15 Different and Fun Places to Spend the Holidays That Aren't Disney

Whether you live on the sunny West Coast or snowy East Coast, there are Great Wolf Lodges located across the country. During the holidays, they all transform into a magical Winter wonderland. You'll enjoy amazing decorations, visits from Santa, the North Pole University, and a life-size gingerbread house where the whole family can have dinner.

If you're looking to get in the holiday spirit, Hershey Park has plenty of festive entertainment (and millions of bright lights) to bring you there. A trip to Hershey comes with cookie workshops, holiday-themed roller-coaster rides, and a display of over 200,000 lights that dance to Christmas songs everyone can sing along to. Plus, you can visit Santa and his nine live reindeer, including Rudolph!

If you like old-fashioned holiday celebrations, you won't want to pass up Colonial Williamsburg during Christmastime. The Grand Illumination is an 18th-century custom display of fireworks and firing guns. You can also join carolers at the courthouse or enjoy a candlelit concert at the Governor's Palace.

Enjoy noncommercial holiday traditions like lantern walking tours, caroling lessons, and Christmas tea in Newport. The two-week celebrations start with a tree lighting complete with a Newport Artillery cannon salute. Saint Nick and Mrs. Claus then arrive by boat at Bowen's Wharf before heading for pictures at one of the festively decorated historic mansions. And in the holiday spirit of giving, the town also collects money for charities through its annual events.

"'Tis the Season of Aloha" is the theme in Maui in December. You might be there for the waves and sun, but Santa will definitely still make an appearance. He arrives in a traditional outrigger canoe before the 25-foot Christmas tree is lit by local children.

Las Vegas is known for doing everything in style, and Christmas is no exception. The strip is full of holiday spirit as the casinos battle to have the biggest, greatest light displays, decorations, and Christmas trees. Plus, there are Christmas shows galore!

You might not get a white Christmas, but there's plenty of sand to build a sandman this holiday season in Cocoa Beach. You'll see surfing Santas, festive stilt walkers, and a beautiful boat parade that'll make this a warm holiday to remember.

Your little ones will love taking a trip to Santa's Village in Jefferson. Have some fun on roller-coaster rides, like The Little Drummer Boy and The Great Humbug Adventure. You can also visit Santa's Home for a picture and hit one of the many shops to get those last-minute gifts, like Snowball Mall or Fezziwig's Personalization Shop.

If the name isn't enough to get you there, the town's holiday festivities should be. From ice sculpting contests to firework shows, the annual Winter Festival certainly draws a crowd. Don't forget to visit the North Pole Post Office on South Santa Claus Lane, where over 400,000 pieces of mail arrive and each is answered by some dedicated community volunteers.

Even if it's just to say you took a ride down the two-story slide during Jolly Days, Indianapolis is a festive holiday destination for the entire family. Sock-skating rinks, the symphony orchestra's Yuletide Celebration, and Jingle Rails, the wonderland of model trains that chug along 1,200 feet of track, are all must-dos.

It's no surprise that a Hallmark movie, Christmas at Pemberley, was filmed in Essex. All you have to do is stop by Essex Station to get in the holiday spirit, where you can hop aboard the Polar Express for a nighttime journey to the North Pole.

The Dickens Christmas Festival in Salt Lake City is a unique holiday experience complete with fortune tellers, Olde English shops, and the real Father Christmas. The Hogle Zoo is also lit up with holiday light displays, and the Utah Symphony offers holiday-themed performances to remember.

Many cruise companies have dedicated holiday cruises that bring you several places. Santa will deliver presents to your cabin door on Christmas morning, and there are all sorts of holiday activities aboard the ship.

From the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to the New Year's Eve ball drop in Times Square, New York City is a happening place during the holiday season. The city is packed with sidewalk carolers, festive scenes in every department store window, and oh so many Santas! There's ice skating in Central Park and the famous tree lighting at Rockefeller Center, and don't forget to catch the Radio City Christmas Spectacular Show featuring the Rockettes.