(04-16-2014 04:30 PM)bluebacker Wrote:  

(04-16-2014 01:13 PM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(04-16-2014 01:08 PM)bluebacker Wrote:  

(04-16-2014 10:20 AM)SigEpMike Wrote:  

(04-16-2014 10:11 AM)bluebacker Wrote:  It sounds great now until it comes time to write the check for the trip.......

Orlando is an expensive destination if you don't intend to travel like a monk.

The top 3-4 teams will send some fans but not many will travel very far to see their team lose the first game.

UCF and USF are more focused on football so it's iffy as to whether or not they will have good basketball teams. If they suck not many of their fans will attend.

It's probably always better to hold the tournament at a location where the home team *should* have a good to great season.

I disagree completely. We travel there a lot and it's not too expensive at all. Southwest frequently has flights for $250 or less. Because there are SO many hotels, you can almost always find a deal on hotwire or priceline (usually for 4 or 5 star properties). Plus, there are other angles. There's a site where you can rent timeshare points and stay in a great 2-bedroom condo for $120 per night.

Yes, if you go to disneyworld.com and book, it will be expensive...but, if you look, you can do Orlando pretty cheap. (Forget the theme park costs...they will always be expensive.)

Yeah, so setting aside the cost of the tournament tickets, a family of 4 could fly down, stay 4 nights, maybe take 1 day for Disney or Universal (it'd be hard and maybe a little foolish to go to Orlando and skip them entirely) for $3,500 - $4,000 all-in.... so call it an average of $1,000 / day plus the tournament tickets?

Not counting airfare, I could do it for a family of four maybe $200 per day, more if you count Disney/Universal. Maybe less, staying at a nice condo complex. Right now I could get a 2 bedroom condo in a nice 4 star complex for about $450 for the week. So, $65 a night lodging. March was the same price.

Man, I do NOT want to travel with you, lol.

$200 / day for 4? If I'm gonna go to Orlando I want to have some fun!

Eat out nice, see the sights, drink an adult beverage or three.

Actually, I was including very nice restaurants and bars, lots of import beers (I don't like American beers anymore). Maybe a stogie or two, museums, etc. I refuse to travel second rate. I'll buy you what I consider to be a good beer sometime!

(04-16-2014 05:30 PM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(04-16-2014 04:30 PM)bluebacker Wrote:  

(04-16-2014 01:13 PM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(04-16-2014 01:08 PM)bluebacker Wrote:  

(04-16-2014 10:20 AM)SigEpMike Wrote:  I disagree completely. We travel there a lot and it's not too expensive at all. Southwest frequently has flights for $250 or less. Because there are SO many hotels, you can almost always find a deal on hotwire or priceline (usually for 4 or 5 star properties). Plus, there are other angles. There's a site where you can rent timeshare points and stay in a great 2-bedroom condo for $120 per night.

Yes, if you go to disneyworld.com and book, it will be expensive...but, if you look, you can do Orlando pretty cheap. (Forget the theme park costs...they will always be expensive.)

Yeah, so setting aside the cost of the tournament tickets, a family of 4 could fly down, stay 4 nights, maybe take 1 day for Disney or Universal (it'd be hard and maybe a little foolish to go to Orlando and skip them entirely) for $3,500 - $4,000 all-in.... so call it an average of $1,000 / day plus the tournament tickets?

Not counting airfare, I could do it for a family of four maybe $200 per day, more if you count Disney/Universal. Maybe less, staying at a nice condo complex. Right now I could get a 2 bedroom condo in a nice 4 star complex for about $450 for the week. So, $65 a night lodging. March was the same price.

Man, I do NOT want to travel with you, lol.

$200 / day for 4? If I'm gonna go to Orlando I want to have some fun!

Eat out nice, see the sights, drink an adult beverage or three.

Actually, I was including very nice restaurants and bars, lots of import beers (I don't like American beers anymore). Maybe a stogie or two, museums, etc. I refuse to travel second rate. I'll buy you what I consider to be a good beer sometime!

You are on my man!

use southwest points and fly free to orlando

my wife and i make about 3 trips a year using points off southwest credit card

(04-16-2014 02:44 PM)UofMemphis Wrote:  

(04-16-2014 01:22 PM)cotton1991 Wrote:  I guess I'm a contrarian, but have never been interested in theme parks. Took my son to Disneyland when he was little. Might take my grandkids to Disneyworld when they're older, but not for me.

But to each his own.

I spent several weeks a couple of years ago in Newfoundland and Labrador, and one of their tourism slogans was "No Disneyworlds here". lol

if you can't have fun in Orlando...there's just no hope for you ;-)

Yeah, but unlike Newfoundland, Orlando doesn't have fried cod tongues and seal flipper pie. :)

(04-16-2014 09:52 PM)cotton1991 Wrote:  

(04-16-2014 02:44 PM)UofMemphis Wrote:  

(04-16-2014 01:22 PM)cotton1991 Wrote:  I guess I'm a contrarian, but have never been interested in theme parks. Took my son to Disneyland when he was little. Might take my grandkids to Disneyworld when they're older, but not for me.

But to each his own.

I spent several weeks a couple of years ago in Newfoundland and Labrador, and one of their tourism slogans was "No Disneyworlds here". lol

if you can't have fun in Orlando...there's just no hope for you ;-)

Yeah, but unlike Newfoundland, Orlando doesn't have fried cod tongues and seal flipper pie. :)

Sounds like a business opportunity!

(04-16-2014 07:52 PM)Unionman76 Wrote:  use southwest points and fly free to orlando

my wife and i make about 3 trips a year using points off southwest credit card

Even for those who don't fly very often, you can still catch deals, especially when you book in advance. If you know you want to go and you know the dates, start looking for sales as soon as the flights become available. Southwest is good about running sales, but other airlines can be cheap at times too. Just about finding the deals.

Or take a road trip and drive

(04-17-2014 07:47 PM)TrUmEm Wrote:  

(04-16-2014 07:52 PM)Unionman76 Wrote:  use southwest points and fly free to orlando

my wife and i make about 3 trips a year using points off southwest credit card

Even for those who don't fly very often, you can still catch deals, especially when you book in advance. If you know you want to go and you know the dates, start looking for sales as soon as the flights become available. Southwest is good about running sales, but other airlines can be cheap at times too. Just about finding the deals.

Or take a road trip and drive

Yep. Plus, if you use the right site, if the airfare goes down later you can get a refund on the difference.

(04-17-2014 07:59 PM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(04-17-2014 07:47 PM)TrUmEm Wrote:  

(04-16-2014 07:52 PM)Unionman76 Wrote:  use southwest points and fly free to orlando

my wife and i make about 3 trips a year using points off southwest credit card

Even for those who don't fly very often, you can still catch deals, especially when you book in advance. If you know you want to go and you know the dates, start looking for sales as soon as the flights become available. Southwest is good about running sales, but other airlines can be cheap at times too. Just about finding the deals.

Or take a road trip and drive

Yep. Plus, if you use the right site, if the airfare goes down later you can get a refund on the difference.

True. Just remember when you book way in advance or book through a third party, check on your reservation directly with the airline close to the date you are leaving. Flight schedules sometimes change or sometimes expedia, travelocity, or whoever make mistakes in booking.