It’s early April. Time to start vacation planning.
Number of vacation days for 2004: eleven
Amount of travel credit on my Visa: $225
Top three destinations: Vancouver, BC / San Diego, CA / Nassau, Bahamas
It’s San Diego that’s really got me in a tizzy. Never in my life have I had to deal with something as big as the San Diego Comic Convention. I usually travel to visit family or else have no real destination at all and just bum around in hostels. This *planning* for hotels and events and car rental is frying my brain.
I want your straight-up opinions, people!
Should I go to the San Diego Comicon (July 21-25) this year?
Influencing Factors
-Justin will be there with his Dad
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-Royal Academy kids will likely be there
-lots of comics, lots of comics people
-would *finally* get to see California
-really expensive [estimating $600 flight, $250 car rental, $45USD ticket, $500??? hotel]
-loud, crowded, scary, overwhelming
-don’t I get enough comics at home?
-this will cost me at least three vacation days
Give me your feedback, cost estimations, horror stories, plane ticket costs, bunking/rental cost sharing offers, etc.
Best flight estimate so far —
Outbound:
DATE 21JUL Airline DELTA AIRWAYS Flt # 5895 Class…T From TORONTO (Time 1540 ).to ATLANTA (1805 ). DATE 21JUL Airline DELTA AIRWAYS Flt # 1273 Class…T From ATLANTA (Time 1905 ).to SAN DIEGO (2033).
Inbound:
DATE 25JUL Airline DELTA AIRWAYS Flt # 1910 Class…T From SAN DIEGO (Time 0640 ).to CINCINNATI(1350). DATE 25JUL Airline DELTA AIRWAYS Flt # 5898 Class…T From CINCINNATI (Time 1525) to TORONTO (1654)
* BASE RATE: CAD$485.30
* APPROXIMATE TAX: CAD$116.95
* RATE INCLUDING TAX: CAD$601.95
* Advance Purchase Requirements: 7 DAYS BEFORE DEPARTURE OR 1 DAY AFTER RESERVATION
* Minimum Stay/Maximum Stay Requirements: SATURDAY / 60 DAYS
* Change/Cancellation Policy: 100 USD OR 146 CAD / NON REFUNDABLE
TO CONFIRM/BOOK THESE FLIGHTS, CONTACT TD TRAVEL REWARDS AT 1-800-983-1043
Thank you!
If Joe goes I might go as well, and I was thinking about checking out flights from Rochester or Buffalo. They’ll probably be tons cheaper, BUT there’s the extra getting to the airport or more importantly, getting back home from the airport to consider. After a cross country flight do I want to travel another 3 hours by bus or ferry before I can pass out in my bed?
Or maybe, if we can get enough folks together (and at present it seems like everyone I know in Toronto is going to be going anyway) maybe there’s some kind of travel group discount thingee? Right now there’s the two of you, me, Eric and Attila, the VLs . . .
ALL the cool kids will be there.
you know we’re where it’s at.
and it’s really not that noisy, honest. just hang out at the cool bits, there are less fanboys there.
yeah!!! go!!!! Then we can hang out. Um…please?
Because it might not be a bad idea to get a 4-person suite. I’m fine if nobody else is comfortable with this idea, but I thought I’d throw it out there.
Since I’m renting a car no matter what (I want to sight see a little while I’m down there), we could get a hotel a little ways out from the downtown madness and save money. ‘Cause seriously, the hotel is the most expensive part of the trip – maybe not for you, Jamie, what with the international airfare, but still, it’s virtually impossible to get a double for less than $80USD/night and usually more like $120USD. Whereas a room with two king or queen size beds is still not much more than that, and there’s more availability for multi-person suites.
PLUS, the Holiday Inn San Diego On the Bay, Ramada on University Ave, Comfort Inn Downtown, Lodge at Torrey Pines, Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina, Best Western Bayside Inn, National City Howard Johnson Express Inn, San Diego Downtown Travelodge, Days Inn San Diego, Clarion Hotel Bayview San Diego, San Diego Mission Valley/Hotel Circle Travelodge, Westin Horton Plaza San Diego, Quality Inn & Suites Harborview, Radisson Hotel San Diego, Bristol Hotel, EL Cordova Hotel, Beach Haven Inn, Fairfield Inn & Suites By Marriott San Diego Mission Valley, Oakwood la Jolla Colony, Rancho Bernardo Inn, and a TERRIFYING number of other hotels are COMPLETELY SOLD OUT of 2-person rooms already. *Note: I said “2-person rooms”… many of these facilities still have 4-person rooms available**
And it’s only April 8th!!!!!
We should get on this wagon. My arm would be a lot easier to twist if one of you two couples would agree to split a room with Justin and I. I think it would double the fun, and be easygoing either way, so I’m game no matter what. Although, Jamie & Dao could probably use the financial break of splitting a room more than Joyce and Joe can (comic artist & acupuncturist vs. animation editor & scriptwriter… hmm, tough call).
But yeah… think about it, guys! Fun! Some folks might have privacy issues, understandably, but I think it could be like a big sleepover. And nether Justin nor I snore. We do make smooching noises sometimes, though. Most of the time, actually. 🙂
All of these are non-smoking 4-person suites, prices in Canadian dollars.
Ramada Inn San Diego South, 2 queens, $102/night
Homestead San Diego Sorento Mesa, $130-170/night
Homestead San Diego Mission Valley, $140-160/night
La Mesa Travelodge, $105-170/night
Ramada Limited San Diego South Bay, $150-170/night
San Diego Days Inn National City/South Bay, 2 doubles, $102/night
Days Inn & Suites near Sea World Airport, 3 star, 2 doubles, $160/night
Sea World Travelodge, 2 star, 2 queen, $170/night
Super 8 Motel San Diego/South Bay, 1 star, $115-130/night
Howard Johnson Express Inn San Diego, 2 star, 2 queen, $126/night
Howard Johnson Inn San Diego, 2 star, 2 queen=$170/king=$190
Howard Johnson Inn San Diego Sea World, 2 star, 2 queen, $160/night
staying with chynna, so need for a hotel. sorry to burst the four person dream bubble. 😉
Based on double occupancy:
Good Nite Chula Vista, 2 star, 6 miles away, $83/n (x4=$332)
Good Nite Inn Qualcomm Stadium, 2 star, 6.8 miles away, $97/n (x4=$388)
Travelodge Mission Valley, 3 miles away, 2 star, $104/n (x4=$416)
Quality Resort, 2 star, 3.6 miles away, $122.50/n (x4=$490)
Howard Johnson Sea World, 4 miles away, $131/n (x4=$524)
California Suites, 2.5 star, 7 miles away, $133.50/n (x4=$534)
Holiday Inn South Bay, 3 star, 4 miles away, $138/n (x4=$552)
Four Points By Sheraton, 3 star, 7 miles away, $142/n (x4=$568)
Based on four-person occupancy (4 night total divided by 2):
Good Nite Inn Qualcomm Stadium, 2 star, 6.8 miles away, $97/n (x4=$194)
Days Inn Hotel Circle, 2 star, $100.50/n (x4=$201)
Quality Resort, 2 star, 3.6 miles away, $142/n (x4=$284)
Travelodge Mission Valley, 3 miles away, 2 star, $144/n (x4=$288)
California Suites, 2.5 star, 7 miles away, $151.50/n (x4=$303)
Four Points By Sheraton, 3 star, 7 miles away, $186/n (x4=$372)
Wow. Your vacation planning compulsion rivals mine! Now I can tell Joe that I’m not the only like this. (I did a preliminary foray into this a couple of months ago but didn’t get this far.)
Nope, never been. The bulk of my time in CA was spent in Los Angeles. I’m still looking into places a bit further afield. I’ll keep you notified.
If Moira does go someone can sleep in my dad’s double room that I booked at the Holiday in on the bay. Interested anyone? Joe, I’m looking your way ;-P
p.s. Bradford How’s trying to get me to grow a mustache here in Thailand. Not going to happen sweetie!
You know you wanna go…you know you’re gonna go…just book the damn ticket and go!!! Life’s too short to think too much about it!
Site Pricing Comparisons:
2* Days Inn Hotel Circle, 2 person, July 21-25
543 Hotel Circle South, San Diego, CA 92108
San-diego.ca.us.a1-discount-hotels.com – $288.40 + $39.60 = $328.00!!!
San-diego.hotelscheap.org – $358.00 + $69.59 = $427.59
Travelworm.com – $371.80 + $57.63 tax = $429.43 total
Kasbah.com – $410.66 USD + $53.84 = $464.50
DaysInnHC.com – $456.00 + $47.90 = $503.90
2* Howard Johnson Express Inn San Diego, 2 person, July 21-25
1631 Hotel Circle South, San Diego CA 92108 US
San-diego.ca.us.a1-discount-hotels.com – $556 + $72 = $628.00
Kasbah.com – $350.92 USD plus tax
2* Ramada Limited San Diego South Bay, 2 person, July 21-25
3878 Dalbergia Court, San Diego, CA 92113 US
Kasbah.com – $387.60 USD plus tax
3* San Diego Days Inn National City/South Bay, 2 person, July 21-25
1640 E Plaza Blvd, National City, CA 91950 US
Kasbah.com – $296.00 USD plus tax
3* Holiday Inn Express, Mission Bay, 2 person, July 21-25
4610 De Soto Street San Diego, CA, US, 92109
San-diego.hotelscheap.org – $420.00 + $76.10 = $496.10
San-diego.ca.us.a1-discount-hotels.com – $584.00 + $76.00 = $660.00