A fun-filled resort near a theme park seems perfect, but poses a challenge: How do you balance theme park time with some all-important down time at the resort so that you make the most of the pools and hotel fun? Set in the laid-back Mission Bay area of San Diego, the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay is a classic example: It has a big pool complex with waterslides, it has water sports on the adjacent bay and a good kids’ club, and it's a short walk to the ocean. During the summer, too, the resort  has plenty of on-site fun: dive-in movie nights, s'more-roasting, campfire stories, bingo and pool slide relay races.

Plus, the resort is a stone's throw from Sea World. They even faciliate your getting to the park: For $5 per adult and $3 per child ages 3 to 9, you can take a boat shuttle to a private entrance of Sea World and circumvent the regular admission lines. It’s also a not-too-far  drive from both the San Diego Zoo and Legoland. 

This summer, The Hyatt Regency is  offering a San Diego SeaWorld package , which may leave you torn between park and resort. Starting at $319 a night, the package includes:

• lodging (daily rates in summer start at $349/weekend nights, $299/weeknights)
  
• two adult tickets to SeaWorld  (worth $138; kids admission is $62 each for ages 3 to 9)
  
• self parking at the hotel (usually $20/night)
• breakfast for two daily (worth about $40/day)
• late checkout at 2pm (always free)
  

When we test-booked some dates in July we found a package rate of $389 for weeknight stays, which means the package saves you $78 over a two-night stay, or about 10% compared to booking the room, tickets, parking and breakfast separately.

Deal or no deal? If you know you’re going to SeaWorld anyway, you’ll save some money—but don't exepect whale-sized savings. (Granted, it's nice to avoid “self-parking” fee, an annoying charge to begin with).

Since you're paying a higher nightly just for the two Sea World tickets,  your savings go down the longer you stay. For optimal savings, stay just one night; you’ll save $108 total, or 22%—but then you have precious little time to actually spend at the resort. Stay three nights, though, and your savings go down to a total of $48.

The Sea World package is good for stays through September 5. Use promo code 28294 when booking online, or mention it when calling 619/224-1234.