Family vacation ideas

[Suprize2017]

We have taken our last four big family vacations to Disney World and are talking about one last big vacation before the kids have all graduated. I’m hoping to get some ideas that are NOT Disney, as crazy as that is. When we go, our boys will be 17 years old and our daughter will be 18. Any time I try to think of ideas, I just go back to Disney, and we might end up there anyway. It just seems to be our thing, and we are all happy with that. But I feel we should at least have other options to be considered. We would go the last week of February, in two more years (so I’m hoping COVID will be a distant memory by then), just to give a frame of reference for the time of year we would be traveling. I’d love to hear ideas from all of you!

 

[dclpluto]

We have taken our last four big family vacations to Disney World and are talking about one last big vacation before the kids have all graduated. I’m hoping to get some ideas that are NOT Disney, as crazy as that is. When we go, our boys will be 17 years old and our daughter will be 18. Any time I try to think of ideas, I just go back to Disney, and we might end up there anyway. It just seems to be our thing, and we are all happy with that. But I feel we should at least have other options to be considered. We would go the last week of February, in two more years (so I’m hoping COVID will be a distant memory by then), just to give a frame of reference for the time of year we would be traveling. I’d love to hear ideas from all of you!

seems like your thinking about Disney but don’t want to do Disney world again. What aboutA Disney cruise or aulani?

 

[Suprize2017]

seems like your thinking about Disney but don’t want to do Disney world again. What aboutA Disney cruise or aulani?

If we do Disney again, it will be Disney World and all four parks. I just feel like we should be exploring other options, I guess. We’ve done a lot of traveling in our state and area, but as far as going out of state, other than nearby states, Florida is the only place we’ve gone as a family. I almost feel guilty that we haven’t taken them to other places. I guess that’s why I’m looking for suggestions. When I think of other places, I get exhausted and overwhelmed just thinking about the different things we can do, and getting around on our own, and I end up back at Disney in our happy little bubble where we don’t worry about anything and just have fun.

 

[Kittyblue]

A couple trips I've really liked are the Alaska cruise (we did Disney but it wouldn't have to be DCL) and a road trip through the southwest (Grand Canyon, Arches, Bryce Canyon, Goblin Valley, Four Corners, etc.). California also has a ton of options including San Francisco, San Diego, LA area.

 

[kdonnel]

Cruise, Hawaii, Caribbean resort, ski trip.

 

[NannyBeBe]

It may be difficult to do in the winter, but I would take your children to see the Giant Sequoias. They are breathtaking.

 

[luvsvacation]

Last summer I took my teens who were 17 & 16 at the time and we hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and camped down there. It was such a cool experience! We did a loop and hit Moab Utah (Arches National park) Page Arizona (horseshoe bend & Antelope canyon) Zion National park, Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. We actually made it 18 days and added on Yellowstone, Grand Tetons and Colorado also but that was really like 2 vacations stuck together. I’d highly recommend hiking the Grand Canyon and checking out some of the nearby areas like Page, Zion & Vegas!

 

[starry_solo]

National Parks? Grand Canyon is great. Washington DC and the Smithsonians are great too.

 

[crazylady]

I'd love to take my family to Hawaii.

 

[Colleen27]

Have you thought about doing a California trip? You could incorporate a few days at Disneyland to get your Disney fix, but also change things up by seeing some of the other sights in the area. We've done DLR three times now and it has quickly become my favorite of the parks because it is so easy to blend Disney and "real world" travels, unlike Orlando where leaving "the bubble" just feels like a headache. And some of the familiar rides are SO MUCH better on the West Coast: Pirates, Space, Haunted Mansion.

In January, we flew into LA and spent a couple days at Disneyland, then rented a car and drove up the coast. That was a really nice balance between Disney and not-Disney. We did some hiking in the Pacific Palisades and Big Sur, saw the otters at Morro Bay and the elephant seals on the beaches further up the coast, spent a day at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, got rained out when we tried to see the monarchs at the butterfly sanctuary in Pacific Grove, and ended the trip with a couple days in San Francisco to see Muir Woods, the Golden Gate Bridge and Fisherman's Wharf. The weather was surprisingly lovely - that's rainy season but we only had serious rain one day, and since we're from Michigan, California winter temps are quite pleasant. It was a really great trip and a lot of what we did was repeats of parts of our summer '19 trip that DD19 and DD12 enjoyed so much they wanted to do again (including Disneyland and the Monterey Aquarium).

We've also done DC in the winter a few times, and I don't think it is a bad time to go. The crowds are lower and the weather is mild enough that walking around is never really unpleasant, and my kids love the outdoor ice skating rink in the National Gallery sculpture garden on the mall. And since most of the attractions are indoors, it is easy enough to adjust plans to work around days that might be particularly wet or cold. All three of my kids enjoyed the city at a variety of ages (youngest was 5 on her first trip, oldest was 19 on our last).

 

[starvenger]

Some thoughts:
- A cruise
- Machu Picchu
- Spain
- Hawaiian island hopping.

If you weren't targeting February, I'd have said to go around Europe as well.

 

[RamblingMad]

My parents did this. I got burnt out on Disney and didn’t return as an adult until my 30s. I now go to National Parks.

 

[tcufrog]

What do your kids like? Cities or the outdoors? Culture or theme parks? Are they foodies? It’s hard to recommend when I don’t know anything about their likes or dislikes.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

Indiana Dunes is great, I love their beach... I would not suggest doing it until summer though.

 

[Magical2017]

Our plans to go to Europe are on hold for now, so we are hoping a National Park road trip can happen this summer on our way to Seattle. We are going to have the kids help us plan.

We have also enjoyed renting a cabin or house at the lake or beach. We went to the Caribbean in January before COVID. DC is a great city for families, also.

 

[Ellie008]

Your last four trips have been to Disney, you only get one more before your kids may not join you anymore, and you are considering Disney again? I hope your kids get more adventurous once they are on their own.

We like National Parks and have been to many of them with the kids. But I realize that isn't everyone's cup of tea. What else do you like? Taking the kids overseas would be a great experience for all of you. We are planning to go to Washington DC and see the museums and other things once things open up a bit more, maybe this year, maybe next year.

 

[jdb in AZ]

The end of February would rule out Alaska and most of the national parks because of snow. Has your family ever tried skiing? February would be a great time to go to Hawaii. Lots to do for the active teens, or just relaxing on the beach, and sight seeing.

A caribbean cruise or a Mexican Riviera cruise would also make for a fun winter vacation. Not much planning involved on a cruise.

 

[cvjw]

Disney cruise. We were the same as your family. Disney world every year - multiple trips per year. And Caribbean/beach vacations with extended family. I just got overwhelmed trying to plan anything else and my boys needed activities during the day - they aren’t happy just lying on the beach all day.

Took our first disney cruise as a family in 2018 as a graduation present. Everyone loved it. Lots of activities on the ship. Fantastic dining. Great port adventures. Perfect days spent on deck 13. No planning required and you still get the disney feel and quality. We are hooked!

 

[mrs. magoo]

We too have done a lot of Disney trips but we have taken the kids to Washington D.C., NYC, LA, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Chicago, and a cruise. If you love Disney then I would fly to Florida spend a couple of nights at Vero Beach, take a 4 day cruise and finish up at Disney World for a few nights. That is what we did in the summer of 2019. It could work with your February time slot. If you love to ski go to Colorado and hit the slopes.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

Is international a possibility? That opens up a host of places. England is a good choice. Lots of history and fun modern things to do plus minimal language barrier and culture shock for a vacation.

Mexico is also awesome. There are fantastic resorts and in the tourists areas, nearly everybody speaks English.

how adventurous are you guys? What kind of vacations do you like? What things are your kids interested in?

NYC, DC, Miami, Chicago (though a bit yikes in Feb.) are all great cities.

If planning and trying to navigate a new place is too much, a cruise is the way to go. You just have to get to your departure port and then you can just do everything through the ship. Cruise ship food is very “meh” in my opinion but it’s all right there and planning is just picking from a list of activities.