I'm no expert, but I think there have been tons of studies and people are much more likely to lodge a complaint than a compliment. People expect a vacation to be good. If it is, it meets their expectations and they move on. If it doesn't, they complain.
In the aggregate for all the high rollers, none of that is "free".
when i research online for goods to buy, going straight to the most negative reviews is usually most instructive. positive praise is always "yeah i like it its nice". bad stuff is typically more specific "this thing was bad BECAUSE xxx/yyy/zzz"michaeljc70 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 03, 2023 8:50 pmI'm no expert, but I think there have been tons of studies and people are much more likely to lodge a complaint than a compliment. People expect a vacation to be good. If it is, it meets their expectations and they move on. If it doesn't, they complain.
Did everyone visit New Orleans in the past, during spring break, or after Katrina or something?
Could be after a lifetime of saving/doing without, some cannot make the adjustment to spending money. That IS a rather significant lifestyle change.
). Perspective and actual experience in each place is absolutely everything.I visited it on a business trip and went to the park at night. One of the most patriotic moments of my life, besides being at DC on July 4th. All of that being said, could not imagine driving hours to just go see it.
We just came back from Disney, and once every 5 years is a good rule of thumb. Our family liked most of the parks but hated Magic Kingdom, which I think is for Disney Purist and people who love nostalgia. Nothing about Disney is overrated but that doesn’t mean it is for everyone.e5116 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 03, 2023 3:49 pm I did Disney for the first time with young kids a couple months ago and enjoyed it but it's a once-every-five-years type of thing IMHO. Yes, the pricing is exorbitant, the rides aren't THAT great, and food can be mediocre (Magic Kindgom in particular). BUT, the storytelling is magnificent, the shows can be great (Fantasmic at Hollywood Studios at the end of the night was fabulous), and you live vicariously through your kid's joy. If you're a Star Wars fan, the landscape of Galaxy's Edge truly transforms you to another place. If you have a child who is a fan of other Disney characters, their eyes just light up (although I refused to wait in a line to meet a "princess" -- parades only!). Going a more "random weekend" when crowds aren't as bad is key -- and paying extra for Genie+ to skip lines to an extent (on top of the exorbitant entrance fees). Also people seem fixated on Magic Kingdom, but Hollywood Studios and Epcot could offer better experiences depending on what you're looking for.
So, it wasn't my least favorite vacation destination but isn't a place I'd want to go to regularly. But if you have Disney fans in the fam, it's on the bucket list. I would not go by myself as an adult although some adults do that....
Back on topic... Pigeon Forge TN is a place I'd avoid. Gatlinburg is cool though. Overly commercialized general suburbia cities in America don't appeal to me.
I liked Curacao (which someone listed) but spent time on a remote part of the island -- didn't stay in the one large city (Willemstad) at a mega-hotel. Even a small island can have a much different feel depending on the locale/type of establishment you stay at. We rented a condo, drove around to random beaches to relax and snorkel. Beautiful. I think I might have liked Curacao more than Aruba even, which is a much more popular tourist destination. But beaches in Aruba are nicer.
This thread shows that different people are looking for different things in their vacations, which is what makes things interesting. Still, appreciate other people's perspectives.
Another city I do not enjoy is Athens, although the Acropolis is amazing. But wouldn't spend more than a day in Athens and I'd go to Delphi as a day trip instead. There aren't too many vacation spots that I didn't enjoy, so I guess in general, I choose wisely.
+1 You don't have to be an expert, this (would seem to me) is common sense and yes, there is a bunch of related research https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... d_of_Mouth.michaeljc70 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 03, 2023 8:50 pmI'm no expert, but I think there have been tons of studies and people are much more likely to lodge a complaint than a compliment. People expect a vacation to be good. If it is, it meets their expectations and they move on. If it doesn't, they complain.
Ozarks.
Really.
I was surprised by the crowds in GSNP. We did a hike on a Saturday and could not find a parking spot near the trail. Really enjoyed the hike and the trail was not crowded.mesaverde wrote: ↑Fri Dec 23, 2022 7:49 pm I agree with many of the spots mentioned in this post (Disney, Las Vegas, etc.) but am a little surprised that many people mention Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Perhaps those who had a negative experience didn't take the time to figure out the many ways one can enjoy the park without dealing with crowds.
Personally, my two most memorable experiences in Great Smoky Mountain National Park were: 1. exploring/surveying what is the 2nd deepest cave in the park and 2. backpacking the Appalachian Trail from one end of the park to the other (the highest section of the Appalachian Trail).
I agree Grand Canyon is one place pictures just don’t grasp the scale. I drove from Las Vegas for a day trip, spent a few hours, did some hiking. Really enjoyed the trip. Temperature compared to Vegas dropped considerably! I imagine they sell a lot of sweatshirts in the gift shop!keith6014 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 24, 2022 12:48 pmI am surprised about the Grand Canyon and Needles (Canyon Lands) comment. Went to GC 3 times (twice camped, Mather Campground), enjoyed it more and more every-time. I thought Needles district was OK -- Island in the sky is where its at. I agree with Mt. Rushmore. Blackhills and Custer St park is a beauty.vitaflo wrote: ↑Wed Dec 21, 2022 12:25 pm Horseshoe Bend in northern AZ. Pay $10 to walk a mile and take a selfie to pretend you're the only one there, while 1,000 other people do the same. And that's it, that's all there is to do. It's just a place to get an Instagram photo. One of the dumber places I've ever been. At least Glen Canyon Dam is just down the road and is interesting (and free!).
Otherwise I'd add, Palm Springs, LA, Las Vegas, and San Fran in descending order of worseness. SF in particular you couldn't pay me to visit ever again. What an absolute dumpster fire of a city.
I'd say the Grand Canyon was the most disappointing. I mean it was cool and all but literally everyone I ever talked to said it was the most amazing place they've ever been. I didn't get that feeling. There are many many more interesting places in the US. Had the same feeling about Rushmore. It's just...not interesting. The Needles near there is much cooler.
Nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded. —Yogi Berrahomebuyer6426 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 20, 2022 11:48 am Probably Toronto. Crowded, touristy, very expensive, and the border guard spent way too much time chatting up my wife just because he could.
I had a nice experience on a class trip to Disney World in the 90s. Wouldn't surprise me if it's a lot different now.
Wife and I have never been there, but we're doing rim-to-rim in October.StevieG72 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 15, 2023 1:50 pmI agree Grand Canyon is one place pictures just don’t grasp the scale. I drove from Las Vegas for a day trip, spent a few hours, did some hiking. Really enjoyed the trip. Temperature compared to Vegas dropped considerably! I imagine they sell a lot of sweatshirts in the gift shop!keith6014 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 24, 2022 12:48 pmI am surprised about the Grand Canyon and Needles (Canyon Lands) comment. Went to GC 3 times (twice camped, Mather Campground), enjoyed it more and more every-time. I thought Needles district was OK -- Island in the sky is where its at. I agree with Mt. Rushmore. Blackhills and Custer St park is a beauty.vitaflo wrote: ↑Wed Dec 21, 2022 12:25 pm Horseshoe Bend in northern AZ. Pay $10 to walk a mile and take a selfie to pretend you're the only one there, while 1,000 other people do the same. And that's it, that's all there is to do. It's just a place to get an Instagram photo. One of the dumber places I've ever been. At least Glen Canyon Dam is just down the road and is interesting (and free!).
Otherwise I'd add, Palm Springs, LA, Las Vegas, and San Fran in descending order of worseness. SF in particular you couldn't pay me to visit ever again. What an absolute dumpster fire of a city.
I'd say the Grand Canyon was the most disappointing. I mean it was cool and all but literally everyone I ever talked to said it was the most amazing place they've ever been. I didn't get that feeling. There are many many more interesting places in the US. Had the same feeling about Rushmore. It's just...not interesting. The Needles near there is much cooler.
Jack Bogle's Words of Wisdom: “Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper.”
Disney World!
Somewhat crowded was the definite downside of GSNP when we went. We had to park pretty far from a somewhat difficult trail, close to the limit of what we can actually enjoy, even on a Thursday in September after Labor Day in 2020 (so some pandemic effect I guess too). In many NP's that get crowded enough to subtract from enjoyment you can avoid it going on an even moderately hard trail. That was our experience in Canyonlands in 2021: sticking to the 'marquee' views I would have said 'too crowded', but it was memorably enjoyable on moderately difficult trails which stripped away most of the crowd.StevieG72 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 15, 2023 1:37 pmI was surprised by the crowds in GSNP. We did a hike on a Saturday and could not find a parking spot near the trail. Really enjoyed the hike and the trail was not crowded.mesaverde wrote: ↑Fri Dec 23, 2022 7:49 pm I agree with many of the spots mentioned in this post (Disney, Las Vegas, etc.) but am a little surprised that many people mention Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Perhaps those who had a negative experience didn't take the time to figure out the many ways one can enjoy the park without dealing with crowds.
Personally, my two most memorable experiences in Great Smoky Mountain National Park were: 1. exploring/surveying what is the 2nd deepest cave in the park and 2. backpacking the Appalachian Trail from one end of the park to the other (the highest section of the Appalachian Trail).
Las Vegas was a great place for cheap food, specially casino buffets, but that has changed over the last 20 years.
Wife and I did Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, and Zion a couple years ago. Thought I might be disappointed with the GC, but not at at all. The geology, flora, and fauna are so different from the area we live in. It felt like we had been transported to another planet. I like how the appearance of the canyon changes almost from one moment to the next because of clouds, angle of the sun etc. We both thought it was beautiful. Took many fun hikes. One of the highlights for me was when several bighorn sheep crossed the trail a few feet away from us. It was amazing how they were able to move across what appeared to be a sheer cliff face. If I was healthier, I definitely would have hiked rim to rim. Felt the tug to hike to the bottom, but didn't.stoptothink wrote: ↑Sat Jan 21, 2023 8:43 amWife and I have never been there, but we're doing rim-to-rim in October.StevieG72 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 15, 2023 1:50 pmI agree Grand Canyon is one place pictures just don’t grasp the scale. I drove from Las Vegas for a day trip, spent a few hours, did some hiking. Really enjoyed the trip. Temperature compared to Vegas dropped considerably! I imagine they sell a lot of sweatshirts in the gift shop!keith6014 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 24, 2022 12:48 pmI am surprised about the Grand Canyon and Needles (Canyon Lands) comment. Went to GC 3 times (twice camped, Mather Campground), enjoyed it more and more every-time. I thought Needles district was OK -- Island in the sky is where its at. I agree with Mt. Rushmore. Blackhills and Custer St park is a beauty.vitaflo wrote: ↑Wed Dec 21, 2022 12:25 pm Horseshoe Bend in northern AZ. Pay $10 to walk a mile and take a selfie to pretend you're the only one there, while 1,000 other people do the same. And that's it, that's all there is to do. It's just a place to get an Instagram photo. One of the dumber places I've ever been. At least Glen Canyon Dam is just down the road and is interesting (and free!).
Otherwise I'd add, Palm Springs, LA, Las Vegas, and San Fran in descending order of worseness. SF in particular you couldn't pay me to visit ever again. What an absolute dumpster fire of a city.
I'd say the Grand Canyon was the most disappointing. I mean it was cool and all but literally everyone I ever talked to said it was the most amazing place they've ever been. I didn't get that feeling. There are many many more interesting places in the US. Had the same feeling about Rushmore. It's just...not interesting. The Needles near there is much cooler.
Agreed. We had a 8 hour layover there on our way to Africa and, since we transit FRA often, seemed like a good time to see if we should spend more time there in the future. Easy answer - nope no need to go back. Very nice Lufthansa arrival lounge and plentiful lounge showers if you're continuing your journey onward.michaeljc70 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 21, 2022 9:01 am The airport was the highlight of Frankfurt. I was so bored that I visited the ECB.
I am also saddened by the decline of San Francisco and Chicago (never have been to Portland). Especially in San Francisco with all that high tech money and huge increases in property values.oldmotos wrote: ↑Mon Jan 23, 2023 9:28 pm I agree with most of these responses. I am saddened by the decline of San Francisco, Chicago, Portland and many other cities I once enjoyed. I disagree with Mt. Rushmore/Black Hills, Nashville, Key West and Marco Island being listed. Although all have suffered some growing pains, they are still some of my favorite places.
I'm not sure there's anywhere in the world that I have less desire to go to than India.MoonOrb wrote: ↑Wed Jan 04, 2023 5:06 pm Another vote for Gatlinburg, TN. You could not pay me to spend more than an hour or two there.
By far the most stressful vacation destination for me was India. I was just not prepared for the constant bombardment from scammers and touts and some people who seemed weirdly aggressive. I've been a lot of places and nothing else compared in that regard.
I think for people who can navigate that type of situation without feeling stressed out, India would be an amazing destination, though.
BradJ wrote: ↑Thu Jan 05, 2023 7:23 amWe just came back from Disney, and once every 5 years is a good rule of thumb. Our family liked most of the parks but hated Magic Kingdom, which I think is for Disney Purist and people who love nostalgia. Nothing about Disney is overrated but that doesn’t mean it is for everyone.e5116 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 03, 2023 3:49 pm I did Disney for the first time with young kids a couple months ago and enjoyed it but it's a once-every-five-years type of thing IMHO. Yes, the pricing is exorbitant, the rides aren't THAT great, and food can be mediocre (Magic Kindgom in particular). BUT, the storytelling is magnificent, the shows can be great (Fantasmic at Hollywood Studios at the end of the night was fabulous), and you live vicariously through your kid's joy. If you're a Star Wars fan, the landscape of Galaxy's Edge truly transforms you to another place. If you have a child who is a fan of other Disney characters, their eyes just light up (although I refused to wait in a line to meet a "princess" -- parades only!). Going a more "random weekend" when crowds aren't as bad is key -- and paying extra for Genie+ to skip lines to an extent (on top of the exorbitant entrance fees). Also people seem fixated on Magic Kingdom, but Hollywood Studios and Epcot could offer better experiences depending on what you're looking for.
So, it wasn't my least favorite vacation destination but isn't a place I'd want to go to regularly. But if you have Disney fans in the fam, it's on the bucket list. I would not go by myself as an adult although some adults do that....
Back on topic... Pigeon Forge TN is a place I'd avoid. Gatlinburg is cool though. Overly commercialized general suburbia cities in America don't appeal to me.
I liked Curacao (which someone listed) but spent time on a remote part of the island -- didn't stay in the one large city (Willemstad) at a mega-hotel. Even a small island can have a much different feel depending on the locale/type of establishment you stay at. We rented a condo, drove around to random beaches to relax and snorkel. Beautiful. I think I might have liked Curacao more than Aruba even, which is a much more popular tourist destination. But beaches in Aruba are nicer.
This thread shows that different people are looking for different things in their vacations, which is what makes things interesting. Still, appreciate other people's perspectives.
Another city I do not enjoy is Athens, although the Acropolis is amazing. But wouldn't spend more than a day in Athens and I'd go to Delphi as a day trip instead. There aren't too many vacation spots that I didn't enjoy, so I guess in general, I choose wisely.
Overrated places: Nashville, Cancun and Austin
Underrated: St. Louis
Apologize if I already shared this: my wife grew up in the Bay Area but hadn't been back since she left for college 18yrs ago. Her entire extended family has since left too; not only her parents and siblings, but literally 30+ families of her grandparents, uncles and aunts, cousins - not a single family member left in the area. Somehow I had never been there despite growing up in LA and having visited pretty much everywhere else in the country. We decided to go there for vacation last July. Several people told us not to bring our kids...they were right. It was significantly worse (in ways I can't discuss on this board) than I could have imagined. My kids saw and heard some things that children should never have to. Muir Woods and Six Flags were fun, but there would have to be a really compelling reason for us to ever go back.Random Musings wrote: ↑Mon Jan 23, 2023 11:11 pmI am also saddened by the decline of San Francisco and Chicago (never have been to Portland). Especially in San Francisco with all that high tech money and huge increases in property values.oldmotos wrote: ↑Mon Jan 23, 2023 9:28 pm I agree with most of these responses. I am saddened by the decline of San Francisco, Chicago, Portland and many other cities I once enjoyed. I disagree with Mt. Rushmore/Black Hills, Nashville, Key West and Marco Island being listed. Although all have suffered some growing pains, they are still some of my favorite places.
RM
Interesting how different people can define the word "culture". Personally, I don't understand how anybody can say a specific place has no culture; certainly "culture" that they might not like, but (IMO) it's culture none the less.Petrocelli wrote: ↑Tue Jan 24, 2023 10:37 am Anywhere in Texas. Bad weather. No culture. Bland scenery. And people walking around with firearms.
Interesting. We loved Bonaire and was thinking of going to Aruba next, but maybe not.
In Aruba now and where we're staying it's far from being a party island. Go up to the high rise area and/or some of the all-inclusives then yeah, it can be party time.
+1 regarding the Grand Canyon. Never been to Barcelona.KNomad wrote: ↑Tue Jan 24, 2023 12:28 pm IMHO Barcelona is extremely overrated, except for going to an FC Barcelona game. FC Barcelona was a great experience, everything else about Barcelona was pretty meh. You can find good food and there is cool architecture, but it has many of the problems that less developed countries have when it comes to things like petty crime. I might have liked it more if I had spare time to check out surrounding areas or the Pyrenees nearby.
Worth mentioning that I've been there 4 or 5 times, but only for work and only in February. Maybe it is a better destination in the summer?
San Antonio is also disappointing in my experience, but it has been almost 20 years since I've been there.
I'm surprised to see the Grand Canyon listed here. I had pretty meh expectations, but I did an impromptu trail running visit after a conference in Vegas and it was surprisingly one of the best running days of my life. I camped on South Rim for a night and then ran from the Canyon Village to the river and Phantom Ranch via the South Kaibab Trail and then ran back up to the South Rim via Bright Angel. It was incredible in every way. Scenery was out of this world, flowers were blooming (April) and temps were perfect for running- lightly snowing on the rim and maybe 70 degrees at the river. I couldn't believe it had been so low on my list before visiting there.
