We are trying to plan one week away in July and although back to WDW WAS discussed we have decided it's time to try something different and also we are thinking to wait now until Tiana's is done for our next WDW trip.
But man, it's hard to plan a totally new place without a place like the DIS to go to for hints and advice. That said, does anyone here have any advice to give on a one week vacation In July to either NYC or Maui? Yes I know these are vastly different places but both are on bucket list and we are having trouble deciding between. Would be a group of three (Me, DH, and DD (19)) travelling. If NYC we would do a couple broadway shows, a few museams, a ball game and stay 5-6 days. If Maui we would be looking for a VBRO situation walking distance to beach and would do a lot of just hanging out but would also want to try hiking and exploring and seeing the nature of it all, would stay 7-8 days.
Any advice welcome, any direction to good websites with advice appreciated (everything I have found looks like advertisements)
New York -
There is SO much to see and do, you won’t even begin to scratch the surface. I’ll throw out a few different non-typical suggestions based on your brief comments -
You mention Broadway shows. This site
https://www.broadway.com allows you to filter by travel dates and type of show to see what will be playing while you are there. Go to the individual show website to get tickets, to avoid any extra service charges aside from those already tacked on at the ticketing sites. Most theatres open 30 minutes before show time.
The TKTS booth
https://www.tdf.org/discount-ticket-programs/tkts-by-tdf/tkts-live/ offers same day reduced price tickets to some shows, but lines are very long so you’ll need to decide whether the time spent is worth the savings. Not all shows have tickets there, and from what I’ve read, the seats sometimes can be far to the side or obstructed view, but it’s a cheap way to see shows if you aren’t picky about the show or the seats. Sometimes you can also get good tickets at the box office for some shows that are not new or not super popular.
Not sure where to sit in the theatres? This site
https://aviewfrommyseat.com/league/3033/Broadway+Theater/Broadway+Theater/ is a great resource. People post pics of views from their seats, to help decide where you want to sit or which seats to avoid.
If there’s an interest in Broadway, check out the new Museum of Broadway which opened last fall in Times Square.
https://www.themuseumofbroadway.com
Broadway Up Close
https://www.broadwayupclose.com offers both walking tours in the city related to Broadway history and theatres, and an inside the theatre tour of the Hudson Theatre. There’s also a Hamiltour that covers sites in south Manhattan related to the Hamilton musical.
A fun place to eat - Ellen’s Stardust Diner
https://www.ellensstardustdiner.com. Typical diner food, but all staff are theatre performers hoping to be picked up for a Broadway show, so they’re always singing Broadway show tunes while you eat. There can be a line to get in but it moves pretty quickly.
Museums - there are big-name typical history and art museums, here’s one that was great, smaller, and is not high on everyone’s list - the New York Historical Society has a beautiful Tiffany Lamps exhibit.
https://www.nyhistory.org/exhibitions/gallery-tiffany-lamps
The Empire State Building is iconic NYC, but lines can be very long and it is pricey to get to the top. A less crowded alternative is Rockefeller Center, either only Top of the Rock or the center tour with Top of the Rock. This is bit farther north than the Empire State Building so you get great views of both Central Park plus the Empire State Building.
https://www.rockefellercenter.com/plan-visit/
Have you ever seen the movie Miracle on 34th street? That Macys is still there, and while it’s a typical large department store, a draw is the original wooden escalators still found on several floors throughout. There are several entrances, so ask at the info desk for directions to them. If you’re in the vicinity of the Empire State Building for pictures, this is just a couple of blocks from there.
https://l.macys.com/new-york-ny
The
Disney Store in Times Square has unique NYC Disney items on the first floor.
https://stores.shopdisney.com/ny/ne...le&utm_medium=Maps&utm_campaign=Google+Places
Statue of Liberty
https://www.nps.gov/stli/index.htm Tickets to the crown go very quickly, you have to book well ahead if you are interested in this.
Hotels are not cheap, and many hotel rooms tend to be smaller than you might find elsewhere, so be sure to look at room pics & descriptions to find something for the three of you. Book refundable where you want to stay, and keep checking back as rates often drop as it gets closer to arrival date and hotels try to fill rooms. I’ve had my room cost drop overall 25-30% from original booking by checking back and rebooking…sometimes more than once.
If you are flying and need a car service from the airports, here is a good one I’ve used a few times -
https://www.precisioncarsny.com/quotes-reservations
General suggestion - if you can get advance tickets to someplace online, do so. It will save you standing in the ticket lines along with the entry lines.
Let me know if you have other questions, I’ll try to help.
