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Whistler for kids?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Morning all,

Next year (May) I hit the big 40, so wanting to do an extra special trip as my celebrations.

Whistler is one place I've always wanted to goto.

I have a BA voucher, and some BA miles so I can get the whole family of 4 out to Vancouver for sub £500 in Feb.

So a few questions Smile

a. Any accomodation recommendations for a family of 4? The kids are 6 (7 in March) and 3 (4 in April) so the 6 year old may ski all day, the 3 year old 1/2 days.

b. Is their a kids club or something similiar for afternoons if the kids don't want to ski, or are too tired?

c. Is it best booking all this seperately, or using a package?

d. Lastly, one aim is for me to get lots of off-piste in, is it similiar to Colorado in that I can ski off marked trails, "in bounds"? Does it all get tracked out quickly?

e. Is there a "better" resort from Vacouver or is Whistler as good as the hype says?

Cheers,

Greg
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
a) Check out AlluraDirect.com. They do appartment rentals directly with the owners (there is a lot of choice).
As far as location (see http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/accommodation/map/index.htm) Whistler Village is where a lot of the nightlife is but a bit noisy but is very close to the main lifts.
Village north is where lost of ski-shops and a supermarket are - it's walkable to the lifts but you can get a regular and free bus if you don't want to - I stayed there last season, very convenient but a bit noisy.
Upper Village (aka Blackcomb) is much quiter though still has some good facilities - I stayed in the Blackcomb Benchlands for a season and it was very nice. Very close to the blackcombe base (handy for the kids club there) and free bus or 5 to 10 min walk to the main village.
Creekside is completely seperate and is the original Whistler mountain base - growing fast but less convenient especially if you want to go and ski Blackcomb (it has a gondola onto Whistler Mtn) - I think you have to pay for the bus from there, but its not much

b) Yes. I don't have kids so haven't used them but friends have. The Kids ski school is outstanding.

c) Seperately

d) It is in-bounds/out of bounds like Colorado. Ski where you want (with common sense applied of course!) in-bounds and the ski patrol will pick you up if it goes wrong (I found out the limits to this last year where a guy I was skiing with was hanging off a cliff - ski patrol came along and roped him off no probs!!)
Does it get tracked out quickly, Yes but not if you know where to go wink - Do a course with Extremely Canadian and they'll find you the best (and sometimes scariest!) spots

e) There are others, one of which (Red Mountain) We're checking out this year but probably not good for the kids. Big White, Silver Star, Sun Peaks are supposed to be pretty decent but they're not Whistler. Whsitler gets knocked for cost (true it is expensive), crowds (it is busy on piste if you go Presidents week), and weather (it snows lots - that means it's not sunny - I can live with that! Rains at the base but I don't ski there so heh?!), But as a total experience it is outstanding - I'd live there over any other ski resort in the world I've been to or thought of going to if I could afford it! snowHead
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
kitenski,
I have been to WHistler a couple of times with the kids.

I booked accommodation with Allura who are a homeowners cooperative and it was of very good standard.

There is a kids ski school which has a large building at midmountain level so the kids can ski go there for meals and the younger ones take a bit of time out from skiing. I was actully slightly dissapointed with the kids club after having read all about North American ski schools, but it did the job, though the food that the kids were offered was dreadful. (A few years ago now and things may have changed.)

I havent been to colorado but there is a fair bit of off piste that is avalanche protected and excellent. Being a big popular resort I would guess it gets skied out pretty quickly but I found it a lot of fun even though the tracks were not exactly fresh by the afternoon.

The terrain is damn good and personally I think the hype is about right the only real niggles I would have is the lift queues are a bit long particularly to get up after you drop the kids at ski school. (You can bypass them with an instructor) The on mountain eating was very crowded and not particularly good. (Though V8 has posted to say I was in the wrong places.)

I don't know if there is a better resort nearby not having skied any though have heard that the interior gets lighter snow being further away from the sea.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
kitenski, My one comment i would like to make about going to Whistler with the kids, is please, give them a chance to get over the jetlag, and therefore i dont think it is worth going for less than 10 days, or preferably 2 weeks.

The ski school is good, IMHO, i have friends who work for it. Some good info here: http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/rentals/schoolkids/tips3to12.htm

If you want a hotel, rather than a condo, quite a few of the village hotels have loft rooms, so seperaeta beds upstairs for the kids, which can work quite well. But i would say that the condos you can rent thru Allura are excellent.

I would book independently. Source your own flights, and then accomodation thru Allura, and then via the allura site you will get discounts on ski school/liftpasses etc.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
yeh looking at 10 days Robbie, they are experts at jetlag, having family in Australia Wink It's the missus that tends to suffer more than me or them tbh!

Just found out that there is a Hilton hotel in Whistler, and my brother works for Hilton, so maybe he can get me a family rate Very Happy

Regards,

Greg
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
kitenski, we used the allura link to book our accommodation in Whistler, stayed in Glaciers' Reach, just opposite the ski bus stop. Supermarket across the road, private hot tub on deck, large communal one in the grounds. Double and twin bedrooms.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Sounds good kitenski, and the Hilton in W has just undergone a big refurb this last summer I think, so should be good. Is a good location in the viallge, less than 5 mins to the lifts i would say. Good luck.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Quote:

less than 5 mins to the lifts


If you crawled on all 4s it'll still take you less time!

Plus the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Shop is just around the corner.
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 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Quote:

If you crawled on all 4s it'll still take you less time!

That could be helpful info for Hels_T Toofy Grin
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
veeeight, I'm a very slow walker Embarassed
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Quote:

or is Whistler as good as the hype says


Hype is only hype when it fails to live up to your expectations.

So my take is to go with very little expectations, and then if you're pleasantly surprised, it;s a bonus! Laughing
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Hi all,

I live in the Vancouver area and have been traveling frequently to Whistler with my two children since they were babies. As I am also a travel blogger, I recently put together an extensive post on Whistler with kids (2012/2013 season), from accommodations, to kid-friendly restaurants, and activities. I hope it can be of help to some of you. Whistler is an absolutely fantastic place for kids and parents alike.

http://www.pintsizepilot.com/2012/09/30/whistler-blackcomb-with-infants-babies-toddlers-and-kids-winter-2012-2013/
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
+1 for AlluraDirect. We always rent a condo in the Glacier Lodge, in the Upper Village.

For the last few years, the early booking of the adult lift pass through Allura (before 15th November) has always come with the option of free tickets (matching days) for kids. (I don't have any, so I've always donated mine to people staying in the same lodgings).

Pretty much everyone says the Whistler Kids programme is very good, and the kids I've seen on the mountain (and shared a lift with) all seem to have a load of fun.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
pintsizepilot,

Nice guide! snowHead
(unlike my comment above from 2006, I do now have children!)
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
i thought kitenski was blatantly lying about his age until I saw the date of the OP Little Angel
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
The Whistler kids programme is outstanding. When we did our season mouth junior did the adventure camps and loved it. It puts Europe to shame I have to say.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Arno wrote:
i thought kitenski was blatantly lying about his age until I saw the date of the OP Little Angel


Me too!! I was sure his kids were older than in the OP too! Why do people resurrect these old threads Puzzled
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
ahem snowHead

sarah, looks like this was resurrected for some tasty spam
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