Sunscape Resorts

January 13, 2006 - 5 Packing Tips for Your Family Vacation

Going on a vacation? Planning for that vacation is part of the fun. Packing for that vacation is the part of the planning stage that I love.

Ok, I was once a girl guide. The motto, Be Prepared still sticks with me. To be prepared for anything. On vacation, I often pull out from my bag all sorts of things when necessary. I used to carry a swiss knife with me as it is so handy, until I got sick of setting of alarms at airports and having to submit to body checks, just because of that swiss knife in my bag.

#1 Roll your clothes Your luggage can only pack in so many things. How are you going to pack your clothes, your kids clothes and your other travel essentials into that one bag? How do you get your clothes in without too many ugly wrinkles. Fold each item lengthwise, then roll it tightly. Pack in the large items first, then stick the smaller rolls into the empty spaces. Pack in the sock (also rolled into little balls) last as these can fit into the smallest spaces in your luggage. Oh, and stick to fabrics that don't wrinkle easily. Cotton polyester mix is great for a warm vacation while wool is great for a cold vacation.

#2 Bring along some detergent Your kids are going to run, play, sweat, get dirty over and over again during the vacation. At least that's what mine do anyway. Every family vacation calls for a bag of detergent. When I can find detergent bars, I'll bring those along, packing them in only when dry, to avoid messing up my luggage. When I can't find detergent bars, detergent powder would have to do. Either way, every night after we get back to the hotel, if we are going to stay in that same hotel for more than 1 night in a row, I'd wash everyone's clothes and dry them before I go to sleep. That way, we do not run out of clean clothes halfway through the vacation. After washing the clothes, I'd wring them as dry as possible and hang them up to dry. To make them dry faster, I'd drape them over the lamp shades and leave the lamps on when we go out. The heat from the lamps would dry the clothes faster than normal. Be careful you don't burn the clothes though. Keep the clothes off the bulbs.

#3 Bring a tiny light What I find handy is a tiny little torchlight. I use that to find my child's lost toy in the dark. On holiday, that mini torch is very useful at night. I even carry one in my purse when I go to the movies. We lost the car keys before and I used the mini torch to help me find them again. When it is dark, light the way with your torch. When the children are bored, you can entertain them with your mini light and fan. Blow a paper toy you fold with the fan. Tell stories with shadows cast by that light at night.

#4 Bring non spillables where possible Ever opened your luggage only to find that your lotion bottle exploded? Happened to me a couple of times. Everything in the suitcase is all messed up. A rotten way to start a vacation if you ask me. Instead, use single dose skin care, bring along solid lotion for your body and bar soap to bathe with. If you can find a shampoo bar that would be great. At least these wouldn't mess up your bag. Dry them before you pack them into their containers or plastic bag and then put them in your luggage.

#5 Bring your camera. You would want to capture the happy moments on your vacation. If you are going to the beach, bring along a water proof camera. If you can, bring along a digital camcorder so you can capture your vacation in motion and even turn that into a home movie.

Article by By Janice Wee
You can find the vacation packing tips and vacation essentials at vacation packing. You can find more cool stuff for women at http://www.family-vacations-plan.com.

January 15, 2006 - Spring Break for Families in Orlando

Orlando offers families the chance to reconnect while experiencing more than 95 attractions. In independent national surveys, parents consistently select Orlando as their number one spring break destination of choice.

This year’s Family Spring Break® celebration is even bigger with the addition of the ultimate interactive, technologically advanced and mind-stimulating event ever held for kids the first-ever Orlando World’s Fair for Kids.

This unique event is scheduled to debut at the Orange County Convention Center April 15-23, 2006. Spanning more than 1 million square feet (92,000 square meters), interactive pavilions will represent six worlds designed to engage the child’s mental, physical, creative and strategic skills.

Families looking to take part in all the action can plan their trip easily by gathering information and booking a package online at orlandoinfo.com/springbreak.

January 18, 2006 - Family Resorts In Los Cobos, Mexico

For Los Cabos, the only hotel I am aware of that has a kids club for the young ones is the Melia Cabo Real All-Inclusive Beach and Golf Resort which offers a seasonal toddlers program for ages 0-4. You would need to contact them directly to know of when they offer this program.

The property's amenities include the freeform swimming pool, children's pool area, Jacuzzi, two tennis courts, fitness center, climbing wall and zip line, complete activity program, and nightly entertainment with shows, karaoke, and disco. Activities for children are offered year round at the kids club (5-12 years old)

Although the Hilton Los Cabos and the Dreams Los Cabos Resort and Spa do not have children's programs for the under 3 group, both are recommended family friendly resorts in Los Cabos.

Check out Baby & Toddler Recommended Resorts

January 22, 2006 - Disney Has Celebrated 50 Years, Find Out What Is In Store for 2006 And Beyond

In addition to the continuation of the 50th Anniversary celebration that lasts throughout the new year, immersive Disney experiences that combine innovative, high-quality content with cutting-edge technology are in the works around the globe for 2006 and beyond.

At Florida's Walt Disney World Resort, a massive recreation of the Himalayas is the setting for a thrilling adventure called Expedition Everest, scheduled to open in April 2006 at Disney's Animal Kingdom. In their quest to bring authenticity to this new attraction, Walt Disney Imagineers partnered with Discovery Networks and Conservation International in a scientific expedition to the Himalayas for a first-hand exploration of the legend of the mysterious Yeti.

"Our passion for bringing great stories to life has taken Walt Disney Parks and Resorts to amazing places over the last 50 years," said Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo. "Over the next 50 years, we will continue to scale new heights in our ongoing quest to create great experiences for our Guests."

In California, the Disneyland Resort is bringing to life a popular creative franchise with Monsters Inc: Mike & Sully to the Rescue, which will open at Disney's California Adventure on January 23, 2006. And in 2007, new technology will take Disney storytelling to the next level as the "subs" return to Disneyland in Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. In this all-new adventure, Guests will travel to the undersea world of "Finding Nemo," where they'll see and interact with characters that appear exactly as they do in the Disney/Pixar Animated Studios film.

At Hong Kong Disneyland, Autopia, a classic Disney favorite, will let Guests of all ages drive along futuristic highways through surreal, out-of-this world landscapes. It will be the first Autopia with electric powered vehicles – and is scheduled to open in the summer of 2006.

Disneyland Resort Paris also plans several major new attractions to open over the next three years. Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast, based on the highly popular attractions at other Disney parks around the world, will open at the Disneyland Park in 2006. In 2007, Walt Disney Studios Park will add a new land called Toon Studios, which will immerse Guests in the magical world of Disney's animated movies. And in 2008, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror will come to Disney Studios – plunging Guests into a thrilling experience based on the iconic attraction at other Disney parks.

In the fall of 2006, Tokyo DisneySea also will open its own Tower of Terror.

Disney Cruise Line will offer Guests new experiences as well in 2006. In May, a new seven-night itinerary will be available that includes two stops at Disney's private-island getaway, Castaway Cay. The itinerary will also include a stop at Cozumel and a new port of call – Costa Maya. Additionally, in September the Disney Wonder will embark on two extended itineraries – one 10-night and one 11-night cruise to Southern Caribbean ports, including Barbados, St. Kitts, St. Thomas, St. Lucia, Antigua and Castaway Cay.

"As exciting as all these activities are, they represent only a few of the new products and experiences in development for 2006 and beyond," Rasulo added. "As Walt once said, 'Disneyland will never be completed, as long as there is imagination left in the world.'

January 29, 2006 - What Is There To Do With Kids In Hawaii?

Author James Michener got it right about Hawaii when he wrote: "You will fail to believe how one small portion of the world could be so crammed with wonders."

In Hawaii's world of endless summer, there are hundreds of entertaining wonders to be enjoyed throughout its six beautiful islands - Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and Hawaii's Big Island.

Whether by land, air or sea, Hawaii is one exhilarating activity after another with the opportunities for fun and excitement discovered island by island.

How about world-class golf, biking, hiking and horseback riding through balmy tropical landscapes? Soaring high above on a zipline adventure tour through a forested canopy over rivers and waterfalls, or even higher on helicopter tours over lush valleys, hidden waterfalls, and spectacular shorelines? Or taking to Hawaii's warm Pacific waters to surf, snorkel, scuba, kayak, or para sail? For a more leisurely enjoyment, one can explore the depths of Hawaii's marine life through undersea submarine tours, or sun and frolic aboard a cruise excursion.

And only in Hawaii can one explore an active volcano and watch the flow of lava up-close (but not too close!) and bear witness to earth's creation of land.

For educational enrichment, Hawaii offers more than 80 museums showcasing its culture, history, and the arts. History buffs will be fascinated by the "bookend battleships" of World War II now located bow-to-bow in Pearl Harbor: the revered USS Arizona Memorial and the gigantic "Mighty Mo" (Battleship Missouri Memorial).
Those wanting to be pampered and indulged can enjoy state-of the-art spas, the highly touted Hawaii Regional Cuisine, and everything-under-the-sun shopping.

And rarely does a weekend pass by without a celebration of Hawaii's multi-cultural heritage, Hawaiian music, or island-inspired sports event taking place.

In addition to activities that visitors can do on their own or book through a qualified member of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB), there are hundreds of fun and interesting things to see and do on HVCB's Calendar of Events - with the list growing all the time. Check it out online at GoHawaii.com.

How best to describe the Hawaii vacation experience? Jay Talwar, HVCB's vice president of marketing, sums it up perfectly: "There's plenty of time to do absolutely nothing … on your plane ride home!"