Here is something I just came across. Click the link for a Free Disney Parks Vacation Planning DVD. If this is something you think you may do this year, it’s worth it to order a copy.
Besides, maybe it will inspire you to find out if it’s the right time for Disney for your family.
What do you think? I plan on ordering one for my parents… (hint-hint)
Now is the time to plan out your vacation for next year. Write down how much time you have available to take. Then get your calendar out to see which months are available, since you may need to plan around activities and events and school.
Next, ask yourself some questions to get your family organized:
- What is our budget for the year?
- Do we want to go on one big vacation, or several small vacations?
- Where have we talked about going this year but weren’t able to?
- Have we already committed any vacation time for family/friends such as weddings, reunions, and other get-togethers?
Next comes the fun part. Get everyone together and brainstorm about places to go. Kids love to join in the planning. A good idea is to have everyone write down the top 3 places they would love to go. Then discuss and prioritize. Encourage thinking outside the box – activity-based destinations, such as skiing or surfing are ideal if your children are older while locales such as Mexico, Canada, or shorter road trips are great for younger children.
Narrow it down to 3-4 choices, with a top choice for each family member. Then have each person “pitch” his or her idea. Each person takes one evening to “pitch” his or her location. They plan a menu around that destination, make props such as simple costumes from that region/culture, or simply present their research to the family. Research can include brochures, estimated costs, and top sights and activities in the area.
Have some fun! Planning and the build up is half of the fun of the whole vacation. I know I will be putting in my 2 cents when it comes to planning our vacation this year!
At 6 months I got my first passport. In my long-time existence of 3 years, I am quite the traveler. The Car Seat Traveler, they call me. As a family, we travel. We try to go to as many places as vacation time we have for the year. It’s one of the things we love to do. We make sacrifices in other areas just to go see and do and experience. Since then I have been on more airplane trips than most at my age.
Before kids, Daddy and Mommy had this one common trait – the love of travel. In fact, they honeymooned in Margarita Island, Venezuela and Rome, Italy all in 2 weeks, just because they couldn’t decide which they’d like better.
So when kids came, my parents vowed not to stop traveling. People said it still was possible, and they believed them. Although in reality, I don’t see as many families doing international travel.
It is true that the type of travel changes, depending on the ages of your kids. But the experiences that you give to your child through travel will last a lifetime.
So through these writings, I hope to share my experiences and passion and inspire you to do more travel – travel beyond typical family destinations. Get out those passports, because we’re going places.
