Where Is the Best Warm Weather Vacation with Kids?

Come to Texas. San Antonio is wonderful. Not hot in December, but temperate - probably in the 60-70s. Nothing like Christmas in Texas.

I don't know how warm it is in December (we've been there in June and July) but I really liked Myrtle Beach. You can also consider other locations along the NC/SC coast (Outer Banks, Folly Beach, etc.) because I've had other family members vacation there and they loved it, but again, I don't know how warm it is.

You really can't go wrong with anywhere in Florida, but the further south you go, the warmer it should be. We love Disney World, but the week between Christmas and New Year's is typically one of their busiest (if not THE busiest) weeks of the year - and lodging is more expensive too. I've heard it's nice to see the parks all decked out for Christmas but not sure if you want to deal with the crowds.

Not sure what cruise reviews you read but we've been on one Disney Cruise so far and can't wait to go again. We did a 3-night cruise to the Bahamas and I would say it was the best family vacation we've taken so far. It was absolutely phenomenal and everyone had a fantastic time - and the kids ages were 3, 16, and 17. They have 3-night, 4-night, and 7-night options and I wish we had been able to do one of the longer ones. However, again, the prices are going to be much higher the weeks around Christmas break and the ship is going to be more crowded.

Another thought would just be to do a resort somewhere in the Caribbean - Atlantis in the Bahamas, Beaches in Jamaica, etc.

Floriday Keys - fly into Miami and rent a car to drive all the way down hwy 1.

We love SanDestin Florida. We stay at the Hilton Golf and Spa Resort. It is in a gated area with condos as well. LOVE this area.

For Christmas, you might want to go further south. We also like Marco Island just outside of Naples FL.

Enjoy!

I would imagine anywhere in the Caribbean would be warm, and not too long of a flight. I've been to Puerto Rico, which was nice, and the water was gorgeous!
I wouldn't suggest Florida or California at that time of year. The weather can be iffy, and keep in mind the Pacific Ocean is NOT warm any time of year, unless you travel further south, down to Mexico and beyond.

When I was a kid, we always went to St. Augustine, Florida around Christmas time. I loved it there. It is the oldest town in the country so there is a lot to see and the beaches there are beautiful.

acctually, there will never be a better time to get a killer deal on a cruise than now! No pun intended. So. Cal has a lot to do for the kids, but its not guaranteed beach weather( 60's-70's, light jacket weather and besides you can do pretty much the same thing in Florida). But it requires a car rental and a lot of driving, which can be stressful. If you want beach weather and low stress just find a nice resort close to the equator. Maybe Jamaca (dirty little place, but the resorts are nice). I think the trick to resorts is one that accommodates children well. We really enjoyed La Costa in San Diego County, but don't know that I'd fly across country for it.

Disney World, hands down.

Any beach is always great for kids. Sand castles, miniature golf, badminton and boogie boards. It doesn't even have to be expensive because just being on the beach is fun.

California is probably your best bet, but it won't be THAT warm even there at Christmas.

Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas.

Take a cruise...out of Florida. Most ships have a kids club with free babysitting so the parents get time alone and the kids have a blast making new friends and having fun with people their own age. We've taken a bunch of cruises, I recommend
1. Princess, 2. Royal Carribbean

Princess has the best food and best entertainment

Wish I could come!

Southern California. It's not guarenteed to be warm but this year was in the high 70's between Christmas and New Years. Rained all week last year. Either way, there's lots to do with kids, indoors and out. If you make flight reservations early, you can find deals and you have your choice of several airports, lax, bur, sna....

Dominican Republic. Mexico. Bahamas. Aruba. Tons of choices!! At Christmas time, there isn't anywhere in Florida that I would say is guaranteed to be warm. The average high in Orlando in December/January is 72 and the low is 51. That's not bad, but not bathing suit weather either...

The Disney cruise is fantastic . . . we couldn't believe how much fun we had on that trip (our kids were maybe 12 & 15 at the time?).

Orlando is alot of fun, but that time of year it's not guaranteed to be warm. You have to get south of Palm Beach County to have a better shot at that, and even then we can get some cold snaps. This year it was HOT on Christmas Day, but got chilly a week or two later.

The Boca Resort is near me and it's fabulous. Fort Lauderdale has the Marriott Harbor Beach which is nice too. And of course there are numerous options in Miami. Our favorite family place in the Keys is Hawk's Cay - VERY kid friendly and they have a dolphin interaction.

Good luck and hope you have a great time.

PS: I "second" Naples and Marco Island . . .

Christmas here in central Florida is nice, not too hot and not too cold. I do not go swimming this time of year because the air feels a little too chilly for me (I have acclimated to the climate here). All the resorts have heated pools so for some it's not bad. The downside to a Christmas vacation in central Florida is that it is extremely busy. They will close the parks when they reach capacity and they always do.

Southern Florida stays warmer all year. I have never been to California but I hear San Diego is really nice. I am sure there are parts of Texas that also stay warm that time of year too. There is always an island vacation, Jamaica is about a three hour plane ride from DC.