Other Vacations ...

[pigletto]

So we recently returned from our Disney trip. I am someone who likes to always have a plan in the works. Maybe we will vacation again next year, maybe take a year off.. but I like to dream and plan and crunch numbers.
I am thinking our next trip will be somewhere else (gasp), or at very least offsite to experience some other Orlando attractions. I'm not really set on any idea just yet. I would just like some ideas to start the planning and more importantly .. budgeting process.

So where do you vacation other than Disney? Where are some of the places you have been and where do you go to research prices and activities?

We have done several cruises.. and we like them, so that isn't out. I am just kind of stumped where to set my sights on next and would love to hear your thoughts

 

[disny_luvr]

We go to the beach every year. Some other trips that we have taken that aren't Disney were Maine, Boston, Washington DC, Niagara Falls, Tennessee (Smoky Mountain area) just to name a few. DH would love to go to Chicago for some baseball games, so that area is on our radar. We'd also love to go out west to the Grand Canyon and surrounding areas. We hope to go in a few years when our boys are a little older to enjoy it. We've also done different locations in the Caribbean.

When I think about it there are so many areas we'd love to travel to in the U.S. and abroad, but for some reason Disney seems to win out. I guess our hearts belongs there.

 

[ENSOCK]

DH and I was just discussing this. We will like to start trying to visit all 50 states. Been to 7 so we still have a few left!

 

[Mary•Poppins]

We have been to the beaches of New Jersey (Sea Isle City, Stone Harbor), North Carolina (Outerbanks) and South Carolina (Hilton Head). I like the beach and these are my husband's favorite vacations. However, for me, it never feels like a vacation. I have to pack everything we need, plan breakfast, lunch and dinner, buy the food, etc ... (Sorry, I sound like a real whiner ) I like going to Disney just for the fact that someone makes my bed, serves me meals and provides great entertainment!

 

[pigletto]

We have been to the beaches of New Jersey (Sea Isle City, Stone Harbor), North Carolina (Outerbanks) and South Carolina (Hilton Head). I like the beach and these are my husband's favorite vacations. However, for me, it never feels like a vacation. I have to pack everything we need, plan breakfast, lunch and dinner, buy the food, etc ... (Sorry, I sound like a real whiner ) I like going to Disney just for the fact that someone makes my bed, serves me meals and provides great entertainment!

You don't sound like a whiner at all. Vacation means a break from the ordinary and if you end up doing all the same things you'd be doing at home then it's not always a break. I don't mind those kinds of trips.. but not every time. I like to mix it up
Disney seems to win for us most often because I know ahead of time exactly what it's going to cost, and I know that there will be something for every one of us to enjoy every day of our trip. It's hard to pass that up with my kids being the age that they are.

 

[Carina]

Where in Canada are you? I'm On Vancouver Island

My family & I just got home from Yellowstone, I LOVED it.

We drove, you cannot do Yellowstone without a Car.

It was an affordable holiday, your entertainment ( the park) is $25 for everyone in your car for the week!
Much of the lodgeing is very VERY expensive for bare bones accomadation, but after much research I found a great deal on a cute cabin in an RV park in West Yellowstone. It was about 1/2 the price of any of the decent hotels in town. ( and by decent I mean not HORRIBLE) and we loved being in an RV park instead of a hotel.


I am sooooo glad we went. Scenery like that can only be properly experienced with your own eyes.
After doing it, I said to hubby it was a bucket list experience.

 

[mnasf]

Not sure of your budget. Washington D.C. can be economical. I think southern CA has a lot to offer kids. I plan trips far in advance so I get what you're saying. Have you looked at Trip Advisor? We did Costa Rica about a year ago on our own and my kids liked it.

So we recently returned from our Disney trip. I am someone who likes to always have a plan in the works. Maybe we will vacation again next year, maybe take a year off.. but I like to dream and plan and crunch numbers.
I am thinking our next trip will be somewhere else (gasp), or at very least offsite to experience some other Orlando attractions. I'm not really set on any idea just yet. I would just like some ideas to start the planning and more importantly .. budgeting process.

So where do you vacation other than Disney? Where are some of the places you have been and where do you go to research prices and activities?

We have done several cruises.. and we like them, so that isn't out. I am just kind of stumped where to set my sights on next and would love to hear your thoughts

 

[WheelCEO]

just got back from my first week cruise ever and in the process of booking another.. i am hooked!

 

[rangermom]

We are working visitng all 50 states. We are about halfway there. We try atleast 1 non Disney trip a year. This so far we have gone to DL, a 2 week trip through AZ, NM, TX, and LA (we try to visit some type of attraction or park every day), and we will be going to Hilton Head Island in Nov (I guess technically Disney since it is the part of DVC).

So far next year we are doing WDW and other Orlando attractions in June and a DCL Bahamas trip in either Nove or Dec. We will probably do a couple of weekend trips to UT or NV, since we have not been to those states yet.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

just got back from my first week cruise ever and in the process of booking another.. i am hooked!

We have always wanted to take a cruise, but I always end up booking another trip to Disney. We do, however, go to Gatlinburg at least once or twice a year because it's my husbands favorite place to go. We have been going the week of Christmas for a while now.

Maybe when the kids are grown we will try a few new places. DH & I want to eventually go to Alaska, so that will be neat.

 

[eliza61]

There are so many wonderful vacation destinations out there. This year we actually headed up to your neck of the woods and did Niagara Falls and Toronto. Loved it.
we love the beach and lots of great beach destinations on the East coast.

My kids love Washington DC.

We really want to do Yosemite and Bryce Canyon (I think that's the name of it). Every one raves about our state parks and I've never really been West of the Mississippi.

Next year we're doing France and Disney.

 

[mom2travel]

We enjoy a beach vacation - driving from here to OBX or flying to the Caribbean. We've done Hawaii, the Grand Canyon, La/DL, Baltimore, Chicago, NYC, DCL. We don't have a "plan" yet for next year but a few things we've tossed around as possibilities for the next couple years are Yellowstone, Alaska, somewhere we can go snorkeling, Asheville, various spots in TN. We have a really long list of ideas that each of us has contributed to. I guess where we end up will depend on when we decide to travel and how much time we have available.

 

[Jennifer in MI]

We have always wanted to take a cruise, but I always end up booking another trip to Disney. We do, however, go to Gatlinburg at least once or twice a year because it's my husbands favorite place to go. We have been going the week of Christmas for a while now.

Maybe when the kids are grown we will try a few new places. DH & I want to eventually go to Alaska, so that will be neat.

Try a Disney Cruise! You could add it on to a WDW vacation. That's what we do!!!

We've done some very economical driving vacations. We love them! I pre-cook a bunch of meals and we travel with a microwave. Stay at hotels with free breakfasts. We've done:

1. MI-OH-IN-IL-MO-OK-TX-NM-CA-UT-WY-CO-IA-IL-IN-MI That one took us a month and we had in-laws in Phoenix and a conference in San Fransisco, so there were some nice breaks with people we knew.

2. MI-Niagara Falls-VT-NH-NY-Canada-MI. This was 1.5 weeks. It cost us less than $800!

3. MI-DC-VA-and back. DC has some GREAT things!!

4. We're driving out to LA next year for our MR cruise.

5. We plan to take an AK cruise in 2012 and drive out to Seattle or Vancouver.

Anyway, you get the idea. There are SO many places to see!!!

 

[adkkev]

Pigletto ...

where in Canada are you? You have some pretty awesome places to visit/vacation in your beautiful country, so don't count them out!!!

We loved Nova Scotia, spent 5 days on Cape Breton ... lots of things to do and see there. Scenery is great!

Canadian Rockies ... truly spectacular, one of our favorites so far! Banff is okay (a bit commercialized, like Lake Placid here in NY), but Jasper!! We loved the Jasper area ... so many opportunities for hiking, etc. We hope to return here sometime soon.

Vancouver & coastal area ... again, beautiful area, with lots to do and see!

 

[Ava]

There are so many wonderful vacation destinations out there. This year we actually headed up to your neck of the woods and did Niagara Falls and Toronto. Loved it.

This is on our list of trips we want to take. I've never been to Niagra Falls, and have only been to Toronto for 1 day many years ago. My partner's grandparents had a summer home in Canada (can't remember the name of the town but it was in Ontario) and she always says she'd like to go back there.

Washington DC has a TON of things to do, and a lot of them are free.

I also have to recommend my current hometown - NYC! It can be expensive but there are also a lot of free/low cost attractions. Just walking around & exploring different neighborhoods is one of the best things to do in the city, and that's free.

We'd also love to see more of Europe. I did the summer backpacking thing after college, but my partner has only been to a few places in Europe. We did Budapest & Prague a couple years ago, before DD was born, but she really wants to see France (mainly Paris), Italy, & Germany.

We also both want to see the Grand Canyon.

See, there are WAY too many places to visit!

 

[pigletto]

Pigletto ...

where in Canada are you? You have some pretty awesome places to visit/vacation in your beautiful country, so don't count them out!!!

We loved Nova Scotia, spent 5 days on Cape Breton ... lots of things to do and see there. Scenery is great!

Canadian Rockies ... truly spectacular, one of our favorites so far! Banff is okay (a bit commercialized, like Lake Placid here in NY), but Jasper!! We loved the Jasper area ... so many opportunities for hiking, etc. We hope to return here sometime soon.

Vancouver & coastal area ... again, beautiful area, with lots to do and see!

We are in Ontario. Dh's vote is for what you are suggesting: He wants to drive (36 hours.. yikes) out West and go to the Banff/Jasper area. I went as a child, but I barely remember. I also saw Banff as a teen. And I agree, it is just stunning. My husband and my kids have never seen real mountains. I think you're on to something

 

[purplegirl247]

We're doing Charleston/Savannah for a week this fall (we do Savannah every 2 years or so, but Charleston will be a first for us). We've also done Vegas and Cali (San Diego and LA, but we'd love to go back to hit San Fran and the northern areas).

As far as a wish list, Canada is on it, lol (we just haven't narrowed down where, exactly), as is Atlanta (CNN and Coke), D.C. and Pittsburgh (DH has family there).

DH loves visiting the same place over and over again (he'd switch between a Disney cruise and Savannah until the end of days, lol) but I like to mix it up, so I totally see where you're coming from. Enjoy the research; that might be my favorite part!

 

[adkkev]

I think it may be easier to fly to Calgary & rent a car ... 36 hours of driving across the plains might be just a bit much!

 

[swilshire]

So where do you vacation other than Disney? Where are some of the places you have been and where do you go to research prices and activities?

Well .... this year we went to Canada. Not sure exactly where you're from, but we spent a couple of nights on Prince Edward Island (not long enough) and a week in Nova Scotia. Great trip!

We've done Cape Cod (repeatedly), Boston, Maine, Hilton Head SC, various Florida beaches, Western Canada (BC and AB --- loved the drive from Jasper to Banff), England/Scotland/Wales, Hawaii. I can think of lots of places I'd like to go if I had enough vacation time and money.

Sheila

 

[*BTMRR*]

If you're in the West--Tokyo! It can be a lot less expensive than you think, and is just incredible. Plus you can get your Disney fix in.
If you're nearer the East Coast, though, the journey would be really long.