Ok, so we go to WDW- every other year. It's our off year, looking for family vacation ideas ( not the beach- we will do a mini vacation there) Looking To spend no more than about $3200 ( that's roughly our weekly Disney budget). Background- live near RDU NC, it would be me, DH, DS11, DD6- I've been checking out NYC or Las Vegas/ Grand Canyon everything seems so outrageous. Makes me think Disney prices are not so bad. Any ideas folks??
To get the best "bang for your buck", you'll want to drive, just like you do to Disney. And you'll probably want a 1 day trip...so that leaves the best 3 places in my mind (in no order) of Williamsburg VA (if you like theme park meets old history), Washington, DC (if you like history and culture with a city vibe), and Pigeon Forge TN (if you like nature meets amusement park meets tourist trap activities).
At any of these places, you should be able to get a hotel cost for a week for a family of 4 for under $200/night, you can count travel costs/meals/tolls/gas for another $100, and have $1700 left to plan for activities/meals/parking (or metro) - and that money will go far in each of those places, but it will require being selective.
I'll be in Williamsburg in the summer for 6 nights - I got season passes for 6 for $420 on Black Friday for both parks - right now, you can get them for both parks for $90/each + tax or about $100. Add a week of parking for $45. So, you're at $445 for the 2 parks. There is also Yorktown/Jamestown/Colonial Williamsburg - these can be toured in all different ways at all different costs. Only you would know what you want. I've bought a CW night ghost tour for $42 for my family of 6 (thanks Groupon deal + Groupon select), since we've done CW before, and my kids want a different take on history. So, I'm gonna spend more time and money at the other 2 sites (which we haven't seen yet), although I have a 4th grader, so with the National Parks pass, I'm expecting some cheaper stuff there
. And the area also has some tourist trappy things, some outlet shopping things, and VA Beach for a day trip in "easy possibilities".
So, as you can see, that area can easily be a $3K vacation for you...but you have to decide if you'd be happy enough there...