MCO
Anywhere from Orlando
If you already live by the parks, the wish is usually a beach without a wristband, or a mountain.
These are places with enough of a reason to leave Orlando, not a thin list of every airport code we know. Prices are not shown here because a fare without a live source would be a guess.
Gulf Shores
A beach week that works as a drive for much of the South.
May, early June, and September. July and August are hot and busiest.
Gatlinburg and the Smokies
A cabin in the mountains that a lot of the East and South can reach without a flight.
October for color, May and June for wildflowers and milder trails, December if you like the lights.
Puerto Rico
A Caribbean city and a beach without a passport for US citizens.
December through April for drier weather. Summer is lush and less crowded.
New Orleans
A city with a point of view, reachable from most of the South in a short hop or a drive.
February through May, and late fall. Summer is a steam bath with excellent food.
Denver and the Rockies
Mountains without committing to a resort town price on night one.
June through September for high trails. December through March if the wish is actually about snow.
Asheville
Mountains and a walkable downtown, often as a drive.
April through June and September through November. Leaf season books up.