Traveling with children can seem like an overwhelming task but you can do it! As a mom of two boys and a travel advisor, I’m here to say planning and enjoying these trips as a family of four has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my parenting journey. Yes, there may be challenges but it’s all about the memories you make together every step of the way.
Whether you’re looking to experience a Disney trip filled with magic, a Universal adventure, a Caribbean escape or a cruise, we have a few tips and tricks to share. These tips are from my real life experience and will make travel with your children feel more fun and stress-free.
Destination Planning: Where To?
Choosing a travel destination paired with ideal accommodations, activities, and excursions for your children is key. You might think there’s not a lot of options for both your interests and your children, but alas there is hope!
Numerous resorts offer perfect amenities for children, including daily schedules that offer new activities each day. For example, if you’re considering a resort in the Caribbean, many island resorts offer a daily activity schedule for children that includes things like sandcastle building, scavenger hunts, and crafts.
Another popular option is cruising. Select cruise lines offer kids clubs that allow mom and dad to experience some adult time with less stress. Don’t worry, your kids will be begging to go after their first visit! And of course, a Disney or Universal Studios destination vacation offers the opportunity to make so many memories with children of all ages. There’s magic at every turn!
Working with an advisor to find the perfect fit for your travel ideas and matching it with your children’s ages and interests is key to keeping everyone happy and ready for an exciting adventure ahead!
Where You Stay Matters: Room Selection
It’s true: where you stay matters, even when it comes to selecting a specific room type. If you want to keep everyone happy and maintain your sanity, it’s key to pick the perfect accommodations.
Whether it be a larger standard room, a family suite, or a 1-2 bedroom, a larger room selection will help give you all a little breathing room and individual space for each other. As our boys get older, a small kitchen, at the minimum, allows us to prepare a quick breakfast. This means smoother mornings and often money saved on breakfast. We also like to have two bathrooms when possible. It’s a huge bonus.
Another aspect to consider is location. Your room’s proximity to areas of interest around the resort and nearby makes a difference. I cannot stress enough how important it is to be close to amenities and transportation. You will be able to leave more quickly at the start of the day, and the distance won’t be so bad when returning at the end of a long day. There’s nothing worse than a long walk back to your room with children. So save yourself and ensure you’re selecting a room that has the perfect space and proximity to keep it easier!
Lastly, and this is a big tip, ensure your resort room or floor has accessibility to laundry. We’ve learned over time that things happen on these trips and having the ability to do a few loads of laundry is a huge key to keep the trip running smoothly. (Bonus: You also don’t have to pack as much!)
Itinerary Planning: Where Firefly Shines
You have your ideal destination, perfect resort and room, and all the excitement ready to go. What’s next? A little itinerary planning goes a long way to help keep you focused, organized, and prepped. It will also help reduce the stress of planning day-to day, allowing you more time to enjoy your destination.
Working with a Firefly advisor ensures you have planned out every day of your trip whether it be theme park days, resort days with excursions, cruising and most importantly adding in that rest day or two.
Planning around your children is the key. Are they still needing a nap or can they nap on the go? Will they enjoy this activity or excursion? What characters or must-do experiences at Disney and Universal are a priority? You and your advisor will work together to ensure the perfect fit.
Now will everything go as planned that you have on your itinerary? No, things happen and being flexible is key! But having an outline of what your plan is each day takes away a lot of the stress and makes the day much easier. If your children are having a rough day, there’s always the ability to take that rest day and switch your schedule around or if you don’t experience everything you had planned rest assured it’s the memories and being flexible for yourself and children that matters the most!
Smart Packing: Important Items for Children
After selecting your destination, room type, and planning out your itinerary, it’s time to get to packing. Of course, it can be overwhelming to manage packing for yourself, husband (if you know you know), and children but having a packing list keeps me sane to ensure I have the essentials. And if you forget something? It’ll be fine. Rest assured, you’ll find it at your destination or have it delivered.
Some key tips I’ve learned along the way can help you! For starters, having one toiletry bag for everyone has been key to staying organized. We also dedicate one suitcase to just the children’s clothes, shoes, and toys. This is super helpful.
And don’t forget to pack your extra change of clothes in a carry-on just in case. It’s just a good idea to have an extra set of clothes on you at all times (you never know when you’ll need it.)
We are big fans of traveling with our foldable double stroller. It helps so much when walking the airport and keeps our boys in one spot If you’re not a fan of traveling with one, there’s always the option of your advisor finding a rental stroller and having it delivered to your destination ahead of your arrival.
Another essential is snacks (all the snacks) plus entertainment/toys to keep your children happy on a travel day or during down time on your trip. If you need more supplies, don’t worry! Most resorts have plenty of snack options and some even allow grocery deliveries!
Mindset Is Key
The biggest tip and advice I can give is this: not every moment is perfect and that’s okay! You’re going to have great days that go off without a hitch and some bad days that may not work out as well as you planned.
Having the mindset that things will go wrong and having the flexibility to work around that is huge in making your family trip a success. Taking the time to slow down, have your children involved in decision making, get those photos but be present, is vital to that mindset as well.
The most important aspect is that you’re making memories with your children that will last you a lifetime. And even some of the disaster moments that we’ve had have turned into funny memories for us to reminisce about, they’re all great memories in the long run. The best and rewarding thing is having our eldest son talk about memories from his trips and wanting to go back makes it even more worth it. They’re creating core memories at a young age and you will cherish them forever
Let Firefly Travels Help Plan Your Family Memories
Overall planning a family vacation can be overwhelming but so worthwhile. With so many decisions to make (destinations, budget, preferences, and itineraries) having a a Firefly advisor to help every step of the way will make for a less stressful process. Think more happy memories with a lot less hassle!
We’ll help you choose the right fit for your family, provide a realistic and customized child-friendly itinerary, and offer tips to make you feel confident and prepared. Your biggest task will be to create amazing memories with your family while vacationing.
Ready to get started on your family trip planning? I’m here to help! Schedule a complimentary consultation with Emily to learn more.
