June 1, 2020
Due to travel restrictions, plans are only available with travel dates on or after
Due to travel restrictions, plans are only available with effective start dates on or after
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When we think of bucket list travel, we’re more apt to conjure up images of empty nesters lounging under the Northern Lights or BFFs making that Oktoberfest getaway to Munich they’ve been planning for decades.
But we don’t immediately think of family travel. Well, we should. Because this is where the idea of bucket list travel began; just ask Clark W. Griswold. After all, why else would there be 50 photos hanging in your parents’ home of you in your cute little baby bathing suit the first time you visited the beach? These are powerful snapshots in time when the entire family could escape their daily troubles and cares — and instead spend 45 min. hotly debating which restaurant can handle everyone’s tastes, food allergies and budgets.
We kid, we kid. But family travel can be daunting, especially the multi-generational variety. Don’t worry, we’re here to help, and we have a few family travel bucket list trips for your consideration. But before you buckle up and start planning your family’s first or next bucket list trip, make the move that can calm the chaos that inherently comes with family travel: finding the Allianz Global Assistance travel insurance plan that’s right for you.
It’s not exactly an original idea; after all, more than 50 million people travel here every year.1
But there’s a reason Walk Disney World (and its four parks) is such a popular destination for family travel. Actually, there are a few. Yes, your kids’ (and your own) favorite characters are all there. And of course, there’s the trademark Disney magic, from nightly fireworks extravaganzas to Pandora’s menagerie of bioluminescent creatures.
But the mega theme park’s secret sauce is its growing appeal to all ages. Sure, it’s a glorious experience to watch the joy in your children’s eyes as they romp and roll through Main Street, U.S.A., but you have needs, too. That’s why attractions such as Epcot’s Annual Food & Wine Festival and the “Star Wars”-themed Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios make sure there’s more for mom, dad, and the grandparents to do than push the stroller and hold the souvenirs.
Here are a few tips for planning family travel to Disney World, whether it’s a true once-in-a-lifetime, bucket list item or an annual pilgrimage:
Maybe you’re most comfortable DIY’ing a hodge-podge of booking portals (such as https://www.kayak.com/) and Disney travel-themed sites (including https://www.mousesavers.com/) to find the best itinerary and value for your crew. Or you’d prefer to go straight to the mouse for a bundled vacation package (Note: A family of four can take a 7-day trip for under $3,000 — including lodging and trip tickets.) Too much to think about? Book and plan through your favorite travel agent.
Will your extended family book together or separate? Will you cram into a few suites or comfortably sprawl out in your own rooms? Do you want the convenience of staying onsite at the parks or the value of straying outside Disney limits? If you stay at Disney World, does the economical, group-friendly Disney's Art of Animation make the most sense or do you want to escape the noise and indulge a bit at Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa?2 There are lots of questions to consider, but fortunately, lots of answers, too.
If you have a wide gap in the ages of your family’s traveling party — or if you have a multigenerational or even skip-generation trip with the kiddos and grandparents — consider an immersive character meal for an activity everyone can equally enjoy.3
For more information about planning the ultimate Disney World family travel bucket list trip, check our comprehensive Disney World planning guide and primer to visiting Orlando.
Similar to the Disney World option — yes, they offer a cruise, too — big boat trips come built in with the two features key to any successful family getaway: flexibility and something for everyone. Maybe a quick cruise from New York to Saint John, Canada is the right route for a family with small children and tough schedules. Or perhaps everyone is all grown up and ready to take on 10 days to Alaska and back. Once you’re on the ship itself, family members can diverge. For example, if it’s a Carnival Cruise to Cozumel, teens can head to Club O2 for gaming competitions and karaoke battles. And mom and Aunt Linda can work on their tans on the Lido Deck. Then the entire brood can gather together for a shore excursion to Xcaret Eco-Archaeological Park to float in the lagoons and explore the aviary.4, 5 With your choice of mealtimes, accommodations ranging from budget to luxury, and the ability to truly disconnect from the real world while focusing on family, cruises are the family travel choice everyone can get behind. (Not sure where to start your planning? Here’s a list of some teen-friendly cruises to pore over.)
Perhaps the genealogy and hometowns of your extended family are already accurately chronicled in well-preserved logs and journals. Or maybe you spent some time exploring Ancestry.com or took a home DNA test through a service such as 23andMe — and discovered a whole new limb of your extended family tree.
Either way, there’s no family travel option that’s more focused on the family that walking where your ancestors once walked — and maybe even meeting a few in person. Ancestry travel, or heritage travel as it’s also known, is an increasingly popular way to connect with your past. In fact, more than half of Americans have traveled to at least one country their ancestors once roamed, according to an Airbnb study. The accommodation provider and app even teamed up with the aforementioned 23andMe to offer a turnkey service: custom ancestry reports paired with available rental homes and experiences in your ancestral land.6
Because of the potential for lots of international travel and itineraries that can develop in real time, heritage trips and tours are a family travel option best taken when the kids are old enough to truly understand and appreciate the adventure. (Here are more tips for planning ancestry travel.)
The bucket list doesn’t end here. From camping in Yosemite to making it to the Olympics, the list of gotta-visit family travel hot spots is long and winding. Sometimes the hardest part isn’t getting everyone out the door together, but simply agreeing on one destination.
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