When I shared with people that I was heading off to Scotland with Adventures By Disney to write about their new “Brave” Scotland Family Vacation, I got many blank stares. Word isn’t quite out that Disney offers much more in family travel than theme parks. Adventures by Disney started offering escorted group trips in 2004, and for those in the know, it’s the best thing going — evident by the 40% guest return rate for these global itineraries.

I must admit, as a passionate independent traveler, I had my doubts about experiencing an international destination as a group …

Oliver the black Labrador, must have the best job in the canine world. He is the hotel dog at the Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire. That’s Hampshire in the UK, about an hour southwest of London.

Oliver’s job description involves being stroked and cuddled all day long, breaking only to be walked or jogged around the hotel’s beautiful grounds or to take the occasional nap amidst the cosy luxury of the hotel’s interior. Only the hotel’s guests are more spoilt …

London is a fantastic place to eat out with your kids, as long as you know where to look. Wander along the main tourist thoroughfares of Knightsbridge, Oxford Street and Regent Street and you could quickly enter panic mode as the time creeps nearer to dinner time, and the ‘I’m hungry whines turn to I’m starving and you’re searching in vain for a decent restaurant.

The answer is normally to head down a side street, or alternatively, call up this blog on your smart phone. Here are my recommendations:

When you only have 3 days in a big city like London, mild panic is a distinct possibility on your last day when you take stock of all that is left to do.

My advice: Don’t fall into this trap!

Read London with Kids: Day 1 and London with Kids: Day 2 to catch up on recommendations for the first 48 hours. Major attractions missing from our holiday …

If Day 1 in London with kids is about an introduction to London’s royal heritage and iconic sites, an ideal Day 2 is one where you roll your sleeves up and dig into a neighborhood.

The best way to really learn about a place in a meaningful way is to go on a walking tour with a professional guide. Not all guides are created equal, but the good ones give you perspective you can’t get on your own.

72 hours in London will go by very quickly — there is quite simply too much to do in and around the city with kids to even make a dent in that long list of attractions you should experience.

My first tip is the most important. Forget about what you should see – stick to an absolute priority list and count on the fact that you will be back at some point. London is big. Seeing London takes time. Rushing through London detracts from the experience and impact.

Nestled in the beautiful Kentish countryside is Hever Castle, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, the second wife (of six) of Henry VIII. An easy hour drive from south London, Hever is a favourite with my children, not least because it has an amazing water feature.

They also love the fact (as do I) that Anne and Henry are there, strolling around.

Let’s get one thing straight, before you visit under the assumption that you are about to wonder for miles under a tree-top canopy. The New Forest is not a strictly speaking a forest and it’s definitely not new.

If you take a horse, bike or just your feet on a wander through any of the 150-odd square miles that make up the New Forest, you’ll find the forest areas broken up by heather-covered heath ground and cute thatch-cottaged villages and laced by streams, brooks and rivers.

I do feel sorry for our Royal Family sometimes. They just don’t look as glam as the stuff of fairy tales. I’ve already warned you not to take your kids to a British royal residence when the owner is in. They will get the shock of their lives if Queen Elizabeth II is on a walk about. Our royal Octogenarian prefers a headscarf to a crown most days, teamed with a sensible jumper and skirt and nice sturdy shoes. No glass slippers, ball gowns and tiaras for her most days of the week.

But on April 29 …

Sometimes I wish I didn’t live in London. It’s such a lovely place for a family city break. And, as you can just as easily wake up to a beautiful sun painted day in London in mid-January as in mid-June, winter is as good a time as any to visit. Plus, if you come in Winter you expect it to be cold and maybe rainy, those sunny days are a bonus.

Be greeted by cold winds and thunder come Spring and your disappointment will be far greater and, however well you think you’ve packed, you’ll probably still need to go out and add to your wardrobe.