Best vacation--not disney?

[2littleprincesses]

I think we are doing a girls trip with my two dds and my mom. She is not really the WDW excited type and thinks we should go someplace else since dh and I just took the girls to WDW in August. I did book a bounceback and have thought about adding a cruise and going to seaworld with the bounceback, but haven't told anyone.

The girls trip would be this summer. Anyone go on any fun family vacations that were not disney? Where did you go, what did you do? Thanks for any ideas.

 

[HeatherC]

CRUISE!!! Next to Disney it's our favorite type of vacation. Everyone has a ball and you can do as little or as much as you would like.

Check out www.cruisecritic.com. It's like the Dis boards for cruising.

 

[polkadotsuitcase]

Don't know where you live, but this summer the guys and I went on an Atlanta "tour." We camped, but you could go upscale and stay at a hotel (har har). We did the "new" aquarium -- AMAZING -- the Coca Cola Museum (FUN), the zoo, and Stone Mountain (really fun). There's obviously a lot more to see/do, but we only had limited time.

...then again, you may live in Atlanta already and this is all moot!

 

[holden]

I'll second crusing. We took DD6 on a Royal Caribbean cruise (Liberty of the Seas) when she was 5 (before we adopted DD2). It was the best trip we every took together! There was so much for us to do together. We didn't like the idea of "dumping" her in the kids club all day. She went for an hour or so a few times, but there were so many activities for the 3 of us to do together that we didn't want to miss them.

There are some great deals on cruises out there!

 

[Lucky'sMom]

We have really enjoyed Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, TN. We took my Mom last year (age 78) and she really loved it. There is so much to do...great shopping areas, fun dinner shows, unique dining (Old Mill, Applewood Farm (I think that's the name), Dollywood appeals more to older adults, as there are lots of shows, demonstrations, etc. Beautiful scenery in the Smoky Mts.

 

[Wilsonfamily4]

We took my inlaws on a trip to WDW in January so we thought we would take my parents on our next trip. My dad said he would rather not do WDW. So we are now going to Yellowstone National Park and then spending a few days in Cody, Wyoming. Our kids are just as excited for this trip as Disney. They can't wait to see the animals and old west stuff .

It's not Disney but I like showing the kids some National parks and the country.

But our trip after this will be back to DISNEY!

 

[jacksmomma]

Our two best vacations are Hilton head Island in South Carolina and OC California. HHI is the most relaxing trip you will ever take. The island is beautiful. There are a ton of things to do there and Savannah (and Paula Deen's restaurant are only 30 minutes away). OC is fun because there is so much going on. Yes, DL is there but you can go to the beach and museums. On our last trip we spent the day watching surfing competitions at Huntington Beach. It was very cool!

 

[fletchers5]

CRUISE.....you can get some really good deals. Best vacations we have ever had...besides Disney. Once you find where you want to go, what cruise line and the date go to cruisecompete.com. They will send all the information out to travel agencies and then send you quotes. It saves a lot of time..they do all the legwork

 

[Darcy03231]

Here's another vote for a cruise! Maybe you can have the best of both worlds and do a couple of days at WDW and then the cruise.

 

[laceemouse]

I am not a cruise fan, I would vote for Smoky Mountains, Branson, DC, NYC, or a nice beach resort somewhere.

 

[dormouse72]

My vote is for an all-inclusive resort. All the benefits of a cruise (food and activities included) plus alcohol and no motion sickness!

We've done all-inclusives in Dominican Republic (2 times - 2 different resorts), Mexico, and Jamaica. All were on the beach and included kids club activities (and organized teen activities now that I've got a teen). The kids activities are great - they make tons of friends from all over the world (my kids have pen pals in England and South Africa they still write to) and do all kinds of cool stuff both day and night; meanwhile, I lounge on a beach chair with a cool "Mommy drink" and catch up on my summer reading, waving as they go from one activity to another. We go off-property for a day every trip and have gone horseback riding on the beach (DR #1), to visit Mayan ruins and go to a snorkle park (Mexico), scuba diving and then to swim in a lagoon with glow-in-the-dark algae a la Scooby Doo (Jamaica), and swimming with sharks and sting rays (DR #2).

My friend (also a single parent) and I take all five of our girls every year - our summer trip to DR for seven people for 7 days all-inclusive (including airfare and the shark swim) cost $200 LESS than 7 days for 5 people at Disney with free dining...so the prices are attractive.

You have to do your research and plan carefully (but if you do Disney you're used to that!) - but you can really do some great things. Next year we're looking at Costa Rica and doing a zip-line through the jungle

 

[2littleprincesses]

My vote is for an all-inclusive resort. All the benefits of a cruise (food and activities included) plus alcohol and no motion sickness!

We've done all-inclusives in Dominican Republic (2 times - 2 different resorts), Mexico, and Jamaica. All were on the beach and included kids club activities (and organized teen activities now that I've got a teen). The kids activities are great - they make tons of friends from all over the world (my kids have pen pals in England and South Africa they still write to) and do all kinds of cool stuff both day and night; meanwhile, I lounge on a beach chair with a cool "Mommy drink" and catch up on my summer reading, waving as they go from one activity to another. We go off-property for a day every trip and have gone horseback riding on the beach (DR #1), to visit Mayan ruins and go to a snorkle park (Mexico), scuba diving and then to swim in a lagoon with glow-in-the-dark algae a la Scooby Doo (Jamaica), and swimming with sharks and sting rays (DR #2).

My friend (also a single parent) and I take all five of our girls every year - our summer trip to DR for seven people for 7 days all-inclusive (including airfare and the shark swim) cost $200 LESS than 7 days for 5 people at Disney with free dining...so the prices are attractive.

You have to do your research and plan carefully (but if you do Disney you're used to that!) - but you can really do some great things. Next year we're looking at Costa Rica and doing a zip-line through the jungle

Can you tell me more about this? Where did you stay at each of the all inclusives? Thanks

 

[crisi]

We've done Germany with our kids. San Francisco and Monterey with the kids, Disney and Disney cruises with the kids. Also camping and lake time. One of the best vacations was on a farm in Wisconsin with a bunch of other families. All had their pluses and minuses.

The best vacation my husband and I ever took was with friends where we stayed in a private Villa overlooking the ocean in Mexico. We had a pool six steps out the bedroom door - we'd walk into town for dinner. It would be a different vacation with kids, but it would still be a great vacation.

 

[LWatson]

We've done Germany with our kids. San Francisco and Monterey with the kids, Disney and Disney cruises with the kids. Also camping and lake time..

Im jealous of the Germany!!!!

Our next vacation after this Nov will be the 4th of July going to either Mammoth Cave w/ DH's Dad's family or to actually see them where they live.

As a kid I enjoyed Stone Mountain (I think a PP mentioned it) esp the laser light show.

 

[tigger51276]

I would also have to second a cruise. I did the Disney cruise with my DD5 last year and we both had a blast. I had plans of doing all kinds of things with her, but she just wanted to go to the kids club and I couldn't get her to leave. She is still asking when we can go back on the floating disney hotel so she can go to the kids club again. It was definitely not what I expected either. I thought it would be tons of kids and lots of noise, but it really wasn't like that. I mean I went in Jan 08 so I'm sure in the summer that would be different. I truly enjoyed the cruise and I am one who suffers from bad motion sickness and while I had a little nausea here or there (i was also 4 months pregnant to boot) it was not bad at all.
I also took my DD5 to England/Scotland/Ireland when she was almost 2 and while I wouldn't recommend taking a 2 year old it was still a fun trip and we saw some amazing castles and sites. Definitely something I'll never forget.

 

[bdiddy]

My 2 favorite places to vacation that are not Disney are a cruise or Myrtle Beach. DH and I went on 2 cruises and had the best time. We've never taken kids but that is in our future. I grew up in NC, so I have such fond memories of Myrtle Beach. It's changed a lot but I still love it and it is one of my favorite places on earth!

 

[tricia]

CRUISE!!! Next to Disney it's our favorite type of vacation. Everyone has a ball and you can do as little or as much as you would like.

Check out www.cruisecritic.com. It's like the Dis boards for cruising.

Exactly what I was going to say. We personally like Royal Caribbean, lots to do on the bigger ships, and the kids have always enjoyed their kids clubs too.

 

[testtubes]

Because we live in Louisiana we usually like to visit some place cool in the summer to get away from the heat. Our favorite place to go is Estes Park, CO. We always stayed in cabins, and Rocky Mt. National Park is fun. There are many activities in and out of the park. Good luck and have fun.

 

[crisi]

Im jealous of the Germany!!!!

Our next vacation after this Nov will be the 4th of July going to either Mammoth Cave w/ DH's Dad's family or to actually see them where they live.

As a kid I enjoyed Stone Mountain (I think a PP mentioned it) esp the laser light show.

I love Mammoth Cave. I've been there a few times and its amazing. Similarly, taking kids to the Grand Canyon is on the list of things I want to do. That, too, is amazing.

Germany was an ABD trip - a great way to see Europe with kids - but definitely not a "budget" trip.

 

[cclovesdis]

I second Yellowstone and Cody, Wyoming. We had a great family trip to both places. We flew into Rapid City, SD and visited Mt. Rushmore. We then drove through Wyoming, stopping in Sheridan and Cody. (I can't remember which one comes first as you're driving west.) We spent a night in each place. Cody has an awesome museum. We spent hours there. Very kid friendly. Sheridan has a trolley tour of the town. We were there years ago, but I remember it being very cheap. We then went to Yellowstone. I highly recommend eating at the Old Faithful Inn. We had a great meal and a great view of Old Faithful. We drove through Yellowstone and flew out of Bozeman, MT.

I also second San Fransisco. We also visisted Napa Valley and Yosemite. We also enjoyed going to San Antonio and driving through Texas to Austin.

We also did Las Vegas, drove to the Hoover Damn, and then drove to the Grand Canyon. That was a lot of driving, but definitely worth it. We also saw the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest. We then drove south to Flagstaff, AZ. It's on Historic Route 66. We finished with visiting some family in Pheonix.

We've done two family vacations to Washington, D.C. There are some exhibits at the different Smithosnian Institutions that change so there's always a reason to go back. It's really easy to fly into DC and then use the subway to get around especially if you stay at a downtown hotel.

Sorry. I can't decide which trip was my favorite. Probably Yellowstone. Although the Las Vegas/AZ trip is a close second. Even the family get together was great. WDW is my favorite vacation spot. My parents love to travel so we've been to lots of places. Like someone else said, National Parks. My mom always says, "There's so much to see in the US." Good luck!