One of the best things about travelling as a family is seeing the look of amazement, wonderment and sheer unmitigated joy on your children’s faces when you take them to a far-flung destination. While kids have a knack of seeing the beauty and the magic even in destinations that we might consider mundane, there are some destinations that are precision-engineered to make young jaws drop. Whether natural or man-made, these wondrous destinations are sure to leave indelible impressions on their young minds. And it makes happy memories that you will all enjoy for the rest of your lives. All of the following locations have been chosen for the sheer magic and spectacle they offer. Also their ability to awe even the most jaded youngsters in an age where the digital era puts the world quite literally in the palm of their hands.
See how many of these destinations you can take the kids to before they grow up …
Disneyland
Every family should have at least one set of holiday snaps from the happiest place on Earth. Its sheer scale, grandeur and mixture of awesome rides and fun activities make it the quintessential getaway spot for families. It wows young people and has a way of helping grown ups get in touch with their inner child. The Disney umbrella now includes properties like Star Wars and the Marvel Universe. Whatever your kids are into, they can dive into a whole new world, that’s comfortingly familiar yet brand new.
Many assume that Disneyland is prohibitively expensive. There are plenty of great offers for the budget conscious out there, if you know where to look. Take a look at Discount Sam’s Club Disneyland Tickets. The tickets for 3 days or more also include Magic Morning Early Entry. This allows you to enter the parks 1 hour before the general public. More rides, more fun and less queuing!
Don’t forget that there are also Disney Cruises that enable you to take the magic of Disney around the world with you.
Stingray City
For all the panache of Disneyland, let’s not forget that the natural world really does provide us with the greatest show on Earth. In an era where kids have seen it all by the time they hit double digits, it can be incredible seeing how much they get out of genuine interactions with the natural world.
At Stingray City in Grand Cayman Island, your family can enjoy exactly that. You can spend the day snorkelling along the stunning reef and swim alongside the majestic residents, the stingrays. Don’t worry, these elegant and friendly creatures do not sting and are very keen to meet human visitors. Plus, when your son or daughter comes home to tell the rest of their class that they’ve petted a stingray that’s enough to earn them epic bragging rights for the rest of the year. What’s more, a reef snorkelling excursion costs just £38 for adults and £27 for kids (under 4s go free). So, it’s an affordable addition to any Cayman Islands family holiday.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour
11 year olds of all ages love Harry Potter. Its combination of coming-of-age drama along with magical adventure drawing from a range of mythologies has enthralled readers for decades now. If the Harry Potter film saga features in regular rotation in your DVD collection your kids may enjoy a visit to the Warner Bros. Studio tour in Watford.
Here, Potterphiles of all ages can visit iconic sets from the films, see screen-used props and costumes, learn about how the visual effects work, explore the magic of miniatures and say hello to a fully animatronic Buckbeak.
It’s not only a great day out for the whole family, it’s a must-visit destination for anyone even remotely interested in the Potter franchise.
Just don’t drink the butterbeer. Honestly. It’s expensive, and it’s gross.
Lapland
All young kids want to meet Father Christmas, but few are impressed when they meet the ones in shopping centres across the country every December. For a Christmas the kids will never forget, take them to meet the “real thing” in Lapland. He’s based in the forest town of Rovaniemi. Not only can kids meet the big guy himself and his reindeer, they can also spend the day in Arctic World. This is a Christmas-themed family adventure park.
If your family needs a concentrated dose of magic in your lives, any of these destinations will bring that magic in abundance.
