Affordable Fall Family Vacation

[jbman]

We have two trips already planned for next year that will end up being relatively expensive, Atlantis in April and then Orlando/Epic Universe in June.

We would like to go somewhere in the Fall as well, likely early November, but could also do mid-late October, and were hoping to go somewhere that would be relatively inexpensive, ie, not have to purchase expensive flights to get there and be able to spend most of our time at the resort and not purchase expensive theme park tickets etc.

We're a family of four, kids at that point will be 11 and almost 10. There are a number of Marriott's we would like to try, but it seems a little tricky to plan something affordable as we are not really within driving distance of any of the resorts. Closest I think would be Manor Club at Williamsburg, which would be 11.5 hours according to Google Maps, while we would like to try it, not sure if it is worth that long of a drive. Flying into Richmond from Toronto seems fairly expensive, and no direct flights.

Similar issue with HHI, we have seen so many posts about HHI, we would love to try there, but I'm not sure how we would get there, Google Maps says it would be about a 16-hour drive, and there does not seem to be any affordable or direct flights to a nearby airport if we would be departing from Toronto. Maybe flying to Orlando and then driving from there?

Places I think we should reliably be able to get direct flights that are not too expensive would be Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Phoenix and Cancun.

My wife would prefer somewhere other than Orlando as we would have already been the same year, but if we could get Lakeshore Reserve I might convince her.

Flying to Fort Lauderdale and going to Ocean Pointe seems like it could be a good option, but also Canyon Villas or Lagunamar could also work.

Wondering what more experienced Tuggers would choose if they were in our shoes?

 

[jp10558]

Well, do you want a beach trip? If you could go in late September, Smugglers Notch was often fun for us and leaf peeping is happening then. It probably is pretty drivable being in Vermont, and at least in RCI is often available pretty cheap. Otherwise, if going in November - that's hurricane season IDK if next season is expected to be as bad as this season, but there were big storms quite a lot this year in Florida etc.

That said, I'm doing HHI in Feb, and did it in end of Jan this year and while you're wearing a jacket and not swimming, it was still fun! But it's like a 14 hr drive from where I am in NY.

 

[jbman]

Well, do you want a beach trip? If you could go in late September, Smugglers Notch was often fun for us and leaf peeping is happening then. It probably is pretty drivable being in Vermont, and at least in RCI is often available pretty cheap. Otherwise, if going in November - that's hurricane season IDK if next season is expected to be as bad as this season, but there were big storms quite a lot this year in Florida etc.

That said, I'm doing HHI in Feb, and did it in end of Jan this year and while you're wearing a jacket and not swimming, it was still fun! But it's like a 14 hr drive from where I am in NY.

We're open to different types of experiences so long as it is family friendly. Warm weather would certainly be nice.

Did you think HHI was worth the 14 hour drive?

 

[jp10558]

We're open to different types of experiences so long as it is family friendly. Warm weather would certainly be nice.

Did you think HHI was worth the 14 hour drive?

The weather wasn't exactly "warm". Fall temps for us in NY anyway - 50s and low 60s. It would have been nicer if it was warmer I think(Though this was last week of Jan, IDK in October/November). That said I enjoyed it - it's why I'm going back this Feb. There was a lot of cool wildlife areas and they were a lot of fun for my photography and were free to go into. Things at that time weren't crowded - could walk into restaurants etc. Reasonable access to Wal-Mart / Sam's Club for inexpensive groceries. You did have to pay to get into the resort area with the Lighthouse, I think it was cheap though, like $10 for a day. The other areas though were free.

 

[jmhpsu93]

Williamsburg is beautiful in the fall, and I know you said no expensive theme park stuff but Busch Gardens is really cheap relative to Orlando parks, plus the historical sites are great. No easy way to fly there for sure. Manor Club has a heated outdoor and indoor pool.

Orlando is a five hour drive to Hilton Head as long as traffic isn't bad- we've done it a bunch. Have you looked at driving to Buffalo then flying Southwest to SAV through BWI? Fall flights to the southeast U.S. are usually pretty reasonable on them.

Cancun is a great choice if you can get a reasonable flight and no tropical weather, which you likely won't in November.

 

[Ski-Dad]

We're open to different types of experiences so long as it is family friendly. Warm weather would certainly be nice.

Did you think HHI was worth the 14 hour drive?

Yes - Hilton Head is worth the 14 hour drive. Coming from southwest Ontario, you will enjoy late October- early November HHI weather.

An alternative to driving would be to fly out of Buffalo for $325-350 cdn return to HHI.

 

[Wahusky]

Lagunamar great that time of year if you don't get hit with a storm. Have done this several years, and all trips enjoyed, some more than others. Affordable then too.

 

[BJRSanDiego]

I don't know about airline costs, but I've often heard that flights to Las Vegas are often fairly cheap. With children that age, you might enjoy the following
1. Atomic Energy Museum
2. Mob Museum
3. Hiking Mount Charleston
4. Hiking Red Rock Canyon
5. Valley of Fire State Park
6. Some LV shows like Jersey Boys
7. Shelby factory and museum
8. Bellagio fountain, Circus-Circus plus other non-gambling things that would be appropriate for 10 and 11 y.o.

The weather in LV is likely to be pretty nice at that time of year.

Other warm weather places - - Palm Desert and Phoenix. Early November might also be nice in Tucson and Sedona.

 

[jbman]

Yes - Hilton Head is worth the 14 hour drive. Coming from southwest Ontario, you will enjoy late October- early November HHI weather.

An alternative to driving would be to fly out of Buffalo for $325-350 cdn return to HHI.

Flying out of Buffalo looks like it could work, that's much better than flying from Toronto

 

[jbman]

I don't know about airline costs, but I've often heard that flights to Las Vegas are often fairly cheap. With children that age, you might enjoy the following
1. Atomic Energy Museum
2. Mob Museum
3. Hiking Mount Charleston
4. Hiking Red Rock Canyon
5. Valley of Fire State Park
6. Some LV shows like Jersey Boys
7. Shelby factory and museum
8. Bellagio fountain, Circus-Circus plus other non-gambling things that would be appropriate for 10 and 11 y.o.

The weather in LV is likely to be pretty nice at that time of year.

Other warm weather places - - Palm Desert and Phoenix. Early November might also be nice in Tucson and Sedona.

Vegas is another place that would regularly have good flights, in fact our daughter has been asking to go there but we were still thinking they might be a touch young, will take a look at those suggestions

 

[b2bailey]

Vegas is another place that would regularly have good flights, in fact our daughter has been asking to go there but we were still thinking they might be a touch young, will take a look at those suggestions

+1 for Las Vegas if you can get good price on flights.
I used to travel with my grandsons on their Spring Break.
Took them to LV two years in a row, when they were 6&7 and then 7&8.
I was surprised by the number of things we found to do.

 

[OutAndAbout]

Similar issue with HHI, we have seen so many posts about HHI, we would love to try there, but I'm not sure how we would get there, Google Maps says it would be about a 16-hour drive, and there does not seem to be any affordable or direct flights to a nearby airport if we would be departing from Toronto. Maybe flying to Orlando and then driving from there?

Fly to ATL (or SAV) and pickup a rental car to Hilton Head.

 

[BJRSanDiego]

Vegas is another place that would regularly have good flights, in fact our daughter has been asking to go there but we were still thinking they might be a touch young, will take a look at those suggestions

One thing that I didn't mention and maybe there is an age limit, but I spent $30 to shoot 30 shots of a submachine gun at a slightly off-strip facility. It isn't something that you do every day and it isn't for everyone, but it was really fun fpr me. I used a coupon in one of the various flyers in LV.

One time I got a 2 hr. training session in a Miramar (Marine) simulator for an Osprey (VF-22) helicopter. It is like flying the real thing!!! The cockpit was a real Osprey. I thought that it was the most fun a guy can have "with his pants on" and good clean fun. Shooting the machine gun was similar fun. (Intended as humor - - hopefully I don't offend anyone).

 

[vacationtime1]

Westin Kierland.

Early November is excellent weather in Scottsdale. The high temperature averages about 80 degrees. Low probability of rain.

The resort is excellent and there is a lazy river at the adjacent Westin Kierland Hotel.

 

[ocdb8r]

I know this is a Marriott forum, but a great option that came to mind is Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge. The Smoky Mountain National Park is gorgeous as the fall colors turn and you've got Dollywood along with lots of other family friendly attractions in the area. There are some units available in Initerval late Oct and early Nov that you could trade into. It's a 12 hour drive, so perhaps thats out of driving range. Knoxville TN and Ashville NC are the closest airport options, but we also flew into ATL one year and drove up.

 

[pedro47]

I know this is a Marriott forum, but a great option that came to mind is Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge. The Smoky Mountain National Park is gorgeous as the fall colors turn and you've got Dollywood along with lots of other family friendly attractions in the area. There are some units available in Initerval late Oct and early Nov that you could trade into. It's a 12 hour drive, so perhaps thats out of driving range. Knoxville TN and Ashville NC are the closest airport options, but we also flew into ATL one year and drove up.

Have the Smokey Mountain and Asheville areas fully recovered from Hurricane Helene?

 

[pedro47]

Well, do you want a beach trip? If you could go in late September, Smugglers Notch was often fun for us and leaf peeping is happening then. It probably is pretty drivable being in Vermont, and at least in RCI is often available pretty cheap. Otherwise, if going in November - that's hurricane season IDK if next season is expected to be as bad as this season, but there were big storms quite a lot this year in Florida etc.

That said, I'm doing HHI in Feb, and did it in end of Jan this year and while you're wearing a jacket and not swimming, it was still fun! But it's like a 14 hr drive from where I am in NY.

There are several Marriott’s resorts on HHI with heated indoor pools.

 

[ocdb8r]

Have the Smokey Mountain and Asheville areas fully recovered from Hurricane Helene?

The Smoky Mountain, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge areas have all recovered. They didn't have as much long term damage. I'm not sure about Ashville, but I know the airport is back up and running.

 

[jme]

Asheville is certainly not 100% recovered, but they're well on the way.
Reports by management at a major resort hotel are that the area hotels are operating again,
and that the majority of well known shops and cafes in the badly-damaged Biltmore Village are up and running again.
Some businesses are temporarily relocated, but those are minimal, and progress continues.

We are headed to Asheville's old and famous stone hotel (home to dignitaries and stars), the Omni Grove Park Inn, tomorrow morning for 4 nights,
and I learned last week from a conversation with the general manager that they are open and fully operational (the Spa included)
EXCEPT for the AAA Four Diamond restaurant Vue 1913which is only temporarily closed.
Vue 1913 is one of only two AAA Four Diamond Restaurants in Western North Carolina.

Grove Park Inn has several other great restaurants that are open. The view out of the Blue Ridge Dining Room is breathtaking,
looking out of the end-to-end & floor-to-ceiling windows over the famous golf course to the valley and to the mountain range beyond.
We can't wait to get there---it's an annual tradition going back to my childhood,
and GPI is our favorite property on the planet, as most of my friends know. There's nothing like being there, with all the gorgeous Christmas decorations
and also the amazing ambiance of life in the Great Hall, where guests love to congregate and mingle for hours, and enjoy the relaxing and festive feeling
that it gives. The two major fireplaces (with the openings tall enough for a person to walk in) at each end are always roaring,
and people love to score a rocking chair, which are arranged in a semi-circle around the fireplace.
It'll be cold there in Asheville, but that's just what we love.

 

[sun starved Gayle]

Boston Custom House!

 

[ljmiii]

Vegas is another place that would regularly have good flights, in fact our daughter has been asking to go there but we were still thinking they might be a touch young, will take a look at those suggestions

Another Vegas attraction that might be of interest is the Las Vegas Pinball Hall of Fame (which despite the name has an excellent collection of video games as well).

 

[silentg]

Branson,MO

 

[Pamplemousse]

We have two trips already planned for next year that will end up being relatively expensive, Atlantis in April and then Orlando/Epic Universe in June.

We would like to go somewhere in the Fall as well, likely early November, but could also do mid-late October, and were hoping to go somewhere that would be relatively inexpensive, ie, not have to purchase expensive flights to get there and be able to spend most of our time at the resort and not purchase expensive theme park tickets etc.

We're a family of four, kids at that point will be 11 and almost 10. There are a number of Marriott's we would like to try, but it seems a little tricky to plan something affordable as we are not really within driving distance of any of the resorts. Closest I think would be Manor Club at Williamsburg, which would be 11.5 hours according to Google Maps, while we would like to try it, not sure if it is worth that long of a drive. Flying into Richmond from Toronto seems fairly expensive, and no direct flights.

Similar issue with HHI, we have seen so many posts about HHI, we would love to try there, but I'm not sure how we would get there, Google Maps says it would be about a 16-hour drive, and there does not seem to be any affordable or direct flights to a nearby airport if we would be departing from Toronto. Maybe flying to Orlando and then driving from there?

Places I think we should reliably be able to get direct flights that are not too expensive would be Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Phoenix and Cancun.

My wife would prefer somewhere other than Orlando as we would have already been the same year, but if we could get Lakeshore Reserve I might convince her.

Flying to Fort Lauderdale and going to Ocean Pointe seems like it could be a good option, but also Canyon Villas or Lagunamar could also work.

Wondering what more experienced Tuggers would choose if they were in our shoes?

What does the family like to do? The 2 trips you mention are amusement park and water park.
Will the kids enjoy HHI outside of beach season? There is a zip line place, mini golf, horseback riding, hiking/ walking/ biking and then what you fine at the resort (indoor pools, etc).
OceanWatch in Myrtle beach is a great resort for kids. There’s a lot to do in the Myrtle beach area for kids.
Williamsburg gives you the history and an amusement park.
Someone mentioned Boston and there is so much to do there any season- sporting event, aquarium, science museum, childrens museum, freedom trail etc.
Palm beach will be warm so beach/ resort activities but I don’t remember too much else in the area for kids.
When we went to Phoenix we took a side trip to the Grand Canyon which is a great family experience.

 

[pedro47]

Asheville is certainly not 100% recovered, but they're well on the way.
Reports by management at a major resort hotel are that the area hotels are operating again,
and that the majority of well known shops and cafes in the badly-damaged Biltmore Village are up and running again.
Some businesses are temporarily relocated, but those are minimal, and progress continues.

We are headed to Asheville's old and famous stone hotel (home to dignitaries and stars), the Omni Grove Park Inn, tomorrow morning for 4 nights,
and I learned last week from a conversation with the general manager that they are open and fully operational (the Spa included)
EXCEPT for the AAA Four Diamond restaurant Vue 1913which is only temporarily closed.
Vue 1913 is one of only two AAA Four Diamond Restaurants in Western North Carolina.

Grove Park Inn has several other great restaurants that are open. The view out of the Blue Ridge Dining Room is breathtaking,
looking out of the end-to-end & floor-to-ceiling windows over the famous golf course to the valley and to the mountain range beyond.
We can't wait to get there---it's an annual tradition going back to my childhood,
and GPI is our favorite property on the planet, as most of my friends know. There's nothing like being there, with all the gorgeous Christmas decorations
and also the amazing ambiance of life in the Great Hall, where guests love to congregate and mingle for hours, and enjoy the relaxing and festive feeling
that it gives. The two major fireplaces (with the openings tall enough for a person to walk in) at each end are always roaring,
and people love to score a rocking chair, which are arranged in a semi-circle around the fireplace.
It'll be cold there in Asheville, but that's just what we love.

The Biltmore Estate in Asheville is a winter wonderland for all ages to be joy.

 

[jbman]

Branson,MO

Branson is another place that we would love to experience, but I struggle to figure out a reasonable way to get there, I think would be a 16-hour drive, which we would do, but it would have to be quite the destination for us to justify that long in the car. I don't know where we would fly to, St. Louis? Kansas City? Maybe this would also be a location where we might be better off seeing if there are flights out of Buffalo that could work.