Gardaland with Toddlers in the spring.

[mrsnec]

Has anyone done this? Is it a good idea?

I have been pondering this for ages and it looks like it's got better recently for little ones with Sea Life and Peppa Pig attractions opening.

We're not in the UK but I've seen dirt cheap flights to Malpensa. Would we have to hire a car?

It's a 2.5 hour flight. Would you consider going for just 4 days and reccomend anywhere good value to stay.

I am not sure it is worth it with toddlers really. Peppa Pig attraction is tiny, 3 or 4 rides with long queues last time we were there. There are other toddler things but I think it is much more suitable from about 7 or 8 years. Sea life is OK but not worth a special trip for.

Garda land is brilliant but mega hot & with long queues. No way would I recommend it with children under 5. Sorry!

Thanks for the replies just trying to figure out the best age to take them really but the queue thing might put me off full stop!

Do you think it will still be bad mid-week and off season? I hate theme parks but love Italy so it's our compromise. I needed another holiday after we did Orlando as I felt I spent my entire holiday in a queue despite having fast passes!

We went with kids under five (two and five) and was brilliant! There is peppa pig stuff, more kids rides then Alton towers and a king fu panda area which the five year old could easily go on. There is also some splash park areas, one in the kids area and one near the monorail where no parents are aloud, my two were delighted and meant one could watch whilst another sneaked to big rises. So take costumes and towels for them. Also some shows to watch as well

Queues were big at peppa at beginning of day but fine by end just because it is the first thing you come to as you enter the park and children seem not to be able to walk past peppa!

We camped nearby with a Eurocamp type place and hired a car. There is other parks nearby but not for kids like movie land and a huge water park. We had some time swimming in lake Garda as well

I might look at the camping option. The thing is it would be April or October so I am not sure if the weather would be good enough for swimming.

Our alternative is to take them back to the UK again but the flights to Italy and accommodation in Peschairia del Garda is the same price as just the flights to the uk and my parents have offered to drive over and meet us as they want a driving holiday in the lakes anyway so I was thinking with GP's to help it might be bearable!

Have you looked at Europa Park in Germany? Absolutely fantastic for small children and the hotels are amazing.

Oh thanks Sandy, that could also work. Flights to Basel are the same as the Milan ones.

Make sure you stay at the actual park hotels though, there are guest houses in Rust but not as good!

Those hotels look gorgeous but pricey. It's a shame. I was warming to the idea. My parents would be just as happy to meet us there, I've never been to that part of the world so that's a massive plus and DH will be much more relaxed about driving in Germany and Switzerland than in Italy.

But the accommodation seems much more expensive and I have just seen we've got budget flights to Verona now which could make the Italian option a bit easier.