Saving Money Archives - On the Road with Family

CityPass New York City

February 21, 2018 by admin Leave a Comment

This is a sponsored post. We were given a CityPass for this review. All opinions are 100 percent our own!

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info

My husband and I had a great experience with the CityPASS San Francisco last summer so when my daughters and I took a girl’s trip to New York City it only made sense to take advantage of CityPASS New York City. Our friends at CityPASS gave us two passes to try and we purchased a ticket for our youngest. CityPASS New York offers two options. We chose the option with admission to six attractions. Retail price $122 for adults and $98 for children.

What do you get?

1. The Empire State Building
2. American Museum of Natural History
3. The Metropolitan Museum of Art
4. Top of the Rock Observation Deck OR Guggenheim Museum
5. Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island OR Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise
6. 9/11 Memorial & Museum OR Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

New York City in a Weekend

San Francisco City Pass

Is the NYC CityPass worth it?

CityPASS allowed for flexibility in our schedule. With the CityPASS, there are no preset times for entry which worked perfectly during our time in NYC as we were hit with a major snowstorm. When I had previously visited the Statue of Liberty and the 9/11 Museum I purchased individual tickets and I had to choose a specific date and time. In a high traffic, busy city like NYC meant that we left early to arrive on time, but then we waited for our entry time. I certainly didn’t waste time or stress on my visit to NYC with CityPASS.

CityPASS savings allowed for attractions that originally weren’t in the budget. On my previous visit, I was more selective on attractions and passed on the Empire State Building. With these savings, my girl’s trip included all that I wanted to experience.

CityPASS offers a booklet, which is the method we had in San Francisco. I opted for the email ticket and found this to be convenient and hassle-free. With two children it was less to keep up with and worry about losing. I was emailed a barcode that worked for all attractions. I screenshot it for even easier access to my photos, but the email included information for all of the locations as well.

Here’s what we need with our CityPASS. When visiting NYC keep in mind that many of the attractions have significant security measures in place so entry can be slow at times. I recommend only carrying the necessities to save time in line.

1. The Empire State Building

Empire State Building opens early and closes late so you have plenty of time to visit and you can have one additional visit later on the same day. Be aware that the CityPASS only gives access up to the 86th floor so if going all the way to the 102nd floor is on your bucket list you will need a separate ticket. Once on the 80th floor, you begin to learn about the history of this magnificent skyscraper.

2. American Museum of Natural History

Visitors can easily spend half a day on the four floors of exhibits. We were given two choices of shows to choose from to view in the planetarium. The girls chose Space Show.

3. The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Take a stroll through beautiful Central Park to get from the history museum to the art museum. This art museum has three floors of exhibits. CityPASS holders save $1 on the optional audio tour. We only had two full days for attractions so it was perfect that both of the museums were within walking distance and on Fridays and Saturdays, the art museum is open until 9 pm. For us, that was perfect so we planned both museums on the same day and had time for both. The art museum offers a family guide to help engage the youngsters.

4. Top of the Rock Observation Deck

Check out the great view of the Empire State Building and downtown Manhattan from the 67th, 69th and 70th floors of the Rockefeller Center. You can even see Times Square. We traveled by subway so getting here was easy. It’s a direct stop off the subway and you never have to go outside. Great short videos play as you wait to enter the history of the Rockefeller Center. I thought coming to a second skyscraper attraction would lose its appeal but the history, view, and atmosphere of each were unique experiences and worth the stop.

5. Statue of Liberty: Ellis Island

Step right up. No line to have ticket scanned here. Ticket includes access to the museum and pedestal only in the Statue of Liberty so if you want access to the crown you will need to purchase a separate ticket in advance. The tour is self-guided and boats leave about every 40 minutes so you have time to walk the island and enjoy the scenery. A snack bar is on the boat as well as a dining option on the island.

6. 9/11 Memorial & Museum

Skip the ticket lines and head straight to the entry door here. This is an emotional and powerful exhibit that also offers an audio tour that I suggest you purchase when you arrive. My girls are 9 and 13, however, there were children
of all ages. We visited both the Statue of Liberty and 9/11 Museum the same day since they are located in downtown Manhattan. If you plan to visit them on the same day, I suggest the Statue of Liberty first since it opens at 8:30 and will be less crowded.

We found the NYC CityPASS to be a great value for the money and includes many of the must-see attractions in the city.

Groupon Can Help You Save on Your Next Family Vacation

July 7, 2017 by Angela Richter Leave a Comment

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are 100 percent mine!

Family Vacations are great and we all want to take them but the expense can get a little crazy. When we find resources that can help our readers be able to travel we can’t wait to share them. Groupon is one of them. They can save you money with traveling, restaurants, family fun, and much more!

For example, Groupon has a Buy one Get one free, or Kids get in Free for the month of July to SeaWorld! What a wonderful savings to a wonderful park! Codes and Offers are constantly changing so get the one you are interested in before it’s gone.

It is always worth checking out Groupon before planning your vacation. You will be amazed at the deals you can find!

Here are just some of the great places you can find coupons for while planning your next trip!

Sea World
Hertz
Expedia
Hotels.com
Travelocity

Make sure you save money on your next trip and check out Groupon!

You can also connect with Groupon on Facebook or Twitter!

Fiddlers Inn Nashville

June 28, 2017 by John Hayden Leave a Comment

Nashville is one of my favorite cities to spend a weekend. Whether it’s just a couple’s getaway or a family adventure, there are always plenty of things to do. I’m obviously not the only one that loves spending time there because the hotel prices have gone up over the last several years and if you are traveling on a budget those high prices could keep you away. If you want to have a good time and still have some money to spend on your trip, I recommend the Fiddlers Inn.

1) THE LOCATION: Fiddlers Inn is in the Opryland area of Nashville, right across the street from the famous Opryland Hotel. There are a variety of food choices including Cracker Barrel, McDonald’s, and Shoney’s within a very short walk.

For kids, there is a putt-putt golf course and Go Kart track very close by. There are a couple older strip malls near the hotel complex that offer antique shops, boots and a Dukes of Hazzard museum and gift shop.

If you are traveling without the kids, the Scoreboard is a great place to enjoy live music at night with reasonable drink prices. They also offer a full menu with local favorites like hot chicken.

If you enjoy shopping, the Opry Mills Mall is a just a couple minute drive from the hotel. While you are at the mall, you can walk to the Opryland Hotel and enjoy all of their beautiful gardens. (Tip: it costs money to park in the Opryland Hotel lot but there is a walkway to the hotel from the mall lot, park here and save a few dollars).

2) AMENITIES: The Fiddlers Inn is a no frills type of hotel. There is an outdoor pool if you visit in the summer. Also, they offer a small breakfast in the morning consisting mainly of muffins and pastries.

3) THE ROOMS: Our room was standard for what you would find at most hotels. No refrigerator or extras that you sometimes find. While the hotel is showing it’s age, the rooms were clean and very adequate for a short trip.

All of the doors lead directly outside, which I don’t typically like in a hotel but the area is safe and in all of my stays here through the years I’ve never had any cause for alarm.

They offer smoking and non-smoking rooms and be warned if you don’t like the smell of smoke, don’t get a smoking a room. This might seem like common sense but at this hotel, the smoking rooms are especially strong (I was even warned by the desk clerk.)

CONCLUSION: Fiddler’s Inn is a nice place to rest on your trip to Nashville, it’s not going to be the fanciest place you’ve ever seen but it is a great value for the money.

The San Francisco CityPass

June 26, 2017 by John Hayden Leave a Comment

This is a sponsored post. We were given a CityPass for this review. All opinions are 100 percent our own!

Whenever I travel I’m always looking for ways to stretch my dollar. Recently in San Francisco, our friends at CityPass gave us two complimentary passes to try out the pass.

What is it?

The San Francisco City Pass gives you access to several area attractions as well as three days worth of free travel on the buses, cable cars, and street cars. The pass costs $89 for adults and $66 for kids.

WHAT DO YOU GET?

1) Admission to the California Academy of Sciences. Retail price $35.95 for adults and $30.95 for kids.

2) Blue and Gold Fleet Bay Cruise. Retail price $31.00 for adults and $21.00 for kids.

3) Aquarium of the Bay. Retail price $24.95 for adults and $14.95 for kids.

4) Exploratorium. Retail price $29.95 for adults and $19.95 to $24.95 for kids. OR De Young Museum. $15.00 for adults and free for kids.

5) Street car, cable car, and buses for three days. Retail. $2.00 to $7.00.

Three Days in San Fransisco

IS IT WORTH IT?

Clearly, you save money if you buy the pass and go to all of these attractions but the big questions are, would you (or should you) visit them all?

If you are traveling with your kids, this is a no-brainer. We have four kids in the house ranging from 4 to 14 and everything on the list is something they would love.

If you didn’t bring the kids along on the trip (and we didn’t for this one) I still think the price of the CityPass is a bargain.

WHAT WE LOVED ABOUT IT:

1) Transportation – If you’ve never been to San Francisco, the cable car is an absolute must stop. One ride on the cable car costs $7 dollars and odds are you are going to want to a ride back on it, so on a typical trip in San Francisco if you road the cable for one two-way trip, you’ve already spent $14.

We didn’t have a car during the trip (and with the parking costs, I wouldn’t recommend it) and we used the Muni buses and streetcars. They cost about $2 a ride and we rode them at least six times in the four days we were there. So in transportation costs alone, we would have spent $26. That is nearly 1/3 of the cost of the CityPass and we haven’t even talked about the attractions yet. I will also add that the pass is extremely easy to use for transportation, you just have to flash the pass as you enter the ride.

2) The Exploratorium – Like I said, we didn’t bring the kids but we loved this place and could have stayed hours there. If we had the kids, we could have probably been there all day. The Exploratorium has tons of interactive exhibits based on science. If you kids are old enough to read, they can do a bunch of the exhibits on their own but you are going to want to participate too.

I recommend making it your first stop of the day, after breakfast, because it can get crowded. We went on a Wednesday in summer and it quickly filled up with school groups. The pass gives you the option of doing this or the De Young museum which is an art museum. You can do both if you visit on the same day. We didn’t make it over to the De Young but you can certainly do both if you get the Exploratorium early and take a cab over to the De Young.

WHAT WE LIKED:

1) The Blue and Gold Fleet Bay Cruise – This would have easily been in the love category if the weather had cooperated. The tour was an hour long and takes you past Alcatraz, Angel Island and under the Golden Gate Bridge. The day that we went, the water was very choppy and made it difficult to get great pictures. We also found it to be extremely windy so the jacket or sweater you packed will come in handy.

The crew was great and drinks and snacks on the boats were reasonably priced. The great thing was that once the weather became a little too much there is an indoor cabin with plenty of large windows for enjoying the scenery.

We didn’t have to make reservations and were able to walk right into a line for a ride. I recommend you check in advance just to make sure because this may differ if they are busy.

2) California Academy of Sciences – The Academy is a unique science museum that has a little bit of everything. You need to budget plenty of time to enjoy everything that it has to offer. Unique to the museum is a rain forest dome where you can enjoy plants and wildlife from the rainforest. Once you leave there, you will find a small aquarium.

The museum also includes a live penguin display and various dinosaur models. I found the exhibit on earthquakes particular interesting.

WHAT WAS OK:

1) The Aquarium of the Bay – We are spoiled because we have a great aquarium in our hometown so maybe if I weren’t used to visiting it, I would have rated this a little higher. Also, this aquarium focuses primarily on wildlife from the Bay Area which naturally limits the exhibits.

It is a small aquarium and it won’t take you very long to get through it. We enjoyed the otters and the exhibit that lets you touch a starfish. One benefit to the aquarium is that you can re-enter as many times as you like during the same day which is a good reason to do it first thing during the day. If you have kids and downtime, it makes sense to go through again later. They also offer various presentations throughout the day so there is a reason to want to return.

In conclusion, I found the CityPass to be well worth the cost. Even factoring in that you of the attractions might not be your thing, the overall value and quality of the attractions makes this a good investment for your trip to San Francisco.

8 Smart Ways to Save Money at Disney

August 17, 2016 by John Hayden Leave a Comment

So you are ready to take the kids to Disney World but aren’t ready to take out a second mortgage on your house to do it? With a little research and careful planning, you can save a lot of money on your Disney vacation. If you follow these tips, you’ll have a great vacation and it won’t cost you a fortune.

1) GET THE MOST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK. – You aren’t likely to save much (if any money) on the cost of your Disney ticket but if you visit when it’s not very crowded you won’t be spending all of your times in line. We visited in mid-September and the crowds were so sparse we rode Space Mountain in the morning twice in a row with no lines. If you are flexible on when you can travel, I recommend checking out the crowd calendar to get an idea of when to go.

2) USE THE FAST PASS – Going along with number 1, you’re going to pay a lot of money to go inside the park and you want to spend that time making memories not waiting in the sun, Fast Pass is a big help. Fast pass is essentially a ride reservation system where you can plan which ride you want to go on at a certain time. If you haven’t been to Disney in awhile, they have changed the way the process works. You can no longer obtain a fast pass at the ride, you need to either make a reservation on the app or at one of the mobile kiosks in the park. Ride reservations can be made up to 30 days in advance.

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3) TAKE A TIME SHARE PRESENTATION – When in Orlando, you are going to see plenty ads letting you know that you can see Disney free. Almost all of these mean that if you are willing to sit through a 90 minute presentation about how purchasing a time share will be the greatest investment you ever make at the end they will give you two tickets to a Disney park. These presentations aren’t for the faint of heart so if you have a hard time saying no, then you should stay away. We went on one of these presentations a couple years ago and they do a very good job of making it seem like a time share is a great deal. We declined and our salesman wasn’t very happy but we did get our two tickets. If you are interested in purchasing a time share at the end of the presentation my advice is to take a few days to think about it and do your research. There is no reason to make a significant financial decision while you are being pressured by a salesman. If you go home and decide it’s still a good idea, they’ll still be happy to sell you next week. The $40,000 time share they were trying to sell us was on eBay for $1. So while it might not make sense to buy in, $200 worth of Disney tickets for 90 minutes is still a good deal.

4) VISIT DISNEY SPRINGS – Our kids love to walk around Disney Springs. There are tons of shops and restaurants along with street performers and various entertainment acts. You can spend a couple of hours here free of charge. Even if your trip to Orlando doesn’t involve Disney, Disney Springs is a great way to get some of that Disney experience. There is also a Planet Hollywood onsite which makes for a great place to walk around and look at all of the television and movie memorabilia.

5) EAT A BIG BREAKFAST AND BRING SNACKS – Eating at Disney isn’t cheap and the lines for food can be outrageous. I recommend eating a big breakfast before coming to the park and bring snacks and drinks with you. You’ll want to be at the park all day so its inevitable that you’ll have to buy food there sometime but minimizing the food costs will stretch your dollar out a little further.

6) GIVE YOUR KIDS A BUDGET – Everything imaginable is for sale at Disney World and your kids are going to want two of everything. In our last trip, we gave each of our kids a Disney gift card before entering the park. They each had $50 to spend with the only restriction being that once they money was spent, they weren’t getting any more. I can’t tell you enough how well that worked out. Not only did the kids like the independence of having their own money, they tended to be frugal with the gift card than they would have without. I think it also helped teach them a lesson about the value of money.

7) HOTEL CHOICE – There are so many hotels in the Orlando area, use that to your benefit and save some money. Disney resorts are obviously fantastic but can be extremely expensive. I always search Travelocity.com to compare deals. If you can find a hotel with a shuttle to Disney, you can save the $20 parking fee.

8) MAKE YOUR PURCHASES AT NON-DISNEY STORES – If there are things that you really want to buy for your kids above and beyond their budget, find some shops out of the Disney area. In Kissimmee there are several stores that sell Disney and Florida souvenirs much cheaper that you will find at the parks and Disney Springs. Your kids will still love it and you’ll be happy to have the savings.

Disney can be a blast and don’t have to cost a ton of money!

HOW TO DO LAS VEGAS…CHEAP

August 1, 2016 by John Hayden 2 Comments

Las Vegas is one of my favorite places to visit but if you are not careful your week in the desert could end up breaking the bank. There are many ways to do Las Vegas on a budget! Here are ten ways to offset some of the losses you’ll have in the casino.

1) RIDE THE MONORAIL AND WALK – I always choose a hotel near a monorail stop, this will save you a lot of money on taxi fares and will minimize the time you’re in the scorching sun. The monorail only travels on the Las Vegas strip so you will need to plan other transportation if you want to visit off strip sites like Fremont Street or the Hoover Dam. I recommend buying a multi-day monorail pass before you leave for your trip. Sometimes a quick Google search will turn up a monorail discount and you can save even more.