What matters to you on vacation?

A real vacation to me will be at least 7 days. There should be enough sights:activities to fill up 4 days. I like my downtime to have water (whether pool or ocean). I think a 60:40 mix of activities vs rest is good. The place doesn't need to have historical significance, but it would be ok if it did.

To me vacation was a time to kick back, tune out, and relax. Beach or cruise fit that bill for us. We did ride the tea cups often when the kids were little, we would combine that with some beach time. For a 12 day vacation we would spend 5 days at each place with 2 days driving. We did the Bahamas once, but that was when my grandmother was still alive (she lived in Nassau). The Bahamas is not my favorite place, in fact, it's very low on the list, close to the bottom. That's sad, considering I used to live in Nassau. Caribbean islands are much better - go to Grand Cayman or St. Thomas or St. John instead. Or do a cruise and hit several islands. Lots to do there for all age groups, or do nothing. 

No
Effing
Schedule


Leave me alone. Don't make me get up with an alarm. Don't make me go on some random bus tour where I have limited time to explore. Don't make me have any kind of time constraints.

Just let me chill. Let me sleep in. Let me lay by the pool and fall asleep with my book on my face. Scheduled vacations make me want to scream. My normal life is scheduled.

We like them all!!

It varies with us. This summer we are going on a big three week trip to Europe. Because we will be in London for a week of it, where we have friends and family...  that part will be fun but not a "vacation" .

We will also spend 2 weeks in France and Spain. That will be a vacation because we will go to new places, both historical and maybe even ride the teacups at Disneyland Paris.

We will also spend some time wth friends in France and I am hoping that will be some down time.. Some time to enjoy visiting with our friends and just hanging out.

A real vacation to me, includes places or things I have never done before, and some real relaxation and down time.

Honestly I love spending a week on the beach just reading my books.

I think you should do whatever it is that will make your family happy. Don't worry about what others think!!!

I real vacation to me is nothing to do. We may decide to do stuff, but I want to sit and do nothing. DH on the other hand likes to do things. He gets bored. We have learned to compromise a lot on vacations, so that works for us.

We ride lots of teacups on our vacations, but we do other things, too. Vacation to me is about spending time together outside of the normal everyday distractions. We do tend to take busy vacations full of activities and things to see. Our only real relaxing vacation was a cruise. People will second guess your choices no matter what you do, so do what makes you happy. If you want Disney and DS wants Bahamas, go to Disney Workd followed by a cruise to the Bahamas. You can take a day at Cape Canaveral or a historical excursion in the Bahamas if you want to appease mom.

I like lots of different things -- and some "do overs"!
As far as Disney - World is more than "tea cups" -- but if you want to ride the tea cups -- and I assure you they are FUN! -- then go ride the freaking tea cups and leave your Mother at home. Further - big kids can be a LOT better, easier and a darn sight more fun at a huge theme park than a little kid! Epcot is excellent and interesting; Universal Studios (not Disney, I know, but if you are there in Orlando you should probably do it for Harry Potter if nothing else!!!) is also fun - and different than Disney. You could have a great family time in Orlando -- and take day to run over to the coast and to Cape Canaveral -- there is some very interesting history there - and maybe a launch?

But - I'd suggest you look at a cruise - with some ports a bit different that the very common Western Carribbean (not that there is anything wrong with the Western Carrib -- and you can see some excellant Mayan sites via a Western carrib cruise!) -- take a Mediterranean cruise -- see a little bit of Greece, maybe some European ports

I like to do scheduled things on vacation, not a sit on the beach person.
Our kids are grown but when they were little-maybe under 10--no matter where we went--we could have spent a zillion dollars on vacation and the only thing they cared about was---
the hotel swimming pool.  And we have a pool but it's not "the same."

I was the same when I was young, we could have gone to a dive hotel and all I cared about was the pool.

How about a Disney cruise? It has everything.

Full week, five star all-inclusive, white sand beach with tons of activities. We've done three disneys and many other theme parks. They are fun, but very similar.

I like a vacation basically on my own. I get up when I want ,eat when I want, nap when I want, go where I want.

Lately I vacation with my mom for a week at the beach. My family doesn't want to go anywhere but my mom does so I go with her. And it's laid back, but she is there. That sounds awful, but if I want to get a snack, I know she is there, if I want to nap, she's there. I know the day will come when I will miss every opportunity to be with my mom, and I do go to spend time with her. But MY ideal vacation is time by myself.

We did take our boys to Disney once and I think it is a don't miss trip if you want to go. I went to Disneyland as an older teen but even my husband was excited to meet Mickey in Disney world.

Ocean. And Pina coladas

Right now, my favorite vacation is to see/explore a new city or area that I've never been and eat good food.

We did the teacups when the kids were little and it was fun, but would never be my choice of a vacation again. Fortunately, the kids are old enough to do rollercoaster whenever they want with their friends.

We live near the beach and have a pool, so I'm lucky enough to enjoy sand under my feet anytime.

I'm not a really big Disney fan, but we took our girls twice when they were younger. We made some wonderful memories. We didn't just ride the tea cups. We'll pull out the scrapbooks now and then and the kids love to remember those trips.

We've also done a lot of quiet beach vacations. We have great memories of taking long bike rides in Hilton Head, helping rescue a baby dolphin that got washed up on our beach, the girls ordering virgin banana daquiris. They thought that was so cool when they were little. Jet skiing. Taking a nighttime boat ride to see fireworks. They remember spending really fun time with us and to me that's as important, or even more important, than seeing sites in a big city.