Top Ten Family Vacation Destinations

[minmate]

Yahoo and National Geographic Traveler did a little poll. 58% of their respondents plan to take 2 or more family vacations this year. They also claim road trips were the most popular family vacation choice. Here, check out the top ten Family Vacation Destinations... See what you think. (Note: I posted this for a reason, but I won't give it away, check out the list first!)

http://travel.yahoo.com/family

 

[minkydog]

New Orleans is #1? Las Vegas, Savannah? I'm sure these are nice places, but if I told my kids we were skipping WDW and going to Savannah they would completely mutiny.

 

[Kristi1357]

Las Vegas for kids? I wouldn't have even recommended that years ago when Vegas was trying to be family-friendly!

 

[cheyita]

I assume you, like me, are surprised Orlando isn't mentioned at all! Not that it's a typical driving vacation destination, but it is certainly a top family vacation destination!!

 

[tickledtink]

Hogwash. They don't know what they are talking about. Wonder who they interviewed to get their information.

 

[SamanthaL]

Who did they ask, a bunch of single 20 year olds without kids? Great poll! I just ask DD where she would rather go, Vegas, Savannah or WDW. She said, "whats Vegas?" Um.....ya. That is almost laughable!

 

[snyderla]

I agree "hogwash"! That's the most ridiculous list I've ever seen!
Lori

 

[athenna]

Who did they poll for this??? New Orleans & Las Vegas for family vacations?? I'm sure both cities have some stuff kids can do, but NO ORLANDO??

I hope no one from these cities takes my response the wrong way, I love Vegas and have always wanted to go to New Orleans. But I'm in my 30's. I can't imagine being 10 and my folks saying ''forget WDW, we're going to Vegas'' I would've thought they were nuts!

 

[goofyernmost]

Who did they poll for this??? New Orleans & Las Vegas for family vacations?? I'm sure both cities have some stuff kids can do, but NO ORLANDO??

Having been to both cities, I can assure you that there is nothing "Kid" friendly in either city that overpowers the general feel of the place. Vegas isn't called "sin city" for nothing and evenings in the French Qtr. is absolutely no place for kids. Once they have looked at the muddy Mississippi the novelty will wear off and what is left to do?

I would love to try and explain to a 10 year old why all those people are handing out business card sized pictures of naked women every three to four feet in Vegas and why those trucks with the illuminated panels of nearly naked females are driving up and down the strip. Family destination is quite laughable!

 

[missypie]

I talked to a guy who took his kids to Vegas on Spring Break back when Vegas was running all those ads about being so kid friendly. He said that yes, there was a lot to do, but that all three kids came back with respiratory problems caused by breathing in so much heavy cigarette smoke.

 

[Mymatisse]

New Orleans has a REALLY high crime rate. Weird.

 

[Certifiable WDW Nut]

When you look at the criteria for making the decision, it becomes clear why WDW would not make the list. WDW is not considered by most to be a low cost vacation. Remember for most people (not those that spend a lot of time on the DIS) WDW is a once in a lifetime, very expensive vacation. An analogy would be to ask what do you have dinner most in your house versus if you could have the greatest chef make anything for you for dinner, what would it be.

It is sad that most people do not understand that WDW can be done very cost effectively.

 

[minmate]

But still, if you're going to drive and/or camp, it CAN be done at WDW... and if not just WDW... why is Orlando and all of Florida missing? Hmmm.... maybe all those families flocking to those cities is good... more space for the rest of us in Florida!

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Well, my parents took us to WDW yearly as children. But we spent far more time in our annual (often 2,3 times a year) Vegas trips.

 

[Fla Gator]

What a joke! And no beaches on the list? Living near Panama City Beach and having just attended a business conference in New Orleans during the summer, I can tell which is more crowded with families and it ain't New Orleans! All there is for kids in New Orleans that I can remember (although I chose NOT to take mine there) is the zoo, some museums/historic buildings, and a carriage ride or riverboat ride (of course you can ride on a carriage or riverboat at WDW ). And as far as expense being an issue with those polled for this bogus list, my hotel room in New Orleans cost more than the rooms I pay for on Disney property (and there was no food court) and once you add up the cost of individual attractions/tours there you might as well have bought a theme park ticket!

 

[lovmy2girls]

Hey they did us a favor, more discounts for us ! Maybe when we go in June the parks will be empty because everyone went to New Orleans, and then to Vegas because they had money left over.

 

[nataliesdaddy]

Yahoo and National Geographic Traveler did a little poll. 58% of their respondents plan to take 2 or more family vacations this year. They also claim road trips were the most popular family vacation choice. Here, check out the top ten Family Vacation Destinations... See what you think. (Note: I posted this for a reason, but I won't give it away, check out the list first!)

http://travel.yahoo.com/family

That site lists Santa Fe as number 6. You want to bore your child to death for vacation? Go to Santa Fe.

I live in New Mexico - and I can say definitively - If you are taking kids to santa fe for a summer vacation then I hope your kids are tree hugging, multiculturally politically correct liberals with very little excitement in their lives. Or your kids would like it if they are "new age" dope smoking pseudo intellectuals looking for a pseudo cultural/spiritual experience in a la la land thinking that somehow a state could be culturally diverse with only three racial demographics.

Or if your kid likes world class Opera... that would be about the only thing I would vacation in santa fe for... And I hate Opera so I wouldn't be going for that.

The best reason I could ever see for vacationing in Santa Fe? The best reason is about to end... we have killer skiing in New Mexico. Santa Fe ski area is a lovely ski area with one run that is 7 miles long. And if you are lucky it will dump two feet of snow in 48 hours and you can get out on the slopes in 50 degree weather the next day and return to santa fe in the low 70 degrees.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

I live in New Mexico - and I can say definitively - If you are taking kids to santa fe for a summer vacation then I hope your kids are tree hugging, multiculturally politically correct liberals with very little excitement in their lives. Or your kids woul like it if they are some "new age" dope smoking pseudo intellectuals looking for a pseudo cultural/spiritual experience in a la la land thinking that somehow a state could be culturally diverse with only three racial demographics.

I'm laughing because my ultra conservative parents go to Santa Fe on vacation all the time. Maybe theres something I don't know about them....

 

[lilfroggie]

I have to agree with all of you on the Vegas thing! We went for the first time in January and I was SHOCKED at how many kids I DID see on the strip! And as for inexpensive...we stayed at Circus,Circus and the "amusement park" they had was expensive for what was there! We live driving distance from Cedar Point, Great America and Kings Island...if I want to take my kids to a theme park, I will go to one of them! On the other hand, outside the city there are some gorgeous places to see...and I could see camping near Vegas and going to the Hoover Dam and Red Rock Gorge (I think that's what it was called). Maybe that's where these people are going???