I treat everything like WDW - RD or don’t go. 
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We spend a week at Hilton Head most summers. Washington, DC also has a lot for the whole family.
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Truth
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You know it is…
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Except for the people (you guys) that is precisely what the Swiss Alps looked like to me.
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Another idea would be to see the real castle that the Disney castle is based on. The glass windows are so old that the glass puddles at the bottom. Glass is a really really really slow moving liquid.
While you are in the vicinity check out Rothenburg ob der Tauber. A medieval city. It was were Europeans go when they want to look at old buildings.
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That sounds fantastic!
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We used to go to NH’s White Mountains in summer:
A couple of nice theme parks nearby: Storyland & Santa’s Village
Mount Washington Cog Railway scenic tour
Franconia Notch State Park
Flume Gorge
Fabulous mini-golf parks
Ski lift rides in summertime, taking you up to hiking trails
Frequent moose sightings!
NH is nice and cool with no humidity; beautiful hiking trails and rivers for canoeing & inner-tubing
Waaayyy cheaper than WDW! And not crowded 
Highly recommended!
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You’re referring to Neuschwanstein? I was there this winter. Even then Bavaria was overly-touristy. And they don’t treat Americans the same way cast members do, haha. So it turns out the spend-thrift, mad King Ludwig built the castle in the 1800’s as a toy and never finished it; he was assassinated for wasting the country’s funds. Didn’t feel like a real castle, at least Disney’s is magical 
Not sure if I’d recommend that for 9 YOs
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There are so many great recommendations already! We went to Colonial Williamsburg a couple years ago, and my kids LOVED it. We also have a family goal to visit as many national parks as possible, so a lot of our vacations have just been focused on that, as above posts have recommended. They are all really beautiful. My kids say that Arches is their favorite.
I used to love going to Florida and just hanging out on the beaches. My aunt and uncle lived near Orlando, so we used to go all the time. Sure we’d go to Disney SOME of the years, but the years we didn’t, I never felt like we were missing out. We went to the Space Center, the museums, the beaches an aquariums. I loved beach days the best as a kid! You could still go to Florida and… just not do Disney (ducking!)
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My husband agrees with your wife. To me, there is never enough Disney. I suggested Anaheim, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. Hopefully he picks one of these and we may find a little magic along the way
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OMG. We went to Arenal in Costa Rica. Scenic volcano is really the main attraction. Every view from our resort was supposed to overlook the lush volcano. 3 days of cloud cover. Did not see the volcano once.
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They are both wrong. We are right. This isn’t up for debate.
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You say it like it’s an option to not RD. If you ain’t RDing, you miss the ride in my house.
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I’m leaning towards Yosemite. I mentioned it to my wife and she sounded really interested. It is VERY preliminary but it could be an option and would be a lot of fun.
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Here are some options:
- Williamsburg, VA is great! You have Busch Gardens, Water Country USA, Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestowne National Park (1st long time colony), and Yorktown National Park. (Get the America the Beautiful Pass.)
- Yellowstone. We stayed for a week in the Roosevelt Roughrider Cabins in the park. You need to book a year in advance. Also rope dropping is a must.
- Las Vegas/Hoover Dam/Grand Canyon/Phoenix - We’re headed there soon. I’ll let you know how it goes.
- Dollywood - Visiting for the first time in this summer.
Is there a certain type of vacation that you like?
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Have you ever heard of a place called “Disney World?” Its MAGICAL!
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The summer after my 5th grade year, my family took a trip and we did these things. I would appreciate them a lot now, but I didn’t back then. I just think my kids would be super bored.
We would need to go somewhere that there are activities for the girls to keep them occupied. The national park idea would qualify.
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Lol! We love Disney too! Our family loves hiking, history, and roller coasters. For us, all of those things are magical.
Something my family particularly loves is the quiet in national parks. Our cellphones didn’t get reception most of the days we were in Yellowstone. It made us do a reset in a way we didn’t realize we needed.
Good luck choosing your next big adventure!
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My DS7 has loved doing the Junior Ranger Programs at National Parks. There are different requirements based on age. I think your daughters could really get into it. You can google it to see sample Junior Ranger books for different parks.
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