Does anyone ever go on vacations to anyplace besides WDW?

[kaylajr]

Disney is our Favorite vacation spot but we only go ther every other year

during the Non disney years we take vacatons other places normaly we stayin new engalnd area because it is less expensive and we are always saving for the next WDW trip

this year we are doing it a little different we leave in 14 days for a mini vacation to hershey park in PA
and then we are doing WDW in Oct

we normally don't go anywhere else during a Disney year but the chance to go with BIL and his family was to good to pass up

 

[eleanor]

We have travelled to Europe a few times and a great many states and all but one prov here on Canada. I like WDW as a holiday because we go in the winter when it is cold here. Also the difference between a holiday ( I do nothing but enjoy ) and a vacation is no work on a holiday.I am not a beach person except for a day.

 

[PamNC]

we usually go to WDW at least once a year.

Our situation is unique. My husband is an opera singer so he travels all over the world. And, I'm self-employed (as of last Sept - best decision of my life) so I go and visit him a lot. Hence, we get to see a lot of places yet we don't consider it "vacation." Although it can be just like a vacation, for me anyway as he is working.

So - he looks forward to a "vacation" and is a big Disney nut as am I. So WDW is our real vacation together.

We go other places to "vacate" as well. For instance, we're going to the NC Outer Banks for a long weekend over memorial day. We are dying to go to Hawaii - but it's expensive so I keep putting it off. However, I think that trip could occur next year.

PamNC

 

[babslittleones]

My husband and I are huge fans of Las Vegas.

We have also taken trips to Gatlinburg and drove around the Smokey Mountains.

We want to make a few more road trips this year.

 

[BrianD]

For most of the people on these boards (my self included), Disney is more of a lifestyle, not just a vacation destination. Until we live in Orlando (which, Lord willing, will be in a couple of years), I probably won't have the desire to spend my vacation dollars anywhere else.

Also, there is so much to do at WDW, besides the theme parks, that it pretty much meets most kinds of vacationing needs. JMO!

 

[momof3disneyholics]

We sometimes go to Universal.

 

[mbarron]

Every year my family and I go to Cape May New Jersey! It has the malls the beach and the pool. I have been going since I was born!

But there is no place like WDW!

 

[MinnieGi]

Before DD was born we only went to WDW on our honeymoon and the years in between we took other destination vacations - mostly skiing and beach. Since DD has been born we have been to WDW five times - she is 3 1/2 - it is just such a great family vacation spot! We plan on going once or twice each year to WDW. But we also vacation elsewhere. In a month we have our annual week planned for Lewes, DE beach. We're only two hours away so we also do some long weekends there throughout the summer. In the 3 1/2 years since DD has been born we have also vacationed for a week in Rocky Mountain National Park, New York City, & Washington DC.

We love venturing to new places but just adore coming "home" to WDW!!!!

 

[HeyMickey]

::dons flame-proof suit::

Don't get me wrong... I love Disney World, and it holds a special place in my heart, but I can't imagine never vacationing anywhere else. In my 20 years I've been all over the US, Canada, and Europe and I wouldn't trade my experiences for a million trips to Disney. Disney World is beautiful and magical, but that doesn't change the fact that it's fabricated. There's too much real world out there to spend all of my time and money in a place that's artificial.

Whoever says there's no "magic" in the real world has never walked through Monte Carlo at night, driven down the California coast with the windows down and the music up, or explored a real castle where royalty lived hundreds of years ago. There's so much to see, explore, and experience out there. It's a shame so many people don't want to bother.

 

[PatriciaH]

Originally posted by HeyMickey
::dons flame-proof suit::

Don't get me wrong... I love Disney World, and it holds a special place in my heart, but I can't imagine never vacationing anywhere else. In my 20 years I've been all over the US, Canada, and Europe and I wouldn't trade my experiences for a million trips to Disney. Disney World is beautiful and magical, but that doesn't change the fact that it's fabricated. There's too much real world out there to spend all of my time and money in a place that's artificial.

Whoever says there's no "magic" in the real world has never walked through Monte Carlo at night, driven down the California coast with the windows down and the music up, or explored a real castle where royalty lived hundreds of years ago. There's so much to see, explore, and experience out there. It's a shame so many people don't want to bother.

No flames here I am a Disney nut and DH and I love WDW, but I could NEVER imagine not wanting to travel to other places. I have met people that have never ever left the town they were born in!

I am SO thankful my husband and I have seen and experienced the things we have. Feeding a giraffe. Holding a stingray. Making tortillas in a Mayan village. Seeing the house my grandmother grew up in in Ireland. Climbing Dunns River Falls in Jamaica. Looking down from the top of the St. Louis arch. Eating at a midnight buffet on a cruise ship. Snorkeling in the amazing tourquise water of Turks and Caicos. Camping in Maine. Walking through the Newport mansions ohh-ing and ahh-ing. Riding horseback through Red Rock Canyon. Flying over the Grand Canyon. Seeing a show (or 2 or 3) on Broadway. Laughing at the neon in Las Vegas. Renting a convertable in Miami and cruising Ocean Drive. Hiking the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Walking the Freedom Trail in Massachusetts. Eating steamed crabs in Maryland. Seeing a sideshow and riding the Wonder Wheel at Coney Island. And of course riding in a flying elephant, seeing zebra from our balcony and watching a pixie fly from a beautiful fairytale castle.

There are so many wonderful things to see in the world. So as RCCL says "get out there!"

 

[alisonbestford]

We're in the UK and have been to WDW 2 times - 3rd coming up in Jan 2005 - and Disney Los Angeles.
Our most favourite place other than WDW is Altinkum in Turkey. We have friends there and the people are incredibly 'family orientated'.
Just wish we lived nearer to WDW so's we could be there in a few hours
Alison

 

[dbail2]

We do our Disney 2 week trip every year usually during the summer and during the winter we ski , ski, ski.......

 

[alecam]

My family takes driving trips usually to Storyland in NH, and to Sesame Place in PA, but if were gonna fly somewhere, WDW is the place!!

 

[Hieatt]

Before we had kids, we traveled all over the place... California, East Coast, Midwest, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria... even after we had kids we still managed family vacations to London a few times, as well as to Amelia Island, San Diego, San Francisco, etc. But the more kids we had, the more we did Disney vacations (including a Disney cruise). We have 4 kids now (ages 6, 4, 2 and 1) and are planning our 4th annual trip to WDW for November. While no vacation is easy with kids those ages, we love Disney right now because it is one of the few places on earth where kids are the focus and not something to be accomodated. Kids are welcome in every restaurant and every attraction, and no worries about safety. No worries about kids menus, high chairs, changing tables. But even more importantly, this "artifical" world of Disney is still real to young kids, and I want to soak up that magic. Once our youngest is 4 or 5, we will definitely start seeing the real world again and the natural wonders, etc., but for now I will take my kids to Disney when the magic is still real!

 

[goofyernmost]

When I was young I was fortunate to have been able to travel a lot. I have been to Portugal, Spain, Italy (Rome & Venice), France and England. I've traveled extensively in Canada, been to the Bahamas, 38 of the 50 States and Japan. I've seen the castles, ridden the condoles, spent time looking at the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel, viewed Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower, stood in the Tower of London and so on and so on.

Today? I go to WDW! The world situation being the way it is, I just don't feel comfortable traveling outside the states and Disney has everything I am looking for, basically total fantasy. I do take trips to Maine and walk on the beach at least a couple of times a year but that is only about a four hour drive from my house so I don't really count that as a trip.

I guess the way I feel is that everyone else is still looking for it...I found it.

 

[Boo]

DH and I met during an Italian study abroad program in college and we've been traveling together ever since.

We love Disney, and became DVC members, but we only go to Disney ever other year. I think any more than that and it just wouldn't feel as special. There are just too many places to see in this world, and only 4 weeks a year that DH gets vacation. In the off years from Disney we do a big trip somewhere else- Hawaii, California, Europe, Carribbean, etc. Then throughout the year we do several long weekenders- places driveable from Chicago.

Luckily our kids are little DD is 4 and DS is almost 2, so we have a lot of flexibility as far as when we can travel. I would say we probably spend most of our extra money on travel, we love it so much. Some people buy new cars every few years, some have lots of electronics and big tvs- we have a small tv but tons and tons of photo albums filled with vacations.

It's fun going to World Showcase and talking to the cast members about their home countries as we remember them from vacations. The cast members at Morocco are always surprised to hear that we spent over a week there backpacking- and that DH tried to trade me for a camel, but that's a whole other story.

 

[suerob]

Call me crazy but Disney is the only place I get really excited about. We have 3 little "princesses" and no other vacation can compete with the magic of Disney. We try to go once a year but it is only an 8 hour drive for us. We talk about other vacations but when my husband says "or we could just go to Disney World" I can't refuse.

 

[GaryWT]

We have only been to Disney 2 times but we travel each year for the most part in addition to camping. We have our 4th cruise booked for next year and will spend a couple weeks plus a lot of weekends camping this summer.

 

[TINK61]

Well I'm glad to hear that there is nothing seriously wrong with me, or if there is - I'm not alone.
I don't know - WDW and Universal are the only vacation destinations I get excited about. Even my own kids ask why we only go to Disney or Universal. They want to go on a cruise (which doesn't really tempt me in the least).
My parents live on a barrier island on the gulf coast and we visit frequently, so visiting a beach anywhere else doesn't really tempt me either.

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

Of course! There's so much more of the real world to see! I loved Las Vegas and fully intend to go back in the near future. There are a ton of places I'm just itching to visit! I haven't been to Disney in long time, but once I go this year, I'm sure it will be awhile before I go back. I love Disney, but I love a lot of other places too.