Besides Disney...where do you vacation?

[oneterrificshopper]

Maui, Hawaii - it's the only place on earth that trumps Disney for me. We've been to Maui the last 3 years but I still had to sneak in a trip to Disney last August to get my fix.

 

[pamrob]

I second Arkansas. We went there last year on spring break and it was beautiful. We also love state and national parks around the country.

 

[Handbag Lady]

Like the poster Thumperr here, we live in an area that means we are close to other fun things:



We like to vacation in:

Palm Springs
San Diego
San Francisco
Catalina Island
LAS VEGAS WHOOOO!
Yosemite


Plus, we are near three really great airports, so we can get some really good rates for flying trips, too. If one airport has a pricey fare, we just choose another airport.

 

[QVCshopper]

We are very fortunate. My in-laws have a house in the Poconos, PA, on Lake Wallenpaupac, with a boat. We usually spend a week during the summer there, as well as many weekends. It totals to about a month over the course of a summer, plus my kids get to grow up knowing their grandparents very well (something I unfortunately never experienced). It's a wonderful place, and I'm missing it very much right now as the snow falls outside...

 

[Priorityonecb]

We go to Disney once a year, but we vacation all over too. Hawaii, a cruise, DC, NYC, Williamsburg, Mt. Rushmore, Grand Canyon, Vegas, Disneyland...our girls have been to all but 5 states in the US. We really like to travel and experience new things as a family!

 

[Handbag Lady]

The Netherlands, so pretty close to everything!

Having travelled there as an older teenager, I must say that I LOVED your country! I was alone and had the best time.

 

[QVCshopper]

I went rafting in West Virginia, at the New River. It is called the Grand Canyon of the East and at times the rafting can be pretty exciting. They have a wide range of trips from half day to 2 day. Lodging can be anything from camping, to a cabin, to hotel. It is definitely something different and a lot of fun.

I think I did this as a teen. It was a lot of fun!

 

[DebMcDonald]

Myrtle Beach and Cape Cod. This year Niagra Fall and a trip to Michigan to visit family.

 

[lisaross]

i like to see and go to new places...we've been to Disney 2x and our next big vacation will be a cruise in 2011.

we do go on a vacation every summer some places we've been

Lake George
Kings Dominion, VA
Lancaster, PA

this year we are going to the outerbanks, NC and Busch Gardens, VA

 

[rdkargol]

We like to vacation in Estes Park, Colorado. Sedona, Arizona with trips to the Grand Canyon. But discovered WDW this past year so it's been on our must see places also.

 

[mrudman]

We're doing the exact same thing!! (yet in July, )
Spending 3 days in Seattle first, then going on the Alaskan cruise (last stop is in Victoria).
If you hear of any "must-see's" in either place, let me know please.. I have never been farther west than ohio, lol!

I am a planner and have been reading all I can on cruisecritic.com. As far as Seattle, my DH's brother lives there and is in charge of planning that weekend.
What ship are you going on? We are on the RCCL Rhapsody, the kids are really excited, it is their first cruise.

Do your Alaskan Cruises include Glacier Bay?
Also take a whale watching excursion if you can, and if you don't have a digital SLR camera, take a traditional film camera- by the time a whale's tail comes up in the air and goes back down, a regular digital camera is far too slow.

We do not get to go into Glacier Bay, just the Tracy Arm Fjord, Skagway and Juneau. I am looking to either visit a glacier or whale watch while in Juneau. Any suggestions?

We're going on the Norwegian Pearl... this'll be dh and my 3rd cruise, but dd's 1st one.. they're ecstatic,

I think what we're going to do in Seattle is just see a couple of the "big attractions" like the space needle, etc. Figure if we are sailing out of seattle, we have to see some of that city first... that's why I have us flying out a few days ahead of time.

Our schedule includes:
1st day we take off from Seattle.
2nd day is cruising Alaska's inside passageway.
3rd day is Juneau - doing a mendenhall glacier and wildlife (whale/sea lion/seal) excursion here)... my parents took this 10 yrs ago and said it was awesome!
4th day is Skagway -taking a White Pass railway and gold mining excursion here.
5th day is another "at-sea" day where we cruise through Glacier Bay.
6th day is Ketchikan - doing a George Inlet, Libby Cannery, and wildlife(seal/dolphin/eagle) viewing excursion here.
7th day is Victoria, B.C. (planning on just exploring the city, did not sign up for an excursion here).
8th day we arrive back at Seattle.


Thanks for the tip on the film camera.. I have a P&S digi cam, and it's a really quick snapper once you hit the button.. but just in case, might go ahead and pack a film cam back-up for the whale watching trip.

 

[waltskids]

We actually don't have one specific place but since we live in southern NJ, we are close to many places. We take lots of day trips or weekends down the shore (Atlantic City, Wildwood, Ocean City) and we take shorter trips such as NYC, Baltimore, DC, the Poconos, and Ocean City, Maryland. We have a camper, and in the past have visited Williamsburg, VA and this year will go to Boston. Trips to California, Vegas, and a cruise were all done before kids and we would love to see more of the US as the kids get a little older. Of course WDW is our favorite must do!

 

[bokolo]

We go to Hilton Head Island every year. We drive and make mini trips along the way to make a vacation within a vacation so far we've stopped in Virginia Beach and Washington D.C. We also go to Cape Cod every summer and visit family in different parts of New York state.

 

[cjnix29]

Thumprr....have to say ditto on the greatness of your country! I spent a semester at the University of Groningen.

We have a timeshare, and besides Disney...we try to hit different destinations. My parents went to the same place in Canada every year when I was growing up....I was bored to tears! So we like going different places. We have been to Branson, Mackinaw. We are going to the Shenandoah Valley this June. We also take long weekend trips.

OP...we are in Central OH too....Delaware. So we take a lot of day trips...air force museum, mohican, hocking hills. We love renting cabins in hocking hills!

 

[Hydani]

I don't think anyone has said this yet, but have you been to Kalahari? Oh man, it's a great trip! Big hotel with a water park, restaurants, a few souvenir stores, a mini golf area, etc. It's really good. Especially for your children - I bet they would love it there. It's in Ohio, near Cedar Point and just down the road from Great Wolf Lodge Here's the website:

http://www.kalahariresorts.com/oh/

 

[mrsklamc]

Glacier Bay is the MOST AMAZING place I have ever seen. It is really sad to me that DCL chose not to include it on the itinerary.

I think we went on the same Mendenhall/wildlife tour. It was great!

 

[NancyIL]

Glacier Bay is the MOST AMAZING place I have ever seen. It is really sad to me that DCL chose not to include it on the itinerary.

I think we went on the same Mendenhall/wildlife tour. It was great!

It wasn't DCL's choice to not sail to Glacier Bay. They withdrew their application for permits to sail in Glacier Bay, although I don't think they would've gotten any - even if the application hadn't been withdrawn.

 

[Donnainnj]

We also do Hilton Head Island pretty often. Of course it is usually Disney Hilton Head. Other then that I would think cruising would be something to consider with a 12 hour driving time or less. There are many ships that leave from the East Coast, NYC, Bayonne, Phila?, Baltimore etc. etc. Maybe Washington DC, if you enjoy that kind of thing.
Donna

 

[mrsklamc]

It wasn't DCL's choice to not sail to Glacier Bay. They withdrew their application for permits to sail in Glacier Bay, although I don't think they would've gotten any - even if the application hadn't been withdrawn.

I was aware of that- but you never know unless you try. Whatever the reason, it's unfortunate that DCL cruisers will miss out on the most spectacular part of the Alaska cruise experience.

 

[neatokimmo]

I mostly vacation with my Mom. We mostly go to Myrtle Beach, Disney and cruise.

We are doing something new for us, an Orlando vacation. Last Sept we kept saying there was so much to do in the greater Orlando area that we should do a non-Disney trip (ooohhh the horror!). So we are doing Seaworld, the beach, our volunteer Disney day, a shuttle launch, maybe kennedy space center, outlet shopping, Aquatica and like 15 different Ross stores.