Does anyone ever go on vacations to anyplace besides WDW?

[Simba's Mom]

The only other place we've vacationed besides Disney is Hilton Head, and then we stay at the Disney resort. Every now and then DH used to grumble that the only place we ever vacation is Disney and why can't we go someplace different. I told him that as long as I was doing the planning, I would ONLY plan for Disney vacations all the time, and if he wanted to plan a vacation somewhere else, I'd go. Now, he calls me his travel agent and off we go-to Disney! Someday he's promised me he would plan-to Disney Paris!

 

[MickeyisanNDfan]

I go to Disney 0-3 times a year depending, Notre Dame Indiana a couple times in football season and I like to go to Aruba. We also try to go to Ireland once a year. Conferences take me other places and as I like to say a conference is a minor inconvenience to your vacation.

 

[TheButlerDiditt]

Since my significant other earns a lot of free flights and hotel stays so we go on many mini-vacations throughout the year. This past year we've gone to:

LOS ANGELES (there's so much to see I can't wait to go back)
PHILADELPHIA (my favorite place to go to soak in the history - and most attractions are free! I've gone a couple of times this year)
HONOLULU (I didn't want to ever leave)
WASHINGTON D.C. (last 4th of July - the fireworks were amazing!)
MAUI (Honolulu was so nice we went back 3 mos. later to Maui!)
SAN FRANCISCO (you have to see the Golden Gate Bridge at least once...)
LONDON (where the game Clue was invented!)
PARIS (my first trip to Disneyland Paris!)

And, of course, a few trips to Florida... Like clockwork, always find myself getting the bug to go back to WDW.

 

[jtjarvis]

What a cool and invigorating thread, Shanlynn! I'm loving reading about the other travels of Disney fans.

 

[shanlynn63]

me too jtjarvis...this is great I love hearing about everyones travels!!! Reading the boards, I was beginning to think I was weird because I didn't go to WDW every year! LOL We live near Virginia Beach so we go there some and we visit the Outer Banks every other year, we go to NY and PA too! Busch Gardens is just on the other side of town so we have had seasons passes there many years. I love to travel , I just wish we had time to do it more! My family traveled all over when I was little, Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Maine, Nevada, Arizona, Yexas, Florida (WDW, Key West, Miami, Tampa)....I would love to take my kids all the places I visited when I was younger!

 

[RichmondTiggerFan]

I also like going to the zoo in Atlanta and seeing the pandas. They are so cute.

 

[Julia M]

Our trip to WDW in August is only our second family trip (we also went in April 2001). But we live in CA, so it's a trek for us.

We go to DL for a long weekend 1-2 times per year.

Last year (2003) we went to DL twice as a family. I also went to DL a third time (dd performed baton there) and I took the kids to the East Coast. Dh couldn't go, he had just started a new job after being unemployed 5 months.

In 2002, dh and I were in Las Vegas, as well as a two week family trip to San Diego, DL and Santa Barbara. We actually had a DL trip planned at Xmas too, but dh lost his job in Nov.

In 2001, it was WDW in April, Las Vegas in July, St Louis in Aug (just the kids and I) and DL in October.

This year (2004) it's 2 weeks in Orlando in Aug. I'll also be in Tucson at baton nationals in July with dd. We wouldn normally have gone away sometime this spring for a long weekend, but between baseball and baton, it just didn't work out. I want to get away sometime in the fall, but who knows?

I booked a west coast Disney Cruise for Aug. 2005, but I will cancel it, it's just too much money. We will use our timeshare in San Diego in June, and then go somewhere else in August (either Hawaii, a cruise or Williamsburg)

Prior to 2000, dh and I had only really been on a few "big" vacations: a trip to Texas and Louisiana in 1996, a family reunion in St. Louis in 1997 and a trip to Angels Camp in 1999, plus once a year trips to DL.

What changed? It's easier to travel with older kids, and to be quite blunt, we make alot more money than before, and I've learned to budget ALOT better!

We enjoy Disney as a family, but there are other places we want to go, too.

 

[jtjarvis]

We just went to WDW in January—brief trip, we're in Georgia—and we are going again in Oct. for "Part 2" (another brief trip so we can do mnsshp!) So it looks like we might be on the road to being WDW-crazy too. But other travels include a week every summer at Fripp Island, SC (I'm originally from near there); one or two trips a year to Red Top Mtn State Park (near Atlanta) to either camp or stay in a lake cottage for a few days; and at least one trip a year to N.C. where my DH is from. A little theme park called Tweetsie Railroad is there, near Blowing Rock. Anybody been there?

Of course since we're in metro Atlanta we'll be hitting Six Flags one of these days, and I grew up going there, but it's gotten more for older kids so we just haven't made that trek yet.

I am itching to take the family traveling to lots of different states, as per your post Shanlynn-- and I'd love to go abroad but looks like, at least while children are young, the closest we'll get to that is Epcot!

 

[lenshanem]

Nope, we only vacation at WDW.

 

[bridgettesmom]

Yes, we go to Europe, Canada, South America and other islands in the caribbean. We also go on a cruise every 2 years. DH knows that I "need" to go to DW, at least, once a year. Which usually means one 7 day trip and at least one 4 day trip

 

[ksdave]

We vacation at other places too - Universal Orlando!!

Seriously, my kids both go to Space Camp for a week every summer, which is a great vacation for them. We also travel alot for my son's wrestling every weekend from December through March. And we try and spend from 3-9 days every summer traveling with a nationally-competitive drum corps, The Cadets. Last summer, we travelled with them from Wichita to Arkansas, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. It's alot of hard work making and serving 4-5 meals a day to 180 people, but the reward of the members thanks and seeing them perform is great. We also visit family in NY, CT, MD and Virginia whenever possible.

 

[Minnie's Mate]

Prior to having kids we went to lots of places other than WDW. We went to Grand Cayman, traveled extensively in Mexico, Bermuda, several trips to the Florida Keys (We're SCUBA divers), FT. Lauderdale, beaches of the Florida panhandle, Virginia Beach, trips to St. George Island, Sweden/Norway, and other places including a couple of trips to WDW.

After having children, we wanted to go on vacations that the children would enjoy as much as the parents and there's no place that meets that criteria better than WDW! We love it as much as the kids do. We go to the beach every other year in addition to our trips to Disney.

A couple of years ago, my parents moved to Summerfield, FL (about 1-1/4 hours north of Orlando) and my sister moved to Leesburg about a year ago so we have family near WDW so we combine visits to family with trips to WDW. Usually we spend 5 days at WDW and 3-4 with my parents on each trip.

I am fortunate that I get a ton of vacation time and my wife is a teacher. It limits us to school breaks and we avoid summer trips to WDW because of the heat, but we go when we can. Last year we made it to WDW four times and once to Disney's Vero Beach Resort. Believe it or not, we looked into the Disney Vacation Club and felt it wouldn't meet our travel needs. We always stay in Disney Deluxe hotels each trip. It takes some research, a lot of time on the budget board, and annual passes for discounts, but God has blessed us with good jobs and the financial resources to make it possible.

This year we went to WDW for President's week and are going again in June to celebrate our youngest son's 4th birthday and will stay at the AKL for our 4th time. At the end of June we are going to break with our normal schedule and go to Virginia Beach for the week before July 4th. We plan to include Williamsburg and Bush Gardens on this trip. On our last trip to Virginia Beach we visited Jamestown and Yorktown as side trips. We will also go to WDW at Christmas (our favorite time to go).

 

[2angelsinheaven]

Well, since I live less than an hour away, Yes we take vacations elsewhere. Disney is wonderful, don't get me wrong, but if your going all the time it doesn't seem as MAGICAL, it's a treat, something wonderful and I think if your going there all the time it could get "old"...yikes did I just say that?!?! We have Disney Seasonal Passes, and in the off months we go to Sea World/Busch Gardens or to the Beach, etc. We end up in Disney about 2-3 times a month for the day, sometimes an overnight.
How about trying Disney Land DCA? Or a Disney Cruise? Or Sesame Place (never been but seems like a good place for kids). I've always enjoyed the road trips as a kid, The White Mountains and Santa's Village, North Carolina, Virginia, etc.

A Cruise is a great vacation choice as well, DCL or not. We went on CCL for an 8 day Eastern and LOVED IT! I don't think I've ever had so much fun, of course when we got home I needed 2 day of sleep to relax (I was going going going...lol).

So yes, we go elsewhere, we still LOVE Disney, but it's certainty not the end all be all in vacations.

 

[dgaston]

We cruised to Bermuda on the Norwegian Majesty out of Boston, and say we're doing that again. We camp for at least a week in NH every summer, and have visited Canadian Maritimes 2X. Loved Cape Breton and Prince Edward Island. DH wants to go to Newfoundland! (I'm not sure). We also travel to conferences for me--San Diego and this summer Cape Cod that give us a lot of vacation time. We visit family in Orange County CA too--they're the Disneyland experts!

But it's those darn APs and the discounts--we are planning yet another trip to finish off our AP year, use the discount at Pop Century, and we'll finally see La Nouba the first week of August. I will have used my AP 29 days after our August trip!!! The folks my husband teaches with think we're certifiable.

 

[DVC Jen]

So far we haven't had a desire to go anywhere else.

My parents went back to the same place every year (Michigan camping) and no one thought that was strange. WDW is to us what Michigan was to our parents.

We have been other places, lots of other places, but right now..we just don't want to go anywhere else.. except maybe add a few days at the beach onto the beginning or to the end of our WDW vacation. Even then we stay at a Disney (DVC) resort.

 

[disneysteve]

Originally posted by DVC Jen
My parents went back to the same place every year (Michigan camping) and no one thought that was strange. WDW is to us what Michigan was to our parents.

This is a great point that is so hard to get non-Disney folks to comprehend. I grew up in Philadelphia. Loads of my friends spent every summer vacation at the Jersey shore. That was perfectly normal and no one ever questioned it. But now that we spend one week each year at WDW, people are constantly asking us how we can stand to keep going back to the same place over and over.

 

[Dopey's twin Dippy]

its funny cause i said to my family "we might not go to Disney this year " they all laughed, cause they know i will book. we have been going every year for the last 5 - 6 years. my oldest dd is 23 now, so of course we have been a million times to New Hampshire- which my husband loves, Maine, Hershey park,Bermuda,and my sister has a year round house down the Cape. so i know we will be down the Cape , but i prob will still book Disney. i would love to go down right after Thanks. this year, but i have to re check my dd15 school schedule for tests.. to see if we could take her out a few days for the week after the holiday.

 

[CdnDisneyFan]

I go to Nashville every June for Fan Fair (CMA Fest) week, while planning my next Disney vacation, which hopefully will be next Sept, for my best friend's bday.

Jules

 

[zippehsmom]

My goal is to get to WDW every year, so far that has not happened. I'm workin on it though.

We do enjoy taking other trips other than WDW. Every year we try to go someplace different. This year we're also going to Williamsburg & Virginia Beach. I love going on vacation.

WDW & Vegas are the only 2 places that we've gone to more than once.

zippehsmom

 

[LKS]

We love to travel and except for one year when we lived in FL and bought seasonal APs, we've only done one real vacation at WDW. I have been down twice for a weekend since then. Last summer I took my oldest son (11) to Europe for 2.5 weeks and my husband did a big Boundary Waters Canoe expedition. WE usually spend a few days at Myrtle Beach with my Mom. Spring break was a driving trip out to visit family in the midwest and this summer we are flying to Colorado. We have also done Williamsburg, VA, Mackinac Island, MI, beach houses in the outer banks, Key West etc... in the past few years. In '05, I'll be taking my daughter, at 11, to Europe, then in '06, it's Hawaii. Not sure when a big Disney trip fits into the schedule, but we have promised youngest son a trip back when he's big enough for all the rides. We also have 2 pluses left that are earmarked for a water park weekend. We have cancelled twice now since youngest son keeps breaking his arm when we are supposed to go..... There is no way my husband would go every year and while I like WDW better than he does, I have the travel bug and have to go farther afield too.