Lodging at a Theme Park

Keywords: Lodging, theme park, Where to Stay

By Stacy DeBroff

Consider the following before you book:

• How does the on-site hotel’s price compare with other hotels in the area?

• Can you get a package deal for the amusement park and the hotel?

• Do you plan to spend all or part of your vacation at the theme park? If you want to visit other attractions in the area, you will be paying extra money for a convenience you need for only part of your vacation. If you want to spend every minute at the park, then it’s worth your while to stay as close as possible.

• If you stay at the hotel, will that mean you will not need a rental car?

• What age is your child, and will he need naps or time away from the park? Staying on-site makes it easier to break the day up into shorter visits to the park without worrying about parking, readmission, and commute times.

• What are your plans for mealtimes? Staying off-site offers more flexibility for purchasing your own food or choosing a restaurant, and on-site restaurants are frequently expensive.

Stacy, heralded as a “parenting guru” by the Wall Street Journal, authored four best-selling parenting books (Simon & Schuster) and launched Mom Central, Inc. (www.MomCentral.com), a company devoted to providing savvy advice to simplify and enrich the lives of busy Moms and their families. Stacy appears as a regular parenting expert on national TV show, including NBC’s Today Show, CNN, The View, Tyra Banks Show, CBS’ Early Show, The Daily Buzz, Mike And Juliet, Fox & Friends, and the Rachael Ray Show. Stacy also serves as a corporate spokesperson, trendspotting for the media on behalf of over 30 national brands.

In the 1990’s, Stacy founded and ran as an attorney the Public Interest Office at Harvard Law School. Stacy lives with her husband, Ron, and happily engages in imperfect parenting of their two teens, Kyle and Brooks, in Boston, Massachusetts.