Travelling with Allergies

     As a young baby, Charlie, my youngest travelling companion, was allergic to milk, soy and dairy. As she was not yet eating food, the only real change in our travelling habits was that we had to cart  luggage full of dairy and soy free formula everywhere we went. Although slightly annoying this is nothing compared to the fear parents of children with life-threatening allergies face daily. 

Will and his friend William, enjoying a peanut-free vacation at the JW Marriott. 

      On our last adventure to the JW Marriott in Muskoka, we were joined by another mom and her two children. Her eldest, William, has an allergy to peanuts so severe that any exposure to peanuts, even an invisible amount, could quickly lead to death.  Since we were sharing a room, I took every precaution I could think of to make sure he would be fine.

The JW Marriott, Muskoka

      My first step was to contact the hotel by phone and speak to someone who confirmed that an allergy notice would be placed on the room. Upon arrival, I reminded the check-in clerk who was already aware of the situation. Before handing the room over to us, we were assured that the management of the cleaning staff had gone over the room herself to ensure every hard surface had been cleaned and sanitized. My first impression upon seeing the room was that I had never seen cleaner countertops or a cleaner fridge in all of my travels.

The shine reflecting off the JW Marriott kitchen.

Someone at the JW Marriott worked very hard cleaning this fridge.

     Whenever we ate in restaurants, we reminded the staff of the allergy and checked the list of ingredients for all of William's meals.  For the most part, the servers were extremely diligent and already aware of the situation. At one point, William swallowed orange juice the wrong way and began to choke a little. Two staff members ran over while another pulled out a cellphone and almost called 9-1-1. They were clearly on high alert.

     It was eye opening to travel with a family that deals with this sort of allergy. From learning that you can't use metal baking sheets because traces of peanut oil could emerge when the pan is warmed up to finding out how to administer life-saving epinephrine through an auto-injector like the EpiPen or Allerject, I left the vacation with a new appreciation for those suffering from life-threatening allergies.

Epinephrine auto-injectors

     While completing research for this blog post, the most interesting fact to emerge was that most allergy websites, travel advisories and parents agree that the safest place to travel with a peanut allergy is in fact my home country, Canada. In Canada, food labels and menus all must disclose whether there is a chance your food has come into contact with peanuts as well as any allergens in the food. Canadian airlines like Air Canada and Porter offer passengers who give the airline 48-hours notice of an peanut allergy, an inflight buffer zone where passengers in the row the person is seated in and the row in front and behind are not allowed to consume any food containing peanuts or buy food that may contain peanuts. Porter will also remove all foods potentially containing peanuts from the in-flight service for the whole plane.

     All this information brought me back to our many visits to Beaches Resorts and I wondered how families would travel to large resorts with the same assurances. I contacted Beaches and was told that they are quite open to families of children with any allergies visiting the resort. They provide families with alternative menus and upon arrival at the resort the head chef meets with the family to discuss safe eating and the specific requirements for the person with the allergy. Each Beaches Resort has restaurants that offer food off a menu instead of buffet style service which is an extreme danger due to cross-contamination. On allergy websites, I was able to find testimonials of families saying the staff at Beaches baked their children separate safe muffins and provided great alternatives.

     All this being said, my travel companion last weekend let me know that they were unable to get auto-injectors like EpiPens in Jamaican pharmacies and thus you should bring far more than usual when travelling outside your home country. William's family learned this lesson the hard way after he jumped into a pool on three different occasions while wearing his auto-injector.

William wears his auto-injector around his waist. 

     In all my research it was clear that families need to take extreme caution but travelling can still be fun and exciting when dealing with allergies. The countries with the most danger with regards to peanut allergies tend to be Vietnam, Thailand and China as nuts are used frequently in restaurants and street food.

     Each spring I participate in the Robyn Allen Memorial Cup Tennis Tournament which is a fundraiser for Anaphylaxis Canada and this year I will enter the tournament with a much truer understanding of what peanut allergy sufferers face in daily life and while travelling. This year's tournament is sponsored by Sanofi, the maker of the Allerject and in part by Porter Airlines.

      I hope this posts helps to spread the word a little and gives all travellers an idea of what dangers food can present to other travellers. I pledge from this day forward to forgo my beloved yellow peanut M&Ms while in-flight and consume them only when I am safely away from possible allergy sufferers and my own children...that way I don't have to share.

      Travel safe my friends!

**Update** After posting this article, I received tweets and emails from a number of families who had recently stayed at Beaches Resorts confirming that Beaches had done an incredible job cooking for their children with life-threatening allergies. One family with a child with a similar peanut allergy to William confirmed that families should feel safe and excited booking a vacation with Beaches Resorts. 

Beaches- Sesame Street Activities and Upgrades

     After having returned from another incredibly fun vacation at Beaches Turks and Caicos, I wanted to do a full of review of the Sesame Street activities and upgrades offered by the Beaches resorts. Most of the upgrades are available at all the Beaches locations and in my experience at Beaches Ochos Rios and Beaches Turks and Caicos, they were very similar.

Charlie, Will, Me and the Sesame Street characters.

     Before I review them, a general tip regarding the characters is that your access to them will depend on the resort and how busy it is. When we originally visited Beaches Turks and Caicos, the characters would visit with the children after each Sesame Street show.  This no longer happens at the resort. The reason being that there are a lot of children and a very real danger of little people getting step on or hurt. Last year, in Ochos Rios, the characters spent up to ten minutes after the shows taking pictures and visiting with the children.

Charlie cuddling with Cookie Monster after the Sesame Street Show.

     Your best bet for some free time with the characters is to hang out by the main pool at the resorts. In Turks and Caicos, characters often visited children at the Italian pool during the day. Just be warned that you are not allowed to touch them if you are wet but will still be allowed to take pictures with them.

Visiting Grover by the pool.

    Besides these options, most of your time spent with characters will be at one of the following activities:

Sesame Street Stage Show - Included in cost of vacation

    The Sesame Street stage show takes place almost every night at the resorts as long as it is not raining. The show changes each night of the week and tends to be quite entertaining. Some people arrive quite early to save seats but don't worry too much about doing that as most of the children sit directly in front of the stage and the characters are so large you can see them from anywhere. The shows are quite short usually running about 15 minutes. Before and after each show, children are allowed and encouraged to mingle and dance on the stage. Twice last week, there was an organised children's dance party after with a host and helpers. This was a great addition from previous years and a tradition I hope Beaches will uphold.

Big Bird's Beach Party Show

Chicken dancing at the Kid's Dance Party after the show.

Sesame Street Day Camp - Included in cost of vacation

     The Sesame Street day camp is available for children 24 months to 5 years old. There are also camps for younger babies and children older than 5 but they do not feature the Sesame Street characters. The camps are open all day, except during a staff dinner break, and close in the evening. This is a great way for your kids to get to spend time with the characters. Cookie monster runs a cookie baking seminar for the camp that you can also attend with your children which is quite fun. Other activities include tea parties with Abby, bird watching with Big Bird and Rubber Ducky hunts with Ernie. Some people use the daycare more than others but I found with this vacation, Charlie was asking to go to the Sesame Street activities on a daily basis. After the specific character activities, I would often pick her up and head to the pool until the next one.

Baking cookies with Cookie Monster

Sesame Street Parade- Included in cost of vacation 

     Once a week, each resort hosts a Sesame Street parade.  I have personally attended 3 parades in the past 2 years and can attest that they were all quite different. Most recently, I was shocked at how large the parade at Beaches Turks and Caicos has become. Don't expect anything close to Disney parades but do expect a fun island experience. In the Turks and Caicos, if your children want to be IN the parade with the characters, they need to be dropped off at a kid's camp by 5:30 pm on the night of the parade. Children not attending with the kids camp are not allowed to join in and parents are not allowed to participate in the parade. That being said you can watch the parade and then follow behind it. In addition to the characters, the parade features local dancers and musicians. The parade ends at the Italian Village concierge lobby, where the characters, guest and islanders dance and mingle.

Musicians in the parade in Turks and Caicos.

Will and Ernie walking in the Parade.

    In Ochos Rios, which is a smaller resort, the parade is smaller and more intimate. Children are invited with their parents to gather in front of the hotel before the parade and offered free face paint and parade supplies like hats and masks. The parade then proceeds through the resort with each character walking with two children. In many ways, I preferred the parade in Ochos Rios and felt it was much more suitable to toddlers and young children.

Charlie getting her face painted for the parade. 

Will and Oscar enjoying cotton candy at the parade. 

Sesame Street Birthday Party- $250-350 

     Our first year at Turks and Caicos was Will's 4th birthday and we booked a Sesame Street birthday party. The party was held at Mario's in the Italian Village around 3:00 pm. When booking the party, we were told that the characters were not available at lunch or dinner time thus the party needed to be between those times. We arrived to find a table set for 8 children with food that had been waiting on the table at least half an hour. Once the children sat down, Elmo arrived and led a few dances and then Will blew out the candles on his Elmo cake and Elmo left. When booking the party, we were told the Will would receive a special gift from the character. Elmo gave Will a small stuffed dolphin that was available for sale in the gift shop for under $10. To say the least, we were underwhelmed.

    I have since witnessed slightly better looking parties and have learnt that you can insist the parties take place at better restaurants or even on the beach at lunch or dinner time. That being said, there is nothing particularly special about the party besides the cake and the short character visit.

    Each resort also hosts a birthday party for Elmo once a week that is the exact same as described above but with many children which makes it a lot more fun. My advice would be not to book a private party but to simply order your child a cake on the day of their birthday. There is no extra cost to attend Elmo's birthday party.

Sesame Street Catamaran Cruise- $30 per child, $60 per adult

     This year in Turks and Caicos, we decided to participate in the Sesame Street Catamaran Cruise. I must admit, I was shocked by how much fun it was. The cruise leaves early in the morning and lasts about 2 hours. The cruise is limited in the number of participants and your children get to spend a lot of time with  Elmo and Zoe on the cruise.

Elmo and Will getting ready to board.

     When we departed from the dock, I was a little concerned with how choppy it was. Staff aboard had everyone sit and cruised quite quickly into a much quieter bay. By doing so, they were able to stabilise the boat enough that all the kids could get up and dance with the characters as well as play games with them. The characters roamed around the boat and spent quite a lot of time with each family. There was also quite good food on the cruise and the children were given a small sesame street toy from the characters.

More dancing! 

Playing hot potato with Elmo.

     In a moment of absolute genius, one of the families had purchased a birthday cake for their son before the cruise and brought it on board. The whole boat shared the cake and sang happy birthday to the child. This is a much smarter solution especially if you are at the resort with only your immediate family than attempting to throw a 4 person birthday party.

Charlie and Zoe enjoying the ride. Moments later they both got very wet.
 

    I highly recommend the catamaran cruise for kids up to 10 years old.


Sesame Street Tuck-In- $85 for one child plus $30 per additional child 

     Between the hours of 6:00 pm and 9:00 pm, you will often spot the characters en route to various hotel rooms. This is to participate in the character tuck-in which I must admit is by far my favourite up-grade. The characters arrive in your room with an assistant who is there to read your children a bed-time story and lead them in a bedtime stretch. The characters actually get into bed with your kids and listen to the story and then kiss them goodnight and tuck them in.

Story time! 

     Will and Charlie loved this surprise. You can request characters from a list at the resort but due to size issues Big Bird does not participate. In a wonderful surprise, we had Bert, Ernie and Abby Caddaby attend our Tuck-in in Ochos Rios and there was very little room left in the room due to the sheer size of the characters. I have found the tuck-in is a great way to end your trip and love to book our favourite characters for our final night at the hotel.

Charlie and Abby playing dolls in bed. 

Sesame Street All-Access Photo Shoot- $50 

     Twice a week, you have the option of attending the Sesame Street all-access photo shoot. This is the only time you will ever get a group photo with all of the characters. The proceeds of the photo are donated to the Sandals Foundation which I previously reviewed here.

Our group photo from the Sesame Street All-Access Photo Shoot

     I also recommend taking the opportunity to attend this event once while you are at the resort for two reasons; (1) the group photo will be given to you in an 8 x 10 commemorative frame is worth the cost and (2) the pressure to find each character for your child to meet will be over. When we participated in the photo shoot at Ochos Rios, we were the only family who had booked and were given the entire session to spend with the characters. The group shot we have is fantastic and one of my favourite vacation photos.

Charlie and Big Bird attempting a high five at the photo shoot. 

     Be warned, the resorts are quite protective of this event and will not allow your children to participate or visit with the characters unless you have booked the shoot. At Turks and Caicos, they also request that you do not bring personal cameras. This policy was not in place in Ochos Rios and I was able to capture some incredibly cute moments particularly with Charlie and Abby Caddaby.

Charlie and Abby practising their fairy poses.

    At the photo shoot and anytime you meet the characters, it is helpful to tell them what your children like or don't like. For example, telling Zoe the ballerina that your child loves to do ballet will often entice the character to start ballet dancing with your child. I also find carrying on general conversations with the characters makes your children more comfortable around them. Just know they will nod and motion to participate in the conversation but the characters do not speak.

The kids sneaking up on Ernie to tickle him after the photo shoot. 

Sesame Street Character Breakfast- $12 per adult, $16 per child or $49.99 per family of four 

     At each of the resorts we have visited, we participated in the character breakfast. This event is extremely fun for adults and children. Most recently at Turks and Caicos, the whole event was led by a very energetic and fun woman named Roxy who kept the party going. The key is to arrive on time and feed your children immediately. Once the kids have eaten, the characters are introduced and each character visits your table besides Big Bird who you meet on the way in to the breakfast. This again is due to his height.

Saying hello to Big Bird before breakfast. 

     Once the characters have met the children, the breakfast turns into a dance party complete with conga line. Children are invited to walk and dance with the characters and their is a sufficient amount of time spent with each character.

Cookie monster is the best dancer of all the characters.

Abby and Charlie twirling on the dance floor.

Roxy, the fearless conga line leader.

     Besides the photo shoot, the breakfast is by far the easiest way to meet and get your photograph with each character. We had so much fun at the character breakfast in Ochos Rios that we attended it twice and then also attended it this year in Turks and Caicos. Children are also given a small sesame street toy at this event.

     No matter which of the above you chose to attend, the Sesame Street characters will be a big part of your children's vacation and a good way to remember the trip. Last week, there were many times when I teared up a little watching the kids interact with their favourite characters and I must admit getting a hug from the characters was fun for me too.

     If you do head to Beaches, make sure to tell the crew that we say hello and we will see hopefully see them again soon.

Sandals Foundation

     When staying at any resort for a week's time, the kids and I tend to get to know a lot of the on-site employees. This trip to Beaches Turks and Caicos was no different. By far one of our favourite employees was a young man named Louciano who always had time for a chat and a hug from Charlie. In fact, our meals were often based around where he was working. 

Charlie and Louciano

      Like many of the employees at the resort, Louciano was a recent high school graduate who had been educated on the island. Through many conversations with him, I became quite intrigued about the Sandals Foundation and its role in education on the island.  The Sandals Foundation, which is the philanthropic arm of Sandals Resorts, the parent company of Beaches, has as its mission a goal to invest in communities throughout the Caribbean by investing in education, environment, and community projects that improve people's lives and preserve natural surroundings. 

Enid Capron Primary School, a school sponsored by Sandals Foundation

    But what does this really translate to for people like Louciano? Well, in the Turks and Caicos, the investment can be seen in schools at both elementary and high school levels. The Sandals Foundation not only invests in the schools but Beaches provides an internship program in the local high school which leads to permanent positions at the resort. In speaking with Louciano, he explained he had graduated from high school two years ago and was pleased with the progress he had made at the resort. 

    After looking into the Sandals Foundation further, I expressed an interest in visiting the elementary school on the island that is sponsored by the Foundation. My request was met with an enthusiastic yes and yesterday morning, Will, Charlie and myself were invited to visit the school. 

    In preparation for our visit, Will chose one of our books to donate and began practising to read to the class. Little did I know how incredible this visit would be for us all. We arrived at the school and were met by quite a few smiling children who rushed over to say hello. 

Charlie being welcomed by students at the school.

    After meeting some of the kids, we were invited into the Kindergarten classroom to read to the children and answer questions. Will was so excited to read to the class and the kids were very grateful for the book we were leaving behind. When we were done reading, the kids had an opportunity to quiz Will and myself about life in Canada. We were all laughing and chatting and really enjoying the moment. 

Will reading the Underpants Zoo to the class

Will explaining to the class how tall the CN Tower in Toronto stands.

    During this time, Charlie roamed the classroom making friends and checking out the books and toys. 

Charlie chatting with a new friend.

The students showing Charlie the classroom books.

    When the question period was over, we sadly said our goodbyes and headed to meet Rachel Taylor, the principal of the school. Miss Taylor proudly asked if she could show us the library and once I entered the room I was shocked by how large and diverse it was. She explained that each book in the library was donated by guests of Sandals and Beaches resorts as donations or as part of the Sandals Foundation Reading Road Trip. 

A portion of the library built with books almost entirely donated by guests of Sandals and Beaches.

Elanor from Sandals Foundation presenting a donation of books from another Canadian family to the school.

     The Reading Road Trip takes place every Thursday in Jamaica, Antigua, the Turks and Caicos, St. Lucia and Exuma in the Bahamas. Essentially, guests of the hotels pay $20 US which covers transportation, educational materials, and a donation to the Sandals Foundation. On the Road Trip, guest volunteer in literacy as we did and get to help work with the children at the school. 

Visitors on the Reading Road Trip get to visit with a specific class. Will, Charlie and myself visited with the Kindergarten class.

     Even though most vacations to these resorts are only a week in length, you will be glad you took the time to experience this opportunity first hand. Being escorted to the school by Elanor Finfin Krzanowski, the public relations manager for Beaches Turks and Caicos, and witnessing the bond between her and the students was incredible. Some children she had volunteered with on Earth Day last year rushed over to see her and other children whose parents worked at the resort asked us to say hello to their parents when we returned.  Elanor also explained to me that she often visits the school for educational programs, such as nutrition, with the Sesame Street characters like Elmo and Zoe in tow so she tends to be quite popular. 

Will and Charlie meeting a student.

     Will, Charlie, and I may not remember every moment of our vacation years from now but we will never forget how incredible it was to visit the school and meet and play with the children there. 

A student helping Charlie down the slide.

Will and his new friend playing on the swings.

    Besides the Reading Road trip, there are many other ways travellers can help out including purchasing items from the gift shops at the resorts and participating in the Pack for a Purpose program. The program asks charities like the Sandals Foundation to list their projects and needs on the website. Then, travellers headed to the resorts can pack up to 5 pounds of supplies that are in need, like school supplies or clothing, and donate them at the resort. Since we had a washer and dryer in our room, see earlier Key West Village review, I was able to wash all the clothes my children would have outgrown by summer time here in Toronto and donate them to local children on the island. 

     Other even easier ways to donate include the option to give a donation of any monetary amount offered to each guest upon check-in at the resorts as well as the option to give through the Sandals Foundation website. 

    The most remarkable feature of the Sandals Foundation is that all administrative and management costs associated with the foundation are supported by Sandals Resorts International, meaning 100% of all the money raised goes directly into the schools, environmental projects and communities. 

     After having spent the day with Elanor, I can attest that the people I met or communicated with at the Sandals Foundation, including Heidi Clarke the Director of Programs at the Foundation and Adam Stewart, the CEO of Beaches and Sandals, are people who love what they do and are appreciated by the community. If you are headed to Sandals or Beaches in the near future, want to donate or just want to find out more, please visit www.sandalsfoundation.org for more information. 

Beaches Day 2: The People

     I thought quite a bit about what to tell you about today's adventures at Beaches Turks and Caicos before deciding on this evening's blog post. It could have be an easy account of what we did today from our early morning beach visit to the many hours spent at the water park or an account of where we  ate on the premises but the thing that rang clear were the people here at the resort.

     Having visited Beaches both here in Turks and Caicos and in Ochos Rios, Jamaica, I have now encountered many staff members. They weren't all extremely pleasant or noteworthy but on the whole the people who work here are fantastic.

     What strikes me most about the staff here is that the people who are worthy of mention are not necessarily who you would imagine. My brief encounters with the day camp staff here today left a lot to be desired and management of the hotel completely ignored a reasonably query I had last night. Still, its the many other people that in fact have such an impact on your stay here.

Charlie wanted a little girl to dance with her who said no.
This woman watched it happened and then went to ask Charlie if she would be her dance partner. 

     Throughout three different stays in Beaches resorts I have yet to encounter a disgruntle cleaning lady. Today was no different. Although our room was a mess and I needed a lot of extra linen, the woman who helped us was a ray of sunshine. We arrived just as she was finishing cleaning the room and she made sure our every wish was complete. When we returned to the room, the kids things were in very tidy piles with their beds ready and made for each of them. She really had no reason to be extra nice to them but she had a great conversation with each of them and really made them feel at home.

    Another equally impressive moment occurred this morning when Charlie, who is 3, picked a flower to give to me. A gardener called her over immediately and I thought he would discipline her for picking the flower off the bush as I often do. Instead, he took her hand and led her to a section of the garden which had at least 5 different types of flowers. He patiently waited as she picked her favourite and then assembled the bouquet for her and wished her a great day.

Charlie and her freshly assembled bouquet

    Later in the day when the kids were exhausted we decided to take a ride on the train that tours the resort. I feared a major meltdown from both kids was about to ensue but the conductor of the tiny train made sure that they had the time of their  lives. She spoke to each of them as they got on the train and throughout the ride never forgot their names. As we were pulling into a stop, Will began dancing to one of his favourite songs and she immediately noticed, stopped the train and asked him if he would like to start a dance party. She then let every child out of the train and led them in an incredible dance routine making sure even the youngest guests knew the moves.

Dance party with the train conductor, Onica

     Although these situations deserved a write-up, there are so many more moments here that make you realise that you and your children are welcome and cared about here. Each time I think of the Beaches Ochos Rios, I can't help but miss the incredible lifeguards there that made our vacation what it was. From engaging the kids in activities and conversations to helping them get over their fears of water slides, I still wish I could properly thank the young men who take care of us at this time last year.

One of our favourite lifeguards at Beaches Ochos Rios 

     Across the company, the wait staff and bartenders we have encountered have also been fantastic. I've never been made to feel like my food substitutions were annoying or that my children had made too big of a mess and have always found a helping hand when I needed someone to help me watch one child while the other needed something. This is especially remarkable seeing you are not allowed to tip them.

    If you are considering a Beaches vacation, I can tell you that years from now you may not remember their names but you will remember the people who made your children smile.

Vacation Planning...or Dreaming

     It's around this time every year, when the dark comes upon us so much earlier, that I start to endlessly search the internet looking for incredible vacation destinations to take the kids too. This winter we have a vacation planned for me and the two kids to return to the Beaches Turks and Caicos and I cannot wait to once again walk upon the warm sand and play in the pools and water park with the kids.

Me and the kids enjoying a day in the sun at Beaches 

     Although we already have our vacation planned, I have researched other vacations that may be fun to attempt alone with my two tiny travel companions. Here's a few in no particular order that may get you thinking about a warm destination trip yourself.

Beaches Family Resorts

     I have previously reviewed the Beaches chain extensively and won't repeat too much but you can find the original Beaches blog post here. The trip we booked for January 2014 was 65% off in the new Kew West hotel and cost approximately $5000 with flights including all food and alcohol as well as daytime child care and scuba diving. Although the sale is still on, most of the resort is sold out in January and the cost for remaining rooms has risen quite a bit. I will say that the time we have spent at Beaches is some of the best vacation time we have had and we are extremely excited to see the new hotel and water park expansion.

Some of our friends that we are excited to see again at Beaches 

Disney's Aulani Hawaii

     I know I have said in the past that we won't be returning to Disneyland or Disney World anytime soon and I stick by that decision as I feel there is so much more of the world to explore. The question is--does that preclude us from visiting some of Disney's vacation properties like Disney's Aulani Hawaii? One incredible consideration about this property is that much like the Beaches resorts, it has day camps for children as well as in-room childcare which would make travelling solo quite a bit easier. My largest concern about this resort, besides the approximate 10 hour flight, is that much like Beaches the resort looks so incredible that it might be hard to actually see much of Hawaii. The resort has an 8,200 square foot pool, a 2,100 square foot water park with 3 slides and play areas, as well as two tubing rivers on site. It also offers an adult only pool for when you need a getaway from what I would assume are a lot of children. The resort also has an additional pool that serves as a local reef to many fish that can be accessed for the entirety of your stay at an extra cost of $20 per adult and $15 per child. This would be an incredible way to teach your kids to snorkel and get them excited about the ocean.

     Sounds to good to be true? Well for most of us it probably is. The nightly rate on a basic room in January 2014 ranges from $370-$400 a night and only includes breakfast for two adults at one designated restaurant. That means that you are still covering two meals a day and all snacks and beverages for the whole family as well as breakfast for your children. All in all a trip for three in January from Toronto will cost you $6,687.60 including flights but without meals or drinks. A sample menu online shows entrees ranging between $35-50 for adults with the kids meal dinner costing $13 a child.

    The resort also offers a number of expeditions and resort add-ons that frankly may be hard to pass up. Bring your Visa.

Disney Bahama Cruise

     If I was truly being honest, I would only take my kids on a Disney Cruise to Alaska but for comparative pricing I wanted to include Disney's Bahamian Cruise. Currently, Disney is offering Canadian residents 20% off prevailing rates on most 3 or 4 night Bahamian cruises departing from Port Canaveral Florida from January 10, 2014 to February 28, 2014 on the Disney Magic. According to the the website, the Disney Magic has recently been renovated and includes enhanced kid's spaces, adult entertainment, luxurious staterooms, many dining options and slides and water play areas on the upper deck. For a family of 3, the cost of a 4 day cruise can be as low as $1000 including dining but not beverages. Add airfare from Toronto and the cost jumps exponentially to $4018.96.

G Adventures

     As my kids are getting older, I am truly looking forward to taking some much more adventurous vacations with them. In case you haven't heard of them, G adventures is a Canadian company that offers safaris and expeditions across the world. A simple key word search of their website using "kids" brings up an incredible list of family friendly trips. You can access the G Adventure search results by clicking here. Most of the trips listed show a minimum age of 5 or 6 and these are trips your children will remember for a long time. A nine day tour of Costa Rica for one adult and two children costs $4147.00 without flights. We aren't quite at the point of doing a 9 day adventure vacation alone just yet because of Charlie, who is 3, but I am guessing Will, who is now 5,  and I would have the time of our lives. Looking forward to getting passed the 5 year old mark with Charlie and trying some of these out. Borneo or the Galapagos anyone?

     Where are you headed with your kids this winter?