Non WDW Trips

[Leigh123]

After this last trip we decided we were only going to go every other year instead of every year. Where do you all go when you are not vacationing in WDW? Is there anywhere else that gives you that magic feeling, or the ease of being at an on site resort area? Thanks in advance.

 

[TimandTanya]

We absolutely love Washington D.C. Our DS8 LOVES the Smithsonian. He asks all the time when we are going back. The best part about it, all the museums are free. We got a really nice hotel with a HUGE continental breakfast for $71 per night. We took a tour ride on a double decker bus, which is a get on/get off type bus. It was $88 for all three of us for 2 days. It was great! We saw only 1/100th of what they have there in the 4 days we were there. Education, fun and memories, who could ask for more!

Our second trip back, we booked the same hotel, and the manager personally wrote us a letter thanking us for coming back to his hotel, and there was bottle waters, and a jar of Jelly Beans in our room welcoming us back. It was a really nice touch!

 

[Vivianne]

We always talk about our trip the the Grand Canyon. We rented a car and DH drove a 1300 mile loop from Vegas, Hoover Dam and stops at Oatman Az, Route 66, Sedona, and a few of the National Parks. Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Zion were the highlight of our trip. Then back to Vegas to fly home. It was a truly awe inspiring wonderful trip. I even saw a road runner....

 

[GovieMom]

Our second favorite vacation spot after WDW is the Smoky Mountains National Park. We love nature and being outdoors, and it is soooo beautiful in those mountains. Lots of places to hike with gorgeous scenery, waterfalls, old settlements, etc. And Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge are loaded with activities to keep everyone busy in town.

 

[TLinden16]

Since this isn't a Disney trip planning thread, I'm going to move it over to the community board.

 

[DisneyDebbie]

My other fav. place to go is up to Toronto. We stay a little north of it. It's definately not staying inclusively one place. But we love African Lion Safari, Canada's Wonderland, and the Toronto Zoo. Get some shopping in and maybe even a show. It is driving everywhere though.

 

[EthansMom]

Our family loves to cruise. We're in Connecticut and conveniently drive to NY/NY to to catch a ship that cruises down to the Caribbean.... literally within 1.5 hours of leaving home, we're on vacation! We love seeing the different islands and the convenience of cruising to different places can't be beat. Our favorite cruiseline in Royal Caribbean.

 

[monkeybug]

We are going to Smugglers Notch this December. Lot's of activities (both summer and winter), lot's of opportunity to do things together as a family, or leave the kids at the kids camp and enjoy time alone with your spouse. It's expensive, but if you belong to RCI or if you can use Armed forces vacation club you can go for much less.

Washington DC is a wonderful place to go for a family vacation. Everything is very close, and best of all almost everything is FREE! Can't beat that!

We also love, love, love (did I mention we love it?) the Lancaster area. There are a TON of family friendly activities ranging from working farms to theme parks. Great down home food (we once went to a restaurant near the sight and sound theater and fed 6 people for $30 at an Amish owned restaurant where even the pickles and potato chips were home made) We go often! Our favorites there (so far) are Dutch Wonderland, Hershey park, Cherry Crest Farm, Rocky Acres Guest farm (awesome!), Abes buggy rides, Dieners restaurant, and the sight and sound theater.

NYC and the Colonial Willamsburg area are also great!

For the west coast it would be Yosemite (taught me what the term "takes my breath away" really means) Carmel, Monterey, Avenue of the Giants, the Oregon/Washington coast, and Leavenworth Washington for Christmas (I don't think a more picture perfect Christmas location exisits!) and of course Yellowstone!

OK enough from me! We like vacations! Can you tell?

 

[of the seas]

I second a Royal Caribbean cruise! We equally love Disney and cruising the most! You can enjoy together time or kids can go off to their own little club and you can have adult time! There is always activities happening or you can do nothing. It's totally up to you!

Other things my family likes to do is go to national parks. They have a junior ranger program that my kids liked to do to earn ranger badges.

 

[TheGoofster]

About once every other year, my dad gives us a week at a timeshare which we like to use at the Mayan Palace in Acapulco. The fact that we can drive there in about 4 hours helps a lot too.

It is one of the most beautiful resorts we've ever seen (not that our experience in seeing beautiful resorts is very vast). The pool is one of the longest in the world at almost a mile long, plus it has a water park on site as well.

If you're ever looking for a nice place to vacation to in Mexico, give it a glance. It really is an incredible place. Here's a link about it:

http://www.wyndham.com/hotels/ACAMP/main.wnt

 

[Kimberle]

We absolutely love Washington D.C. Our DS8 LOVES the Smithsonian. He asks all the time when we are going back. The best part about it, all the museums are free. We got a really nice hotel with a HUGE continental breakfast for $71 per night. We took a tour ride on a double decker bus, which is a get on/get off type bus. It was $88 for all three of us for 2 days. It was great! We saw only 1/100th of what they have there in the 4 days we were there. Education, fun and memories, who could ask for more!

Our second trip back, we booked the same hotel, and the manager personally wrote us a letter thanking us for coming back to his hotel, and there was bottle waters, and a jar of Jelly Beans in our room welcoming us back. It was a really nice touch!

What hotel? We are thinking of going in April.

 

[paintnolish]

Our second favorite vacation spot after WDW is the Smoky Mountains National Park. We love nature and being outdoors, and it is soooo beautiful in those mountains. Lots of places to hike with gorgeous scenery, waterfalls, old settlements, etc. And Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge are loaded with activities to keep everyone busy in town.

Us, too! You have two extremes so close together...lots of touristy activities and then the beauty of nature in the National Park! Ren a cabin in the Smokies with a hot tub on the porch, going hiking in the morning, then minigolf/waterpark/shop/etc. in the evening!

 

[wdwgirl03]

We just like going to new places. Like this past year we went to New York (it was the first time my sisters and I had ever been there), last year we went to Arizona for spring training. We're hoping to get to Washington DC soon too (another place my sisters and I have never been ).

 

[ohiomom28]

We go to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge. I love it there!
Next spring we are going to Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area. Hopefully staying somewhere in between that doesn't cost so much.

 

[N&B'smom]

We love going to Beaches Turks and Caicos!! Everything you could ever want all in one place: gorgeous beach, beautiful, HUGE pools, water park area, snorkeling off the beach, all food/drinks included....we LOVE it!! Going for the 6th time next April!

http://www.beaches.com/main/tc/tc-home.cfm

 

[Linzybrooke]

Another vote for a Royal Caribbean cruise! Soooooo relaxing, great ships, and you don't really have to do anything! DH and I love Disney and cruising pretty equally!

 

[ohiomom28]

We love going to Beaches Turks and Caicos!! Everything you could ever want all in one place: gorgeous beach, beautiful, HUGE pools, water park area, snorkeling off the beach, all food/drinks included....we LOVE it!! Going for the 6th time next April!

http://www.beaches.com/main/tc/tc-home.cfm

Oh wow, I went to that site and priced out a vacation the same time we are looking to go in the Spring. The cheapest was over $8000!

 

[Pakey]

We like going to Europe. Our favorite vacation has been to Paris. It's very easy to get around, there are so many things to see and it's the most beautiful place I've been to. It doesn't hurt that Disneyland Paris is soooo close.

 

[KristaTX]

Switzerland. I spent 6 weeks there in college, and it's the most beautiful place I've ever been. In a way, WDW reminds me of it because of all the landscaping, some of the architecture and theming, the "whole other world" feel, etc. I haven't been anywhere in the US that draws me back time and again like WDW does, or gives me a strong desire to go back to like Switzerland.

I'd love to find a place in the US that I want to go back to over and over. I've never been to NYC or DC, but eventually we will. Maybe we'll love one or both of them, too. I like to have stuff to do and lots of things to see, and not just a place to go see a few sites and then sit and read a book. That's one reason why cruising (I've done two) doesn't draw me back as much as it does some people. On our week-long Alaskan cruise, I got bored. If I ever go back there, I'll fly at least one way, spend time on land site-seeing, and maybe cruise the other way to see the glaciers, which were the most interesting thing to me on that trip.

I did enjoy Philadelphia's sites (especially the big museum), but I don't really need to go back. Same with LA and Seattle. But we have been to Boston once, and I do want to go back to Massachusetts and see some more of the scenic and historic sites.

 

[N&B'smom]

Oh wow, I went to that site and priced out a vacation the same time we are looking to go in the Spring. The cheapest was over $8000!

WOW!! We've never paid more than $3500! It all depends on when you're going and when you book. They have specials A LOT.