The Orbitz Family Travel Guide
Meet the new Orbitz Parent Panel, a group of Orbitz moms and dads coming together to share experiences and advice to help you plan an affordable, stress-free family vacation.
This month, our focus is on Family Reunions:
- Glacier National Park and the Adirondacks: Family reunion blogs from these two destinations.
- Stress Free Reunion planning: Tips to make your family reunion run smoothly
- Hot topic: Individual accommodations vs. bunking in all together, our panelists weigh in.
- Where should we go?: Reunion destinations that can accommodate all ages and budgets.
We went looking for travel experts who were also doting parents and found them right under our nose. These Orbitz parents have plenty of experience traveling to a variety of destinations with children of all ages. Join them as they share their vacation adventures, mistakes and successes -- as well as personal strategies, tips, and opinions.
Donna Mulligan is a full-time working mom to 3 hockey players. Her family's favorite travel destinations include Killington, Vermont, the Adirondacks, Florida's Gulf coast, and Quebec City.
My extended family of 20 or more gathers for a long weekend reunion in the Adirondacks in upstate New York each year. We time our reunion to coincide with an annual Harvest Festival and established a few rules to keep it fun for everyone. More
posted by Parent Panel | October 2008
Kimberley Myles is the mother of a 4-year-old son born in New Zealand. She spent five years thinking Christmas meant summer weather while living in Auckland. She currently resides in a suburb of Chicago.
This August, I tagged along for a family reunion photo shoot at Glacier National Park. The chance to experience the great outdoors and bond with family is an excellent excuse to visit one of the most beautiful parks in the US National Park Service system. More
posted by Parent Panel | October 2008
- Plan a year in advance.The hardest part of planning a reunion is getting everyone to agree on a date. Start planning a year in advance and set the date and stick to it. Treat it like you would a wedding: Set the date, and send out a "save the date" card so that everyone has it on their calendar and can plan accordingly.
- Create a reunion Web site. Use sites, such as Evite, Invitastic or Socializr, to consolidate travel plans, communicate updates, and build excitement about the reunion. The site can live on after the reunion, with digital photos and videos from the event.
- Set a budget. Everyone has a different situation, so to avoid surprises over costs during the trip, set expectations up front by establishing a budget for the reunion that will include accommodations, food and activities.
- Hire a professional photographer. After you have gone through all the trouble to get everyone together, preserve the memory by hiring a professional photographer to meet you on location and take photos of the entire group and then each individual family. The resort concierge or local chamber of commerce can help you locate a photographer.
- Divvy up the responsibilities. Make sure that one person does not bear all the responsibility of planning the reunion. Splitting up the responsibilities will help everyone feel involved and excited. Put one person in charge of the location, another in charge of dining, and let someone else plan the activities.
- Don’t over schedule. Remember, that a reunion is supposed to be fun and relaxing! Consider only scheduling a group breakfast or dinner every day and letting each family plan their own daily activities.
These family reunion ideas rank high for convenience, deliver great value regardless of budget, and offer fun for all ages:
- Disney: From the greatest grandma to the tiniest toddler, never worry about anyone being bored or hungry in this magic kingdom. Find a range of family-friendly accommodations and dining options at or near the theme parks. See Disney vacations
- Cruises. Today's cruise ships offer an amazing array of entertainment and activities for the entire family, from onboard water parks and rock-climbing to comedy shows and spas. One price covers your accommodations, meals and beverages. Plus, you can depart from one of 23 U.S. ports, including Miami, New York or Los Angeles, and skip the airfare. See family cruises
- All inclusive resorts. When you're trying to stick to a budget and cater to various ages and lifestyles, consider all-inclusive resorts. One up-front price covers lodging, meals, activities, tips, taxes and more, so there are no surprises. Among the family-friendly options: the swanky Beaches Resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico's Dreams Resorts, which emphasize fun and value. See all-inclusive resorts.
- Rent a beach or mountain house. Enjoy extra space and all the amenities of home, like kitchen and laundry, by renting a private home. Consider a beach house in the Outer Banks of North Carolina or a cabin in Lake Tahoe. Vacation rentals are great for family reunions as you can rent one large home or several small homes close together See vacation rentals
"All together!"
"An extended family vacation can be a wonderful time to relive old memories and create new family fables that will last for generations. When traveling with the entire Miller flock I find that when available, a large condo or house rental is the best home-base for us. Not only do we enjoy having large shared common space for kids to run and play together, but we also enjoy cooking some meals, as my clan is very fond of cooking - and then eating meals together! Additionally, I have found that often a nice vacation rental can be less expensive per person than hotel rooms if you have enough people sharing the space."
Drew Miller, Orbitz Parents Panel
"Separately"
"Since my husband and I both work full time, our vacation time is precious time with our young son. Therefore, when we attended a family reunion last summer we opted to stay in our own hotel room. Having our own room gave us a retreat away from the family activities and allowed us some quality down time with each other. We were able to feel like we participated in all the reunion activities, yet still felt like we enjoyed a vacation with just the three of us. We will definitely seek out our own accommodations at future reunions!"
Amanda Sundt, Orbitz Parents Panel
Orbitz parents rated these family-friendly hotels hotels on a scale of 1 to 5, based on:
- Service
- Amenities
- Comfort
- Location
- Value
Read their reviews to get first-hand observations, as well as practical tips on what to do, where to eat and how to get around.
Family getaways and reunions
With lots of onboard activities, tons of shore excursions and plenty of meal options to choose from, cruising is a fun and affordable family vacation.
Explore Europe, Alaska, the Caribbean, Hawaii or Mexico. You and your family will see it all, and unpack only once!