Vacation Spot You Would Never Go Back To?

[Willowy]

Orlando in July. My BIL must be completely insane. No Floridian would go then. I can tell you that.

My parents have an all-school reunion in Orlando every year in July. Sometimes I and/or my siblings go with them, and we'll hit Disney or Universal (we can get cheaper military tickets). Going in July is. . .not ideal.

I enjoy Disney but it doesn't seem very magic at this point. Some things are shabby, and since they can totally afford to keep everything in excellent repair this just seems lazy.

Pro Disney tip---you don't have to buy bottled water for $5. Any counter service restaurant is required to give you free ice tap water if you ask (the kiosks don't have a tap but they might give you a free cup of ice).

 

[Kat0121]

My parents have an all-school reunion in Orlando every year in July. Sometimes I and/or my siblings go with them, and we'll hit Disney or Universal (we can get cheaper military tickets). Going in July is. . .not ideal.

I enjoy Disney but it doesn't seem very magic at this point. Some things are shabby, and since they can totally afford to keep everything in excellent repair this just seems lazy.

Pro Disney tip---you don't have to buy bottled water for $5. Any counter service restaurant is required to give you free ice tap water if you ask (the kiosks don't have a tap but they might give you a free cup of ice).

No. The magic is all but gone. I really hate the way they do the pricing now. Peak time, off peak time, etc. How about just one price? They hike the price up every year without fail. They know people are going to go and they take full advantage of that. Walt would not be pleased at all. They just jacked up the price of the annual passes too. Average families are the ones being priced out.

 

[kittyluv387]

Taipei.
Don't get me wrong, I loved Taiwan and its friendly people but since I always travel with my whole family of 10 there were not much we could do with our toddlers there. But they enjoyed Taipei Zoo.

I would love to go there for all the yummy goodies. I love milk tea and am crazy about buttery pineapple cakes! But I wouldn't go there as a standalone trip. Maybe on my way to Philippine islands.

 

[betsygee]

Aruba. Friends told me it had sanctuaries for donkeys and butterflies, and the snorkeling was fantastic. The donkey sanctuary was an uninteresting rocky terrain. Can’t remember if we even saw any donkeys. The cantina at the end of the trail was a beer/soda stand with unrefrigerated canned drinks.

We didn’t snorkel—turns out the fabulous beach was right next to an oil refinery! The water looked awful, we didn’t even go in it.

If you like hanging out at a very Americanized resort with a bunch of people getting away from the East Coast cold (we went for my birthday in February), then it’s okay.

One fun thing was that we were there for their Mardi Gras parade and festivities which was very colorful and a fun atmosphere.

I understand they’ve cleaned up the island considerably and revitalized the rundown downtown area of the main city, but I still wouldn’t go back. Too many other places I haven’t seen yet to go back to one I didn’t really enjoy.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

Any air show. I can't nail it down to a specific place; but those were like torture for me as a kid. The heat, the noise the crowds. The port-a-pottys.

I'm not a huge fan of traveling as it is. I'm ok enjoying a place; but the act of traveling to get there isn't my favorite. We've done dozens and dozens of car trips and its just old. Flying to Disney was fun because it was my kids first time flying so I was eager to see their reactions.

The heat won't be as bad in November as it will be in July.

We went in November and it was comfortable for us. Shorts or capris were perfect in the day and we all brought lightweight hoodies for the evening. Only DH was cold and bought himself a winter hat. It was also not as crowded as I expected. I don't know if the election affected it because we went the week after the last election. I mean there were still crowds; but it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. I thought it would feel a little claustrophobic; but I didn't get that at all.

 

[Kat0121]

Any air show. I can't nail it down to a specific place; but those were like torture for me as a kid. The heat, the noise the crowds. The port-a-pottys.

I'm not a huge fan of traveling as it is. I'm ok enjoying a place; but the act of traveling to get there isn't my favorite. We've done dozens and dozens of car trips and its just old. Flying to Disney was fun because it was my kids first time flying so I was eager to see their reactions.


We went in November and it was comfortable for us. Shorts or capris were perfect in the day and we all brought lightweight hoodies for the evening. Only DH was cold and bought himself a winter hat. It was also not as crowded as I expected. I don't know if the election affected it because we went the week after the last election. I mean there were still crowds; but it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. I thought it would feel a little claustrophobic; but I didn't get that at all.

I've been to WDW many times over the years. When I saw that the F&W festival was running from August -November this year, I booked our hotel room for mid November. August is just as bad if not worse than July. I think we're going the second to last week of the festival. It's going to be packed anyway. I booked our room a couple of months ago and they were selling out fast. We're staying on property at the Port Orleans French Quarter. We usually stay at the PO Riverside. They didn't have any of the rooms we wanted available.

 

[muffy]

My parents have an all-school reunion in Orlando every year in July. Sometimes I and/or my siblings go with them, and we'll hit Disney or Universal (we can get cheaper military tickets). Going in July is. . .not ideal.

I enjoy Disney but it doesn't seem very magic at this point. Some things are shabby, and since they can totally afford to keep everything in excellent repair this just seems lazy.

It's not that they are being lazy, they are being greedy. They don't want to spend the money.

 

[Kat0121]

It's not that they are being lazy, they are being greedy. They don't want to spend the money.

They don't seem to grasp that lots of families have to save to be able to take a trip there. Getting there and finding things in disrepair is not what people are paying all that money for.

 

[Norachan]

China.

China was horrid! Everywhere was really crowded and Chinese people think it's absolutely fine to spit constantly. Very few areas have public toilets and it's common to see parents holding their kids over the gutters so they can pee or poop into them. It was so polluted that when we got back to the hotel in the evening and I blew my nose the tissue turned black!



Maybe that's why people spit all the time.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I've been to WDW many times over the years. When I saw that the F&W festival was running from August -November this year, I booked our hotel room for mid November. August is just as bad if not worse than July. I think we're going the second to last week of the festival. It's going to be packed anyway. I booked our room a couple of months ago and they were selling out fast. We're staying on property at the Port Orleans French Quarter. We usually stay at the PO Riverside. They didn't have any of the rooms we wanted available.

We stayed at PO Riverside and loved it! I do want to go back with my kids; but I'm thinking in winter! I don't care about the water parks or visiting the pools that much. We enjoyed walking around Disney Springs too and I know there is plenty to do around Orlando outside of Disney. I just need to convince DH to to spend the money. I am generally not a heat and crowds person; but our kids are growing up fast.

 

[Kat0121]

We stayed at PO Riverside and loved it! I do want to go back with my kids; but I'm thinking in winter! I don't care about the water parks or visiting the pools that much. We enjoyed walking around Disney Springs too and I know there is plenty to do around Orlando outside of Disney. I just need to convince DH to to spend the money. I am generally not a heat and crowds person; but our kids are growing up fast.

We really like the Port Oreans. This will be our first time at the French Quarter side of the resort.

 

[foxxycat]

Have to say Six Flags theme park.

Too expensive. Too many people. Long lines, like an hour to 2 hours to wait to get on a ride, hot and humid, screaming kids or just highway robbery to buy a special advance to beginnin of line ticket-it's been a few years since I have gone-so not sure if they have them anymore-but I must have turned into a cranky adult because standing in line for an hour doesn't sound like my idea of fun. I will never go back!

I haven't traveled to too many areas but normally I HATE tourist traps...it's all the same crap. Same crappy food, crowds, same overpriced items all made in same area that are a ripoff. Whether it's a ocean city or big area in a state etc-chain restaurants etc. I just tend to stick to areas where there are not as many people/expensive JUNK.

Jon and I stick to back country roads or visit off season but I know he's been wanting to go to Walt Disney for the past decade but I just have NO interest..not to mention he can't ride on most of the rides-where I have a cast iron stomach and nothing scares me or makes me puke...I have been on any and all scary rides and love them all!!

I do enjoy Canobie Lake Park in NH but on off days..I would like to go back there-it gets crowded but not as crowded as Six Flags and there are LOTS of trees and shade where Six flags was like a giant parking lot with rides. YUCK.

 

[NY cat man]

Another place I wouldn't return to is Lancaster, PA. Michele and I have been there twice, and watched the unwary get fleeced with all the adroitness of a WDW, but on a smaller scale.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

We really like the Port Oreans. This will be our first time at the French Quarter side of the resort.

I'd love to hear what you think about it after you go.

Have to say Six Flags theme park.

I can agree with that one. My stepdad is one of those roller coaster junkies; but I've never really liked them that much.

When I was a teenager we lived within a few hours of a big amusement park and the youth group would go every summer. It was fun because I was with my friends; but as an adult and parent I'm really not interested. I could go off-season with my kids maybe. But I have to bring DH and my Step-dad along to do the rides. My Mom and I have our limits with what we enjoy. That's how we worked things out with our Disney trip. Anything that did too much spinning and what not; they went with Daddy and Papa! Even at 4 DS REALLY enjoyed a pretty big ride at Disney so I feel guilty about it. Last year the church tried to organize a trip but I passed. My Mom and Step-dad had first talked about taking the kids. I don't mind that for the most part; but Mom guilt creeps in.

 

[marmoset]

I don't need to go back to New Orleans. I liked the people well enough and the food was OK but I don't need the boozing atmosphere and there were a lot of tourists. I couldn't do Mardi Gras if someone paid me- like Bill Gates or Trump level of money. I don't like being around drunk people at all. Right now I'd take a holiday somewhere where I could just sleep decently for a week. Someplace quiet and peaceful.

 

[NY cat man]

I don't need to go back to New Orleans. I liked the people well enough and the food was OK but I don't need the boozing atmosphere and there were a lot of tourists. I couldn't do Mardi Gras if someone paid me- like Bill Gates or Trump level of money. I don't like being around drunk people at all. Right now I'd take a holiday somewhere where I could just sleep decently for a week. Someplace quiet and peaceful.

We used to have access to such a place. It's called Cranberry Lake, in the Adirondack mountains of New York. My uncle had a cabin right on the water, and if it was peace and quiet you wanted, that was the place. Unfortunately, after he passed away, the place was sold, so that's not an option any more.

 

[Maria Bayote]

I would love to go there for all the yummy goodies. I love milk tea and am crazy about buttery pineapple cakes! But I wouldn't go there as a standalone trip. Maybe on my way to Philippine islands.

I loved the cultural ambiance of Taiwan, and the people are one of the nicest I have come across. It's just that our kids had not much places to go to.

When you go to the Philippines you can try Palawan, Batanes, Boracay, Zambales. Try not to go to the Southern Philippine areas as much as you can, specifically in the Sulu area and easternmost island of Mindanao. If I was there I could accompany you around. Have fun!

 

[Maria Bayote]

China.

China was horrid! Everywhere was really crowded and Chinese people think it's absolutely fine to spit constantly. Very few areas have public toilets and it's common to see parents holding their kids over the gutters so they can pee or poop into them. It was so polluted that when we got back to the hotel in the evening and I blew my nose the tissue turned black!



Maybe that's why people spit all the time.

I went to Shenzhen once with my son who was then 11 years old. I thought that it was foggy as I could not clearly see the view outside. Turned out it was the polluted air.

 

[susanm9006]

I don't need to go back to New Orleans. I liked the people well enough and the food was OK but I don't need the boozing atmosphere and there were a lot of tourists. I couldn't do Mardi Gras if someone paid me- like Bill Gates or Trump level of money. I don't like being around drunk people at all. Right now I'd take a holiday somewhere where I could just sleep decently for a week. Someplace quiet and peaceful.

For many New Orleans was my favorite city to visit. Not Bourbon street, which I never liked, but the many side streets with unique little shops and street musicians, Jackson Square full of artists and great food. I was there last year though and now you had to step over street people sleeping everywhere all day long. It was shoddy and very sad. Don’t want to visit again.

 

[MonaLyssa33]

I've had bad travel experiences, but they were more isolated incidents and not indicative of the place being bad. I traveled to the Mississippi headwaters here in Minnesota as a kid (many times) and the first time we went the largest windstorm of the last century in that area happened and trees were down all over the place. A tree had even fallen on a woman. We were staying in a tent too. I still love that place though. It's a gorgeous place.

I will have to add that I agree with Mount Rushmore being underwhelming.