When planning a family vacation to Orlando, Florida, you and the kids might have just one destination on the brain: Disney. But actually, as we’ve pointed out before, there’s more to Orlando than theme parks, including plenty of family resorts from which to choose.

If you’re looking off-park for a hotel, consider The Grove Resort & Spa Orlando. The 106-acre resort is just a few miles down the road from the entrance to Walt Disney World, but sits on a pretty tract of land set back from the major highways in a natural marsh and wooded landscape. It has all the favorite perks of a great family resort, including suites for housing extended family, pools, on-site restaurants, a spa, activities for kids, and even a water park.

We just returned from a long weekend at the resort and are happy to share our review.

No doubt, Philadelphia is chock full of history. From the Liberty Bell to the Franklin Mint, spooky old cemeteries and an abandoned penitentiary to battlegrounds and museums, much of America’s earliest history has roots right in the heart of the Delaware Valley.

But for families looking for places they might not have already explored or some fun, interesting, and mentally inspiring summertime excursions, we’ve rounded up five history-inspired day trips within a few hours’ drive of Philly. Consider this your historical day trip bucket list. No matter where you pick first, we wish you safe (time) travels!

It took me a long to admit this to myself, but since we're among friends I'll just come out and say it: I do not enjoy eating in restaurants with my children. Or, at least I didn't. Now my kids are older and reasonable and do not have temper tantrums if their grilled cheeses are cut into quarters instead of halves--or at any rate they don't do it often. Even though, for a long time, my idea of "family friendly waterfront dining" was grabbing a blanket, some drinks, and those precisely cut grilled cheese sandwiches and heading to my town beach, I have recently branched out to actual restaurants where I leave the picnic basket at home. In the warmer months, there's nothing quite like a meal with a waterfront view, and the options in Fairfield County do not disappoint. Here are some of our favorites.

By Clara Hemphill and Gina Malin

Deciding where to send your child to school can be a stressful and intimidating decision for parents, especially in New York City where the options (and forms) can seem endless. The choice between public or private school causes many a NYC parent to fret, from pre-K to high school, so we wanted to lend our expertise to help readers examine the pros and cons of each.

By the way, it’s not just about money.

Ahhh, summer—the sun rises early and sets late, and the day's pace is slower. There are countless hours to fill with excitement and relaxation, and our Connecticut Summer Fun Guide will help you plan some seriously awesome adventures. On those days not spent at the beach, Connecticut's many outdoor festivals and fairs will have your family feasting on cotton candy or dancing in your lawn chairs. Indulge in fresh strawberries, introduce the kids to poetry and jazz, show them how cool old cars can be, and listen to their screams of excitement coming from carnival rides. Grab a picnic basket and a blanket, pack your camera, and marvel at all the fun Connecticut’s festivals and fairs have to offer.

Want more? We've got guides on TONS of idea on how to get the MOST out of Summer! Check out our  Theme & Water Parks Guide for ideas to stay cool, or peruse through our complete Summer Fun Guide.  Click through to our listings for all the details, including address, time and prices.

Well take a look at that! An Observation Wheel—which is another way of saying a really huge Ferris wheel with a great view—is setting up shop in Long Beach next to the Queen Mary, for one month only. No mere amusement park ride (though we like those very much!), the Observation Wheel offers birds-eye views of the picturesque Long Beach sky line, the majestic Queen Mary, and beyond. This thing is so tall you may be able to spot the buffalo grazing on Catalina Island.

Peppered with playgrounds, woods, and large open spaces for kids to roam free, Prospect Park is a pastoral escape smack dab in the middle of Brooklyn. The park is more than just green space: The Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Lefferts Historic House, and the Prospect Park Carousel are great places to visit for families. Need one more reason to love Prospect Park? How about a perfectly kid-friendly zoo, just the right size and pace for younger children?

The Prospect Park Zoo is much smaller than its northern counterpart, the Bronx Zoo, which means it's just right for pint-sized animal lovers. The whole interior is comfortably walkable in a few hours, so you can see everything before nap time. We've got tips for visiting with kids, including the best entry points, what to see, and the best times to visit.

If you have kids who love investigating their surroundings, the AHRC Suffolk's sensory garden is a great spot to spend an afternoon. The garden, which opened in May 2017, is a therapeutic environment for residents of Shoreham Homes as well as children and adults of all abilities.

A visit to this unique space is unlike a trip to any park or playground in the area. The garden offers different ways for visitors to interact with the installations and natural settings while inviting them to touch, smell, taste, and play. Admission is FREE. 

For more sensory experiences with kids, see our guide to special-needs facilities and programs on Long Island, including our list of inclusive playgrounds that offer more choices for great outdoor fun.