Planning 1st NYC trip... need advice please

[onescgirl]

I need help planning my 1st NYC trip.

It will be just my 16 year old daughter & I going. We both have really been wanting to see NYC for a while. My dh & ds are not interested in seeing NYC, so to keep price down, it will be just a girls trip.

We have never been on a plane, subway, bus (other than Disney bus), or cab. We have only been on vacations that we drive to. We have never been on a trip without my husband. I’ve been trying to plan this NYC trip for over a year and because of all above reasons, I am just too scared to book.

I have searched the Disboards threads to read all NYC threads and have taken notes, I have the Frommer’s Guide to New York City that I’ve read, I’ve ordered NYC maps to study, & I watch NYC Youtube videos. Don’t laugh, I’m still nervous.

I’ve tried to find NYC trip forums that are as detailed like the DisBoard Disney trip reports, but have not found any.

That’s why I have come here to ask for some help.

I know what we want to see and do. I know we want to stay in Times Square area because my daughter would love that as we have never been to a big city before. We want to hear the loud noises all night long!

I am on a small budget (I want to keep it as close to $2,000 as possible) that includes hotel & airfare.

I don’t know the time of year we would go because October would be the best time for us to miss school & work, but the hotel rates are too high then. I’m thinking I want to have everything planned out, just keep checking rates online, and when I get a good deal, just book a trip even if it’s a last minute trip.

I don’t know if we can get things done in 2, 3, or 4 days. What I need help with is figuring out how many days that we will need to be in NYC to accomplish what we would like to see & do. And, how we should arrange attractions to do each day.

We would like to:

· Go to the Met

· Go to Central Park

· Get macaroons at Ladur’ee Madison (or somewhere else to get macaroons)

· Visit Macy’s store (is it worth it?)

· See Grand Central Station

· See St. Patrick’s Cathedral

· See NY Public Library (this is not a must-do if we don’t have time)

· See Trump Tower

· Go to Tiffany’s jewelry

· Go to Dylan’s Candy Bar

· See the LOVE sign for photo op on 6th Ave/55th St (this is not a must-do, only if there is time)

· See Times Square

· Go to a Broadway show

· Go to Top of the Rock observation deck

· Take the Staten Island ferry to view the Statue of Liberty

· Visit Chinatown (is it worth visiting here?)


Please help me figure out how many days I would need for this and how to plan each day.

Thank you so much!

 

[mjkacmom]

Dd15 (16 in a week) loves the High Line, Wicked, Black tap, The Sugar Factory, and she and her friends are hitting up the Central Park zoo next trip in (we live very close). October is probably the most expensive hotel month. Map out what you want to see and do, that's how you should plan your days.

ETA, she's dying to go here, but it's too new and lines are hours long. I'm sure it will be easier months from now. https://www.cookiedonyc.com/

 

[ashley0139]

I need help planning my 1st NYC trip.

It will be just my 16 year old daughter & I going. We both have really been wanting to see NYC for a while. My dh & ds are not interested in seeing NYC, so to keep price down, it will be just a girls trip.

We have never been on a plane, subway, bus (other than Disney bus), or cab. We have only been on vacations that we drive to. We have never been on a trip without my husband. I’ve been trying to plan this NYC trip for over a year and because of all above reasons, I am just too scared to book.

I have searched the Disboards threads to read all NYC threads and have taken notes, I have the Frommer’s Guide to New York City that I’ve read, I’ve ordered NYC maps to study, & I watch NYC Youtube videos. Don’t laugh, I’m still nervous.

I’ve tried to find NYC trip forums that are as detailed like the DisBoard Disney trip reports, but have not found any.

That’s why I have come here to ask for some help.

I know what we want to see and do. I know we want to stay in Times Square area because my daughter would love that as we have never been to a big city before. We want to hear the loud noises all night long!

I am on a small budget (I want to keep it as close to $2,000 as possible) that includes hotel & airfare.

I don’t know the time of year we would go because October would be the best time for us to miss school & work, but the hotel rates are too high then. I’m thinking I want to have everything planned out, just keep checking rates online, and when I get a good deal, just book a trip even if it’s a last minute trip.

I don’t know if we can get things done in 2, 3, or 4 days. What I need help with is figuring out how many days that we will need to be in NYC to accomplish what we would like to see & do. And, how we should arrange attractions to do each day.

We would like to:

· Go to the Met

· Go to Central Park

· Get macaroons at Ladur’ee Madison (or somewhere else to get macaroons)

· Visit Macy’s store (is it worth it?)

· See Grand Central Station

· See St. Patrick’s Cathedral

· See NY Public Library (this is not a must-do if we don’t have time)

· See Trump Tower

· Go to Tiffany’s jewelry

· Go to Dylan’s Candy Bar

· See the LOVE sign for photo op on 6th Ave/55th St (this is not a must-do, only if there is time)

· See Times Square

· Go to a Broadway show

· Go to Top of the Rock observation deck

· Take the Staten Island ferry to view the Statue of Liberty

· Visit Chinatown (is it worth visiting here?)


Please help me figure out how many days I would need for this and how to plan each day.

Thank you so much!

That is A LOT to get done in a few days. Definitely more than 2 or 3 days. The Met itself is at least half a day depending on how thorough you are. Group things by area, and figure out how much time you'll want for each thing. Also, for things like Top of the Rock - you'll then be in Rockefeller Center and probably want to look around there a bit. Same for Tiffanys - then you're on 5th Avenue and can walk around there, which is also near St. Patricks. Whatever Broadway show you see will be close to Times Square, which you definitely want to see at night. Central Park is HUGE, so you'll need to narrow that down a bit. Do you want to see the Alice statue, Strawberry Fields, just the park in general?

I don't think Macy's is worth it. I hate that Macy's. It's a huge maze that is just a department store. Much better shopping to be had. Chinatown is worth it.

What Broadway show do you want to see? You may be able to get discount tickets depending on the show.

NYC is awesome. I can't imagine why your DH and DS wouldn't want to go, it's always good to see new places. But anyway, you will have a great time. Make sure you use the subway - it's much faster than a cab most of the time.

Buy tickets for anything you can ahead of time - especially Top of the Rock. It will save you time in line.

 

[supersnoop]

I think the library is a must do. They have the original Winnie the Pooh there.

 

[WDWNY]

I think the library is a must do. They have the original Winnie the Pooh there.

I've lived in NYC my entire life and did not know that. I might have to go now. lol

 

[WDWNY]

I recommend the New york pass, City pass or explorer pass to save money. I would double check that the attractions you want to do are on there and if it would save you money. sometimes they have sales too. Whenever my friends come to town and want to do touristy things, we get it.

When you go to Empire state and top of the rock i recommend going right before sunset. That way you can see it at night and when its bright out.

You might want to see the 9/11 memorial, museum of natural history, little italy too- just some suggestions. I did a boat tour once which was fun too. I think I got a good deal on groupon when I did that.

For broadway- Ive only seen Hairspray, Mary Poppins and Aladdin. Aladdin was AMAZING.

For Macaron's you can also go to the Macaron Parlour or La Maison du Macaron. I love them both. Those might be closer to things you want to do. La Maison du macaron is by the flat iron bldg if that interests you guys.

I forgot to mention, if you guys are foodies, I recommend checking out new_fork_city on instagram

 

[HappyHaunts999]

Jan and Feb are cheaper times to go. If you look up Kids Night on Broadway they have a great deal where you buy 1 adult ticket and get one kid ticket free. Kid being 18 and younger. They also have deals for restaurants. It usually runs the end of Feb. Also take a look at TKTS, it will give you an idea of what show are available. Look for groupon deals as well. Don't be afraid to just go and have fun.Most people will be more than happy to answer any questions. Hotels also can direct you to somethings you may not have thought of.

 

[sherlockmiles]

We go in very often for weekends and overnights.

We really like Elements and most of the hotels around it. Its a little sound of times square. Also the Iroquois if you want to splurge. Our goto hotel is actually Club Quarters. We've stayed at several - the one around the corner from Grand Central is DH favorite. I prefer the one on 56th (?).

I would suggest checking out some tours to make the most of your time. They can be a great way to see highlights when time is short.
Want a fun quick trip to the Met, look up Hack Tours.
Don't forgot to go to the 9-11 memorial, and one world trade center observatory. Battery Park.
Lots of great food tours!
We recently did a tour with the barmaid tourguide from Haunted Manhattan.
If you don't want to go over to the statue of liberty, there is a good boat tour (not the ferry) that leaves from Pier 17.
And I go for Top of the Rock over the empire state building.
If you want to see the original pooh dolls, call first. They've been off exhibit for a bit and I don't know when they will return.
You can spend a whole day walking around central park.
Don't forget about the museum of natural history - Night at the museum modeled after this.
behind the scenes tour at radio city music hall is interesting. there is also a tour at Carnegie Hall.

Feel free to pm me - I have tons of ideas/info that I can share if you let me know your main interests.

 

[Eureka]

I'm watching this thread. We are going this summer. Already have tickets to Lion King and Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden. Haven't booked a hotel yet. We plan to get the City Pass for museums, Empire State Building, 9-11 museum, etc. We've used the City Pass in Toronto and Philadelphia and it's well worth it if you plan on going to multiple tourist attractions. Top of the Rock and a Statue of Liberty cruise are both on there. It's $122 for adults and $98 for kids through age 17. Six attractions total.

 

[onescgirl]

Dd15 (16 in a week) loves the High Line, Wicked, Black tap, The Sugar Factory, and she and her friends are hitting up the Central Park zoo next trip in (we live very close). October is probably the most expensive hotel month. Map out what you want to see and do, that's how you should plan your days.

ETA, she's dying to go here, but it's too new and lines are hours long. I'm sure it will be easier months from now. https://www.cookiedonyc.com/

The High Line does look neat.
I think I am just having a hard time planning my days since I have never been. I don't know how many of the things that we want to do that I can fit into each day since I don't know how long it would take to get around to each place.

That is A LOT to get done in a few days. Definitely more than 2 or 3 days. The Met itself is at least half a day depending on how thorough you are. Group things by area, and figure out how much time you'll want for each thing. Also, for things like Top of the Rock - you'll then be in Rockefeller Center and probably want to look around there a bit. Same for Tiffanys - then you're on 5th Avenue and can walk around there, which is also near St. Patricks. Whatever Broadway show you see will be close to Times Square, which you definitely want to see at night. Central Park is HUGE, so you'll need to narrow that down a bit. Do you want to see the Alice statue, Strawberry Fields, just the park in general?

Thank you for letting me know it would take more than three days. I wasn't sure how much we could fit into each day. I don't want to spend a very long time in Central Park, so I do need to research to see what part we would want to see. I was thinking whichever part is closest to the Met museum since we do want to go to the Met.


I don't think Macy's is worth it. I hate that Macy's. It's a huge maze that is just a department store. Much better shopping to be had. Chinatown is worth it.

Thanks for letting me know

What Broadway show do you want to see? You may be able to get discount tickets depending on the show.

We really don't have a particular show we want to see, we just want to see one. So, we are very flexible with that part.

NYC is awesome. I can't imagine why your DH and DS wouldn't want to go, it's always good to see new places. But anyway, you will have a great time. Make sure you use the subway - it's much faster than a cab most of the time.

We plan on using the subway and that seems both exciting and scary to me, lol!

Buy tickets for anything you can ahead of time - especially Top of the Rock. It will save you time in line.

I think the library is a must do. They have the original Winnie the Pooh there.

That great to know the library is a must do! Thanks!

 

[onescgirl]

I recommend the New york pass, City pass or explorer pass to save money. I would double check that the attractions you want to do are on there and if it would save you money. sometimes they have sales too. Whenever my friends come to town and want to do touristy things, we get it.

When you go to Empire state and top of the rock i recommend going right before sunset. That way you can see it at night and when its bright out.

You might want to see the 9/11 memorial, museum of natural history, little italy too- just some suggestions. I did a boat tour once which was fun too. I think I got a good deal on groupon when I did that.

For broadway- Ive only seen Hairspray, Mary Poppins and Aladdin. Aladdin was AMAZING.

For Macaron's you can also go to the Macaron Parlour or La Maison du Macaron. I love them both. Those might be closer to things you want to do. La Maison du macaron is by the flat iron bldg if that interests you guys.

I forgot to mention, if you guys are foodies, I recommend checking out new_fork_city on instagram

Great idea about doing top of the rock right before sunset! I will definitely do that!
Thanks for the other location for macaron's that are closer. I will look those up.
I do follow new_fork_city on Instagram, but just for fun. We are not foodies, we would be eating cheap & quick food while there. We don't like spending much time at restaurants.
And, I will start checking out Groupon deals.
Thanks for all the ideas!

Jan and Feb are cheaper times to go. If you look up Kids Night on Broadway they have a great deal where you buy 1 adult ticket and get one kid ticket free. Kid being 18 and younger. They also have deals for restaurants. It usually runs the end of Feb. Also take a look at TKTS, it will give you an idea of what show are available. Look for groupon deals as well. Don't be afraid to just go and have fun.Most people will be more than happy to answer any questions. Hotels also can direct you to somethings you may not have thought of.

I have thought about purchasing tickets at the TKTS booth, but was not sure if it would take too much time out of our trip by going and waiting in line.

 

[onescgirl]

We go in very often for weekends and overnights.

We really like Elements and most of the hotels around it. Its a little sound of times square. Also the Iroquois if you want to splurge. Our goto hotel is actually Club Quarters. We've stayed at several - the one around the corner from Grand Central is DH favorite. I prefer the one on 56th (?).

THANKS so much for advice on hotels! I'm looking these up right now and adding them to my list. I've been looking at hotwire, etc... and it does become overwhelming not knowing which would be good.

I would suggest checking out some tours to make the most of your time. They can be a great way to see highlights when time is short.
Want a fun quick trip to the Met, look up Hack Tours.
Don't forgot to go to the 9-11 memorial, and one world trade center observatory. Battery Park.
Lots of great food tours!
We recently did a tour with the barmaid tourguide from Haunted Manhattan.
If you don't want to go over to the statue of liberty, there is a good boat tour (not the ferry) that leaves from Pier 17.
And I go for Top of the Rock over the empire state building.
If you want to see the original pooh dolls, call first. They've been off exhibit for a bit and I don't know when they will return.
You can spend a whole day walking around central park.
Don't forget about the museum of natural history - Night at the museum modeled after this.
behind the scenes tour at radio city music hall is interesting. there is also a tour at Carnegie Hall.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Feel free to pm me - I have tons of ideas/info that I can share if you let me know your main interests.

Thank you! I will probably take you up on that once I get things pinned down more!

I'm watching this thread. We are going this summer. Already have tickets to Lion King and Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden. Haven't booked a hotel yet. We plan to get the City Pass for museums, Empire State Building, 9-11 museum, etc. We've used the City Pass in Toronto and Philadelphia and it's well worth it if you plan on going to multiple tourist attractions. Top of the Rock and a Statue of Liberty cruise are both on there. It's $122 for adults and $98 for kids through age 17. Six attractions total.

Maybe you need to tell me how you have each day planned out since that's what I'm having trouble with! I know what we want to see, I just don't know what all we can fit into each day. And, yes, I need to check out the City Pass to save us money, thanks!

 

[dixie47]

First of all, good for you! I like to stay in a hotel in Times Square. Everyone says it's so touristy, but I AM a tourist and don't mind acting like one. If you can get a decent price, stay at the Marriott Marquis. It is full of people and lots of tourists and you'll feel right at home. When that is too expensive I stay at the Best Western President, right at Times Square also. You can walk from Times Square to Rockefeller Center, the cathedral,lots of stores, and just about all the shows. TKTS booth is right there too.

Juniors Restaurant is nearby and prices are fair. Touristy? I guess, but they serve a breakfast that will hold you most of the day and have a bakery if you want some cheesecake later.

Traffic is just as bad as you can imagine so walking or subway is best. Don't book your return air too early in the day and allow lots of time to get there by car(with a driver). The hotel can arrange a car for you and the driver will give you the price up front. Sometimes I move to a cheaper hotel near the airport for my last night. Your Times Square hotel will check your luggage for you and you can spend the afternoon at a show/dinner before moving to the bargain airport place. Then you can take the hotel shuttle to the airport the next day.

In nice weather we have walked down to Battery Park and taken the very cheap Staten Island ferry across and back as a cheap way to see the Statue of Liberty. There is a subway station right there so you can ride back.

Just do it!!! You will blend right in with all the rest of us. Bring $$$ for shows.....very pricey but I love them!

 

[HappyHaunts999]

I have thought about purchasing tickets at the TKTS booth, but was not sure if it would take too much time out of our trip by going and waiting in line.[/QUOTE]
There are three different booths. If you go to the one downtown they sell tickets for the next day and the line is a lot shorter.

 

[WDWNY]

I broke up the things you listed by location, hopefully this will help you.

Dylan's Candy Bar, Trump Tower, Tiffany's, St. Patricks Cathedral, Love sign, Times Square, Top of the Rock and broadway shows are all relatively close. If you want to go to the southern part of central park this would be a good time to do so as well.

Empire State, Grand Central Station, Macy's, Ny Public Library are all close.

You can do the Met and Central Park the same day if you want to go to the great lawn. Ladur'ee Madison would probably be closest to these, but its not really close.

If you get one of the city passes, make sure to also do the NY Skyride at the Empire state bldg if it comes with it. It's like star tours... NY edition.
You can also just take the ferry to the Statue of Liberty if you get one of the passes. If not, I would do Chinatown the same day since they're both downtown.

 

[ctinct]

I live in CT, so I've only stayed over a couple of times, but as far as the hotel, if you can't find something reasonable in the Times Square area, I'd just go a few blocks away to search for something. I realize that your daughter wants to be in the Times Square area, but honestly, for me, it's too frenetic. Oh, and she will be amazed at how tiny that New Years Eve ball really is. I'd say the same thing about food. Just walking several blocks over, you will likely find cheaper, better food than the tourist places. And, when you get tired of the crowds, do the same thing. When we are walking to theaters, we go one or two streets over and parallel walk to where we want to go. The streets in the area are pretty easy to navigate, as they are in a grid system, pretty much. Can't say the same thing about lower manhattan, though.

Subway is also pretty easy to navigate. Get a good color coded map, and know the number or letter of the train you are looking for. Also, many of the signs will say uptown or downtown, so know which direction you need to travel. If you do happen to find yourself headed the wrong way, no big deal. Just get off and turn around. You can ride all day if you want, as long as you don't exit the turnstile. Only certain stations are transfer stations, so you may need to take a train somewhere, get off, and catch another one. Make note of where your station is above ground. The station in Times Square is all glitzy with a storefront, but most are just marked with a green ball. A red ball means the station is closed. Oh, and make sure you have enough for a return fare on tour ticket. Not all stations have fare machines. Ask me how I know THAT one. I think certain vendors and maybe hotels sell length of stay tickets, where you can ride all you want, but I've never used them, and if you are only going to a few areas, they may not be worth it to you. The ticket machines are pretty easy to figure out. When you buy a ticket, you get a "bonus" , which often ends up in wasted money. There is a website somewhere, sorry that I don't know it off the top of my head, that will tell you the exact dollar amount you should purchase , taking the bonus into account, for a particular number of rides. I used to use the website Hopstop to get subway or walking directions. I thought it shut down, but I just went to it and it seemed to be working. Ymmv. It was a great resource.

Okay. The Met. It's huge. I've been many times and still have not seen it all. In our case, we often get sucked into the special exhibits for a few hours. Since your time is limited, have a plan of what you want to see. I recommend the Egyptian exhibit, the medieval armor exhibit, Ancient Greece and Rome, and reneassaince art. You will get an excellent map of the building with your admission, or maybe you can get it online. Not sure about that one. Technically admission is pay what you wish, but honestly, I happily pay the fee, because i consider it a great bargain for the billions of dollars of art you can see. Oh, and the cafeteria is expensive. You might be better off going outside and getting a hotdog. I usually just pack a lunch, but I understand that may not be practical for you. You could, maybe , grab a subway sandwich and bring it with you. I'm thinking budget here.

If you have any interest, the museum of natural history is great, too. Tons of dinosaurs.

Theater. Have an idea of what shows you'd like to see. I'm not a real big fan of the TKTS booths, although I have used them, because the lines are often long and many people aren't aware that these are usually the most expensive tickets that are selling at half price. You may be better off buying a mezzanine ticket at the box office, since this is a budget trip. You can check out broadwayforbrokepeople.com for info about lotteries. Just double check at each shows website, because sometimes the info at the website is a bit outdated. The chances of winning a lottery are small, but you never know. We've won a few times. What I would recommend is watch a few shows you'd be interested in to see how they are selling.if it looks like the tickets are selling well, you may want to buy ahead, but otherwise, you can wait till the day of or the day before. Research discounts. I think theatermania, playbill, and broadway box offer discounts. Go to the box office the day of the show and buy your ticket there. The box office staffs are usually friendly and can help you find a good seat. Make sure your daughter has a student ID, because sometimes there are discounts for students. Except for the most popular shows, I'd say your chances of getting a ticket close to the show time are pretty good. My daughter and I won the in person lottery for wicked, and immediately afterwards many of the losers walked into the box office and bought tickets. This was in the summer, but I forget which evening it was. Oh, and I'll just say that while Wicked was good, it didn't give me that New York theater feeling. It's a modern theater and doesn't have the character of the older theaters. Then again, people must have been smaller when they built the older theaters, because the seats are sometimes cramped.


If you want to actually go to the Statue of Liberty, make sure you get your tickets ahead of time. If you just want to see it, the state island ferry is a great option. And check online for top of the rock discounts.i think it is a much better option than the top of the Empire State Building, where you will encounter long waits sometimes.

Whew. I think this is one of the longest posts I have ever written here.

Just thought of one more thing. The TripAdvisor NYC forum will have tons of info for you. Enjoy your trip!

 

[Judique]

I'm watching this thread. We are going this summer. Already have tickets to Lion King and Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden. Haven't booked a hotel yet. We plan to get the City Pass for museums, Empire State Building, 9-11 museum, etc. We've used the City Pass in Toronto and Philadelphia and it's well worth it if you plan on going to multiple tourist attractions. Top of the Rock and a Statue of Liberty cruise are both on there. It's $122 for adults and $98 for kids through age 17. Six attractions total.

Costco online has an Explorer Pass (4 attractions) for 83.99 and 59.99. It seems to have the standard attractions people want. I haven't used it, but Costco is pretty good at getting good value offerings.

 

[leahlefler]

We go to NYC frequently (my son has a cochlear implant and we travel to the city for appointments). The Met is massive - very cool place and worth seeing - even if you don't see it all. The Egyptian wing is cool. We love walking across the Brooklyn Bridge - free and if you walk toward Manhattan from Brooklyn the views are beautiful. I have heard the Tenement Museum (particularly the Victoria Constantino tour) is fantastic, but we haven't managed to do that yet. Since we aren't usually going as a vacation (we need to save money because we are there for appointments) - we stay in Secaucus or sometimes Jersey City depending on the hotel rates and take the PATH train in. We can get hotel rates for $120 per night or less in Secaucus and usually $200 per night or less in Jersey City. That wouldn't be as fun for a vacation, though (lol) - staying in Times Square would be really fun!

 

[hsmamato2]

a few notes.... getting into the Met and the Natural History museum is 'whatever price you want' even tho there's a fee listed at the ticket counter. You need a ticket to enter, but when it's your turn you just tell them how much you feel like paying that day. (yes it can be one penny if you feel like it) The staten island ferry is a GREAT option for seeing the harbor,and the Statue of Liberty,since you ride right by,once each way! And it's free (or super cheap,I forget which) You get on at Battery Park (not the tourist boats to get to the the island) and when you get to staten island, you just get off the boat,and circle back around the next ferry headed back to Manhattan! I hate traffic in Manhattan,so we walk a lot, or take the subway. Battery park is a subway ride/walk from Times square, pretty simple. Chinatown is very interesting to wander around,and lots of cheap places to eat right there and on Mott Street. (It's closer to Battery park area than Times Square, so plan accordingly - One thing, EVERYTHING in the city takes longer than you'd expect. We have swallowed up an entire day just arriving, eating, walking through Central Park,having a picnic, browsing the Met.... Everything takes longer. There are good apps to walk the city,etc, I think one i called citymapper (?) and I like to have a printed map in my pocket just in case, and you'll see the area is a simple grid of squares that make up the streets. (I just googled and printed one myself) There are stands/trucks right outside the Met where you can buy inexpensive snacks/food and drinks (cheaper bottles of water!) their cafe is good, but pricey.

 

[Eureka]

Maybe you need to tell me how you have each day planned out since that's what I'm having trouble with! I know what we want to see, I just don't know what all we can fit into each day. And, yes, I need to check out the City Pass to save us money, thanks!

We have not planned our days yet. We have a Sunday matinee and a Wed. night concert, that's all that's set in stone so far. We tend to plan things by location when we do city vacations to maximize our time seeing things and minimize our time in transit. We also always end up having a few things we never get to, so each day when we are there, we do a "huddle" so to speak and reprioritize.