Entertainment book

Old Jan 11th, 2001, 10:26 AM
  #1  
andee
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Entertainment book

I am traveling to Florida to visit Kennedy Space center, disney, sea world in May---is it of benefit to me to get the Florida Entertainment book?? I have one for where I live--but just thought it might be a savings for Florida!
 
Old Jan 11th, 2001, 11:46 AM
  #2  
julie
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Never bought the Florida one. Went to Disney several times, I don't think Disney would have a coupon in it. Disney can get away with never giving coupons or discounts.
But if you use it just once in a nice restaurant it will pay for itself, so I don't think it would hurt to buy it.

Maybe someone who has one can tell you some of the coupons listed. Also, call the number in the back of your current book and you will get a cheaper rate for the book.
 
Old Jan 27th, 2001, 06:23 PM
  #3  
Joanne
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I was scanning my Ent. book today and they have a web site. www.entertainment.com If you register your book number you can browse the Fl area for hotels and restaurants and get a sample of what the Fl book offers. We are going to a convention in Tampa in March and want to visit relatives in the St Pete area. Any tips for us? Thks
 
Old Jan 27th, 2001, 08:31 PM
  #4  
Donna
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We have an Entertainment book, courtesy of our six-year old grandson. I have yet to be able to book a hotel room. Curiously, our dates are always "not available".
 
Old Jan 27th, 2001, 09:49 PM
  #5  
Maura
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Here's another "Nay" for Entertainment books. Participating places drop off after the book is published. Dare you to expect hotel reservations. Any dates you need are "blocked out".
 
Old Jan 28th, 2001, 05:21 AM
  #6  
Dave
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I find that for restaurants, the Idine book (idine.com) is much better than the Entertainment book. I don't know about coupons for local attractions. Since you have a book, you can use it for Fla hotels.

 
Old Jan 28th, 2001, 05:36 AM
  #7  
cc
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Andee, maybe your Entertainment book has been useful for where you live, but in general these things are not worth the weight of the paper unless you really luck out with a new good restaurant who's trying to get business. Otherwise, in established areas like Florida, it's the crappy restaurants who can't get business otherwise who get listed, and 9 times out of 10 you get static, frowns,or maybe grudging acceptance when you present the coupon. With hotels, you'll do much MUCH better with a AAA membership -- they, at least, don't have unannounced black-out periods.

I wish those E books would disappear. You can always find some sad restaurant that'll accept it for the price you paid for it, but half the time you have to go out of your way, the food is unremarkable, and the staff is never happy to see the coupon so they'll make a big point of wagging a finger at you to remind you to tip according to what the total is before the coupon.

Join AAA or AARP or whatever group might bring you a decent discount (best bargain -- be a govt. employee).
 
Old Jan 28th, 2001, 08:20 AM
  #8  
Bettina
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Quite a variety of responses to the original question. It sounds like 'CC' has had unpleasant experiences with the E book in his/her area. We live near Pittsburgh and have had the E book for at least ten years, maybe longer. There have been years when we bought two so we could entertain clients and friends with it, too. There are many very nice restaurants as well as a few not-so-nice ones. We use the card frequently and more than get our money's worth from it. We use it at golf courses in the area for buy-one-get-one deals. Save a bundle there. I will agree on the hotel situation, though. We have used it when we went to San Francisco and found that the price quoted was rather high; then when the Entertainment discount was offered, it was probably the same as you'd get without any discount to begin with. As with any coupn or discount, holidays and special event times are always excluded.
 
Old Jan 28th, 2001, 05:12 PM
  #9  
Ellie
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don't know what that is, but I have a couple florida coupon guides and sightseeing 411 if you want them, Andee.
The books are now to April...but...
 
Old Jan 30th, 2001, 04:12 PM
  #10  
Penelope
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I must totally agree with you Donna and I doubt that the Dept of Business and Professional Regulations would look into false advertising practices which, imo, in a sense is what ALL these hotels appear to be doing. Rooms at THAT rate are NEVER available. Know how *I* get them to BE available? I mention the fact that they are engaging in a pattern of false advertising....a room is available immediately.

Author: Donna ([email protected])
Date: 1/28/2001, 12:31 am ET

Message: We have an Entertainment book, courtesy of our six-year old grandson. I have yet to be able to book a hotel room. Curiously, our dates are always "not available".

 
Old Jan 30th, 2001, 08:49 PM
  #11  
Donna
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Interesting approach, Penelope. However, I prefer to take my business elsewhere. Neither Entertainment books nor hotels that are really not participating will receive any business from me. Hotels have sophisticated computer nowadays to project "fill rate" for any date, based upon historical sales, what's going on in the area, etc. My guess is (and the Entertainment book does include specific "restrictions" and "exclusions") that they "join" so they can potentially fill rooms that otherwise might not be filled. When no one else wants to go there.
 
Old Jan 31st, 2001, 03:35 AM
  #12  
Anthony
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I don't know what everyone is complaining about - No one is 'forced'to buy the Entertainment Books - if you don't like them, don't buy them. I, for one LOVE them, and get the best available rate from them about 80 % of the time I travel for leisure, which is about 36 nights every yr.
Most recently, I used them for my Hawaii trip in Oct., and received the lowest possible rate on The Renassaissce Wailea Maui and The Hanalei Bay Resort in Kauai.
Additionally, I am using the National Car rental coupon and discount code for a car rent from LAX in May that should be the lowest available.
My family also uses the local merchant coupons for car washes, dry cleaning, and even the local fast food joints.
So while everyone else complains about not getting good deals with Entertainment, I will use all the money I save with the book for another wonderfull trip to Hawaii!
 
Old Jan 31st, 2001, 07:20 AM
  #13  
Patrick
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I was given one of those books as a gift and never used it. Never tried motels, but all the restaurants with coupons are ones which are not busy for good reason and need to try to get more people in. Any restaurant around here that is good is always busy and wouldn't think of advertising in it. The one exception was a rather new restaurant that I had heard was really good and had already become quite popular. We went to use our coupon there and were told that they no longer accepted them. Why would they if they were good enough to draw people on their own?
 
Old Apr 9th, 2001, 08:26 AM
  #14  
Janet
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I agree that the Entertainment books aren't very good for hotels, but we've used either the Tampa or St.Pete/Clearwater books for restaurants for about 5 years now. It's encouraged us to go to places we hadn't heard about before and most of the time it's a very pleasant surprise. Sometimes at the end of the year, our card has so many holes punched in it it looks like it was hit by a machine gun! There are also lots of coupons for fast food or mom&pop places. Just dining at one or two of the nicer restaurants with the card pays for the book!
 

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