Sherman's Travel

Being a kid can be rough, but being the adults traveling with tykes can be difficult as well. Coordinating activities for youngsters of varying ages is a challenge (little Tommy wants to visit the petting zoo, while teen Tammy would rather go shopping), as is attempting to stay on a budget. For parents planning a trip for the whole clan, we have good news (and bad news).

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It takes a special kind of nerd to track down all the healthy-eating options at the Magic Kingdom; I am that nerd. Of course, I love pigging out on a behemoth burger or a cinnamon bun the size of my face on occasion. However, most times what I need is a light but filling meal that doesn’t wreck havoc on my belly (especially if I plan on hitting the Mad Tea Party ride). If this sounds like you, never fear. We’ve scoured the park’s restaurants for some healthful choices that also happen to be darn tasty.

1. Quinoa Salad: Be Our Guest Restaurant, Fantasyland
Quinoa is all the rage these days because it packs a powerful punch of protein. Be Our Guest’s lunch menu includes quinoa salad ($7.99), which comes with green beans, potatoes, olives, roasted bell peppers, golden beets, and tomatoes. The kids’ lunch menu includes Mickey-shaped meatloaf and seared mahi. Read more

A number of viral videos depict a similar theme. On the morning of a big day – sometimes Christmas, sometimes a birthday – parents will train cameras on their children as they tell them the family is going to Disney World … and they’re leaving today. The kids, overwhelmed with the prospect of meeting Mickey in person, burst into tears.

This strategy may be adorable (or traumatizing, depending on how you look at it), but the premise neglects a lot of nagging questions. How do you discretely pack for a week away without giving away the scheme? Will holiday travel slow down the festivities? Is there a way to chaotically dart through an airport and reach your destination while avoiding the dreaded Home Alone scenario?
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Finally, you can stop asking your teapot to pass the wine.

For the first time in 41 years, Disney World’s Magic Kingdom will serve alcohol to park goers. Be Our Guest, the park’s “Beauty and the Beast” themed restaurant opening next month, has announced they will serve wine and beer during the spot’s dinner hour. The eatery is located in the park’s Fantasyland Forest, which features a castle modeled after the one where the Beast resides.

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Get away from the chaotic crowds at Disney World while still basking in the Florida sun with a stay at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate. The upscale resort’s 3-day sale through July 14 offers up to 30 percent savings – with rates starting at $102 a night. The resort boasts that the Disney parks are both “easy to get to and easy to escape,” and they are right. This Mediterranean-style paradise comprises 1,200 acres of natural wetlands, an undoubted reason for its claim as the lure of the ChampionsGate community.

The resort’s numerous amenities and seven on-site meal options (including Asian and Italian cuisine) give visitors no reason to ever want to leave. From two championship golf courses, a lazy river, meditation garden, cozy cabanas surrounding the adult pool, and daily activities around the family pool, guests will never have a dull moment.  And if they do – which is doubtful with this kind of an escape – Disney, Universal, and Sea World are all within a sixteen-mile radius of the resort. The featured deluxe room includes a king or two double beds, oversized modern furnishing, a complete workstation including high-speed wireless Internet and voicemail, and a luxurious bathroom complete with plush bathrobes and expansive marble vanity.  Some of the deluxe rooms even have balconies with golf views.

This three-day sale is good for travel completed by September 8, 2012.  The promotion includes deluxe accommodations and a ready-made S’mores kit.  To book or for more information, visit the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate website or call 800-843-6664.

See our Orlando destination guide for more trip-planning information, then use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find the lowest rates on flights.

Treat the family to a Walt Disney World vacation in Orlando, Florida during spring or summer break.  Stay between April 28 and June 14 and save up to 35% at Disney’s Resort Hotels. Save even more by traveling between Aug. 14 and Oct. 1, when rooms are up to 40% off! Tons of Disney resorts are on sale including All-Star Movies Resort, Pop Century Resort, Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and Polynesian Resort. The lead price of $64 per night is valid for a standard room at Disney’s Pop Century Resort most Sunday to Thursday nights, August 14 to September 29.

THE VALUE: Staying at a Disney property means that you’ll get benefits like Extra Magic Hours for longer time in the theme parks, and free ground transportation within the Walt Disney World Resort and to/from Orlando International Airport.

THE CATCH: Book by March 27 for sale rates. Taxes are not included in the lead price, and the sale excludes suites and three-bedroom accommodations.

THE DETAILS: Book online at Disney World’s website or call (407) 939-7722 and use booking code: TSU.

WE’VE GOT MORE: Use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find great rates on flights to Orlando!