1. Do your research.
I found a resort near Pigeon Forge, TN that features an indoor water park! I researched their website which told me what a wonderful time we would have, how great their restaurants were and how clean and spacious their rooms are. OF COURSE! So I went to some travel sites and read what recent visitors really had to say. And make sure you pay more attention to the most recent reviews because resorts can change very quickly whether it's wear and tear or change in management/ownership.
2. Use your social network.
Next, I went out on Facebook and asked if anyone has stayed there. I immediately got reviews and tips from several friends that had visited or knew someone that had. You have a vast wealth of knowledge and opinion on your social networks so use them! And when a friend asked about something- throw your two cents out there to help them make decisions. Through my friends, I found out how clean the waterpark was, how protected the park was with lifeguard coverage, how nice the rooms were but how the food wasn't that great and overpriced. These opinions definitely weighed in on the rest of my planning.
3. Be flexible.
Once we decided we wanted to try the resort- I played around with their online reservation system. Because we could be flexible, I was able to change the dates around to see how the rate of the room would vary. Wilderness was actually really cool online by showing you when discounts would be the greatest for the month. Going on Sunday versus Saturday saved us money!
4. Talk to a live person.
Automated reservations are great but call and speak to someone! Specifically ask if there is a better deal, better code for the time you want to travel. This resort specifically had a deal that you had to call in to get but I would have called regardless. Also ask for a deal if you pay up front or change your dates a little.
We got our 2nd night at 50% the rate by calling and speaking with a representative.
5. Ask questions about the "perks" offered with your reservation.
There were a lot of perks for staying at this resort but not a lot of detail up front. There was a Kids Eat Free twice a day (but we knew the food wasn't worth it), free attraction tickets and discounts to area stores and restaurants. But I had to ask to get the specifics. I found out which attractions we could get tickets for and found out it was an adult ticket for this attraction, a child ticket to that attraction etc. Finding out the details helped us decide if we would take advantage of these tickets or not before telling the kids. I was able to do some research also and find out how much it would cost to buy the necessary tickets for the family to go again before making any promises. Getting the details upfront, doing some surfing on the web prevents you from making a last minute decision or making that promise that ended up costing more than the attraction was worth. And also- taking out the appeal of the Kids Eat Free when you can check out the menus online, the pricing and receiving advice from friends or reviews that have been there. Sometimes Kids Eat Free is just a bait and not a savings.
6. Mapping out the place before you get there.
I checked on the Wilderness website and got to see a layout of our room. By doing so, I was able to find out we had a frig, microwave, coffee maker and a stove top. I also was able to request, again from a review; a room under the "30s" which would place us close to the indoor water dome. Being so close allowed Mike to keep an eye on work, quick runs back to the room for snacks, lunch, a nap and we weren't wasting time walking from one end of the building to the other. It also allowed us to bring breakfast and snack items plus drinks. And of course, with a good stockpile then I was able to offer a variety of snacks and goodies to make the trip fun and the girls don't even realize we are saving money. A microwave or a coffee machine allows you to heat water for tea, grits or oatmeal and even coffee! A quick run to the grocery store for Krispy Kreme doughnuts, some bananas and breakfast was done! I also brought yogurts, microwave popcorn, chips, dip etc. And make sure you pack napkins, paper products, cups and utensils so you are set to knock out a couple of meals and snacks for close to free!
7. Pay attention to your surroundings around the resort or hotel.
It's always hectic trying to follow directions especially to a new area or a town you haven't been to but while arriving to your destination- pay attention to what's around you. For example, I noticed a Little Caesar's Pizza right down the street from the resort. If you aren't familiar- decent pepperoni or cheese pizza for $5 takeout. The resort had a takeout special on pizza also- $18.99 for a one topping and 2 liter of Pepsi for $18.99+tax+tip+delivery charge. Mike ran down the street, got two pizzas for $10, we bought salad mix at the grocery store, I brought dressing and we had lunch that was cheap! And it worked because the girls were not interested in wasting waterpark time going out for lunch or spending a whole lot of time on the process. We could heat up the leftovers and ended up having lunch right before we checked out and hit the road on Tuesday.
8. Never travel without your coupons.
I don't take them all but I do make sure I have my folder of restaurant coupons and my restaurant.com coupons. And I checked the area for www.restaurant.com coupons to print before we left. Restaurant.com allows you to see menus, pricing and you can figure out quickly if your $25 gift certificate will go a little or a long way. My girls love salad and specifically asked for a salad bar the 2nd night we were there. We had a Ruby Tuesday's right down the road from the resort. The girls were exhausted from playing all day so Mike did takeout, got a huge salad but mostly toppings because we had the mentioned salad mix so he didn't waste space on lettuce. We had a "Hotel Picnic" which the girls love and they ate a ton. I had a 25% off Ruby Tuesday coupon, we didn't waste money on drinks and the tip was much less on takeout. We also learned an interesting lesson. Had we all gone to the restaurant, we would have ordered for each of us. We did 1 platter with sides and the salad. It was PLENTY of food for ALL four of us!
9. Pack a cooler and a ziploc of ice for the road.
We pack ice, water and drinks so we can keep moving and not wasting time stopping for a snack or drink. It also helps keep everything cool on the way. We fill the same bag up with ice when we are checking out for the ride back.
10. Stay out of the gift shop!
What the girls don't know won't hurt them and that's generally the case with gift shops. Everything becomes a want that we know we'll find in a corner of the playroom or hanging in the closet never worn that often. And if you can't avoid it- then set a limit or make your child wait until the last day to purchase something. Tell them to make a list, rank it and then at the end of the visit- they can decide on one thing within the limit you set earlier. The girls always end up with something but by making them wait, they make wiser choices in the end.
11. Look for free fun to make the trip more exciting.
One thing I try to do before a trip is find new free apps for their ITouch. They get surprised and I even found a free waterslide game for them to play on the way! I also researched our route and found out that Mayfield Dairy was on the way and we stopped on the way home for a free tour. The girls loved it!
12. Make lists of what you need to bring!
It's never too early to start packing or make lists of what needs to be packed. It's my goal when packing that I don't spend time looking for a Walmart because someone forgot their bathing suit or I didn't pack the sunscreen. Preparation prevents time wasted and money spent!
Trips are fun and most often are going to cost a lot of money. But reality sets in when you get that credit card bill a month later and the trip is long gone. Trying to stay in a saving mindset without compromising on fun and experiences make our trips much more interesting and no one feels like they missed a thing!
1 comment:
I loved reading all the planning that went into your recent trip (with which I stayed updated via Facebook).
Makes me realize I need to do a little planning more for our weekend in LA next weekend.
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