Colorado Ski Trip: Winter Park With Kids

A few weeks into January, Aiden asked me when was it going to be Christmas because it hadn’t snowed yet. I knew right away that I better get to planning a ski trip with kids. He wanted to see and feel real snow and wouldn’t stop asking me about it. Winter Park Colorado

I the decided to plan a kid friendly ski trip to Winter Park, Colorado so he could experience the snow, and taste it too. In his words “Mom, I really want to eat snow.” As I was planning, I realized my sister’s birthday was going to fall on our trip, and that made it even more exciting!

This was how our conversation went:

A: “Mom, when is it going to be Christmas?”
Me: (looking confused) “A, Christmas was in December. Remember you were in Sweden with your cousins and you opened your gifts?”
A: “But Mom, it didn’t snow yet. That means Christmas didn’t come yet.”
Me: (laughing so hard) “It doesn’t always snow during Christmas son.”
A: “But Mom, I really really want to see snow because I really really love it.”
Me: “Okay Baby Boy, I’ve heard you.”

After Aiden and I had this conversation, I started looking at different family friendly snow resorts in Utah and Colorado. I also immediately started tracking the weather for when it would snow. I knew there would be snow at the ski resort, but I wanted it to snow while we were there so Aiden could experience it all.

I narrowed my choices to Keystone, Winter Park and Breckenridge, all family friendly ski resorts in Colorado and finally decided on Winter Park Resort. There was one deciding factor for me when I picked Winter Park, and it was because they were the only resort offering half day ski school. This was not because of the price, but time spent on the slopes. Aiden and my sister, Ells would be skiing for the first time, and I didn’t want them on the slopes all day just in case they hated it (but boy o boy was I wrong. they LOVED it). Winter Park was the best choice for our ski trip with kids.

How To Get To Winter Park Colorado With Kids

We flew on Southwest Airlines for 3442 points and $11.20 RT per person. The cash price for this ticket would have been $80 RT per person. I purchased the tickets for our trip the day before we left due to the snow prediction.

Traveling with kids and looking for tips, then make sure to click the links below and read more:

• Best Travel Gear For Kids
• How To Travel With Kids Internationally Alone
• Best Countries To Visit In The World With Kids
• Top Must Have Items When Traveling With Kids
• How To Keep Your Kids Entertained & Happy On Flights
• Everything You Need To Know About Traveling With A Car Seat

How To Get Around Winter Park Colorado With Kids

We rented a car from National Car Rental. I love that they have newer cars. We rented a Hyundai with only 2000 miles on it.

Don’t forget to pack the car seat, car seat stroller and car seat bag as well. I forgot Aiden’s car seat bag at home and had to buy one from Southwest Airlines for $17 – bleh. I checked in Aiden’s car seat and I didn’t want it to get dirty.

Where To Stay In Winter Park Colorado With Kids

I wanted to book the cheapest option possible as I was on a major budget, so instead of staying on the resort, we stayed at Best Western Alpenglo Lodge which is in downtown Winter Park and only a 6 minute drive from the ski slopes and winter park village. We booked it on Ski.com. We got a room with 2 queen size beds which was just perfect for 4 of us.

What To In Winter Park With Kids

Day 1 in Winter Park Colorado With Kids

Tubing

There are several options for tubing in Winter Park, but Fraser Tubing Hill place was recommended by the hotel so we decided to go there. We had originally planned on going to the Coca Cola Tubing Hill at the Winter Park Resort but changed our minds after the recommendation.

The Coca Cola Tubing Hill Requires advance reservations and cost $26 per person for 60 minutes which is the max time you can tube for. The Fraser Tubing Hill cost $26 for 90 minutes and was free for Aiden, so definitely a better deal. Check out Winter Park Tubing for other options.

Day 2 in Winter Park Colorado With Kids

(It snowed today – YAY)

Snowmobiling

When I found out that I could rent a kids snowmobile for Aiden, I knew he would love it. We went snowmobiling in Turkey, but he rode with me on the adult snow mobile. This time he was going to be able to ride it himself.

We rented with Grand Adventures and it cost $20 for about 30 minutes. which included a helmet. He was able to ride in an open space while he snowed. Must add to your list when planning a ski trip with kids.

Sleigh Ride Winter Park Colorado

This came up as one of the things to do with kids in Winter Park. I knew we would all enjoy the scenic ride and most of all roasted marshmallows and hot chocolate.

Sounds crazy, but neither of us have ever had roasted marshmallows, so this was a first for us. This made our ski trip with kids so much fun. Dashing Thru The Snow Sleigh Rides was great, and their prices too. $35 for each person, and Aiden was free. (won’t it be nice for Aiden to stay 4 forever haha)

Day 3 in Winter Park Colorado With Kids

Ski Lesson

I picked Winter Park Resort because it offered had half day ski lessons for kids. Both kids took lessons and LOVED it. Oh em gee!! Aiden didn’t want to leave the slopes. He announced to everyone that skiing is his favorite thing ever. This made me feel happy that I choose to go on this ski trip with kids. My sister however said she’d like to try snowboarding next time. You can book ski lessons here: Winter Park Ski & Ride School.

The Village at Winter Park Resort

The Village at Winter Park Resort has a few things to do. Ride the lift for the scenery, shops, restaurants and a playground for kids. You can spend a few hours there just hanging out. When planning a ski trip with kids, make sure to add some down time as well. This was downtime well spent.

Where To Eat In Winter Park Colorado With Kids

We had a hard time finding good food in Winter Park. Denver definitely has much better food. We ate in Denver on our way to Winter Park as well as on our way back to the airport. Winter Park Colorado

Winter Park Colorado

• Hernando’s Pizza Pub

• Smokehouse BBQ (they have the BEST smoked wings, with plenty of sauce options)

• Carver’s Bakery Cafe

• Goodys Mountain Cafe & Creperie

• Sharky’s Eatery

• Waffle Cabin

Denver Colorado

• Bua Thai Restaurant

• Hashtag

Tips For Visiting Winter Park Colorado With Kids

• We rented our ski gear from Epic Mountain Sports (you can save 20% off your rental by renting online). It was so much cheaper than renting at Winter Park Resort. The customer service was great and I’d definitely rent there again.

• Make sure to pack the right clothes so your kids don’t freeze. Aiden was okay because I made sure he had several layers on, but I was freezing. Check out my post on “10 Things To Pack For A Snow Trip With Kids“

• Want to get a few hours of alone time? Put the kids in ski school and enjoy the time with your significant other. That’s exactly what my husband and I did. We opted out of hitting the slopes. Sometimes it’s hard to get a photo of just us without Aiden trying to be in it. haha

• Most hotels / condos have a hot tub and heated pool. Don’t forget to pack a swim suit. We didn’t get a chance to use the one in our hotel because by the time we got back indoors, we just wanted to lay down, put the heater on blast, eat, rest and relax. The teenager was busy snapchatting, and the 4yr old, watching cartoons.

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