Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach might as well be called South Carolina’s capital of entertainment for the number of attractions found throughout the region. B roadway at the Beach, a mega shopping, dining and entertainment complex, has everything from escape rooms, mirror mazes and a water park to zip lining and behind-the-scenes tours and a Ripley’s Aquarium. The 100-exhibit WonderWorks interactive museum along the waterfront also offers laser tag and the opportunity to virtually pilot a NASA shuttle.
Barefoot Landing, a sister property of Broadway at the Beach, gives groups a chance to get out on the water on the Barefoot Princess Riverboat, which is ideal for an evening activity for youth groups thanks to the DJ on board. “The Boardwalk is really fun for kids as well,” said Sandy Haines, group tour sales manager for Visit Myrtle Beach. Ripley’s Believe It or Not and the 187-foot-tall Myrtle Beach SkyWheel ferris wheel anchor the 1.2-mile promenade, which opened in 2010.
Hopsewee Plantation, which dates back to 1735 and is one of the oldest Southern plantations open to the general public, is about an hour’s drive south along the coast, but Haines recommends youth groups consider adding it to a Myrtle Beach itinerary because of the recently launched program for youth groups. Originally owned by one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, Hopsewee was a rice plantation for centuries, and visiting groups can try their hands in the rice paddies, learn to cook rice in a cauldron over the fire and bring home a pot of their own Carolina gold rice.
“Our peak season is Memorial Day to Labor Day,” said Haines. In the fall, “the rates are good, and the average air temperature is 85 degrees, and the average water temperature is 80 degrees. I love September because the weather is still amazing and the water is warm. In the spring, the water hasn’t started warming up yet.”
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is paradise for youth groups of all ages; the only problem is figuring out where to take your group without having them get upset that they’ve missed other great attractions. Teenagers, in particular, have turned “fear of missing out,” or FOMO, into a social media phenomenon.
Disney World is constantly adding new offerings to keep up with the latest technology and popular Disney releases, and 3-D activities great for older groups include the opportunity to design and ride a custom roller coaster at DisneyQuest and compete in a pirate duel at the new Pirates of the Caribbean interactive experience. Disney’s Animal Kingdom and nearby SeaWorld are ideal for adding a bit of edutainment to your itinerary. Hollywood Studios at Disney World includes the attraction’s main roller coasters, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Rock ’N’ Roller Coaster, created in collaboration with Aerosmith.
Teen and preteen groups will gravitate toward Universal Studios’ Island of Adventure, which has the most and best roller coasters in town, from a 3-D “Terminator” battle and a “Men in Black” alien attack to the beloved “Jaws” ride and NBA City, a basketball-themed experience. One of the newer additions to the Orlando attraction lineup that works well with mixed-aged groups is the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at the Universal Orlando Resort. In addition to dining and shopping areas straight out of the books and movies like Diagon Alley, Hogwarts castle and Hogsmeade village, the attraction includes roller coasters, a 3-D ride that simulates the escape from Gringotts Bank in mining carts and a full-scale Hogwarts Express train to transport visitors between the two Universal parks.
Williamsburg, Virginia
Though it’s known for its sprawling, 173-acre historic site Colonial Williamsburg, which now also includes a modern shopping area and an all-inclusive resort, Williamsburg has a lot more to offer than period shoemakers and blacksmiths.
One of the best ways to offer your group an exclusive historical experience is to take one of the themed tours available in Greater Williamsburg. The 90-minute cruises depart each morning aboard 105-foot vessels; they re-create Captain John Smith’s ship and give youth groups the opportunity to run up their own sails, steer the ship and try their hand at the life of a pirate. Segway tours run through downtown Yorktown for urban history or New Quarter Park, adjacent to Colonial Williamsburg, where groups can see what the area was like when the settlers first arrived. By night, your group can take in a very different kind of nightlife with a combination history and ghost tour such as the Dead of the Night or Witches of Williamsburg tour, or go full “Ghostbusters” with their own paranormal activity detectors.
Colonial Williamsburg is a can’t-miss stop on any Williamsburg itinerary, but it has a rotating schedule so that different buildings are opened to the public and operated by re-enactors every day. For groups with multiple days in town, it can make the most sense to visit the site in the morning over the course of several days to see it all and use the afternoon for other attractions.
For a break from history, the 383-acre Busch Gardens Williamsburg, a SeaWorld Entertainment attraction, takes visitors back to “the old country” in a modern way with roller coasters themed around European countries that re-create areas like San Marco in Italy and Killarney in Ireland.
