Maybe one reason folks are still going to WDW

[Chef Mickey]

Yes all travel is expensive but it also depends on what you are looking for. There is still many places you can vacation where you don't have to spend your life savings to enjoy. I just did a week at Cedar Point in May for less than $1300.

I just looked at Myrtle Beach for October and the average price is $1000 for a hotel for the week.

There is affordable out there, not every vacation has to be high end to be enjoyable.

There are cheaper options, but you trade off. Cedar Point isn’t Disney and Disney isn’t Bora Bora. Many, many more expensive options than Disney.

in general, travel is expensive because it’s always cheaper to stay home.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

Same for the mountains basically. We're doing a family vacation to the Poconos later this month. We rented at house with 5 bedrooms, 3 baths. The house is large, but needs updating. Reviews say the home is in great shape, no complaints, but still has all the original bathroom and kitchen decor from when it was built 40 years ago...so this is not one of those gorgeous perfect houses. With all the fees and insurance, it's just a hair under $5,000....for FOUR nights (check-in is 4 p.m. and check-out is 10:00 a.m., so it is really a 3-day vacation). And it was one of the least expensive ones we found that could accommodate a family of our size. We're dividing the cost, but for DH & I and our family unit, it's costing us a bit over $1700. I will be on vacation, so I will *not* be cooking -- we will be going out to eat (I don't care what the rest of the family does) so we'll have those costs to add in (not to mention we will have to drive 5+ miles to get to a restaurant). All of our entertainment/activities will also be an additional cost. This long weekend will end up costing us over $2500. And I'll have to bring extra towels and a few other things; make my own bed; take out my own trash; and do some light cleaning before we leave. We could do 3 days at Disney for about the same price (though transportation would be more) and I wouldn't have to lift a finger while I'm there.

And the restaurants, ect in the Poconos is very hit or miss. Many of the people that live and work up there did not necessarily move there to get into hospitality but that's what most of the jobs are and the service reflects it. .

 

[Jrb1979]

There are cheaper options, but you trade off. Cedar Point isn’t Disney and Disney isn’t Bora Bora. Many, many more expensive options than Disney.

in general, travel is expensive because it’s always cheaper to stay home.

I wasn't comparing Cedar Point and Disney. Yes travel is expensive when you compare it to home. Was more so pointing out that there is cheaper options out there.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Well, we’re now getting more sharks closer to shore than ever, and Spam is readily available so yup, it’s not Hawaii, but gas also isn’t 6 bucks a gallon, so there’s that…lol

Lol…they were always there

they just didn’t have gps tags and rest each drones with high resolution cameras overhead tracking them and putting it on the internet

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

And the restaurants, ect in the Poconos is very hit or miss. Many of the people that live and work up there did not necessarily move there to get into hospitality but that's what most of the jobs are and the service reflects it. .

Generally speaking…you don’t travel to Pennsylvania for food…as a general rule

 

[Club Cooloholic]

Generally speaking…you don’t travel to Pennsylvania for food…as a general rule

I would say Philadlephia has a restaurant scene that rivals NY and San Fran.
Reminder, the first Morimoto restaurant opened in Philly and Steven Starr has a slew of good places as well as Jose Garcias and Marc Vetri and many other strong chefs, it's a very foodie town.
But...with Poconos I meant restaurants, hotels, go kart places whatever, service is often not great, as if people don't realize tourists are what keeps the place pumping.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

Lol…they were always there

they just didn’t have gps tags and rest each drones with high resolution cameras overhead tracking them and putting it on the internet

True, but I grew up reading the papers and I don’t EVER remember reading about a shark attack in Jersey waters pre or post Jaws…just like growing up I had NEVER heard the term rip current…it was always referred to as an undertoe…

 

[po1998]

We did a five days at Disneyland and a day at Universal Studios Hollywood for $1000 which includes flying from Atlanta to Los Angeles, Ubers, hotel, and tickets.

I would live to see a price breakdown on this.

 

[the_rich]

I would live to see a price breakdown on this.

Unless they meant per person then I don't see how it's possible. I mean 5 days in dl is close to a thousand for 2 people.

 

[allgiggles]

And the restaurants, ect in the Poconos is very hit or miss. Many of the people that live and work up there did not necessarily move there to get into hospitality but that's what most of the jobs are and the service reflects it. .

Exactly. I have a friend whose sister lives in the town closest to where we're staying. It's not a small town, but also not a huge city. She's lived there for 20 years and when we asked her for restaurant recommendations, she had none. She said there are ok restaurants, but nothing that she'd tell people to drive there for.

I would say Philadlephia has a restaurant scene that rivals NY and San Fran.
Reminder, the first Morimoto restaurant opened in Philly and Steven Starr has a slew of good places as well as Jose Garcias and Marc Vetri and many other strong chefs, it's a very foodie town.
But...with Poconos I meant restaurants, hotels, go kart places whatever, service is often not great, as if people don't realize tourists are what keeps the place pumping.

Yes, Philadelphia has some really good high-end restaurants with hard-to-get reservations. I know a couple who heads to Philadelphia for a long weekend just to hit up certain restaurants (and they *live* about 30 minutes outside of NYC where they have even *more* good restaurants).

Our DIL is coming up with a list of potential "things to do" and "places to eat" while we're at the Pocono house. We're not looking to be doing something constantly, but we also don't want to spend an hour trying to figure out what to do/where to go every day. One thing I know we probably won't be doing....eating at an amazing restaurant that we'll want to go back to.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I would say Philadlephia has a restaurant scene that rivals NY and San Fran.
Reminder, the first Morimoto restaurant opened in Philly and Steven Starr has a slew of good places as well as Jose Garcias and Marc Vetri and many other strong chefs, it's a very foodie town.
But...with Poconos I meant restaurants, hotels, go kart places whatever, service is often not great, as if people don't realize tourists are what keeps the place pumping.

I wasn’t referring to only Philly. There are some great places in Philly itself. Beyond that? It’s a big state and there ain’t much at all.

 

[the_rich]

I wasn’t referring to only Philly. There are some great places in Philly itself. Beyond that? It’s a big state and there ain’t much at all.

I would drive to Philly for a roast pork sandwich from dinics. I've been to Pittsburgh twice and had one good meal. The owners happened to be transplants from ny.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

I wasn’t referring to only Philly. There are some great places in Philly itself. Beyond that? It’s a big state and there ain’t much at all.

Middle of that state need to have XM radio unless you want to hear sermons on 3 different stations

 

[Lilofan]

Some have that "vacation high" even though some are exhausted even before landing in Orlando. I ran into several RNs who just completed their work week , 13 hour days 3 days a week , 4 days off, rinse and repeat. After getting off their shift, they hopped a plane non stop to MCO and spending 4 days at WDW then going back to the hospital the next day. One needs a vacation after their vacation.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Middle of that state need to have XM radio unless you want to hear sermons on 3 different stations

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I would drive to Philly for a roast pork sandwich from dinics. I've been to Pittsburgh twice and had one good meal. The owners happened to be transplants from ny.

John’s roast pork.

But I do like Dinic’s

Pittsburgh was a food wasteland until the last 10-15 years…it’s improved some

 

[the_rich]

John’s roast pork.

But I do like Dinic’s

Pittsburgh was a food wasteland until the last 10-15 years…it’s improved some

I've been to both. I just prefer the broccoli Rabe over spinach

 

[Smiley/OCD]

John’s roast pork.

But I do like Dinic’s

Pittsburgh was a food wasteland until the last 10-15 years…it’s improved some

I thought there was a restaurant in Pittsburgh that has phenomenal hot dogs…

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I've been to both. I just prefer the broccoli Rabe over spinach

Can’t argue that

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I thought there was a restaurant in Pittsburgh that has phenomenal hot dogs…

You’re probably confusing it with primanti brothers…which is frankly as overrated as you can get.

They have a decent burger joint…Burghatory…which I do like. Not bad.