Road trip or Disney WWYD?

[Nayan]

Since last year my DH and I have discussed doing a major road trip to the Grand Canyon and sights out west. I booked a room at the GC and have started to make room reservation for the nights we'll be on the road. All total, we would be gone for three weeks and figuring out lodging, food and gas it comes close to $5k. Now my DH tells me that if gas prices rise any more we won't be going. Disney has some great offers for us Florida folks going on right now, both tickets and rooms. Since I am not a mind reader (maybe that's a good thing! ) and I don't know what gas is going to do I don't know if I should just say forget the GC and go to Disney. For our Disney trip and the way we do things it would cost us about $2000. So what would you do?

 

[Maddie2]

Roadtrip!!! Since you live in Florida, I'm guessing that you get to go to WDW anyway. If you have the opportunity to take a 3 week trip, do it while you have the chance to do so. New adventures is what living life is all about.

If gas prices rise significantly, you can always go to WDW, right? It would stink to have to cancel and re-plan, but that is option, isn't it?

 

[fortwildernessishome]

Since last year my DH and I have discussed doing a major road trip to the Grand Canyon and sights out west. I booked a room at the GC and have started to make room reservation for the nights we'll be on the road. All total, we would be gone for three weeks and figuring out lodging, food and gas it comes close to $5k. Now my DH tells me that if gas prices rise any more we won't be going. Disney has some great offers for us Florida folks going on right now, both tickets and rooms. Since I am not a mind reader (maybe that's a good thing! ) and I don't know what gas is going to do I don't know if I should just say forget the GC and go to Disney. For our Disney trip and the way we do things it would cost us about $2000. So what would you do?

I'd vote for the western trip!!! We have done two in the last four years and they are two of the BEST things that we have done with our lives!!!!

Now we also LOVE Disney and even though we live in NH, we have had 24 trips there in the past 18 years.

THE USA is beautiful country and we are SO HAPPY, that we gave up a couple of Disney trips to do something different. In fact, we are planning aother western trip this summer.

Also, $5000.00 is pretty reasonable for a three week trip out west. Gas prices are always going to go up.......but you only live once.....I'd go out west while I had the chance, Disney is in your backyard, you could probably go there anytime.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[hsmamato2]

I vote for planning your trip out west- we just did this,and LOVED it! plus,don';t forget that Disneyland is out west
seriously, the rooms at national parks like GC let you cancel like up to a week before your trip,so just make plans only at places that will allow you to cancel if needed.

 

[Sandy61]

Our trip out west was one of the best we have ever taken! I urge you to take the roadtrip.

This is what we did...

We took the southern route out to California and a northern route back to Iowa.

Santa Fe
Loretto Chapel
Albuquerque
Petroglyph National Monument
Bandeleir National Monument fantastic
Gallup Indian Pow wow
dinosaur footprints
petrified forest
Winslow train depot/hotel
meteor crater
Flagstaff
Grand Canyon
San Diego
Tijuana Mexico you could skip
Lego land
Huntington Beach
Sequoia National Park get giant pinecones
Utah U dig fossils
Cheyenne Wyoming train tour

 

[5forDis]

Go West!

We just went to Arizona and New Mexico in October with our 3 kids. We flew from Boston to Phoenix and then started our journey. We only had a week and would have loved more time.

The Grand Canyon was amazing---nothing compares to standing there seeing it for the first time. Our kids liked this trip as much as Disney (& they are Disney fanatics).

We loved Sedona, AZ. If you go, take a Pink Jeep tour, some independent hikes, and at least a day at the M Diamond Ranch (cowboy breakfasts/dinners & trail rides). You can also stay overnight.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[CAFarmerGirl]

Road trip! We are doing the same, but opposite. We'll wave to you passing through Texas on our way to WDW.

 

[robin09]

Go West!

We just went to Arizona and New Mexico in October with our 3 kids. We flew from Boston to Phoenix and then started our journey. We only had a week and would have loved more time.

The Grand Canyon was amazing---nothing compares to standing there seeing it for the first time. Our kids liked this trip as much as Disney (& they are Disney fanatics).

We loved Sedona, AZ. If you go, take a Pink Jeep tour, some independent hikes, and at least a day at the M Diamond Ranch (cowboy breakfasts/dinners & trail rides). You can also stay overnight.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Tons of questions...if you don't mind...

DH and I have discussed driving cross country several times, but just don't know how to make it work...

DD13 has aspergers and doesn't like change alot...BUT... adores horses so this sounds so wonderful.. what was it like? How much were you able to ride..

THe driving wouldn't be bad, we usually drive to Florida from upstate ny and have no problems, between Her nintendo and kindle, hours can fly by without any problems....

 

[LJSquishy]

I'll be the odd duck out and vote for Disney or any other non-road-trip vacation. The idea of spending so much time in a car doesn't sound even remotely fun to me. Quadruple that for a child. LOL! I know you probably get to go to Disney quite often but I still vote for Disney. And, you could do Disney twice for less than the price of the road trip...or even Disney and another smaller vacation somewhere.

 

[gillenkl]

I'm voting for the road trip - you live in FL and disney will always be there.

 

[preschoolmom]

The Grand Canyon and Utah National Parks are our next big vacation after Disney this spring. I've wanted to see the Grand Canyon my whole life!

I vote for going west!

 

[robin09]

Can anyone give me a breakdown for the costs? Hotel, activities? TIA

 

[HunnyPots]

Can't you just save money by planning a shorter GC trip? Even if you cut off a week of your trip, two weeks is still a long vacation. Personally, I can't imagine my family being able to stand each other for a three week trip, but maybe that's just us.

 

[Nayan]

Driving is at least 4 days to get there, 3 nights on the rim and my hubby wants to go to Roswell, San Antonio (Japanese Tea Gardens) and stop in New Orleans. Even without the extra stops it's 8 days on the road. It is really stressing me out. If we could fly it wouldn't be such a big burden but DH refuses to fly at all so that's out.

 

[hmdavid]

Driving is at least 4 days to get there, 3 nights on the rim and my hubby wants to go to Roswell, San Antonio (Japanese Tea Gardens) and stop in New Orleans. Even without the extra stops it's 8 days on the road. It is really stressing me out. If we could fly it wouldn't be such a big burden but DH refuses to fly at all so that's out.

I am a San Antonian and while the gardens are lovely, I wouldn't swing through SA just for that. I think you will be very disappointed! However, SA has many, many other amazing things to offer.

I vote for the road trip! The Grand Canyon is amazing and I think everyone should see it if they have the opportunity!

 

[Disneefun]

Road trip, for sure. Here's the thing: Gas prices aren't going to go anywhere but up, up, up. Sure, there'll be some dips here and there, but the overall trend will be up and good luck trying to plan a trip so that you hit those dips. Go west while you can.

 

[kkwis2]

We have taken many road trips out west (from Minnesota to New Mexico, each time taking a slightly different route so that we see different things), so I also have to vote for the road trip. Last year our road trip was to Disney!

We love travelling by car, and now by motorhome since we love our road trips so much!

This summer we are heading out west again - Yellowstone for the first time!

 

[Eeyore98]

I am a San Antonian and while the gardens are lovely, I wouldn't swing through SA just for that. I think you will be very disappointed! However, SA has many, many other amazing things to offer.

Agreed. If you're stopping in SA anyway, at least check out the Riverwalk and maybe the Alamo too (they're right next to each other). I'm not interested in TX history in the slighest, but it was still cool to see an old historical site right in the middle of downtown San Antonio with high-rise hotels all around it.

 

[North of Mouse]

We took a road trip out west and I have no desire to do it again. We lived in LA at the time and it took FOREVER to get across TX, AZ NM and there wasn't a lot to see but desert. The Grand Canyon was a disappointment, Carlsbad Caverns, meh -Mesa Verde, Rocky Mtns. The mountains were very majestic, but I'm a southeastern girl all the way and did not like the wide open spaces. We the Great Smoky Mountains. But I'd definitely take WDW Of course I don't live in FL either so I can get to lots of places in a days drive, so that could make a difference to you. FL is sort of "land-locked" or should I say "water-locked" Enjoy whichever you decide because really only you can make that decision.

 

[eduk8r26]

I've done many road trips from Southern California east and always had a great time. I've taken kids all the time. One usually sleeps all the way and the other enjoyed the scenery. Road trips are a great way to see the country. We've seen national parks, museums, roadside attractions, things I wouldn't normally see. I'm thinking about another trip this summer to Boston. I've driven once and taken the train 3 times there. I don't fly so if I want to go anywhere it's either road trip or train.