Need some holiday inspiration - special holiday with a 4 year old

[Ginspirational]

So DH and I want to take DD on a big holiday before she starts school, which will realistically be the last time we can do it properly (and guilt free) in term time.

We are swaying to Disney World but not really sure a 4 year old would get the most out of it at that age.

We are open to anywhere really - we will manage any distance on a plane, we just want a bit of a special holiday before it becomes ridiculously expensive.

Has anyone been somewhere really child friendly? Australia, Canada, USA? We’d be going for 2 weeks in May time, and budget can be stretched but would like to do it for under 5k.

Feel overwhelmed with choice at the mo!

To be fair at 4 it is probably more about anywhere you want to go where there are things your children will enjoy. If they like swimming, beaches etc they could be anywhere in the world. When my youngest was 3.5 we did New York and Mexico, they loved it, but due to the big buildings, play parks (New York) and beaches, pools, kids clubs (Mexico). They didn’t have to go long haul for that, that was for us to go places we wanted to go!

I think you'd struggle to do Disney World for 2 weeks under £5k. At 4, Disneyland Paris is perfect, it's much smaller, closer and cooler in temperature but still has all the magic. On that budget you could make it really special with one of the higher end hotels, character meals etc. Or even do it on a budget and do 2 holidays, perhaps few days DLP and few days somewhere in the sun.

Or maybe a Disney cruise? That could be special, you could do a European one, not sure on prices though I've only priced up a family of 4 in holidays, so 3 in term time might be realistic.

What do four year olds like doing? Digging in sand, making sandcastles, collecting shells, pootling about in rock pools,adopting crabs for the day “see you tomorrow crabby”, paddling in the sea, spending time with their parents, going to zoos, going to aquariums, playing in play parks, playing footie with their dad and mum, fun fair rides. If you want to make memories find somewhere warm where you can do those things.

Thanks everyone, I suppose we are lucky as we go abroad and do a UK break each year so I just wanted something a little more special than the normal all inclusive/beach break. But you’re probably right, it’s more for us at this age!

Just go wherever you and your husband want and make sure you include child friendly things, at that age they are easy to please and probably won’t remember a lot or will remember some unexpected details. Of course they’ll have the photos but really I would say it will be more of a treat for you as parents. The treat for the child will be just having your full attention and fun together. That is not to say that you should not take them to Disneyland (I recommend Paris too) if sharing that with your child is what will fill you with joy but equally anywhere with a good children play area will make your child happy and can be less stressful. The main thing that you will all enjoy will be spending time together being relaxed and having fun. To be honest I cannot think of any holiday we’ve been on that has not been child friendly, even if that just meant finding nice play parks!

We’ve just come back from a week at Butlin’s and honestly I think it’s the most fun she’s ever had in her life 😂

Some friends took their 3 yo to Disneyland Paris, I though they were crazy but then realised that it just made the parents so happy! And later I also realised plenty of adults go without kids (and probably enjoy it even more as they can go on all the rides they like!)

You’ll find that for long haul it is generally just the flights which have a big differential during UK school holidays. What you will miss when they start school is the opportunity to do luxurious places in Europe at a much lower price in months when it isn’t roasting hot. I would probably be pricing up one of the Greek Ikos hotels in June if I could go back in time!

Legoland in Billund, Denmark is a super trip for a 4 year old. There’s the park itself, Lego House (which is amazing) and Lalandia, which is right beside it and is a bit like Centreparcs, with a water park, ice rink and lots of other stuff to do.

Disneyworld in Florida is great but is incredibly expensive and ridiculously hot in the summer. May would be nice though. I think a four year old would get plenty out of it but the cost is insane.

I would be tempted to just do your normal holidays but save the money for the extra it will cost for school holidays going forward

Ours loved the Isle of Wight at that age. All of the above available!

we took our then 3y10m old to Disney World Florida and had the most amazing time. My son still talks about the rides and characters now and loved it. That said, we went because I love going there and luckily he did too! We also went in May time. If you can completely avoid half term and are open to staying off site etc then it is possible to get near your budget. There is also currently an offer on to stay on site with Disney world and you get some dining including so worth a look !

I’ve not been but Efteling (Netherlands) is often recommended on here for that age.

Or you could go to Lake Garda and include a trip to Gardaland

Or forget theme parks and go to the Greek islands

Agree kids that age aren’t fussed about fancy holidays or long haul. in fact they will enjoy a holiday much less if it involves long journeys and jetlag.

Anywhere you want to go really. At 4 they will enjoy anywhere and have no means of comparison. Neither of my dc remember any holidays they had at 4

Defo not oz. Takes 24 hours (if you're lucky) to get there, jet lag & then 24 hours back and you only have 2 weeks, plus the jet lag / time adjustment on the way back. I've been to oz loads of times & 4 weeks would be the min.

I'd recommend your normal holiday abroad, one with a good kids club & kids disco. Mine is just gone 5 & we were in Benalmádena in December, it was the first time he'd do kids club as we could see him, we wouldn't let him go off with strangers at that age. Kids disco every night

If you are keen on Disney, I'd look at Disney Cruiseline. They now have a few departures from Southampton which will help preserve your budget. You should be able to just about get a cabin for 2 adults and a child for 7 nights to Spain or West. Europe if you go outside term time.
Our DC loved it at that age - perfect mix of quality entertainment yet interesting ports of call for the adults.

I was going to say Eftling or for long haul we have done Disney Land in LA followed by ai in cancun which was great. Smaller than Disney World and when we went anyway not boiling and humid

I can see that someone else has mentioned but I really want to take mine to Lalandia/Billund/Legoland before she starts school!

It's not abroad, but we did two weeks at Bosinver Farm in Cornwall for our last holiday with DS before he started school. He was in heaven! It has everything a 4yo could want - feeding farm animals, a shallow indoor pool, a play barn, tons of outdoor play equipment, pony rides, preschooler-friendly bushcraft sessions and sandy beaches nearby. The cottages are really nice and well-equipped so we parents were happy too!

Isle of Wight was fab at that age.

If the holiday is for the benefit of the 4 year old go to Disney Paris, pay the £££ for the character meals, get lots of character interaction just at the age when she believes in the magic, nothing compares to that Disney Magic for that age group.
It may not be Florida BUT it's still magical for a child that knows no different. You could then pair it with a jaunt around Europe via train or rent a car. £5k is unlikely to get a great deal on a long haul holiday now but plenty for a European flit.

Does she have any special interests? E.g. my 5 year is obsessed with animals and watches all sort of nature documentaries, so for a special trip I might look at a safari or whale watching. It's hard to cut it down without knowing anything else about your child.

We had a brilliant two weeks in Ontario the summer before my daughter started school. She was 3, turning 4 in the October. We flew into Toronto and spent a few days exploring the city (hop on/off bus, CN Tower, a day trip to Niagara Falls). We stayed in an Air BnB in a suburb within walking distance of the subway.
Then we spent about a week in a cabin in the woods near Bracebridge, which is in the Muskoka region - about a 2 hour drive north of Toronto. Beautiful place to stay, we spent the week exploring little towns, swimming in the lakes, eating lots of ice cream, and just generally exploring. We didn’t have a car while we were in the city, but hired one just before we went to Muskoka.
We then drove to a town called Picton in Prince Edward County, we spent a few days there again just having a nice slow pace. There were some quaint little towns/villages around, lots of wineries and craft beer, which obviously we didn’t get to enjoy too much, but had the odd thing to try! We spent a gorgeous day at Sandbanks Provincial Park, which has the most beautiful beach on the shore of Lake Ontario.
And finally, we drove back to Toronto for our night time flight - we left Picton early and went straight to Toronto zoo (brilliant!) and spent the day there before going back to the airport.

I would 100% recommend this trip for a family with a little one, we had an absolute blast!

Less time on the plane the better for a 4 year old it's not fun having to sit still for so long cramped . Take her somewhere with a lovely beach and splash park