Need Help: Summer Trip

[Harters2WDW]

We want to take a family vacation in August and are toying around with a few ideas (WDW one of them, of course!). But we are stuck.

Here's the breakdown:

• We will be doing a week beachfront vacation in Myrtle Beach with my family in June already. We went to WDW in 2011 and will go again in 2013.
• I have a DD6 and DD2.
• We don't mind driving at all, can take a week and preferably would like to spend less than $3,000 for everything. Less is definitely better.
• We've never done a cruise and are considering one (although looks like DCL is beyond our price level)
• We could do Pop for six days with dining plan and be under 3K. But we are going again in 2013
• We could potentially have a place to stay in NYC for free. We're not overly outdoorsy and don't eat too expensively.
• I think we would like to try something new, but not sure what -- and leaning toward a cruise.
• We live in Richmond, Va. and go to the midwest a lot as my family lives there and we head to NC beach areas a lot as well. TIA!!!

Help!! I keep getting overwhelmed and everything is looking expensive. Ideal would be around $2,00 for the trip, but don't want to be cheap necessarily. Open to suggestions....

 

[HM]

Check out The Homestead Resort. Easy drive for you, lots of family activities, great service and rooms, just a lovely place to visit.

 

[Harters2WDW]

Check out The Homestead Resort. Easy drive for you, lots of family activities, great service and rooms, just a lovely place to visit.

Great suggestion, but we already go to the Homestead every November -- and for free!

 

[JoyG]

Cruises to the caribbean are super cheap in August! I took one last summer.

We cruised Carnival with three kids ages 8-11 to the Bahamas (My kids said it was the best vacation they ever took, and we've been to WDW and DL multiple times).

The fare for 5 people, for five nights, plus taxes, port charges and tips was under $1500.

By the time you add on our transportation to the port (we drove and parked), all shore excursions (including a day trip to Atlantis), and souvenirs...our TOTAL cost for our vacation was $3k.

So I definitely say go on the cruise. Check out www.cruisecritic.com which is the disboards of cruising.

 

[the5marions]

If you've not been to the Smokey Mountains area you might check that out. Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg, TN.

 

[bas71873]

We want to take a family vacation in August and are toying around with a few ideas (WDW one of them, of course!). But we are stuck.

Here's the breakdown:

• We will be doing a week beachfront vacation in Myrtle Beach with my family in June already. We went to WDW in 2011 and will go again in 2013.
• I have a DD6 and DD2.
• We don't mind driving at all, can take a week and preferably would like to spend less than $3,000 for everything. Less is definitely better.
• We've never done a cruise and are considering one (although looks like DCL is beyond our price level)
• We could do Pop for six days with dining plan and be under 3K. But we are going again in 2013
• We could potentially have a place to stay in NYC for free. We're not overly outdoorsy and don't eat too expensively.
• I think we would like to try something new, but not sure what -- and leaning toward a cruise.
• We live in Richmond, Va. and go to the midwest a lot as my family lives there and we head to NC beach areas a lot as well. TIA!!!

Help!! I keep getting overwhelmed and everything is looking expensive. Ideal would be around $2,00 for the trip, but don't want to be cheap necessarily. Open to suggestions....

HI! Fellow central Virginian here. If you have a place to stay in NYC for free, I'd go for that in a heartbeat. My DH is up that way a lot for work so we've been a few times. The train trip (from Staples Mill) is easy peasy and lots of fun. I know you said you aren't outdoorsy, BUT, Central Park is a must see and they have a neat zoo there. That entrance is right near FAO Schwartz and the Plaza hotel (if you have Eloise fans). You can do a carriage ride around the park from there. If you have the $$ to spend since you don't need to pay for lodging, go see the Lion King or Mary Poppins. Both kid friendly, both great. There is a huge Build a Bear store and a huge American Girl store if you girls are in to that. Just walking along Broadway and checking out all the crazy stores is fun. Pop into Toys R Us and ride the ferris wheel. Of course there is the Empire State building and Rockafellar Plaza. There's lots to do there. I'm sure others will chime in but those are just off the top of my head really early in the morning

 

[Harters2WDW]

Cruises to the caribbean are super cheap in August! I took one last summer.

We cruised Carnival with three kids ages 8-11 to the Bahamas (My kids said it was the best vacation they ever took, and we've been to WDW and DL multiple times).

The fare for 5 people, for five nights, plus taxes, port charges and tips was under $1500.

By the time you add on our transportation to the port (we drove and parked), all shore excursions (including a day trip to Atlantis), and souvenirs...our TOTAL cost for our vacation was $3k.

So I definitely say go on the cruise. Check out www.cruisecritic.com which is the disboards of cruising.

Prices do seem really good. We're just afraid of the hidden costs we aren't seeing...are there many?? I'll be stalking that website now too.

 

[Harters2WDW]

HI! Fellow central Virginian here. If you have a place to stay in NYC for free, I'd go for that in a heartbeat. My DH is up that way a lot for work so we've been a few times. The train trip (from Staples Mill) is easy peasy and lots of fun. I know you said you aren't outdoorsy, BUT, Central Park is a must see and they have a neat zoo there. That entrance is right near FAO Schwartz and the Plaza hotel (if you have Eloise fans). You can do a carriage ride around the park from there. If you have the $$ to spend since you don't need to pay for lodging, go see the Lion King or Mary Poppins. Both kid friendly, both great. There is a huge Build a Bear store and a huge American Girl store if you girls are in to that. Just walking along Broadway and checking out all the crazy stores is fun. Pop into Toys R Us and ride the ferris wheel. Of course there is the Empire State building and Rockafellar Plaza. There's lots to do there. I'm sure others will chime in but those are just off the top of my head really early in the morning

Waving hello from the other side of the river!
NYC isn't out of the question. We've gone a few times and hit most of those spots, but love to do it again! We do have a huge AGD fan here...having a store at Tyson's isn't helping our budget! That store could be expensive for us. And, we do love Central Park -- we're just more beach people than spending a vacation hiking, fishing, etc. I love the train from Staples Mill, but haven't done it all the way to NYC yet. We are going to see Lion King in February when it tours here, but my DD6 does want to be a "play director" one day and a production in NYC might blow her away!

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Harters2WDW]

If you've not been to the Smokey Mountains area you might check that out. Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg, TN.

Good idea. We've looked into it before, but didn't think of it this time!

 

[Promomx2]

Another central Va here! Have you checked out Hershey Park in Pa? We went way back ad they had alot of rides and ds liked the factory tour so much we had to go through twice in one day. Plus there's amish farms to visit and some outlets.

 

[bas71873]

Waving hello from the other side of the river!
NYC isn't out of the question. We've gone a few times and hit most of those spots, but love to do it again! We do have a huge AGD fan here...having a store at Tyson's isn't helping our budget! That store could be expensive for us. And, we do love Central Park -- we're just more beach people than spending a vacation hiking, fishing, etc. I love the train from Staples Mill, but haven't done it all the way to NYC yet. We are going to see Lion King in February when it tours here, but my DD6 does want to be a "play director" one day and a production in NYC might blow her away!

Thanks for the advice!

Yeah...we took DD to the AG store in Tyson's last week. She got a slew of AG gift cards for CMas because the trip was part of her Santa gift. WOW. What an experience. I was good at sticking to my guns and not letting her go over her gift card total by too much, but boy could we be in big trouble!

Another central Va here! Have you checked out Hershey Park in Pa? We went way back ad they had alot of rides and ds liked the factory tour so much we had to go through twice in one day. Plus there's amish farms to visit and some outlets.

Hershey is on my list of places to go

 

[Harters2WDW]

Another central Va here! Have you checked out Hershey Park in Pa? We went way back ad they had alot of rides and ds liked the factory tour so much we had to go through twice in one day. Plus there's amish farms to visit and some outlets.

Oh, that's a good one!

 

[Promomx2]

Just checking in to see how vacation plans are coming along? We (myself, dh and ds(16)) had decided not to go to Florida this year, we have gone to Daytona July race last two years and then beaches in Florida. We half-way decided on just going to Myrtle Beach for a week and hoping dd and our (1)gs to join us. Good news she said yes, they would join us. Well she just called to let us know she's pregnant and due in August. So I don't know what to do now. We always go for 4th of July, family tradition. DD's first pregnancy had a few problems so I don't know if she will even be able to go in July or if I will have to go to Pa to help her in July. Ds will be a senior next year so we only have a few more vacations with him and I don't want to cheat him. Love my dd but she has awlful timing.

 

[Harters2WDW]

I think we are going to do Pop. We wanted desperately to do something new, but WDW lured us in once again.

Ugh for the timing by your DD! congrats to her, but timing!

Has anyone ever had a Richmond area DIS meet?? Seems like there are a lot of us on her and it would be fun to gather with other Disney faithful (and budget boarders too!).

 

[KCmike]

Disneyland!
The Best.
The Original.
So much to do in California as well.