My first Unpopular Opinions post was my most popular post of 2018! I did have a few travel opinions weaved into that post (about Instagram, Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon), but decided to dedicate a whole post to unpopular travel opinions.

Disney parks actually suck. If you’re a childless adult, unless you love Disney (and I mean love), it’s not worth it. The parks are crowded, hot, expensive, filled with obnoxious kids and irritable parents and the attractions are just okay.

Volunteering trips usually do more harm than good. I’ve seen several of my friends posting for months asking for donations for a charity trip as if they’ve been passionate about this issue their whole lives and will continue such work after their trip. In this case, people usually want others to pay for their travel under the guise of “charity” work. Sure, workers can do some good by building a house or two, but most of them are just going to the exotic excursions that come after, never to think of the organization or project again.

I don’t want to “quit my job to travel.” I got my degrees because I’m passionate about conservation and want to pursue that to make a difference. I love traveling but I also love working in my field. Similarly, I don’t want to travel for months on end either. I enjoy coming home to family and friends to recharge.

Not everyone wants you to play your music on your speakers. I cringe every time someone recommends Bluetooth speakers as a gift for a traveler. I’m usually quite busy when I travel and want to relax when I come back to the hostel in the evening, not arrive to a mini-rave. Playing music out loud in a common area is so disrespectful of others.

I don’t go for the window seat on planes for most flights. I have mild O.C.D. when it comes to the bathroom and sleeping. In my undergraduate degree, it used to be really bad where I would have to use the bathroom up to a dozen times before I could fall asleep to make sure my bladder was as empty as could be before falling asleep. It’s gotten a lot better over the years, but flying is still my weak spot since it usually takes me a while to fall asleep. I don’t want to disturb others in my row, so on flights where I need to sleep, I’ll take the isle seat so I can use the bathroom at my leisure.

Cruises don’t appeal to me. While ports of call can be exciting and cruises are a great way to see several places in one trip, you don’t get a lot of time in each destination. I also  wouldn’t be eager to spend time around so many people (especially kids) and wait in line for everything. Finally, I can take in activities and entertainment offered between ports of call at home probably for a lower price. While I won’t say “never,” cruises aren’t my first holiday choice (or second, or third…).

I avoid drinking while travelling. I almost never drink in excess on travel. Yes, that means I’ve never been on a pub crawl, but I’d love to some day! My Europe trips were always so short and wanted to make the most of it by hitting the pavement early, you can’t always do that with a splitting hangover. I also avoid drinking to save money and keep my head when I’m alone in an unfamiliar place. I might have a cheeky pint at the end of the day at most.

I have no problem with delayed flights as long as I don’t have a connecting flight or important obligation waiting for me at the other end of my journey. At the airport, I have a bathroom, WiFi and all the overpriced food I need. I think I’ll live.

Do you strongly disagree with any of these? Fight me.

Photo by Zoran Borojevic.