4my2girlz

I am planning our first family trip to NYC for myself, hubby, and two daughters - ages 7 & 81/2 (at the time of travel) for Spring Break 2013. We will be taking the train into the city arriving about 2:30 on Friday afternoon....leaving the following Wednesday afternoon about 2:00. So I have 4 whole days and 2 half days to jam with fun!

My wish list of course includes:
Statue of Liberty
Broadway show – Mary Poppins ? Lion King ? Wicked - SUGGESTIONS PLEASE!
Central Park or Bronx Zoo - Which is best?
Dylans Candy Bar
Toys R US Ferris Wheel
American Girl Store
Sony Wonder Lab
9/11 Memorial

For children our age - is it worth it to do Top of the Rock or Empire State Building? What would you suggest as "can't miss" places to visit? Sites to see? Restaurants?

Any suggestions would be GREATLY Appreciated!!!

doug_stallings

I'd wait for about 6 months before planning this trip. The Broadway line-up will change, stores and restaurants will go in and out of business, and the Statue of Liberty might even announce a reopening date. (It's supposed to reopen this fall, but as we know, these projects never seem to happen on schedule.)

kansasmom

I would start looking at hotels now and go ahead and make your reservation, if you find one you like, as long as you can cancel without penalty.

I'm like you, in that I love planning early. I think it's half the fun. But, like Doug said, things will change, so just do a rough list of what you want and read, read, read guide books and trip reports.

4my2girlz

I have made reservations at The Manhattan Club (56th Street & 7th Avenue).

I have priced Amtrak but haven't made arrangements (does pricing change with Amtrak like airlines?).

I ordered "Frommer's New York City with Kids" and have began researching options and ideas but haven't made any reservations or purchased tickets yet.

Thanks for the advice!

doug_stallings

Amtrak pricing does change as the time of the trip approaches, but you can get the best prices about 1 month in advance. It's not at all necessary to make those reservations now or really until next year. There's no advantage in doing it, and you'll be much better off waiting. To be honest, I'm not sure you even can buy an Amtrak ticket this far in advance.

nytraveler

You should include:

Museum of Nat'l History - all kids love it and it's the 2nd grade trip for NYC school kids (dinos, gems and minerals, human evolution)
The met - there will be something everyone will like - check out Costume Institute, arms & armour, Egyptian section and arms & armor
Bronx zoo takes the whole day - Central park might be better for kid this age
Defintely Top of the Rock

Before you head out check out the website of the local news channel - NY1.com. They have a list of kids activities every weekend - from puppet shows to dance troups of kids, etc

AtlTravelr

Took my 7 year old granddaughter last year for her first visit. She (and we) really enjoyed going to top of the rock as our first thing in the city. Gave her a great feeling for how magnificent it was. And it was so much easier and faster to get in than the times we've been to ESB. She loved seeing the statue of liberty from the staten island ferry and of course central park. We didn't go to the American girl store as we have one here, but if we didn't I know she would have loved it but not sure how you get away without buying a ton of stuff! She saw Lion King and it was fabulous. It was my 3rd time and I loved it too. If your kids can stay up late consider doing the evening performance. She was one of the few children at night (and I knew she could sit still for a performance) but the matinee i saw had so many kids who were much younger that I found it very distracting. My neighbor took her 10 & 8 year old to see wicked and she said that much of it was hard for the younger one to follow. I'll wait till my granddaughter is a bit older based on her experience.