Money Saving Tips for Chicago family vacation

[ValpoCory]

Thanks Kimmumum!

 

[Lucille1963]

We spent a few hours in the children's museum and my kids really enjoyed it. There is a room on the top floor in the back that my kids really enjoyed (it was making an airplane fly from really high or something like that) but we didn't get to that room until almost closing time. I tried to find the room listed on their site but it looks like it might have been replaced with a new exhibit.

Yes, that area has been replaced with a new (and in my opinion way better) exhibit called the Tinkering Lab. Here is a link to a short article and lots of pictures. http://www.timeoutchicagokids.com/t...ildrens-museum-opens-new-tinkering-lab-photos

Also new for this summer is "Ready, Pet, Go!", which my son loves. The last time we visited, we spent all but about 15 minutes in there.
http://www.chicagonow.com/wee-windy...childrens-museum-debuts-ready-pet-go/#image/1

 

[fairy8i8]

Just as a note, when you visit the bean and Millennium Park, your kids may be interested in stopping by the art fountain (found it because tons of kids were playing there). My son loved it! They get wet, but it's really nice to cool off, so be sure to bring swimsuits or changes of clothes. Also, check out the summer concert series in the park. We caught a couple rehearsals for a few minutes. It's fun and low key, and the seats are shaded. You can come and go as you please for the rehearsal, so if the kids are done, you can move on.

 

[ValpoCory]

Yes, that area has been replaced with a new (and in my opinion way better) exhibit called the Tinkering Lab. Here is a link to a short article and lots of pictures. http://www.timeoutchicagokids.com/t...ildrens-museum-opens-new-tinkering-lab-photos

Also new for this summer is "Ready, Pet, Go!", which my son loves. The last time we visited, we spent all but about 15 minutes in there.
http://www.chicagonow.com/wee-windy...childrens-museum-debuts-ready-pet-go/#image/1

Thanks Lucille1963. We love Children's Museums. We may have to check that out.

Just as a note, when you visit the bean and Millennium Park, your kids may be interested in stopping by the art fountain (found it because tons of kids were playing there). My son loved it! They get wet, but it's really nice to cool off, so be sure to bring swimsuits or changes of clothes. Also, check out the summer concert series in the park. We caught a couple rehearsals for a few minutes. It's fun and low key, and the seats are shaded. You can come and go as you please for the rehearsal, so if the kids are done, you can move on.

Thanks fairy8i8. We'll pack a backup set of clothes in our bag. We'll likely be boat taxiing from Navy Pier to Shedd Aquarium at 10am on the Monday morning, and then somewhere between 3 and 5pm, whenever we are done there, we'll take the 146 bus to Millennium Park, and then just walk back to the hotel. We are excited.

 

[kellyjeanie]

Thanks fairy8i8. We'll pack a backup set of clothes in our bag. We'll likely be boat taxiing from Navy Pier to Shedd Aquarium at 10am on the Monday morning, and then somewhere between 3 and 5pm, whenever we are done there, we'll take the 146 bus to Millennium Park, and then just walk back to the hotel. We are excited.

Great plan, you guys will have a blast!!

 

[Glenn]

Another idea to go to would be the Field Museum. It has dinosaurs, mummies, and lots more. The crown jewel of the dinosaurs is Sue, the most complete T rex ever found. If you see a Garrets popcorn shop stop in. Think all the flavors , especially caramel corn, is to die for. Oh if your driving I 94 thru Wisconsin they have been doing major road work around the Milwaukee airport on weekends. You might want to check if that will impact you. Have a great trip.

 

[ValpoCory]

Another idea to go to would be the Field Museum. It has dinosaurs, mummies, and lots more. The crown jewel of the dinosaurs is Sue, the most complete T rex ever found. If you see a Garrets popcorn shop stop in. Think all the flavors , especially caramel corn, is to die for. Oh if your driving I 94 thru Wisconsin they have been doing major road work around the Milwaukee airport on weekends. You might want to check if that will impact you. Have a great trip.

Thanks Glenn for the tips. We are driving the southern route, through Indiana and up through Benton Harbor/Grand Rapids and then up north.

 

[ValpoCory]

There's a water taxi that goes from Navy Pier back and forth to Shedd Aquarium, it also takes care of the short boat ride for you (awesome view of the city from the water). We visited Chicago last summer. We had fun at the Shedd but I'd highly recommend buying tickets in advance somehow, either through the City Pass or online - the lines were super long for people waiting to buy tickets on site and we were able to bypass that by buying our tickets in advance online. .

Amazing tips on the water taxi and pre-paying for Aquarium tickets! Thank you. (ETA: Although the Shedd website says "Purchase at Shedd box office, not available online. " for the 2 most popular ticket options)

FYI ... The Shedd Aquarium website now allows people to buy the Shedd Pass online. It's the 2nd cheapest option and the one I want.

However, there are some wicked fees. At the door, it appears you can buy them for $28.95 for adults and $19.95 for kids aged 3-11. So for me, DW, DD7, DS3, it would be $97.80 at the door. The final price online, even choosing the free mail option, is $120.40. I'm not sure how to get the $3 Student discount that I've read about applied to the total though.

But still, paying $22.60 to bypass a line is something I will do.

 

[aclov]

Travel Zoo always has good deals for anything ranging from hotels to entertainment. Right now, they have a deal on Cirque Shanghai tickets for $15.
http://www.travelzoo.com/entertainment/chicago-midwest/-15-Cirque-Shanghai-Returns-to-Navy-Pier-Half-Off-1481736/

LOVE Travelzoo! Also check out Groupon and Living Social!

 

[ValpoCory]

I just wanted to give a mini post-trip report. We were in Chicago for less than 48 hours and had a blast. We stayed at the Doubletree hotel downtown through a corporate discount rate. The hotel was fine and the location was great. We walked to Gino's East Pizzeria on our arrival night and used a VIP pass -- that most downtown hotel concierge desks have -- to bypass the long line to get seated and to get some free breadsticks. That turned out to be key as it started raining a few minutes after we got in. A great place to eat.

After breakfast the next morning, we bussed (good cheap travel option) to the Shedd Aquarium and used our tickets I purchased online to get right in. One tip if you don't buy tickets online ... if you can bring a stroller, there is a side entrance with an elevator where you can buy tickets. The lines there were short, compared to the 100 yard+ line at the main entrance. The Shedd was incredible. Definitely worth the price of admission.

We then walked back to our hotel, along Lake Michigan, Grant Park, and playing in the water at the Crown fountain and then touching the Cloud Gate sculpture (aka "the Bean") at Millennium Park.

My DW, DD7, and I then went to Michigan Avenue and the American Girl Place Chicago store (warning ... not Budget Board approved , but still fun), and then to buy a cool Disney Chicago shirt at the Disney Store. Something like this, but in t-shirt form for my DS3 who was napping back at the hotel with my Aunt:

We then used a discount coupon (the ones they have at the airport baggage claim information desks) to get a nice $3 per person discount over the phone on a Chicago River Architecture Cruise. We enjoyed that cruise and were glad we did it. We finished the night with a dinner at Navy Pier and a Ferris Wheel and Carousel ride. Navy Pier reminded us a little of Paradise Pier at the Disneyland Resort, which was a nice feeling.

The next morning we ate a great breakfast near our hotel at the West Egg Cafe, and then I walked over to the Hertz desk at the Hyatt Regency on Wacker Drive to pick up our rental car for our trip to Northern Michigan.

We loved Chicago. Comparing it to a couple other northern big cities, we liked it ever better than New York City and San Francisco for families with young children. We will definitely be back. Thanks for reading, and thanks to those on here who provided such great money saving tips.

 

[Surfinpiratee]

I live about 90 minutes from Chicago. Navy Pier is fun, so is the children's museum! I LOVE the Shedd

Personally, I don't drive in Chicago, the drivers scare me, and I don't think i'm an aggressive enough of a driver...

 

[ValpoCory]

I live about 90 minutes from Chicago. Navy Pier is fun, so is the children's museum! I LOVE the Shedd

Personally, I don't drive in Chicago, the drivers scare me, and I don't think i'm an aggressive enough of a driver...

Thanks. We thought about the Children's Museum and even printed a coupon, but we didn't have time this trip. We will have to do that on our next trip.

 

[kellyjeanie]

Sounds like a wonderful trip, OP! Thanks for the report.

 

[disny_luvr]

I just wanted to give a mini post-trip report. We were in Chicago for less than 48 hours and had a blast. We stayed at the Doubletree hotel downtown through a corporate discount rate. The hotel was fine and the location was great. We walked to Gino's East Pizzeria on our arrival night and used a VIP pass -- that most downtown hotel concierge desks have -- to bypass the long line to get seated and to get some free breadsticks. That turned out to be key as it started raining a few minutes after we got in. A great place to eat.

After breakfast the next morning, we bussed (good cheap travel option) to the Shedd Aquarium and used our tickets I purchased online to get right in. One tip if you don't buy tickets online ... if you can bring a stroller, there is a side entrance with an elevator where you can buy tickets. The lines there were short, compared to the 100 yard+ line at the main entrance. The Shedd was incredible. Definitely worth the price of admission.

We then walked back to our hotel, along Lake Michigan, Grant Park, and playing in the water at the Crown fountain and then touching the Cloud Gate sculpture (aka "the Bean") at Millennium Park.

My DW, DD7, and I then went to Michigan Avenue and the American Girl Place Chicago store (warning ... not Budget Board approved , but still fun), and then to buy a cool Disney Chicago shirt at the Disney Store. Something like this, but in t-shirt form for my DS3 who was napping back at the hotel with my Aunt:

We then used a discount coupon (the ones they have at the airport baggage claim information desks) to get a nice $3 per person discount over the phone on a Chicago River Architecture Cruise. We enjoyed that cruise and were glad we did it. We finished the night with a dinner at Navy Pier and a Ferris Wheel and Carousel ride. Navy Pier reminded us a little of Paradise Pier at the Disneyland Resort, which was a nice feeling.

The next morning we ate a great breakfast near our hotel at the West Egg Cafe, and then I walked over to the Hertz desk at the Hyatt Regency on Wacker Drive to pick up our rental car for our trip to Northern Michigan.

We loved Chicago. Comparing it to a couple other northern big cities, we liked it ever better than New York City and San Francisco for families with young children. We will definitely be back. Thanks for reading, and thanks to those on here who provided such great money saving tips.

Thank you so much for your mini trip report. We are headed to Chicago at the end of August. We are really looking forward to it as none of us have ever been. We are going to be there for two nights. Many of the things you mentioned are things we are planning on doing. We'll be skipping Shedd Aquarium though but have tickets to a ball game at Wrigley. By any chance, did you take any of the water taxis (I guess that is what they are called)? Recently we were talking to someone who had just visited Chicago and they told us to for-go one of the river cruises and to just take the water taxi to get a good view of the city. We were thinking about doing that but now that I've read your report I'm back to thinking that we should take a river cruise. If you have any other tips/secrets to share that would be great, too.

 

[ValpoCory]

Thank you so much for your mini trip report. We are headed to Chicago at the end of August. We are really looking forward to it as none of us have ever been. We are going to be there for two nights. Many of the things you mentioned are things we are planning on doing. We'll be skipping Shedd Aquarium though but have tickets to a ball game at Wrigley. By any chance, did you take any of the water taxis (I guess that is what they are called)? Recently we were talking to someone who had just visited Chicago and they told us to for-go one of the river cruises and to just take the water taxi to get a good view of the city. We were thinking about doing that but now that I've read your report I'm back to thinking that we should take a river cruise. If you have any other tips/secrets to share that would be great, too.

Sure, no problem. The Cubs were not in town when we were there. We would have definitely done that if possible, as we are a baseball family. And the Water Taxis are a great option. We considered taking it from Navy Pier to the Shedd Aquarium, but the first water taxi doesn't leave until 10am, and we left our hotel around 8:30am to get to the Shedd close to the 9am opening. Now that we've done an Architecture Cruise, we'll look into the different Lake cruise options for next time. You can research and/or buy online, or you can just show up at Navy Pier and the different companies have employees from whom to buy tickets.

 

[FINFAN]

Thank you so much for your mini trip report. We are headed to Chicago at the end of August. We are really looking forward to it as none of us have ever been. We are going to be there for two nights. Many of the things you mentioned are things we are planning on doing. We'll be skipping Shedd Aquarium though but have tickets to a ball game at Wrigley. By any chance, did you take any of the water taxis (I guess that is what they are called)? Recently we were talking to someone who had just visited Chicago and they told us to for-go one of the river cruises and to just take the water taxi to get a good view of the city. We were thinking about doing that but now that I've read your report I'm back to thinking that we should take a river cruise. If you have any other tips/secrets to share that would be great, too.

when working within a short time frame, I agree and just take the water taxi. Have a Blast at Wrigley! I love Bernies across the street from the park. While it is a (great) bar/patio, they are family friendly and have great burgers!

 

[disny_luvr]

Can anyone tell me - Is there any kind of hop on/off bus tour of the city that takes you to many of the touristy spots?

TIA!