We went to Yellowstone during July 2015, and had an amazing time! If you are thinking this summer, you need to look at lodging NOW! They fill up quickly. We stayed in West Yellowstone, and while we had to drive in each day, if you get an early start, it's not that bad. We packed picnic lunches to eat in the park, so that we didn't have to travel back to our rental condo. Our trip was an extended family trip, and we ended our time in the park early to have supper together. If I did it again, I would just eat in the park to have more time to explore!
You can kinda divide Yellowstone into different sections, chosing one section each day of your trip. We were there 4 full days, and still didn't see everything we wanted to see.
Our best day was waking up EARLY and going to Hayden Valley (we took family portraits in a field). We saw the most animals on this day of our trip- elk, deer, bears. Bison walk right down the middle of the road, backing up traffic. Just be cautious of that and mindful of them (some turned back heading straight for us, or moved as we tried to move around them- they definately own the park).
As far as food in the park, each section has it's own hotel and campground areas. These "resort" areas are where you will find shopping, food, etc. Some of these areas also have museums or interactive displays.
Old Faithful is not "scheduled" but expected times. Don't ask when it is scheduled to erupt again, they get frustrated by this. There is a sign that posts when it is expected to erupt. We made it right in time to see an eruption (but not at a good view). We shopped, explored the Lodge, museum etc, and were back out in time to see the next full eruption.
You can purchase Junior Ranger books for your kids! They keep the kids busy in the car between all the things to see, and have activities for the kids. I created a tally sheet with all the animals we might see in the park, and our kids had fun marking them off when they saw them!
After a while the hot springs and geysers start looking the same (they do stink also, so prepare your kids for that- rotten egg smell). I would chose the ones you definately want to see or the highest rated ones, and be ok with skipping others!
Have a great time! I'll see if I kept any of my links from our trip!
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