Tween Vacation Tips
Taking tweens on vacation in Florida in July may require almost the same amount of planning it takes when you bring a toddler, heck maybe even an infant. I don’t know about yours but my tween girls are full of eye rolls, arguing, drama, are always hungry and get extremely whiny when they are tired.
After our Florida vacation last week I thought I would help y’all out by giving you some tips to taking tweens on a Florida summer vacation. The first topic I’m going to discuss is the hotel. That is a huge priority and is pretty much the key to keeping them happy!
DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld
When I found the DoubleTree Orlando at SeaWorld while searching for a place to stay I knew it would be perfect for us! Since we know tweens will get whiny and tired quickly I loved that this hotel is an official SeaWorld Partner Hotel. It is conveniently located adjacent to SeaWorld® and Aquatica, SeaWorld’s Waterpark, while just minutes away from Universal Orlando® Resort and Walt Disney World® Resort Theme Parks.
The resort spans 28 acres and offers walkways through tropical lush landscapes. There are two pools, a kids club, fountains, fireplaces, restaurants, and so many activities for the whole family. This resort is truly a hidden gem for travelers and families alike. I can’t forget to mention DoubleTree’s famous warm chocolate chip cookies at check-in was the perfect start to our vacation, and of course, the girls loved it!
Convenient Location
During our 3-day stay with our two tween girls, we visited both the Magic Kingdom and Aquatica. For our trip to the Magic Kingdom, we decided to drive and park at the resort, which was just a 15-minute drive away. The resort does offer a shuttle service to Disney World for $8 a person round trip! We only drove because we knew we would be coming back for a midday break, which was much needed. The resort does offer a free shuttle to SeaWorld and Aquatica. We actually walked to Aquatica which was about a 15-minute walk. There are signs directing pedestrians which way to go which was nice. There is a walking path to SeaWorld which will lead you from the hotel directly to the main entrance of the park. So convenient!
Rooms
The guest rooms are spacious and absolutely gorgeous. The choices include a king or two queen beds and offer workspaces that overlook the courtyard or pool area. The resort rooms are clustered together in two-story buildings connected by landscaped walkways. The rooms inside the 17-story tower rooms feature views of Orlando, SeaWorld, and Aquatica.
Food
We all know how much tweens eat. Food is definitely something we have to keep in mind when traveling with two tween girls, especially when one is extremely picky. Not to worry, there is definitely not a shortage of options for places to eat at the resort!
Laguna– The on-site restaurant that serves a breakfast buffet and an all-day menu with a wide variety of choices, as well as two bars. Our dinner Tuesday evening was amazing as well as the breakfast buffet! So many different options than your normal hotel breakfast buffet.
Barefoot Bar– Located at the Lagoon Pool, this outdoor bar features frozen drinks, sandwiches, a full kids menu, and appetizers.
Sonoma Lobby Bar– The lobby bar which offers a premium selection of wines, craft beers, and imaginative cocktails, served alongside flavorful tapas and small plates with a global twist.
Alberto’s Pizzeria- This is definitely where we got most of our meals. The girls loved it because of course who doesn’t love pizza?? You can dine-in or take your meal to-go. There is also a selection of tasty soups, hot subs, and pasta. Alberto’s also proudly serves Starbucks and a selection of pastries, snacks, and desserts.
Tween Friendly Activities
There is so much to do at the resort to escape the hustle and bustle of Orlando and actually get to relax while you on vacation! The resort has plenty to offer for tweens and kids of all ages, and the atmosphere actually felt like I was on vacation and could relax when we arrived back from the parks!
The lagoon pool is the feature pool offering a waterfall feature and the Barefoot Bar. There are family fun activities during the day, music and in the evenings dive-in movies at this pool as well.
There is another pool as well that is child-friendly and away from it all. Both of my tween girls loved both pools, but the child-friendly pool even had a hot tub nearby for parents to enjoy. Believe me, it was the perfect way to relax those muscles after a long day of walking in the parks!
There is a whole game room (full of board games & arcade games) and a variety of outdoor games including table tennis, a pool table, & a gigantic outdoor checkers game. There is even mini golf at the resort, free of charge! My favorite part of the resort is you actually see tweens and teens interacting with each other and not on their phones! Both of my phone obsessed girls never asked for their phone once while we were enjoying the resort! Huge win!
Business Center
There is even a business center that has a UPS store, Expedia, and a photocopying service to help you get the job done as well as to plan some leisure fun, too. My mom bought her Magic Kingdom ticket directly from Expedia.
If you are traveling with a tween the DoubleTree by Hilton in Orlando at Seaworld is truly a dream. Both of my girls had so much to do and we all felt so pampered and treated like actual princesses!
A huge thank you to the DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld for hosting us. Thank you for your generosity. We can’t wait to return! As always, all opinions are my own.
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