Where/how do big families vacation?

[Meadowlark]

I have great memories of a big family vacation every year when I was a kid, and one of 3 kids. Now that I have 5 (and possibly 1 more?), I feel a little sad that I may not be able to provide my kids with the same experiences.

 

I'm looking for ideas of how to make a vacation affordable and fun, and even specific suggestions for the Midwest.We would have to be able to drive. I'm not really a camper, but we have done the cabin thing a few times. I'd be open to that if there was a really great place. I like to have a lot to do, things planned etc.

 

If any of you " moms of many" can give me a few pointers, general or specific, I'd appreciate it!

[Jennifer in MI]

We rent out a condo or house.   We drive there to save flight money.  We cook most of our own meals while there.  We spend our money on the condo and entertainment.  Next year we are going to try an all-suites hotel in Myrtle Beach.   We'll see how we like that!

[busymama7]

Learn to like camping? ;) that's what we do. People were surprised I was taking eight kids to camp on the beach without my dh last spring. We were going with friends so not alone. I told them going to a hotel with eight kids was NOT a vacation. More like h*ll on earth ;). Now camping on the other hand is the perfect thing to do with a bunch of kids. They run and play and get dirty and climb trees and find bugs and go on hikes. So. Much. Fun. And I sit there with my feet up and read and watch.

 

We keep the food very simple and fast. No campfire cooking excpet smores. My kids have great memories. I do wish sometimes we could afford Disney or the like but we can't so we do what we can a build memories that way.

 

The only other thing we do with regularity is visit family.

[G5052]

One family I know has found that sometimes camps will rent less expensively in the off season (like May or September) when the weather is still good.  

 

I'm not familiar with the Midwest, but that's a source to think about.

 

We actually rented a house overseas last year for two weeks because the one hotel there wasn't going to meet our needs, and it was really nice.  I cooked many meals, and we had a place to hang out when the weather was bad.  There were also some things to do in the immediate area that we enjoyed.

 

[Jennifer in MI]

Specific recommendations include Windsor Hills in Orlando.  That would give you LOTS of options as far as entertainment.  We've also stayed on Anna Maria Island in Florida.  Absolutely gorgeous beaches.  Clearwater beach is fun too.  Lots of things to keep you busy there.  I'm not helping, am I?  We really like FL!

 

We also cruise as a family.  If you go during off times, they can be fairly inexpensive.  We went on one last year for $2400 for our family of 6 for six nights on Royal Caribbean.  All the entertainment and food are taken care of for you.

[thessa516]

We bought a camper this past year. Instead of one big vacation, we camp every other weekend during the summer. We head off to a nearby-but-far-enough-away-to-feel-like-a-vacation lake. 

 

We love it. The kids hike, explore, swim. I hike, read, and take the most fabulous naps. There are tons of nature study opportunities - I'm getting field identification guides to keep in the camper this year. We play frisbee. We keep meals simple. We gather around the campfire and eat smores.

 

And now I'm longing for warm weather to get the camper back out!

 

[Guest]

Well, I don't have a particularly large family, but we always now rent a condo or house for vacations. I use Vacation Rentals By Owner on-line. This usually works out less expensively than a (single) hotel room (let alone multiple rooms or a family suite), everyone has WAY more space and privacy and we have the benefit of a full kitchen and laundry facilities.  :thumbup1: I do not like to eat out constantly; least of all for breakfast with kids. Much rather have cereal, yogurt, fruit or eggs at the condo or house then nag everyone to eat their expensive pancakes. 

 

ETA: This is something I would be looking for, for example. I would plan to stay in a lake house like this, we would spend some times at Sleeping Bear Dunes. We would fish, make s'mores around that firepit and probably rent a boat. 

 

Matter of fact, this little bit of research really makes me want to actually go there myself! 

[Paige]

We almost always try to rent a house or apartment with vrbo, homeaway, or something similar. It's usually cheaper than 2 rooms at a hotel or even the big suites. We don't go on vacation often and we usually drive. We want to go overseas next year with the kids so we got a credit card that will give us airline miles. I have figured out that with promotional points and our regular spending that it will take about a year to accumulate enough points to fly all 6 of us for free (plus taxes). I've already checked and if we plan ahead, we can get 6 promotional seats on the same flights. Then, we will rent a house, plan on taking public transportation, walking, and hiring drivers instead of renting a big van. My budget for all of us for everything minus tours, souvenirs, etc is $1,200. We could never afford it without the miles from the credit cards. We put everything we can on the cards and have it set to automatically pay the entire balance each month so we aren't hit by fees or interest.

[Lolly]

We leave dh behind. That makes things WAY less expensive for us...Not sure why that is...PBJ, bread, apples, and water in the car. Eat it a lot for meals/snacks. Egg carton foam roll in the car for floor of hotel for kids (take turns by night)=just one room to rent when on the go. Grocery store for dinner food to eat in hotel lobby (microwavable or deli) instead of eating out. For stay put vacations, rent house/condo or camp. Cabins at state parks are usually very reasonable. When we are at the beach, we go to the beach. We don't go putt-putt, para-sail, and do amusement parks. My kids friends think it is weird that at the beach we actually go out to the beach! We always drive. The thought of flying is just laughable. besides, the drive is sometimes the best part of the trip. I'm odd and like family car time.

[Guest]

We almost always try to rent a house or apartment with vrbo, homeaway, or something similar. It's usually cheaper than 2 rooms at a hotel or even the big suites. We don't go on vacation often and we usually drive. We want to go overseas next year with the kids so we got a credit card that will give us airline miles. I have figured out that with promotional points and our regular spending that it will take about a year to accumulate enough points to fly all 6 of us for free (plus taxes). I've already checked and if we plan ahead, we can get 6 promotional seats on the same flights. Then, we will rent a house, plan on taking public transportation, walking, and hiring drivers instead of renting a big van. My budget for all of us for everything minus tours, souvenirs, etc is $1,200. We could never afford it without the miles from the credit cards. We put everything we can on the cards and have it set to automatically pay the entire balance each month so we aren't hit by fees or interest.

 

Wow! That's seriously impressive! I would not mind learning which credit card you recommend. If you could PM me with it, I would greatly appreciate it. DD and I want to take a trip to France; I'm tentatively planning for the summer after she graduates from high school. As you probably know, the airfare is the killer. Not sure why I didn't think of using my points to help shave that part of the expense! 

[Excelsior! Academy]

Specific recommendations include Windsor Hills in Orlando.  That would give you LOTS of options as far as entertainment.  We've also stayed on Anna Maria Island in Florida.  Absolutely gorgeous beaches.  Clearwater beach is fun too.  Lots of things to keep you busy there.  I'm not helping, am I?  We really like FL!

 

We also cruise as a family.  If you go during off times, they can be fairly inexpensive.  We went on one last year for $2400 for our family of 6 for six nights on Royal Caribbean.  All the entertainment and food are taken care of for you.

 

Whoa, how did you do that?!  I want to!

 

 

 

 

We have done Disney, Knott's, several weekend trips to resort type hotels and lots of day trips.  When we just had a few children we would drive and plan stops along the way.  Now we fly.  I stalk the airfare rates like a hawk and purchase when affordable.  We were able to fly everyone cross country for around 2K.  It was totally worth the $.  Actually, by the time you pay gas, food, lodging, etc.  It is pretty much a wash financially.  We also rent hotel suites or stay with family.  If we found a cabin or rental house we would most definitely do that too.  When we did Disney we purchased the dining plan.  Also worth it. 

 

Food, lodging and gas are what kill your budget.  We have tried packing coolers of food, but frankly that is too much work and mess.  Now we plan some non-messy snacks (limit fruits and juices or experience unwanted side effects) and a labeled water bottle for refills then plan to strategically purchase along the way.

 

We have done hotels with lots of littles several times.  It is all in the structure, schedule and packing.  That can make or break your experience.

[Wilma]

I'd love to know what credit card you'd recommend for the flight miles, too!  I have a serious travel bug that my huz does not share, and finances are always a hold-up when I try to talk him into a big trip.

[LLMom]

Camping, staying with relatives, and friends.  That usually meant sleeping on the floors, but we did it.  We didn't do a lot of vacations because logistically with a lot of kids it was hard and not always fun.  Now that my kids are older, it is better.

[Guest]

 

Whoa, how did you do that?!  I want to!

 

:iagree: I wouldn't mind more info on that, either. How did you arrange the rooms? (Multiple rooms? Big suite?) 

[Paige]

Well, we're only going to Central America, so we won't need as many miles as if you want to go to Europe or Asia. I spent about 2 months reading blogs about it when I first decided to plan. It really depends on where you want to go and what sort of spending you do as well as who flies near you. We'd want a different card if we lived somewhere else or if we wanted to fly somewhere else, or if we had a home business. Once we get our points for our Central America trip, we'll look for a new card to earn points to go to Europe. That may take a bit longer but it's my next goal. I wanted the kids to have a shorter flight for their first trip and while they are younger.

 

I don't really want to promote anyone, but if you google credit card miles blog you should hit some prominent ones. I also lurk on flyertalk forums. We have the Chase Sapphire card and the British Airways card. When we got the BA card, they were offering 100,000 miles if you spend enough. They aren't offering it right now, so I'd wait and see if it comes up again. British Airways uses less miles to fly to Central America than most airlines, so that's why we wanted them. Ironically, we would not want to fly with them to Europe because they would kill us with the taxes.

[J-rap]

We are a family of 7 and have taken lots of trip, domestic and international.  For domestic trips we drive 90% of the time.  We've stayed in KOA cabins or other state park cabins that usually just sleep 6 but will let us bring an extra cot for #7.  Big resort cabins can be expensive, but small, private fishing-resort cabins are often far cheaper.   Roadside motels are often far cheaper, and once you get to the small towns in the Midwest they can even be kind of cute.  Sometimes we would find one that sleeps 6 and then bring an extra cot or sleeping bag, or sometimes we would get two rooms right next to each other.

Once we took the train from MSP to St. Louis, MO, and that was a blast.  We got a deal on the train where for every paid ticket you get a free companion ticket.  Now and then Amtrak has deals like that.  If you go to hotels.com, sometimes hotels have specials if it's an off season or even just an off-weekend for them.  Also, hotels.com has a deal where for every 10 rentals you book through them, you get one free night at a hotel.  We've been able to do that a lot.  Or sometimes hotels have specials where you can stay for half-off for a weekend plus a free breakfast, or something like that.  That's what we did when we went to St. Louis.  We stayed at a very nice Marriot where the second room was free and breakfast was included.  Priceline lets you name your price and try and place a bid.

We charge everything on a credit card that accumulates points, and I mean everything.  (We pay it off monthly).  We have probably gotten 20 round-trip tickets to Europe on that over the years.  You can also collect points on specific airlines by shopping at online stores (even stores like Amazon, JCPenny, Target, etc.) by linking them to your airline miles club account;  your dollars spent are counted as miles.

In Europe, we stay at hostels that accommodate families or pensions/B&B's where they are flexible about the amount of people per room.  We stayed in a room in Vienna that usually held 4, but they flipped over about 3 other things in the room and they became instant one-person mattresses!  Amazing!  Places that include breakfast are huge money-savers for us, as well as places that include kitchens. 

 

 

 

[Jennifer in MI]

Whoa, how did you do that?!  I want to!

 

 

 

 

We have done Disney, Knott's, several weekend trips to resort type hotels and lots of day trips.  When we just had a few children we would drive and plan stops along the way.  Now we fly.  I stalk the airfare rates like a hawk and purchase when affordable.  We were able to fly everyone cross country for around 2K.  It was totally worth the $.  Actually, by the time you pay gas, food, lodging, etc.  It is pretty much a wash financially.  We also rent hotel suites or stay with family.  If we found a cabin or rental house we would most definitely do that too.  When we did Disney we purchased the dining plan.  Also worth it. 

 

Food, lodging and gas are what kill your budget.  We have tried packing coolers of food, but frankly that is too much work and mess.  Now we plan some non-messy snacks (limit fruits and juices or experience unwanted side effects) and a labeled water bottle for refills then plan to strategically purchase along the way.

 

We have done hotels with lots of littles several times.  It is all in the structure, schedule and packing.  That can make or break your experience.

 

 

:iagree: I wouldn't mind more info on that, either. How did you arrange the rooms? (Multiple rooms? Big suite?) 

I stalk cruise prices and jump when I find a good one.  That cruise was the second week in January last year.  We have booked all sorts of rooms on cruises.  My favorite by far is two connecting balcony rooms, but it is more expensive.  That cheap cruise was two interior rooms.  Our last cruise (a couple weeks ago), we booked a balcony room with an interior room across the hall.  I get the balcony and the kids get the interior!  Works great!

 

We've never done a suite.

 

We have a credit card that gives us cash back.  I put EVERYTHING on that card and end up cashing out before a vacation.  I usually earn back about $1000 a year.

[wapiti]

I flew back east with my 6 kids last summer (dh had to work at the last minute).  We stayed in a hotel suite, Homewood Suites by Hilton - this particular one had two bedrooms.  Also free breakfast :).  We were only there two nights and then off to stay with relatives.

 

When we drive, we usually end up getting two hotel rooms, me in one and dh in the other.  We aim for hotels that are reasonably priced but still decent, with a pool and free breakfast.  Holiday Inn Express usually works.  I map out hotels well in advance, as often the ones just outside of town are much cheaper than the ones right in town (even for small towns, LOL).

 

eta, if we were going somewhere for a week and didn't have a relative's house to stay in, I would definitely prefer to rent a house if possible.  Once when we rented a condo, we weren't there half an hour before a neighbor complained about the noise.  But, we had a good condo rental experience in Scottsdale - I wonder if other residents just weren't around, LOL.

[Joyofsixreboot]

We don't.

[Meadowlark]

Learn to like camping? ;) that's what we do. People were surprised I was taking eight kids to camp on the beach without my dh last spring. We were going with friends so not alone. I told them going to a hotel with eight kids was NOT a vacation. More like h*ll on earth ;). Now camping on the other hand is the perfect thing to do with a bunch of kids. They run and play and get dirty and climb trees and find bugs and go on hikes. So. Much. Fun. And I sit there with my feet up and read and watch.

 

We keep the food very simple and fast. No campfire cooking excpet smores. My kids have great memories. I do wish sometimes we could afford Disney or the like but we can't so we do what we can a build memories that way.

 

The only other thing we do with regularity is visit family.

Oh, I hear you on the hotel being h$ll on earth, I've SO been there, do that. In fact, I told my DH that I will NOT stay in a hotel for another 5 years until my littles grow up a bit. It was that bad.

 

Camping...well, it just seems like so.much.work. Plus, getting a camper is not in our budget. We do a weekend at Jellystone every year and stay in a cabin. It's great fun (we leave the babies at home).

 

The vacation home is an interesting idea; we've never done that. I can see needing a kitchen in the future as it is already costing a fortune to feed my little crew. There are lots of great ideas here and I am soaking them all up. What lucky kids you all have :-)

[Meadowlark]

I also wanted to add that DH and I just had the discussion of hotel vs. rental house. He really feels like a hotel is the way to go because well, it's a different kind of experience. We were talking specifically about Disney, but it could apply anywhere. I guess I can't disagree. Being a homeschooling family, we are together all the time. I love being with them of course, but there is something to be said about NOT being in a home type of environment while on vacation and seeing other people and interacting with them.

 

On the other hand, maybe the cost savings (if there is one?) and space would make those things pale in order of importance. Maybe, I would love it!?! Honestly, my kiddos are young, but the two oldest are starting to ask about vacations and they are at the fun age where they would really enjoy it. Plus, I've been having and raising babies for the past 6 years and am eager to have some fun experiences with my kids. The tough part is, affording them and being sure they are fun instead of stressful (I.e being in a hotel room with 5 kids!)

[busymama7]

Oh, I hear you on the hotel being h$ll on earth, I've SO been there, do that. In fact, I told my DH that I will NOT stay in a hotel for another 5 years until my littles grow up a bit. It was that bad.

 

Camping...well, it just seems like so.much.work. Plus, getting a camper is not in our budget. We do a weekend at Jellystone every year and stay in a cabin. It's great fun (we leave the babies at home).

 

The vacation home is an interesting idea; we've never done that. I can see needing a kitchen in the future as it is already costing a fortune to feed my little crew. There are lots of great ideas here and I am soaking them all up. What lucky kids you all have :-)

We don't have a camper. We did actually but now we just tent it. We have two tents and I hav three teen boys who are scouts so it works.

 

It was work at first but now we have the rhythm down and it's easy. We keep everything together in the garage and can pack up the car in just a couple hours. It was worth the investment and time figuring it out because it is so cheap.

[MolleenCarie]

Here's a link. She has ten under 12, I think.

 

http://www.eightbawl.blogspot.jp/2013/11/outer-banks-large-family-style.html?m=1

[Guest]

I also wanted to add that DH and I just had the discussion of hotel vs. rental house. He really feels like a hotel is the way to go because well, it's a different kind of experience. We were talking specifically about Disney, but it could apply anywhere. I guess I can't disagree. Being a homeschooling family, we are together all the time. I love being with them of course, but there is something to be said about NOT being in a home type of environment while on vacation and seeing other people and interacting with them.

 

On the other hand, maybe the cost savings (if there is one?) and space would make those things pale in order of importance. Maybe, I would love it!?! Honestly, my kiddos are young, but the two oldest are starting to ask about vacations and they are at the fun age where they would really enjoy it. Plus, I've been having and raising babies for the past 6 years and am eager to have some fun experiences with my kids. The tough part is, affording them and being sure they are fun instead of stressful (I.e being in a hotel room with 5 kids!)

 

In re: Disney, I have stayed on-property at Wilderness Lodge and I have stayed off-property in a condo at Windsor Hills. When we stayed on-property, ds9 was a nursing baby. When we stayed off-property, ds9 was 5yo. We did like Wilderness Lodge; the meal-plan was less expensive than buying all meals out. We liked being on the bus line because we flew that time. But the 5 of us, including a baby in that minuscule room - it was a challenge. I think the only thing that saved me was my expectations were not high and I knew having  a baby in that tiny hotel room would not be the easiest thing I've ever done. 

 

OTOH, staying at the condo was pretty much heaven. It still had the amenities of a hotel (incredible swimming pool and a game room), but man, did we enjoy having space! The boys shared a bedroom with two twin beds and their favorite thing of all was that they had their own TV and a gaming system. The bedroom my dd had was a "second master suite" and was as luxurious as ours! She talked for months about that enormous, beautiful bed all to herself. We had our car that time but we still could have used the buses if we had flown, because Windsor Hills is SO close; it's something like 3 miles from Magic Kingdom. 

 

Because the expense of renting the condo was comparable to staying on-property, to me it was a no-brainer. I can only expect that I will rent a condo any time we ever go again. 

[Jane Elliot]

I'm not sure where in the Midwest you are, but when we lived in Michigan, we'd drive to Gulf Shores/Fort Morgan, Alabama and rent a house on the beach every March.

 

We like camping, too. Camping with a large family is an acquired taste. :-)

[canadianjen]

We camp.  I did not grow up camping so my husband really had to sell me on it but it is great.  We have 5 kids (ages 14 down to 2) and this summer I'm doing the Oregon/California coast with them (husband has to work)....I love the freedom of camping, the kids can tire themselves out mucking about in the campsite and they love it.  I mean the kids LOVE camping..the campfires, the dirt, the adventure.  It is a bit tiring for me but I think any holiday with the kids would be...cooking is a bit of a chore so I make it simple, fruit, hot-dogs, roast potatoes etc.  And best of all the kids enjoy washing dishes outside (who knew!?).  

 

We've also done homeswaps with success but the airfare is always a factor.  

 

We live on a beatiful island in British Columbia....always a spot for a tent if anyone wants an inexpensive holiday...Just pitch your tent in the yard and enjoy the beaches and hikes!

[Tmhearn]

FYI to all you campers... You can camp at Disney.

[Meadowlark]

In re: Disney, I have stayed on-property at Wilderness Lodge and I have stayed off-property in a condo at Windsor Hills. When we stayed on-property, ds9 was a nursing baby. When we stayed off-property, ds9 was 5yo. We did like Wilderness Lodge; the meal-plan was less expensive than buying all meals out. We liked being on the bus line because we flew that time. But the 5 of us, including a baby in that minuscule room - it was a challenge. I think the only thing that saved me was my expectations were not high and I knew having a baby in that tiny hotel room would not be the easiest thing I've ever done.

 

OTOH, staying at the condo was pretty much heaven. It still had the amenities of a hotel (incredible swimming pool and a game room), but man, did we enjoy having space! The boys shared a bedroom with two twin beds and their favorite thing of all was that they had their own TV and a gaming system. The bedroom my dd had was a "second master suite" and was as luxurious as ours! She talked for months about that enormous, beautiful bed all to herself. We had our car that time but we still could have used the buses if we had flown, because Windsor Hills is SO close; it's something like 3 miles from Magic Kingdom.

 

Because the expense of renting the condo was comparable to staying on-property, to me it was a no-brainer. I can only expect that I will rent a condo any time we ever go again.

At the risk of hijacking my own thread, I have to ask. Is Windsor Hills as great as it seems? I was actually browsing through their website the other day just for kicks, and I couldn't believe how beautiful it was. And some of the homes were just adorable with their Disney themed rooms.

 

So, what's the catch? ;-) I'm a skeptic. Is there a trick to getting a great rate? Where do you book and how do you know who to trust? Is it really THAT close to Disney, and is there transportation or would you have to rent a car??? DH definitely believes we should stay on property when we go, but you may be on your way to convincing me otherwise. I guess I just thought it looked too good to be true, and I didn't want to rob my kids of the authentic Disney experience. (My husband and I stayed at the all star music and thought the theming and activities were really cute...but the small, VERY small room, was NOT!)

[itsheresomewhere]

FYI to all you campers... You can camp at Disney.

It is a blast to camp there.  You can also rent a camper from a outside company.  They deliver it to your site and set it up for you.  They pick it up when your vacation is over.

[laundrycrisis]

Some of them go here:

 

http://lakeviewresortlakeozarks.com/

 

We stayed there two years ago for a family reunion.  There were two very large families renting the large cabins across the street from the office.

 

The place is a bit vintage.  The playgrounds were kind of run down.  Some of the cabins looked extremely rustic from the outside.  But the units we stayed in were all fine.

[canadianjen]

We camped at Disney Fort Wilderness.  Flew in from Seattle with tents, sleeping bags, tarps..the works (Dad, mom and three kids).  It poured while we set up the tent and we looked like a bunch of drowned rats and the temps went down to freezing but we had a great time.  It was great to stay on-site for such a reasonable price.  We purchased the meal plan so no cooking needed which was fantastic!

 

[Jennifer in MI]

At the risk of hijacking my own thread, I have to ask. Is Windsor Hills as great as it seems? I was actually browsing through their website the other day just for kicks, and I couldn't believe how beautiful it was. And some of the homes were just adorable with their Disney themed rooms.

 

So, what's the catch? ;-) I'm a skeptic. Is there a trick to getting a great rate? Where do you book and how do you know who to trust? Is it really THAT close to Disney, and is there transportation or would you have to rent a car??? DH definitely believes we should stay on property when we go, but you may be on your way to convincing me otherwise. I guess I just thought it looked too good to be true, and I didn't want to rob my kids of the authentic Disney experience. (My husband and I stayed at the all star music and thought the theming and activities were really cute...but the small, VERY small room, was NOT!)

Windsor Hills really is as great as it looks!  The pool/club area is amazing.  They bring in live entertainment quite often, which adds to the vacation "feel".  They have a movie theater and will play what you want them to.  The grounds are impecably kept.  The playgrounds are fun - lots of climbing structures, life size chess board, merry-go-round, etc, etc, etc.

 

We have done both on-property and Windsor Hills.  They are different vacations.  When we stay on property, we always get free dining.  So, that vacation is truly care-free.  No car, no cooking, etc.  But, there isn't much space at ALL in the rooms and doing laundry is much harder.  Off-property there is room to spread out.  We usually stay longer to have a few off days from the parks to enjoy the property.  But, I end up doing some of the cooking (or all of it if we are trying to make it a cheap trip!).  And, you would need a car to get to the parks.  But, every park is VERY easy to get to by car and faster than the bus service (except Magic Kingdom).   Laundry is right there in the unit, so it's easy to pack light.  

 

There is NO catch, I swear.  I usually contact an owner individually.  Sometimes they'll give you a better rate than on their website.  Or, they will waive the cleaning fee.  This is where we stay:  www.bestcondostay.com  Gary, the owner is very easy to work with.  It's just a condo - so not a full house.  But, it's 1400 sq. ft.  It's very close to the pool (some of the houses you'd have to drive).  We've paid as little as $70/night there.  I think our January and September stays have been the cheapest.  (I read somewhere that the pool will be closed in September for renovations - so you might want to be aware of that!)