Our Next Vacation Dollars will be spent at…

[Jrb1979]

We’ll, that’s an interesting one…

We’re in the UK, and after some thought we’re intending to return to Florida in November this year (our November 2021 trip, booked pre-Covid but of course postponed). We have a villa booked for three weeks, and flights and a car…

Normally for these trips - which we’re only able to take every two years or so - we’d take advantage of the special Disney tickets deal available to UK residents (14 days park access for the price of 7) but this year we’re not planning on visiting WDW at all. Having to make park reservations after buying the tickets, not to mention Genie+ and all that twaddle, and the current state of the dining options and the almost compulsory need to do everything on a smartphone, has simply convinced us that it’s no longer worth the hassle. We will visit Universal - we haven’t been since 1997 ( ) so that will be a bit different. Other than that, central Florida has much more to offer than just the theme parks. If we get a serious yen to visit Epcot (we both love World Showcase) we’ll just see what’s available ‘on the day’ and book a 1-day ticket locally.

We might even take a trip over to Tampa - we saw Joe Montana play in London when the NFL was just starting its European expansion, and Dan Marino in a Monday night game in Miami on our visit in 1997, and the Bucs have a Monday night game at home smack in the middle of our trip this year. And I’ve been a Bucs fan since the day they appointed Tony Dungy as coach, and since…

They do have a great park to visit if you're going to be in Tampa.

 

[Shellsbutt]

New York City next month, fingers crossed! Covid may have other plans for us though My husband and I have our second booster scheduled for the first week of June, not sure what else can be done. We have United credit left over from June 2020 and our cancelled England trip. We had a Rick Steves best of London tour scheduled this summer but had to cancel because of the testing requirement to fly home, can't afford to risk testing positive. We'll try to go next year. Now my husband is asking about a plan b, what are some good destinations within three hours of Newark(the airport we're flying into) Ugh.

 

[Sakiki]

They do have a great park to visit if you're going to be in Tampa.

We went to Busch Gardens on our trip in 1997. I dare say it’s a bit different now…

 

[JLemaire7]

New York City next month, fingers crossed! Covid may have other plans for us though My husband and I have our second booster scheduled for the first week of June, not sure what else can be done. We have United credit left over from June 2020 and our cancelled England trip. We had a Rick Steves best of London tour scheduled this summer but had to cancel because of the testing requirement to fly home, can't afford to risk testing positive. We'll try to go next year. Now my husband is asking about a plan b, what are some good destinations within three hours of Newark(the airport we're flying into) Ugh.

Hudson Valley area in New York is beautiful and would be great to visit in June. It’s about 2 hours driving from Newark Airport. You could also consider coastal Connecticut too.

 

[Jillpie]

Iceland in the Fall!

 

[OKW8297]

WDW!

 

[DaisyDuck001]

Myrtle Beach

 

[travelbug]

Spent 12 days in Hawaii in January. I'm mostly staying around home this spring and summer, except for a couple possible short trips to a friend's cottage in northern Michigan. Heading to Florida in November - 9 days at Fort Myers Beach, followed by a week at WDW (resort only trip). A day at Sea World is a possibility for that trip. I'm a DVC owner and I'm re-evaluating whether to keep my contracts or sell some or all of them. I'm also in the process of looking into some international travel early next year.

 

[Mokat76]

Nags Head NC. A friend and I rent a room every year at this quirky, tacky old motel where some of the rooms have sliding doors that open directly onto the beach. It’s not fancy, but the beach access is the best. The only downside is you cannot keep sand out of the room. It gets pretty gritty. It’s a price I’m willing to pay.

 

[Darcy03231]

Just booked an 8 day southern Caribbean cruise for this fall (Aruba, Bonaire & Curacao). We got a great deal. 2 people in a balcony cabin for $1732 with $75 in onboard credit. DD & DSIL had a cruise canceled and a credit of $500 that they can't use before the end of the year so once we applied that it brought it down to $1232. Buy one, get one on Delta for total airfare of $300.

 

[Darcy03231]

We’ll, that’s an interesting one…

We’re in the UK, and after some thought we’re intending to return to Florida in November this year (our November 2021 trip, booked pre-Covid but of course postponed). We have a villa booked for three weeks, and flights and a car…

Normally for these trips - which we’re only able to take every two years or so - we’d take advantage of the special Disney tickets deal available to UK residents (14 days park access for the price of 7) but this year we’re not planning on visiting WDW at all. Having to make park reservations after buying the tickets, not to mention Genie+ and all that twaddle, and the current state of the dining options and the almost compulsory need to do everything on a smartphone, has simply convinced us that it’s no longer worth the hassle. We will visit Universal - we haven’t been since 1997 ( ) so that will be a bit different. Other than that, central Florida has much more to offer than just the theme parks. If we get a serious yen to visit Epcot (we both love World Showcase) we’ll just see what’s available ‘on the day’ and book a 1-day ticket locally.

We might even take a trip over to Tampa - we saw Joe Montana play in London when the NFL was just starting its European expansion, and Dan Marino in a Monday night game in Miami on our visit in 1997, and the Bucs have a Monday night game at home smack in the middle of our trip this year. And I’ve been a Bucs fan since the day they appointed Tony Dungy as coach, and since…

Some of the things we did and enjoyed on a Orlando-area trip when we skipped WDW were:

Medieval Times dinner show
Paddling with Manatees
Ripley's Believe it or Not
Blue Man Group
Everglades Airboat Ride
Glass bottom Kayak tour
Outta Control Comedy Magic Dinner Show
Disney Springs - we walked around, did the Void (Star Wars) and went to the movies there
Kennedy Space Center & lunch with an astronaut

 

[legler2250]

CCV! Despite all the reasons to venture out to new and exciting places I just can't stay away from the spiritual recharge that only the DVC resorts can provide =) I'm only 43 but still love waking up before everyone else and taking a book to the quiet lobby and reading by the fireplace.

 

[mikehn]

Just booked an 8 day southern Caribbean cruise for this fall (Aruba, Bonaire & Curacao). We got a great deal. 2 people in a balcony cabin for $1732 with $75 in onboard credit. DD & DSIL had a cruise canceled and a credit of $500 that they can't use before the end of the year so once we applied that it brought it down to $1232. Buy one, get one on Delta for total airfare of $300.

Sounds like NCL with the buy one get one airfare. They are practically giving away cruises over at NCL

 

[disny_luvr]

We are heading out west. Taking a two-week road trip and visiting Badlands NP, Custer, and Mount Rushmore in SD, Yellowstone NP, Grand Tetons NP and Jackson Hole, WY, and then Rocky Mountain NP and Estes Park in Colorado before flying home. We can’t wait!

 

[dominiondad]

I suspect we will head for places that require less coordination/rules. Something like a beach house within a day's driving distance. We've had too many vacations disrupted in that last couple years because governments, travel companies, and destinations can't seem to stick to an established set of rules. Changing COVID requirements, cancelled flights, travel bans, and destination operation disruptions have just been too much. We'll rent a house for a week, sit on the beach, and drink beer.

 

[Darcy03231]

Sounds like NCL with the buy one get one airfare. They are practically giving away cruises over at NCL

Actually, it's Royal Caribbean.

 

[Princess Tam]

Anyplace except Disneyworld. We’ve stayed on property and mostly at luxury resorts about 15 weeks out of the past 14 years and have noticed a decline that probably makes Walt turn in his grave.

We are at the GF in DW now and feel that the genie/lightning lane program ruins the theme park experience by creating excessive lines. We spent the first few days without it and it was pure hell. Then we purchased it and felt guilty walking by crowds of people dealing with the line hell we experienced in prior days.

You‘d think that a “woke” company like Disney would not be so blatant about creating two classes of guests with genie plus. It’s actually disgusting.

 

[pigletto]

At Disney now, stayed at Port Orleans for 5 nights and Animal Kingdom Lodge for 3. Had a fabulous time and didn’t mind Genie plus at all to be honest. There were days we didn’t feel we needed it and days we were glad we had it.
Our next vacation dollars will go to England this summer for a trip with my mom and my sisters. After that? Who knows .. but I’m excited to plan !

 

[diser_fam]

Our next vacation will be back at WDW in June of 2023.

In the meantime, we will have a few mini-vacations this summer for some of my son's junior golf tournaments. Hilton Head, Pinehurst, Pigeon Forge, etc. Those are just Thursday through Sunday trips and he certainly doesn't look at them as vacations, but the rest of us do. haha

 

[greeneyedchick]

We own DVC, but due to current overcrowding and other <<reasons>>, we’ll be spending our next 5 day vacation at a beach town, meeting lots of other family members. Would have been at least 9, maximum 15 people, spending $ at WDW… We’ll now get together elsewhere… with a lazy river.
(I looked at IL, but the dates don’t mesh well with us right now. We’ll be back to WDW for a higher point resort-only stay, maybe hit up UO next time we’re in town.)
Longer term planning brings us to Europe, assuming no political unrest in countries of choice.

If you’re changing it up for your next vacation, where will you be spending your would have been WDW dollars?

We went out west to Arizona and Utah. It was amazing and so much fun even though we aren't the outdoorsy-hiking type of people. The fast and intense jeep ride out to a private area of Antelope Canyon was like the "Indiana Jones ride, Dinosaur and Thunder Mountain combined" and "more fun than all of them" - to quote my teenage daughter.