Disney World AGAIN?? or somewhere else...

[kboo]

We are planning a trip in late April while I'm still on maternity leave. DD1 is 4.5, DD2 will be 5 months. We are already going to WDW in March, but it's a multigenerational family reunion (that I'm planning) and DH has a conference, so it's not going to be a totally chill Disney-the-way-we'd-do-it trip. Also, our APs run out 4/30.

I found a terrific rate for the Grand Floridian, but I feel like I should also look at non-Disney options that are family friendly as well. DH would like to go somewhere warm. We live in NYC and are going to the Outer Banks in June (ILs family reunion). Any ideas, suggestions?

I just feel like with APs and Tables in Wonderland, a great rate at the GF and Magical Express, anywhere else will be both more expensive *and* more of a hassle. But I also feel sort of silly going to WDW AGAIN so soon.

Feel free if to PM if forum rules prevent you from mentioning specific places.

 

[Pesky]

I'd go where you are happy. If WDW does that for you all and makes sense, go for it! Remember it doesn't have to be all parks, all the time. You guys can pick days to relax by the pool, go mini-golfing and so on.

 

[Mousemommy1]

We go to Disney 1-2 times a year. It makes us happy so we go. Yes, there are other places to go and sometimes we do but the vast majority of our trips are to WDW, our happy place.

If there comes a time where it doesn't make us happy, we know that there is a big wide world out there for us.

And, we are doing a little something different for our upcoming trip....we are throwing in a 4 night Disney cruise!!! That will be something new with the magic that we love.

 

[Baklava]

DisneyLAND. Or a Disney cruise.

 

[sharona]

You will probably not get to do everything you want on the big family trip. You may enjoy that one more knowing that you will be back in a few weeks to do it how you want.

 

[tcherjen]

For me always again...

 

[TeeterTots]

For me always again...

I second that! Again and again and again!

 

[halfpintpeggy]

I realize I'll be in the minority here...but I would choose a different destination. There are so many other wonderful places to vacation - get out there!

 

[msmama]

My son will soon be 8 and only now am I really starting to think seriously about vacations other than Disney.

Frankly, Disney is just too darn easy with small children to really think of going anywhere else (aside from visiting family, but that's a different adventure all together). Granted, I'm a single mom, so if we went somewhere else, it'd be all on my to handle everything from planning to entertainment once we're there to driving to...well, everything. Like you said, Disney makes that stuff so easy!! Some people like going to the beach and renting beach houses, but to me, that's just the same as every day, except in a different place, which makes it more stressful!

Yes, there is a big world out there to explore, but it isn't going anywhere. So at this point, with 2 small children, I'd go for ease and relaxation in a vacation and, for me, disney has always fit the bill.

 

[roseaster]

I would plan somewhere else, too. I think the problem is that we get complacent. WDW is familiar, so it seems "easy" because it's in our comfort zone. Personally, I don't think it is a relaxing vacation at all.

There are so many places to try. Cruises, islands. We love all inclusives with the kids. It can be as active or as relaxed as you want it to be.

 

[Anya22]

My initial thought was that you should go somewhere else, but reading the details I changed my tune. Do you have plans to go back to Disney the following year? Or are you planning to get APs again soon? If you are not planning another Disney trip soon, I would just go back to Disney and make the most of your AP before expiration. You can always take a day and drive an hour to the beach for something different. Your kids are young, there are plenty of great vacation destinations in your future when Disney might not be quite as attractive.

 

[Deirdres]

If you want to get the most out of your AP's, then I think you should use them before they expire, but if you are getting new ones next year, then it won't matter as much. I am also from NY, and when my children were babies, it was much easier to go to DLR and stay at Grand Californian. The resort is a very short stroller walk to the gates, and it made it easy to go back to the room for naptime or lunch since there weren't any buses to wait for.

 

[texasroni75]

Making use of your about-to-expire APs makes the most sense to me. We just went to WDW last month, but will be going back in June because it means we can make use of our camping gear at Ft Wilderness AND get in another stay at our favorite place in the world. I don't care who thinks it's silly to to again so soon - no two trips to Disney are really ever exactly the same anyway.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

We are planning a trip in late April while I'm still on maternity leave. DD1 is 4.5, DD2 will be 5 months. We are already going to WDW in March, but it's a multigenerational family reunion (that I'm planning) and DH has a conference, so it's not going to be a totally chill Disney-the-way-we'd-do-it trip. Also, our APs run out 4/30.

I found a terrific rate for the Grand Floridian, but I feel like I should also look at non-Disney options that are family friendly as well. DH would like to go somewhere warm. We live in NYC and are going to the Outer Banks in June (ILs family reunion). Any ideas, suggestions?

I just feel like with APs and Tables in Wonderland, a great rate at the GF and Magical Express, anywhere else will be both more expensive *and* more of a hassle. But I also feel sort of silly going to WDW AGAIN so soon.

Feel free if to PM if forum rules prevent you from mentioning specific places.

Don't feel silly. My DS is now 8 and we got to a point with AP's, great hotel rates, great airline prices (we live just north of NYC) and the ease of getting to WDW that we started going down multiple times a year. It was just so easy (2 1/2 hour plane ride!) and there is always something new to do! And, I agree, once you start adding up costs (particularly since you have the AP's), it may well end up being the most cost effective way to go somewhere warm. Especially with a very, young child, I found WDW to be so easy. Nothing beats walking around WS while DS was napping in his stroller!! Or hiring Kids Nite Out and having a date night! With a younger child, I always felt WDW and cruises were the easiest thing to do. We tried a beach vacation when he was a toddler and it was exhausting for me. Go to WDW!!!

 

[katyjeka]

We love WDW and have had many great vacations there and will go again. That being said we are finding we love our other vacations just as much. Our girls have spent weeks n Puerto Rico, Arizona, California (not Disneyland), New Mexico, and several islands. We have sooooo much fun in the National Parks and our goal is to introduce as many as possible to our kids. We spent a few days at Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands National Monument, both are AMAZING and should be on everyone's "bucket list". If asked the kids will tell u their favorite vacation ever is sliding on the sand dunes and walking in the big cave. Funny thing , both cost almost nothing! I'm not knocking disney and it is magical but many places in the world are just as amazing and in some ways more magical.

 

[pigletgirl]

I'm probably the wrong person to ask, but heck why not?!?! I mean, it's DISNEY!

 

[kboo]

Thanks! It's nice to see different opinions. We do travel a lot - and actually just got back from Arizona, and will be doing a beach house family reunion with the ILs in June at the very end of my maternity leave. With DD1, we traveled all around Europe when she was a newborn, but I think that was easier to do with just 1 kid. Now that DD1 is 4, it's hard juggling her wants/needs and the baby's. We have definitely used Kids Nite Out the last couple times we were there and plan to again. And DH wants to do a Disney cruise someday - but DD2 is probably too young (most cruises have a 6 mo or 12 mo minimum age), and he wants to "take a break" from WDW after our APs run out, which realistically means taking at least 1-2 years off (we'll probably be back again just before DD2 turns 3), so maybe WDW is the right choice now. That said, we are also looking at Puerto Rico.

Katyjeka, I agree about the National Parks - DD1 gets carsick VERY easily so it's tough. We used to go to Vermont frequently but are now renting out our vacation home, again until the kids are bigger.

 

[disny_luvr]

I totally understand your dilemma. This summer DH and I wanted to do a New England trip and visit Boston, Cape Cod, Maine, etc. When I mentioned it to my boys, they begged to go back to Disney. We truly love Disney and have made so many great memories there but I do feel like I need to expose my boys to other places. They have been several places (NYC, Pittsburgh, Philly, DC, Baltimore, Chicago, many beaches up and down the East coast and on two Disney cruises that visited different islands) so it's not like they haven't visited other places. My boys won out and we are headed back to Disney (not that DH and I needed much convincing). We are driving and will be spending a few days in Atlanta and visiting Stone Mountain, too, so I feel like I'm introducing them to some new places while still getting our Disney trip in as well. Our plan though is to visit New England next summer and then do a big trip out west two summers after that. I'm sure they'll be a trip or two to Disney sprinkled in there somewhere because we really do love it a lot. I think it is totally fine if you go to Disney again. Go where makes you happy!

 

[North of Mouse]

We are planning a trip in late April while I'm still on maternity leave. DD1 is 4.5, DD2 will be 5 months. We are already going to WDW in March, but it's a multigenerational family reunion (that I'm planning) and DH has a conference, so it's not going to be a totally chill Disney-the-way-we'd-do-it trip. Also, our APs run out 4/30.

I found a terrific rate for the Grand Floridian, but I feel like I should also look at non-Disney options that are family friendly as well. DH would like to go somewhere warm. We live in NYC and are going to the Outer Banks in June (ILs family reunion). Any ideas, suggestions?

Would we go two months in a row? No! But, only you can make the decision for yourselves - nothing wrong with it if that's what you want!

I just feel like with APs and Tables in Wonderland, a great rate at the GF and Magical Express, anywhere else will be both more expensive *and* more of a hassle. But I also feel sort of silly going to WDW AGAIN so soon.

Feel free if to PM if forum rules prevent you from mentioning specific places.