Rising Costs Of Family Outings (1 Viewer)

[Dickies]

We were going to take the kids skiing at Palisades Tahoe since their cousins are passholders there. $270 per adult and $190 per kid. I love skiing, but $1,000 for one day on the slopes is absurd. With all the youth sports we simply don’t have the days in the season to justify season passes, but it seems like all the resorts are trying to prohibit non-passholders from skiing.

 

[Orange&Blue]

We were going to take the kids skiing at Palisades Tahoe since their cousins are passholders there. $270 per adult and $190 per kid. I love skiing, but $1,000 for one day on the slopes is absurd. With all the youth sports we simply don’t have the days in the season to justify season passes, but it seems like all the resorts are trying to prohibit non-passholders from skiing.

That is just insane.

 

[Galileo]

I just got back from a family vacation where we easily dropped $10k. We have two children and definitely like to splurge a little on vacations. Fortunately, both my wife and I make a pretty good wage where we are able to do this once a year without much impact. We don't do many family outings like sporting events because my wife and daughter couldn't care less about those things. I usually splurge on a few Browns games and Ohio State football games each year. Our "family outings" consist mostly of watching movies at home these days. We used to spend time on our boat when the kids were younger, but sold that a year and a half ago.

I guess enough people are still willing to pay for experiences, otherwise the prices wouldn't be where they are. I hated paying the fuel costs for our latest vacation, but I did it.

Where did you go?

Boston, MA --> Portland, ME --> Camden, ME --> Acadia NP/Bar Harbor, ME

 

[FBG26]

I just got back from a family vacation where we easily dropped $10k. We have two children and definitely like to splurge a little on vacations. Fortunately, both my wife and I make a pretty good wage where we are able to do this once a year without much impact. We don't do many family outings like sporting events because my wife and daughter couldn't care less about those things. I usually splurge on a few Browns games and Ohio State football games each year. Our "family outings" consist mostly of watching movies at home these days. We used to spend time on our boat when the kids were younger, but sold that a year and a half ago.

I guess enough people are still willing to pay for experiences, otherwise the prices wouldn't be where they are. I hated paying the fuel costs for our latest vacation, but I did it.

Where did you go?

Boston, MA --> Portland, ME --> Camden, ME --> Acadia NP/Bar Harbor, ME

My wife and I did the same trip in October (well, from Minneapolis not Boston) for 6 days, 5 nights. I think we were about $3,500 all-in. But that was no kids since we left the kids at home with the grandparents. Great trip, highly recommend!

 

[Sammy3469]

We were going to take the kids skiing at Palisades Tahoe since their cousins are passholders there. $270 per adult and $190 per kid. I love skiing, but $1,000 for one day on the slopes is absurd. With all the youth sports we simply don’t have the days in the season to justify season passes, but it seems like all the resorts are trying to prohibit non-passholders from skiing.

The whole ski industry is broken for casual skiers. The two competing big annual passes (Ikon and Epic) that can be used across their networks get so many to sign up, that the resorts who may not be owned by those passes have to increase dailies so much to ensure the places aren't absolute zoos. Now those annual passes are a great value if you ski a lot ($2400 for a season for w adults and one kid and we're going to end up skiing 15 days or so), but they get so many people buying them that the mountains have to regulate attendance somehow. I'll also add any resort that's in drivable distance from a CA metro area is ridiculously priced for dailies. They just don't need the walk-up business.

I'll also say those passes are a panacea for those that actually use them in any meaningful manner (this year we're going to Taos, Big Sky, and Mammoth) as they do let you go to a whole bunch of different places for a little bit more than the cost of an annual pass at one place.

 

[jb1020]

Took my son to the Saints game yesterday for part of his Christmas. I bought "good" seats this time since it was just two of us. $260 total for 9th row in the end zone. $60 to park. 2 dome dogs, drinks (I don't pay for stadium beers), couple of pretzels was about $65 or so.

Plus gas and snacks for the ride...$400+. I felt terrible leaving the wife and 2 girls at home, but a $400 afternoon seems like enough. And its probably relatively cheap by NFL standards. Maybe I'm just a cheap ***, but a day of skiing and a NFL game shouldn't be $1000 for family to attend.

 

[belljr]

Its been a long time for me since i've been snowboarding but i refuse to do that on the weekends

 

[NutterButter]

Just started snowboarding with my daughter. It certainly is a little pricey, but I can understand considering what's involved. $50 lift ticket on weekdays and after 3 on weekends. Not terrible. Another $30 for the rental. Just some place in PA so nothing fancy. She gets the student season pass for $220 and she owns her own board so that's a good deal. All things considered, a pretty good price for spending 6 hours on a weekend day during the middle of winter.

 

[Orange&Blue]

I just got back from a family vacation where we easily dropped $10k. We have two children and definitely like to splurge a little on vacations. Fortunately, both my wife and I make a pretty good wage where we are able to do this once a year without much impact. We don't do many family outings like sporting events because my wife and daughter couldn't care less about those things. I usually splurge on a few Browns games and Ohio State football games each year. Our "family outings" consist mostly of watching movies at home these days. We used to spend time on our boat when the kids were younger, but sold that a year and a half ago.

I guess enough people are still willing to pay for experiences, otherwise the prices wouldn't be where they are. I hated paying the fuel costs for our latest vacation, but I did it.

Where did you go?

Boston, MA --> Portland, ME --> Camden, ME --> Acadia NP/Bar Harbor, ME

I understand Boston, but why the other two? How old are your kids?
Trying to come up with a vacation (13 year old and two 8 year old twins).

 

[DA RAIDERS]

We were going to take the kids skiing at Palisades Tahoe since their cousins are passholders there. $270 per adult and $190 per kid. I love skiing, but $1,000 for one day on the slopes is absurd. With all the youth sports we simply don’t have the days in the season to justify season passes, but it seems like all the resorts are trying to prohibit non-passholders from skiing.

The whole ski industry is broken for casual skiers. The two competing big annual passes (Ikon and Epic) that can be used across their networks get so many to sign up, that the resorts who may not be owned by those passes have to increase dailies so much to ensure the places aren't absolute zoos. Now those annual passes are a great value if you ski a lot ($2400 for a season for w adults and one kid and we're going to end up skiing 15 days or so), but they get so many people buying them that the mountains have to regulate attendance somehow. I'll also add any resort that's in drivable distance from a CA metro area is ridiculously priced for dailies. They just don't need the walk-up business.

I'll also say those passes are a panacea for those that actually use them in any meaningful manner (this year we're going to Taos, Big Sky, and Mammoth) as they do let you go to a whole bunch of different places for a little bit more than the cost of an annual pass at one place.

I’ve had the ikon pass foe years. Ever since it came out. Ski8ng has never been cheap. But the daily prices are crazy. We ski at least 21 days a year, so the ikon is well worth it. One year I got it down to 10\day I skied so much. and If you plan to ski 5 dys in a season, that pays for the pass.

 

[Galileo]

I just got back from a family vacation where we easily dropped $10k. We have two children and definitely like to splurge a little on vacations. Fortunately, both my wife and I make a pretty good wage where we are able to do this once a year without much impact. We don't do many family outings like sporting events because my wife and daughter couldn't care less about those things. I usually splurge on a few Browns games and Ohio State football games each year. Our "family outings" consist mostly of watching movies at home these days. We used to spend time on our boat when the kids were younger, but sold that a year and a half ago.

I guess enough people are still willing to pay for experiences, otherwise the prices wouldn't be where they are. I hated paying the fuel costs for our latest vacation, but I did it.

Where did you go?

Boston, MA --> Portland, ME --> Camden, ME --> Acadia NP/Bar Harbor, ME

I understand Boston, but why the other two? How old are your kids?
Trying to come up with a vacation (13 year old and two 8 year old twins).

Not sure I understand the question. Why go there at all? Or, why did it cost so much? My kids were 19 and 18 at the time of the trip.

 

[Dickies]

We were going to take the kids skiing at Palisades Tahoe since their cousins are passholders there. $270 per adult and $190 per kid. I love skiing, but $1,000 for one day on the slopes is absurd. With all the youth sports we simply don’t have the days in the season to justify season passes, but it seems like all the resorts are trying to prohibit non-passholders from skiing.

The whole ski industry is broken for casual skiers. The two competing big annual passes (Ikon and Epic) that can be used across their networks get so many to sign up, that the resorts who may not be owned by those passes have to increase dailies so much to ensure the places aren't absolute zoos. Now those annual passes are a great value if you ski a lot ($2400 for a season for w adults and one kid and we're going to end up skiing 15 days or so), but they get so many people buying them that the mountains have to regulate attendance somehow. I'll also add any resort that's in drivable distance from a CA metro area is ridiculously priced for dailies. They just don't need the walk-up business.

I'll also say those passes are a panacea for those that actually use them in any meaningful manner (this year we're going to Taos, Big Sky, and Mammoth) as they do let you go to a whole bunch of different places for a little bit more than the cost of an annual pass at one place.

I’ve had the ikon pass foe years. Ever since it came out. Ski8ng has never been cheap. But the daily prices are crazy. We ski at least 21 days a year, so the ikon is well worth it. One year I got it down to 10\day I skied so much. and If you plan to ski 5 dys in a season, that pays for the pass.

Yea, these days the Ikon/Epic passes are really the only option as I see it, but it requires more skiing days in one season than I've done in over 5 years. As much as I like skiing, I don't like it that much. Add in two kids who are still getting the hang of skiing and won't take full advantage of any mountain we go to, and it gets even harder to justify. Part of our motivation in getting out to ski is so that our kids continue to get better and don't fall behind, but the costs are making this more difficult. The bunny hill we usually take them to costed us around $100 for the 4 of us just 2 years ago, and this year it's going to be $250.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

We go to deer valley for a week every year. That alone makes the pass worth it. We have yet to see Chet.

Kids passes were pretty cheap at one point. Not sure what they are now. My kid is 16 and absolutely rips now.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

This is a photo a friend sent me today from our local ski resort (Snowbasin), of the line backed up for parking FIVE MILES from the resort parking area.

Five years ago we could ski there for $89/ticket and you could park 20 meters from the lodge and ski right onto the lift all day without ever waiting in a line.

Now a lift ticket is $195/day and parking is a 2 hour affair and some of the lift lines are, LITERALLY, a quarter mile long and 45-60 minute wait.

Granted, this will probably be the most crowded day of the year (holiday and fresh snow) and part of it is just that Utah has really changed its image from weird mormon state to tourism mecha, but it's still nuts. People were heading up the canyon to some of these resorts before 6am, in the dark, and still being met with massive lines. Eager to pay 5x what it cost 5 years ago to get an experience that is 100x worse.

Even living 30 minutes away from a dozen killer ski resorts I really only ski a couple of days a year now, usually in March once the travel crowd has decided they're tired of winter and are ready to start up warm weather vacations again. I used to ski 50+ days per year.

Powder Mountain nearby caps the number tickets they sell per day and the number of season passes they sell per year and getting a season pass is, without hyperbole, more difficult than getting Taylor Swift tickets. They sell out literally within 1 second of the "buy" button being activated on the day they go on sale. If you buy property on the resort you get a guaranteed season pass every year so people are out there buying up $3 million cabins just so they can get a guaranteed season pass to the resort. Talk about an expensive family outing!

 

[the moops]

Five years ago we could ski there for $89/ticket and you could park 20 meters from the lodge and ski right onto the lift all day without ever waiting in a line.

Now a lift ticket is $195/day and parking is a 2 hour affair and some of the lift lines are, LITERALLY, a quarter mile long and 45-60 minute wait.

Granted, this will probably be the most crowded day of the year (holiday and fresh snow) and part of it is just that Utah has really changed its image from weird mormon state to tourism mecha, but it's still nuts. People were heading up the canyon to some of these resorts before 6am, in the dark, and still being met with massive lines. Eager to pay 5x what it cost 5 years ago to get an experience that is 100x worse.

Math

 

[McBokonon]

I don’t have kids so I haven’t really read this thread, but I decided I’d like to bowling to kill some time, haven’t been in a while. It was like 150 bucks for two people for two hours. I passed.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

Five years ago we could ski there for $89/ticket and you could park 20 meters from the lodge and ski right onto the lift all day without ever waiting in a line.

Now a lift ticket is $195/day and parking is a 2 hour affair and some of the lift lines are, LITERALLY, a quarter mile long and 45-60 minute wait.

Granted, this will probably be the most crowded day of the year (holiday and fresh snow) and part of it is just that Utah has really changed its image from weird mormon state to tourism mecha, but it's still nuts. People were heading up the canyon to some of these resorts before 6am, in the dark, and still being met with massive lines. Eager to pay 5x what it cost 5 years ago to get an experience that is 100x worse.

Math

Hah, I have been known to hyperbolize at times.

Though to be fair, there are a lot of new costs on top of just the ticket price increases too. Parking used to be free, and you have to pay for it now at most places. More importantly kids used to ski for virtually free (they wanted to convince the parents to come out and buy full price adult tickets), but now kids cost almost the same as adults because the resorts know that plenty of people are going to come anyway.

So what used to be $89 x 2 = $168 for a family of 4 to ski for a day could now in some cases be $195x2, then another $175x2 for the kids, plus another $39 for parking = $779. And for all that extra cost you get a way worse, overcrowded experience.

 

[GordonGekko]

I remember what it was like to be a kid and to not have things. Even basic things. And to not have experiences. I suppose I have always been sensitive to those kind of issues.

One giveaway for today

Boston Celtics vs Houston Rockets. March 13th at the Toyota Center. It's a suite and someone I know can accommodate a family of four as guests. I have an open invitation to use those spots whenever I want, but I'm not in Texas right now because of the pandemic. This date happens to be an open spot that I haven't given away yet. Food will be catered. No cost to you. There will be alcohol available for adults, also comped. You are on your own for parking though. Offer good only for actual families with kids. No four random guys who already have big money careers. Seeking interest means you agree to be responsible about any potential drinking ( Have a designated driver, don't start a riot in the arena, etc, etc) and you conduct yourself accordingly ( You are there on my vouch and good name, be honorable about that) I'd like to help out someone who would like their kids to see a real NBA game but otherwise could not afford it.

 

[fruity pebbles]

I remember what it was like to be a kid and to not have things. Even basic things. And to not have experiences. I suppose I have always been sensitive to those kind of issues.

One giveaway for today

Boston Celtics vs Houston Rockets. March 13th at the Toyota Center. It's a suite and someone I know can accommodate a family of four as guests. I have an open invitation to use those spots whenever I want, but I'm not in Texas right now because of the pandemic. This date happens to be an open spot that I haven't given away yet. Food will be catered. No cost to you. There will be alcohol available for adults, also comped. You are on your own for parking though. Offer good only for actual families with kids. No four random guys who already have big money careers. Seeking interest means you agree to be responsible about any potential drinking ( Have a designated driver, don't start a riot in the arena, etc, etc) and you conduct yourself accordingly ( You are there on my vouch and good name, be honorable about that) I'd like to help out someone who would like their kids to see a real NBA game but otherwise could not afford it.

Pretty awesome

 

[eoMMan]

I don’t have kids so I haven’t really read this thread, but I decided I’d like to bowling to kill some time, haven’t been in a while. It was like 150 bucks for two people for two hours. I passed.

Are you bowling in NYC or something?
It’s like $40/hr or so to rent a lane by me (obviously get more games played in the hour with less people).

 

[ekbeats]

I feel like I grew up in America’s Golden Age (60’s and 70’s). Didn’t have much money, but had a lot of friends and a park right down the street.

As to the topic, I won’t pay these ridiculous prices anymore. I went to a movie a couple months ago with my wife and son - 3 tickets, one medium popcorn, one candy bar, and one medium coke - total cost was over $100. Not worth it.

 

[ekbeats]

I remember what it was like to be a kid and to not have things. Even basic things. And to not have experiences. I suppose I have always been sensitive to those kind of issues.

One giveaway for today

Boston Celtics vs Houston Rockets. March 13th at the Toyota Center. It's a suite and someone I know can accommodate a family of four as guests. I have an open invitation to use those spots whenever I want, but I'm not in Texas right now because of the pandemic. This date happens to be an open spot that I haven't given away yet. Food will be catered. No cost to you. There will be alcohol available for adults, also comped. You are on your own for parking though. Offer good only for actual families with kids. No four random guys who already have big money careers. Seeking interest means you agree to be responsible about any potential drinking ( Have a designated driver, don't start a riot in the arena, etc, etc) and you conduct yourself accordingly ( You are there on my vouch and good name, be honorable about that) I'd like to help out someone who would like their kids to see a real NBA game but otherwise could not afford it.

What a great gesture GG.

 

[McBokonon]

I don’t have kids so I haven’t really read this thread, but I decided I’d like to bowling to kill some time, haven’t been in a while. It was like 150 bucks for two people for two hours. I passed.

Are you bowling in NYC or something?
It’s like $40/hr or so to rent a lane by me (obviously get more games played in the hour with less people).

Phoenix.

 

[St. Louis Bob]

I agree it's crazy expensive. I'm just blown away by how many of you have teenage kids that want to hang around you.

 

[the moops]

As to the topic, I won’t pay these ridiculous prices anymore. I went to a movie a couple months ago with my wife and son - 3 tickets, one medium popcorn, one candy bar, and one medium coke - total cost was over $100. Not worth it.

Yea i wouldn't pay this much for a movie either. There are several 3 dollar and some sub 10 dollar movie places around here that we go to.

 

[St. Louis Bob]

It seems like things have been going up constantly for many years now. I think that coupled with getting older, (here's a couple shiny quarters have fun blowing it all on penny whistles and moonpies!) doesn't help.

As usual, I agree with @Todem . These things have a way of evening out.

 

[the moops]

It seems like things have been going up constantly for many years now.

Hasn't this been true for like forever?

 

[belljr]

Man I remember when it was like $3 a game for bowling

 

[NutterButter]

Man I remember when it was like $3 a game for bowling

Sounds like you need to head to rockaway lanes in beautiful rockaway nj on thursday nights after 5 for throwback thursdays.

 

[Hawks64]

I agree it's crazy expensive. I'm just blown away by how many of you have teenage kids that want to hang around you.

My teenage kids like hanging around us, they just don't like going out anywhere

 

[FreeBaGeL]

It seems like things have been going up constantly for many years now.

Hasn't this been true for like forever?

It's literally one of the base tenants of capitalism. Capitalism collapses without growth. So we can't just get to a point where a company is making $1M/yr and be happy making $1M/yr in perpetuity. If a company made $1M/yr last year, capitalism dictates that it has to make more than that next year, and then more than that new amount the year after, and so on for eternity.

That's great for growing companies out of nothing, but companies eventually get to a point where they have a perfect balance of user experience and profit, and everyone is happy. But then the company has to keep growing from there, which means either raising prices or cutting margins (worsening user experience), and the user experience starts a new downhill trend.

Recessions slow that down. Tipping the balance back in favor of user experience for a bit, and resetting growth again. But we skipped our last recession, pushed it back, and I think we're seeing that the results of never-ending growth without any resets are even worse. Everyone is scared of recession, but in reality we badly need it, and are way overdue.

 

[Chemical X]

LAM! Pre-Covid i had gotten a RItz Carlton CC and like the benefits. We had been shooting the lock off our wallet and enjoying the RC in Key Biscayne, Cancun, etc. A nice splurge trip for us. A bit pricey, but manageable with some of the benefits. Soooo, March 2023 i was interested in 3 nights at RC in Ft Lauderdale and would go with the Mrs. Meet a friend for some Yankee and Mets spring training. Spa at RC. I have a free night to blow too. I checked out the hotel in my app and i saw 1400- or so for those 3 nights, so $450- a night is no big whoop and in line with the RC. Then i realized the cost is $1400-/night!! Are they you anyone kidding me? How can any place justify $1400- per night? Obviously a hard pass.