How Much is Too Much?

Thanks RatherGoodBear, I hadn't even thought of having a hotel in a central location in PA.

There isn't much to say that hasn't been said already. I'll just add some small suggestions.

Most of all... take your time. I would bet running around for a week credit whoring will burn you quickly. There is a time and place for whoring [;-)] and taking in a park for everything it has.

Second... PLAN IT OUT! It scares me to think that some people jump out on the road without directions to parks and hotels. During this last summer I had everything in a nice little binder. Now, some people aren't as anal as me but I would suggest some major pre-planning. Online direction sites are your friend, but your good ole Rand McNally is your best friend. Don't rely on the net for everything. Instead see where MSN Maps (my favorite)/MapQuest/Yahoo! Maps suggests and then plan from there.

Lastly... if you can... write a trip report. We would all love to hear how it went.

I do exactly what Neuski does. For a long trip, I create a binder that contains all of the info that I will need during the trip. Directions, park contact info, hotel reservations, airport info, even a list of credits that are available at each park. It's nice to have it all organized in one place for easy reference. The key is just making sure that it doesn't get lost;)

whoa for this little conquest here...all I gotta do is pay $1000 and u get transportation and everything everywhere?

Kyle, if you are talking about that coaster trek thing, that does not include admission to the parks or food. Just transportation and room.

Kyle, the cost that I spent on tickets, food, room, transportation and extras (on-ride photos, t-shirts, ect.) last year was at about $1000. This year room and transportation will be $675. Food, tickets and extras will be in addition to that $675. When it comes down to it, to visit all of those parks on your own, you will likely spend about that same amount, maybe a little more. But you don't have to drive (you can sleep or do what ever else you want on the drives), you don't have to plan, and you don't buy gas and put miles on your car.

Ditto what Neuski and Pale Rider said, I have taken multiple trips the last two years and have directions from my house to the hotel, from the hotel to the attractions I visit as well as from the attractions back to the hotel.

It is very helpful especially when you do not know where you are going, Mapquest is a good reference and I have never been lost with their directions.

I am planning a week long trip myself to the PA area and am looking at maybe staying somewhere in Philly where it will only be a couple hours to Hershey, Dorney, SFGad, etc etc. If anyone has hotels that would be within 2 hours in a centralized area of Philly please PM me.

JW,

I am also from Des Moines and heading out the way you are going, what month are you looking at in doing this?

We aren't really sure what month we're going yet because we might have a few conflicts that we have to work around. It has to be mid june to mid August for sure though.

Crazy,

For the parks you mentioned, I would search in the Valley Forge/ King of Prussia area. You could take the PA Tpke East to the NJ Tpke to GAdv, The PA Tpke west to Hershey, I-476 North to Dorney, and I-476 South to pick up I-95 to SFA. With all the highways converging there, I'm sure just about every chain has a hotel nearby.

What is the cheapest way to find places to stay. I was searching online to find places, but is it just cheaper to drive there and then find motels in the area?

Cheapest way to stay = Campgrounds

As I found out last year, the hotel liquidation sites don't always have everything listed that the hotel/motel has. I found what I was looking for by calling the hotel directly. The rest stops usually have coupon magazines that have some decent deals.

The problem with driving somewhere and then picking the hotel/motel is that you're likely to settle for the first thing you see which may not be the cheapest option. This happened to me and my friend when we picked a hotel near Holiday World that was about $90 a night for double occupancy. The worst part was that the continental breakfast involved making your own waffles with one machine, and of course there was a line.

On the other hand, if you're unsure how much progress you'll make in one day, do some research and get a healthy selection of hotels/motels in nearby towns, and then have someone make calls from a cell phone while driving (or while waiting in a long line for a ride) to find out your best deals. Trust me, having a confirmation number and a room ready for you at the end of a long day is great.

Several years ago, when I was in my early teens, my family took a VERY ambitious trip across the eastern US to visit parks. I was really the only person in my family who was crazy for roller coasters, but we went because I had a serious skiing accident in middle school that, due to severe head injuries, prevented me from riding coasters for 2 years. So, my parents wanted to give me the most of the thing I loved to make up for lost time, once I was able to ride coasters again.

Nevertheless, below are the parks we went to, in order, and the days we stayed at each. Instead of getting hotels at each location, we took the family camper and stayed at various campgrounds along the way, usually the campgrounds attached to the parks.

Dorney - 1
Knoebels - 1
Kennywood - 1
Cedar Point - 2
Kings Island - 1
Dollywood - 1
Opryland - 1
Busch Gardens Tampa - 2
Sea World (FL) - 1
Universal (pre-IOA) - 1
SF Over Georgia - 1
Carowinds - 1
Busch Gardens Williamsburg - 2
Kings Dominion - 1
Great Adventure - 1
HOME!

I have no idea how many coasters that added up to at the time that I went, since much has changed since that time.

Needless to say, since I am and always have been an enthusiast, I had a blast and did not get worn down. BUT, since my family (parents + 1 sister) were NOT enthusiasts, they were really quite weary by the end of the trip. I guess my advice is, as stated earlier in this post, DEFINITELY pick your companions well for a trip of this magnitude, and if you enjoy camping at all, you may want to look at that route as an inexpensive alternative to hotels, as ZameziZinger stated.

In any case, have fun and enjoy!

-Pete

My personal preference. www.choicehotels.com They own several names and run the gamut from the budget (Econo Lodge) to slightly upscale (Clarion). Their website is pretty good too- easy to navigate and pretty thorough for listing hotel amenities, and hotels within a certain radius of a city or town. I've never had problems when I've stayed there. You'll only be there a few hours each night anyway.

Most chains also have 800 numbers you can call to make reservations. If you do that, or make reservations in person at a hotel, remember that they are there to make money and will try to sell you the most expensive room they can. Keep asking what discounts you can get. Make the words "Do you have anything less expensive" part of your vocabulary. You'll get decent discounts if you ask-- they just won't volunteer anything upfront.

Campgrounds might be less expensive, but I don't think it's worth it unless you plan on staying for several days at one place. You have the setting up and breaking down each time, and do you want to setup camp after a full day at a park? Plus you'll have to shop for food and ice and other supplies. It's time vs. money-- but it's your preference and what works best for your particular situation.

One other thing, if you're driving, make sure to get the car checked thoroughly before you start your trip. If you don't belong to a motor club (like AAA) consider joining. It could be very helpful along the way if, God forbid, you have any travel problems.

Joining in a little late I'll add this - continental breakfast is your friend! I did a trip that wasn't as big as yours, but involved parks in CA, OH and PA all within about 2 weeks time. I had free airfare, so all told I spent about a grand on SFMM (4), KBF, SFMW, PGA, USH, CP (2), SFWoA, and Kennywood. But the best thing I did was stay at Hampton Inns the whole way. They're pretty standard at about $100 a night, but the rooms are really nice (I'm a hotel snob, I hate hotels that I consider "shady") and the best part is they have a nice big continental breakfast included with every stay. If you get up early enough and fill up on breakfast foods, I could usually make it to 4 or 5pm without having to break for food. By that time, I was through most of the rides in the parks and was able to leave, get cheaper food at a Wendys or something nearby, then drive back to the park for the evening rides. In-and-out privledges (and the restaurant if you're in CA!) are also your friend - don't buy food in-park, hell don't buy anything in-park if you can help it, it'll really help you conserve for gas, nicer hotels, etc. Sort of depends on your priorities.

I realize this won't work for everyone, but it's a policy I've adopted on non-coaster trips too. That Hampton Inn continental breakfast is a miracle! And if you sign up for HHonors, you can get not only points for free hotel stays, but miles for a frequent flyer airline program too. Good deal.