NYC for Thanksgiving

[DVCLiz]

I took my daughters to see the parade one Thanksgiving. Here's how I described it to a friend:

"Put on your winter coat, then go stand in your hall coat closet with all of your other winter coats pressed up against you. Close the door halfway and peek around the edge of it so you can just barely see your TV in the den two rooms away. Now stand that way for three hours without moving."

It was fun but I would do it differently if I ever went again. Do hotels have packages with seating for their guests? That would be the way to do it - with hot chocolate and bathroom privileges nearby.

 

[MrsPete]

It's on my bucket list and involves paying the premium price on the hotel on the parade route. So that will be affordable in about 20-30 years.

I would say have a great time--but totally plan everything out. If you have small children, have plans A-Z. A friend of mind did this trip on a whim a year or two ago with small children. She offers tips and depsite the crowds, they had a good time. I will see if I can find her blog and PM it to you. I do think she stayed in the city though.

I'd like to do that too, though it's not all that high on my gotta-do list. Any clue about how much the room would cost?

 

[MrsPete]

Do you have EZ Pass in NC? What a blessing it has been for me when traveling 95! The tolls can eat up travel time, especially in DE for some reason. Always huge backups there, even on a Sunday night in March.

We don't have tolls in NC.

 

[shoney]

The one and only time I went to the parade was 10 years ago. My friend was living on 65th street, one or 2 buildings in from the parade route. We drove from Long Island and parked at Lincoln Center. We didn't hit any traffic either way or in the city. Her corner had spectators, but not like you see by Macy's. If you really want to avoid crowds, you could pick a spot further away from the main festivities.

 

[SettinSail]

OK, after all this advice and thinking about driving 20 hours in 4 days and possibly sitting in heavy traffic, thinking about how hard it will be to drive into the city and how early we need to be there, I totally changed our trip and bought a package on Expedia which includes airfare and hotel right in Times Square. Now we just need to figure out a great undiscovered place to watch the parade Thursday morning and we will be all set!
If we are cold, crowded, miserable, etc, we will just watch SOME of the parade and move on.
We will also have to schedule some time to go visit our friends or maybe they will come into the city and visit us. We are not flying into or out of Newark; with this package it's arrive at JFK and fly out of LGA.

Thank you dear budget board friends, you always have the best advice. I know this trip will not be very budget friendly but we are greatly looking forward to it

 

[Aristocath]

OK, after all this advice and thinking about driving 20 hours in 4 days and possibly sitting in heavy traffic, thinking about how hard it will be to drive into the city and how early we need to be there, I totally changed our trip and bought a package on Expedia which includes airfare and hotel right in Times Square. Now we just need to figure out a great undiscovered place to watch the parade Thursday morning and we will be all set!
If we are cold, crowded, miserable, etc, we will just watch SOME of the parade and move on.
We will also have to schedule some time to go visit our friends or maybe they will come into the city and visit us. We are not flying into or out of Newark; with this package it's arrive at JFK and fly out of LGA.

Thank you dear budget board friends, you always have the best advice. I know this trip will not be very budget friendly but we are greatly looking forward to it

Good for you, you will have a great time! At what hotel are you staying? I would look into discounts for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. The tree will be up but not lit yet. And I don't care how crowded it is, I love it anyway.

 

[kydisneyfans]

We knocked it off our bucket list last year and had the time of our lives.

We departed KY Tuesday evening, spent the night in MD, and drove in midday Wed. There was no traffic at all.

We stayed at the Crowne Plaza on Broadway at the north end of Times Square for $209 a night through Priceline(not a name your own price deal) including full breakfast for Thurs-Sun. We were less than a block from the parade route. That price was a steal. I went to the parade route around 49th at 6:00 at was in the 2nd row.

The balloon inflation was great, but get there about an hour before it starts. Most of the balloons are already filled, but the crowd hasn't arrived yet.

We hit Macys on Black Friday, we will not do that again. Rockefeller Center was also a mess.

We hit a mess on I81 near Harrodsburg, PA on Sunday coming home, we were delayed over 2 hours and the reports were no accidents, just heavy traffic. We took the PA Turnpike for awhile and then cut back to 68 to continue back home. Traffic was heavy everywhere that Sunday.

 

[SettinSail]

Good for you, you will have a great time! At what hotel are you staying? I would look into discounts for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. The tree will be up but not lit yet. And I don't care how crowded it is, I love it anyway.

Thanks! I think we will love it too ! Westin Times Square. The Radio City Christmas Spectacular is coming to our town in NC for 17 days in Novemeber so we are thinking about seeing it right herebut I guess it won't be the same as seeing it in Radio City. I guess it is a travelling version, but it is billed as the Rockettes....

We knocked it off our bucket list last year and had the time of our lives.

I hope we do too

 

[Lucky4me]

The Westin is very nice! Big rooms for nyc.
You are also right there for the parade. I think that hotel is between 7th and 8th or maybe 6th and 7th? I believe the parade goes up 7th. I'd send two people out at the crack of dawn with a blanket if it's dry, or a vinyl tablecloth if it's rainy and stake out a spot. Then take turns guarding your spot until the parade starts.
Have a great time!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I'd like to do that too, though it's not all that high on my gotta-do list. Any clue about how much the room would cost?

I priced some and if you want a view of the route, there was a block of rooms at one hotel that were the parade rooms and it was something like $500 per night (minimum--not sure actual costs, as it was a few years back) with a 3 night minimum booking. Actually it might have been $600. It was a premium over the same room without the view of the route.

I think you can call a few days after Thanksgiving and ask for rates the following Thanksgiving to give you an idea. I'm not even sure which hotel I called, but there was a website with the parade route and all the hotels on it and I just picked one I thought would be nice.

 

[leebee]

Thanks! I think we will love it too ! Westin Times Square. The Radio City Christmas Spectacular is coming to our town in NC for 17 days in Novemeber so we are thinking about seeing it right herebut I guess it won't be the same as seeing it in Radio City. I guess it is a travelling version, but it is billed as the Rockettes....



I hope we do too

What a sweet vacation... and an incredible price for a hotel in Times Square at ANY time of the year, much less on one of the big holiday weekends!! The Westin is a great hotel, too. Jealous, jealous! I was going to suggest taking Amtrak from DC to NYC, but I see you have the travel part covered!

Regarding the Rockettes... DD trained with them the past 3 summers, but hasn't auditioned yet because she's only 17. "The Rockettes" has several casts, so these touring shows ARE Rockettes, not just "billed as." It's the same show you would see in NYC. We saw the Christmas Spectacular last December in Boston, and it was spectacular, but if you have the opportunity to see them at Radio City Music Hall and can afford the tickets, GO THERE! It is an amazing venue with an incredible stage. I remember the first time I saw DD dance on that stage.... get the tissues!!

 

[MrsPete]

I priced some and if you want a view of the route, there was a block of rooms at one hotel that were the parade rooms and it was something like $500 per night (minimum--not sure actual costs, as it was a few years back) with a 3 night minimum booking. Actually it might have been $600. It was a premium over the same room without the view of the route.

I think you can call a few days after Thanksgiving and ask for rates the following Thanksgiving to give you an idea. I'm not even sure which hotel I called, but there was a website with the parade route and all the hotels on it and I just picked one I thought would be nice.

Really? I would've thought it'd be more. Thanks for the interesting information.