Taking a family holiday doesn’t mean that you have to be struggle to entertain the kids or feel like you need a holiday when you get home. These top three family holiday destinations are the perfect places for making memories that will last lifetime!
Family holidays are the perfect way to create fantastic memories that your children will hold onto for the rest of the lives, yet finding the perfect destination can be complicated when you have tiny tots in tow. If it’s luxury you are seeking then there are plenty of places that offer that type of holiday with children (you might remember my post about luxury holidays with kids if you are a long time reader? If you don’t and that is what you want you can catch it here). As much as we all love beach trips and city breaks, you either have to be completely organised or accept that they are going to be accompanied by little voices wondering what you’re going to do next – after all, most children fail to see the allure of lying on a beach all day, visiting crumbling historic monuments, or traipsing up mountainsides in 30 degree heat.
Luckily for us mamas, there are some holiday destinations that are built around creating the perfect family holiday. These infantile wonderlands are filled with endless delights for young minds, and a welcome respite for overworked parents is usually built into the package – not to mention, if you are like me in any way at all, they will probably be something of you secretly dream of visiting yourself! If you’re looking for the perfect haven to keep your children (and yourself!) entertained this summer, these are three places that make it onto the 2015 top family destinations.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Orlando
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is the ultimate must see for children and adults alike – come one, who wouldn’t pee themselves with excitement at the opportunity to visit Diagon Alley!?
Only recently unveiled, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter offers the perfect getaway for every Harry Potter-obsessed child. As a child I remember my mum reading me the first Harry Potter books (you know, back when they were brand new and unheard of…) and falling madly in love with them. Even as a slightly geeky teen I would be the first in line for the midnight unveiling of the newest book at one of the book stores. This place is an absolute dream for me and is somewhere that I will be taking the kids when they are just a touch older and can all enjoy it. The hot Florida sunshine is perfect for me as a sunshine worshiper, whilst the destination itself is the perfect playground for kiddies everywhere. If you or your children would revel in the chance to explore Diagon Alley, cast spells, escape from Gringotts, and feast on enchanting delicacies like Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans, then this could be the ideal location for you. If you do manage to make it there this year, let me know how AMAZING it is so I can get even more excited about the trip I’m planning in roughly 4/5 years time!
SeaWorld, San Diego
Aquariums and sealife centres are a huge hit with my boys, and they are something that entertain even babies of Edie’s age – so why not head to the ULTIMATE sea and underwater world experience: Sea World!
This is another place that I would urge everyone, big and small, to visit. We are crazy about our local SeaLife Centre, we even have an annual pass, so this is something that I know the boys would be crazy for – even at the tender age of two like Toby. It’s just a dream destination for every animal loving child, offering the chance to see everything from killer whales (erm, how exciting!?) to bottlenose dolphins, sea turtles, penguins, and sharks (Toby’s favourite) up close and personal. As well as enjoying the San Diego sunshine, the kiddies can make memories they’ll treasure forever, with the chance to watch the animals being fed, meet the trainers, and spend time exploring the many delights of SeaWorld’s amusement park.
Disneyland Paris, Paris
Disneyland and Disneyworld have always been places I have dreamed of visiting, I’ve just never managed to get round to it, but soon I’ll be taking the boys and I urge you to go too!
We were planning on taking the children for a small trip to DisneyLand Paris before we go all out and have a big trip to Florida in a few years. What could be more ideal than a quick trip across the channel for the chance to meet all their favourite disney characters? The choice of ferry, aeroplane or Eurotunnel (all of which are part of the excitement for kids half the time), makes it easy as pie to reach. It offers all of the magic of Disney at a fraction of the price of its Florida counterpart. Visit Cinderella’s castle, charge up Space Mountain, and dine with Mickey and co in the park’s enchanting grounds – Disneyland is every child’s dream come true.
If you want more family friendly ideas for your summer holidays, take a look at this article by Ice Lolly. Family holidays are perfect for building memories that will last a lifetime, and although you can travel anywhere in the world and make special memories, these kind of resorts can just help to cater to your children more, hence the reason we love places like Center Parcs – if it’s designed with children and families in mind, then you really can’t go wrong.
Harriet x
