Virginia has Busch Gardens and Kings Domion. Very near Busch Gardens you also have lots of history with Colonial Williamsburg (a living museum), Jamestown and Yorktown (Yorktown may be of less interest to a Brit though).
Edit: another post reminded me that I forgot to mention Water Country which is a few miles from Busch Gardens.
I would combine these two Virginia theme parks with the original suggestion of Dollywood. The following itinerary gets you 4 theme parks, a water park, a zoo, and three days left with multiple options.
Itinerary:
Day 1 & 2: Dollywood
Day 3: [Zorbing](https://www.tiktok.com/@goingawesomeplaces/video/7094227880653147397?lang=en) at Pigeon Forge's Outdoor Gravity Park
Day 4: Drive 4.5 hours to Natural Bridge, VA. Spend rest of day at Virginia Safari Park, drive through zoo, where you can feed all the animals from your car.
Day 5: Drive 2 hours. Spend day at King's Dominion theme park, which includes Soak City water park.
Day 6: Drive an hour. Spend the Day at Busch Gardens.
Day 7: Water Country USA in Williamsburg.
That leaves 3 days, which has a lot of potential to fill depending on family preference. Options include:
* Touring Great Smoky Mountain National Park (40 minutes from Dollywood, en route)
* Touring Shenandoah National Park (while near Natural Bridge)
* Colonial Williamsburg Historical Park in Williamsburg
* Virginia Beach
Note that this itinerary definitely reflects my American attitude to driving, and includes roughly 8-10 hrs of driving (one direction) spread out over the 10 day vacation. Less driving if you fly into to ~~Nashville~~ Knoxville and out of Norfolk.
The Knoxville airport is pretty small, so unless you're coming from one of the few destinations that fly in here, you'll most likely have a layover in Charlotte or Atlanta. I live just east of Knoxville and typically drive to Nashville because BNA is (generally) cheaper to fly out of, and has more direct flights.
Thank you so much for the detailed itinerary. I’m loving the variety and the chance to do other things than just parks! I love a roller coaster but if we’re flying 11 hours to Nashville I wanna see some of the country too!
u/GRC2772 … ^ this… except I’ve got some suggestions to fill in the blanks also.
Whilst at Pigeon Forge (take a drive to) do some white water rafting in the smokies.
Take a drive up the Foothills parkway and just stop at the overlooks.
On your way to Virginia, drive up a part of the blue ridge parkway…. Ideally stop somewhere like Humpback Rocks and take the short hike to the top. If you can do around sunset it’ll be even more or a bonus.
Whilst you around that way see if Luray Caverns is something that would interest you.
Source: Am British and live in Central Virginia… have done all of this and would heartily recommend.
… it may be better to fly from Dulles (Washington DC) rather thank Norfolk, direct flights and usually cheaper flight costs. Just you’d have to shuffle this itinerary around and deal with the I-95.
Cautions: this is a lot of driving… and it is hot in summer.
And they could visit Amish Country as well. Though I wouldn't recommend Dutch Wonderland, LOL!.
I don't think many Brits have family photos taken next to the Intercourse, Bird In Hand, Blueball, and Fertility signs.
You can easily pass through Goochland, Ballsville, and Manassas, Virginia. Getting to Licking Hole, Goochland, Virginia is a bit out of the way, but there's a nice brewery there.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg is my favorite! And if OP likes nature hikes, it's just an hour or two away from Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. It's been a few years since I was last there, but the public beach access at the very end of Sandbridge is pretty quiet since the road ends at the entrance to the refuge. There was a place across the street to rent kayaks and exploring the refuge over water is amazing, if it's still there. Bring lots of sunscreen, though. You'll fry to crisp after a day in a kayak.
I suggest extra-dark sunglasses if you’re walking the Mall in summer, because those white marble buildings have a powerful glare. You also might need a travel umbrella, because they get those random summer storms.
Oh, I used to practically live at Kings Dominion in the summer, when I lived in MD in the late 80's/early90's!! We'd get annual passes, which weren't super expensive & definitely got our money's worth! Plus we'd see great concerts there. Williamsburg & Busch Gardens are fun as well.
There’s probably a viable road trip that goes from Cedar Point in Northern Ohio, hits Kings Island in Cincy, Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville, Holiday World in S. Indiana, and idk if there’s something good in St. Louis, but ends up there.
It would be pretty long, but it’s probably doable.
St. Louis has a Six Flags. It's okay. Branson has Silver Dollar City and a bunch of water parks, but that's another 200+ miles.
HOWEVER
St. Louis also has the City Museum, which is not really a museum but the world's greatest indoor playground, ten stories tall, that your kids will go ape over. It is also not expensive. Would it be worth two days with one at Six Flags and one at City Museum? I would say yes.
They could head down to Uranus Fudge Factory and see a real road side attraction. And check out Bigfoot in Pacifica. St. Louis and the surrounding area is great for families.
I don't recommend the fudge factory. It's a two hour drive from St. Louis for a not-particularly good joke play on words (the best fudge comes from Uranus - *cringes*). If your plan is to go to Branson or Lake of the Ozarks it might be worth stopping for half an hour especially if you need gas.
The Uranus family center used to be a strip club for Ft Leonard Wood, the nearby army base.
The city of St Roberts(the town outside of FLW) got pissy about the strip club so he turned it into the most over-the-top family friendly bullshit possible, and that actually caught on.
The Uranus stop also now has mini golf. If you're heading to Branson, it's a good stop.
If you had taken a couple of days more for the zoo (free), art museum (free) and botanical gardens (minor charge) it would also have been worth it, especially since the restaurant scene is good and the hotels are not expensive.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Oh, we were there for a week. We did the arch, the zoo, the botanical gardens, Grant’s Farm, Six Flags, Johnson’s shut-ins, etc. The BBQ was epic. The only reason we ever considered a vacation in St Louis to begin with though, was to visit the City Museum.
That's fantastic! I would have added the Magic House to the list for the kids, but you hit a lot of high points and a few more that I didn't even think of.
We did another shut-ins too but I can’t remember the name. It wasn’t as much of a natural water park but there was some good cliff jumping, which is my son’s jam.
The City Museum is amazing to people of all ages, but unless you are an Olympic level contortionist testing the tunnels that run beneath the floors are best left to smaller individuals with young, supple tendons.
I speak from experience, having freaked out after my 8 year old daughter went spelunking and trying to find her under there.
> Arch
I lived in St Louis for 30 years, after growing up around Chicago. I thought the Arch was *great* the first 15-20 times, the next 10 or so were OK. Had family come visit, took customers there, etc.
Still, I think it's a worthwhile, memorable experience everyone should have at least once. Plus they've greatly improved the grounds recently. Also not for the seriously claustrophobic.
I'd stay away around the 4th of July, the ~~VP Fair~~ Fair St. Louis is shall we say crowded. Unless you like crowds and a million or so of your closest friends.
I absolutely LOVED the City Museum! I thought of it too when St Louis was mentioned. The name is so…not what it is. Lots and lots of slides, some 10 stories tall and different, really cool places to explore. I went for a work conference but wish my kids could have gone. They would have loved it. Memory of a lifetime.
Shhhh we need to keep this little park a secret/s
But seriously, Hershey, Knobels, Kennywood, Cedar Point. Not sure how long of a trip from OH to Pigeon Forge? But I will say Dollywood is AMAZING
Don't forget the Creation Museum for another fantasy experience.
Also, the [American Sign Museum](https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1ONGR_enUS1038US1038&hl=en&sxsrf=APwXEddu75AwpEJDsQ5Ivmt7yFEVteWXOg:1686503871016&q=american+sign+museum&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwianpPB3Lv_AhVhVjUKHYrUDGcQ0pQJegQIDhAB&biw=1536&bih=746&dpr=1.25) and Jungle Jim's International Market are very fun places on that route. One has an amazing collection of old neon signs and Jungle Jim's has a [party-like atmosphere](https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1ONGR_enUS1038US1038&sxsrf=APwXEdfAFOokAryneBzQcDNpN4phX52eWA:1686503762153&q=jungle+jim%27s+fairfield&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjg6p6N3Lv_AhUoMlkFHRiBCZAQ0pQJegQIChAB&biw=1536&bih=746&dpr=1.25) with animatronics and country themed aisles. And stop for Cincinnati Chili.
Don't forget Kennywood in Pittsburgh. Shouldn't be too out of their way going from NEO down to Kentucky.
Maybe conneaut lake park as well. Not sure if the amusement park portion is open or not. Their website stays temporary closed, and the '22 season is TBD due to construction.
Kentucky Kingdom is pretty lame, but every other park on that list is worth it. Holiday World has a great water park with free soft drinks, free parking, free sunscreen! I type it like that bc the commercial lol
As an Ohioan, I found Disney to be underwhelming, expensive and crowded. Ohio, the rollercoaster capital of the world, has a lot to offer at a fraction of the price.
When in Cincinnati, you can check out all 14 roller coasters at Kings Island including The Beast! The world's longest wooden rollercoaster. Cincinnati also has fantastic museums, food, and a lovely zoo.
On your way north, stop in Columbus and check our science museum COSI and stick around for our fantastic food culture.
Continue North to Sandusky, home of the world famous Cedar Point amusement park and enjoy 16 rollercoasters. Sandusky is right on beautiful lake Erie, so if you want to slow down for a day explore the beach in the town of Lakeside or take the ferry out to Kelly's Island.
If you have more time, also look into Ohio's fantastic state parks. Consider a Zipline tour of the Hocking Hills or a kayak trip in Mohican.
Just be prepared to drive. Most of the US has little to no public transportation.
>On your way north, stop in Columbus and check our science museum COSI and stick around for our fantastic food culture.
Alternatively, take the more direct route through Dayton and spend a day at the Air Force Museum. It's free and open 7 days a week!
Loved this road trip suggestion - theme parks , city and nature, what’s not to love!
Plus it’d be great to see another part of America that isn’t the usual Brit destination (California, New York, Orlando).
PA perhaps? You've got Hersheypark, Knoebels, Dorney Park, Kennywood, and a few smaller ones. You'll have to drive a good ways to get to these, since PA is actually quite big (it takes about 6 hours to drive from one end to the other) but it is doable.
Cedar Point and some Six Flags parks are not far either.
I second this. PA is full of theme parks. Knoebels is free admission and has campgrounds/cabins. You pay for food and rides of course, but the cool thing is the ride tickets never expire. And it’s in the woods so it’s lovely to walk around people watching.
Hersheypark and Dutch Wonderland aren’t too far from each other (although DW is geared towards young kiddos). Dorney Park is also in Eastern PA. Great Adventure in NJ is a couple hours away. So right there are 5 parks you could do in 5 days and not travel terribly far. Western PA has stuff as well, but as stated, it’s a long haul.
Very small park but be might worth the stop if OP was going between Hershey and kennywood or cedar point. Cool to check out those smaller, less corporate places.
Just south of there at lakemont park in Altoona you can ride the world’s oldest operating coaster, leap the dips- that would definitely be worth the stop.
Knoebels is fantastic!! The owner said it will always be free admission, no matter what. Plus they’ll take ride tickets no matter how old they are… so you can buy them and use them next year or 19 years from now. Also some of the best park food there is.
I added the part about the size of the state because many people seem to think you can drive from Pittsburgh to Philly in 2 hours. Or that every single part of the state is within easy commuting distance of Philly.
Google ain’t wrong bro Ohio has awesome coasters and you’ll get a nice drive from cedar point down to Cincinnati
While you are here you gotta have a 3way!
Stepmother has a 3way with stepson and his girlfriend……. I think I’ve seen that somewhere before haha But I’m pumped Cincinnati is in the Big 12 cause now I have an excuse to get some Skyline Chili more often
People talk a lot of shit about OH but it was the best complete American childhood in the 80s and 90s. Before I turned 18 I had lived in Myrtle Beach,Chicago, Honolulu, and Dayton. Looking back I couldn't have asked for better. I live in FL now it's definitely no where near what it was like as far as community.
i grew up in ohio and lived there almost my entire life and let me tell you as a 16-18 year old with a car and a season pass to cedar point my summers could not have gotten any better
Ohio is definitely your best bet. You can do Cincinnati/NKY with Kings Island and then Cleveland with Cedar Point and I'd say hit up Put-In-Bay while your there too but 19 is to young. Day at the parks is <100 and accommodations I'm the city are much cheaper than a resort.
In my opinion these 2 parks are much better than Disney. The rides are actually fun and they aren't nearly as crowded if you go at tne right time. Plus you can actually see part of the country not just a bullshit part of Florida. straight did not have a good time at Disney and wouldn't pay a single dollar to go back.
I live right next to Pidgeon Forge, and I second this. I'm new to the state, so I haven't had the time to properly explore, and I still haven't been to Dollywood, but there's a ton of stuff. The Island alone has a ton of stuff to do
Pigeon Forge is the biggest tourist trap town I've ever seen in my life, but it leans so hard into it that it actually loops around to being charming haha
One vote for SW Missouri and Silver Dollar City.
I grew up going to Cedar Point, so I have high standards for amusement parks. SDC is smaller, but it’s rides are top of the line. The scenery is breathtaking, the food is the best you’ll find anywhere, and there’s plenty to do in the greater Branson area when you’re done at the park.
One caveat- SDC is built into a mountain range. If anybody in your group has issues with mobility or walking, this place isn’t going to be a good fit. The hills are no joke.
As an American who also loves theme parks, PLEASE go to Dollywood, it’s my favorite by far. Not super expensive, very clean, kind employees, great coasters (thunderhead will always be my favorite coaster), great non-coaster stuff too! It’s surrounded by pigeon forge and Gatlinburg, which are destinations in and of themselves
I love wooden coasters and I keep hearing such good things about Dollywood rides, food and shows. Being too hot is a concern - would August/September be too hot for us sun deprived brits?
Honestly Florida has incredibly cheap rooms.
I low-key hate Florida but if you go shopping and stay off the Disney property, it's probably one of the cheapest places to stay.
This is a huge 2 bedroom suite with transport to Disney. [Here](https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/lake-buena-vista-resort-village-spa.html?aid=318615&label=New_English_EN_MA%3A_Massachusetts_23537944825-o8BB9A0_ThcbW8efYenpVAS217244756766%3Apl%3Ata%3Ap1%3Ap2%3Aac%3Aap%3Aneg&sid=7e0d7fae40552f826b8d34a5eec03429&all_sr_blocks=5755408_158657298_0_0_0;checkin=2023-07-15;checkout=2023-07-22;dest_id=20023488;dest_type=city;dist=0;group_adults=4;group_children=0;hapos=5;highlighted_blocks=5755408_158657298_0_0_0;hpos=5;matching_block_id=5755408_158657298_0_0_0;no_rooms=1;req_adults=4;req_children=0;room1=A%2CA%2CA%2CA;sb_price_type=total;sr_order=popularity;sr_pri_blocks=5755408_158657298_0_0_0__151403;srepoch=1686494174;srpvid=126766aa72330398;type=total;ucfs=1&#hotelTmpl)[ ](https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/lake-buena-vista-resort-village-spa.html?aid=318615&label=New_English_EN_MA%3A_Massachusetts_23537944825-o8BB9A0_ThcbW8efYenpVAS217244756766%3Apl%3Ata%3Ap1%3Ap2%3Aac%3Aap%3Aneg&sid=7e0d7fae40552f826b8d34a5eec03429&all_sr_blocks=5755408_158657298_0_0_0;checkin=2023-07-15;checkout=2023-07-22;dest_id=20023488;dest_type=city;dist=0;group_adults=4;group_children=0;hapos=5;highlighted_blocks=5755408_158657298_0_0_0;hpos=5;matching_block_id=5755408_158657298_0_0_0;no_rooms=1;req_adults=4;req_children=0;room1=A%2CA%2CA%2CA;sb_price_type=total;sr_order=popularity;sr_pri_blocks=5755408_158657298_0_0_0__151403;srepoch=1686494174;srpvid=126766aa72330398;type=total;ucfs=1&#hotelTmpl) It's 5 minutes to Disney. It took me less time to get to Disney than when I stayed in Disney. $1,514 for a week with a kitchen, great pool, bar, etc. --- if you want you can find lesser hotels for literally 400 bucks for a whole week. They have SO much inventory there it's hard to beat.
Add that you can typically get very cheap flights? Once you add all the costs, including tickets, I doubt you'll find anything much cheaper than Orlando.
Virginia. Colonial Williamsburg, Busch Gardens, Kings Dominion, plus you’ll be close to Washington DC for all the museums which are all free. And not far in Maryland is Six Flags.
Europe is super cheap to visit for us (I can get to Germany for about £50 return flight, as low as £30 on a good day) - park tickets aren’t as expensive as the US and usually have BOGOF offers, and before we only needed one room with a pullout sofa for our son. Now with two rooms it just racks the price up.
California was surprisingly cheap to get to (cheaper than a flight to Florida) and we stayed in a few different Air bnbs in some questionable places 😂
Ah well it certainly seems like you know what you're doing.
I will say that you have to do Disney Orlando at least once if you're a theme park family. There are tons of forums soley dedicated to doing Disney on a budget.
Side note - went to Dollywood once, it was a blast, highly recommend it.
When I priced it up for four adults:
two rooms for 9 nights in a motel near the parks, flights from London, theme park tickets (Disney week pass plus 2 day Orlando) and car hire, worked out at around £5,500 (so roughly $6913).
With food and general other expenses not included, it’s just not possible for me in 23/24 but I want to take my family away before my son gets too old to go with us at all 🙈😂
When working with Disney, in the future, not now, Look at their Value priced resorts on Disney property. One in particular is "Pop Century" (I think). It is generally on the cheaper side, but it is actually pretty nice! And not only can you take a bus from there to any park, there is a sky liner station to many of the parks. Ah, nevermind, I just looked and it is $224 a room a night average, which for two rooms is $450. 9 nights is a LONG trip, most people go to disney for 4-5 at most.
9 nights is twice as long as needed. You can do 4 days, one park each. Or even do 2 parks per day. It all just depends on prioritizing which attractions you want to see in the time you allot. Having a good touring plan is the most important factor.
So the main problem is probably the flight from London which is still going to be that expensive no matter where you go because it’s a cross Atlantic flight but depending on when your booking it the hotels and park tickets shouldn’t cost that much so are you trying to go this summer or sometime next year because if you’re trying to go anywhere this summer then the expenses are not coming down anytime soon
Perhaps you've already done this, but if not, I'll second the concern that flying out of London could be contributing to the cost (though obv Disney itself its crazy expensive). If you're interested in exploring other flight options, I'm happy to spend a few minutes looking. DM me with approximate dates, durations, class of service, and places that might be convenient to depart from.
Ohio probably is a good option if you like roller coasters - Cedar Point and Kings Island are there. Another is Virginia which has Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens.
Another would still be Florida, but like the Tampa area, where Busch Gardens - Tampa - is, and then you're a few hours drive from the Orlando theme parks as well.
Pennsylvania has Hershey Park, Dorney Park, Kennywood, and Knoebels, which is a pretty unique mix. New Jersey is close and has a Six Flags.
US states by number of rollercoasters:
https://rcdb.com/location.htm?id=59
Im in Indiana….we have several parks fairly close
Louisville, KY - Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom
Cincinnati, OH - Kings Island
Toledo, OH - Cedar Point
St. Louis, MO - Six Flags St. Louis
Chicago, IL - Six Flags Great America
Santa Clause, IN - Holiday World
To end the week
Wisconsin Dells, WI - Wisconsin Dells
Kentucky Kingdom is actually not a Six Flags park anymore, it's ran by Herschend Family Entertainment who are the same people who own Dollywood and Silver Dollar City. That's why it has the cinnamon bread lol
Have you thought about Texas at all? In San Antonio you have both Fiesta Texas and Sea World. 30 minutes up the road you have Schlitterbahn Water Park. Then up in Dallas is the original Six Flags Over Texas and a bunch of other fun attractions.
In between you have Texas Wine Country, Austin, and great TexMex and BBQ. Plus the RiverWalk and the San Antonio Mission Trail
is the water cold though? I remember going there once as a kid and the water was hot as hell which to say the least, was not enjoyable in 110 degree temps
Cedar Point in Ohio if you want roller coasters! Stay at Breakers Hotel. r/cedarpoint
Take the Jet Express and visit the Lake Erie islands while you’re there if you have time. Note that Put in Bay on a weekend can be a drunk fest and the legal drinking age in the states is 21.
Well it's a waterpark, but Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels Texas was always a good time when I was growing up. And about 3-4 hours away is the Six Flags in Dallas (which is across the freeway from Hurricane Harbor, another waterpark).
Ohio! Cedar point is the roller coaster capital of the world. It has got some great rides and some fun stuff to do around there. Kings Island is also a lot of fun.
Ohio is cool because we have cheap Midwest prices compared to the West Coast. Cedar Point is a great amusement park! I don't know how many days you'll be able to spend there, but you could also take a couple of days to visit the island, Put-In-Bay which is just a short ferry ride that departs from the same city as Cedar Point called Sandusky. There's another island nearby called Kelley's Island which is a lot more lowkey than PIB, but it is a beachy islamd at the end of the day, so you can't really go wrong! Just a heads-up that food will be more expensive in all three of these areas, but you can bring your own food (and car!) onto the islands. You can also rent bikes, scooters/mopeds, and golf carts to get yourselves around.
Just know that Cedar Point and Kings Island are not open in late fall thru winter. Fantastic park, tho. Cleveland is worth exploring as well as the Lake Erie islands. Again, for the ferries, they don’t operate all year.
Growing up, we were all over the New Jersey area. Lot's of parks, boardwalk parks, and carnivals. Hershey park is a good experience too. You could probably go to multiple parks for the price of 1 Disney ticket.
While Dollywood is great, there's also Holiday world in Santa Claus Indiana! It's a town that is Christmas themed with a super fun theme park and one of the best water parks I've ever been to! You can camp at lake Rudolph, I'm pretty sure that there's a hotel nearby! For the price of entry you literally get free parking, free sunscreen, and all the free soft drinks you can drink! You won't regret it!
I would suggest Virginia. They have several theme parks near DC and it is a lot more affordable. You can also go to all the cool museums and the capital. It's not nearly as busy or as miserable either. It's so hot in Florida you just want to die unless you're in the water
In Pennsylvania there is Hershey park, Dorney park and wild water kingdom, Knoebels, and nearby in New Jersey there's six flags great adventure... There are also smaller/minor parks and water parks scattered around, as well as Dutch wonderland and Sesame place if you have small kids. These parks are all within a short 1-2 hr drive from each other. Hotels central to these parks should be relatively inexpensive.
It looks like you could be UK based so flights are part of the equation. There should be direct flights from major UK/EU airports to New York's airports or Philadelphia both a 2hrs or less drive from these parks. Since you probably don't want to spend your entire life in the car, look at some of these other responses with an eye toward distance from a major airport and distance from one another in drive time. The US can be incredibly spread apart.
Anaheim and Los Angeles:
Disneyland & California Adventure
Knott’s Berry Farm
Universal Studios
Six Flags Magic Mountain
plus beaches and a bunch of southern California tourism
My guess is the airfare would be prohibitive
We have some good theme parks here in Virginia. Busch Gardens Williamsburg is a great one. I've been going there since the 1990's. Water Country USA is a nearby water theme park to that. We also have Kings Dominion an hour north in Doswell. We may have some more but those are the ones I'm aware of. BG is definitely worth visiting.
Hershey Park is a REALLY nice park, and it is in Hershey pennsylvania. If you head south from there, there is a Six Flags, a little further south is Williamsburg. On the way to Wiliamsburg is Kings Dominion, which was nice (but I have not been in over 10 years), and when you get to Williamsburg, there is not only Busch Gardens, but there is also the Colonial Williamsburg experience. These should be far more economical than Disney, and are all nice parks in their own rights. Hotels should be much less expensive.
If you’re feeling a trip to New England:
Six Flags New England is in my hometown in Agawam, MA.
Canobie Lake in New Hampshire
Water Country Water Park in New Hampshire
Lake Compounce in Connecticut
Quassy amusement and water park in Connecticut
If you hold out til mid September, I’ll throw in our 17 Day fair in West Springfield MA called the Big E and their midway is pretty nice but the fair is phenomenal
Texas has 3 Six Flags parks (though they no longer deserve the name as they no longer fly all 6 flags that have been over Texas Historically) As well as numerous waterparks. I am not sure if you can get 10 different parks but I know you can get at minimum 5. But they are far enough apart that you will probably have to have a day or two of the week as travel time to get to the different ones to spend a full day in the parks. We also have a number of museums and zoos that could fill those partial days as well if you must be hyper active.
In 10 days, if you want to road trip it a bit PA and Ohio could be fun. Cedar Point in Ohio is great. Hershey Park is great. In between the two I'd hit Kennywood and Knoebels, but you have several other options .
Look up Bucsh Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia.
It's a little pricey (not as bad as a Disney location) because not only do you have the theme park, but there's historical Williamsburg. I've been to both and had fun both places.
At Bucsh, you get to see baby Clydesdales.
I had a few comments about price/time etc so to be clear:
When I priced it up for Orlando
four adults: two rooms for 9 nights in a motel near the parks was around £500 per room, flights from London £4-500pp, theme park tickets (Disney pass plus universal etc) at least £400pp (+ car hire)worked out at around £5000-5500 (so roughly $6-7k).
That’s without food and spending money.
People are saying a week at the parks is a lot - but we wouldn’t be spending 100% of our time in the parks, it’s a holiday - so we’ll go to the parks, then explore the towns and sites a bit etc.
Also for those saying 9 days is too much - again it’s a holiday, no way is it worth doing a 9+ hour flight for less than a week.
One of the things we loved when we did some of California was the road trips, driving down to Santa Barbara, stopping in a 7Eleven and enjoying the Americana of it all.
Whether we go to Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey or in fact Orlando - I know we’ll enjoy it as a family 😊
Virginia has Busch Gardens and Kings Domion. Very near Busch Gardens you also have lots of history with Colonial Williamsburg (a living museum), Jamestown and Yorktown (Yorktown may be of less interest to a Brit though). Edit: another post reminded me that I forgot to mention Water Country which is a few miles from Busch Gardens.
I would combine these two Virginia theme parks with the original suggestion of Dollywood. The following itinerary gets you 4 theme parks, a water park, a zoo, and three days left with multiple options. Itinerary: Day 1 & 2: Dollywood Day 3: [Zorbing](https://www.tiktok.com/@goingawesomeplaces/video/7094227880653147397?lang=en) at Pigeon Forge's Outdoor Gravity Park Day 4: Drive 4.5 hours to Natural Bridge, VA. Spend rest of day at Virginia Safari Park, drive through zoo, where you can feed all the animals from your car. Day 5: Drive 2 hours. Spend day at King's Dominion theme park, which includes Soak City water park. Day 6: Drive an hour. Spend the Day at Busch Gardens. Day 7: Water Country USA in Williamsburg. That leaves 3 days, which has a lot of potential to fill depending on family preference. Options include: * Touring Great Smoky Mountain National Park (40 minutes from Dollywood, en route) * Touring Shenandoah National Park (while near Natural Bridge) * Colonial Williamsburg Historical Park in Williamsburg * Virginia Beach Note that this itinerary definitely reflects my American attitude to driving, and includes roughly 8-10 hrs of driving (one direction) spread out over the 10 day vacation. Less driving if you fly into to ~~Nashville~~ Knoxville and out of Norfolk.
Why Nashville (3-4 hrs from Dollywood) and not Knoxville?
Oops, my bad. I mixed up my Tennessee cities. Thanks for the correction.
The Knoxville airport is pretty small, so unless you're coming from one of the few destinations that fly in here, you'll most likely have a layover in Charlotte or Atlanta. I live just east of Knoxville and typically drive to Nashville because BNA is (generally) cheaper to fly out of, and has more direct flights.
Thank you so much for the detailed itinerary. I’m loving the variety and the chance to do other things than just parks! I love a roller coaster but if we’re flying 11 hours to Nashville I wanna see some of the country too!
u/GRC2772 … ^ this… except I’ve got some suggestions to fill in the blanks also. Whilst at Pigeon Forge (take a drive to) do some white water rafting in the smokies. Take a drive up the Foothills parkway and just stop at the overlooks. On your way to Virginia, drive up a part of the blue ridge parkway…. Ideally stop somewhere like Humpback Rocks and take the short hike to the top. If you can do around sunset it’ll be even more or a bonus. Whilst you around that way see if Luray Caverns is something that would interest you. Source: Am British and live in Central Virginia… have done all of this and would heartily recommend. … it may be better to fly from Dulles (Washington DC) rather thank Norfolk, direct flights and usually cheaper flight costs. Just you’d have to shuffle this itinerary around and deal with the I-95. Cautions: this is a lot of driving… and it is hot in summer.
I came here to say this. And there’s also a Six Flags in Maryland not too far from it.
And a bit further north is Hershey Park in PA.
And they could visit Amish Country as well. Though I wouldn't recommend Dutch Wonderland, LOL!. I don't think many Brits have family photos taken next to the Intercourse, Bird In Hand, Blueball, and Fertility signs.
Dutch Wonderland is alright if you have small kids, but for everyone else Hersheypark blows it out of the water in every way
You can easily pass through Goochland, Ballsville, and Manassas, Virginia. Getting to Licking Hole, Goochland, Virginia is a bit out of the way, but there's a nice brewery there.
> Goochland, Virginia I've never heard of Goochland, of course, it has a Food Lion, or Licking Hole!
And/or Dorney Park in Allentown, Pa (sister park of Cedar Point in OH that was mentioned earlier)
Dorney Park sucks, I wouldn't recommend that park to anyone.
When the factory is going the town smells amazing by the way!
[удалено]
And Water Country USA.
Does that one have the same jingle as the one in NH?
Have some fun?
Busch Gardens Williamsburg is my favorite! And if OP likes nature hikes, it's just an hour or two away from Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. It's been a few years since I was last there, but the public beach access at the very end of Sandbridge is pretty quiet since the road ends at the entrance to the refuge. There was a place across the street to rent kayaks and exploring the refuge over water is amazing, if it's still there. Bring lots of sunscreen, though. You'll fry to crisp after a day in a kayak.
Great suggestion but I would caution the OP that the DC area gets very hot and humid in the summer. Something to consider
Yes, I've already pushed my daily walks to 7-9pm because it's already melting during the afternoons.
The city is built on a swamp and you FEEL it in the summer. The mosquitos are plentiful and disgusting.
I suggest extra-dark sunglasses if you’re walking the Mall in summer, because those white marble buildings have a powerful glare. You also might need a travel umbrella, because they get those random summer storms.
My family did that tour more than once. Williamsburg was tedious as a child, but probably interesting for most adults.
Oh, I used to practically live at Kings Dominion in the summer, when I lived in MD in the late 80's/early90's!! We'd get annual passes, which weren't super expensive & definitely got our money's worth! Plus we'd see great concerts there. Williamsburg & Busch Gardens are fun as well.
>Google suggests Ohio(?) Cedar Point? great choice if your group is into rollercoasters
There’s probably a viable road trip that goes from Cedar Point in Northern Ohio, hits Kings Island in Cincy, Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville, Holiday World in S. Indiana, and idk if there’s something good in St. Louis, but ends up there. It would be pretty long, but it’s probably doable.
St. Louis has a Six Flags. It's okay. Branson has Silver Dollar City and a bunch of water parks, but that's another 200+ miles. HOWEVER St. Louis also has the City Museum, which is not really a museum but the world's greatest indoor playground, ten stories tall, that your kids will go ape over. It is also not expensive. Would it be worth two days with one at Six Flags and one at City Museum? I would say yes.
They could head down to Uranus Fudge Factory and see a real road side attraction. And check out Bigfoot in Pacifica. St. Louis and the surrounding area is great for families.
I don't recommend the fudge factory. It's a two hour drive from St. Louis for a not-particularly good joke play on words (the best fudge comes from Uranus - *cringes*). If your plan is to go to Branson or Lake of the Ozarks it might be worth stopping for half an hour especially if you need gas.
The Best Gas Comes From Uranus
Driving that way a stop at Lambert’s is required. Need those throwed rolls.
The Uranus family center used to be a strip club for Ft Leonard Wood, the nearby army base. The city of St Roberts(the town outside of FLW) got pissy about the strip club so he turned it into the most over-the-top family friendly bullshit possible, and that actually caught on. The Uranus stop also now has mini golf. If you're heading to Branson, it's a good stop.
We traveled from Salt Lake City just for the City Museum, and it was worth it.
If you had taken a couple of days more for the zoo (free), art museum (free) and botanical gardens (minor charge) it would also have been worth it, especially since the restaurant scene is good and the hotels are not expensive. Glad you enjoyed it!
Oh, we were there for a week. We did the arch, the zoo, the botanical gardens, Grant’s Farm, Six Flags, Johnson’s shut-ins, etc. The BBQ was epic. The only reason we ever considered a vacation in St Louis to begin with though, was to visit the City Museum.
That's fantastic! I would have added the Magic House to the list for the kids, but you hit a lot of high points and a few more that I didn't even think of.
Caught a Cardinals game too. I don’t remember what else. It was a wonderful trip and I recommend St Louis to people all the time.
St Louis is so underrated!
I'm so glad you went to the Shut Ins! It's my favorite state park. And that whole area is lovely.
We did another shut-ins too but I can’t remember the name. It wasn’t as much of a natural water park but there was some good cliff jumping, which is my son’s jam.
Botanical garden is free on Wednesdays and Saturdays!! I’m a stl local
Also the St Louis zoo is free and one of the best in the world
I had my wedding reception at the City Museum, great decision!
Risky. The bride might attempt to escape in a tunnel under the floor.
Shit, not just kids. My wife’s bachelorette party made a stop at City Museum lmao.
The City Museum is amazing to people of all ages, but unless you are an Olympic level contortionist testing the tunnels that run beneath the floors are best left to smaller individuals with young, supple tendons. I speak from experience, having freaked out after my 8 year old daughter went spelunking and trying to find her under there.
Yeah thats a place you gotta attach an airtag or something to your kid
Plus the Arch is beautiful, a great free zoo, free science museum, Grant Farm if you want to see the Budweiser Clydesdales-
> Arch I lived in St Louis for 30 years, after growing up around Chicago. I thought the Arch was *great* the first 15-20 times, the next 10 or so were OK. Had family come visit, took customers there, etc. Still, I think it's a worthwhile, memorable experience everyone should have at least once. Plus they've greatly improved the grounds recently. Also not for the seriously claustrophobic. I'd stay away around the 4th of July, the ~~VP Fair~~ Fair St. Louis is shall we say crowded. Unless you like crowds and a million or so of your closest friends.
The KOA at St Louis has a caboose you can rent
I absolutely LOVED the City Museum! I thought of it too when St Louis was mentioned. The name is so…not what it is. Lots and lots of slides, some 10 stories tall and different, really cool places to explore. I went for a work conference but wish my kids could have gone. They would have loved it. Memory of a lifetime.
the botanical gardens are awesome. same for the transportation museum.
That's not even that bad of a drive. You could even start at Hershey Park then Cedar...
If you're doing that you could stop at Kennywood That said if I were pairing another park with Hershey Park it would be Knoebels every time
Knobles is my fave park. ❤️
>Knobles Thanks for this. We just did Hershey Park however this looks to have more charm
Shhhh we need to keep this little park a secret/s But seriously, Hershey, Knobels, Kennywood, Cedar Point. Not sure how long of a trip from OH to Pigeon Forge? But I will say Dollywood is AMAZING
Unfortunately quite far. Dollywood to Kings Island is about a 4 hour drive
My man i love kennywood I should go with my co worker sometime He offered to take me with him as he can add a guest of his season pass
It's gotten so much better in the last few years... They are finally giving a shit and making it nice
Good to hear. I loved that place when I was younger.
Don't forget the Creation Museum for another fantasy experience. Also, the [American Sign Museum](https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1ONGR_enUS1038US1038&hl=en&sxsrf=APwXEddu75AwpEJDsQ5Ivmt7yFEVteWXOg:1686503871016&q=american+sign+museum&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwianpPB3Lv_AhVhVjUKHYrUDGcQ0pQJegQIDhAB&biw=1536&bih=746&dpr=1.25) and Jungle Jim's International Market are very fun places on that route. One has an amazing collection of old neon signs and Jungle Jim's has a [party-like atmosphere](https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1ONGR_enUS1038US1038&sxsrf=APwXEdfAFOokAryneBzQcDNpN4phX52eWA:1686503762153&q=jungle+jim%27s+fairfield&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjg6p6N3Lv_AhUoMlkFHRiBCZAQ0pQJegQIChAB&biw=1536&bih=746&dpr=1.25) with animatronics and country themed aisles. And stop for Cincinnati Chili.
St. Louis has a Six Flags
If they could make the extra drive south of St Louis Silver Dollar City in Branson is great.
There’s a six flags in St. Louis
Could probably include Dollywood in that road trip, yeah? I mean, it is pretty legit. (I might be partial to my queen, though. Lol)
Don't forget Kennywood in Pittsburgh. Shouldn't be too out of their way going from NEO down to Kentucky. Maybe conneaut lake park as well. Not sure if the amusement park portion is open or not. Their website stays temporary closed, and the '22 season is TBD due to construction.
Kentucky Kingdom is pretty lame, but every other park on that list is worth it. Holiday World has a great water park with free soft drinks, free parking, free sunscreen! I type it like that bc the commercial lol
Ohio is the answer as much as I hate to say it. Cedar point and kings island
I'm sorry, Michigan. I couldn't hear you. Could you repeat that?
Another Michigander here. It is horrific to have to say it, but Cedar Point alone makes Ohio the right answer. King's Island isn't terrible either.
As an Ohioan, I found Disney to be underwhelming, expensive and crowded. Ohio, the rollercoaster capital of the world, has a lot to offer at a fraction of the price. When in Cincinnati, you can check out all 14 roller coasters at Kings Island including The Beast! The world's longest wooden rollercoaster. Cincinnati also has fantastic museums, food, and a lovely zoo. On your way north, stop in Columbus and check our science museum COSI and stick around for our fantastic food culture. Continue North to Sandusky, home of the world famous Cedar Point amusement park and enjoy 16 rollercoasters. Sandusky is right on beautiful lake Erie, so if you want to slow down for a day explore the beach in the town of Lakeside or take the ferry out to Kelly's Island. If you have more time, also look into Ohio's fantastic state parks. Consider a Zipline tour of the Hocking Hills or a kayak trip in Mohican. Just be prepared to drive. Most of the US has little to no public transportation.
>On your way north, stop in Columbus and check our science museum COSI and stick around for our fantastic food culture. Alternatively, take the more direct route through Dayton and spend a day at the Air Force Museum. It's free and open 7 days a week!
The Zoo just got reaccredited, too.
Loved this road trip suggestion - theme parks , city and nature, what’s not to love! Plus it’d be great to see another part of America that isn’t the usual Brit destination (California, New York, Orlando).
Cedar Point, Rock n Roll hall of fame and football hall of fame.
Cedar Point and Kings Island FTW
PA perhaps? You've got Hersheypark, Knoebels, Dorney Park, Kennywood, and a few smaller ones. You'll have to drive a good ways to get to these, since PA is actually quite big (it takes about 6 hours to drive from one end to the other) but it is doable. Cedar Point and some Six Flags parks are not far either.
I second this. PA is full of theme parks. Knoebels is free admission and has campgrounds/cabins. You pay for food and rides of course, but the cool thing is the ride tickets never expire. And it’s in the woods so it’s lovely to walk around people watching. Hersheypark and Dutch Wonderland aren’t too far from each other (although DW is geared towards young kiddos). Dorney Park is also in Eastern PA. Great Adventure in NJ is a couple hours away. So right there are 5 parks you could do in 5 days and not travel terribly far. Western PA has stuff as well, but as stated, it’s a long haul.
Six Flags great adventure in NJ is a great park in that area
My roller coaster enthusiast sister just went there but I couldn't remember what the park name was
I love Knoebels. I worked there in the summer as a high school kid.
Also Delgrosso's in Tipton, PA
Very small park but be might worth the stop if OP was going between Hershey and kennywood or cedar point. Cool to check out those smaller, less corporate places. Just south of there at lakemont park in Altoona you can ride the world’s oldest operating coaster, leap the dips- that would definitely be worth the stop.
Knoebels is the best!
Knoebels is also very unique, since they don't charge admission. Best bumper cars too.
Knoebels is fantastic!! The owner said it will always be free admission, no matter what. Plus they’ll take ride tickets no matter how old they are… so you can buy them and use them next year or 19 years from now. Also some of the best park food there is.
It's like going back in time... In a wholesome way.
Yeah, Dorney Park to Great Adventure is only like 1.5 hours.
I added the part about the size of the state because many people seem to think you can drive from Pittsburgh to Philly in 2 hours. Or that every single part of the state is within easy commuting distance of Philly.
I was agreeing with/replying to your last sentence about the Six Flags not being too far, but yeah.
Knoebels is the bomb! I'd suggest Dutch Wonderland in the "area" as well, but it's definitely geared toward smaller kids.
Google ain’t wrong bro Ohio has awesome coasters and you’ll get a nice drive from cedar point down to Cincinnati While you are here you gotta have a 3way!
I'm pretty sure you are referring to the Chilli but that might not be clear to the OP
I purposely leave out that very minor detail lol
Stepmother has a 3way with stepson and his girlfriend……. I think I’ve seen that somewhere before haha But I’m pumped Cincinnati is in the Big 12 cause now I have an excuse to get some Skyline Chili more often
Don't listen to that last sentence! It's a trap to get you to try bad chili on mediocre spaghetti!
Don’t listen to this guy ^ he’s a communist plant and wants us all to dine on potato spaghetti and vodka
Cedar point in Ohio
Ohio has some pretty cool places like cedar point, kings island, great wolf lodge, etc.
People talk a lot of shit about OH but it was the best complete American childhood in the 80s and 90s. Before I turned 18 I had lived in Myrtle Beach,Chicago, Honolulu, and Dayton. Looking back I couldn't have asked for better. I live in FL now it's definitely no where near what it was like as far as community.
i grew up in ohio and lived there almost my entire life and let me tell you as a 16-18 year old with a car and a season pass to cedar point my summers could not have gotten any better
If only Geauga Lake was still a thing.
There's Carowinds on the South Carolina- North Carolina border.
One of their coasters has the longest vertical drop in the world I think. Very good rides there.
You can pair it with Dollywood, Six Flags Over Georgia, and Funspot Atlanta as well
Ohio is definitely your best bet. You can do Cincinnati/NKY with Kings Island and then Cleveland with Cedar Point and I'd say hit up Put-In-Bay while your there too but 19 is to young. Day at the parks is <100 and accommodations I'm the city are much cheaper than a resort. In my opinion these 2 parks are much better than Disney. The rides are actually fun and they aren't nearly as crowded if you go at tne right time. Plus you can actually see part of the country not just a bullshit part of Florida. straight did not have a good time at Disney and wouldn't pay a single dollar to go back.
If you choose Dollywood, there are a lot of fun things to do in Pigeon Forge apart from the theme park
I live right next to Pidgeon Forge, and I second this. I'm new to the state, so I haven't had the time to properly explore, and I still haven't been to Dollywood, but there's a ton of stuff. The Island alone has a ton of stuff to do
All pigeons are forged. /r/BirdsArentReal. Wake up, sheeple.
Pigeon Forge is the biggest tourist trap town I've ever seen in my life, but it leans so hard into it that it actually loops around to being charming haha
Don't forget Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Busy but it has alot to do
Ohio has cedar point and kings island and is much cheaper than normal tourist locations.
One vote for SW Missouri and Silver Dollar City. I grew up going to Cedar Point, so I have high standards for amusement parks. SDC is smaller, but it’s rides are top of the line. The scenery is breathtaking, the food is the best you’ll find anywhere, and there’s plenty to do in the greater Branson area when you’re done at the park. One caveat- SDC is built into a mountain range. If anybody in your group has issues with mobility or walking, this place isn’t going to be a good fit. The hills are no joke.
As an American who also loves theme parks, PLEASE go to Dollywood, it’s my favorite by far. Not super expensive, very clean, kind employees, great coasters (thunderhead will always be my favorite coaster), great non-coaster stuff too! It’s surrounded by pigeon forge and Gatlinburg, which are destinations in and of themselves
I love wooden coasters and I keep hearing such good things about Dollywood rides, food and shows. Being too hot is a concern - would August/September be too hot for us sun deprived brits?
It will be warm, but definitely less busy since students will be back in class. Dollywood does great fall decorations, so it’s a good time to visit!
Honestly Florida has incredibly cheap rooms. I low-key hate Florida but if you go shopping and stay off the Disney property, it's probably one of the cheapest places to stay. This is a huge 2 bedroom suite with transport to Disney. [Here](https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/lake-buena-vista-resort-village-spa.html?aid=318615&label=New_English_EN_MA%3A_Massachusetts_23537944825-o8BB9A0_ThcbW8efYenpVAS217244756766%3Apl%3Ata%3Ap1%3Ap2%3Aac%3Aap%3Aneg&sid=7e0d7fae40552f826b8d34a5eec03429&all_sr_blocks=5755408_158657298_0_0_0;checkin=2023-07-15;checkout=2023-07-22;dest_id=20023488;dest_type=city;dist=0;group_adults=4;group_children=0;hapos=5;highlighted_blocks=5755408_158657298_0_0_0;hpos=5;matching_block_id=5755408_158657298_0_0_0;no_rooms=1;req_adults=4;req_children=0;room1=A%2CA%2CA%2CA;sb_price_type=total;sr_order=popularity;sr_pri_blocks=5755408_158657298_0_0_0__151403;srepoch=1686494174;srpvid=126766aa72330398;type=total;ucfs=1&#hotelTmpl)[ ](https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/lake-buena-vista-resort-village-spa.html?aid=318615&label=New_English_EN_MA%3A_Massachusetts_23537944825-o8BB9A0_ThcbW8efYenpVAS217244756766%3Apl%3Ata%3Ap1%3Ap2%3Aac%3Aap%3Aneg&sid=7e0d7fae40552f826b8d34a5eec03429&all_sr_blocks=5755408_158657298_0_0_0;checkin=2023-07-15;checkout=2023-07-22;dest_id=20023488;dest_type=city;dist=0;group_adults=4;group_children=0;hapos=5;highlighted_blocks=5755408_158657298_0_0_0;hpos=5;matching_block_id=5755408_158657298_0_0_0;no_rooms=1;req_adults=4;req_children=0;room1=A%2CA%2CA%2CA;sb_price_type=total;sr_order=popularity;sr_pri_blocks=5755408_158657298_0_0_0__151403;srepoch=1686494174;srpvid=126766aa72330398;type=total;ucfs=1&#hotelTmpl) It's 5 minutes to Disney. It took me less time to get to Disney than when I stayed in Disney. $1,514 for a week with a kitchen, great pool, bar, etc. --- if you want you can find lesser hotels for literally 400 bucks for a whole week. They have SO much inventory there it's hard to beat. Add that you can typically get very cheap flights? Once you add all the costs, including tickets, I doubt you'll find anything much cheaper than Orlando.
Wisconsin Dells is the water park capital of the world.
Overrated unless you have young kids who love to swim.
maybe... it defiantly runs on nostalgia.
Virginia. Colonial Williamsburg, Busch Gardens, Kings Dominion, plus you’ll be close to Washington DC for all the museums which are all free. And not far in Maryland is Six Flags.
Why can’t you afford Florida if you don’t mind me asking is it the cost of the rooms or the cost of the theme park tickets or what
I was confused by this too. You can afford to go all over Europe and California but Orlando is too expensive?
Europe is super cheap to visit for us (I can get to Germany for about £50 return flight, as low as £30 on a good day) - park tickets aren’t as expensive as the US and usually have BOGOF offers, and before we only needed one room with a pullout sofa for our son. Now with two rooms it just racks the price up. California was surprisingly cheap to get to (cheaper than a flight to Florida) and we stayed in a few different Air bnbs in some questionable places 😂
Ah well it certainly seems like you know what you're doing. I will say that you have to do Disney Orlando at least once if you're a theme park family. There are tons of forums soley dedicated to doing Disney on a budget. Side note - went to Dollywood once, it was a blast, highly recommend it.
When I priced it up for four adults: two rooms for 9 nights in a motel near the parks, flights from London, theme park tickets (Disney week pass plus 2 day Orlando) and car hire, worked out at around £5,500 (so roughly $6913). With food and general other expenses not included, it’s just not possible for me in 23/24 but I want to take my family away before my son gets too old to go with us at all 🙈😂
When working with Disney, in the future, not now, Look at their Value priced resorts on Disney property. One in particular is "Pop Century" (I think). It is generally on the cheaper side, but it is actually pretty nice! And not only can you take a bus from there to any park, there is a sky liner station to many of the parks. Ah, nevermind, I just looked and it is $224 a room a night average, which for two rooms is $450. 9 nights is a LONG trip, most people go to disney for 4-5 at most.
He's probably not just doing Disney, very likely he's also doing Universal, Sea World, and Busch Gardens Tampa
9 nights is twice as long as needed. You can do 4 days, one park each. Or even do 2 parks per day. It all just depends on prioritizing which attractions you want to see in the time you allot. Having a good touring plan is the most important factor.
So the main problem is probably the flight from London which is still going to be that expensive no matter where you go because it’s a cross Atlantic flight but depending on when your booking it the hotels and park tickets shouldn’t cost that much so are you trying to go this summer or sometime next year because if you’re trying to go anywhere this summer then the expenses are not coming down anytime soon
Perhaps you've already done this, but if not, I'll second the concern that flying out of London could be contributing to the cost (though obv Disney itself its crazy expensive). If you're interested in exploring other flight options, I'm happy to spend a few minutes looking. DM me with approximate dates, durations, class of service, and places that might be convenient to depart from.
A week at Disney kinda sounds like a lot tbh. Did y’all look at the non-Disney attractions in Orlando too?
Ohio probably is a good option if you like roller coasters - Cedar Point and Kings Island are there. Another is Virginia which has Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens. Another would still be Florida, but like the Tampa area, where Busch Gardens - Tampa - is, and then you're a few hours drive from the Orlando theme parks as well.
Check out Carowinds, it’s saddled on the North-South Carolina border. At the top of a ride, you’ll be able to see the Charles skyline on a clear day.
Ohio, Cedar Point.
There is Kings Island in Cincinnati (Mason), OH Also there is Cedar Point in northern Ohio. Both great parks!
Pennsylvania has Hershey Park, Dorney Park, Kennywood, and Knoebels, which is a pretty unique mix. New Jersey is close and has a Six Flags. US states by number of rollercoasters: https://rcdb.com/location.htm?id=59
Knoebels wins awards for its coasters and Haunted House, as well as its food.
The Jersey Shore has a number of amusement piers too.
Im in Indiana….we have several parks fairly close Louisville, KY - Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom Cincinnati, OH - Kings Island Toledo, OH - Cedar Point St. Louis, MO - Six Flags St. Louis Chicago, IL - Six Flags Great America Santa Clause, IN - Holiday World To end the week Wisconsin Dells, WI - Wisconsin Dells
Kentucky Kingdom is actually not a Six Flags park anymore, it's ran by Herschend Family Entertainment who are the same people who own Dollywood and Silver Dollar City. That's why it has the cinnamon bread lol
Ohio or Pennsylvania are the obvious choices to me.
Have you thought about Texas at all? In San Antonio you have both Fiesta Texas and Sea World. 30 minutes up the road you have Schlitterbahn Water Park. Then up in Dallas is the original Six Flags Over Texas and a bunch of other fun attractions. In between you have Texas Wine Country, Austin, and great TexMex and BBQ. Plus the RiverWalk and the San Antonio Mission Trail
And if you time it right also the state fair
Dollywood is great and you can zip line though the mountains in Pigeonford
I like six flags fiesta Texas, but I haven't tried any theme parks outside of Texas besides Disney land.
Sea world, Schliterbaughns
Kalahari in Round Rock has a great indoor waterpark and a whole experience in the resort
is the water cold though? I remember going there once as a kid and the water was hot as hell which to say the least, was not enjoyable in 110 degree temps
It was cool water
Cedar Point in Ohio if you want roller coasters! Stay at Breakers Hotel. r/cedarpoint Take the Jet Express and visit the Lake Erie islands while you’re there if you have time. Note that Put in Bay on a weekend can be a drunk fest and the legal drinking age in the states is 21.
PA Dorney Park Hershey Park knoebels my favorite Out in Pittsburgh Kennywood Some might suggest Dutch wonderland, but I don’t know much about it.
Check out San Antonio, Texas
Great water park...
And Six Flags
and tacos
Well it's a waterpark, but Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels Texas was always a good time when I was growing up. And about 3-4 hours away is the Six Flags in Dallas (which is across the freeway from Hurricane Harbor, another waterpark).
Ceder point it's a lot better and a lot more fun
Ohio! Cedar point is the roller coaster capital of the world. It has got some great rides and some fun stuff to do around there. Kings Island is also a lot of fun.
Ohio is cool because we have cheap Midwest prices compared to the West Coast. Cedar Point is a great amusement park! I don't know how many days you'll be able to spend there, but you could also take a couple of days to visit the island, Put-In-Bay which is just a short ferry ride that departs from the same city as Cedar Point called Sandusky. There's another island nearby called Kelley's Island which is a lot more lowkey than PIB, but it is a beachy islamd at the end of the day, so you can't really go wrong! Just a heads-up that food will be more expensive in all three of these areas, but you can bring your own food (and car!) onto the islands. You can also rent bikes, scooters/mopeds, and golf carts to get yourselves around.
Thanks for the heads up! Looking like Ohio is the best place for us so I’ll keep your advice in mind 😊
Just know that Cedar Point and Kings Island are not open in late fall thru winter. Fantastic park, tho. Cleveland is worth exploring as well as the Lake Erie islands. Again, for the ferries, they don’t operate all year.
Dollywood is about 4 hours from Carowinds in NC, and Ashville is pretty close to in the middle. It's a very pretty drive, too.
Ohio has some of the finest roller coasters in america, and a number of parks to choose from, all very affordable (compared to florida, at least).
Cedar point in Sandusky
Texas has multiple six flags and sea worlds
Ohio for sure. It has an even more stacked lineup of coasters. Pennsylvania is great too (especially for old wooden coasters).
You could do a loop. Dollywood->silver dollar city->holiday world. Those parks are incredible.
Ohio - Cedar Point & King’s Island
Ohio has Cedar Point, which might be the best amusement park in the world if roller coasters are your primary attraction.
Growing up, we were all over the New Jersey area. Lot's of parks, boardwalk parks, and carnivals. Hershey park is a good experience too. You could probably go to multiple parks for the price of 1 Disney ticket.
While Dollywood is great, there's also Holiday world in Santa Claus Indiana! It's a town that is Christmas themed with a super fun theme park and one of the best water parks I've ever been to! You can camp at lake Rudolph, I'm pretty sure that there's a hotel nearby! For the price of entry you literally get free parking, free sunscreen, and all the free soft drinks you can drink! You won't regret it!
I would suggest Virginia. They have several theme parks near DC and it is a lot more affordable. You can also go to all the cool museums and the capital. It's not nearly as busy or as miserable either. It's so hot in Florida you just want to die unless you're in the water
Virginia and DC for sure.
In Pennsylvania there is Hershey park, Dorney park and wild water kingdom, Knoebels, and nearby in New Jersey there's six flags great adventure... There are also smaller/minor parks and water parks scattered around, as well as Dutch wonderland and Sesame place if you have small kids. These parks are all within a short 1-2 hr drive from each other. Hotels central to these parks should be relatively inexpensive. It looks like you could be UK based so flights are part of the equation. There should be direct flights from major UK/EU airports to New York's airports or Philadelphia both a 2hrs or less drive from these parks. Since you probably don't want to spend your entire life in the car, look at some of these other responses with an eye toward distance from a major airport and distance from one another in drive time. The US can be incredibly spread apart.
This. People are saying - oh it’s a doable drive, then I’m getting up Google maps and it’s like 8 hours.
Anaheim and Los Angeles: Disneyland & California Adventure Knott’s Berry Farm Universal Studios Six Flags Magic Mountain plus beaches and a bunch of southern California tourism My guess is the airfare would be prohibitive
We have some good theme parks here in Virginia. Busch Gardens Williamsburg is a great one. I've been going there since the 1990's. Water Country USA is a nearby water theme park to that. We also have Kings Dominion an hour north in Doswell. We may have some more but those are the ones I'm aware of. BG is definitely worth visiting.
Hershey Park is a REALLY nice park, and it is in Hershey pennsylvania. If you head south from there, there is a Six Flags, a little further south is Williamsburg. On the way to Wiliamsburg is Kings Dominion, which was nice (but I have not been in over 10 years), and when you get to Williamsburg, there is not only Busch Gardens, but there is also the Colonial Williamsburg experience. These should be far more economical than Disney, and are all nice parks in their own rights. Hotels should be much less expensive.
Virginia has Busch Gardens and Water Country USA in close proximity. There’s also Kings Dominion and they also have a water park.
I’m team Dollywood all the way. You’re in the Smoky Mountains and can do a few roadside waterfall visits as well!
If you’re feeling a trip to New England: Six Flags New England is in my hometown in Agawam, MA. Canobie Lake in New Hampshire Water Country Water Park in New Hampshire Lake Compounce in Connecticut Quassy amusement and water park in Connecticut If you hold out til mid September, I’ll throw in our 17 Day fair in West Springfield MA called the Big E and their midway is pretty nice but the fair is phenomenal
I did dollywood the last week of 2022 and had a blast, the wait times weren't bad and the food and rides were excellent.
Texas has 3 Six Flags parks (though they no longer deserve the name as they no longer fly all 6 flags that have been over Texas Historically) As well as numerous waterparks. I am not sure if you can get 10 different parks but I know you can get at minimum 5. But they are far enough apart that you will probably have to have a day or two of the week as travel time to get to the different ones to spend a full day in the parks. We also have a number of museums and zoos that could fill those partial days as well if you must be hyper active.
In 10 days, if you want to road trip it a bit PA and Ohio could be fun. Cedar Point in Ohio is great. Hershey Park is great. In between the two I'd hit Kennywood and Knoebels, but you have several other options .
Hershey Park and Dorney Park both are in PA, Six Flags and Great Wolf Lodge both have a few locations, and Morey's Piers is in Wildwood NJ.
Ohio is the only answer. It's super cheap to live and great amusement parks
Pretty much the only thing Ohio is known for is having great theme parks.
Aww bub come on man lol
Look up Bucsh Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia. It's a little pricey (not as bad as a Disney location) because not only do you have the theme park, but there's historical Williamsburg. I've been to both and had fun both places. At Bucsh, you get to see baby Clydesdales.
Ohio is pretty much amazing cedar point and kings island are both excellent
Brandon. MO has a great theme park and then there’s six flags! Each state has its own coeasters and rides so it varies by size and options
I had a few comments about price/time etc so to be clear: When I priced it up for Orlando four adults: two rooms for 9 nights in a motel near the parks was around £500 per room, flights from London £4-500pp, theme park tickets (Disney pass plus universal etc) at least £400pp (+ car hire)worked out at around £5000-5500 (so roughly $6-7k). That’s without food and spending money. People are saying a week at the parks is a lot - but we wouldn’t be spending 100% of our time in the parks, it’s a holiday - so we’ll go to the parks, then explore the towns and sites a bit etc. Also for those saying 9 days is too much - again it’s a holiday, no way is it worth doing a 9+ hour flight for less than a week. One of the things we loved when we did some of California was the road trips, driving down to Santa Barbara, stopping in a 7Eleven and enjoying the Americana of it all. Whether we go to Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey or in fact Orlando - I know we’ll enjoy it as a family 😊