DisneyLand

As a native Californian, I have been blessed to have grown up in Southern California, and specifically 30 min away from the place known as "The Happiest Place on Earth." As far as convenience, I am not complaining, however your experience all depends on you and your age. I know I will be offending many people even my age, but I don't find DisneyLand worth the $100+ per ticket to just enter the park. On top of that, there is this "magicalness" that is fun for a small bit, but for me this gets too much to handle, too fast. The rides are cute and fun, but I find it a false statement to call these rides "thrillers." If you are a family looking for a cute family vacation filled with "cuteness" this place might be an awesome destination to stop at. If you are not a true sucker for Mini Mouse and Toy Story I would reconsider this destination.

Atlantis

Oh, the Bahamas.

One word: "humidity," okay two, humid, but beautiful! When I visited the Bahamas, my family and I went to the well known Atlantis. Known for their under water take of Paradise. The second you arrive,you can see the architecture is just incredible and the resort is incredibly huge. However, this is a bit misleading, there are few hotels that create Atlantis. The huge hotel that many of us see on Atlantis commercials consists of beautiful restaurants and casinos, and clubs. However, this hotel is pretty exclusive and unless you want to spend two times the amount the other vacationers are spending, I suggest the average sized hotels that are still very nice that circle around the resort. The only difference between you living in these hotels vs the one on tv is that there is an extra 5 minutes or so of walking to the same water parks and restaurants. This place is an awesome family resort. The food packages are unreal, and most likely not worth it because the amount of food you order that is part of the meal plan is gigantic and you wll waste ll waste

Universal Studios Orlando

Don't get this place confused with the Hollywood Universal Studios. I think this is by far one of my favorite family vacations I have gone on. This is because I find it is designed to please most age groups. The amusement park consists of themed parks filled with low intensity to high intensity rides. Its different than Disney because of the more raw and current culture. Universal Studios Orlando has Harry Potter, Transformers, Jurassic Park, all movies that are centered on this current culture. The common resort families stay at is family friendly, but its right next to the Downtown Town called "City Walk" which is very lively at night filled with roaming teenagers, and young adults. Music is playing and the vibe is amazing! I highly recommend this place even if you are teenager just with your family because you will find a bunch of kids/ young adults your age to meet!

Universal Studios Hollywood

I'm a huge fan of Los Angeles! If you have never been, there are places that are as luxurious as you see on T.V. However, most of LA isn't like that. Besides all that, Universal Studios Hollywood is "okay." If comparing Hollywood to Florida, Hollywood's park is much smaller than Florida and I find I can get through Universal Hollywood within a few hours and feel content with leaving. As of recent, Hollywood just incorporated a Harry Potter Land which is probably the best thing they could have done to stay in the competition field with other California theme parks such as Disneyland. Although my feelings about Disneyland stay the same as a bit too "cute" for my liking, at least there are a lot of things to see and do. Along with Florida, Hollywood has a good vibe and has a lot of potential, but the size of the park for what you are paying for is something that needs to be worked on; but the main attraction here is the Universal Studios Tour which makes this place more unique.

Costa Rica

Driving through the country, is an adventure in itself. Costa Rica's main tourist city, Joco, is simply beautiful. When driving through the town, there are many little local shops that usually contain fruits and sweets and some beautiful arts. If you want to go to Costa Rica for just the beautiful beaches you will be missing out on what Costa Rica's nature has to offer. The miles of green forests are just too beautiful to not go ATV'ing, or zip lining through. The beaches are to die for and to ride a horse on the beach is an experience. Its pretty simple that Costa Rica is the perfect destination for outdoorsy people, so little kids may not enjoy so much. You are doomed to see random sloths crossing the streets and having monkeys howling at you. You will want to enjoy this real life experience without taking care of a crying baby.

Celebrity Cruises

I have gone on multiple Celebrity Cruises and they are known for being excellent, and that is the exact word i would use to describe my experience. Along with a very well organized system, that will have you waking up in a new country every day! The cruise itself is so fun and great for all ages even for little kids. There are nice adult shows at night, fun water parks for all ages , and a well done 24/7 "free" buffet; so you know the kids will be excited when they see the unlimited ice-cream stand, and the quality that the grown ups will highly appreciate. If you have a significant other you go on the cruise with you will have a great time and even if you are single, there are tons of other kids stuck with their families as well, so there are plenty of opportunities to find a temporary little summer fling with if that interests you.

Allow me to be clear, if you go to any of these places with your family you will have a good time. However, know what you want because picking the wrong destination based off your expectations can play a vital part in how much you enjoy your vacation.