Vacation Tourist traps and deals.

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thavoice

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14,376 posts
Jul 18, 2011 12:44 PM
Went on like a 10 day vacation recently and saw some places with great deals and others were just plain tourist traps.

1. Opryland Hotel. Went to just look around inside for a couple of hours. They had a sign for parking $18, and we drove to ask the guy directing traffic (in his suit and tie) if there is a place to park for free so we could go in and eat. He mentioned they will validate parking, or we could park in the non-posted free parking lott about 50 yards from the paid parking! Of course it was not marked at all.
Inside was cool to walk around and check things out.

2. Mobile Alabama. Toured the USS Alabama, a sub and saw quite a few planes in the hanger. Wasnt too badly priced inside for what ya got to see. I have toured a few ships before but this also had a sub and other planes to look at. Not too bad considering they receive no funds from the govt.

3. Panama City Beach Florida. Pretty much a ripoff every place you go.

4. Lookout Mountain in Chat. Tennessee. Wow. If there was ever a tourist trap! Man oh man was that horrid. I was waiting for them to charge for taking a piss. About the only affordable thing was the Military Park or whatever. 3 bucks to tour the park for adults. It waas very interesting.

5. Cumberland Falls. That was the best deal of them all. Free, unless you wanted to ride the boats and such and that wasnt too bad actually to pay for that. They had the Moonbow...a rainbow due to teh falls at night on a full moon..which was pretty cool.


Where have you gone that were great deals, and some that were just ttourist traps?
Jul 18, 2011 12:44pm
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4cards

Ohio Chatter Legend

2,551 posts
Jul 18, 2011 1:26 PM
..# 1 rip off







to arrive at


Jul 18, 2011 1:26pm
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SnotBubbles

Master of teh QQ

4,492 posts
Jul 18, 2011 2:36 PM
^^^
I don't understand what you're trying to say there....
Jul 18, 2011 2:36pm
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se-alum

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13,948 posts
Jul 18, 2011 2:59 PM
Pretty much any Ripley's Aquarium. Went to the one at Broadway at the Beach, because my bro and I wanted to see the "Shark Exhibit". Waited in line for about 40 minutes, when we got into the exhibit, it was a small room w/ a couple small aquariums, and some random shark facts on the walls.
Jul 18, 2011 2:59pm
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Ironman92

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49,363 posts
Jul 18, 2011 3:52 PM
^^^^^score
Jul 18, 2011 3:52pm
T

thavoice

Senior Member

14,376 posts
Jul 18, 2011 4:35 PM
There was a ripleys believe it or not in Panama beach..didnt go in tho..figured it would be pricey and pointles
Jul 18, 2011 4:35pm
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Ironman92

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49,363 posts
Jul 18, 2011 4:57 PM
Yep.....anything decent is usually displayed on the outside
Jul 18, 2011 4:57pm
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swamisez

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1,990 posts
Jul 18, 2011 5:13 PM
Second Pedro's

Check the Sombrero Space Needle

Jul 18, 2011 5:13pm
W

WebFire

Go Bucks!

14,779 posts
Jul 18, 2011 5:42 PM
We went to Legoland in Chicago a couple weeks ago. Very disappointed.
Jul 18, 2011 5:42pm
A

adog

Senior Member

567 posts
Jul 18, 2011 5:49 PM
WebFire;833498 wrote:We went to Legoland in Chicago a couple weeks ago. Very disappointed.

Really?...I have some family going to Chicago in 2 weeks and they were taking their kids (6 - 10 yo's) to legoland......bad choice?
Jul 18, 2011 5:49pm
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said_aouita

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8,532 posts
Jul 18, 2011 5:58 PM
I'm sure all the people who travel to these tourist traps also like A1 sauce.


Wisconsin Dells. [Insert dueling banjos]
Jul 18, 2011 5:58pm
W

WebFire

Go Bucks!

14,779 posts
Jul 18, 2011 6:51 PM
adog;833500 wrote:Really?...I have some family going to Chicago in 2 weeks and they were taking their kids (6 - 10 yo's) to legoland......bad choice?

I guess it depends on your expectations. Their brochure and website make it seem a lot bigger than it is. We talked to some people who had been to the one in CA, and they raved about it. But that must have been a mega one or something. They said they could have spent 2 days there, but we were done in 2 1/2 hours, when we had planned on being there a good portion of the day.

Some of the stuff we thought was going to be cool was an absolute joke.
Jul 18, 2011 6:51pm
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gorocks99

Senior Member

10,760 posts
Jul 18, 2011 6:56 PM
said_aouita;833504 wrote:Wisconsin Dells. [Insert dueling banjos]

Winner winner, chicken dinner. That whole place is a tourist trap (Tommy Bartlett's robot show anyone?).
Jul 18, 2011 6:56pm
S

superman

Senior Member

3,582 posts
Jul 18, 2011 8:06 PM
Nike Town in Chicago was way disappointing.
Jul 18, 2011 8:06pm
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1_beast

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5,642 posts
Jul 18, 2011 8:08 PM
se-alum;833296 wrote:Pretty much any Ripley's Aquarium. Went to the one at Broadway at the Beach, because my and I wanted to see the "Shark Exhibit". Waited in line for about 40 minutes, when we got into the exhibit, it was a small room w/ a couple small aquariums, and some random shark facts on the walls.

THIS...

And the Mermaid show was just as bad...my 8 year old can hold his breath underwater longer than the bimbo in the fishtail. Show lasted about 5 minutes.....
Jul 18, 2011 8:08pm
I

I Wear Pants

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16,223 posts
Jul 18, 2011 8:24 PM
Do you guys not look stuff up before you go to it or what?
Jul 18, 2011 8:24pm
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sonofsam

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2,052 posts
Jul 18, 2011 9:56 PM
Went to the Anheusher-Busch in Virginia... Was very disappointed they did not let me swim in the beer vat naked drinking as much as I could for 3 minutes... Absolute tourist trap.
Jul 18, 2011 9:56pm
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se-alum

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Jul 18, 2011 10:05 PM
I Wear Pants;833608 wrote:Do you guys not look stuff up before you go to it or what?

For us, the aquarium was just a last minute decision. The kids had a good enough time, so it wasn't a total loss, but nothing I would do again.
Jul 18, 2011 10:05pm
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se-alum

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Jul 18, 2011 10:06 PM
Has anyone been to any of the Wonderworks attractions?? I have a feeling they are similar in disappointment w/ the aquarium.
Jul 18, 2011 10:06pm
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1_beast

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5,642 posts
Jul 18, 2011 10:13 PM
We walked up to wonderworks...but after thinking it would be a generic COSI...i was able to get the family to walk away!!!
Jul 18, 2011 10:13pm
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WebFire

Go Bucks!

14,779 posts
Jul 18, 2011 10:16 PM
I Wear Pants;833608 wrote:Do you guys not look stuff up before you go to it or what?

Yes. That's why we were disappointed.
Jul 18, 2011 10:16pm
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THE4RINGZ

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16,816 posts
Jul 18, 2011 10:18 PM
I stayed at Rosen Shingle Creek Resort last week for a sales conference. $6.50 for a 12 ounce can of beer, $14.50 for a hamburger. Outrageous.
Jul 18, 2011 10:18pm
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se-alum

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13,948 posts
Jul 18, 2011 10:19 PM
1_beast;833760 wrote:We walked up to wonderworks...but after thinking it would be a generic COSI...i was able to get the family to walk away!!!

My bro and I ditched the kids so we could look into it, ended up telling them it was a museum they wouldn't be interested in...lol.
Jul 18, 2011 10:19pm
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Laley23

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Jul 18, 2011 10:24 PM
superman;833587 wrote:Nike Town in Chicago was way disappointing.

I mean....its a clothing/sporting goods store. What was the expectation?
Jul 18, 2011 10:24pm
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Laley23

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Jul 18, 2011 10:29 PM
WebFire;833538 wrote:I guess it depends on your expectations. Their brochure and website make it seem a lot bigger than it is. We talked to some people who had been to the one in CA, and they raved about it. But that must have been a mega one or something. They said they could have spent 2 days there, but we were done in 2 1/2 hours, when we had planned on being there a good portion of the day.

Some of the stuff we thought was going to be cool was an absolute joke.

California one is pretty damn big, and cool. Never been to others, but if you were done in 2.5 hours, it has to be about 1/10 the size of the CA one. CA has like 8 sections and a water park with 5 rides or so and 3 roller coasters.

I thought there were only 4 or 5 LegoLands in the world though, and CA is the only one in the USA. So Chicago must be a spin-off or a smaller sister park (which would make sense for the disappointment) because CA is awesome.
Jul 18, 2011 10:29pm