What's your Disney alternative?

[#1hoosierfan]

The beach or a cruise. One year we went skiing.

 

[Colleen27]

I suppose it depends on what you mean by alternative. I doubt anything will ever replace Disney World as a place I could go over and over without getting bored or burnt out, but I'm not really looking for that at this point in my life either. It was wonderful having a go-to that was familiar and easy when the kids were little, but now that they're older and I'm not thinking about whether the men's room will have a changing table or if the African restaurant we want to try will have something on the menu for a picky 2nd grader, I'm more of a "different destination every trip" kind of traveler.

As a company, Disney still gets a fair bit of my vacation attention. We've been to Disneyland twice since DD20 moved to California for college, we're spending a few days at Disneyland Paris on our upcoming European trip, and when Japan finally reopens to tourists I'll be booking a trip to Tokyo Disney so fast that heads will spin. The only other "brand" that comes close is the National Park Service, but that's also different destinations for almost every trip. Middle DD has decided to one-up my goal of visiting all 50 states by setting her sights on visiting all the National Parks, and we've made a good start on that goal in the last 4 or 5 years.

 

[RamblingMad]

I suppose it depends on what you mean by replacement. I doubt anything will ever replace Disney World as a place I could go over and over without getting bored or burnt out, but I'm not really looking for that at this point in my life either. It was wonderful having a go-to that was familiar and easy when the kids were little, but now that they're older and I'm not thinking about whether the men's room will have a changing table or if the African restaurant we want to try will have something on the menu for a picky 2nd grader, I'm more of a "different destination every trip" kind of traveler.

As a company, Disney still gets a fair bit of my vacation attention. We've been to Disneyland twice since DD20 moved to California for college, we're spending a few days at Disneyland Paris on our upcoming European trip, and when Japan finally reopens to tourists I'll be booking a trip to Tokyo Disney so fast that heads will spin. The only other "brand" that comes close is the National Park Service, but that's also different destinations for almost every trip. Middle DD has decided to one-up my goal of visiting all 50 states by setting her sights on visiting all the National Parks, and we've made a good start on that goal in the last 4 or 5 years.

I have a friend that has a bucket list to visit all of the National Parks. He's been working on that list for 30 years now and is retired. It's a long list.

Here's one list:

https://seeker.io/national-parks/
If you add monuments, it gets even longer.

And you have to go back multiple times if you want to knock out most of the trails. Some have hundreds of miles of trails.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Interesting thought, dunno yet, I haven't deselected it yet so I'm on the fence & watching traveler reviews closely, I hope they get the kinks out.

Thinking on it we did enjoy the all inclusive side of the DIsney Cruise so if the US starts cultivating some nice all inclusive resorts on water or in the heart of cities I might want to visit but not necessarily dig into I'd be all in. If I just can't find anything in the US best guess is we'll go 2 a year, once to a new US leisure spot and a second to a caribbean spot.

 

[Colleen27]

I have a friend that has a bucket list to visit all of the National Parks. He's been working on that list for 30 years now and is retired. It's a long list.

Here's one list:

https://seeker.io/national-parks/
If you add monuments, it gets even longer.

And you have to go back multiple times if you want to knock out most of the trails. Some have hundreds of miles of trails.

She's starting with just the ones that are officially "national parks", not monuments or lakeshores or forests or any of that. Which at 63 is manageable, but still challenging because of how far flung a few of those parks are. But she's also planning on looking for work with the park service after she graduates next year, specifically at the Alaska parks, so I have no doubt she'll move on to the "lesser" park service units once she's hit the biggies because she's a little bit in love with the whole of the NPS and their work/mission. Not a bad place to channel youthful idealism and a conservation-focused biology degree, I suppose.

 

[Darcy03231]

So far this year we've done 5 days in New Orleans with a 7 day cruise for a total of 12 days, and 6 days in Aiken, SC. Loosely looking at booking another cruise for the fall.

If we want to do a theme park vacation - Universal, Sea World, Discovery Cove.

 

[JBRB828]

We love Hawaii and have been there 18 times, numerous times on each island. After Disney this year, we will go back to Hawaii again.

We have traveled all around the states, only place I want to go back to is Wyoming. I love it there!

We cruised the Caribbean a few times, but dont care for it anymore because the ships are just too big and too many people.

 

[RamblingMad]

She's starting with just the ones that are officially "national parks", not monuments or lakeshores or forests or any of that. Which at 63 is manageable, but still challenging because of how far flung a few of those parks are. But she's also planning on looking for work with the park service after she graduates next year, specifically at the Alaska parks, so I have no doubt she'll move on to the "lesser" park service units once she's hit the biggies because she's a little bit in love with the whole of the NPS and their work/mission. Not a bad place to channel youthful idealism and a conservation-focused biology degree, I suppose.

Nice. They have science programs at the parks that are worth looking into, not just the ones for kids.

I seem to always go back to the Ken Burns documentary on the parks every year before I visit another one. I started the Will Smith one, and it makes me wanna do a safari.

I'd also go to Banff as well. It's amazing.

There are so many places to explore.

 

[Stratman50th]

Favorite? Key West in our RV. Actually anyplace in our RV that's currently within a 6 hour drive of home. That covers a lot of Florida parks and resorts. Once we retire we'll branch out and start taking longer trips.

 

[bjscheel]

We've been alternating Disney with National Parks. This year might be the first time DH and I go somewhere alone, and so I'm thinking not a National Park because DD20, my Parks & Rec major, would be sad to miss (though she's unavailable due to a trip to Ireland and then internship, life's rough lol).

We have tons of SW points but idk what to do. We don't want to sit on the beach and we're not into driving in cities, hence all the Disney bubble and NP trips.

 

[Darcy03231]

We've been alternating Disney with National Parks. This year might be the first time DH and I go somewhere alone, and so I'm thinking not a National Park because DD20, my Parks & Rec major, would be sad to miss (though she's unavailable due to a trip to Ireland and then internship, life's rough lol).

We have tons of SW points but idk what to do. We don't want to sit on the beach and we're not into driving in cities, hence all the Disney bubble and NP trips.

I would suggest either San Diego or Toronto if you haven't been. We had a great time in both cities. There's so much to see/do and if you're foodies, some great food options.

 

[bjscheel]

I would suggest either San Diego or Toronto if you haven't been. We had a great time in both cities. There's so much to see/do and if you're foodies, some great food options.

I did think of San Diego. We went in 1998 on business, and 2013 combined with Disneyland but could definitely go again.

 

[Moliphino]

Europe. We have a very long list of places we want to see.

 

[nw6675]

It used to be Las Vegas 3-4 times a year from the east coast. Now it is the beach in VA, NC, and/or SC.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I only go to WDW for what I'd consider a proper vacation. We spend a week in Wildwood every year at a motel, but Wildwood is like a second home more than a vacation destination. I don't really have a bucket list except for I'd love to go to Japan or back to London.

My sister and I cherish our 'Sisters Trips' to WDW. It's still very much our happy place. I suppose we could go somewhere else together, but besides Disney our tastes in what makes a good vacation are vastly different. She loves beach vacations; I would go out of my skull with boredom. I hate the beach. I love museums. She would rather eat her own foot that step inside one. WDW is our common ground. We both love it so much. I honestly, at this point in my life, don't have an alternative.

 

[loves to dive]

Camping! Love my house on wheels! We go all over

Us too.

Had to google it. It looks amazing! Like the type of picturesque place where many screensavers and desktop wallpapers are created. I would like to go.

I have a friend that just bought a rental house right on the beach there, its in the dunes where horses are and you have to have a four wheel drive to get in. They really worked hard fixing it up. We've been diving in the outer banks, wicked current and some great wrecks of German Uboats.

In the before times, my go to places for long weekends or to just get away on my own were: Jekyll Island Club, Amelia Island, Savannah and Biltmore in Ashville. All are great places close enough for me to drive and to spend 3 or 4 days all by myself. I've only been camping with hubby for his work and to Disney in the last year. I plan on getting back to other places soon.

 

[cedricandsophie]

We still go to disney once or twice a year bit love cruising, and a dude ranch…it’s like going to camp. So much fun to ride and play all day. The one we go to in colorado books up 2 years in advance. And it’s not cheap. But worth every penny.

 

[MIGrandma]

Mackinac Island, cruising, Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, camping.

We spent 4 nights at Disneyworld this past January after an amazing 10-night Celebrity cruise, and it very well May have been our last. Too much has changed, and not for the better except Disney’s pocketbook.

 

[PittPantherfan]

Don't really have one go to besides Disney- we spread it around. Second Maritime Canada! Love Williamsburg, VA and Busch Gardens, Maine, Sedona, Vancouver. Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO is quite nice. For coasters - Cedar Point - not much else around unless you want to tour around the Great Lakes and visit the various islands such as Put-in-Bay.

 

[Carol_]

International places
East coast beaches
Anywhere the friends invite us across the country/world that’s not undergoing civil unrest or war.