If you had $5000 for a week's family vacation, where would you go?

[AnnieW625]

If I lived in CA and could do a quick and dirty 3 or 4 day trip to Disneyland, there's no way on God's green earth I'd spend $5K to go to WDW, especially to celebrate my 10th wedding anniversary.

I vote Costa Rica. Or Belize. Or somewhere in the Carribean. Or I'd look for beautiful places with cheap airfare, and splurge on a great hotel, exceptional meals, awesome pampering.

We live 20 minutes from Disneyland. I kind of refuse to spend money to stay at a DL hotel because even with the annual pass discount it's not that great of deal. I can stay beachfront at the Hyatt in Huntington Beach or drive down and stay at the 5 star St. Regis in Monarch Beach for about the same price or less.

The trip doesn't really have to coincide with our anniversary it's just that we never travel, and we thought 10 yrs. would be a good time to plan a big family vacation, and honestly our kids haven't been anywhere cool and since we like regular Disneyland I think they'd like WDW; plus DH and I have never been, but we aren't Disney junkies either.

[jammytoast]

Greece. Yes, your airfare would be about 1/2 the cost but once there, weekly rentals are cheap and the experience is free! And probably the most kid friendly/tolerant country I've ever been to.

[alirebco]

I personally would not do WDW. I would do a beach destination since it's more relaxing for the adults but the kids will still have a blast playing at the beach.

[BeachBum]

ETA: OOps my bad. I didn't read carefully enough. You only wanted hotel, air and car to = $5K. Disregard my comments!

I think you are on the low side for budgeting...especially if you are thinking this is going to be a big special vacation.
We are a family of 5, but my youngest two are twins under three. We recently did a week driving trip where we rented an off season condo. We only did one activity, ate many meals in the room (2 dinners, 6 breakfasts, 3 or 4 lunches), and did not buy any significant souvenir type stuff. I would call it a very unremarkable, (but still fun and enjoyable) vacation. We spent at least $3500.

We've done a Disney cruise (once again, driving) and it was a great time. If you enjoy cruising at all, I do think you would enjoy this. It might be that "taste" of disney, without it being ONLY disney. That said, I think a balcony room is a must. With little kids it is so nice to be able to sit and talk after they fall asleep. I think cruise only is going to run you around $5K depending on when you go. I would like to do this again once my youngest can go to the kids club. Another biggie for any cruise is to make sure your kids are potty trained so they can use the pool.

You could not pay me to take a Disney World Vacation in March or April, June, July, August, or September. Seriously.

HTH.

[fivi2]

I've been debating about that too, but I really want DD2 to be able to remember, but really that's what pictures, and videos are for right? As long as we go before April 29, 2013 we'll be fine. I wonder if spring break (usually the week after Easter) is as bad as after Christmas? I kind of refuse to take DD1 out of school so we won't have many options then, unless we go late August next year and deal with the heat and that might be pushing it savings wise too.

I would wait until the Fantasyland/Toontown construction is done, if I were you. I am not positive when that would be, but I would try to wait for that!

[WatchingThemGrow]

Yeah, nothing around Easter or June, July, Aug, Sept at WDW for me either. Butt sweat is the first thing that comes to my mind...

I think 10 years is a big milestone, and I would like to celebrate it all together - and do something where everyone is entertained. We aren't beach people really (even though I grew up living on the beach and DH has had a beach house his whole life) so doing something fun and active is more our style. Did you say a Disney Cruise is out of the question?

[BillK]

A week on Nantucket. But we can drive there in a day.

[Raidra]

If the kids are coming, I'd choose WDW, hands down. Yes, it's a lot of work (though it should be relatively easy for you guys, since your kiddos won't be too little), but I just thought it was SO nice not to have to worry about whether something was kid-friendly, and it was ridiculously easy to keep them entertained without having to think about it at all.

We're not beach people, and we don't really care for the heat (we went to WDW in early March), so that affects my choice as well.

[Jen841]

A Disney Cruise/Parks trip. I have no idea of that fits your budget. I have heard great things.

Plan B for me would be Atlantis, but keep in mind I have 2 kids who can swim.

[TwinFoxes]

Greece. Yes, your airfare would be about 1/2 the cost but once there, weekly rentals are cheap and the experience is free! And probably the most kid friendly/tolerant country I've ever been to.

Not from LA, for four people, I think the airfare would be almost all the budget. I think maybe several of these suggestions are basing prices on east coast airports. Like Costa Rica, almost all flights from LA go through Miami. I took a direct flight from LA, but it was hard to come by. And they're not cheap. (I loved CR, but it's a long flight from LA with kids).

OP, what about an Alaska cruise? It's beautiful, but I don't know cost.

Or, how about a National Park lodge? Some are really beautiful. Like Crater Lake, or Grand Canyon.

But honestly, we had a blast at WDW.