When you vacation is it always Disney?

[hdh23]

We had such an amazing vacation last October at WDW. We surprised the kids and truly had a magical week that we will remember forever. So, naturally I want to go back When I told my friends/coworkers/family that we wanted to start saving to go back their reactions were all the same.... "AGAIN?!? Why not Hawaii or a road trip to the coast, why not give them a new experience". I understand what they're saying that it's good to show them new things... but we truly loved Disney and grew closer as a family. I feel like maybe one day when they are all older we can vacation by the beach... but right now we all love it! I wish we could afford two vacations a year... but that's not in the cards anytime soon. Do you ever get this reaction from people you know or ever feel like maybe you should vacation somewhere else to give the kids different memories?

 

[Alesia]

I would never consider just going to one place over and over again every time. It's a big world out there and there are so many things to do and see. I would feel like I was doing my daughter a huge disservice by limiting her to just one place. For us, a vacation isn't necessarily just about spending time together (we do plenty of that at home for free,) it's about making great memories and experiencing new things.

But you should do what you think is best. If that's going to Disney every year, then you should do that.

 

[superrach]

Disney has been our vacation of choice for several years now. Once my kid gets in her teen years I'm sure we'll venture out and do something different but this is what we enjoy now so we keep going back!

 

[Dancemomof3]

We seem to alternate. Not intentionally, it's just the way it's worked out. Besides Disney twice with kids we've also been to Long Island/NYC, Washington DC, Lancaster/Hershey, camping, and this summer we're going to Boston. Our next Disney trip will be summer of 2016. That's not too bad of a variety I feel since we weren't able to afford a vacation at all until 2010 (our first Disney vacation). That being said, you do you. I have people in my family horrified that my kids will be on their 3rd trip to Disney next year. These same people camp at our nearby State Park every single summer and don't do anything different. People can think what they want but since they're not paying for your trip they don't get a say.

 

[Lemurone]

It's definitely our priciest regular vacation, that's for sure, and we could probably do some grand things with the money like go out west like we plan to eventually. We did a cruise in October and are doing another in December of this year. My son and I did a 10 mile roundtrip hike to a mountain inn, we go to NC to see family, will have a mountain weekend here and there (vrbo!), and I travel a lot for work and try to bring someone with me if at all possible to take advantage of free air/hotel. That being said, disney was what we have enjoyed most lately so it's where we plan our big trips every couple years. Since my littlest (almost 2) doesn't seem to enjoy water or sand, simple things like renting a beach house don't appeal right now!

 

[Happyinwonerland]

We usually split our trip to include mostly Disney and a few days at an oceanfront hotel. We also take quick weekend trips to places within a 6 hour drive of us, like Chicago, Nashville, Atlanta. I go to Alabama frequently to visit family. This summer we are also going to Missouri a month before our Disney trip.

I like to see different places too, but our big trip will remain Disney until DD is a little older. We love Disney, it pulls us together and gives us wonderful memories. Last night DH and I were talking about how amazing the feeling is when you're walking around the park at night, how there is that extra magic in the air.

We have a major cross country road trip planned for a few years from now, after DH finishes grad school. DD will be around 5 and we are going to make a stop in at Disneyland on that trip, so we will still have some Disney in our trip!

I agree with others that a there is a huge world out there that is wonderful to see. But I agree with you that when your kids are young, Disney really is the perfect vacation.

My dream vacation would include hiking some of the Appalachian trail, then relaxing at a seaside spa, doing a wine tasting, snorkeling, rock climbing. But our daughter is 2 and is not only too young for any of that, she wouldn't find any of that fun at all. Ask her about Disneyworld, and she can tell you exactly what rides she wants to ride and what character meals she wants to do.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

We are also a 2 big vacations per year family, so that helps spread it out a bit too. Although last year both vacations were to Disney world / cocoa beach

 

[isabellea]

Yes and no. LOL. My DH loves going to the beach for our summer vacations and me and the kids love WDW so for the second summer we are combining both. Last summer we did 2 weeks at St.Pete Beach and 3 days at WDW. This summer my youngest is turning 3 on July 22 so we are going to WDW for a week (July18-25) to celebrate her birthday with her favourite character, Minnie Mouse, and then we'll go to the beach for 10 days. In 2016 we are changing things a little as I booked a Disney cruise for my oldest spring break and will visit my parents at their condo in Ft Lauderdale for a few days before. For summer vacations we'll probably go camping with friends in PA. Finally our preliminary plans for 2017 is to fly to LA and visit southern California for 2-3 weeks with 3 days at DL of course! As you can see, we like to see other things than WDW but we also like to have a Disney component to our vacations. We do that while the kids are young then we'll go to Europe and visit other parts of North America.

** We are lucky to each have 4 weeks of vacation per year but if we only had 1 week or 2, I would probably alternate between something Disney and beach or road trip.

 

[msmama]

Nothing seems worse to me then spending a week at the beach. That would be the most tortuous vacation EVER for me, so different strokes for different folks.

As a single mom travelling with one child, it's hard to get easier than disney. We do other smaller vacations, mostly involving visiting family with side trips, but with small children I think disney is just so darn easy of a vacation.

Now that my son is getting older, I do see our yearly disney trips coming to an end. There is a whole big world out there that I would like to explore and only now do I feel like I'm ready to tackle other places (before now long plane rides seemed too daunting). So, I think it depends on ages of kids.

 

[Thing 1]

We do other places besides WDW. We tend to do WDW every 2-3 year but travel is important to us and having our boys see other places is VERY important to us. Not all of these other trips are a full week, though sometimes they are. We do a lot of long week-ends at the beach. We have done quite a few large city trips as well as tourist destinations. WDW is our favorite, but the most expensive too. If money was no object, we would do WDW every year, in addition to other things. We have families on both coast so travel to them is really almost like a vacation too and we have to factor in those cost too.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I would never pick the same destination in back to back years. Too many things to see & do out there. It's been 3 years since we did Disney & this year, we're finally headed back to Orlando, but for Sea World/Universal. I asked the kids if they'd rather do WDW again instead. No way! They both agreed they want to go back, but not until we've done a couple more things first (namely SW/Univ and Yellowstone).

 

[pigletgirl]

DD isn't even 2 yet, and in September this will be her second trip to WDW. We have family in other parts of the country so we definitely want her to experience the national parks and other things as well. My DH is going to Alaska this summer and we hope to do a family vacation there at some point. So no, Disney will not be every vacation.

 

[xlsm]

Fair warning...a lot of people will have that reaction to multiple Disney trips. It's just not for everyone. We don't even talk about our Disney trips among family and certain friends because they just don't get it.
We did Disney last summer, we're going again this summer, and next summer we're going to Disneyland (as well as visiting DH's sister in LA and doing some touristy LA things, heading up the coast, a beach day,etc...but you'd better believe I'm getting my 3 Disneyland/CA park days in!!).

But we balance it out with other things. For instance, next spring break we're visiting the Grand Canyon, summer 2017 will be an upper east coast adventure (Boston, Cape Cod, Maine)...but we may sprinkle in some time at WDW at the Halloween party in the fall or visiting for a few days at Christmastime. We're planning a bigger WDW trip for 2018. We also have Washington DC trip on the horizon (shooting for when the kids are in 7th/8th grade, about threeish years from now), and Hawaii when they start high school.

So basically, your vacations are yours...they don't belong to your mom, or sister, or your cubicle mate at work. If your family wants to Disney, then Disney! Having fun and making sweet memories as a family are what matters, after all.

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

Here's the thing, it is your money, time, and family. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks you should do. You choose what you like.

We do go to other destinations but mostly to WDW. But we have taken 2-3 vacations a year up until recently. Now that we have bought a new house those trips are harder to come by.

 

[sbarisch]

Our big annual vacations have all been trips to WDW, but we do take smaller getaways to other places.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

We're DVC Members so for us our vacations are usually Disney. We went to WDW for Easter in April 2014 and just got back from a couple of days in DL during Easter Break (we don't feel we need as much time in DL). However, after our last trip to DL, I am re-evaluating going to the parks for every trip. I knew DL was going to be crowded, school is out, but it was worse than that. DL was more crowded this year than WDW last year. The Fast Pass return for Cars Racers wrapped around and way down the road, I think someone said the Fast Pass return itself was 90 minute wait and the stand by was 2 hours. What I'm trying to say is that we as a family have found the Disney parks less of a vacation. Not relaxing at all and getting less fun. We've gone to Aulani twice, may do that again or try a Disney cruise. But, yes, our friends do think we spend too much time with Disney. But I don't care.

 

[worm761]

We go to Disney a lot but it isn't our only destination. It is our most affordable though. We are FL residents so get decent discounts making Disney a longer and more affordable destination. But we have done other places. Last year Disney was tacked on to the end of a trip to St Augustine. This year we are driving to New York for a few days in the summer to visit family. Not much fun happening there but DD will see her cousins. And I am aiming for a trip to Disney in the fall. How long we go for and where we stay depends on how much I can save before.

I am hoping to go to New Orleans for a few days, to North Carolina in the mountains for a week, and a week at Disney next year. But we'll see what really happens.

I think this forum gives some people a skewed view. Most families only go to Disney once if they ever go at all. That is why people react the way they do.

 

[worm761]

Double post

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

You should vacation where you please. However, personally, I don't understand going to Disney every year when there are so many other wonderful places all over the world to visit.

 

[mrsap]

Yes, we get that reaction all the time!!!! But it's funny how those same people sit on the same beach every vacation in the same location, yet I say nothing to them.

We LOVE Disney world, kids included. There's so much there for all of us to enjoy together as a family. We have our favorite restaurants and our must do rides. We truly can't imagine going anywhere else for our main vacation every year.

We only go in November/Dec., so over the summer we always go on a little getaway to another state... But we have no interest in leaving the country. We do what makes us happy, and quite honestly, could care less what other people think.

I think it's funny how people feel it's a 'disservice' to their kids to go every year. What better place to bond and enjoy every moment with your kids? The look on their faces when they see a new character or go on their favorite rides are enough for me. There are new memories to be made with each trip. Sorry but I'd rather sit on a ride than sit on a beach any day. Go and enjoy!!!!!