Disney v. other destinations?

[Mike©]

Las Vegas !!!!!!! Different place, same themeing

 

[tardin1964]

Grand Canyon!!
As others have said there is so much to see out there. My 3 kids who at the time were 12, 10 and 6 actually picked the Grand Canyon over a Disney trip (as long as we promised they could go to Disney someday!!)
So last Nov we went to AZ and this summer we did free dining in Disney!!

We flew into Vegas, so you could do a few days there if interested, then go on to the Grand Canyon.

kacaju, how was going to the Grand Canyon in November as far as the weather goes?

 

[kacaju]

the weather was wonderful!! It was cold at night, so when we did our ranger led moonlight walk (we were there during a full moon!) We had our winter jackets on. During the day we were in windbreakers or sweatshirts.

By Nov. they close the North Rim of the GC for the season. We were at the South Rim.
We were there during *Jersey week* and we actually found another family from Jersey who didn't go to Disney that week!! LOL!!
We also went to Utah's Bryce and Zion National Parks.

 

[mickeyfan2]

The Grand Canyon is well worth the trip. It is a must see!!

 

[TinkBride]

Hey ADP, i am from Carmel!

Anyways, OP

Really make it an exciting out west trip and take a long couple weeks, and go the Grand Canyon and swing over to Anaheim! See the canyon and the Mouse!

Just a thought!

But, I agree with everyone else, take a risk, try something different this time, I 99.9% guarantee you that Disney will be right where you left it next year! And if not, you will have some very upset people here to cry with!

 

[gk90]

How about the Grand Canyon and then take a nice drive up to Disneyland.

We did San Diego & Disneyland last spring and it was a fun trip. It was a break from our favorite Disney World, but still a taste of it. We LOVED Disneyland.

Happy travels,

Lives4Disney

This is what we're planning for next year--I'd been to Disney a couple of times 15+ years ago and never really knew why people kept going back until I had the chance to plan a family vacation. It was so much better than I expected--we had a real blast and have all been bitten by the Disney bug and have to make up for lost Disney time. On the other hand there are so many other must-see places including the Grand Canyon and Southern Cal so we're going to fly out to Las Vegas (we live in NY), rent a car and see more of this great country!

 

[Katems]

Well I've always lived just outside Niagara Falls and while it's pretty, there's not much to it! Sure, you can do Maid of the Mist where you take a huge boat right to the base of the Falls but the mist is so strong you can't even see ANYTHING! There are some nice restaurants but those don't matter to me. I find the area to be carnival-ish in some spots and am totally turned off by that atmosphere. You could go to nearby Marineland (like Sea World) which is only about five minutes away and a wonderful place to visit.

I like Disney because it's all in one with tons and tons of things to do and I like the predictability of it and KNOWING I will like it and knowing what the hotels are like, etc. After eight years though, it truly might be time for a new place if that's what your wife wants. But really, once you stare at the Falls for a few minutes, what else is there to really do?? I would imagine it's the same for the Grand Canyon (which, admittedly, I've only seen on countless repeats of The Brady Bunch). I'd choose a cruise or a beach vacation spot myself!

 

[grimley1968]

Go to Grand Canyon for a day, then drive over to Anaheim that night. Go to Disneyland the next day, then California Adventure the day after that. Finally head down the coast to Carlsbad, CA and see Legoland, which is incredible.

This way you get to do some different things, yet still get lots of Disney. We did this last summer, sans Grand Canyon, though!

 

[raysnkaysmom]

Never thought I'd say or feel this way... but go to the Grand Canyon.
I've been to DisneyWorld 6 times in the last 5 yrs, because I can't bring myself to fork out money anywhere else when I know Disney is my ultimate destination!

But...that being said.. if your other half wants to go....do it. You'll be glad you did....you'll have a great time.. and, just think. Next year, when you do Disney again, she'll owe you AND.....you may have missed it soo much that it'll make your next trip to WDW that much more enjoyable

Have fun!
I'm contemplating a destination outside of WDW myself...we'll see if I follow thru.. LOL

 

[momomonster]

Life is short. The world is big.

I'm on your wife's side this time.

 

[DizzDoll]

I forgot to mention this: when you go to the GC, make sure you go to the rim in the morning, then in the afternoon, and again in the evening - the color spectrum changes throughout the day and its just breathtaking. A photographer's paradise.

 

[SplashMtnCrew]

Being a native of Phoenix, AZ....I feel it my duty to tell you....the Grand Canyon is a big hole in the ground, that's all it is...big hole. I do suppose if someone has never been to the desert and seen the mountains that it could be fun...but really it's not. You stand there and look for a few minutes and it's over, doesn't matter what angle you look from, it's a hole. (BTW, we left AZ because it got too crowded, when they turned the 2 lane dirt roads I grew up with into 7 lane roads, it was time to go)

 

[lisalonglash]

My wife wants to go to Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls next summer. I want Disney. She said she needs a break from disney after 8 years in a row. Where would you go? I need support.

Going EIGHT YEARS in a row to one place gets a little repetitive, no matter how fun the destination is IMO

There's a great big world out there to explore and, if Disney is a requirement for your vacation, there are Disney parks in Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong. There is Disney Cruise Line, Disney Adventures and Disneyland CA. With the exception of Disneyland CA, all the parks happen to be on another continent - always a vacation plus, if you ask me!

Why not spread your Disney wings a little - go to Paris or Tokyo, enjoy those gorgeous cities, get in some Disney time and immerse yourself in another culture. Disneyland Resort Paris is the only off-US park I've been to and it was great fun! Can't beat having really good authentic French crepes while walking around Disney

Good luck with whatever you decide

 

[leahjade]

Do what we do and go to WDW every three years and go other places in between. This country is just way too beautiful to not see more of it than just Orlando! I plan my other trips just like I do with Florida -lots of fun activities for everyone and good food along the way. At Niagara we did the Maid of the Mist, the cave tour, the cable car over the falls, the double decker bus tour, etc. And at the Grand Canyon we spend days in Sedona as well which is one of the most gorgeous places on earth. We did the Slippery Rock slide, indian ruins, the jeep tour, and much more. We also did a family cruise one year which we all had a blast doing all the ship's activities. Just plan lots of cool things to do and your kids will say "this is just as much fun as Disney" like mine did!

 

[Disney Anna]

The Grand Canyon is awesome-something that everyone should see at least once in their lifetimes. You will love it!

I think it's only fair to go somewhere else as you have done Disney 8 years in a row.

Some other thoughts: maybe you can convince your wife to add a quick trip to Disneyland with your GC trip.

Next year, maybe you can swing an even longer trip or a trip to a more deluxe resort. She'll "owe" you.

 

[disney_fan_fam]

Come to Hawaii!!

 

[missypaws]

DW has agreed to go on the Wonder for 4 nights and Universal for 4 nights with 1 night in at Kennedy Space Center. Nice compromise.

 

[leahjade]

What is the Wonder? Sounds like Florida again to me!

 

[MrsJ Henry]

We live 1 1/2 hours from Niagra Falls and we just like it very much.
It's funny , we went there last year and started laughing at some of the rude people etc... and said ... well... we aren't in Disney, that's for sure.

Now some people may like it a lot. We just didn't
We did love Maine!! and love Savannah GA.

 

[CRSTEPHE]

Neither my husband nor I have ever been to the Grand Canyon. Our children are 5 and 10--is this too young? I REALLY don't want to spend most of the trip worrying about whether they are too close to this or that! Should we wait a few years for a trip of this magnitude? What is the ideal length of time for a Grand Canyon, Arizona, California vacation? 7 days, 14 days????