how do you all park so much

We utilize all of the above.

I live by my own schedule. No one to answer to. My wife has an incredibly flexible schedule along with 4 weeks vacation and 5 personal days a year. The only schedule conflicts we run into are in spring and fall with my daughter in her first year of school.

My wife works in the hotel industry so we often use connections to get rooms free or cheap.

We do a lot of 2 or 3 day trips in the spring/fall and usually 2 weeklongs during the summer. This still leaves my wife with 2 weeks vacation for other things.

My wife is required to attend two conferences each year. The location of each varies every year. Since it's work related her expenses are paid and I tag along.

We also aren't afraid to drive 7 or 8 hours for a day at a park then drive back. Any family event (we had a wedding in South Florida this past March for example) becomes an excuse to take an extra day and hit the local park(s).

Lots of little things can easily add up to a 20 park season each year.

I can one-up the having a job that provides money and flexibility to travel---and that's having a job that requires travel to a wide variety of places. Last summer I visited six parks as a side effect of business trips.

Oh, how I miss that! When I worked for Giant/Revolution Records I travelled my territory a lot. Its funny how often I'd find myself in a city with an amusement park on a Friday night and end up staying the weekend ;)

mOOSH

Gonch: that school thing sucks, doesn't it?

Last summer we began to go to every park within a few hours of Chicago (usually weekend trips). This summer it is doing pretty much the same (like CP, GL, MiA,$FGAm) with one big trip planned as well (Lakemont, Kennywood, $FA, BGW, PKD -- over the course of 1 week). Also heading to Las Vegas over Christmas (which is only 2 days off from work for a 5 day trip). Using a map to plot out where you will be, and where you can hit the most parks on a route is the way to go. I agree that season passes are the way to go.

I'm going to chime in to probably repeat the above with my perspective since we are around the same age.

I'm planning a trip to PA/MA this summer and have been able to save some cash/time using a couple different ways. All my change that I get through the year gets cashed for my big trip of the summer. It usually ends up being another $100. That is a nice little chunk for someone not making a lot. Season passes and gas cards that I have acquired will knock the price down too.

Checking/asking for park discounts is always a good ideal. I plan on stopping at Blockbuster to get my $18 Kennywood ticket in a few weeks.

Having a car with good gas mileage will help, especially with these prices. Traveling with others can also cut down on costs.

I was able to get CHEAP rooms at any Choice Hotel from my sister who works at a Comfort Suites. This makes it much eaiser to plan and save on food due to their free breakfast.

That all had to do with money. I'm lucky to have a very flexible job with no responsibility. I also try to hit up weekends and holidays (i.e. Memorial Day) so that you can work more days and save up more cash.

I also make/will make many short trips. WoF, SFStL, SFGAm, IB, HW, PKI, SFKK are all <= 5 hrs away.

---

Brian Noble said:
Gonch: that school thing sucks, doesn't it?

---

Yes and it takes some getting used to working around. The school usually isn't real pleased when you want to pull your kid a couple of days early to go to amusement parks :)

It also helps if you have someone to travel with. In 2002 I had a summer fling and she was insanely into coasters as much as I was. That year I visited 10 "new to me" parks and more than doubled my track record. Since then, we separated (boo hoo...) and the only park I frequent is Marine World. I haven't even been there all year. My current fling hates coasters (bout to get kicked to the curb)....talk about coaster blocking!

It helps to have family in various places. I was able to make it to SFMM, KBF, & the Disney's last summer due to my girlfriend's family. I was able to make it to SF Mexico two years ago because of her other family. Last summer was also the first year I had made it to Cedar Point, I was able to do that because I was out in Detroit for 5 weeks out of the summer.

Having a double income with no kids and flexible time off work helps us get our trips done during the year. My wife works for the fed gov and therefore gets pretty much as much time as she needs off. I work a shift that changes from 1st to 2nd shift every other week, so twice a month I have weekends where I get off Friday afternoon and don't have to be back to work until that next Monday in the late afternoon. As long as a destination is no more than 8-10 hours away, we use that Monday to drive home, as long as I get back to work in time. We do a lot of weekend trips down to Orlando and Tampa and up to PA to see our families this way. Taking advantage of the long holiday weekends to take trips is good to. Also, if you are planning on visiting friends or going to weddings in other parts of the country, plan some parks around that too if you can. That is how we are going to hit the parks around Denver over the 4th of July and the rest of the New England parks that we haven't hit yet over Labor Day weekend. It also helps that I finally got a third week of vacation this year. We've allready gone out to LA and Vegas this past January and that extra week is going to help us pull off doing a 16 parks in 9 days midwest trip this June. Well that and doing the trip with another couple to cut down on costs, which is another way to save on trips. Basically we just do whatever our time and finances can support. Which this year, for us anyway, is a lot.

My job is also very flexible, and I can usually swing several 3 or 4 day weekends without much hassle. Being in WV I am within 3 1/2-5+ hours to a ton of parks, with PKI or Kennywood being the closest.

I usually write out what I would like to do in a year and as the time grows nearer for each event/park visit I have planned I can fine-tune the details, usually eliminating stuff. Season passes, club discounts, and coupons/internet deals on motels, cars....you name it I will look for it.

I have several "long" weekend trips planned, and 2 MEGA trips that will probably last about 2 weeks in the late summer hitting the east coast and New England and another on in Florida in November. After that I am spent!

I plan, save, find cheap deals, and go. Simple as that. God I love being single. ;-)

-Tina

*** Edited 5/6/2004 10:26:32 PM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***

Tina sez:

"[I'm] very flexible, and I can usually swing...without much hassle. Being in WV I am [in] the closest."

Oh reeeeeally? ;)

mOOSH [awaiting revenge]

Being single does help. Being rich helps. Having a job helps, as long as the job has "down" time. But.....

In answer to the query of "how do you all park so much," the answer is quite simple, really. Spend a lot of time driving. ;)

Hey Nasai...need a sugar daddy? ;)

LOL! Moosh..........you really GOT me there....and I thought Ed and Bill were the only ones who liked to *break* my posts. ;-)

They are also on my Photoshop "hit list" as you are now...........hahahahahahahaha >:-)

-Tina

*** Edited 5/6/2004 10:35:15 PM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***

Hit me with your best [photo]shop, Tina!

Just ask Jim how merciless I can be. ;-) I can make him look hotter than Cameron Diaz.

-Tina

I thought he was hotter than Cam D?

I don't get to visit parks often because I am broke. Last year was DP; and that was it.

I am moveing to a cheaper place in a week so maybe I will have a little more money for some amusement parkage.

some friends and I were going to go to CP and PKI next Sunday and Monday, but money is tighter than I expected with my move and some other stupid stuff.

I should have gone to college-That's MY advice. Go to college.

I'd love to go a park whoring, but I must stay loyal to Cedar Point considering I'm a 16 year old who lives in a family that happens to not really like amusement parks...But I'll sooo be busting out the red lipstick when I get out of college ;).

I have 16 parks within 5 hours drive time and I've been to all of them except one!

Have done S.F.Gradv.(Jersey)

Clemonton Lake ,Dorney,Hershey,Williams Grove,Lakemont,

Idlewild,Kennywood,Conneaut Lake and Waldameer.

All in eleven days summer of '90.