Is it possible to totally skip a Disney vacation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We solved this problem by taking our DC to Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen which was Walt Disney's inspiration for the Magic Kingdom. Win-win.

Sorry, no comparison. And I have spent many weekends in Tivoli, but you're comparing apples and oranges.

[Anonymous]

You can't compare Disney to Hershey. You just can't. Hershey is a theme park but Disney is so much more than just rides. Until you go there, you won't get it.

Like others have said, sure it is possible to skip a Disney vacation but why? There will be plenty of time for your family to do other trips to other places. As the kids get older, they may truly appreciate those other places a little bit more. But while they are young, it is okay to do a fun trip to Disney. You won't be wasting your money or vacation time on such a trip. If done correctly, you will have a great time making great memories on a Disney trip. Do it - your kids don't know what they are missing (do you?)

[Anonymous]

My child is a high school senior and we did not get to Disney and DC seems fine with it. DC has done lots of international and domestic travel.

Agree on waiting. Might be fun to do in a few years. You could go for three - four days, then head to the Gulf or Miami for some more fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can't compare Disney to Hershey. You just can't. Hershey is a theme park but Disney is so much more than just rides. Until you go there, you won't get it.

Like others have said, sure it is possible to skip a Disney vacation but why? There will be plenty of time for your family to do other trips to other places. As the kids get older, they may truly appreciate those other places a little bit more. But while they are young, it is okay to do a fun trip to Disney. You won't be wasting your money or vacation time on such a trip. If done correctly, you will have a great time making great memories on a Disney trip. Do it - your kids don't know what they are missing (do you?)

.


No, I don't get it. I just don't get this mentality. This idea that you HAVE to go to one certain place or else you are neglecting your children (as some people on this thread are implying) doesn't make sense to me. I don't doubt you've had fun and great memories at your Disney vacations. But it's one thing to say we had a great time and another to start insisting that every child must go to Disney or "miss out" on some essential part of life. Guess what, your kid is going to miss out on something too. We all miss out on something. The world is full of amazing, beautiful, and fun places, and life is short. Most of us don't have endless supply of money and time for traveling/vacations. Pick and choose the places that mean the most to you and let others do the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't compare Disney to Hershey. You just can't. Hershey is a theme park but Disney is so much more than just rides. Until you go there, you won't get it.

Like others have said, sure it is possible to skip a Disney vacation but why? There will be plenty of time for your family to do other trips to other places. As the kids get older, they may truly appreciate those other places a little bit more. But while they are young, it is okay to do a fun trip to Disney. You won't be wasting your money or vacation time on such a trip. If done correctly, you will have a great time making great memories on a Disney trip. Do it - your kids don't know what they are missing (do you?)

.


No, I don't get it. I just don't get this mentality. This idea that you HAVE to go to one certain place or else you are neglecting your children (as some people on this thread are implying) doesn't make sense to me. I don't doubt you've had fun and great memories at your Disney vacations. But it's one thing to say we had a great time and another to start insisting that every child must go to Disney or "miss out" on some essential part of life. Guess what, your kid is going to miss out on something too. We all miss out on something. The world is full of amazing, beautiful, and fun places, and life is short. Most of us don't have endless supply of money and time for traveling/vacations. Pick and choose the places that mean the most to you and let others do the same.

+10000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can't compare Disney to Hershey. You just can't. Hershey is a theme park but Disney is so much more than just rides. Until you go there, you won't get it.

Like others have said, sure it is possible to skip a Disney vacation but why? There will be plenty of time for your family to do other trips to other places. As the kids get older, they may truly appreciate those other places a little bit more. But while they are young, it is okay to do a fun trip to Disney. You won't be wasting your money or vacation time on such a trip. If done correctly, you will have a great time making great memories on a Disney trip. Do it - your kids don't know what they are missing (do you?)

I've been. I don't "get it," I guess. I think a day at Busch Gardens can be just as fun, but then again, I'm pretty much turned off by commercial hype. And my kids aren't that into Disney characters.

[Anonymous]

I honestly don't get the Disney hate. We've been to lots of really great places all over the world. Disney is definitely one of them! If you don't have a good time at Disney World then sorry, but you did it wrong. Maybe you went at the wrong time or stayed in the wrong place. We've been many times and we've never had to wait in long lines. We've never had weather that was oppressively hot. The kids have always had a blast.

If you really want to have a great time, stay away from the expensive resorts and stay at the campground.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I honestly don't get the Disney hate. We've been to lots of really great places all over the world. Disney is definitely one of them! If you don't have a good time at Disney World then sorry, but you did it wrong. Maybe you went at the wrong time or stayed in the wrong place. We've been many times and we've never had to wait in long lines. We've never had weather that was oppressively hot. The kids have always had a blast.

If you really want to have a great time, stay away from the expensive resorts and stay at the campground.

wouldn't be caught dead there. Different strokes for different folks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I honestly don't get the Disney hate. We've been to lots of really great places all over the world. Disney is definitely one of them! If you don't have a good time at Disney World then sorry, but you did it wrong. Maybe you went at the wrong time or stayed in the wrong place. We've been many times and we've never had to wait in long lines. We've never had weather that was oppressively hot. The kids have always had a blast.

If you really want to have a great time, stay away from the expensive resorts and stay at the campground.

I think the point is that Disney can be great, but other places are great, too. To each his/her own - and it's undeniable that Disney is a VERY expensive family vacation for most.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't compare Disney to Hershey. You just can't. Hershey is a theme park but Disney is so much more than just rides. Until you go there, you won't get it.

Like others have said, sure it is possible to skip a Disney vacation but why? There will be plenty of time for your family to do other trips to other places. As the kids get older, they may truly appreciate those other places a little bit more. But while they are young, it is okay to do a fun trip to Disney. You won't be wasting your money or vacation time on such a trip. If done correctly, you will have a great time making great memories on a Disney trip. Do it - your kids don't know what they are missing (do you?)

.


No, I don't get it. I just don't get this mentality. This idea that you HAVE to go to one certain place or else you are neglecting your children (as some people on this thread are implying) doesn't make sense to me. I don't doubt you've had fun and great memories at your Disney vacations. But it's one thing to say we had a great time and another to start insisting that every child must go to Disney or "miss out" on some essential part of life. Guess what, your kid is going to miss out on something too. We all miss out on something. The world is full of amazing, beautiful, and fun places, and life is short. Most of us don't have endless supply of money and time for traveling/vacations. Pick and choose the places that mean the most to you and let others do the same.

Well, of course, all of us will miss out on something. I completely understand if your family doesn't have the finances/vacation time to make a Disney trip possible. I fault no one who doesn't go to Disney for those reasons.

But the people who do have time and money for a Disney vacation but don't go and love to give their reason as they won't go out of principle/because their precious 3 year old would rather explore museums in Europe/because they feel they are above Disney? Yeah, those people need to STFU and get over themselves. Yes, those people need to have their children experience Disney when they are young and they can truly enjoy it. Museums in Europe will be there when they are teenagers. Don't let your kids not have a quintessential childhood trip just because you think you are above it. Give them the experience, just once. There is nothing wrong with doing so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly don't get the Disney hate. We've been to lots of really great places all over the world. Disney is definitely one of them! If you don't have a good time at Disney World then sorry, but you did it wrong. Maybe you went at the wrong time or stayed in the wrong place. We've been many times and we've never had to wait in long lines. We've never had weather that was oppressively hot. The kids have always had a blast.

If you really want to have a great time, stay away from the expensive resorts and stay at the campground.

I think the point is that Disney can be great, but other places are great, too. To each his/her own - and it's undeniable that Disney is a VERY expensive family vacation for most.

Yes, it is too expensive for us -- both in terms of $$ and in time off -- to make it worth it. For us, personally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't compare Disney to Hershey. You just can't. Hershey is a theme park but Disney is so much more than just rides. Until you go there, you won't get it.

Like others have said, sure it is possible to skip a Disney vacation but why? There will be plenty of time for your family to do other trips to other places. As the kids get older, they may truly appreciate those other places a little bit more. But while they are young, it is okay to do a fun trip to Disney. You won't be wasting your money or vacation time on such a trip. If done correctly, you will have a great time making great memories on a Disney trip. Do it - your kids don't know what they are missing (do you?)

.


No, I don't get it. I just don't get this mentality. This idea that you HAVE to go to one certain place or else you are neglecting your children (as some people on this thread are implying) doesn't make sense to me. I don't doubt you've had fun and great memories at your Disney vacations. But it's one thing to say we had a great time and another to start insisting that every child must go to Disney or "miss out" on some essential part of life. Guess what, your kid is going to miss out on something too. We all miss out on something. The world is full of amazing, beautiful, and fun places, and life is short. Most of us don't have endless supply of money and time for traveling/vacations. Pick and choose the places that mean the most to you and let others do the same.

Well, of course, all of us will miss out on something. I completely understand if your family doesn't have the finances/vacation time to make a Disney trip possible. I fault no one who doesn't go to Disney for those reasons.

But the people who do have time and money for a Disney vacation but don't go and love to give their reason as they won't go out of principle/because their precious 3 year old would rather explore museums in Europe/because they feel they are above Disney? Yeah, those people need to STFU and get over themselves. Yes, those people need to have their children experience Disney when they are young and they can truly enjoy it. Museums in Europe will be there when they are teenagers. Don't let your kids not have a quintessential childhood trip just because you think you are above it. Give them the experience, just once. There is nothing wrong with doing so.

There's nothing wrong with your family doing so, you're right. But resources are ALWAYS finite. Even if we have "enough" money to do Disney - that's still money that's coming from somewhere else. It's true that we choose to give our children different experiences than you might choose. But our children are no more "missing out" on Disney than yours are "missing out" on the experiences that our children have had.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't compare Disney to Hershey. You just can't. Hershey is a theme park but Disney is so much more than just rides. Until you go there, you won't get it.

Like others have said, sure it is possible to skip a Disney vacation but why? There will be plenty of time for your family to do other trips to other places. As the kids get older, they may truly appreciate those other places a little bit more. But while they are young, it is okay to do a fun trip to Disney. You won't be wasting your money or vacation time on such a trip. If done correctly, you will have a great time making great memories on a Disney trip. Do it - your kids don't know what they are missing (do you?)

.


No, I don't get it. I just don't get this mentality. This idea that you HAVE to go to one certain place or else you are neglecting your children (as some people on this thread are implying) doesn't make sense to me. I don't doubt you've had fun and great memories at your Disney vacations. But it's one thing to say we had a great time and another to start insisting that every child must go to Disney or "miss out" on some essential part of life. Guess what, your kid is going to miss out on something too. We all miss out on something. The world is full of amazing, beautiful, and fun places, and life is short. Most of us don't have endless supply of money and time for traveling/vacations. Pick and choose the places that mean the most to you and let others do the same.

Well, of course, all of us will miss out on something. I completely understand if your family doesn't have the finances/vacation time to make a Disney trip possible. I fault no one who doesn't go to Disney for those reasons.

But the people who do have time and money for a Disney vacation but don't go and love to give their reason as they won't go out of principle/because their precious 3 year old would rather explore museums in Europe/because they feel they are above Disney? Yeah, those people need to STFU and get over themselves. Yes, those people need to have their children experience Disney when they are young and they can truly enjoy it. Museums in Europe will be there when they are teenagers. Don't let your kids not have a quintessential childhood trip just because you think you are above it. Give them the experience, just once. There is nothing wrong with doing so.

For crying out loud, there's not one single "quintessential" childhood trip out there, not just one amusement/theme park that EVERYONE who has the means must go to. It's almost cult-like how all you Disney folk are adamant about this - I think that's what people are reacting to.

I'm the PP you quoted and we actually have the finances and time to make a Disney trip possible. It hasn't been one of our priorities. We have no relatives or friends near any Disney places and when we travel we usually stop by grandma's house or an aunt/uncle's place on route to our destination, or go to places to see friends. No, we didn't bring our 3 year old to museums in Europe. But we'd have had to give up some other great trip/memory if we'd gone to Disney. See how that works? If you choose to go to one place, you don't get to go to another.

My kids like roller coasters and arcades. They like popcorn and ice cream and cotton candy. So 1-3 times a year we bring them somewhere for the day where they can access those things, whether at a amusement park or a county fair. It's enough for us.

Meanwhile, the 2 things my kids talk about the most from our past vacations are snow tubing in Maine when they were 4 and 8 and the all-day rafting trip down a tributary of the Colorado river when they were 5 and 9. Have you done both those things with your kids? If not, well, I don't really care. It's that simple.

[Anonymous]

Also, if every family in America with the means went on a Disney vacation, that would mean even larger crowds and longer waits and booked hotel rooms. Disney fans should all be glad the holdouts stay away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't compare Disney to Hershey. You just can't. Hershey is a theme park but Disney is so much more than just rides. Until you go there, you won't get it.

Like others have said, sure it is possible to skip a Disney vacation but why? There will be plenty of time for your family to do other trips to other places. As the kids get older, they may truly appreciate those other places a little bit more. But while they are young, it is okay to do a fun trip to Disney. You won't be wasting your money or vacation time on such a trip. If done correctly, you will have a great time making great memories on a Disney trip. Do it - your kids don't know what they are missing (do you?)

.


No, I don't get it. I just don't get this mentality. This idea that you HAVE to go to one certain place or else you are neglecting your children (as some people on this thread are implying) doesn't make sense to me. I don't doubt you've had fun and great memories at your Disney vacations. But it's one thing to say we had a great time and another to start insisting that every child must go to Disney or "miss out" on some essential part of life. Guess what, your kid is going to miss out on something too. We all miss out on something. The world is full of amazing, beautiful, and fun places, and life is short. Most of us don't have endless supply of money and time for traveling/vacations. Pick and choose the places that mean the most to you and let others do the same.

Well, of course, all of us will miss out on something. I completely understand if your family doesn't have the finances/vacation time to make a Disney trip possible. I fault no one who doesn't go to Disney for those reasons.

But the people who do have time and money for a Disney vacation but don't go and love to give their reason as they won't go out of principle/because their precious 3 year old would rather explore museums in Europe/because they feel they are above Disney? Yeah, those people need to STFU and get over themselves. Yes, those people need to have their children experience Disney when they are young and they can truly enjoy it. Museums in Europe will be there when they are teenagers. Don't let your kids not have a quintessential childhood trip just because you think you are above it. Give them the experience, just once. There is nothing wrong with doing so.

For crying out loud, there's not one single "quintessential" childhood trip out there, not just one amusement/theme park that EVERYONE who has the means must go to. It's almost cult-like how all you Disney folk are adamant about this - I think that's what people are reacting to.

I'm the PP you quoted and we actually have the finances and time to make a Disney trip possible. It hasn't been one of our priorities. We have no relatives or friends near any Disney places and when we travel we usually stop by grandma's house or an aunt/uncle's place on route to our destination, or go to places to see friends. No, we didn't bring our 3 year old to museums in Europe. But we'd have had to give up some other great trip/memory if we'd gone to Disney. See how that works? If you choose to go to one place, you don't get to go to another.

My kids like roller coasters and arcades. They like popcorn and ice cream and cotton candy. So 1-3 times a year we bring them somewhere for the day where they can access those things, whether at a amusement park or a county fair. It's enough for us.

Meanwhile, the 2 things my kids talk about the most from our past vacations are snow tubing in Maine when they were 4 and 8 and the all-day rafting trip down a tributary of the Colorado river when they were 5 and 9. Have you done both those things with your kids? If not, well, I don't really care. It's that simple.

we do similar stuff pp. DC has been to 46 of 50 states. Everywhere there are interesting and more authentic things to do than a place like Disney. That's for people with no imaginations.