Summer Vacation Ideas

If you are traveling to Disneyland this summer and really want to do this summer vacation on a budget, you should consider how much you are going to be spending on food at the park. Food is one of the things you will be spending the most on during your vacation and you should spend wisely, otherwise it can put you in the hole. Getting a hotel room with a kitchenette in it will allow you to eat many of your meals away from the park which will help with your budget. If your hotel does not have a kitchen, try eating only 2 meals a day instead of 3 with maybe a snack during the day between meals to pacify your hungry family until dinner time. Eating outside of the park at one of the many surrounding restaurants will also help to keep your budget down.

No trip to Disneyland is complete without a pair of Mickey Mouse ears. If the souvenir shopping stopped right there, you could certainly do your summer vacation on a budget with no problem at all. Unfortunately, if you have been to Disneyland before, you know that idea is not exactly reasonable as Disneyland is one big toy store with clothing, toys and décor that all come with a large price tag. It is important, when working with a tight budget, to maintain good discipline when shopping for souvenirs. Keep a certain amount of cash in an envelope that is reserved specifically for souvenir shopping. Do not exceed that amount or attempt to use a credit card. There are plenty of souvenirs (though small in size) that are under $10 that will remind your kids of the wonderful trip to Disneyland. Besides, your memories of your vacation will be your best souvenir, and that is priceless!

If you can afford a higher priced hotel with a kitchenette, it may pay off in the food portion of your vacation. Disneyland is known for their high priced meals. Even their snacks and ice cream, though delicious, are outrageously expensive. If your hotel room has a small kitchen in it, you can save money by eating breakfast in your room every morning. You can also pack a lunch for the day. Although you will not be able to bring it inside of the park, you can rent a storage locker outside of Disneyland to store a small cooler and have a picnic on the grounds between Disneyland and California Adventure. Although you are trying to manage your summer vacation on a budget, if you are going to splurge on a meal, it should be dinner time at the park. Yes, the food is expensive, but it is tasty and the portions are good. Each “land” in Disneyland has food that matches its theme, so if you are staying for a week or so, you will have the chance to eat dinner at every “land”.

When you are planning for your Disneyland summer vacation on a budget, you should keep in mind that summer is considered the high tourist season, so not only will there be a much larger amount of people visiting every day, but the hotel prices will be considerably higher than during the off season tourist months. If you are not particular about what kind of hotel you stay in while on vacation, there are plenty of moderate to budget priced motels that will help you keep within your budget. These accommodations may not have all the amenities of a 5 star resort, but they will be clean and you can expect to have a friendly staff to help make your stay a pleasurable one.

Are your kids practically begging you on hands and knees to take them to Disneyland, but you just don’t think you can make it work financially? Well, you are in luck because there is a way to visit the Happiest Place on Earth with breaking the bank. A Disneyland summer vacation on a budget can be done if you have the right mindset and a lot of self control. The self control part comes in when your children are asking you every time you walk into one of the gift shops if you will by them this and that. Souvenir shopping alone is enough to wreak havoc on your pocket book. By really being budget conscious on your Disney vacation and being mindful of how much you are spending (because it can add up quickly), you will be able to make your kids Disneyland vacation wish come true!

If you would like your children to get more in touch with nature, plan a summer vacation for your family to the great outdoors. Do a little research in your area to see what national parks are close enough so the drive isn’t unbearable, but far enough away to where you feel like you are escaping all of reality, if only for a few days. Make sure you have enough equipment and the modern conveniences to make even the biggest city slicker comfortable. Get a good quality tent and temperature appropriate sleeping bags. The temperature can drop rapidly in the evening, and nothing is worse than being cold and out in the middle of nowhere. Make sure you bring all of the fixings for smores to roast over an open fire. Do a little research to make sure that bears and wild animals (like coyotes) are not prone to scavenging the areas. If they are, make sure you keep your food locked tight in your car. Bring fun activities for your kids to do, such as fishing poles to keep them occupied. Many national parks offer canoe rentals, which is always fun to do as a family.

If you consider yourself a work-a-holic and your kids seem to be growing up before your eyes, then there is no time like the present to start planning for a vacation with your kids where you can leave behind your laptop and cell phone and spend quality time with the ones you love. Summer vacations for families come in every shape and size from the ultra expensive and luxurious stay at Disney World to pitching a tent at a national park and enjoy the beauty of the great outdoors. There is a perfect vacation for you to plan. All it takes is coming together with your family to decide what everyone would like to do on vacation, a little bit of money and a lot of imagination and you come up with a dream vacation perfect for your family.

Summer vacations for families can be incredible if you decide to take them on a cruise. If your children are a bit too old for a Disney cruise, or if you would like a cruise with a little more relaxation and not so much chaotic energy, there are a multitude of other cruise lines. These cruises will still offer the very best in luxuriousness and relaxation for the adults while still allowing plenty of activities like swimming, arcades plus a plethora of other opportunities for the kids that will keep them busy, occupied and out of your hair from sun up to sun down.

The Disney Company saw that the market was faltering a bit in the family cruise demographic and decided to profit off of it and make a regular Disneyland on the Sea. The Disney Cruise line is a virtual wonderland of all things Disney magic. Adults and children of all ages love this cruise line. There are incredible shows throughout the day and night that will leave you wondering how on earth they managed to do that on a cruise ship out in the middle of the sea. Disney characters are there to greet you around every corner delighting young children everywhere. The food, like on any other cruise line is to die for, but the Disney Company makes sure that their menu includes foods that will appeal to every Disney fanatic; Mickey Mouse shaped macaroni, pancakes and waffles can be found at all hours of the day or night. One of the most incredible parts of the Disney cruise is the stop at the Disney owned private Caribbean island where you will spend your day doing water sports, swimming in the lagoon, getting your hair braided or a multitude of other activities on this gorgeous beach. This is the perfect summer vacation for families.

Cruises were once a vacation designed and designated mostly for the older generation, where afternoons were spent playing gin and shuffle board on the deck. Well, cruises have come a long, long way in the age demographic and now more families are opting to take cruises for the adventure as well as the all-inclusive amenities that cruise ships provide. Many cruise line focus entirely on relating and entertaining families. They offer children’s clubs which will allow the parents to go off and enjoy some of the ships amenities not necessarily geared towards a child’s enjoyment. These clubs keep your child busy from sun up to sun down with hours of arts and crafts, games, swimming and story time making it a wonderful summer vacation for families.