Guests of the Hilton Bonnet Creek can use the Guerlain Spa and Rees Jones golf course at the adjacent Waldorf Astoria Orlando hotel.

This summer, the Hilton is offering room rates as low as $139 per night. Here are some of the packages available:

PACKAGES FOR FAMILIES

• Wandering Wizards Package (from $154 per night) – Would-be wizards can enjoy action-packed days of magic and villains, beginning after a complimentary daily breakfast. Children will receive a spell-casting wand upon arrival, and parents will enjoy a 3pm late checkout to ensure enough time to cast all spells. All hotel guests enjoy complimentary direct transportation to Disney parks and the Kids Eat Free breakfast and dinner special at Harvest Bistro. see website for complete details
• Summer Magic Package (from $169 per night) – Visitors can enjoy even more fun in Orlando with a $25 Disney gift card AND a $50 nightly resort credit. The credit can be used for any resort amenity, including 12 restaurants and lounges, championship golf course, and Spa by Guerlain. All hotel guests enjoy complimentary direct transportation to Disney parks and the Kids Eat Free breakfast and dinner special at Harvest Bistro. see website for complete details
• Family Summer Magic Package (from $189 per night) — Kids eat, play and drink free! A hotel package featuring the resort’s most popular family requests, includes a spacious guest room, complimentary kids’ meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner!) at Harvest Bistro, complimentary kids soft drinks during pool hours; a $10 per child daily arcade credit; and nightly Dive-in Movies at the pool, with free popcorn. What could make it better? How about a $25 Disney gift card (per stay)? All hotel guests enjoy complimentary direct transportation to Disney parks. see website for complete details

PACKAGES FOR GOLFERS

• Summer Golf Bonus (from $139 per night) — Enjoy a spacious guest room, and two complimentary rounds of golf (playable after noon). All hotel guests enjoy complimentary direct transportation to Disney parks, and the Kids Eat Free breakfast and dinner special at Harvest Bistro. see website for complete details
• Unlimited Golf (from $199 per night) — For the golfing enthusiast, the Unlimited Golf Package is a terrific opportunity to hone skills over a weekend. Package includes a day’s unlimited play on the resort’s Rees Jones-designed Championship Golf Course (for each night stay) and unlimited use of the practice facilities. Also included is a $20 per person daily resort credit, which can be used for a spa treatment or at any restaurant or lounge. All hotel guests enjoy complimentary direct transportation to Disney parks and the Kids Eat Free breakfast and dinner special at Harvest Bistro. see website for complete details

PACKAGES FOR COUPLES

• Bed and Breakfast Package (from $159 per night) – Relax in a spacious guestroom featuring the signature Hilton Serenity Bed and refresh in the morning with a breakfast buffet for two adults at Harvest Bistro. All hotel guests enjoy complimentary direct transportation to Disney parks and the Kids Eat Free breakfast and dinner special at Harvest Bistro. see website for complete details
• Romance Package (from $189 per night) – Enjoy a spacious guest room featuring the signature Hilton Serenity Bed, sparkling wine or cider upon arrival, and full in-room breakfast for two. All hotel guests enjoy complimentary direct transportation to Disney parks and the Kids Eat Free breakfast and dinner special at Harvest Bistro. see website for complete details

VALUES FOR FLORIDA RESIDENTS

• Florida Resident Value Rate (from $121 per night) – Florida residents can enjoy fun in their own backyard with the resort’s Florida Resident Special. Endless amenities include golf, spa, swimming pool, lazy river pool, and even nightly Dive-In Movies in the summer. All hotel guests also enjoy complimentary direct transportation to Disney parks and the Kids Eat Free breakfast and dinner special at Harvest Bistro.

We recently took part in a new-to-me activity at Disney’s Polynesian Resort at Walt Disney World: Make Your Own Vinylmation!

The blank Vinylmation figurines have been available to buy for several months, and now some Walt Disney World resorts are offering Vinylmation decorating as part of their menu of daily activities for guests.

At the Polynesian, a table was set up with dozens of colorful Sharpie markers to decorate the figures. We were invited to buy a blank Vinylmation from a nearby merchandise location and then let our creativity take over.

The cast members manning the table had set up some real Vinylmation figures to spark our creativity. The Theme Park Kid had a great time decorating her Vinylmation, especially when it came time to pop off the arms and the head to better color around them.

When she was done, she even signed the bottom.

Regular readers will know that I preach this a lot, but I will say it again: Don’t overlook the great amenities and activities at your resort when you vacation at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Most of us need a little break from all the stimulation inside the parks, and there are lots of fun activities happening at our resort when you need a down day. So, don’t forget to peruse that activity calendar you are given when you check in.

We found the Make Your Own Vinylmation activity at the Polynesian. I am told it also takes place at the All-Star Resorts. If you’ve seen it in other Walt Disney World locations, please let us know in the comments.

This post is part of the Disney Blog Carnival.  Go there to read more great Disney posts!

CoCo Key Hotel and Water Resort

I am so excited about the April 15 opening of the new CoCo Key Hotel and Water Resort in Orlando. Today, CoCo Key is announcing a special rate of $89 for mid-week stays at the brand-new hotel, from April 15 through May 31. Standard room rates run $99-$129 per night.

As the hotel’s name shows, CoCo Key is more than a hotel. It has its own 54,000-square-foot water park with 14 water slides and play areas for children and teens. Unlimited water park access costs $19 per room, per day for hotel guests.

CoCo Key is right in between the Universal and SeaWorld theme parks on International Drive, and the hotel offers free transportation to and from these parks.

You can book a room at the special rate for Coco Key in Orlando online.

Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort

During the month of May, you can book a special package at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin to celebrate Mother’s Day.

The hotels are offering a special rate of $159 per night. If you book a stay at the special rate during any weekend in May, you will be entered to win a private, catered cruise aboard the Fan-ta-sea. One of these cruises will be given away to a lucky family each weekend.

The Swan and Dolphin hotels are in Epcot Resort Area at Walt Disney World, and guests get free transportation throughout the Walt Disney World resort, as well as other privileges such as Extra Magic Hours.

To book this “Mother May I” special, call 800-227-1500 and ask for rate code “MOTHER2.”

The Queen of Soul performs March 13 as part of Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras celebration, which runs Saturdays through April 17. Mardi Gras means Cajun cuisine, authentic New Orleans music, concerts, and, of course, a parade with plenty of bead throwing.

The Mardi Gras parade starts at 8 p.m. Saturday night, and Aretha’s concert will begin at 8:30 p.m.

The concert lineup for the rest of the Mardi Gras season includes:

• March 20: Miranda Lambert
• March 27: 3 Doors Down
• April 3: Beach Boys
• April 9: Sheryl Crow
• April 10: Flo Rida
• April 17: Chicago

Universal is running a special hotel package in conjunction with Mardi Gras this spring: Book 3 nights and get 2 more free. You can still book this package online through the end of March.

The resort has 386 rooms and is built for families, with dozens of options such as two-bedroom suites and rooms that connect side-to-side or back-to-back. Larger families that book adjoining rooms will get a $30 price break over the cost of two individual rooms.

And then there’s the water park! CoCo Key Water Resort will have 8 water slides, children’s play areas, a teen area and a quiet pool zone, all under a canopy.

There’s also a full-service restaurant, food court and grab and go market on the property, so plenty of options for eating.

Here’s how the pricing works: You book your hotel rooms (rates range from $99 to $149 per night), and then pay an additional $19 per day, per room resort fee, which covers unlimited access to the water park for up to four people, as well as your in-room Internet and other children’s activities at the hotel.

This new hotel and water park is centrally located on International Drive in Orlando. Coco Key will offer free transportation to and from Universal Studios Orlando, Islands of Adventure, SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica and Wet n’ Wild. It’s about a 20-minute drive away from Walt Disney World.

To celebrate the New Orleans Saints’ Super Bowl win, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin is offering Saints fans from Louisiana a free night’s stay when you book two nights at the standard price.

Here are the rules to get this free hotel night at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin:

• Travel must be booked by Feb. 28, 2010.
• Travel must be completed by Dec. 31, 2010.
• You must be a current resident of Louisiana. You will be asked for ID at check-in.
• Call 1-800-227-1500 and ask for promotion code SDBOWL.

The Swan and Dolphin resort is in the EPCOT Resort Area at Walt Disney World, within walking distance of Disney’s Boardwalk. And you get the same benefits as guests staying at other Walt Disney World resort hotels, including free transportation to Disney’s theme parks and Extra Magic hours.

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.

My family and I had the opportunity to visit ICE! this weekend at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee. I had heard a lot about the annual holiday attraction, but this was my first time visiting.

ICE! is a walk-through exhibit of giant ice sculptures, with ice slides for the kids (and young at heart) to play on, as well as some fun photo ops.

I posted my account of our ICE! experience over at i.seekissimmee.com, where I’m guest blogging this week.

Not that I’ve been there, done that, here are my tips for moms planning to take their kids to see ICE!:

• Bring gloves or mittens. It is 9 degrees inside the ice exhibit, and while they supply parkas, your hands will get cold. A stocking cap to wear under the hood or a scarf might also be helpful.
• No need to bundle up much more than that, though. We saw families in all manner of garb, including some with long johns and several layers on top of them. You spend about 30 minutes in the exhibit, and the parka keeps you warm enough during that time, in my opinion. You are walking through, on and around ice — part of the fun is getting cold in there.
• When you walk into the exhibit, take the lens cap off your camera. Your camera will need a few minutes to acclimate to the colder temperatures so that it doesn’t fog up when you are trying to take a family portrait.
• Be sure to stop at the counter to get your hot cocoa coupon before you get in line for the exhibit. When you are finished at ICE!, follow the signs into the Gaylord Palms atrium to pick up your hot chocolate. The hot chocolate coupon also gets you $1 off your parking.
• Plan to spend a few hours at the Gaylord Palms after the exhibit. There’s much more to enjoy. Walk through the atriums to view the thousands of poinsettias and other Christmas decorations. And stop at the Emerald Plaza stage to watch one of the free holiday stage shows that are performed several times a day.
• There is a gift shop outside of ICE! with many souvenir items, as well as lots of Christmas gift items to browse through. (I found a couple of unique Christmas ornaments for gifts.) I always like to know this in advance so that I can talk to my daughter about whether we will/won’t be buying a souvenir before we get to the gift shop. Consider yourself informed!

Depending on the day you go, ICE! costs $22-$26 for adults and $10-$13 for children. There are discounts for seniors, and you will save money if you buy your tickets in advance online.

Disclosure statement: My family’s tickets to ICE! were provided by the Gaylord Palms.