Alternatives to a Disney World Vacation
One of the questions I get from people who know I travel with my kids, is why not Disney World? Why do you make such an effort to travel to Europe when you could simply take a three-hour plane ride to Orlando and go to Disney World. Well, here are the reasons why I haven’t taken any of my children to Disney World yet and prefer Disney World alternatives instead.
My Kids Aren’t Ready for Disney World
1. It’s Too Expensive
The first problem I have with Disney is that it’s incredibly expensive. Staying in a Disney hotel and paying for a week’s worth of park tickets would run our family several thousand dollars. Even the cheapest option, in a cramped hotel room, would start at about three or four thousand dollars. Yes, there are options to stay off-site in Orlando, but then you get the added hassle of traffic and parking far from the park entrance each day.
2. It’s Too Hot
The other issue with Disney World is that it’s just too hot for my family. Because my husband and I are unable to take off during the school year, our only option for longer vacations is during the summer. Summertime in Florida is unbearably humid and downright cruel for little ones. I remember being miserable walking around in that heat in July years ago, so it’s not an option to take my kids during those times a year. Disney World alternatives offer better weather.
3. It’s Too Crowded
The crowds at Disney World seem to have been growing at a ridiculous rate during the past decade or so. Some families I know go to Disney during Winter or Spring Break, which gives you nicer weather, but wall to wall people. I don’t enjoy vacations where I’m struggling to keep my personal space protected, and I don’t want to put my kids in that situation as well. To me, this is a recipe for miserable meltdowns all day long.
4. It’s Too Overwhelming
For families with twin toddlers and another child, like me, Disney World could be just too overwhelming for them. When I travel with twins, we stick to their regular routine as much as possible, with a few changes when we travel. Going to a theme park all day long for seven days in a row would be too much for kids my age. We’d rather choose some Disney World alternatives so we all have a great time.
5. It’s Too Artificial
There are some people who absolutely love the idea of Disney magic, and while I do enjoy Disney, I’d rather spend my hard earned money on something real instead of an artificial tourist experience. At Epcot’s World Showcase, kids can experience a variety of cultures in one day, but I would rather go to the countries for real. That’s not to say we will stay away from Disney forever. Some day we may venture down to Disney World.
6. It’s Too Scary
The other problem my family may have with Disney World with twin toddlers is the scare factor. Neither of my twins like riding amusement park rides, so it doesn’t really make sense for us to spend thousands of dollars confirming this yet again. They also are a little scared of costumed characters, so even character experiences are out. It’s best for us to go with Disney World Alternatives.
7. It’s Too Exhausting
Finally, going to Disney World with twin toddlers and a third child just sounds too exhausting to me. Traveling with twins is tough enough, and I don’t think we have the stamina to last a week in Disney World.
While I love Disney movies, and I loved visiting the parks when I was a teenager, it’s going to be a long time before I take my crew to Disney World in Orlando. Until then, we’ll go with Disney World alternatives, like authenic cultural and traveling experiences that our whole family will enjoy.
Jett Set Twins | Traveling With Twins 