Dh doesn't want to go to Disney this year..he wants Wash. DC!

[DisneyFamily123]

I think Washington DC would really bore a 7 and 9 year old. And if you are going during the summer... it is HOT. Sure, there are some interesting museums... and you can visit Capitol Hill... and the White House if you wait in a long line... but older children will get more education from these things. Elementary School aged children will be bored. Kids are in school all year. Vacation is a time for fun, swimming, amusement. I'd plan a long weekend to visit DC in the Fall or early Spring. To me, that's a trip for adults and older children... not a "vacation".

The National Zoo is a joke... the animal exhibits are not impressive unless you really have to see a Panda and they pretty much lay around anyway. Disney's Animal Kingdom is FAR more interactive, interesting, and educational.

And Baltimore is a sewer pit. I've lived there most of my life. The city is very dangerous. There is the Science Center and National Aquarium but not worth a special trip.... And if you are coming for steamed crabs, most of those are no good either. You will pay $60+ for a dozen of decent steamed crabs, MORE if in a restaurant.

 

[mdsoccermom]

I think Washington DC would really bore a 7 and 9 year old. And if you are going during the summer... it is HOT. Sure, there are some interesting museums... and you can visit Capitol Hill... and the White House if you wait in a long line... but older children will get more education from these things. Elementary School aged children will be bored. Kids are in school all year. Vacation is a time for fun, swimming, amusement. I'd plan a long weekend to visit DC in the Fall or early Spring. To me, that's a trip for adults and older children... not a "vacation".

The National Zoo is a joke... the animal exhibits are not impressive unless you really have to see a Panda and they pretty much lay around anyway. Disney's Animal Kingdom is FAR more interactive, interesting, and educational.

And Baltimore is a sewer pit. I've lived there most of my life. The city is very dangerous. There is the Science Center and National Aquarium but not worth a special trip.... And if you are coming for steamed crabs, most of those are no good either. You will pay $60+ for a dozen of decent steamed crabs, MORE if in a restaurant.

And there you have it - the dumbing down of America. Heaven forbid a young child actually learn something when they are not in school.

A vacation is what you make of it. Go into it with the expectation everything will be boring, and it will be. Go into i with the with a positive attitude, and it can begreat.

 

[DisneyFamily123]

And there you have it - the dumbing down of America. Heaven forbid a young child actually learn something when they are not in school.

A vacation is what you make of it. Go into it with the expectation everything will be boring, and it will be. Go into i with the with a positive attitude, and it can begreat.

I'm not saying that educational activities during the summer are no good.... but I think children much older than age 7-9 will benefit more from the education DC has to offer. Older children will be better able to appreciate visiting Congress, attending a committee hearing, visiting a Congressional representative, and understanding the historical and cultural relevance of items in the museums. A 7-9 year old will mostly appreciate artifacts in the American History Museum or the Natural History Museum.... like the old bikes, toys of President's children, and Dorothy's red slippers.

Now, being in MD and close to Washington DC... and able to go there often... taking children younger is no big deal for me... but if it's a once in a lifetime trip, I'd wait until the children were older.

The National Zoo is lame. I know they are doing construction to improve it... but it's nothing spectacular. People down Animal Kingdom but we love it because of the interactive educational value there.

But if the choice was Disney or DC... that's a no-brainer. Go have a great, fun time at Disney... and plan a long weekend for DC when the kids are a little older, and able to appreciate it more.

 

[loveysbydesign]

while we LOVE LOVE disney, and I know I am going to say this on a disney board...

there is so much more to life than disney.

My kids have had no shortage of disney trips in their short lives.
But, I guarntee if you ask them what their favorite things to see on vacation are, while disney will be on the list, it won't be the only thing, and probably won't even be the top thing on the list.

We did DC with a 1, 4, 6, 7 year olds, and they all LOVED it. They still talk about it, and all the stuff they saw. We did as much as we could, the monuments, zoo, arlington (they were in awe!), holocaust museum (the kids section, which has sparked such an intense desiere for learning, that my oldest who is now nine has read just about every book she can get her hands on about WW2, espically anne frank)

We have traveled across the country with them, and while we love a good disney trip, there is so much more to life. So much more I want them exposed to than rides and characters.

My kids love yellowstone, and las vegas, they loved the redwoods, they had a ball in forks looking for vampires, they cheered for every cowboy at a rodeo in wyoming, this year they are looking forward to seeing whales and moose on our trip. we are going through Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Mass, CT, NY. They can't wait to go to arcadia national park, to see the mayflower, to go to the beach and boogie board (a new found love they found out last year in CA).

We are strong believers that the more experiences our children have, the more well rounded they become. And its such amazing real life learning. My kids teachers are always amazed at how much knowledge my kids know, and most of that knowledge is because they have been there done that.

My daughters kindergarten teacher was amazed this year, when her teacher was talking about when she got married there was a big volcano that had erupted. My daughter raises her hand and says, was it Mt St Helens? Its really cool! And was able to tell the teacher about the inner workings of a real volcano (and that daddy took a helicopter to see the inside of the volcano).

While I love disney, and disney is an amazing place to go, don't discount how much fun you can have other places. And how much fun your kids can have to.

That is great that you have gotten to take your children to experience all those places but not everyone can afford to travel that much...whether due to limited finances or days off from work.
We would love to take our kids on more vacations but we can barely afford the 1 that we do take each year and that is with saving money in every way possible(think no Wii, I cut their hair, no summer camps, etc.)
I figure that for us we only have a few more years of WDW vacays as once our oldest is a few years older he won't want to go anymore.

That being said I do look forward to going to other places and can't wait til we can go to them. We are finally gonna get to visit the Statue of Liberty this Sunday! My in-laws, hubby, me and the kids have never been there and I am super-excited to go! Plus it's really cheap!!!!!

And I'm hoping to take a long weekend to drive up to see Niagara Falls next spring(just to see the falls and go to the Nat'l park...no CA side) I'm thinking maybe we'll give DC a try 2 years from now when our youngest will be 6.

 

[jegsnakkernorsk]

A warning on visiting DC - it is a lot of walking. And it can be hotter and more humid than Orlando at times. So it's best to perpare for it as if you actually are going to Disney!

 

[hmacmahony]

It's only as expensive as you make it. And I don't mean that in a bad way. Packing food, limit souvenirs, drive everywhere, camping instead of hotels.
We make cheap choices so we can do more.
And personally if we only got one trip a year, we still wouldn't do Disney every year. I loved Disney my whole life, I don't understand people who say we'll, the kids are only little once to enjoy Disney. I have enjoyed every Disney trip in my life. At all ages, I fully expect the same for my kids.
I want my kids to be well rounded, and for us traveling is part of this, and traveling to more places than Disney is a huge part of this.
I personally couldn't imagine doing the same trip year after year. Lots of people where we live go down the shore, every year for vacation. You know what we call that, boring!! You couldn't pay me to go to the same place for vacation, year after year. Theres a great big world out there to explore, and we feel you only get one life to explore it. We take every opportunity we can to live that life.

That is great that you have gotten to take your children to experience all those places but not everyone can afford to travel that much...whether due to limited finances or days off from work.
We would love to take our kids on more vacations but we can barely afford the 1 that we do take each year and that is with saving money in every way possible(think no Wii, I cut their hair, no summer camps, etc.)
I figure that for us we only have a few more years of WDW vacays as once our oldest is a few years older he won't want to go anymore.

That being said I do look forward to going to other places and can't wait til we can go to them. We are finally gonna get to visit the Statue of Liberty this Sunday! My in-laws, hubby, me and the kids have never been there and I am super-excited to go! Plus it's really cheap!!!!!

And I'm hoping to take a long weekend to drive up to see Niagara Falls next spring(just to see the falls and go to the Nat'l park...no CA side) I'm thinking maybe we'll give DC a try 2 years from now when our youngest will be 6.

 

[crisi]

That is great that you have gotten to take your children to experience all those places but not everyone can afford to travel that much...whether due to limited finances or days off from work.
We would love to take our kids on more vacations but we can barely afford the 1 that we do take each year and that is with saving money in every way possible(think no Wii, I cut their hair, no summer camps, etc.)
I figure that for us we only have a few more years of WDW vacays as once our oldest is a few years older he won't want to go anymore.

But if you have limited funds and year after year after year go to Disney and then say "we never had an opportunity to do anything else" shame on you. No, you had opportunities, you just passed them up to do Disney over and over again.

We are doing DC this summer (we are every other year Disney people - and this is the other year). My kids are looking forward to it. They aren't REALLY excited about it because its a "Mom idea" - but its my turn to pick. My husband has never been to DC.

 

[StephMK]

My 13yo dd told me a couple months ago that she wants to go to Washington DC "to see the monuments and stuff". We're thinking next summer for a trip but I told my husband we have to check out DC cupcakes

LOL! That's where we want to stop when we go this summer! DD11 loves that show!

I grew up in NoVA & did not take my kids as much as I should have because I grew up going to them. Now that we live out of state, I look forward to taking them & visiting different places when we go "home" each summer. Last summer, we could not visit the Archives, it was closed to visitors at the time we tried to go. I definitely recommend the metro, traffic is always a mess there!

 

[loveysbydesign]

But if you have limited funds and year after year after year go to Disney and then say "we never had an opportunity to do anything else" shame on you. No, you had opportunities, you just passed them up to do Disney over and over again.

We are doing DC this summer (we are every other year Disney people - and this is the other year). My kids are looking forward to it. They aren't REALLY excited about it because its a "Mom idea" - but its my turn to pick. My husband has never been to DC.

We just started going to WDW in 2006! Plus we always stay offsite and eat in the rental and each child only gets to pick one souvenier. We bought 10 day no-exp. tix. and used them over 3 separate trips! We haven't even begun to do everything at the parks yet, plus we always visit the beach when we are in FL. When we ask them where they want to go they say to WDW or on a cruise. We also do a lot of local day trips to state parks, lakes etc. on the weekends that are free!

 

[mjantz]

I'd love to go back to DC. I went as a small child & still have great memories. The pandas were new & that was a HUGE deal. I also remember seeing the pretty dresses the first ladies wore & I have a wonderful memory of sitting on the back porch of Mt Vernon with my grandparents (who are now deceased).
I'm hoping to take my kids in a few years.

 

[KathleensKid]

My kids (4 and 6) love DC. They have been several times. I grew up there and like to take the kids back.

We have stayed in the Omni Shoreham which a pp mentioned. They were great with the kids. We came back to milk and cookies after being out each day. They gave the kids a bag of toys when we arrived and they have a cart of toys and games that you can borrow for your room. You can walk to the zoo and the metro. Nice outdoor pool. If you stay there, sign up for their free guest rewards card in advance which makes your internet free in the room.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...Hotel-Washington_DC_District_of_Columbia.html

We also like the Embassy Suites. It has a small indoor pool, free breakfast and evening cocktails/wine/beer and snacks (nice to grab a free drink after a day of walking around to free attractions!). They have koi in the pond in the atrium, and we fed the fish each day. Large rooms. Not fancy, but excellent for a family stay.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...n_D_C-Washington_DC_District_of_Columbia.html

We love:
The National Zoo - the new elephant exhibit is really impressive.
The Natural History Museum (dinosaurs and gems!)
The Air and Space Museum (planetarium show)
The Lincoln Memorial (this yr ds 6 studied about Dr. Martin Luther King and was blown away to stand in the marker commemorating where he stood for his "I have a dream" speech).
Various Art Museums
Flying kites by the Washington Monument
Riding the metro
And many other things.
There are tons of FREE FREE FREE things to do and see. Use the money saved to stay in a nicer hotel, go out to nicer dinners, buy yourself a new outfit or 2, or spend money on a sporting event or play/performance (we take the train when we go as the kids like to travel that way, but if you drive, be sure to budget for parking overnight at your hotel). Or save the money to do special things on your next Disney trip.

FYI - DC is sweltering in the summer but all the museums are air conditioned.

 

[JUJU814]

My kids (4 and 6) love DC. They have been several times. I grew up there and like to take the kids back.

We have stayed in the Omni Shoreham which a pp mentioned. They were great with the kids. We came back to milk and cookies after being out each day. They gave the kids a bag of toys when we arrived and they have a cart of toys and games that you can borrow for your room. You can walk to the zoo and the metro. Nice outdoor pool. If you stay there, sign up for their free guest rewards card in advance which makes your internet free in the room.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...Hotel-Washington_DC_District_of_Columbia.html

We also like the Embassy Suites. It has a small indoor pool, free breakfast and evening cocktails/wine/beer and snacks (nice to grab a free drink after a day of walking around to free attractions!). They have koi in the pond in the atrium, and we fed the fish each day. Large rooms. Not fancy, but excellent for a family stay.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...n_D_C-Washington_DC_District_of_Columbia.html

We love:
The National Zoo - the new elephant exhibit is really impressive.
The Natural History Museum (dinosaurs and gems!)
The Air and Space Museum (planetarium show)
The Lincoln Memorial (this yr ds 6 studied about Dr. Martin Luther King and was blown away to stand in the marker commemorating where he stood for his "I have a dream" speech).
Various Art Museums
Flying kites by the Washington Monument
Riding the metro
And many other things.
There are tons of FREE FREE FREE things to do and see. Use the money saved to stay in a nicer hotel, go out to nicer dinners, buy yourself a new outfit or 2, or spend money on a sporting event or play/performance (we take the train when we go as the kids like to travel that way, but if you drive, be sure to budget for parking overnight at your hotel). Or save the money to do special things on your next Disney trip.

FYI - DC is sweltering in the summer but all the museums are air conditioned.

The Omni Shoreham looks like it'll be the place we stay when we go. I'm wondering if late Sept/early October can you still swim there? Is it warm enough?

Julie

 

[KathleensKid]

The Omni Shoreham looks like it'll be the place we stay when we go. I'm wondering if late Sept/early October can you still swim there? Is it warm enough?

Julie

The pool is open "April thru October - weather permitting". At that time of year it could be warm enough.
Have fun - and do sign up for their free rewards card.

 

[crisi]

We just started going to WDW in 2006! Plus we always stay offsite and eat in the rental and each child only gets to pick one souvenier. We bought 10 day no-exp. tix. and used them over 3 separate trips! We haven't even begun to do everything at the parks yet, plus we always visit the beach when we are in FL. When we ask them where they want to go they say to WDW or on a cruise. We also do a lot of local day trips to state parks, lakes etc. on the weekends that are free!

Thats great, but don't say you didn't have opportunities to do other things from 2006 to 2011. We did a lot of WDW and Disney cruises when our kids were young as well - its an awesome vacation. But it isn't the only one - even when kids are little there are other places to see - and you can do other trips cheap. At six or so my kids LOVED the trip we took out to Northern California (Monterrey to San Francisco). And a little before that, they loved camping at the headwaters of the Mississippi.

 

[clori]

I visited DC in April with dd6, dd10 and dd10's gf12 (my girls are now 7 & 11). While I had originally planned on waiting until my youngest was a bit older we went because it was close to now or never for my not the healthiest 87 year old father plus it has been my dmom82 long time desire.

We stayed at Embassy Suites Alexandria which was across the street from King ST Metro and the free King ST Trolley. The metro usually took us 30 minutes door to door or less. The room we had was a 2 room suite with two beds, living area with sofa bed, small refrigerator, microwave. There is a hottub and indoor pool - small but it was never crowded and fine for playing. There is also an exercise room, free breakfast, and daily manager's reception from 5-7. They also mentioned a toddler playroom but we didn't see it.

My dd6 wasn't crazy about seeing the Capitol. She loved doing the audio tour at Ford's Theater, seeing the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and was mesmerized by the changing of the Guard at Arlington National Cemetary. She enjoyed the monument tour but was tired at the end of the nighttime tour. We used Royal Trolleys since they offered a free ride back to our hotel. While we also saw some of the Smithsonian she loved all that we saw - National History, American History, Air and Space, and National Postal Museum and outdoor sculpture gardens and carousel. While she liked the National Archives she didn't understand exactly what she was seeing. My dd10 loved everything though it helped that she had American history including the American Revolution this year.

While it wasn't my original idea I'm glad we took the girls to DC now. We do want to go back again in a few years to see the holocaust museum. WHile my kids enjoy Disney they love going to different places so didn't mind at all. We are going to Ellis Island in July as a birthday request from dd10.

 

[ebtbmom]

I haven't read all the posts so don't know if this has been mentioned but the last time we went we were going to go to Mt Vernon to do a National Treasure tour. It sounded really cool and DS loves National Treasure 1 & 2. We did not however get to do anything other than some Smithsonians because we went during the massive snow of 2009 and we were snowed in at the hotel for 2 days! Luckily we had an indoor pool and restaurant.

DC is fun, you'll like it. Don't know if I'd like it in the heat of summer though, could you put it off until fall break or the spring?

 

[Mrs.Malone]

My kids are pre-K through Elementary age. They've enjoyed everything we've done in DC.

Mount Vernon is a huge favorite. Even on a sweltering day, the museum is nice and cool and my kids could spend a really long time in there! It's really a spectacular, state-of-the-art museum. There's an admission fee but it's reasonable.

Bureau of Engraving and Printing is also a favorite with all the kids, even the littlest one. Make reservations ahead of time. Take a $20 with you so your kids can examine it up close while they're listening to the tour guide and watching new $20s being made.


Have fun!

 

[GrumpyMom25]

I told my 18 year old son about your post and his first response was "Why?'. He then said to tell you to take him to the Hall of Presidents.
I feel the same way you do ... Disney is my #1 pick for vacation. There is something about driving onto Disney property that makes me feel so good.

 

[JUJU814]

I told my 18 year old son about your post and his first response was "Why?'. He then said to tell you to take him to the Hall of Presidents.
I feel the same way you do ... Disney is my #1 pick for vacation. There is something about driving onto Disney property that makes me feel so good.

I know!!! Same here. That was pretty much my sentiment to dh the first night we started talking about this.

This past year has been HORRIBLE. I'm talking, a nightmare! It's been the most stressful of my life, and I just had brain surgery in February (I'm gonna be fine). It's just been a tough one, that's all.

He was like "why do you want to go to Disney AGAIN?" Some of my reply:

Because it's fun, and I feel like a kid, and forget about everything else when we pass through that WDW gate. I feel happy there. I can forget about reality. etc. I actually started to cry..I think I must have been hormonal! lol

That all said, he has sucked it up and done Disney 3 times now in 2006, 2008 and 2009. I went last year on quite the luxury Disney trip with my then 6 year old. I do get to do a lot of the planning and choosing, so really, it's only fair I think to let him choose. He really thinks the kids will like this.

My kids do like more educational stuff. Especially my son. My kids jump up and down with excitement when dad takes them to Harvard Museum of Natural History..and that's just some creeky old building with a lot of stuff and a lot of stairs.

Anyway, that's what I was thinking..."well, we could do Hall of Presidents..." LOL The thing is, WE NEVER DO!

As much as I personally would rather go to Disney (and I have been to many other places and several countries overseas..so my life does not revolve around Disney), I *really* feel like I need to allow my dh to step up and "parent" (as a pp mentioned) and choose this next trip. I think it would mean the world to him. I need to shape up my attitude and make the most of it. I'm sure I'll probably be pleasantly surprised.

Julie

 

[DisneyFamily123]

If going to DC... I'd find a way to participate in the political process. Pick a time to visit DC when representatives will be there. Get their schedule and ask to meet them.... Pick an issue the kids can relate to and have them personally deliver a letter to the representatives' offices. The museum of American History is very interesting. If you have a car, you can find much to do outside of DC too depending on your interests.