Below you'll find reviews of family resorts that I especially enjoyed visiting. Bear in mind that: places do change over time; time of visit (crowded vs. low-season) can affect the visitor's experience); ages of kids are a big factor, too. Read visitor comments at TripAdvisor --see link at side or bottom-- for recent opinions about these (and any other) family resorts.
This luxury Walt Disney World property is not only fun, it has astonishing architecture inside and out: take a fascinating tour of the African style and artifacts. Best of all, watch giraffes and zebras from your balcony. Tip: watch for Specials that bring the rate way down.
FDR is a all-inclusive family resort where "all-inclusive" means everything, even snorkeling trips and scuba diving for ages 12 and up-- and best of all, a friendly vacation nanny for each family. Huge suites; friendly ambiance; great dining options when we visited.
Not specifically a "family resort", but full of families: this "value" property by SuperClubs was lots of fun, with two pricing options. Buy basic, and pay extra for motorized watersports, premium dining, etc.; or pay a bit more to get it all. For all guests, kid-friendly fun includes trapeze, rock-climbing, waterslides pool in the pool, kids club, minigolf, "ice-skating"...
On the Bahia coast in Brazil, and part of the well-executed Costa do Sauipe mega-complex, with beachwalk, village, golf, equestrian center, lake activity center. Endless stretch of beach; excellent land prices; many activities on-property and on-site at the complex-- you might catch a free concert at the village one night. Guests can also take eco-tours off-property, or a day-trip to historic Salvador.
Breezes --part of SuperClubs-- opened the first all-inclusive on this Dutch Caribbean island. Price includes daily scuba shore dives (ages 12 and up), with instruction; windsurfing, snorkeling; fine dining at Italian and Japanese restaurants; kids' club; trapeze and rock-climbing. Be sure to visit the fascinating town of Williamsted. (Added: check TripAdvisor for comments about weekend day-guests.)
Center Parcs has 13 family resorts in northern Europe: each with a huge domed area that houses a tropical pool (slides, waves, etc.), restaurants, shops, spa, and more. Large cottages; country settings; many outdoors activities; indoor playgrounds-- and reasonably priced.
Amelia Island-- in northern Florida near Jacksonville-- has lovely beaches; a historic fort complete with actors who play period characters; quaint historic town; delicious sea-food; and two fine family-friendly resorts, the Amelia Island Plantation and the Ritz-Carleton.
Beaches is the family resort brand of the Sandals chain of all-inclusives, and has properties in Jamaica and Turks & Caicos. Beaches Boscobel is a popular all-inclusive family resort with kids' programs, infant care, novelty pools, snorkeling, scuba (part of the "all-inclusive"), golf including a golf-for-kids program... Beaches Turks and Caicos is popular too, and can even be fully booked in summertime; Beaches Negril has just added a new waterpark.
On the St. Lucie River two hours from Orlando resort is an all-inclusive right in the US, with watersports (waterskiing, wakeboarding),flying trapeze, inline skating, golf, great ambiance and outstanding kids programs: Baby Club has separate groups for different ages and stages, and there are excellent clubs for older kids also.
