Vacation challenge - $3500 or less!!

[klfrech]

Here's the dilemma. We always travel to WDW and Universal for vacation and usually spend between $5,000 - $6,000 per year. This year, we need to do some work on our house, so I'm trying to cut back. However, there are certain things that I'm not willing to compromise on when it comes to vacationing.

Family includes myself, DH and two teenage sons. We like an active vacation, nice hotel and we need plenty to do. I'd like something near the beach (please don't suggest somewhere in New England). We live in Western Mass., and my idea of vacation in to leave New England! Don't suggest the Jersey shore either--we grew up there, so it doesn't seem like vacation to me!

Call me spoiled (yes--I'll admit it), but even Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head, don't appeal to me. I wouldn't mind going to Florida (price must include airfare), but I don't know where to go, what to do, where to stay. Please help!

 

[disneymotherof3]

Any particular time of year? Do you want to stay w/in the US?

 

[klfrech]

Most likely it would be in July and we'd like to stay in the US. Not crazy about the idea of cruising, and can't find anything less than $3500 including airfare anyway.

 

[mrsklamc]

Take a cruise!

 

[disneymotherof3]

*San Diego*

Flight: 4 roundtrip tickets

Sun 18-Jul-10

Boston (BOS)
Depart 6:00 am
Terminal C to Milwaukee (MKE)
Arrive 7:35 am 859 mi
(1,382 km)
Duration: 2hr 35mn
FL
Flight: 730

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Milwaukee (MKE)
Depart 8:55 am to San Diego (SAN)
Arrive 11:10 am
Terminal 2 1,736 mi
(2,794 km)
Duration: 4hr 15mn
FL
Flight: 619

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total distance: 2,595 mi (4,176 km)
Total duration: 6hr 50mn (8hr 10mn with connections)


Fri 23-Jul-10

San Diego (SAN)
Depart 11:55 am
Terminal 2 to Milwaukee (MKE)
Arrive 5:40 pm 1,736 mi
(2,794 km)
Duration: 3hr 45mn
FL
Flight: 614

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Milwaukee (MKE)
Depart 6:50 pm to Boston (BOS)
Arrive 9:59 pm
Terminal C 859 mi
(1,382 km)
Duration: 2hr 9mn
FL
Flight: 736

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total distance: 2,595 mi (4,176 km)
Total duration: 5hr 54mn (7hr 4mn with connections)




Hotel: 1 room for 5 nights

Pacific Terrace Hotel
San Diego, CA
This San Diego beachfront hotel overlooks the sands of Pacific Beach, 3 miles from La Jolla; joggers, in-line skaters, and cyclists frequent the adjacent ... Traveler Opinion
4.8 out of 5

Check-in: Sun 18-Jul-10 Check-out: Fri 23-Jul-10


Room options Price
Non-OceanView Standard room Sale! Included
Partial Ocean-view room Sale! + $40.38 per night
Junior suite Sale! + $70.40 per night
Full Ocean View Sale! + $77.45 per night
Non-OceanView Standard room Sale! + $134.04 per night


Car: 5-day rental


Full Size Car
Air conditioning, automatic transmission, unlimited mileage.
Ford Taurus or similar, 5 adults, 2 large suitcases, 2 small carry-ons, 4 doors.
Need a different car?

Pick-up:
Sun 18-Jul-10 11:00 AM Drop-off:
Fri 23-Jul-10 11:00 AM
Location: Outside the Airport Terminal, San Diego, CA (SAN)

Car class Price
No Car Selected - $59.61 per day
Full Size Car Included



You received a $803.55 Expedia discount by booking flight and hotel together*

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total: $3,267.21
Avg/person: $816.80
Included:

Items selected, taxes, & service fees.
Car taxes & fees

 

[disneymotherof3]

Are either of you military?

 

[Miscoehill]

Thanks so much for this post! We, too, are looking for a vacation for that amount of money. We are a family of 4 (2 teens), but are spoiled by Disney. We always have a good time in Florida!

 

[DVCBELLE]

Are you opposed to going to Disney and staying in a value or moderate hotel - or even a house?

 

[klfrech]

Not necessarily opposed to Disney, but ticket prices end of making it an expensive vacation anyway. A moderate hotel is ok, but not a value.

Neither one of us is in the military.

Regarding the San Diego idea, that's $3200 and we haven't eaten yet or seen or done anything. Still ends up being a $5,000 vacation.

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

NC Outer Banks?

 

[dblr]

Check out Cedar Point in Ohio a great theme park and also alot of resorts to stay in. We have a rv so when we do not do Disney we usually use it. Cedar Point offers hotels to a campground with very nice cottages to rent, like Dinsey it is not cheap. Also like Disney we prefer to stay on property as fell it is part of the fun.

 

[disneymotherof3]

*Puerto Rico*

Sun 18-Jul-10

Boston (BOS)
Depart 11:50 am
Terminal B to San Juan (SJU)
Arrive 3:45 pm
Terminal D 1,678 mi
(2,700 km)
Duration: 3hr 55mn
AA
Flight: 1977

Total distance: 1,678 mi (2,700 km)
Total duration: 3hr 55mn

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fri 23-Jul-10

San Juan (SJU)
Depart 1:40 pm
Terminal D to Boston (BOS)
Arrive 5:45 pm
Terminal B 1,678 mi
(2,700 km)
Duration: 4hr 5mn
AA
Flight: 1334


Total distance: 1,678 mi (2,700 km)
Total duration: 4hr 5mn



Hotel: 1 room for 5 nights

San Juan Marriott Resort and Stellaris Casino
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Featuring a 24-hour casino and ocean-view dining, this Puerto Rico beachfront resort is in San Juan's fashionable Condado district, about 3 km (2 mi) east of ... Traveler Opinion
4.6 out of 5
300+ reviews



Check-in: Sun 18-Jul-10 Check-out: Fri 23-Jul-10


Room options Price
City View-Summer Sale Included
Pool View-Summer Sale + $22.41 per night
City View-4th Night Free & breakfast for 2 Sale! Includes: Breakfast for 2
+ $40.81 per night
Ocean Front Room-Summer Sale + $44.82 per night
Pool View-4th Night Free & breakfast for 2 Sale! Includes: Breakfast for 2
+ $65.72 per night



Car: 5-day rental


Midsize Car
Air conditioning, automatic transmission, unlimited mileage. The car features listed below are subject to availability.

Airbag, AM/FM, Power Brakes, Power Steering, Power Windows, Central Locking

More car features
Ford Focus LX or similar, 5 adults, 2 small carry-ons, 4 doors.



Pick-up:
Sun 18-Jul-10 4:00 PM Drop-off:
Fri 23-Jul-10 1:00 PM
Location: Outside the Airport Terminal, San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU)



Car class Price
No Car Selected - $76.11 per day
Midsize Car Included




You received a $206.05 Expedia discount by booking flight and hotel together*

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total: $2,829.32
Avg/person: $707.33
Included:

Items selected, taxes, & service fees.
Car taxes & fees

 

[estherhead]

I have to insert a cruise thing too. I'm not sure what you are opposed to but dh & I just went on Royal Caribbean. In the space of 5 days we: rock climbed, zip lined through the jungle, bobsledded, ice skated, played putt putt, took dance lessons, watched a hilarious comedian, swam, hot tubbed, read 3 books each, played in a water park with the big water trampolines, etc., did a scavenger hunt, watched an ice dancing show that blew our minds, and ate enough to gain five pounds. Plus we both met some really great people. I helped some teenage boys do a scavenger hunt one day & later was in the elevator with two 16 year old girls. They all said they were having the time of their lives.

For $2000.00 dh & I flew to Miami, stayed in a hotel, rented a car, had a balcony room for a 5 night cruise & did all of the above plus WAY more. It was both relaxing & active.

I think for $3500.00 you & your dh could get a balcony or ocean view room & get the teens their own inside room. You could fly there. And you could still do some fun things on the islands. 7-10 days of fun.

If cruises make you claustrophibic, though, what about Williamsburg/Washington D.C.?

Non-stop flight: $400.00 ($100.00 a piece)
Priceline a 4 star hotel for 7 nights: $700.00
Rental car (nice one): $400.00

Plenty to do there & lots of money left to do it all. Busch Gardens/Williamsburg/Water Country bounce tickets would be around $100.00 a person.

We did this last summer and had a really nice time. We have 3 younger kids and did the "boring" history things in the mornings: Williamsburg, Arlington Cemetary, etc. Then we would do roller coasters, water park, etc. in the afternoon & evenings. We also did a few evening programs which they loved. They learned a lot and didn't complain about the learning, which is a similar feel to WDW for us.

 

[lindsmom]

I second Puerto Rico. I found 7 night with airfare from Bradley / Hartford (figured that's closer for you than Logan) at Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa (Wyndham) oceanfront room = $3140 through puertoricovacations.com. I chose this resort for you because there are a lot of watersports and outdoor activities (for the teenagers) included and available. Casino and spa onsite. The resort website is http://www.wyndhamriomar.com/home.html .

I would have chosen the Rincon area of PR for more activities, but it's significantly more expensive or else it's a 2 hour drive from san juan airport.

 

[DVCBELLE]

I priced out a trip to Orlando:

Airfare from Boston is about $260 a person - so that is $1100 once you add in bags, etc.
Lastminutetravel.com has the swan or dolphin for $131 a night
- 6 nights is $903
Disney Tickets - participate in the Give a Day, Det a day and you can get 6 day tickets for $880
This brings your cost to about $2880

Leaving you $700 for incidentals and food.

OR

Port Orleans 7/11-7/17 - with quick service dining and your tickets would be $2642 -

So you would come in at $3742 with $1100 - if you can get a better deal on airfare yo might be able to get down to $3500.

 

[Dr.Girlfriend]

Take a cruise!

 

[everylastbreath]

Universal hotels are waaaaaay more reasonable than WDW, even the Value hotels- Plus you get FOTL there... If you have some $$ left over, pick up a day pass for WDW is you want. I vote for Florida, much more to do there!

 

[klfrech]

Keep the ideas coming!

We've already done Universal many times and have stayed at all the Universal hotels. Was looking for something else in Florida.

 

[TnTWalter]

http://waltersvisitami.blogspot.com/

It's BEAUTIFUL and AFFORDABLE and 1.5 hours south of WDW.

Fantastic Places to stay
www.annamariaparadise.com

I'd look at waterside terrace as it's great location, new, pool and on canal.

DRIVE to save more money and maybe do a couple days at the parks. We stayed at Windsor Hills $450 for the week at Disney World.

TRISH

 

[quentina]

Here's the dilemma. We always travel to WDW and Universal for vacation and usually spend between $5,000 - $6,000 per year. This year, we need to do some work on our house, so I'm trying to cut back. However, there are certain things that I'm not willing to compromise on when it comes to vacationing.

Family includes myself, DH and two teenage sons. We like an active vacation, nice hotel and we need plenty to do. I'd like something near the beach (please don't suggest somewhere in New England). We live in Western Mass., and my idea of vacation in to leave New England! Don't suggest the Jersey shore either--we grew up there, so it doesn't seem like vacation to me!

Call me spoiled (yes--I'll admit it), but even Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head, don't appeal to me. I wouldn't mind going to Florida (price must include airfare), but I don't know where to go, what to do, where to stay. Please help!

Check applevacations . com and click on superspecials. Cancun, Riveria Maya, Punta cana.....cheap!

Other option, would be a cruise. We are a family of five and did a RC 5 night, $1200.00 for the 5 of us in OV room. Had 2 buy airfare on top of it....still cheap!