Harry Potter Expansion
Due to the overwhelming popularity of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, the studio and 
Warner Bros. Entertainment are adding The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley to Universal Studios. Scheduled to open in 2014, the new attraction will bring to life some of the experiences and places found in and around London in the Harry Potter books and films. You will be able to “travel” between London and Islands of Adventure Harry Potter section aboard the Hogwarts Express. The attraction will feature shops, a restaurant and a marquee attraction based on Gringotts Bank. “I’m so pleased that The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has proved so popular to date, and I’m sure that the attention to detail in creating the new Diagon Alley area will make this an even better experience,” said J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter book series.
Kid-Kation in Boston
Through the end of this year, the Four Seasons Boston is offering a family-friendly Kid-Kation. This special package includes make-your-own sundaes with the Spring Blossom Ice Cream Man, $30 breakfast credit, cookie making class, bathrobes and slippers for the whole family, outdoor Play Pack featuring seasonal toys and a Kid-Kation movie library. Kids get to Raid the Fridge! on Saturday evenings on the hotel’s 5th floor between 7:00-10:00 pm to pick out a complimentary late-night snack. Feel like sticking around? Your children are welcome to catch a flick on the big screen on a plush bean bag in the Kid Zone. Pajamas are welcome! In addition, the hotel offers a scavenger hunt and special welcome gifts for teens and children. Overlooking Boston’s historic Public Garden and within easy reach of the city’s premier attractions, this luxury hotel showcases an indoor pool, gym, spa and restaurant. Special rates abound including discounts on your second room.
Rocking Horse Birthday
Rocking Horse Ranch in Highland, New York is celebrating it’s 55th birthday this year with a 25 percent discount in August with a minimum 3 
nights stay. Check-in dates are August 1, 8, 15 or 22. This all-inclusive and family-friendly ranch offers a huge variety of amenities and recreation including horseback riding, lake with watersports, supervised children’s programs, tennis, spa, gym, minigolf, indoor waterpark, pools, indoor play areas, archery, climbing walls, evening entertainment and more. Rates include all meals, rooms, activities and entertainment. A three-night stay in August is just $289 per adult, per night, and $89 per child, per night. Other promotional rates are available throughout the summer including packages for the Independence Day and Labor Day Holiday week-ends.
Escape to Hilton Head
Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island, SC wants you to save nearly $800 with their Escape Vacation Package 
for spring or summer travel. Your package includes 15 percent off your choice of a weekly home or villa rental; $100 resort credit for golf, dining or activities; internet access; two hours of tennis daily; free dolphin excursion for children 12 and under; complimentary Eco-Adventure or activity for two; lighthouse access for two; family portrait session with 15 percent discount on photo orders plus children 12 and under eat free at two of the resorts restaurants. This package is available for weekly stays (Saturday-Saturday) through September 6. Sea Pines Resort is an ideal destination for active families with a wide variety of recreation and amenities including three golf courses, 23 tennis courts, great beach, watersports, nature activities, family activities, pools, gym, horses, spa, shops, tons of dining options, cultural events, playgrounds and more.
Total Turtle in Orlando
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans will gather at the Nickelodeon Suites in Orlando for several week-ends with spring and summer for the 
Total Turtle Celebration. The fun-filled 2-night event includes a TMNT Splash Bash DJ dance party, a dive-in movie, mass sliming at the pool and plenty of games, merchandise giveaways and several meet and greet appearances with the turtles. Upcoming week-ends are May 10 -12, June 7 – 9, July 12 – 14 and August 9 – 11. If you can’t make it to Orlando on these specific week-ends, your family can still enjoy the resort’s Totally Turtle package with 10 percent off room rates (for a minimum two night stay), dinner buffet, live Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Floor Show and Meet and Greet along with additional gifts and four Unlimited 4-D Experience Wrist Bands. The resort features family sized accommodations, amazing waterpark and pools, kids’ spa, evening programs and more. Shuttles to Disney World are also available.
JW Kids
JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts has partnered with nutritionist and author Keri Glassman to create a new JW Kids Menu, helping children build 
healthy eating habits while traveling — and arming them with the skills they need to continue the practice at home. The interactive menu, debuting in the U.S. this spring, features comfort food favorites with a healthy twist. Available for all meals, the menu is divided into three sections: Kids Nosh, Big Kids and This, That & the Other. The Kids Nosh includes items such as fresh-cut cucumber and carrot sticks with a low-fat yogurt ranch dip or cheese cubes and grapes. Big Kids caters to older kids, featuring well-balanced, recognizable favorites like turkey meatballs along with mini adult offerings for more sophisticated palates such as grilled organic chicken. This, That & the Other is designed to empower kids to make their own healthy choices, enabling them to mix-and-match with guidance from parents. Accompanied by an activity book, crayons and a take-home reusable cup, the new kids menu layout focuses on art and features a mini “curator” cartoon who will lead your children through art activities, games and food choices, helping mix-and-match the right meal and teaching important nutrition information.
Amtrak Family Adventures
Amtrak Vacations has recently launched a new Family Adventures program consisting of nine itineraries designed with activities for all ages. The series of tours includes programs for New York City; Washington, D.C.; Chicago; Orlando; Philadelphia; Niagara Falls; Grand Canyon and Glacier National Park. Programs range in price from $519 for the Niagara Falls program, which includes three nights at the Crowne Plaza, two dinners and passes to ride the famed Maid of the Mist falls-viewing boat, the Fallsview Indoor Waterpark, Niagara’s Fury and the White Water Walk, as well as rail transportation, to $1,469 for the Glacier National Park program, which includes admission to the Space Needle, two nights in Glacier National Park, a tour of Going-to-the-Sun Road in the park, a boat tour of the Two Medicine Valley in the park, a visit to Blake Island’s Tillicum Village, a free day in the park and rail transportation. Packages include train and hotel accommodations, sightseeing tours, unique experiences and entertainment.
American Girl Pajama Party
With the American Girl Place package at The Benjamin in New York City, your girls can have a pajama party with the iconic doll. 
The package at The Benjamin, located only four blocks from the American Girl Place New York, offers accommodations; a personalized welcome note; The Benjamin’s signature gift bag, which includes an exclusive American Girl doll-sized travel bed, pillow and blanket for the doll; milk and cookie turndown services (for the doll, too); access to a personal shopper at American Girl Place New York; and Winks’ Kidzzz Club amenities, including an organic wool-filled toddler pillow by Woolly Boo, a kid-sized robe, a lending library of family favorite bedtime books (including “American Girl” titles), and an official Winks’ Kidzzz Club sleep certificate available at check-out.
Omni Amelia Island Renovation
The Omni Amelia Island Plantation unveiled an $85 million, 16-month renovation this month. 
Updated areas include the lobby, new
outdoor areas/pool and guestrooms. The lobby was reconfigured to allow you to interact with the water immediately upon arrival and is located in the new Oceanside Wing, which features 155 new rooms. The renovated Sunrise Wing boasts 249 rooms. Directly off the lobby, the new outdoor area offers what Omni boasts as the largest pool deck in northeast Florida with lounge seating, three fire features, food and beverage services and expanded changing facilities. The tiered pool area includes the Serenity Pool, an adult, infinity-edge pool; the family-friendly Splash Pool; Splash Park, a water playground perfect for toddlers and small children; and two hot tubs featuring uninterrupted, spectacular Atlantic Ocean views. Sneak Peak package rates start at $199/night with a complimentary upgrade from a Deluxe to a Premier Oceanfront room and are available through May 8. Other special rates and packages are available throughout the year for your family to enjoy this lovely resort with great golf, tennis, beach, watersports, nature programs, kids and teen clubs, spa and more.
Legoland Hotel Opening
Legoland Hotel at Legoland California Resort in Carlsbad will open on April 5, earlier than originally expected. 
The 250-room hotel will immerse your family in the creative world of Lego featuring rooms and suites themed after the most popular Legoland areas — pirate, kingdom and adventure. Each spacious room includes two separate sleeping areas, one for grown-ups and one for up to three children complete with a bunk bed and pullout trundle bed. Every room also includes a treasure chest that children can unlock once they complete a special treasure hunt activity by finding clues throughout their room. The hotel will also have a pool, restaurant and other interactive experiences. The showcase is the approximately 3,422 Lego models created out of more than 3 million Lego bricks! The hotel will be the first of its kind in North America and is designed for families with children between the ages of 2 and 12.
