Where is your least favorite vacation destination & why?
Aug 17th, 2003, 09:17 AM
#2
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,426
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
DisneyWorld. Been there three times and that was certainly enough, esp. the third time when we got severe food poisoning and were treated abysmally. For various reasons not worth going into, we were absolutely certain that bad food at an EPCOT restaurant was the cause of our misery, but even if it hadn't been, their lousy treatment and attitude guarantees I won't set foot there again, even on a free pass.
Hotel was downright nasty when we asked for help checking out. Despite the fact we were all pretty much chained to the bathroom for one or another reason, they forced us to come in person to the lobby desk to check out (which involved a shuttlebus trip) rather than take credit card # over the phone, made us wait in line (taking turns running to the bathroom), and seemed angry at us for being sick.
Later, their response to a letter of complaint once we got home was a hostile call from a lawyer who was recording the conversation in which we were told we were just not used to the water and heat in Florida and making us say, for the record, "no, we are not filing a lawsuit."
You should know that the letter of complaint specified that would not be back again but were requesting no compensation,just suggesting they check the kitchen of the restaurant in question and modify policies regarding treatment of sick guests. You also should know that we had been in Florida for 2 weeks (were used to the water), it was 60 degrees and cloudy.
I'm no great fan of theme parks or amusement parks anyway, but can think of 100 places I'd take a child to before I'd even think of DW for a passing moment.
Hotel was downright nasty when we asked for help checking out. Despite the fact we were all pretty much chained to the bathroom for one or another reason, they forced us to come in person to the lobby desk to check out (which involved a shuttlebus trip) rather than take credit card # over the phone, made us wait in line (taking turns running to the bathroom), and seemed angry at us for being sick.
Later, their response to a letter of complaint once we got home was a hostile call from a lawyer who was recording the conversation in which we were told we were just not used to the water and heat in Florida and making us say, for the record, "no, we are not filing a lawsuit."
You should know that the letter of complaint specified that would not be back again but were requesting no compensation,just suggesting they check the kitchen of the restaurant in question and modify policies regarding treatment of sick guests. You also should know that we had been in Florida for 2 weeks (were used to the water), it was 60 degrees and cloudy.
I'm no great fan of theme parks or amusement parks anyway, but can think of 100 places I'd take a child to before I'd even think of DW for a passing moment.
Aug 17th, 2003, 06:26 PM
#5
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 487
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My BAD I sure thought it said favorite vacation places, least favorite Hershey PA never nevernever again it was torture, same music over and over and over, we still sing it when someone is irritating us, and the trip was 5 years ago! What a waste of time.
Aug 18th, 2003, 05:07 AM
#9
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,426
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
travlnut, the 3 times to DW were for the sake of the kids, and have taken them to other theme parks, etc., despite my general boredom or even distaste for them (depending on things like how much they cost, how hokey they are). But in those 100 other places, please include state and national parks, too. For the record, however, I still don't think "poor things" is necessarily applicable to kids who never get to go to DW. In fact, poor is what you are when you have spent $2000 on tix, gimcracks, overpriced hotels and fast food and still don't know whether Arizona or New Mexico is where the Grand Canyon is.
Aug 18th, 2003, 05:56 AM
#10
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Paris! Went there twice and left early both times. It's an incredibly beautiful city, and I did go with an open mind, but I do find the people very haughty and not very helpful, and language is defintely a problem if you veer off the beaten path. Still, it's on my mind to go back just one more time some day to see if the third time will be a charm for Paris and me.
Aug 18th, 2003, 06:29 AM
#11
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 529
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Cedar Point Amusment Park in Sandusky Ohio. I could live with the $28 entry fee (sure to be more now - this was many years ago) but paying $6 for parking when there's nothing else in the area and they own the parking lot? The attraction is the roller coasters but with lines averaging 45 - 90 minutes per coaster.... I just can't see the point. We ended up taking a coaster ride, eating some overpriced food and watching the IMAX movie before calling it a loss and finding more interesting things to do elsewhere.
Aug 18th, 2003, 07:20 AM
#12
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The only bad travel experience I've had was in Paris. We had just arrived via train from London. We decided to take the Paris metro (i.e., subway) to our hotel. BIG MISTAKE!!! While in the subway some local kids tried to pick-pocket us by brushing up against us. Then they tried to push me out of the way and prevent me from getting on the train while my husband got on the train. They were trying to separate us and taunt us and steal our bags (we were backpacking). It was a horrible experience which ruin the next 5 days spent in Paris.
Overall, I still debate on whether or not I would go back again. If I did I would take a taxi instead of using the subway system.
Overall, I still debate on whether or not I would go back again. If I did I would take a taxi instead of using the subway system.
Aug 18th, 2003, 08:08 AM
#14
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,356
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Helen, Georgia! A faux Alpine village in the middle of nowhere filled with mediocre-or-worse shops and restaurants staffed exclusively by the surly. It was not my idea to go there, and I wish to spare those as ignorant as I was the horror.
Aug 18th, 2003, 08:44 AM
#15
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,766
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
cfc, I hope you gave a detailed report of the food poisoning to the local health authorities in Orlando. They are the only people who will not ignore it and do something about it.
I have been poisoned by bad food at restaurants twice. Once I was so sick I was too week to get out of bed for several hours after purging everything from my body.
I have been poisoned by bad food at restaurants twice. Once I was so sick I was too week to get out of bed for several hours after purging everything from my body.
Aug 18th, 2003, 08:55 AM
#17
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I must interject regarding the term food "poisoning" as used here. I think the more apt term is food "contamination". Poisoning conjurs up the image of someone intentionally tainting your food while contamination simply describes the bad food.
Aug 18th, 2003, 09:00 AM
#19
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 127
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Florida Panhandle, Myrtle Beach, SC, Virginia Beach, VA, any amusement park (Busch Gardens, VA, Six Flags, GA). Note that I did not choose Virginia Beach or the Florida Panhandle as vacation destinations, I just happened to have the misfortune of living near them.
Aug 18th, 2003, 09:03 AM
#20
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,426
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
jor, I sure wish I had but it was a few years back and way too late now. I was bedridden for a couple of days, felt shaky for a week. Food poisoning is nothing to fool around with, and as we all eat out more often, it's a risk.
Now, back to the original topic!
Now, back to the original topic!
