Has anyone done Yellowstone? Lookin for tips and suggestions!
First tip: GO!
Is this next June you are looking at or this month? Not gonna lie, if it’s this month, it’s going to be tough to get what you want. Personally, I would not stay outside the park if I could help it. Yellowstone is huge.
We went almost two years ago. I started planning in January for an August trip, and eventually got every hotel/night I wanted, although at times I was triple booked. You do have to pay a refundable one night deposit, but I kept everything I had until I got the configuration I wanted. The reservationists there can read back e erything you have booked; I had them do that once I had cancelled my extra nights to be sure I didn’t miss any.
One tip that I’m not sure is still working, but it was a great discovery: on the booking website, there used to be two ways to check for availability. I seem to remember one as being in the top right corner, and the other midpage. Maybe that was by hotel? In any case, I obsessively checked the website. One day, I happened to check before I cancelled a room, and then checked the same room category immediately after. My released room was only showing on one of the ways to book. Sorry I can’t be more precise than that, because I don’t remember, but if this trick still works, you’ll be able to quickly figure out which way shows the inventory quicker. It’s important, because inventory changes rapidly.
Second tip: start early. I think we were out and about by seven, and often had a few places to ourselves. Later in the day, things get incredibly crowded. I think we probably saw more in three hours most days than others saw all day.
Also, they don’t recommend driving in the park at night, (those bison are no joke!) so staying in the park will definitely let you explore more.
Highly, highly, highly recommend rooms in the Old House at Yellowstone lodge. No bathrooms, which is why I only booked one night, but I really regretted not booking two nights. They are on the small side, so I’m not sure they’d work for your party....unless you booked two. I would not pay extra for any room with a view of Old Faithful. Had one booked, but let it go, on advice from Tripadvisor. It’s easy to see Old Faithful.
Besides the Old House, we stayed in the Snow Lodge Cabins (hated it. Dirty, stained carpet. Maybe they’ve redone them by now. Location was good and size was great, but yuck on the carpet. We were refunded part of our money because they were unable to move us.). Cabins at the Canyon lodge area, on the other hand, were great. The lodges all looked newer, but they were a lot more expensive than the cabins. Also stayed at mammoth, which was fine. An older hotel. They had just finished redoing the public areas, which were all shiny and new, but to me, the newness just seemed to suck some of the charm and soul out of an older property. We didn’t stay at the Lake hotel, but we poked around there, and it looked lovely. Can’t comment on Grant Village. We didn’t see it, and it’s a little out of the main loop, but as someone upthread said, it seems they often have availability. That’s where I had booked my entire stay a bit at a time, at first, and it would have been our fall back had we not secured our other rooms.
Last tip, for now: pack an ice scraper. Even in August. Or June.
This was long, but pm me if you want even more details. Yellowstone is a majestic place!
)..and 4 free upgrades at the gate...if available to A1-15..
now if theres a way to get it here asap I can cancel my flights I booked this morning and book them again. the credit doesn't say its for fares only so I can use it towards taxes and fees right?
yes it works towards the $5.60 fee..
