Family, travel, mom blog | Theme Park Mom (Leigh Caldwell)

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is one of my favorite parks for younger children because of all of the animal sightings and the great shows. Here are a couple of rides that the preschool set will enjoy:

Kilimanjaro Safaris: Climb into an off-road vehicle for this safari through 100 acres of savannah in Animal Kingdom’s Africa area. You and your child could see giraffes, elephants, flamingos, rhinos, antelope and maybe even a lion or two. This attraction is best experienced in the morning, when the animals are more active and easily seen.

Triceratop Spin: Little ones will enjoy making their dino go up and down on this circular ride in the DinoLand U.S.A. area of Animal Kingdom. This gentle ride is similar to Dumbo the Flying Elephant in the Magic Kingdom.

Wildlife Express Train: What child doesn’t love a train? This one runs every 5-7 minutes and takes you between the Harambe, Africa area and Rafiki’s Planet Watch. You can get off the train at Rafiki’s Planet Watch to take part in some educational activities and learn about animal conservation.

This post is part of “Under 5 Friday,” a series of posts with my best tips for taking young children to Walt Disney World.

Are you planning your first trip to Walt Disney World? One of the best ways to be sure you are getting the most out of your vacation (and your time and money) is to use a a travel agent who specializes in Disney vacations, like the folks at Enchanted Destinations.

Wow! You came back! I hope you find my site helpful. Please contact me if you have any suggestions or story ideas.

One week after the announcement that Legoland will open a location in Central Florida, interest in the new park remains high among Theme Park Mom readers. I am receiving e-mails and tweets daily from moms asking about the new attraction.

Here’s a summary of what we know so far about Legoland Florida:

Where will Legoland Florida be located? The Legoland park will be in Winter Haven, Florida, on the site of the historic Cypress Gardens theme park.

How far will Legoland be from Walt Disney World? Legoland Florida will be about 35 miles from Walt Disney World. It will take between 45 minutes and an hour to drive from Disney World to Legoland, depending on traffic.

When will Legoland Florida open? Legoland officials say the new theme park will open by the end of 2011.

How big will Legoland Florida be? The new Legoland will be built on the 145-acre Cypress Gardens site. It will be the world’s largest Legoland theme park.

How many attractions will Legoland Florida have? Legoland officials say there will be 40 to 50 rides, shows and other attractions.

What ages are best to visit Legoland Florida? Legoland is targeted for families with children between the ages of 2 and 12.

What about the Cypress Gardens attractions? Legoland Florida will keep and maintain the beautifully landscaped gardens on the site. There is also some talk of maintaining the famous Cypress Garden water-ski shows, albeit with a Lego theme.

Will there be a water park? The current water park at the Cypress Gardens site will remain. But it won’t be included with Legoland Florida admission; you will need a separate ticket. Legoland officials say they may re-do the park with a Legoland theme at some point.

How much will Legoland Florida tickets cost? Admission prices have not been announced for Legoland Florida. It currently costs $67 for a 1-day, adult ticket to Legoland California near San Diego. Admission for children and seniors is $57. Legoland California runs frequent promotions that offer discounted admission to the theme park.

It’s one year until the maiden voyage of the Disney Dream. To mark the occasion, Disney Cruise Line is releasing new details about some of the recreation choices on the ship.

Here are some of the family activities that will be available on the upper decks of the Disney Dream:

Deck 13 – Goofy’s Sports Deck

• Walking path – will ring the outside of the deck
• Goofy’s Golf  – miniature golf course with a “goofy” twist
• Two digital sports simulators – play virtual games of soccer, tennis, basketball and more
• Full basketball court that can also be used for volleyball
• Two miniatures sports courts for children’s soccer and basketball
• Table tennis
• Foosball tables

Deck 11 – Pools and water fun

• Nemo’s Reef (shown above) – water play area for kids that’s shaded from the sun
• Quiet Cove Pool and Cove Bar – adults-only pool and pool bar area
• AquaDuck – water coaster that traverses the upper decks of the Disney Dream ship
• Donald Pool – family pool, including a giant screen where movies will be shown
• Mickey Pool – kid’s pool shaped like Mickey Mouse

The Disney Dream is already accepting reservations for many cruises in 2011. The earlier you book a Disney cruise, the more money you can save on your vacation.

Walt Disney World is offering 30% to 45% discounts on hotel rooms for Florida residents most nights this spring. These are some amazing deals, with prices under $60 per night for value resorts, under $100 per night for moderates and around $175 per night for some of the deluxe resorts.

Here are some examples:

• $53.30 per night for a room at All-Star Music Resort the last weekend of January
• $93.87 per night for a room at the Carribbean Beach Resort the third week of February.
• $174.00 per night for a room at Animal Kingdom Lodge the third week of April.

All of the details are available on Walt Disney World’s Web site. This is an especially great deal with the Disney Dream Pass, which offers Florida residents 4 days at the parks for just $99.

And if your family typically stays in values or moderates, here’s a chance to step up a category for about the same price (or less than) you are used to paying!

My family (which is 2 adults and 1 child) could do four nights at a value resort and the Disney Dream Pass for less than $500 (plus taxes). That is why I say these deals are truly amazing!

There are black-out dates for this discount, mainly centered around spring break. You have to book by June 10, 2010, but you will have the most availability if you book as early as possible, of  course.