Go to Orlando, but don’t pay for it

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The “Bundles of Free Smiles” gig is exactly what you need in this dismal economy. Instead of settling for a disappointing “staycation” (oh, how we all loathe that expression) or digging deep into your pockets for regrettable recreation, the Orlando Convention and Visitors Bureau is giving you six months to pack your bags and get out of town.

From now until the end of June, you can check out bundlesoffreesmiles.com to get some pretty amazing deals on hotels, theme parks, flights and just about everything else you might want to do in Orlando. Highlights include:

  • Orlando World Center Marriott – Book 4 nights and get the 4th free or book 5 nights and get the 5th night free
  • SeaWorld Orlando – Adults at kids prices
  • Walt Disney World Resort – Buy a 4 night vacation package and get 3 nights free including theme park tickets
  • Southwest Airlines – Book a flight + hotel Southwest Airlines Vacations package of 3 nights or longer to Orlando and save $100

So, instead of burning vacation time in your living room, kick around a short jaunt to Florida. A short flight can have you by the pool or hangin’ with Mickey in no time!

Yet another bad -cation

by Tom Johansmeyer on

“Staycation” was shoved into our lexicons over the summer, as gas prices spiked and credit was squeezed. Now, with the cost of fuel well off its highest levels, the staycation has given way to yet a new flavor of the non-vacation variatoin: the “naycation”. I still don’t know why CNN can’t just say: “The economy sucks, and nobody can afford to drop big cash on a trip. Or, if they can, they’re too petrified to do so, because … well … the economy sucks.” Instead, they are a bit more helpful, offering nine reasons why travel is likely to be down in 2009.

Highlights:

  1. The “economy stinks” (CNN lacks my edge)
  2. Staycations were boring
  3. The deals weren’t good enough
  4. We’re looking ahead to 2010

Now, there are a few others, such as “we’re tired of being lied to.” The big one here is the price of jet fuel, which has dropped from more than $140 a barrel in August to below $50 in November. C’mon guys, why are you still spanking us with surcharges?

Even with all these other reasons, it all comes back to a precarious economy in 2009. Remember that the major layoffs of 2008, in many cases, won’t be felt until 2009, as severance packages run their courses. People with jobs are petrified, and would rather stick a few thousand dollars in the bank than in the pocket of a European hotelier.

[Via Christopher Elliott (not the one who played Cabin Boy) on CNN.com]

Staycationing: A Sign of the Times

by Brenda Yun on

At what point did Dorothy’s saying, “There’s no place like home,” turn into the motto for staycationers across America? Very, very recently. With soaring gas prices and airfares, a bottomed-out economy, and little time to take off from your job lest you lose it to one of the 10% of Americans who are unemployed and eager to step in for you, it’s easy to see why staying home is the safest, cheapest, and best option for families across the nation. The problem with staycationing has little to do with relaxation. That should and can happen anywhere as long as you let it. The real problem with staycationing has more to do with psychological welfare and distance from the familiar.

There really is no place like home if you’re like me and live in Hawaii, a paradise in its own right. It gets a little trickier, however, if you are one of the millions of people who are right now freezing your tooshy off in the Midwest and Northeast.The reality is that we all can’t be like Paris Hilton and jetset to desirable destinations all the time. We have to be creative at times, and that is a very healthy and perfectly acceptable thing for even the most well-traveled people in this world.

If you’re looking for a few good tips on how to plan a satisfying staycation, you can start by reading these two articles from MSNBC and CNN Travel. I like what MSNBC has to say about preparing for your “trip” as if you are leaving your house even though you aren’t, and what CNN says about “unplugging” your technology to de-stress. Fellow Gadling writers Jeremy and Anna have some other great staycation tips that are worth checking out too.

So grab a great DVD from Blockbuster, or dust off those cross-country skis in your garage. There’s no better time than now to have a staycation in your backyard.

Making the most of your ‘staycation’: Learn a foreign language

by Anna Brones on

With high gas prices and a low dollar the idea of “staycations” is all over the place. Go over to Urban Dictionary and there’s even an official definition of the term that has come to define Americans’ 2008 summer travel season: “A vacation that is spent at one’s home enjoying all that home and one’s home environs have to offer.” But as Jeremy pointed out, the whole thing feels rather lame. He came up with some good tips on how to cut down on travel costs so that getting away from home can still be possible, but what if you really only can afford a staycation? What then?

If summer 2008 is going to be the summer of staying close to home then it’s high time to do something productive with your time off, and just because you can’t travel to exotic lands doesn’t mean you can’t brush up on your foreign language skills. Adding to your foreign language repertoire is a great staycation activity for two main reasons:

  • Thanks to the internet you can do it from the comfort of your own home
  • You might be staying home, but you are still increasing your knowledge of other cultures

Here’s the quick and dirty guide to incorporating learning a foreign language into this summer’s staycation:
Getting started:
Check out websites like 101 Languages or Language Guide. 101 Languages has basic guides to vocabulary and grammar for everything from Polish to Tagalog. Although it offers less languages, Language Guide is a personal favorite of mine because when you move the cursor over the words and expressions you hear the native pronunciation. For a small daily dose of language, sign-up for Travlang’s Word of the Day which selects one word and translates it into over 80 languages.

Using your new skills:
Sitting in front of your computer is all well and good, but if you really want to improve your language skills you are going to need to use them in a conversational setting. A great place to start is Craigslist, where you can search for people that are looking for conversation partners or even post your own ad.

Visit the local library:
If you’re working on a common language like French or Spanish, take advantage of your local library and check out some children’s books. If picture dictionaries are a little too elementary, try tracking down a children’s book translated into your language of choice. When you’ve already read the likes of Harry Potter in English you will have a much easier time diving into it in the foreign language, plus you won’t have to deal with complex sentence structures found in your foreign language college literature class.

See, there’s really no excuse for having a lame, un-educational summer, even if you can’t travel abroad. What are your tips for learning a foreign language when you don’t have the possibility of traveling to the country where it is spoken?

Summer travel woes? How about a staycation?

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Summer vacation season is upon us here in the United States. Normally the first day of June is our green light to pack a bag, jump into the SUV or hop on an airplane and head out for some well deserved time off. But a variety of forces are conspiring this summer to hold some of us back – high gas prices, continued airline surcharges, and high food prices. It’s been enough to inspire its own trend – the “staycation.”

Several newspapers have been reporting on the phenomenon, in which many Americans are choosing to travel much closer to home this summer on shorter weekend trips or even just maximize their time in the backyard by investing in outdoor furniture or backyard grills.

Are you kidding me? This has to be one of the lamest trends in recent memory. I understand times are tough but there are plenty of creative ways to make that trip to California or even, YES, Europe, happen this summer. Use your frequent flier miles. Cut back on that bottle of wine at dinner. Pack a picnic lunch instead of eating out. Skip a few trips to the bar. My point is this – travel is one of the most important experiences you can have during your lifetime. If there’s a place you really want to visit – don’t let finances or getting time off at work or fears of terrorism be your excuse.

And if you still need inspiration, just look at blogger Grant, who is considering a 4 day trip to Shanghai for the Fourth of July. If he can make it happen, so can you!