I am trying to plan a vacation for April vacation with a 7yr old. Any ideas?

Question

I'm trying to plan a vacation for myself and my 7yr old son during April vacation week. We've done Disney (both California and Florida) many times over, and even LegoLand in San Diego (for February vacation). I'm trying to plan something that isn't horribly expensive, but has enough activities to keep a 7yr old boy entertained. Any suggestions would be very welcome! (Note: We currently don't have passports, and due to the 8 week wait, out of the country travel isn't an option).

Answer 1

you could try one of those indoor water parks.  in ohio there's one called great bear lodge and i think it's a chain

Answer 2

Go for a 3 night cruise to Bahamas. A passport isn't required yet for cruise passengers.

Answer 3

You can still cruise to Bermuda (this year) without a passport. Many cruise lines have extensive entertainment programs for kids, so he'll be busy while you have fun with other adults. And the season for Bermuda cruises starts in April. They depart from several east coast cities. It's not hard to find a cruise for about $100 a day per person, which isn't *too* expensive, but isn't super cheap either.

Answer 4

Since you are in the cruise travel category, I'm going to assume this is what you are looking for. At this time, many of the cruises are still available without using a passport. When you look into booking a cruise, either the cruise line or your travel agent can confirm if you need to have a passport. You can also expedite shipping on the passport to get it faster, but that raises the price quite a bit, so I'm not sure if you want to do that.

While the passport isn't required yet, it is a good idea to have one even when on a cruise. The passport rules have been changing a lot lately, and from what I have heard, they can change at any time and you may be required to have one, so it is best to have one just in case. Also, if for some reason you would need to fly home, you would need to have a passport. It can be a little risky not to have a passport, but I would say that a good majority of cruisers still do not passports.

Cruising is actually pretty inexpensive, depending on the line. Carnival is one of the least expensive lines and have pretty nice clubs for kids. If you go on newer ships, especially, there are tons of onboard activities for the parents and children. Carnival is the least expensive line, so they are not one of the fanciest and don't really offer the best food and service, but they are really popular for families and also for people wanting a more laid back environment for some of the other lines. If you don't mind being a little more formal (parents love being able to get pictures of the kids dressed up onboard) then I would suggest spending the little extra to go on Royal Caribbean. It is a step above Carnival in most areas and their ships, especially the newer ones, have tons to do onboard as well as kids clubs. Carnival is more of a party zone, while Royal Caribbean is still fun but also has the quiet times and more formal times on the cruise. My pick for a 7 year old boy would be Disney, just because of all the onboard fun for kids, but also because there would be some nice areas for you to go with few kids. Disney is great for everyone, but especially nice for the kids since everything is more interesting to them, such as the shows and characters. The only problem is that the price of the Disney cruise is significantly more than Carnival and Royal Caribbean and if you don't really want to do anything Disney, then it probably isn't the best choice.

Cruising is pretty flexible with lots of options for ports, ships, dates, length, price. etc. So you should be able to find something. You are going during a spring break season, so price may be a little higher than during a value season. But, since you are so close to your travel dates, you may be able to find some last minute deals (except on Disney, their are probably pricing in the higest tier at this point since they raise prices as the ship fills) it may just take some research.

Good luck with your planning!