Different Types of Travel for Different Types of People

With all this talk of my Disney trip, I’ve been feeling like this doesn’t really represent a full picture of my “travel profile.”

I believe that there are many different types of travel that appeal to different types of travelers. Some people would prefer to spend their vacation relaxing on a beach. Others want to get out and see the sights or famous landmarks. Others want to go off the beaten path to find adventure.

For me, I love all kinds of travel. I find myself craving different types of trips at different times of year. But lately I’ve been thinking about how I would categorize these different types of travel, and I wanted to come up with a list. (Because I love lists!)

I know some people would have more things to add, or might classify them in different ways, but here is my first attempt at a list of types of travel.

1. City Trips

These trips take place in a big city. Maybe Chicago, New York, D.C., London, or Paris. Or maybe slightly smaller cities, like St. Louis, Houston, or Springfield (any of them). But the main point of these trips is usually to do some sightseeing. Maybe hit up a few museums, or do a boat or bus tour.

I think these trips are great because there are so many different cities out there, both throughout the U.S. and abroad, that have so many different cultures and unique things to offer.

These trips are also nice for the foodie in you. Almost every big city has either some great high-class restaurants or some local favorites. When I was in Houston, I tracked down a really great local BBQ place and found a place to try crawfish for the first time. In D.C. I happened to be there during Restaurant Week and got to try an excellent restaurant with a great pre fixe menu. I’ve yet to visit Boston, but I know that’s another place to get great food. And in Chicago, while we have the deep dish pizza and Chicago-style hot dog (neither are favorites of mine), we also have local favorites like Portillo’s for Italian beef, and two of my favorite independent must-eats: Smoque for BBQ, and Scooters for frozen custard! (And those are just two of MANY great eats here in Chicago!)

City travel may be more fast-paced than some would like for a vacation, but the great thing about it is that there are always endless possibilities of things to do and see (and taste!)

2. “Beachy” Vacations

I think this is what a lot of people consider a “real” vacation. If you’re going to take time off work to get away, you want to relax and unwind. Maybe you’re escaping cold weather and trying to soak up some sun. Maybe you want to sit in the shade with a cold drink in your hand.

I think you could argue that “Beachy” vacations can have some sub-categories, like the wild and crazy spring break trip, the all-inclusive resort trip, and the romantic get-away. But no matter your take on the events of this type of vacation, these beach vacations require sun, nice weather, and a change of pace from the daily grind.

3. Nature/Adventure Travel

This type of travel is one that I really do wish I could do more of. For this, you need some type of outdoorsy activity. Camping, hiking, and whitewater rafting all fall under this category. But, you don’t need to be terribly adventurous to enjoy the outdoors. Even those who like a warm cushy bed and no activity with a danger factor can explore nature. State and National parks can be great destinations for all types of travelers.

4. Ski Vacations

This wasn’t on my initial list when I started brainstorming.  I realized that this is related to Nature/Adventure Travel, but is kind of a unique type of travel that many people make an annual event. My family was never into skiing as I was growing up, but many people I know, including the boyfriend, have traveled to many places just to hit the slopes.

It seems like a neat idea to me, and especially if you have all the ski equipment, I think it sounds like a great reason to explore new locations. Whether you want to go domestic, head up to Canada, or travel to someplace like Switzerland, a ski vacation could be a really great trip.

5. Cruises

There is a whole subculture of people out there to love to cruise. It’s a huge part of the travel industry, and now you can take cruises all over the world. Whether its in the Caribbean, a cruise up to Alaska, a trans-Atlantic cruise, or (my dream) a Mediterranean Cruise, it’s a great way to see a lot of new places, without much of the hassle of traveling from place to place. After all, you’re living on a floating hotel!

However, I’ve gotten into many a debate with friends over whether or not cruises count as “real travel.” Some people have the mindset that “cruises are for old people.” Others say it’s not really getting to know a place when you just get dumped off for a few hours in a popular tourist spot, see one or two of the big sites, then go back on your way.

Cruises are definitely not just for old people. Some cruise lines are known as being “party boats” for the college kids. And others, like Disney Cruise lines, are great for families.

As for the second argument, I can see both sides. However, I like to look at cruises as a “sampler platter” of sorts. It’s a really great way to get a taste of many different places. It’s also a nice way to see some really famous landmarks, like the pyramids, perhaps, where you might not want to spend too much more time in surrounding areas. And the best part is, it helps you find some places where you would like to really get to know, and you can always book a trip back there to see more.

6. Backpacking

When I think of backpacking, I tend to think of Europe or Australia, but really you can do it anywhere. Backpacking is really a form of budget travel (as opposed to luxury travel, which I suppose I should also somehow work into my classification system.) Backpacking is also generally a longer-term type of travel than the typical vacation.

Many backpackers are younger, but that’s not always true. They carry what they need with them, and usually travel from place to place as cheaply as possible, sometimes booking overnight trains to save money on accommodations, or staying at hostels.

In many places backpacking is a rite of passage. Sometimes recent college grads will spend their last summer traveling this way before entering “the real world.” In some countries they have what is called a “Gap Year” where young people travel the world for a year, often before entering college.

There’s actually many books and articles out there about backpacking. I find backpacking and the people to do it to be fascinating. It’s a topic I’d like to explore/write about more deeply one day.

7. Disney Travel

I had to put this one on here, of course, because it doesn’t really fit into any of the other groups. Amusement park travel, perhaps? There may be an element of “beachy” vacation in there, but it’s certainly not all of it. And Disney does have it’s own cruise line, too. And, now they have Adventures by Disney, which seems to pair adventure/nature travel with city trips.

So, I think, at least for now, Disney deserves a category of it’s own until I can figure out what to do with it.

Well, there you have it. My first attempt at categorizing the different types of travel I know about and enjoy.

What else would you add?

Disney Tips

Before leaving for Disney World I asked several people for advice and suggestions for my trip. In response, I got several enthusiastic emails, great articles, and all sorts of wonderful ideas for while I was there. Throughout the entire experience, I came up with my own list of tips – some borrowed, others learned from experience.

Here they are for your reading pleasure, in no particular order:

1. Get the Park Hopper Passes. We usually did one park in the morning, and a different park in the evening. In the middle of the day, we would go back to the resort, either to rest or to get out of the heat/sun/rain. Having the park hopper passes allowed us to come and go as we pleased, and we never had to feel too disappointed if we didn’t stay at a particular park too long. The flexibility was definitely worth it!

2. Get the Disney Dining Plan. It’s just like being back in college! One swipe of your room key, and you are set with a great meal! The DDP includes one sit-down meal, one “quick meal” and one snack per day. And a “quick meal” includes an entrée, side dish, drink, and a dessert. I’m not entirely sure how much it costs to purchase the plan, but meals purchased individually can cost upwards of $20 per person per meal, and it was great to not have to fork over the cash every time. (Also, I read that there’s a current deal where you can get a Dining Plan free with the purchase of a resort stay. Definitely worth looking into!)

3. Always take the dessert. This bit of advice was one given to me before I left. As mentioned above, dessert is included on the DDP. You typically get enough food to fill you up, but you can take the desserts to go. That way, you have a snack when you need it, and you can save money (or snack points) later on! (I highly recommend the chocolate cake with Mickey sprinkles!)

Best Dessert at Disney!

4. Keep a water bottle with you! I wish I had the stats on how many bottles of Aquafina Disney World sells in a day. In 100-degree temperatures, it’s important to stay hydrated, but it’s silly to pay 3 bucks a pop. There are drinking fountains all over the parks and you can almost always find a place to refill your bottle with cold (or cold-ish) water.If you keep a water bottle with you, you can ward off dehydration, save money, AND help the environment.

(*Note: If you do purchase bottled water, please hang on to the bottle until you can place it in one of the recycling bins throughout the parks!)

5. If you’re a pop/soda drinker, invest in one of the refillable drink cups. It may seem pricey at first to pay around $13 for a souvenir cup. However, there are drink stations all over where you can refill your cup for free! Especially if you’re not on the Disney Dining Plan, this is so worth it. You pay $13 (or something close to that) and can pretty much drink for free the rest of the trip. (Coffee and tea are also included in this deal.)

6. Use Disney’s PhotoPass program. Just like at many sporting events these days, Disney has their own photographers walking around the parks taking digital photos of you that you can purchase later. Yes, it’s a way to get more money out of you, but it’s still worth it to let them take your pictures. Here’s why:

• You get a PhotoPass card that the photographers will scan each time they take your pictures. Then all the photos of you can be claimed online into one account that you can share with your friends (free, for 30 days).
• Most of the photographers are really great about also taking pictures with your own camera, so you’ll get some great shots of your whole group that you WON’T have to purchase.
• They’ll capture some really great moments you wouldn’t otherwise be able to get on your own – like this one, from Typhoon Lagoon:

Ridin' the slide at Typhoon Lagoon

7. Bring a poncho. I know, you don’t want to bring one, you don’t want to wear one, and you want to convince yourself it won’t rain. Well, I’m going to tell you it WILL rain, and you’ll either be drenched and very crabby, or you’ll end up spending more money than you wanted to to buy a Disney poncho you didn’t want to buy. If you bring one from home, you’ll save money, and you’ll have a blast riding all the rides when the rest of the park clears out. Our last night was the heaviest rain of the trip, but it was also one of the best nights because we pretty much walked onto any ride we wanted. And you’d be surprised at how many rides will operate in a downpour, as long as the lightning holds off!

Ponchos kept (most of) us dry all night long!

8. Learn how to use FastPasses early on in your trip. FastPasses are free, and will help you get on many of the rides you want without standing in hour+ lines. Here’s how it works:

• Go up to the FastPass ticket distribution box.
• Insert your park ticket/room card.
• Take your time-stamped FastPass ticket and come back any time after that time to get in the FastPass line and skip the wait!

We didn’t start utilizing the FastPasses until the end of our trip, and I really regret not using them sooner to get onsome of the more popular rides.

9. If you’re staying at a Disney property, utilize the “Extra Magic Hours.” Each park has special hours either before opening or after closing on various nights, available only to guests staying at a Disney-owned resort. One night you can even hang out at the Magic Kingdom until 3am! (Normal closing hours are midnight on that night.) You can find schedules for the “Extra Magic Hours” online, or on brochures at the parks/resorts.

10. Make dining reservations in advance. Bookings can be made several months in advance of your trip, and if you try to make reservations at the last minute, you will probably end up disappointed. This is especially true for character dining, but it’s a good idea for ALL reservations.It’s definitely better to make reservations ahead of time and cancel them if you don’t need them, than it is to not have any reservations at all. A few other tips are to eat at off-times if you want to get into a particular restaurant, and keep the Disney Dining number programmed into your cell phone (407.939.3641) so you can call and check in for any last-minute cancellations.

11. Don’t try to do it all. Remember that it’s supposed to be a vacation, not a boot camp. I can speak to this, because on a Disney trip as a child, my mother read a book on how to ride EVERY ride in the Magic Kingdom in one day. (And yes, we did it.) I’ll say this, if you run around like a crazy person trying to do everything, you won’t really enjoy any of it. You’ll just end up with a bunch of really crabby and worn out people. Take your time, take it all in, and and enjoy your vacation.

So, thank you to everyone who gave me such great advice before I left. And to the rest of you, I hope you all get a chance to go to Disney World soon, and that these tips come in handy!

Last Minute Prep.

I guess it’s not quite last minute yet, but since I’ve been counting down the days ’til Disney World for about 7 months now, I am starting to get that last-minute panic that I have a billion things I still need to do.

Today was (or, is – I’m still there, actually.) my last day of work before I leave, so I’m trying to tie up loose ends around here (AND make it to the Blackhawks parade). I finished all my current assignments, emailed everyone I needed to notify, cleaned my desk, turned on my Out-of-Office Assistant, and even made this cute little “Out of the Office” sign to hang on my cube!



This weekend I will need to do some laundry (I still haven’t officially unpacked from Houston, yet), run some errands, clean my house, and pack.

In fact, if I can squeeze it in before I leave, you might get a whole separate post about packing for Disney! (But I’m not making any promises right now. )

Disney Mania!

I am currently 6 days away from being on a plane to Disney World with the boyfriend and his family. This means his parents;  his younger brother and younger brother’s girlfriend; his older brother,  sister-in-law, and their three kids;  AND his sister-in-law’s parents.

I’ve been counting down to my time with Mickey for about 7 months now. And, it’s been hard to restrain myself, because for the second trip this month, I have very little control over any of the planning. With a group this size, including three kids under the age of three, where I’m a guest of sorts, I’m pretty much committed to just going with the flow.

That said, it hasn’t stopped me from incessantly researching all things Disney! I’ve volunteered for the “Give a Day, Get a Day” volunteer program, I’ve put together a list of all the parks’ operating hours (including the “Extra Magic Hours” for visitors staying on the Disney property), and been perusing some of the Disney message boards on the “Largest Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World“.

The one thing I’ve really learned from all this is that there is a huge subculture of Disney addicts! It’s been quite eye-opening to me — all of the tricks, tips, and secrets that the repeat Disney-goers know. The message boards are so full of strange acronyms and abbreviations that I almost felt as if I was reading something in a foreign language. I think I’ve gotten most of the acronyms figured out now (WDW = Walt Disney World; MK = Magic Kingdom; CM = Cast Member; DLR = Disneyland Resort; FP = FastPass; GAD = Give a Day; DIS = Disney Information Station [Former name of the web site]), but if don’t feel bad if you need a glossary to help you out!

I have to admit, I was rather intimidated by the many DISers (what the DIS message boarders call themselves) who post long lists of past Disney visits as part of their signatures. Some of these people average more than 1 trip per year! But no need to worry. Everyone seems to be really friendly and welcoming in the underground Disney community.

Here are a few of the other things I’ve learned recently about this crazy sub-culture…

• DISers wear lime green ribbons or Lime Green Mickey Heads (from paint samples at Home Depot) to identify themselves to others while they’re there.
• There are entire forums designated to people traveling solo to Disney.
• Trading pins are a big deal.
• No matter how many times you go to Disney World, there will always be someone more obsessed and knowledgeable than you are!

Overall, my “researching” experience has been really intriguing, and actually a little scary, too. I guess I still have a lot to learn about being a true Disney fanatic!

That said, I’d love to hear any Disney tips or secrets you’d like to share!