Staying at one of the LEGOLAND hotels is one of the best ways to take your trip to LEGOLAND to the next level.

We’ve stayed at one of the one-site hotels several times now, and I can truthfully say I wouldn’t recommend it any other way.

With that said – at first glance, it can be expensive! We are always looking for ways to save on vacations, and when I first considered booking a LEGOLAND Hotel, it was so expensive.

Thankfully, there are some ways you can save, and in this post, we’ll share the best tips for booking a LEGOLAND hotel.

For the purposes of this post, I will be focusing specifically on LEGOLAND California and LEGOLAND Florida, as these are the locations we have personally been to.

Bottom Line: The best time to book the Legoland Hotel is during the off-peak season, midweek, and as early as possible. Keep an eye out for any special deals and promotions, and book at least six months in advance if you plan to visit during peak season.

Watch for Deals

On our most recent vacation to LEGOLAND California, we scored an AMAZING deal for the LEGOLAND Hotel and our tickets – it was 50% off. When I had looked just a few weeks previous to the deal. This was a Black Friday deal, and they have different promotions available throughout the year.

This was available directly through the LEGOLAND website. I even tried to score the same deal through our friends at Get Away Today, and it was still better to book directly through the website.

With that said, Get Away Today usually has the most up-to-date deals and promotions – so you should definitely check with them.

If you can’t find a deal for the hotel, you can usually find kids’ visit free tickets for LEGOLAND. These are typically available in LEGO-themed movies, certain food items, and you can often find them online as well. You CAN book the LEGOLAND hotel without buying tickets, so this may be something to consider.

Book Early

It’s important to book your stay as early as possible. The LEGOLAND Hotel is a popular destination, and rooms can fill up quickly, especially during peak travel seasons. By booking early, you’ll have the best chance of securing the dates and room type you want. Additionally, booking early can often lead to better rates and deals, so it’s a win-win situation.

Best Time to Book

When it comes to booking the Legoland Hotel, timing is everything. We recommend booking your stay as early as possible to ensure availability and to take advantage of any early booking discounts.

Off Season

Generally, the best time to book is during the off-peak season, which is essentially non-summer months – and avoiding any major holidays or the spring break vacation. By booking during this time, you can avoid the crowds and get a better deal on your room.

We have had great luck going in January, October, and early November.

Middle of the Week

The middle of the week is usually pretty empty, especially when school is in session. Even if you are going during peak season, I would suggest booking Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Many people will take trips over the weekend and may start them on Friday or flow over into Monday.

Peak Season Booking

If you are planning to visit during peak season, such as the summer months or school holidays, I recommend booking at least 6 months in advance to secure your preferred room type and to avoid disappointment. Even when we’ve gone during peak season, the best rooms have been already booked.

Booking Directly with Legoland

When it comes to booking a stay at Legoland Hotel, often the best way to do it is by booking directly with Legoland. Here are a few reasons why:

• Guaranteed Best Price: When you book directly with Legoland, you can be sure that you are getting the best price available. Legoland offers a price match guarantee, so if you find a lower rate on another website, they will match it.
• Exclusive Offers and Packages: Legoland often offers exclusive deals and packages that are only available to those who book directly with them. These can include discounted rates, free breakfast, and even free tickets to the theme park.
• Flexibility: When you book directly with Legoland, you have more flexibility when it comes to making changes to your reservation. You can easily modify or cancel your reservation without any penalties or fees.
• Personalized Service: When you book directly with Legoland, you can expect personalized service from their team. They can answer any questions you have about your stay, help you plan your itinerary, and even make recommendations for local attractions and restaurants.

Is the LEGOLAND Hotel Worth It?

This is a question that deserves its own post – but the short answer is – absolutely! Our boys all LOVE staying at the hotel, and it makes a trip to LEGOLAND feel so much more worth it.

Some of the things we love about staying at the LEGOLAND resort hotels include:

• Free deluxe breakfast – seriously SO yummy! At LEGOLAND California it is buffet style and in Florida it is family style. There are tons of options – I was so surprised at some of the items they had some mornings at the buffet. We love this!
• Super close to the park
• Early access to the park
• Fun surprises
• Activities/shows
• The Pool

What LEGOLAND Hotels are there?

Both the Florida and California locations have two different resorts that you can stay at:

• LEGOLAND Castle Hotel (California)
• LEGOLAND California Hotel
• LEGOLAND Pirate Island Hotel (Florida)
• LEGOLAND Hotel (Florida)
• LEGOLAND Beach Resort (Florida)

Booking a room at any of the LEGOLAND resort hotels is a great opportunity to make your vacation even more fun. By following a few of the tips we mentioned above, you are sure to find a great deal. Let us know in the comments if you have any questions or additional suggestions!

More Articles You May Enjoy:

• Legoland or Disneyland: Which is Better for Families?
• The Best Legoland Rides for Toddlers in Florida and California
• LEGOLAND California Tips: What to Know Before You Go (2022)

The post The Best Ways to Book Legoland Hotel: Tips and Tricks for Saving BIG appeared first on Magical Family Travel Guide.

Years ago, I had a friend tell me that her family preferred LEGOLAND over Disneyland.

My sister went to LEGOLAND and said the same thing.

We went a few years later, and it was really a miserable experience, and it left me wondering why anyone would like it more than Disneyland.

And then we gave it another chance, and we realized what a delight LEGOLAND could be. We’ve gone several times since then, and it continues to be a favorite family vacation.

The truth is, both of these theme parks are different. You can have an amazing vacation at either! But they serve different crowds and interests. If you are planning a trip to Southern California and you’re trying to decide which one to go to, this article should help you decide!

No matter where you choose, we recommend booking through our friends at Get Away Today. We have booked almost all of our vacations through them since 2008, and they never let us down. Use the code MFTG to get $10 off a Southern California Vacation package.

Cost

LEGOLAND is quite a bit less expensive than Disneyland, and you can often get second-day free tickets or a free kids ticket with the purchase of an adult. LEGOLAND California will often also include Sea Life Aquarium or the water park, or it’s a nominal fee to upgrade.

Disneyland gets less expensive per day the more days you pay for, but a one-day ticket is pretty expensive. For instance, we were looking at some yesterday, and it was around $95 dollars for a single-day ticket on Thursday – and this was for one park. If we wanted a park hopper, it was another $40+, and on the weekends, it was another $45 – making the one-day, park hopper ticket on a weekend nearly $200. This doesn’t even factor in the almost necessity of buying Disney Genie+, which increases the cost quite a bit, too.

Obviously, you get a lot more rides, and, of course, the “Disney” experience…but if you’re on a budget, it’s going to go a lot further at LEGOLAND.

Tickets and Reservations 

Food

Disneyland has MUCH better food and snack beverages than a landslide. LEGOLAND has a few different restaurants and food carts, but they aren’t always open, and I don’t find the food to be anything to write home about.

The food at any theme park will be expensive, but the kid’s meals are much more affordable, and there are better options at Disneyland. There is a lot more variety, it tastes better, and there are a lot more items available in various budgets.

We LOVE the Granny Apple Fries at LEGOLAND, but during our most recent visit, they weren’t even open for most of the day, which was a huge disappointment.

If you are a foodie and primarily going for food, Disneyland will win out. It has many more restaurants, and the quality of its food is top-notch. Disneyland is going to offer you a much broader selection and experience.

Disneyland also has a much better ordering system with its mobile ordering. At LEGOLAND, you can’t even see a menu with prices in the app – and I found it hard to find a menu when you go to the restaurant.

LEGOLAND is not a foodie destination – you’re probably better off bringing your food than dining on their pricey options.

Rides

Disneyland has a lot of amazing, state-of-the-art rides that you really can’t get anywhere else. They have rides for every age and type of person, and they are usually pretty reliable (though there are definitely always breakdowns throughout the day).

LEGOLAND has a lot of rides, and they are pretty fun – but few compare to some of the experiences you will have at Disneyland. I think kids under 11 aren’t going to care, but for the older kids and parents, they aren’t anything to write home about.

When our family talks about rides, we always mention ones from Disneyland like Web Slingers or Guardians of the Galaxy – LEGOLAND doesn’t usually dominate the conversation. We definitely enjoy them – but they aren’t usually as memorable.

With that said, they are generally well-maintained, which is good. There were a few rides down throughout the day during our most recent trip, but it wasn’t anything too crazy (unlike the first time we came years ago, when it seemed like at least half the rides were broken!)

Hands-on Activities

Both Disneyland and LEGOLAND have hands-on activities that you can participate in. I feel like they are more visible at LEGOLAND and easier to participate in (such as bins of LEGOs throughout the park). Here are some of the different hands-on activities at the different parks:

LEGOLAND

• Coast Guard Build-a-Boat
• Miniland
• LEGO Ferrari Build and Race
• LEGO Ninjago Training Camp
• Build Watevra You Wa’Na Build
• Dig Those Dinos
• Various large playgrounds – we LOVE these
• Mini figure trading

Disneyland

• Animation Academy
• Sorcerors’s Workshop
• Redwood Creek Challenge Trail
• Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island
• Pin trading

Crowds

LEGOLAND can be busy, though that’s generally during peak season and on the weekends. I feel like when it’s crowded here, it does feel more annoying having to wait in line for a ride that is kind of lame.

With that said, out of all the times we’ve come, it was only busy once. The rest of the time, we rarely have had to wait in a line, we can walk for five or more minutes and never run into someone, etc. It doesn’t feel like it’s a constant mad dash from one place to the other.

Disneyland always has crowds. It’s an absolute must to take advantage of early entrance options if you have them. While there are times that are busier than others, I think I would put the Disney crowd categories as “crowded” “more crowded” and “intolerably crowded”.

Here are some tips for managing the busy season at Disneyland!

Entertainment

While both parks have entertainment, nothing can really compare to the parades, fireworks, and shows that you can watch at Disneyland. LEGOLAND has a 4D theater, random character meet and greets, various shows, and other offerings throughout the year.

I would say that Disneyland definitely has the best entertainment with options to keep you entertained throughout the day. Here are some of the best options:

• Parades
• Firework Shows
• World of Color
• Hyperion Theater Broadway Shows – This was closed during Covid and has yet to reopen. It’s rumored to have a new broadway show coming.
• Phillharmagic
• Disney Junior Show
• Street Performances
• Mickey and The Magical Map
• Royal Theater Story Telling

Employees

With a few exceptions, we’ve found the staff at LEGOLAND to be a lot friendlier, accommodating, and overall more pleasant than that at Disneyland. I think it’s partially because LEGOLAND has fewer people, so maybe the employees don’t have to deal with as many unruly guests. But overall, they’ve been helpful and kind and almost always have a smile on their face.

I have found a lot of Disneyland employees (especially the younger ones) to be grumpy and not very friendly. I am sure this is not the case for everyone that works at Disneyland, but it seems like many of them have the power of being a cast member go to their head a little bit (or they just have gotten fed up with annoying guests, which is entirely possible).

Age/Demographics

This one is tricky. While I think ages 0-100+, all genders, and individuals from all walks can find plenty to do and enjoy at Disneyland, LEGOLAND is suited to a specific audience.

I told my husband today that if it were just him and me, I would not come to LEGOLAND, and Disneyland would be my choice. However, with our boys being their age, it’s almost a no-brainer that this is a better option.

LEGOLAND is great for ages 4-12, though I think the prime age is 7-10 when most children can do all the rides on their own. We have gone with children between the ages of two and almost eleven.

Under four can be tricky, as there are some age limits, and the height limits can be frustrating if you have a shorter child. There are a lot of fun playgrounds and rides they can participate in, but if they have older siblings that they see going on more rides, it can make it less fun.

I think tweens and teens can have fun here, but they will likely find that it’s not as engaging or thrilling. Our almost 11-year-old had a great time on our most recent trip, but there were definitely times you could tell he wasn’t as amused with the rides.

Unless you’re an adult that absolutely LOVES LEGO products, I doubt you’re going to find

Accommodations

At Disneyland, there are plenty of hotel options that give you easy access to the park. The Disneyland Hotels are pricey but convenient and very magical, however, there are tons of other hotels that are close by and in various price ranges. Here are a couple of articles that might be helpful:

• 9 Hotels CLOSEST to Disneyland – That You Can ACTUALLY Walk To
• 20+ Hotels with Disneyland Shuttle (Free and Paid)
• 15+ BEST Family-Friendly Disneyland Hotels with Bunk Beds

LEGOLAND California has two hotels – The LEGOLAND Hotel and the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel. These are very fun, themed hotels and you can often find a decent deal to stay there.

There is also the Sheraton Carlsbad that gives you direct access to the park. Otherwise, you can find a hotel somewhere else in Carlsbad, but you will have to park your car and drive there.

Character Experiences

Both parks have a variety of characters. At LEGOLAND, I found we encountered them most in the hotel, with a few appearances in the park. They were engaging, and there were never any lines to interact with them.

Disneyland definitely has a lot more and a wider variety of characters. They might be more recognizable and exciting for kids (and adults) to see. The lines can get pretty long, though. We always enjoy doing a character dining experience, which allows you to have some more one-on-one experiences with the characters. To my knowledge, LEGOLAND does not have anything like this, though you may see a character walking through the restaurants occasionally.

Hours

LEGOLAND is typically open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM (this can vary depending on the time of year). Disneyland is usually open from 8 AM to as last as 12 AM, so there is a lot more time to spend in the park. Occasionally they will close early for certain events, but when that happens, if you have a park hopper pass, you can just go over to the other park.

Because we still have a child that takes a nap, the shortened hours at LEGOLAND can make it feel like a big chunk of the day is taken up by that, which is kind of a bummer. We typically have one of us go back to the hotel for naptime and the other stay in the park with the children that don’t take a nap.

We did like that the SEALIFE Aquarium was open for a little bit longer, so we were able to go over there and enjoy that for a little bit after the park was closed.

I believe there are extended hours during special times of the year at LEGOLAND.

Pace/experience 

Honestly, LEGOLAND is SO much less stressful due to the lack of crowds. Forrest commented, “You know what I don’t see any of here. Kids having meltdowns.” Of course, there are always exceptions, but I think the overall pace and experience is just a lot more laid back at LEGOLAND.

I feel like no matter when you go to Disneyland, with the exception of “after dark” events and early access hours, you are hustling to get from one place to the other. If you have a lot of days at the park, you may feel less way, but if you are just on a 1-3 day pass, hustling is the name of the game.

Line Hopping

Both parks offer “line hopping” options as a paid add-on. At LEGOLAND it is called “Reserve ‘n Ride” and at Disneyland, it is the “Disney Genie+”.

“Reserve ‘n Ride” is for specific rides, such as LEGO Ninjago or Safari Trek. You can purchase them when you get in the park. They used to have a pass where you could go to the front of the line on any ride, but this appears to be discontinued. The cost varies depending on the ride and day you are going.

Disney Genie+ is a complex system that replaced the FastPass/MaxPass systems of the past. It is $20 extra a day, per person, and it includes a variety of rides. There are rides you have to pay extra for if you want to go to the front of the ride, such as the car ride. You can learn more about Disney Genie+ here.

As long as you are going during the week, I have never found Reserve ‘n Ride worth it or necessary. On the flip side, Disney Genie+ is almost a necessity if you don’t want to spend half your day in line. I wish they’d have a better system, because even the last time I went, it felt like we were waiting forever in the Disney Genie+ line, too!

Best time to Go

For LEGOLAND, if you go during the week and avoid holidays/school breaks, you should be pretty happy with your experience. Wintertime is a great time to go as the weather is pretty mild in San Diego, and the park is practically a ghost town.

With Disneyland, it’s a little more complicated. There are tons of calendars claiming to tell you the best time to go, but I feel like the days we think aren’t going to be busy are always really busy. If you can happen to go on a day that is colder, that keeps away some of the local guests. Definitely avoid school holidays, the summer, and weekends, for your best chance at a low traffic day.

Mobile app

Both parks have mobile apps that tell you about ride wait times, entertainment, etc. Disneyland is definitely more robust, and I definitely appreciate their mobile ordering feature. I really wish this was something that LEGOLAND would have!

Atmosphere

Disneyland is obviously very magical and Disney-centric. There is magic to be found around every corner. It does take having the right attitude, though, to not get frustrated by all the people. I have found there are a lot more rude/impatient people at Disneyland than I would like!

LEGOLAND is very laid back and relaxed, which our family loves! It is also a very fun and detailed place to visit. The amount of detail that goes into the LEGO creations throughout the park is incredible. Miniland is something you just can’t explain!

How many days?

I usually recommend a minimum of three days at Disneyland to get the most of your experience, though if you can afford more, that will make it easier to not feel like you are constantly hustling.

At LEGOLAND, I think two days is great, though our boys would have loved if we had one more day in addition to that. ON the first day, I remember thinking, “Are we even going to fill this day” but by the end of the second, I thought, “Hey, we could totally make another day here!” If the water park is open, you might want to consider three days, though you can see everything in just one day if that’s all you have!

Overall

At the end of the day, LEGOLAND and Disneyland are great destinations, but they certainly have differences. Most of the negatives can be mitigated with appropriate expectations.

But overall, if you have kids between the ages of 5 and 10 who don’t care a ton about “Disney”, you want a more relaxed and laid-back vacation, and your budget is smaller, LEGOLAND is going to be a great option for you.

We love both parks for different reasons, and I hope that this article was helpful. Be sure to book with our friends at Get Away Today and mention MFTG to get a special discount on Southern California vacation packages!

What do you think about these parks and our comparison? Let us know your experience in the comments!

More Articles You May Enjoy:

• The Best Legoland Rides for Toddlers in Florida and California
• Legoland Florida: What to Expect During Covid-19
• The Best Disneyland Rides For Pregnant Women + Tips for Success

The post Legoland or Disneyland: Which is Better for Families? appeared first on Magical Family Travel Guide.

Family Vacations to Myrtle Beach

Every few years, we are able to get together for a beach week with our East Coast family. 

While we’ve gone to different locations over the year, Myrtle Beach has been the destination more than once. 

Not only do they have tons of beach homes available – and great beaches – but it’s a pretty central location for most of our family back there (nothing is really central for people in Colorado, haha). 

This year, my sister-in-law and mother-in-law found a great beach house in North Myrtle Beach – specifically Cherry Grove – and it’s a trip we were all anticipating for several months. 

One of my good friends went to Myrtle Beach last year with her husband, and I thought it seemed like such a fun place to explore.

Although much of our time there was spent visiting, going to the beach, and letting the kiddos play, we were able to participate in some fun activities and eat some delicious food throughout our week there. 

The CVB at Myrtle Beach was generous in agreeing to partner with us while we were visiting, so I’m excited to share some of our adventures. Because the weather was kind of crummy about half the time we were there, it was nice to be able to check out some of the “inside” activities. Though the weather did get into the 60s for a few days, and the sun did come out here and there. For late December, there were moments where the weather was enjoyable.

Myrtle Beach attracts all kinds of people, but this travel guide is specifically geared toward those visiting who have children. There’s no way we could have done all the fun things this great city has to offer, but hopefully, this will be helpful to anyone looking to make a trip there with their family. 

Below I’ve divided this into different categories, and under each category, I will first share about the places we attended, and I will also mention some others that are available that I thought sounded fun. 

How to Save at Myrtle Beach

I was actually pleasantly surprised to see that Myrtle Beach wasn’t as expensive as I was hoping. I mean, it is a beach town, so I wouldn’t say things are *cheap*, but they are within reason. 

There are definitely ways to save even more though: 

• Priceline: I know there are a lot of discount retailers, but I always like using Priceline. This is a great way to find a good deal on hotels. VacationRenter.com is another one I’ve found recently that lets you compare rental properties AND hotels!
• Groupon: When we went to Myrtle Beach several years ago, we were able to get an awesome discount on the Children’s Museum. You never know what deals you will find there, so make sure you take a look. 
• Coupons: My philosophy is to always look for a coupon before you do something – just a quick Google search before you go to an activity or restaurant might save you a lot. Right before we bought our tickets for Medieval Times, I found a 30% off coupon that made it much more affordable for us to take our group. You can sometimes find coupon books as well – before you visit, you could consider buying an Entertainment Book for South Carolina.
• Group Rates: If you are with a group of your family or friends, and there are more than about 10 people, you might be able to secure a group rate for a hotel, activities, etc. 
• Look on websites: Always look on websites for special deals and promotions. 
• Go During Off Season: If you can swing it, it’s always going to be cheaper to go during off season. We went the week after Christmas, and I know it made it more affordable for the beach house we were in. 

Things to Do with Family in Myrtle Beach. 

Fun Activities in Myrtle Beach

Below you will find a variety of fun activities (both paid and free) for families visiting Myrtle Beach.

Walking on the beach. When the weather was good it was easy to leave the kids with someone and take a nice, relaxing walk on the beach. 

Watching the kiddos play in the sand and hop around in the shallow water. Forrest and his niece and nephews aren’t afraid to hop into the water for a bit, but it helps to have a wetsuit if you’re staying in for very long.

Forrest and his family played tag football and Ultimate on the beach.

Watch the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean. For the early risers, this beautiful offering of nature is always free. 

Forrest kayaked with Oliver and my father-in-law on the intercoastal waterway (it was free for us!). The intercoastal waterway doesn’t have waves, so it makes for calm kayaking.

Because we were there on New Year’s Eve, there were some great Fireworks displays going on. During the summer, if you go to Broadway at the Beach, they have shows at 10 PM on Tuesdays, at Barefood Landing on Mondays at 10:15 PM, and Second Avenue Pier at 10 PM. 

Paid Activities

WonderWorks

WonderWorks is probably the best activity we did at Myrtle Beach.

It is kind of like the coolest children’s museum you can imagine.

Initially, Wonderworks gives off a very unique first impression with its upside down look.

The first room you enter, where you buy your tickets, is designed to look upside down as well. I just realized that the first thing you go through is a hallway that seems to spin, and I wonder if that is supposed to transition you to being right side up again?

Wonderworks seems to be designed more for older kids, teenagers, and even adults. We had fun!

Initially, I would say that it was kind of loud.

We took our three year old and he had a bit of a hard time with the initial noise and a few other things.

However, there were a lot of things for him to enjoy, including laser tag (with help). I would imagine if you go more than once, then you can really focus on the things you and your kids enjoy most.

There is an educational purpose of a lot of the different activities and stations, but, to me, mostly it was just fun. If you wanted to focus on the educational aspects you certainly could.

There are six Wonder Zones. They are:

• Natural Disasters
• Physical Challenge
• Light and Sound
• Space Discovery
• Imagination Lab
• Far Out Art Gallery.

Most activities are included in your original ticket price outside of the arcade section. Members of our group experienced a storm wind room, hand plunge into arctic temperature water, astronaut spin simulator, basketball shooting competition, soccer penalty kick simulator, giant piano, a bed of nails, roller coaster simulator, 6D Theater, laser tag game, and an alien stomper game.

Unfortunately, we didn’t budget enough time for the indoor ropes courses.

It does cost money, so plan accordingly. They do have cheaper prices in the evenings (I believe after 5), so definitely look into that, especially if you have large groups. 

Ripley’s Attractions at Myrtle Beach

Ripley’s has a number of attractions in Myrtle Beach.

I am told that the Ripley’s Aquarium is very impressive. It is located at Broadway at the Beach, which also has a lot of fun shops, restaurants, and even rides.

Also, Ripley’s has some other attractions just off of the Myrtle Beach boardwalk that includes the Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Odditorium (like a museum), Mirror Maze, and a 5D Moving Theater.

I would suggest buying tickets for everything at once as a package deal, it is a much better buy that way. The aquarium is only about a 5-10 minute drive from everything else.

We only experienced the Mirror Maze and the Moving Theater.

The Mirror Maze was fun. If you don’t look down towards the lower parts of the glass, you really do have a hard time knowing where there is a mirror and where there is a walkway. It is a fun illusion. However, the illusion creates these long hallways, and the actual maze is not nearly that large.

We did get turned around a few times at first, so it is a bit tricky to find the exit. It didn’t take too long though, so there is no need to worry about getting lost for a long time.

The Moving Theater was interesting. It is a 3D movie theater with bucket-like seats that move. There are extra lights and puffs of air throughout the two roughly ten-minute movies to add to the experience. It is a bit loud and jerky, so they have a few non-moving seats in the front for younger children.

I believe the two three-year-olds in our group enjoyed the movies. Personally, I can’t say the movies were extremely high-quality productions.

For one, in the space movie the audience is supposed to feel like they are in a spaceship, but somehow explosions and other things cause cool puffs of air to be blown towards the audience. There is no wind or sound in space, so that really didn’t make a lot of sense. Plus, the timing seemed to be a little off sometimes. Though, our oldest son said that he really enjoyed it.

You can read more about all of their attractions and current best prices here. 

SkyWheel

The SkyWheel is a 187 ft tall Ferris wheel located at the boardwalk in Myrtle Beach. It has temperature controlled cabins, and you get to go around 4 times.

You’re able to see along the beach, the boardwalk, the business district around the area, and you can even see over to Broadway at the Beach. I’ve heard there can be long lines, but it seems that you should be able to ride longer if it is busy since it has to make more stops.

There was almost no one there the day we went, and our four times around went relatively quickly.

A tip, bring a selfie stick if you want a group photo. You can’t ask a stranger to take a picture once your up in the air. Forrest has a hard time looking normal in the selfies he takes of our family.

Mini Golf

The Myrtle Beach area is famous for having a lot of golf courses (over 100!) and claims to be the miniature golf capital of the world with its 50 mini golf courses.

Plus, the Myrtle Beach area is called the seaside golf capital of the world. With the weather and our schedule as it was, we weren’t able to play a mini-golf course.

However, we drove past a lot of interesting looking courses. Forrest did kayak past a nice look course very close to the beach. Forrest also played half of a disc golf course. Forrest likes how affordable it can be, and our oldest likes to go with him to play with his grandpa and uncle.

You can check out the most popular Mini Golf courses in Myrtle Beach here. Here are two very popular and highly recommended courses:

• Dragon’s Lair Fantasy Golf
• Jungle Lagoon Miniature Golf

Broadway at the Beach

Broadway at the Beach is the #1 tourist attraction in South Carolina. Here is a map to the whole group of things categorized as Broadway at the Beach. It is where WonderWorks and the Ripley’s Aquarium is located.

I didn’t realize, until after my vacation, how many of the activities across the street and near the main water area were part of Broadway at the Beach. 

You might be wondering why it is called Broadway at the Beach. There are a few reasons, as best as I can guess.

One is the theater Legends in Concert, that has a cast paying tribute to different musicians past and present. Plus, there is a regular movie theater with lots of screens. There are a number of restaurants inspired by performers and celebrities, including Hard Rock Cafe, Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen, and Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville.

There are about 20 other restaurants there too, that should cover almost whatever type of food you’re looking to eat. 

Beyond that, it is mostly a fun place with speedboats, helicopters, zip lines, a waterpark, a racing park, a baseball park, a Ferris wheel, a mirror maze, an escape room, and a bunch of other fun stuff. If you wanted to spend a lot of your time there without driving, there are even three hotels.

When we were there, they were advertising for $20 helicopter rides, which sounds amazing! I’ve watched a few videos on YouTube, and sometimes it seems like there is fun stuff going on all over the place.

We were there on a rainy, weekday morning in the winter, and there wasn’t anything going on outdoors. 

Other Activities You May Enjoy:

We obviously weren’t able to do everything while we were in Myrtle Beach, but there are SO many family-friendly activities. Here are a few others to consider:

• Children’s Museum of South Carolina – we went here a few years ago, and it was so fun. I believe it’s changed locations, but I would imagine it’s just as engaging. 
• Cherry Grove Beach Pier
• The Lowcountry Zoo 
• Myrtle Beach Pelicans (baseball) 
• Broadway Grand Prix
• Myrtle Waves Water Park
• Myrtle Beach State Park
• Go Ape Zipline and Treetop Adventure
• Brookgreen Gardens
• Pawley’s Island Hammock Shop Village

Live Shows and Entertainment

Medieval Times

We had never been to Medieval Times before our trip to Myrtle Beach. They have about ten different locations around the country.

My brother and sister had been, and they seemed to enjoy it. We budgeted some of our money to take about 11 of my family to a show together.

We were hoping that it would be okay for a wide age group, and I think things turned out pretty well. Most of the younger kids we either occupied watching the show or eating the food.

The show does last a few hours, so some of the babies had to be held or walked around for a little bit.

The show includes some Renaissance style dramatic storytelling, horsemanship skills, horse dancing/prancing skills (whatever it is called!?), and a dramatic faux tournament of knights competing and fighting.

Different sections are assigned different knights to cheer for. I did a lot of cheering. It turns out that our guy was the bad guy, but it was still fun cheering for him until he was eliminated!

Sometimes the knights would throw flowers out to different ladies, girls. My niece next to me was excited to get a flower!

The food is the same for everyone, though they did make an effort to provide some substitutions according to different dietary needs. A drink is included….but it’s only water or pepsi. 

True to the era of knights, I’m assuming, there aren’t any utensils. The chicken they give you is huge. I think it was half a chicken. They did give us a foil-lined pouch for our leftovers, so you don’t have to worry about food waste.

The food was filling, but I wouldn’t say people go there for the food.

We wish we’d been able to check out some other shows while we were in Myrtle Beach. Here are a couple we definitely don’t want to miss next time:

• Pirate’s Voyage
• The Carolina Opry
• Alabama Theater

Food

First, I’ll mention a couple of the places we ate at. 

Nacho Hippo

I love Mexican food – especially nachos – so when I saw this on our list of recommended restaurants, I knew we had to try this one out. 

There are a couple of locations – and we went to the one in North Myrtle Beach. 

We were seated pretty quickly, which was nice. They had a good sized menu – though it wasn’t too large (large menus are always so overwhelming to me!). 

We ordered an appetizer and a plate of nachos to share, and we loved them both. 

I think that fried corn bites (can’t remember what they were called!) are amongst the best things I’ve ever eaten. They were SO good. 

We got shrimp nachos (without the jalapenos), and we thought they were yummy. I do think there could have been a little bit more shrimp on them. Oliver thought they were too spicy. 

You can read lots of reviews here. 

Wicked Tuna

Forrest and I were really looking forward to coming here. My friend had raved about it, so I couldn’t wait to come in. 

The Wicked Tuna is a really unique restaurant at Murrells Inlet. It sits right on the inlet, and they have their own boats that catch the seafood.

Apparently, they are one of the only places on the East Coast that do this, so I thought that was pretty cool. Apparently, some coastal restaurants use seafood from other countries.

We sat underneath a covered patio, so we were able to enjoy the views on a colder day. 

The Wicked Tuna has a huge menu of seafood, as well as sushi. It was hard to decide what to get, but in the end, I got shrimp and grits, and Forrest got the “catch of the day” with grits. 

We both loved these dishes. Lots of flavor, the seafood was cooked well, and they were just very delicious. 

We also got a couple of appetizers – white corn guacamole and crab wontons. 

Jack said the wontons were his favorite thing!

We finished off the meal with a couple of desserts. 

The creme brulee was the best I have ever had – and possibly the best dessert I’ve ever had. It was creamy with a nice crunch on top, and the addition of the strawberries was the perfect touch. I couldn’t get enough of it! 

The boys had chocolate pudding with gummy bears – it was very thick and rich. It wasn’t our favorite, because it tasted like there was a touch too much cocoa powder. But the boys enjoyed it. 

Simply Southern Smokehouse

We ate at Simply Southern Smokehouse on the last day of our trip, because Forrest wanted to make sure he enjoyed some good Southern BBQ and sides before he went back to Colorado. Also, it was close to Broadway at the Beach, and we weren’t really feeling their options at the time.

Simply Southern Smokehouse is buffet style, where you pay beforehand, and you leave your tip on the table when you’re done. There were a lot of traditional Southern items, including entrees, sides, salads, and desserts. Drinks are included. Our lunch price was $10.99 for adults, and $8.61 for kids 5-11 (I believe kids under 5 were free).

I think we all enjoyed the food and ate way too much. Forrest especially enjoyed the classic Southern sides and desserts. Because it would take me too long to describe, here is their menu.

It has excellent reviews online – be sure to check them out here. 

I Love Sugar

I Love Sugar provides quite the candy experience near the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk. It is bright, colorful, beautifully decorated, and just smells great. I was impressed by the chandelier ball of gummy bears.

There are all sorts of different candy options. There are large candies, small candies, retro candies, Harry Potter Candies, and just lots of different colors and flavors.

Plus, they sell gelato and sorbets. There are useful little tables by the store windows to eat either your candy or gelato. The sour gummy worms were extra delicious.

Peaches Corner

Peaches Corner is an old school diner establishment that has been around over 75 years. It is located right next to the boardwalk and beach volleyball courts. They primarily sell, hamburgers, hot dogs, and ice cream.

Overall, our experience wasn’t the most amazing. They were a little slow at the time, our waiter was a little loud for our tastes. Forrest decided to risk ordering the very large Beach Party, which, reportedly, was delicious. Though, it looked very unhealthy. It has a beer battered, deep fried hamburger patty, so delicious and unhealthy is about what you would expect!

Myrtle Beach Family Friendly Restaurants:

All of the places we went to above were family friendly – but there are many more. Here are a few more options to consider while you are at Myrtle Beach: 

• Drunken Jacks
• Tupelo Honey Cafe (We LOVE Tupelo Honey here in Denver!)
• Ultimate California Pizza
• Le Cupcake Cafe
• 2nd Avenue Pier
• Wahlburgers
• Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen
• Senor Frogs
• Carolina Ale House
• Sea Captain’s House
• Croissant’s Bistro and Bakery
• Loco Gecko 
• Johnny D’s Waffles and Bakery
• Lulu’s Cafe
• Z’s Amazing Kitchen
• Flying Fish Public Market and Grill
• Bonfire Tacqueria

Where to Stay 

There are tons of places to stay in Myrtle Beach – beach homes, condos, hotels…there’s really something for everyone, and I from my brief searching, many of the options are pretty budget friendly. 

Deciding where to stay will just depend on your needs. We enjoy staying at a beach house when we come here, because we are usually with a large group of family. The rates can be pretty affordable, especially if you going during offseason. 

We checked out the prices for some of the hotels in the area, and they were also very affordable. Priceline is always a good place to book, especially last minute trips. 

We would suggest going on Trip Advisor to check out reviews of different places to stay. 

The post Things to Do in Myrtle Beach With Kids: The Ultimate Family Guide appeared first on Magical Family Travel Guide.

I was really excited to be able to get a couple of press tickets – we had an extra one, so my little brother, Michael, was able to come. What did he think?

Well, he said dreams came true that day, and it would be practically his dream job to work there.

I’d say it was pretty much a success.

Leading up to our visit, we all were getting SO excited. We drove up from Anaheim in horrible traffic (but isn’t that always the case in California?), and it was pretty hot outside, but none of that mattered when we first entered the gates. It was so magical from the moment we got there. It’s about 1/3 the size of the Wizarding World in Orlando, but it was still incredible.

If you are a Harry Potter fan, this is a must-visit location. It was a bit out of our way, but I’m so glad we went. Since it’s a new place, I thought I would write a few tips and tricks for navigating the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Hollywood’s Universal Studios!

First off, if you are going to buy tickets, buy them from Get Away Today! You can buy them just for Universal Studios, OR you can buy a bundle with tickets to Disney, which is awesome. I think they have the best prices on tickets (especially when you bundle with Disney), and their prices on hotels are pretty unbeatable as well. If you book your tickets and a hotel through Get Away Today, you can get $10 off using the code ClarksCondensed!

Plus, you can use their awesome layaway plans so you don’t have to pay for the entire trip until two weeks before you leave. We planned most of our California trip through Get Away Today, and they made it so easy.

Now, on to the good stuff!

When to Go

We went in the middle of the day, and it was quite busy! Everything I’ve heard and read has said that you should either go first thing in the morning or wait until later afternoon.

With that said, the longest line I saw as for the Ollivander’s Wand choosing ceremony. The other two main attractions really didn’t have the longest waits at all. We went right in the middle of the afternoon even!

What to do First

There is a lot to look at inside the Wizarding World, so I recommend taking your time. However, the two places that had the longest lines were Ollivander’s Wand Shop and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. I will talk about these more in a bit, but they definitely had the longest lines.

I recommend grabbing a big cup of butterbeer while you wait in the line – if it’s out outside, it will definitely help make the wait a little less long.

The Three Broomsticks

We didn’t get a chance to eat here, but I wish we would have. It sounds amazing, and if you go, I think you should definitely make an effort to eat there. It sounds like it has a lot of traditional British fare.

One of the employees at Honeydukes told us that if you have a party of four or more, the cook will bring the meal out to you personally. I thought that was kind of cool!

Even if you don’t want to eat there, you can take a tour. We didn’t get the opportunity to do this, but I wish we had.

Butterbeer 

You can’t visit without getting Butterbeer. Not gonna lie – this is what I was looking forward to most! They have two stands throughout the Wizarding World, and you can also get it in the Three Broomsticks and at Hogshead.

They have two versions – the frozen kind and the regular kind. Forrest and I opted to try out the frozen version, and it was SO good. I wanted to go back for another one! We also bought it in the collectors mug, just because we could. My brother, Michael, got the non-frozen kind, and he said he preferred it over the sip he had of ours.

My friend, Brittany, said her favorite thing to do is mix the two kinds together. That sounds pretty amazing to me!

We also really enjoyed the pumpkin juice, which was another option available at the drink cart!

Rider Switch

This isn’t just in the Wizarding World (it’s available throughout all of Universal Studios), but it’s worth mentioning. I think they have one of the best rider switch programs in all of the theme parks I’ve been to. I was especially impressed with how it was set up in the “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey” ride. There was a big room setup where you can go and sit with your kids and can switch with the other adult after they ride. I like that you could take your kids all the way through Hogwarts, because it’s seriously the most amazing place! I don’t think kids should have to miss out on it just because they are too short for the ride.

Ollivander’s Makers of Fine Wands

We didn’t buy wands, but you can buy them in Ollivanders. I believe they ranged from about $30 to $50, depending on what kind of wand you purchased. They have interactive wands for purchase, which are really cool. They are set up to work at different spots throughout the Wizarding World (I believe there is a map included to show you where.) It really can make your visit that much more magical.

Even if you don’t want to buy a wand, definitely visit Ollivanders. It’s really pretty cool. We enjoyed looking at all the wands for different characters for Harry Potter.

If you do choose to buy one, you can either choose a wand from one of the Harry Potter characters, or you can select one based on personality types. There’s one for everyone!

Attached to Ollivander’s is a place where you can watch a wand choose a wizard. There was a super long line for this. About 10 people are taken into a room at a time, and one or two people in the group are chosen to be a part of a wand choosing ceremony. It’s pretty fun to watch!

I wasn’t entirely sure if you had to buy the wand if you were chosen, but from my research you do. Some people say that if you are a chosen you can get a discount, but others said they didn’t. So I don’t really know! What I did find out is that if you have a AAA membership, you can get a discount.

There is also a cart outside of the Flight of the Hippogriff where you can purchase wands.

Performances

On the center stage in the middle of the Wizarding World, there are different performances throughout the day. Don’t just pass these by – there are so fun to watch. I believe they have the Frog Choir and a TriWizard Spirit Rally. It really felt like we were right in the middle of Hogwarts attending school. I loved it!

Harry potter and the Forbidden journey

This is seriously the coolest ride I have ever been on. I can’t even explain how amazing it was! We had front of the line passes, but I would have been more than willing to stand in line for awhile for it. It’s a virtual reality ride that moves around. I loved how long it was, and how real everything seemed in it.

The line for this ride goes through Hogwarts, which is an amazing attraction in and of itself. It really feels like you are walking through the corridors of Hogwarts as a student. I wish we hadn’t have rushed through it so quickly!

Owl post 

There is an Owl Post in the middle of the Wizarding World where you can go and buy different products (including stuff owls). It’s kind of a fun place! You actually can send a letter to someone here, which would be a nice surprise for any Harry Potter fan. I do recommend bringing your own stamps, though!

Flight of the Hippogriff

This was a fairly fast ride, and the line was pretty short. Most of the time, it said the wait was about five minutes. It was fun, but it wasn’t really anything special. So if the line is super long, don’t feel like you are going to be missing out on anything magical. It’s a little rollercoaster, and it made me feel like I got a little bit of whiplash afterward. It was still fun, though!

Honeydukes

You have to go to Honeydukes! It’s every bit as amazing as I imagined it to be. They had tons of different kinds of wizarding treats. Jack was in heaven (even though he didn’t end up getting anything.)

I do recommend hitting Honeydukes on your way out, though. They have lots of delicious candy and treats, but I’d be worried about them melting as you walk through the park. Also, it’s a good way to get your kids to behave if you bribe them with a trip to the candy store 🙂

Shopping

There is a lot of shopping all around the Wizarding World. They have Ollivander’s and The Owl Post, as I already mentioned,

Photos

You can take most of your own photos inside the park. We loved being able to take pictures in front of Hogwarts and other places throughout the area. However, there is one place where you can get a professional collectible photo taken as if you are inside the Hogwarts Express. We opted not to do this and instead took one on our phones in front of it with the conductor. But if you want a nice memorable one, you can definitely go this route!

Take time to  look around

Finally, just take enough to walk around and soak everything up. So much attention to details were put into creating the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. You can see mandrakes, quidditch equipment, wanted signs, the Hogwarts Express…everything just feels so magical. It really reminds of exactly what I thought living in Harry Potter’s shoes would feel like. I wish we had more time (and it hadn’t been so hot) so I could have looked at everything!

Don’t forget to the get BEST ticket prices and vacation packages in Southern California through Get Away Today, including $10 off vacation packages booked with the code MFTG.

The post 10 Secrets, Tips, and Tricks for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Hollywood appeared first on Magical Family Travel Guide.

We’ve been to Legoland a few times with a toddler. While it can feel pretty non-toddler at times with lots of height requirements, there are actually quite a few rides and attractions that they can go on.

The key is making sure they know there are lots of activities they can do and to not make them spend half the day waiting for their siblings to get off rides they can’t go on! While they may not be able to go on a roller coaster, there are a lot of toddler-friendly things that younger kids can really enjoy.

This does mean that a parent or guardian might have to skip out on some of the fun, but really, some of my favorite rides at Legoland are the little kids’ rides.

In case you aren’t really sure where to start, here are some of our favorite rides that our toddlers have loved. We have short kids, so yours might be able to go on additional rides – but these ones should be accessible for most toddlers.

Since we have gone to both Legoland Florida and Legoland California, I thought we’d include attractions from both. Legoland can be the perfect place for kids of all ages, especially if you go at the right time of year. There was hardly anyone there when we went, and it was a blast! We could have spent more than one whole day there.

Be sure to check out our post about Legoland California tips!

Ready to book your trip? If you are heading to California, be sure to book with our friends at Get Away Today! They are the experts for all things family travel, and they’ll take care of you. Mention Magical Family Travel Guide or use the code MFTG to save $10 on a Southern California Vacation Package!

Florida

We spent a lot of time in Duplo Valley, which is specifically designed for youngsters. Because so much of Legoland isn’t really toddler-friendly, I really appreciate that they have this space available.

Grand Carousel

As soon as our toddler saw this, he was so excited and insisted on going on it over and over again. This is a two-level carousel with a variety of horses and seated options. It’s colorful and fun, and it’s perfect for toddlers.

A carousel may not seem that exciting, but for our toddler, it was the most fun thing we did that day! This is right outside of Duplo Valley and at the entrance of the park.

Duplo Train

This train ride was another favorite – it is inside Duplo Valley. Our son was really into trains when we went to Legoland, so it was a big hit. You get to ride around the track a few times. Very fun!

Duplo Tractor

We also really enjoyed the Duplo Tractor. Our toddler loved riding with his older brother on this ride in the front seat!

Boating School

Our son was barely tall enough for this one, but he loves water, so we were excited when we saw he was tall enough.

Safari Trek

This was one of my personal favorites. You get to go around a little track on a “Safari Trek” and see a bunch of different LEGO animals. Some of them make noise. Our son got a real kick out of this one!

Lost Kingdom Adventure

The majority of the rides I’ve mentioned are very young child-centered. Our older boys are good sports and went on them with our youngest, but we were excited when we found a ride that everyone could really enjoy!

It wasn’t too dark or scary. Our toddler obviously wasn’t that good at shooting with the laser pointer, but he thought it was so fun to try. We went on this one over and over again!

Pharoah’s Revenge Land of Adventure

I put this one with the caveat that if your toddler doesn’t like water, you might want to skip it. However, it’s a very slow-paced ride, and it’s pretty fun because you can shoot your water sprayer throughout it. This is in the Lego Movie area, which is my big kids favorite!

California

We haven’t been to Legoland since our now six-year-old was just two. It actually wasn’t the best experience, just because it was SO crowded the day we went, and our son was pretty sad he couldn’t go on a lot of rides. But there were a few stand-out rides, and if you make sure you hit these ones, your toddler will have a great time.

Queen Watevera’s Carousel

This is California’s two-layer carousel. Lots of fun for all!

Legoland Express

This is in Fun Town and very similar to the Duplo Train in Florida. I remember having so much fun on this with both our boys!

Sky Patrol

If you have a toddler obsessed with flying and helicopters, you won’t want to miss this one. You are in control of having the helicopter go up and down and side to side. It’s a lot of fun!

Skipper School

This is very similar to Boating School. It’s trackless, so it’s fun to go with other family members in other boats. A toddler can help you steer or just go along for the ride!

Fairy Tale Brook

When we went to Legoland California, this ride was broken down, and I was so sad! It looked like it would have been so much fun. You float around in Lego boats and get to see timeless fairy tale stories through Lego characters. It’s a fairly interactive ride that is perfect for young children.

Safari Trek

Very similar to the one in Florida, this is a great one for a toddler who loves animals!

Lost Kingdom Adventure

Just like in Florida, this one isn’t particularly geared toward toddlers, but the whole family can go on it and enjoy it!

Non-Ride Attractions

There is a lot more to do at Legoland than just ride rides – be sure to check out the Lego displays, play in the Lego construction areas, and see the Lego shows.

We had a great time at one of the shows in Florida that was done in the water. Our toddler absolutely loved it!

MINILAND USA

Both Florida and California have their incredible “MINILAND USA” displays with Lego models of different cities and tourist attractions across the country. We could spend hours here! While our toddlers have been less enthused about staying for long periods of time, they definitely get a kick out of the interactive displays, such as the water cannons. The interactive element of this area makes it a great fit for all ages.

In Florida, we really liked it because they have a huge canopy over it, which can give you some much-needed relief from the sun.

Playgrounds

There are several little playgrounds throughout each park that are perfect for toddlers. In Florida, they have the “Florida Prepaid Playhouse”, which we discovered way too late in the day! It had slides and other play structures inside which our kids loved – it was the perfect toddler play area, and I wish we had discovered what a great place it was earlier on! Sometimes there are larger Lego bricks available that the kids can play with.

Water Play

Both California and Florida have some really fun “Splash and Play” areas that have toddler-friendly water features, which are a lot of fun!

More Tips for Success

Stay On Site

This may not always be possible, but if you are able to stay on-site at a Legoland hotel. I would recommend you do! It was SO nice to be able to go give our toddler a nap during the day while letting everyone else keep playing. The Legoland Resort hotels are so close to the park, and it’s nice if you forget something, too! It makes your trip to the Legoland Theme Park just a little bit more special!

Take Breaks

Legoland can be exhausting for anyone – but especially toddlers! Give them regular snacks and water breaks. If you find they are getting a little unruly, take them back to the little kid zone and let them explore for a while. It can be hard to see everyone else going on lots of rides!

Know the Height Restrictions

This can help set you up for realistic expectations if you know the minimum height for different rides. The first time we went, my son was about 1″ too short for SO many rides, and we didn’t realize this until we got there. It was really disappointing for him and us!

Take Turns

It can be helpful to have someone assigned to the toddler, but let that person have a break every now and then, too!

Parent Swap

When we went, there were no lines, so we didn’t really need a parent swap. However, if there are bigger crowds, this might be something to consider. Some rides will let you do a rider swap, where one parent/guardian stays off the ride with the toddler, and then can immediately go back on when the other part is done.

Baby Care Center

I am always grateful when an amusement park has a baby care center. This is a place where you can feed your child, change their diaper, or just take a little break from a busy day at the park (maybe when people are going on bigger rides !).

Legoland has something for everyone, and that includes toddlers! With rides like the Duplo Trains and Carousels, even the youngest Lego fan will have a Legoland ride that is made just for them.

More Posts You Might Enjoy:

• 6+ BEST Toddler Shoes for Disney World and Disneyland Vacations
• 20+ Airplane Snacks for Toddlers + Expert Tips for Success
• The Best Rides for Toddlers at Disney World + Disneyland

The post The Best Legoland Rides for Toddlers in Florida and California appeared first on Magical Family Travel Guide.

When you think of “magical adventures” with your kids, a trip to a National Park might not be the first thing that comes to mind.

However, I think exposing kiddos to the great outdoors is one of the best adventures we can take them on. And Yellowstone is one of my favorite destinations.

There is a lot of driving, but it’s full of so much wonder. Every time we have gone, my kids proclaim how much fun it is at the end of the trip.

Many people think of Yellowstone National Park as the place to visit if you want to see some exciting wildlife. However, there are other great reasons why a family should consider visiting this famed park.

In addition to all the amazing animals, there is plenty of hiking and outdoor activities that can be enjoyed by even the youngest family members while they explore one of America’s most beautiful natural wonders!

If you’re looking for a vacation that will have something for everyone in your family, then make sure to pack your bags and head out on an adventure with us today! We’ll provide you with some top tips so you don’t miss out on anything during your trip!

When to Go to Yellowstone

As with most destinations, Yellowstone can be busy. You are most likely to see the highest crowds during the summer. This tends to be the easiest time to see a lot of sites and animals because the weather is warm – however, it’s also prime vacation time for families, since kids aren’t usually in school.

Planning Your Trip

So how do you plan your best Yellowstone vacation? Start by choosing what type of trip meets your needs (day trips from nearby towns, short hikes without backpacks) then look at the different sites, hikes, and options.

It’s impossible to see the entire park in just one, or even two, days. Definitely get a hold of a map of Yellowstone and plan out some routes.

Where to Stay in Yellowstone

Yellowstone has a variety of accommodations for all budgets. There are lodges as well as campsites where you can pitch a tent or park your RV. No matter what type of lodging you prefer or can afford, Yellowstone is sure to have something that will meet your needs.

Staying in Yellowstone

During our most recent trip to Yellowstone, we stayed in the park in an RV that we rented. It was such a great experience. There are pros and cons to staying within the park (such as pretty much having no cell phone service), but overall, we preferred it.

Yellowstone is a lot of driving and some of the popular off-site locations aren’t super close. Even if you stay somewhat close by, it can feel like it takes forever to get into the park. With little kids, it can be nice to limit driving as much as possible.

On the other hand, you might be able to find more fun or comfortable accommodations off-site. Yellowstone books out pretty quickly, too, so it can take some planning ahead of time to get what you want.

If you’ve decided to stay in Yellowstone, there are a few different options:

Best Campgrounds in Yellowstone

This is definitely the most affordable option for staying in Yellowstone. Yellowstone offers various campgrounds. They have very basic amenities – such as bathrooms, showers, and wash stations. But they keep you close to nature.

They do fill up quickly, so make sure you book this as soon as you know you are going on a trip. You can use a tent, RV, or tent trailer. We parked our RV and had a great time. Our site had a fire pit and a picnic bench. While they don’t have hookups, they do have a water station and a dump station, which is nearby.

What we loved about staying at the campgrounds was how close to nature we were. There was a resident buffalo we saw frequently, and we also saw lots of buffalo!

I feel like they were pretty affordable – I think it was around $25 a night? Much cheaper than most campsites here in Colorado!

We stayed at Bridge Bay Campground. It wasn’t my first choice – but it was my only choice since the trip was somewhat last minute. There wasn’t a lot of shade, and it felt pretty crowded…but we still really enjoyed it. Minutes away some beautiful sites. It was also the furthest from the entrance, so that added a lot of driving onto our trip.

Here are all the campsites:

• Fishing Bridge RV Park
• Madison Campground
• Grant Village Campground
• Canyon Village Campground
• Bridge Bay Campground

After spending some time in Yellowstone, I think with kids, next time we will try and stay at Madison Campground. It’s super close to the entrance of the park, and it is close in proximity to Old Faithful and the Upper and Lower Basins. It also seemed more wooded.

I would definitely take the time to read the descriptions of each site and decide from there. I think the Canyon Campground also sounds amazing.

Lodges/Inns

Not really into roughing it? No problem! There are several inns and lodges within Yellowstone that are great for families. These can be a nice option if you want to stay close to some of the more popular sites (and if you want access to WiFi).

There are cabins and more hotel-type rooms and some are only available during certain seasons. They all have their pros and cons, and I would pick based on what you are wanting to do while you are in Yellowstone.

The Old Faithful Inn is probably the most popular lodging option, just because it’s right in the middle of Yellowstone, and, obviously, near Old Faithful. You can find more secluded places as well.

Here are the different options:

• Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel & Cabins
• Canyon Lodge & Cabins
• Old Faithful Snow Lodge & Cabins
• Old Faithful Inn
• Lake Lodge Cabins
• Old Faithful Lodge Cabins
• Lake Yellowstone Hotel & Cottages

Staying Outside of Yellowstone

On our first trip a few years ago, we stayed in a cute little cabin in Island Park. It was a lot further from the entrance of Yellowstone than we anticipated, which made for some long days. But it was really fun, and we got it for a great price. You can usually find a good deal outside of Yellowstone!

There are a lot of different cities, and it just depends on where you are coming from – there are places in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana that you can easily stay and then trek into Yellowstone.

Here are some of the popular cities people like to stay in:

• Big Sky, Montana
• Bozeman, Montana
• Cooke City, Montana
• Ennis, Montana
• Gardiner, Montana
• Red Lodge, Montana
• West Yellowstone, Montana
• Cody, Wyoming
• Dubois, Wyoming
• East Yellowstone, Wyoming
• Jackson Hole, Wyoming
• Island Park, Idaho

I would say that West and East Yellowstone are going to be your closest cities (obviously depending on where you are driving in from). We really enjoyed visiting West Yellowstone – lots to eat and there are a lot of hotels. It is quite busy though!

There are some great camping and RV sites outside of Yellowstone as well. Just be aware that they book up fast!

I definitely recommend checking out sites like Airbnb and VRBO to find some places to stay. There are plenty of hotels as well.

I do think it’s best to stay inside Yellowstone – or in East/West Yellowstone – when traveling with your kids. But it’s entirely up to you!

Must-See Sites

Yellowstone National Park is home to so many beautiful sites with an amazing variety of animals.

There are many other places that you could visit in Yellowstone National Park. Part of the fun of Yellowstone is driving around and seeing what you can find on your own. Don’t be surprised if you run into some animals that you see on the side of the road – this is how we’ve seen elk jumping in water and a grizzly bear (we didn’t get too close!).

I definitely recommend planning a picnic or BBQ in one of the picnic sites. This can be a lot of fun. We had a very close encounter with a buffalo (scary at the time) in a picnic site.

There is a lot of walking, so make sure you and your children are prepared for that. If you have younger children, make sure to bring along a carrier or stroller.

Beyond exploring on your own, some of the best places to visit in Yellowstone are:

– Old Faithful Geyser, which shoots water into the air every 60-110 minutes. This is one of the most popular and majestic sites in all of Yellowstone, and it’s great for all ages. It is usually pretty busy, but they have some dining facilities. Don’t forget to grab some ice cream before or after! They have guesstimates of when Old Faithful will go off.

– The Grand Prismatic Spring, the largest hot spring in North America, and also the third-largest in the world. It is in the Midway Geiser Basin, and it’s very fun to see.

– Make sure you check out the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone where you can hike down to a rushing stream and enjoy watching wildlife. There are harder hikes, but there are some great ones for families, and it doesn’t take very long to get to the views. We love the upper falls at The Grand Canyon. It’s so majestic! This is one of our family’s favorite places to visit.

– Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces, a 5 mile long series of terraces where you can see fossilized remains of ancient plants and animals. This is further north than most sites. I would definitely dedicate one day to going on this loop.

–Hayden Valley and Lamar Valley are the two best places to see wildlife. Lamar Valley always seems to have a ton of buffalo and Hayden Valley often has other animals.

– One of the most famous features of Yellowstone is the Painted Pots. There are three different colors that make up this beautiful landmark: red, green and white. The red paint comes from iron oxide in the ground, while calcium carbonate makes up the green and white colors. My kids really enjoyed seeing these!

Yellowstone Packing List of Families

What you bring to Yellowstone will depend entirely on when you are going and where you are staying. If you are planning to camp, you’ll have a lot of different packing lists than if you were just going to stay in a hotel or lodge. I won’t be sharing a camping packing list – just a general list of things you might want to have while you are there.

Every time we’ve gone, it’s rained at some point, and I feel like it’s pretty common. Even if you are going in the heat of the summer, don’t forget to bring some extra layers just in case.

• Jackets, Coats, or Hoodies
• Ponchos
• Appropriate footwear – make sure everyone has socks and closed toe shoes
• Umbrella
• First Aid Kit
• Snacks
• Bear Spray
• Headlamps/flashlights
• Camera, spare batterias, and memory cards
• First Aid Kit
• Blankets (for picnics)
• Binoculars
• Snake Bite Kit
• Water Bottles – at least one bottle of water per person, per day
• Backpacks
• Stroller
• Baby Carrier
• Insect Repellent
• Sunscreen
• Snacks (lots of snacks)
• Swimming suit – they don’t really recommend you go swimming in most areas in Yellowstone (and it’s prohibited in some areas), however, tehre are some little streams that a lot of people like to spalsh around in. I would bring water shoes or flip flops for this as well.
• Diapers, Wipes, etc.
• Hand Sanitizer
• Picnic table cover

If you are planning to cookout or have a picnic in the park, you will also need to remember to bring all the supplies you need for that, which may include a portable grill, cooler, cooking utensils, plates, utensils, etc.

We like having a picnic cover table for any place we stop to eat. This makes cleanup a lot easier!

Where to Eat

There are several places to eat within Yellowstone. Remember – it might take a while to get to one, so make sure you plan ahead. There are plenty of places outside of Yellowstone, but for the purposes of this article, I’ll just touch on the ones you can get while you are actually inside the park.

Whether you are looking for something quick on-site such as hot dogs at The Artist Point Restaurant located near the Lake Village area overlooking the Great Fountain Geyser, or if you want to enjoy a leisurely meal with family and friends in the elegant dining room of the famed Old Faithful Inn one of America’s oldest hotels – there are plenty places to eat for all budgets. Here are a few popular places:

• The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel
• Lake Lodge Café              
• Old Faithful Inn Deli        
• Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center

Plan a Picnic

There are so many great picnic areas around Yellowstone National Park. I highly recommend taking advantage of one

If you prefer to camp or RV at Yellowstone, you may also want to bring your own food supplies with you. Keep in mind that camping and RV parks have limited supplies, and stores are restricted as well. The only places that sell groceries will be the small town of Gardiner and Mammoth Hot Springs Store when open (which is only for winter months). The majority of restaurants here are fast-food-type establishments or sandwich shops with deli meats and potato salads.

Tips for Success

Be prepared

Once you are in Yellowstone, you don’t want to have to leave until you are ready – and that means having all the necessary supplies. For instance, don’t forget to bring diapers and wipes and plenty of snacks!

Some of the General Stores have basic supplies, though they are kind of expensive and hit or miss. We were able to find diapers at one, but they were only available in one size.

Grab a map

You should be given one of these when you check in, but if not, make sure you grab one. Since you likely won’t have any cell phone service, this will be your key to not getting lost and finding the places you want to go. I am constantly referencing it during our trips!

You will probably be given a Yellowstone Newspaper, which is filled with helpful tips and resources. Definitely devour this!

Camera for Kids

Something I strongly recommend is having a camera for your kids to take pictures with. They could use a tablet, old smartphone, or even a disposable camera. My kids have these VTech Kids Cameras, and they love using them.

I feel like this helps them capture their memories of the trip and feel involved. My boys loved using their cameras throughout our trip, and it’s something that really helped them stay engaged.

Disconnect from technology

Yellowstone purposefully keeps out most cell phone services, so it’s a bit of a forced disconnection. However, it’s 1000% worth it to put your smartphones and tables away and enjoy and time together as a family. Plan ahead to bring screen-free activities for the car ride and things to do together as a family.

Picnic places have bathrooms

Sometimes it can be hard to find a bathroom, especially when you are just driving around. Most of the major attractions will have them, but the picnic places also do – and I find these to be less crowded!

Teach kids what to do when approached by an animal

This is so important. You have no idea if you are going to be approached by an animal. No matter how old your child is, make sure they know now to approach an animal themselves and what to do if one unexpectedly gets close to them.

We were at a picnic stop when a lone Buffalo started walking straight toward my family while I was in our RV. Although we had just barely been close to a herd of buffalo, this was surprisingly terrifying to have one walking straight toward them. We had gone over scenarios like this with my kids, and they knew to be quiet and listen to their dad. I was so glad they knew what to do!

Have fun!

Yellowstone is a place like no other – try and make the most of it! Go with the glow, plan a basic plan, and enjoy the time in the great outdoors with your family!

Have you been to Yellowstone with your family/kids? Be sure to share your best tips below!

The post Yellowstone Family Vacation: Top Tips for a Successful Trip with Kids appeared first on Magical Family Travel Guide.

Gaylord Rockies Resort has been voted “Best Family Hotel” by Travel & Leisure Magazine. The resort is located just minutes from downtown Denver and offers plenty of family-friendly amenities such as a full-service spa, golf course, movie theater, and children’s pool area with splash pad. You’ll also enjoy complimentary shuttle service within two miles of the hotel! This post will share our experience there with our family to help you decide if it’s the right destination for you!

I really do enjoy traveling.

It’s the getting there part that I less than love.

Especially when I’m pregnant. After a four hour flight, stuck in the middle seat of a very bumpy flight in June, I swore off anymore flying until after this baby arrives.

So I am all about finding fun and relaxing destinations within an hour or so of where we live.

Fortunately, we live near Denver, so options are plentiful. We had thought about going to the Great Wolf Lodge this summer, but when we heard about a new resort near the Denver Airport – The Gaylord Rockies – and their fun Summerfest, we decided to try something new.

I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew it would be new and beautiful, but I wasn’t sure how “family-friendly” it would be.

We had gone to a resort in Park City when Jack was about two, and while families were certainly allowed… we felt totally out of place for various reasons.

However, we thought it was worth giving a shot – and I’m so glad we did.

From the moment we checked in until we checked out, we felt comfortable, welcome, and like we were at a place made for families of all sizes and ages.

Because this is a new resort, I wanted to write a thorough overview of our experience so you can decide if it’s the right resort for your getaway.

This post was originally posted in 2019 on Clarks Condensed. It was moved to this site for more relevancy.

Location

The Gaylord Rockies is located in Aurora, right near the Denver Airport.

I was actually worried it would be noisy because of air traffic, but we couldn’t hear any airplanes. It was actually a very peaceful location, and we really felt like we were able to get away.

One complaint I read is that it’s not actually *that* close to the Rockies – like, you still have to drive quite a ways to get to the mountains. Which is true. However, you do get a great view of the mountains, which was fine by me since we weren’t planning to drive to the mountains while we were there.

The location was perfect for us – it was about 45 minutes from our house, so just far enough to feel like we were really getting away. With me being pregnant, that’s about as far as I can handle these days, anyway!

The actual premises are beautiful. It is HUGE – I felt like we were staying at a fancy castle. When you walk in, everything seems so big and welcoming. I definitely got my steps in during the days we were there!

It is over 500,000 square feet, including the conference center. There were a couple of conferences going on while we were there, but we never felt like it was overcrowded.

The thing I really liked though was that I didn’t feel like it was too ritzy. Unlike the resort we stayed at when Jack was little, we just felt comfortable and like it really was a great place to take our family.

I absolutely loved the ambiance though. There was a nice area inside with lots of waterfalls, a pond, a little cave, and even an old train. We loved just walking through there and relaxing.

There are lots of elevators, and I found there to be no lag time at all with getting one – which is often a problem at hotels!

Room

We stayed in a Queen Room suite, which had two queen beds, a mini-fridge, TV, and bathroom.

It wasn’t fancy, but it was very comfortable. We had a great view of the Rocky Mountains from our room, which was awesome.

I think we were in the base room for the resort, so there are certainly fancier rooms. But it was just right for our needs. Plenty of outlets – which is often a complaint I have at hotels!

The beds were very comfortable, and I was able to sleep pretty soundly. Since I’ve been pregnant, sleep has been difficult. I’ve stayed at a few hotels over the past few months, and this is the first one where I actually was able to sleep without tossing and turning all night long.

The bathroom just had a shower – not sure if there are rooms with a bathtub or not. It wasn’t that big of a deal, but with small children, we usually like to have a bathtub. I also like being able to take a bath when I go to a hotel, since I don’t have a bathtub in our master.

Something I loved was that they had tons of amenities in the room – not just the typical shampoo and lotion (which they had as well). They had a nice assortment of items that you may have forgotten, such as a razor, shaving cream, deodorant a toothbrush, etc. I actually had forgotten my razor, so it was nice not having to figure that out.

The TV was large and had a good variety of shows – you could also login to things like Netflix and Hulu.

Food

The Gaylord Resort has a wide variety of food available for you to eat while you are there.

One thing to keep in mind is that it is a resort, so you’ll definitely be paying resort prices for food – which can be a bit shocking if you aren’t prepared.

For instance, the kids meals were all around $10, which is quite a bit more than we’d typically spend.

You just have to go into it with realistic expectations. If you feel that you can’t afford or justify the cost, there are quite a few restaurants and fast food places within just a few miles of the hotel.

With that said, here are the different options they have:

• 24 Hour Room Service
• Vista Montagne – Italian
• Mountain Pass Sports Bar
• Old Hickory Steak House
• Monte Jade – Asian
• Pinyons – variety but primarily alcohol
• The Cocoa Bean – Marketplace/Coffee House
• Rockies Marketplace – Grab and Go
• Arapahoe Springs Bar and Grill

While we were there, we tried out the Arapahoe Springs and Bar as well as the Mountain Pass Sports Bar. We walked through the Cocoa Bean, and while we didn’t buy anything, they did seem to have a really nice variety of food.

So I can’t give an opinion on some of the “finer dining”, but they sure smelled good!

So first the Arapahoe Springs Bar and Grill. This is a casual, poolside grill and bar that you can order from and enjoy while you are swimming or lounging by the pool.

We had lunch there one day, and unfortunately, the wait for food was 1-1.5 hours. So make sure you factor in the time of day when you are ordering food.

I was happy that our food came out earlier than expected though, which was a nice surprise.

Our boys each got a kid’s meal – Jack got a hot dog and Oliver got a cheeseburger. They both had the choice of chips, fries, or a fruit cup. It was around $6, and I thought it was a pretty good deal.

Unlike at the fancier restaurants, anyone can order a kid’s meal, so it may be a less expensive option for some.

I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich with a yummy aioli on a potato bun. It didn’t come with any lettuce or tomatoes, which seemed a little bit odd. THe chicken was *slightly* overdone, but overall, I thought it tasted pretty good.

Forrest got some steak tacos that were yummy, which he got with some chips and salsa.

I had a few bites of Oliver’s hambuger, and I thought the flavor was amazing! I did not try Jack’s hotdog, but he seemed to like it.

The french fries are definitely shoestring fries, so if you are expecting steak fries or something thicker – you’re out of luck. They still tasted pretty good though.

Now, on to the Mountain Pass Sports Bar. We decided to go here for dinner one night. It seemed like the most family-friendly place at the resort.

It’s a pretty fun atmosphere. They have huge screens on the wall where they play different sporting events. We went around 5 PM, and there was plenty of seating, though it did seem to get busier the longer we were there.

We ended up ordering one kid’s meal for the boys to share, along with two appetizers – it still ended up being over $40, just to give you an idea of the price.

The kid’s meal came with a main dish and a side, and the boys picked pasta with marinara sauce, as well as some yogurt.

Forrest and I ordered the nachos and a buffalo chili, which came with some corn bread.

Because of my Gestational Diabetes, I have to be careful about the carbs I eat, so I couldn’t eat too many nachos. However, I did have a few, and they were FANTASTIC. A little bit spicy for our boys, but I thought they were great.

They were piled high with tons of ingredients, and I just loved the queso that they were drenched in.

The chili was really good as well, though we wish there had been more in the bowl. It was spicy as well, but it had awesome flavor.

I did really enjoy this restaurant and the ambiance of it. Forrest loved that they had major games playing on the screen and really wanted to come back and watch a soccer game on them!

Oh! One thing that’s pretty cool – you can buy these souvenir cups for around $10, and then you can get free refills during your entire visit. I don’t think this is advertised much, so there’s a fun little tip for you if you are a big soda drinker!

Pool

One of the big attractions of the Gaylord Rockies Resort is their amazing pool and slides!

There is an indoor pool and an outdoor pool, several hot tubs, a lap pool, along with several slides, and our personal favorite – the lazy river!

It was rainy off and on while we were there, so it was nice to have the option of the indoor pool.

The indoor pool is definitely ideal for younger kids, but anyone can enjoy lounging around in it. Our boys absolutely LOVED it. It’s zero entry, and I think it goes up to about four feet. It was the perfect area for both of our boys to practice swimming – Oliver got especially brave with jumping in by himself and going under the water!

There is a little splash pad as well that I saw a lot of little babies and toddlers enjoying.

The outdoor pool is pretty fun – one night it was kind of cold, but the next time it was super warm.

We loved the lazy river! It was the perfect temperature, and it was so fun to just float around in it. This was Jack’s favorite for sure – and I think it was mine as well!

The hot tubs were nice, though they seemed to keep going out of order while we were there.

Jack went down the little slide that was outside, and it was the perfect size for him. I think he was a tad too short for the indoor slides (48″ minimum), but he was okay with that. He’s not a big slide person.

Forrest went on the slides a few times, and he was actually pretty impressed. He said they went pretty fast and were fun.

They have life jackets available for children, but we just brought our own puddle jumpers. However, it’s nice that they had them – in case you forgot to bring your own (which has happened to us!).

Forrest felt like the water was salt water – we asked someone, who said she wasn’t totally sure, but she thought it was. Definitely didn’t feel like a chlorinated pool!

You can rent out a Cabana for your family and friends if you want a little more privacy – I think it’s around $250 for the day or so. There’s also a firepit for anyone to sit around which was kind of fun!

Kids 3 and under have to wear swim diapers, which they offered complimentary. I thought that was really nice!

Activities

There are lots of activities at the Gaylord Resort, and most of them were free. I loved that they didn’t upcharge you for them.

They have a great area outside of the pool where they have mini golf, tennis courts, and a basketball court that you can use – free of charge! You just have to check out the equipment. They also have bikes you can check out, as well as ping pong and an outdoor walking/running trail.

I will talk more about the SummerFest in a bit, but even outside of that, I heard them announcing some activities on the Monday we were there that people could participate in, like a basketball competition.

My boys LOVED the miniature golf, and I loved that we could play as much as we wanted. The course wasn’t overly difficult, and we had a lot of fun with it.

They have an arcade room, which, much to my boys’ dismay, we did not go to. But it did look like fun!

Staff

I was really impressed with the staff – for the most part, everyone was very friendly and went above and beyond to help us.

I really loved the person who checked us in. She made us feel so welcome, and the sunglasses they gave us was a nice touch.

My only complaint was that our room didn’t get cleaned the first day until around 5:00. I kept seeing them on our floor all day when I would run upstairs, but somehow, they seemed to skip our room. Not the end of the world, of course! It eventually was tidied up – it just seemed a little late.

Price

This will definitely depend on when you are going – weekends and last-minute bookings will definitely always be more expensive.

I just checked for a month from now, and a room is about $199, which I think is reasonable for the location and amenities. Always be on the lookout for special deals though!

Parking

This was definitely a downside that I saw to the resort – the parking fees. The self parking was around $25 a night, and the valet was around $50. There was no covered parking, and I’ve heard people complain about how they think it’s unfortunate that you have to pay for uncovered parking in a place that has a lot of hail storms.

With that said, I have never stayed at a resort that didn’t charge for parking, so it’s really something that you have to just factor into the cost of your stay – as well as the resort fee.

Summerfest

The big reason why we went to the Gaylord Rockies was to check out the Summerfest. It was so fun!

The Summerfest takes place on this summer on the weekends, and it’s Alice in Wonderland-themed. We ALL had a blast with it.

They have various activities throughout the day at the pool and outside, and they also have specialty events like an Escape Room and Character Breakfast.

We were fortunate enough to be able to check out most of the events – so here’s what you can expect!

Hatter’s Escape Room

This was an activity that we did on our first night, and it was a blast. We’ve never done an escape room, so it was a fun activity.

I think it was a little bit different than some escape rooms, but it was fun for all ages – even our three-year-old got really into it and even helped figure out clues!

The person who played the Mad Hatter was amazing. He was so engaging and fun, and we felt like he was really the Mad Hatter.

We were put with another family during our reservation time, which was a blast. They were a lot of fun! I loved the clues and it was definitely a highlight of the weekend.

It is $14.99 per person to participate, and you definitely want to make reservations ahead of time. They were totally sold out on the day we checked in.

You can make a reservation here.

Breakfast in Wonderland

The morning after we arrived, we were invited to “Breakfast in Wonderland”. It was a fun and immersive character dining experience.

We are no strangers to character dining, as we always try to attend one when we go to Disneyland. So I wasn’t really sure what to expect!

It was actually a lot of fun. The Mad Hatter, Alice, and the Rabbit were there, and they were so engaging. Because there weren’t a ton of people at the time we went (8:30), our kids got a lot of attention.

The people who played the characters were spot on with their accents and mannerisms, and I just loved how much they interacted with our kids.

The food was delicious as well! It was an all-you-can-eat buffet with tons of options from cold cereal, oatmeal, yogurt and fruit, to delicious sausage, bacon, eggs, French toast, assorted bread…and my boys’ favorite – the dessert table.

Yes, they do serve dessert for breakfast. I was so sad I couldn’t really eat any of those desserts, but I did take a little nibble, and I thought it was fantastic.

Overall, we really enjoyed it. It is a little bit expensive though – it is $32.99 for adults and $19.99 for children ages 4-11. So if your kids are big Alice in Wonderland fans and you want a nice breakfast, it may be worth it – it really was a lot of fun.

Click here to make a reservation

Splash Party by Bubly

This was a fun event by the pool from about 1-5 on Saturday and Sunday, and from 3-7 on Friday. There were characters from Alice in Wonderland who hosted it, and there were lots of fun games and activities for the kids.

They also had fun lawn games available throughout the day, like giant Jenga and Connect Four. Our boys LOVED these.

Cheshire Cat’s Colorado Adventure Scavenger Hunt

This is a low-key activity available that is fun for all ages. I was resting one afternoon when Forrest took the boys on it.

It is $7 per booklet, and you roam the entire resort looking for clues to finish the puzzle. The boys really enjoyed it, and the LOVED the prize at the end (though it probably is only really cool for kids under about 10).

There was one clue that they couldn’t figure out, and the person at the towel hut said she guessed that it got blown down in the rainstorm and replaced later on. She was really helpful though!

You can get the booklets at the Concierge desk or at the towel hunt – or you can purchase them in advance here.

Queen of Hearts Mini Golf

I already mentioned the mini golf, but it’s all decked out in Alice in Wonderland decor, which made it even more fun. It’s open from 9 AM to 9 PM.

Dive in Movies

On Friday through Sunday starting at 8 PM, there are complimentary movies shown on a big screen right by the indoor pool.

Jack was SO excited about this, and we went one evening. He loved swimming around and watching the movie. They are family-friendly films that everyone can enjoy – while we were there, they showed “How to Train Your Dragon 2” and “Trolls”

Overall Thoughts

We truly had a wonderful weekend here. It was just a fun and easy place to escape day to day life, and just enjoy being with my children and husband before our new baby arrives.

Whether you are coming from out of town or are just looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of life for a few days, I really think the Gaylord Rockies is the place to go.

Even though it’s a beautiful property that feels so grand, everyone was so friendly and laid back. I love that type of atmosphere – it’s definitely the kind of place our family likes to go.

I am really hoping we can make it back for their winter festivities, because they seem SO fun.

Click here to check availability for your upcoming trip!

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

• The Myrtle Beach Family Guide
• A Family Guide to Breckenridge
• The Vail Winter Guide for Families

The post Gaylord Rockies Resort Review: The Perfect Family Staycation appeared first on Magical Family Travel Guide.

LEGOLAND Tips and Tricks

LEGOLAND is a really great destination, especially for children between the ages of about 5-10.

We have gone to LEGOLAND in California and in Florida, and both times, our kids have had a blast.

It’s different than some theme parks, and if you are comparing it to Disneyland – you might be disappointed. But I actually think my kids prefer it over to Disneyland and Disney World in some ways, due to the lower crowds (most of the time).

Below you will find a review of our time at LEGOLAND a few years ago. We have since gone to the Florida location, and I am sure things have changed a bit. But regardless of when you are going and what location, I hope this will help you prepare to make the most of your trip!

We actually enjoyed our second trip MUCH more. There was almost no one in the park, and the kids had so much fun.

Be sure to book through Get Away Today to get the best deals and perks on your LEGOLAND California Adventure. We have used them for all our Southern California adventures, and they always deliver top-notch service. Use the code MFTG or mention Magical Family Travel Guide when you book your next trip for $10 off a Southern California vacation package.

LEGOLAND Deals

LEGOLAND often has some really good deals, including kids play free. I see vouchers for free kid tickets periodically (you can sometimes find them in LEGO movie boxes, magazines, etc.).

When we were buying our tickets, I think they had a deal that was 5 days for the cost of one…which, if you want to spend more than one day at the park, is a pretty great deal.

The best place to find the best deals for LEGOLAND California is through Get Away Today. Make sure you check out what specials they are offering before you book. They also offer combo tickets which can get you into other parks as well.  I think it’s best to book your tickets through them if you are booking a vacation.

LEGOLAND California Hacks and Tips

Go During the Week

So many people we talked to said that they just loved LEGOLAND because they were able to just walk on rides, there were no crowds, and it was just a laid-back place.

Well, I should have realized that these people went mid-week…and not over a holiday weekend (apparently we were in California over Canadian Thanksgiving weekend AND Columbus Day Weekend. Fail).

It was SO busy. The lines were insanely long, and because of that, we didn’t really get to go on a lot of rides. My sister went in the middle of the week in May, and she told us how her kids could get straight on the rides without any wait. So make sure you are careful about the time of year and week that you go!

Plan Accordingly for Children Under 34″

When we first went, our second son was about 32″, which made him ineligible for nearly every ride. He’s at an age where he’s not super content to just sit and watch his brother go and have fun.

He wanted SO badly to go on the rides our oldest was going on. But at the same time, I didn’t want to make it so our oldest didn’t have any fun.

Fortunately, there were a few places O could have fun that we discovered were great for younger kids who were under 32″:

• DUPLO Play Town – this area is specifically for small children. They have a little train, which both our boys loved, some slides, giant DUPLO blocks, and lots of things to climb on. We came here first, which I’m glad we did.

• Splash Pad – there is a great splash pad for all ages over in Pirates Shore.

• Block Area – there is a fun area with giant LEGO blocks right by the Skipper School. Oliver really enjoyed this place.
• Water Park – while young kiddos can obviously not go on most of the slides, this can be a fun place to take them.  Oliver loves the water, so I wish we had taken him in there (even though he was free at LEGOLAND, I believe there was a small fee had we wanted to take him in).
• Coast Cruise
• Fairy Tale Brook
• LEGOLAND Express (this is in DUPLO Play Town)
• Mia’s Riding Camp (carousel)

Download the LEGOLAND California App

Make sure you download the LEGOLAND app before you get to the park. It has a lot of helpful information and even some discounts.

You can see the approximate wait time for rides, find the closest places to buy food (as well as pinpoint where specific food you want), etc.

If you buy one of the passes that allow you to go to skip some of the lines, it’s helpful for reserving those spots. I found it helpful for navigating the park and figuring out where I was and where I wanted to be.

There are some discounts for food and merchandise in the app, so make sure you don’t miss the part. I did find it to be a little bit difficult to navigate the app at first (you have to toggle between family rides, just for kids, and I think rollercoasters.

I wished I could have been able to see all the rides at once). But I figured it out after a while, and it was helpful for making our day more enjoyable.

It was helpful for seeing which rides were closed; some for the whole day, some for just a little while. I did feel like there were a lot of rides that were closed for the majority of the day.

Stay at the LEGOLAND Hotel

I wish we had decided to stay at the LEGOLAND hotel while we were there. For some reason, when I looked up the prices initially, I was almost positive it said like $500 a night…which was insane.

However, a few days before we went, I saw that there were rooms for like $75 a night, so I must have been looking in the wrong place.

ANYWAYS.

Staying at the LEGOLAND Hotel gives you earlier access to the park, and it just makes for an even more magical experience for your kids. As you can imagine, there are LEGO figures and blocks everywhere, the rooms are themed, and it’s right next to the park.

Get Away Today does have some great deals on the LEGOLAND Hotel, so definitely check out what they have to offer.

They also have good deals on other hotels in the area. If you book two nights or more (and I believe this can be combined with other hotels and tickets in the area), you can get $10 off your vacation package using the code MFTG.

We ended up driving down and back from Anaheim on the same day, which made for a very long day! I wish we had stayed!

Check the Hours

Hours vary depending on the time of year and time of the week. We were a little disappointed that the park was only open until 5 PM when we were there! However, we were there from about 10 to 5, and I think that was the perfect amount of time.

I’m not sure what the rhyme or reason as to when it closes, but it’s good to check ahead of time.

There was a special Halloween event the day we went, so everyone who didn’t buy the extra ticket had to leave at five.

LEGOLAND Miniland USA

I have to say, my personal favorite part of LEGOLAND was all the amazing sculptures – but specifically, Miniland USA.

In this area, it’s America built out of LEGO blocks. There are all these incredible replicas of famous cities and monuments around the world.

Not only are they spot on with their details, but many of them are interactive, move around, and make sounds. I could have spent a couple of hours looking at everything here. I kept joking to Forrest, “Well, now we don’t need to travel anywhere. We’ve seen all that there is to see in America!”

This was the last place we went while we were there, and I”m glad we did. It really brightened my mood and made me feel a little less frustrated 🙂

Mom Lounge

I don’t really think this is what it is called, but there was a nice mother’s lounge available in the park. I went there to change Oliver’s diaper, and I was welcomed by a spacious (and air-conditioned) building. There were places to use a breast pump, change your baby’s diaper, feed your baby, as well as a place for your child to play if they just need a little break from the day.

More than just rides

There is definitely more than just rides at LEGOLAND. As I was walking around with Oliver and my mother-in-law while Forrest, Jack, and his dad were at the water park, we discovered a few interactive exhibits and areas. Definitely take a look at the map and descriptions of things before you go so you can make sure you don’t miss out on any of these fun things.

Bring Hand Sanitizer

There are a lot of giant LEGO blocks, as well as normal LEGO building stations, but I couldn’t help but think about how germy they were. I’m not sure if they regularly sanitize them, but I don’t think it would hurt to bring plenty of hand sanitizer.

I actually come home from our California trip super, super sick. I keep joking that I picked up every sickness possible at all the parks we went to.

Rider Swap

If you have a rider that is too small for certain rides, you can take advantage of LEGOLAND’s rider swap feature. This allows someone in your party to stay off the ride with the little one and then go on the ride immediately after everyone else is done.

Buy Minifigures beforehand

One of the fun parts about LEGOLAND is that you can trade mini-figures with park employees. I didn’t realize this until right before we got to the park, and Jack was a little disappointed when he saw that you could do this.

With that said, I wasn’t about to buy a couple in the park just for trading. You can buy some plain ones on Amazon or eBay before you leave that you can start trading with. I think this is a fun way to get your kids outside their comfort zone, and they can take home some fun souvenirs. Just make sure they don’t take their favorite mini-figures with them (unless they are okay parting with them!).

**Make sure you double-check what hours you can do this. My kids were so disappointed when we got to the place to trade them, and they had closed for the day!

Be Ready for “upgrades”

I felt like there was a decent amount of nickle and diming going on in the park. It felt like there were lots of “extras” throughout the park, which was kind of annoying at times.

A few examples:

• Getting a driver’s license after completing the driving school
• Navigating an electronic boat in the boat by the Minifigure land
• Lockers in the water park
• Electronic driers at the water park and splash pad
• Unlimited Digital Photo Pass (you just need one for the whole family; starts at $34.99 a day)
• Reserve ‘N’ Ride (more on that in a bit)
• VIP Experiences – these are PRICEY (we are talking 500+ per person), but it includes things like behind-the-scenes experiences, priority access to all rides, valet parking, lunch, a gift, and more.

Obviously, none of these things were deal breakers for us, but it did feel like we kept running into a lot of up charges.

I think the thing that annoyed me the most was when we arrived and realized that one of our tickets was only for the park and the aquarium – not the park and the water park.

The ticket prices between these two types of tickets was only a couple of dollars (and even when you got the water park, aquarium and park wasn’t very different).

However, if we wanted to upgrade, we would have had to pay $30, which I thought was crazy.

Reserve ‘N’ Ride

If you want to shorten your time in line and get a few other perks, there are line hopper passes available. There are three different tiers, which I’ve listed below. The prices are from 2017, but I had trouble finding current prices. I would suspect they are the same. or more.

• Express Reserve ‘N’ Ride: $25 per person; this reduces your wait time by 25%
• Deluxe Reserve ‘N’ Ride: $55 per person; reduce wait time by 50%
• Ultimate Reserve ‘N’ Ride; $100 per person; reduces wait time by about 90%

I wouldn’t get these until you get to the park so you can see how long the lines are. However, if you only have one day there, the lines are long, kids who really want to see as much as possible, might be worth looking into.

How it works is that you get a hand-held device that allows you to make reservations for eligible rides from anywhere in the park. It tells you when it’s your turn to go get into ride! It’s nice that you don’t have to wait in line!

I do wish there was a way to use this system without paying (like at Disneyland), but that’s okay!

Quadruple check your Tickets, What they are For, and How to Redeem them

Obviously, I mentioned above why you should check your tickets beforehand. When I bought my tickets through Get Away Today, for some reason, I just thought the water park was included with the aquarium + park ticket.

I wasn’t right, and because of it, not all of us got to go (because I was definitely not going to pay $30 more). So make sure you get the exact ticket that you want.

You should also double-check how you are supposed to redeem them. I thought I would just show my ID, and they’d be able to pull the ticket up (which is what they did at Disneyland, and what I could have sworn my receipt said when I bought the tickets).

I spent about an hour in the hot sun arguing with an employee about getting our tickets. I ended up having to call Get Away Today (who was amazing) and have them email the park directly my ticket voucher.

Obviously, I should have triple-checked our tickets and how we were supposed to redeem them…but I didn’t, and it was a frustrating experience, and it definitely soured my day (I don’t do well in the heat to begin with).

If you can, just order the hard copy of your ticket! But with that said, make sure you don’t lose your ticket. Forrest misplaced his once we were in the park, and unfortunately, it was one of our water park tickets!

LEGOLAND California Water Park

I didn’t go to the Water Park, but Forrest really enjoyed it and feels like everyone should consider getting it if you have time. Remember, it is not automatically included with a ticket.

It’s really only a difference of a few dollars, but it’s a great place for kids and adults to cool down.

There is a lot of unstructured play areas that are great for kids who just want to run around and have fun. Forest Lazy river has LEGO blocks in the river. Multiple water slides.

They didn’t really have a lot of time to get to do everything, and Forrest wishes they’d had more time there.

You have to pay $10 for a locker. There is a changing area, but there was a really long line for all the stalls. They had electronic body driers (they also had this in the splash pad I took Oliver to), but they cost money to use.

It was a hot enough day, though, that getting dried wasn’t too hard!

Water and Snacks

We were a little confused about the rules for bringing in food. In the end, we determined that water bottles and small snacks were okay. We brought in some different things to snack on throughout the day, and this was helpful throughout the day.

I don’t think you are supposed to bring in full meals though. However, our bags weren’t really checked very thoroughly, so if you want to chance it, have at it!

Best LEGOLAND California Rides

There are a lot of rides at LEGOLAND, but these were J’s favorites (he is five, in case you want to use that as a frame of reference):

• Fun Town Police and Fire Academy
• Kid Power Towers – Jack went on this a bunch of times with Forrest and Grandpa Clark. He loved it!

• LEGOLAND Express
• Junior Driving School – He wasn’t quite old enough for the regular driving school, but he still loved this.

They do have some coasters, but Jack really didn’t want to go any of those 🙂

Hotels near LEGOLAND California

There are quite a few hotel options near LEGOLAND California. Here are a few that stood out to me. These are all available through Get Away Today, so they would be eligible for our $10 discount (code MFTG) if you book two or more nights with two or more tickets. Remember that booking through Get Away Today gets you some great perks!

• LEGOLAND Hotel – this is an obvious choice. It’s right outside the park, and it gives you perfect access to the park. I already mentioned above some of the perks, so definitely consider this one. They are also currently building another LEGOLAND hotel right next door.
• Grand Pacific Palisades Resort and Hotel – This is just .2 miles from LEGOLAND. Rooms come with either a balcony or a patio, it’s easily walkable to LEGOLAND, and they offer daily activities to guests.
• Homewood Suites Carlsbad – This is 5.2 miles from LEGOLAND, so it is a bit further. It does include a free, hot breakfast, free dinner on Monday through Thursday, and an in-suite kitchen.
• Carlsbad by the Sea Resort – This is about 2.4 miles from LEGOLAND. It offers a free breakfast buffet, a free shuttle to LEGOLAND, and it’s close to the beach, too.
• Sheraton Carlsbad Resort and Spa – This is 1.2 miles from LEGOLAND. Get Away Today says that it offers a private entrance to LEGOLAND (not sure what that means?). It looks comfortable, though it doesn’t have a free breakfast which is a deal breaker for us 🙂
• La Quinta Inn & Suites Carlsbad – 3.5 miles to LEGOLAND. Free breakfast, free parking, and free WiFi! What more could you want?!

The post LEGOLAND California Tips: What to Know Before You Go (2022) appeared first on Magical Family Travel Guide.

Table Mountain Inn is located in picturesque Golden, Colorado. It exudes southwestern charm, which begins with its adobe architecture. The hotel makes you think of the wild west. The wild west of cowboys, Indians, and desert. The theme is prevalent throughout the hotel. Especially, in the rooms, lobby, and restaurant.

Recently, our family was able to experience much of what the hotel has to offer. This was during times when everyone was concerned about Covid-19, but we felt safe due to the safety measures taken by the Table Mountain Inn staff.

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It’s been awhile, but when we get a chance to check out a boutique hotel, we love it. A few weeks ago, Forrest and I (and Andrew) took a quick staycation to @tablemountaininn #hosted. It is such a fun and unique hotel. Great staff, great food. Anyone can dine at the restaurant! And it was only twenty minutes away! If you are ever in the area, be sure to check it out. Very family-friendly, too. It even inspired a new website idea! #travelblogger #hotelroom #staycationcolorado #coloradolife #coloradotravel #coloradotraveltips #staycation2020 #coloradohotels #goldencolorado #cheesepull #handsomehubby #covidtravel #covidtraveldiaries

A post shared by Katie&Forrest-Clarks Condensed (@clarkscondensed) on Aug 15, 2020 at 6:38am PDT

Event Spaces

Table Mountain Inn has a number of interesting places to sit and relax, as well as a number of useful event spaces. We enjoyed visiting the lovely Kokopelli Patio area, which is such a unique outdoor event space! The strings of lights overhead add such charm to the space. It is situated next to an available indoor space, and events can be easily catered by the hotel.

Guest Rooms

Our guest room was very nice. As a father of three boys, I really appreciate the good, solid construction of floors and walls. I like it when voices and footsteps do not travel easily, and the Table Mountain Inn felt very solid. We brought our youngest son with us on this trip, and I was relieved that I didn’t have to worry too much about any late night baby crying bothering neighboring rooms.

Our room happened to be a corner room on an upper floor. This meant that we had two balconies! We had one facing Washington Ave, which is the main street of downtown Golden. We had a great view of the mesa for which Table Mountain Inn is named. Bathtub jets and a fireplace in a separate seating area combined for a room that felt very comfortable and high quality.

Table Mountain Inn History

During our stay, we learned a little about the history of the hotel. The hotel has changed owners and its overall size over the years. However, it turns out, that most of the hotel is almost a hundred years old! The floor in the lobby is original.

If I remember correctly, the hotel restaurant, Table Mountain Inn Grill and Cantina is part of a long history of food and drink service that has happened at the hotel.

Table Mountain Inn Grill and Cantina

@clarks_condensed

Restaurant review in Golden ##denvercolorado ##denverfood ##goldencolorado ##cheesepull ##restaurantreview ##denverlife

♬ Stunnin’ (feat. Harm Franklin) – Curtis Waters

Today, the hotel restaurant is the Table Mountain Inn Grill and Cantina. To me, it appears to serve southwestern food. I enjoyed the Red Bird Cherry Pinon Half Chicken. The flavors were excellent, and everything was well cooked. It seemed like a unique dish that piqued my curiosity, and I was very glad that I tried it. Katie had the Buffalo Short Rib with mole, and it was excellent as well.

We spoke with the restaurant manager, and it was clear to me that he and the chefs are passionate about the food that they serve. The bar area was recently redone. The remodel looks very well done. It has a number of large televisions for watching sports. I enjoyed watching bits of a hockey game. It seems like a fun place to watch a big sporting event.

The restaurant serves a quality breakfast, but we thought we would try something from the downtown scene. We wanted to get out of the hotel for a bit and try to get a feel for the city. We enjoyed our breakfast, but I would be surprised if the food was better than what was at the Table Mountain Inn & Grill. The hotel’s breakfast seems to have good reviews.

Location

Table Mountain Inn is located in downtown Golden, Colorado. One might guess from the name, Golden was founded during the Pike’s Peak gold rush. It isn’t a huge town, but it does have a nice, distinct downtown district. Golden is located at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. We headed home by driving through scenic Lookout Mountain State Park. There are spectacular views from the road, and place you can park to take in the scenery. Additionally, Buffalo Bills grave is located in the park.

Conclusion

Table Mountain Inn is a high-quality hotel with an excellent restaurant, charming decor, and a rich history. We really enjoyed our stay and we look forward to returning again. The Kokopelli Patio area is very picturesque and especially useful for outdoor events during the Covid-19 situation.

The post Table Mountain Inn Review: A Beautiful Colorado Get Away appeared first on Magical Family Travel Guide.

Universal Studios Hollywood Trip Planner

Southern California is home to some of the most popular theme parks in the world, including Universal Studios Hollywood.

With thrilling attractions, incredible entertainment and fun for the entire family – what’s not to love?

A few years ago, we went to Universal Studios Hollywood for the first time. Oliver was just about nine months old, and Jack was four.

While my parents relaxed at the hotel, we invited my little brother, Michael, to come along. Our main purpose in going there was to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – but we were pleasantly surprised with all Universal Studios had to offer!

Whether you’ve been to Universal Studios Hollywood recently or haven’t visited for years, I’ve teamed up with my friends at Get Away Today to give you a guide on how to plan your visit to Universal Studios Hollywood.

This way, you’ll be able to experience all of the fun at the very best price! We found our day at Universal Studios to be a nice change of pace from Disneyland. It was quite a bit less busy – and we had a great time. 

Planning a Trip to Universal Studios Hollywood

Purchase Universal Studios Discount Tickets

Our first, and possibly most important tip is to pre-purchase your Universal Studios Hollywood tickets before you go.

Not only will you be able to skip all of the long ticket booth lines, but you’ll be able to save some cash. L

Luckily, Get Away Today offers all kinds of Universal Studios Hollywood discount tickets.

Choose between a 1-Day admission ticket, 2-Day admission ticket, Universal Express pass and a VIP Experience.

No matter what ticket you choose, you’ll be able to have the peace of mind knowing you got the best price. Plus, you’ll be able to skip the lines and go straight to the gate! What’s better than that?

**Expert Tip** If you want to avoid lines for popular rides, the Express Pass or the VIP Experience will definitely be worth it (if you can justify the cost). The Express Pass is significantly less expensive than the VIP Experience, but you’ll just get one front of the line pass for each ride that offers it.

The park typically limits how many Express passes are sold, which makes it so you know you’ll have shorter wait times. I would suggest buying these if you are going during peak seasons or dates.

When we went, the lines at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter were pretty long, but the Express pass let us go straight to the front of the line.

Stay in Anaheim

Most families visiting Universal Studios Hollywood are also visiting the Disneyland Resort, which is why we recommend staying in Anaheim. Here, you’ll be able to get a lower rate and take advantage of exclusive amenities that aren’t typically found in hotels in the Hollywood area.

As a Get Away Today guest, you can get access to free parking, free breakfast and even free night hotel stays within the Anaheim area – saving you hundreds on your Universal Studios Hollywood vacation. 

Get Away Today offers discount shuttle services through Karmel Shuttle services, which can take you from most hotels in Anaheim up to Universal Studios. Trust me, this is a much better option than battling the LA traffic yourself!

However, if Universal Studios Hollywood is your main destination, Get Away Today does offer incredible hotel deals for properties within walking distance to the park. Not only will you get the best price, but you’ll be minutes away from all of the fun! 

Here are a few to consider:

• Sheraton Universal Hotel – free shuttle to Universal Studios
• Tilt Hotel
• The Garland – free shuttle to Universal Studios

Single Rider

One way to get through lines faster is with the single rider line. If you (or someone in your party) doesn’t mind going by themselves, these lines are typically considerably shorter.

Here are rides at Universal Studios Hollywood that have a single rider line:

• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
• Flight of the Hippogriff
• Revenge of the Mummy – The Ride
• Transformers: The Ride 3D

Use Child Switch

More often than not, people associate Universal Studios Hollywood as a theme park that only caters to teens and adults, but it’s actually a great place for kids too!

Little ones will love attractions such as:

• Flight of the Hippogriff

• DreamWorks Theater
• • Featuring Kung Fu Panda
  • Despicable Me Minion Mayhem.

Plus, they’ll be able to play in areas like Super Silly Fun Land and Dino Land (coming summer 2019.)

However, if your children still don’t meet the height requirement for some of these attractions, there’s no need to worry. At Universal Studios Hollywood, they offer a service called Child Switch.

If any child in your party cannot ride an attraction, one or two adults can wait with the child in the attraction’s Child Switch room. When the rest of your party returns, you can switch with those who were waiting with the child, without having to wait in line again!

Child Switch is an easy way to experience Universal Studios Hollywood as a family, so no one has to get left behind.

Personally, I think their Child Switch is really well done and easy to use. Don’t tell anyone, but I think it’s a lot smoother than Disneyland’s rider switch program.

Also, keep your eye open for characters. We found the lines to see them to be very short, and Jack loved it!

I will say that I think the park is best for 5+, just to get the best experience. But there are certainly options for little ones.

Visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Of course, a trip to Universal Studios Hollywood would not be complete without visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. However, it’s no surprise that this area is still incredibly popular.

So, if you don’t want to worry about waiting in long lines, we’d recommend visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter as soon as the park opens. This way, you can experience all of the witchcraft and wizardry without any muggles getting in your way.

Make sure you check out our post all about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and what you should know before you go.

See a Show

Universal Studios Hollywood is one of the world’s most famous movie studios, which means that their entertainment is nothing to skip.

Enjoy the Special Effects Show, Universal’s Animal Actors, WaterWorld, the Triwizard Spirit Rally, Frog Choir, The Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle and so much more!

Each of the shows is filled with awe-inspiring special effects, interactive experiences and fun for the entire family.

Ride Attractions

In addition to the entertainment, you’ll want to make time to experience some of the best attractions that Southern California has to offer.

If you’re looking for a thrill, be sure to ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Transformers: The Ride – 3D, Revenge of the Mummy, The Simpsons Ride and the all-new Jurassic World – The Ride coming summer 2019. Plus, you won’t want to miss out taking a ride on The World-Famous Studio Tour.

On this attraction, you’ll be able to get a behind-the-scenes look at real television and movie sets, making you feel what it’s like to be an actual movie star!

Explore Universal CityWalk

Universal Studios Hollywood is also home to Universal CityWalk, a bright and lively downtown area filled with over 30 places to eat, a nightclub, an IMAX movie theater, and more than 30 unique shops.

Enjoy places like Buca di Beppo, Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, Hard Rock Café, VooDoo Doughnut, Billabong, Hot Topic, Sephora and more.

Universal Studios Hollywood Food

There are a lot of great dining options at Universal Studios Hollywood.

We ate in Universal City before we went into the park (we got there around noon and left around five), which worked well for us. As I mentioned above, there are TONS of options.

However, if you want to eat in the park, there are many, many options as well. Just expect typical theme park prices.  Here are all the Universal Studios in-park dining options.

In general, it’s suggested to either eat before 12:30 PM or 2:00 PM to avoid the longest lines.

Best Times to Visit

So when should you plan a trip to Universal Studios Hollywood?

Basically, any time that kids are out of school – so major holidays, spring breaks, and the entire summer time.

However, that’s obviously not ideal for most people who are going with kids, since, well, they can’t usually miss a lot of school.

So if you want to still go and have to go during peak season, it’s best to go early in the morning and mid-week for the lowest crowd times.

Get There Early

Get to the park before it opens to avoid lines for parking and getting in. The early bird DEFINITELY catches the worm here.

Depending on where you buy your ticket from, you might be able to get Early Park Admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. With this ticket, you’ll get in 30 minutes early…which can make a big difference!

Outside Food

Unfortunately, Universal Studios isn’t quite as food-friendly as Disneyland. However, you can still bring in some items which can save you money in the long run:

• Water bottles – maximum 2 liters
• Baby food (including formula and breast milk)
• Small snacks
• Fruits and vegetables

Celebrity Sightings

There are often celebrities that will be at the park (or surrounding areas) throughout the year.

If that’s something that sounds fun to you – be sure to check out the Universal Studios Hollywood calendar to see what’s filming when you are there and what celebrities might pop up!

Download the App

These days I would never go to a theme park without downloading their app!

You can download it here, and enjoy the following features:

• Accurate wait times
• Trip planner that helps you plan your itinerary
• Alerts to get into line
• Park updates

And guess what….you can connect to the in park WiFi for FREE!

Locker Rental

We had a stroller, which, if you have children, I strongly recommend bringing. This made it easy to tote around snacks, diapers, and other random stuff we had.

However, if you don’t have a stroller (or don’t want to lug around your bag all day), renting a locker for the day might be a good idea.

At the time of writing this, here are the prices for one-day locker rentals:

• $8 Lockers: Height – 12¾” Width – 11″ Length – 16½”
• $12 Lockers: Height – 16″ Width – 8″ Length – 16″
• $15 Lockers: Height – 21½” Width – 11″ Length – 16″

What to Bring

I would recommend packing as lightly as possible, but here are a few good things to bring with you:

• Small snacks
• Water bottles (no more than 2 liters)
• Phone charger – there are outlets in the Upper Lot…but if you forget yours, Guest Relations has some you can borrow. Even better, I would
• Ponchos (for wet rides or if it rains)
• Good, comfortable shoes

How Many Days

Honestly, I think one day is PLENTY. We were there for 1/2 a day, and we were able to see all that we wanted to (granted, we had small children at the time).

If you’ll be going during peak season, two days might be a better idea. But for every other time of year, unless you are a huge fan of everything they have to offer, one day should be PLENTY.

**To book your Universal Studios Hollywood vacation, visit getawaytoday.com or call 855-GET-AWAY to speak to a travel expert directly. Don’t forget to mention promo code ClarksCondensed for an additional $10 off your vacation package. Let them know that Clarks Condensed sent you!**

The post Planning a Trip to Universal Studios Hollywood: Your Ultimate Guide appeared first on Magical Family Travel Guide.