A plane ticket is always at the top of my Christmas wish list. And I'm always on the lookout for great deals. (Helpful hint: The first two weeks of December generally are among the best time to find great travel deals as destinations look to draw visitors during the lull between Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. So if you don't have kids in school, or if, like me, you think traveling is an education in itself, consider planning a trip this time of year.)
Here's what I've got so far for December:
A $99 room deal at the most kid-friendly (and mom-and-dad-friendly) hotel I have ever visited with my kids: Nickelodeon Family Suites in Orlando, Fla. This all-suites hotel has two cool water-park-style pools, daily Nick-style "slimings" and (here comes the mom-and-dad friendly part) separate bedrooms for kids and parents. The deal is good Sunday-Thursday nights through Dec. 24 and is being sold as a shopping trip--parents get some perks at the local upscale mall while kids attend the "Nick After Dark" show (at a reduced price). It's called the "Shop, Play and Stay" promotion. Details are here. Here's the best endorsement I can offer: My son, then 10, didn't want to leave the hotel to go to Disney World. As if that isn't incentive enough, the forecast in Orlando for today is 84 degrees and sunny.
Another sunny option comes from Carnival Cruise Lines with news that its Imagination shop has been retooled with the addition of a new onboard water park. Cruises are a great family vacation--especially if you have slightly older kids who want a little space from you or a picky eater can always find something he or she likes on board. No one beats Disney for family cruising, but the folks at Carnival do a pretty good job. And what kid can resist a water park? The Imagination sails in the Caribbean and four-day cruises in December start at $239. More information, including some online deals, is available from Carnival.
If you're looking for something fun closer to home, consider the Great Wolf Lodge, one of the masses of indoor water parks at Wisconsin Dells. The resort does a Snowland winter extravaganza complete with snow falling in the lobby. It's kitschy fun for adults and real fun for younger kids. Rates start at $129, including passes to the indoor water park. When my family and I went last year, I watched as a mom dragged in three kids, two of them surly teens. She had not told them where they were going and clearly the teens were not in a mood to be with mom--until they got to the registration desk and realized they were spending the weekend at a water park. Mom was rewarded with enthusiastic hugs. For a look at all of the indoor water parks at the Dells, check out a report Sandi Pedersen, Susy Schultz and I did in 2003 in Chicago Parent. Some of the parks have expanded since then, but the round-up will give you some basic info and tips on making the best of a trip to the Dells. For info on Snowland at Great Wolf Lodge, click here. And always check the Internet before heading to the Dells (or just about anyplace else). There are always coupons and deals on the Web. Info on all the Dells indoor water parks is available here.
Happy travels.