TPR 2008 Trips! Download the flyers here!

[larrygator]

Does your payment for the trip also subsidize Robb and Elissa's cost of the trip? Basically when you pay your fee, are you also paying for part of Robb and Elissa's trip?

 

I'm not saying it's a bad thing to do that, I'm just curious if there's any profit on the part of Theme Park Review.

 

I know you are just curious but you are looking at it the wrong way. Figure out how much it would cost you to do the same trip/itinerary and you will see it is cheaper with TPR and completely stress free.

 

Robb and Elissa are not rich, they don't live it up outside of coasters. They live meagerly so even if they make a little money off each person they are not becoming millionaires. And even if they earned a lot of money off these trips, Robb would just eat away the profits.

[Wood Dragon 1988]

I wouldn't even worry about it.

 

If you tip a waiter 15 percent for carrying food from a kitchen to a table, you can tip someone who will take you on an awesome trip and show you around several states/countries at least that much. Not to mention get you group rates at the parks, ERT, walkbacks, and what not.

[Spokker]

I know you are just curious but you are looking at it the wrong way. Figure out how much it would cost you to do the same trip/itinerary and you will see it is cheaper with TPR and completely stress free.

I wouldn't say stress free. It sounds like these trips are pretty strenuous. Also, since you put all of your trust and planning into Robb and Elissa, you have to stick the schedule. Sure, you do a lot for the price, but you pay for it at the pace you go at.

 

Don't get me wrong, these trips sound awesome, but there are always pros and cons. We went to Japan earlier this year and while we had a solid plan, we did branch out. We cancelled one plan and went somewhere else that we hadn't even thought about, on that day. We also took a steady but calm pace.

 

I don't know if I would have had fun running all over Japan, sweating like a pig in the process. I sweat enough at the pace we were going at! The humidity is murder. We went through JTB for our airfare and I don't we think we overpaid for what we got at all.

 

Also, these trips are just for the coasters right? Is there any sightseeing in terms of landmarks and history? That's one big thing I want out of a vacation, to see the actual country, not just their Schwarzkopf's.

 

I enjoy reading about the trips, but they just aren't for me.

[larrygator]

^I consider not having to: drive around a foreign place, book hotels, study maps or investigate park hours to be stress free.

 

My bigggest concern is waking up and following a schedule. In my life, that is far from stressful.

 

If one can not follow an itinerary, a structured trip of any kind is probably a bad idea. You are right everyone likes to takes things at a different pace so these trips might not be for everyone.

[bskies]

Spokker, the site is called Theme Park Review. The tours are basically theme park tours and that's what you get. If you want to see and do non-theme park stuff you're free to add time before or after the official trip. With 50 or 100 people on the trip I don't think it would be possible to organise sightseeing trips that would please everyone. People who go on these trips like rides - by limiting the trips to theme parks, people are getting what they paid for and aren't paying for superfluous stuff they're not interested in.

 

Yes, these trips are fairly hard work in that the days are long and when the weather's hot can be fairly tiring. However, compared with trying to organise similar trips for yourself I'd call them stress free. The only concern I had throughout the whole midwest trip was making sure I made the bus! As larrygator mentioned, doing it yourself might involve driving on the wrong side of the road (or at least with different laws), navigating etc and, for the European trip, dealing with multiple languages. This is the sort of stuff that can make holidays stressful.

 

Personally, I don't know if Robb and Elissa make any money on these trips (and I have no interest in knowing - it's none of my business) but they certainly deserve to considering the effort put into them. You simply have to look at the cost and make a call as to whether it's value for money from your perspective.

[robbalvey]

I know you are just curious but you are looking at it the wrong way. Figure out how much it would cost you to do the same trip/itinerary and you will see it is cheaper with TPR and completely stress free.

I wouldn't say stress free. It sounds like these trips are pretty strenuous. Also, since you put all of your trust and planning into Robb and Elissa, you have to stick the schedule. Sure, you do a lot for the price, but you pay for it at the pace you go at.

 

Don't get me wrong, these trips sound awesome, but there are always pros and cons. We went to Japan earlier this year and while we had a solid plan, we did branch out. We cancelled one plan and went somewhere else that we hadn't even thought about, on that day. We also took a steady but calm pace.

 

I don't know if I would have had fun running all over Japan, sweating like a pig in the process. I sweat enough at the pace we were going at! The humidity is murder. We went through JTB for our airfare and I don't we think we overpaid for what we got at all.

 

Also, these trips are just for the coasters right? Is there any sightseeing in terms of landmarks and history? That's one big thing I want out of a vacation, to see the actual country, not just their Schwarzkopf's.

 

I enjoy reading about the trips, but they just aren't for me.

If you don't think our trips are for you, or do not think they are a good value...don't do them. 　Plain and simple.

 

--Robb

[jynx242]

On the positive - Pro-TPR trip side of things, I sent the deposit for the East Coast trip for my partner and I. Looking forward to seeing everyone next August.

 

David "traveling TPR style ROCKS" McCollum

[Schwarzkopf]

I've just sent in my east coast deposit via paypal.

 

Yahoo!

[Spokker]

If you don't think our trips are for you, or do not think they are a good value...don't do them. 　Plain and simple.

 

--Robb

Thank you for the attitude. I never insulted your trips and even said they are awesome. All I was doing was explaining what I thought to be the pros and cons. Perhaps others might think about these things before blindly booking one of your trips in their roller coaster ferver.

[Godwyn]

How is that attitude?

 

To quote the flyer "Note that the pace of the trip will be fairly rigorous, mornings as early as 6am, nights as late as midnight". They have always said that up front.

 

And have been on a TPR trip before, yes some days are very tiring, but other days are more relaxed. And while you are at the park, you don't have to run around the whole time. You can do what ever you want just as long as you make it to the bus on time.

 

And like Robb said, if this type of a trip is not for you, just don't do it. But for a lot of us, it is just what we want and even more. The stuff they plan for us to be able to do would be unattainable for the regular person to plan.

 

Daren "Just my two cents worth" Bailey

[Spokker]

How is that attitude?

It's the same thing all over the Internet. You question the almighty Internet celebrity, even gently, and their reaction is always, "Well don't do it then." It just smacks of insecurity.

 

The stuff they plan for us to be able to do would be unattainable for the regular person to plan.

I doubt it. It would be a lot of work but I'm sure anyone with a bit of sense and patience can pull it off. You are paying for convienence, sure, but I can't imagine how their itineraries are beyond the scope of the "common man". Hell, for some people, half the fun in a vacation is planning it yourself!

 

I'm looking at the price for the Japan trip, about $3,800 to $4,000. You still have to pay for airfare to Narita on top of that right? It'll come out to about 5 grand in the end, including whatever food isn't included since it's at least one meal a day.

 

We went to Japan for a week to see Tokyo Disneyland and the Greater Tokyo area for about $2,500 when all was said and done. Seems like for another grand we could've stayed another week in moderately priced hotels. Then we could've gotten a Japan Rail Pass and seen all these other places.

 

Sounds like you're pretty much paying for what it would cost to plan on your own. I think these trips would be great for the young teenager who is intimidated by travel and might get themselves lost on their own. And their parents get to send them away for two weeks. It's win/win. It's also great for people who can't find anyone else to plan a vacation with.

 

I would probably be into these trips if I were younger, but half the fun is the accomplishment of doing it all yourself.

[Godwyn]

I doubt it. It would be a lot of work but I'm sure anyone with a bit of sense and patience can pull it off.

 

So you would be able to get the park to open just for you and your family for and hour?

 

There are other perks that they can get that the general public would not be able to get. That is what I was talking about.

 

I think these trips would be great for the young teenager who is intimidated by travel and might get themselves lost on their own. And their parents get to send them away for two weeks. It's win/win. It's also great for people who can't find anyone else to plan a vacation with.

 

So where does that put me since I don't fit into any of those categories? And yes, I am planning a vacation for my wife and I to Disney next year that I am doing all the planning myself.

 

Well I am done with my little rant.

 

Daren "Back to your regularly scheduled topic" Bailey

[jynx242]

I've found that these trips are about SO much more than just the parks. The people that went on the Mid-West trip were FAR more fun than the parks alone.

 

I'd never met any of the people going...and it was like "summer camp for grownups!" I now have alot of new friends that I'll be getting together to do things with outside of the realm of TPR.

 

Could I have planned a vacation myself? Yep. Could I live without the "perks?" Yep. Would I have met some of the most amazing people? Nope. Besides meeting Robb, Elissa and KidTums (delightful folks...) I met ninety-some-odd other folks and had a BLAST! In fact, I had so much fun this past summer, that I'm going on another one next year.

 

I will agree that these trips aren't for everyone; but all of the folks that I have spoken with from the trip say that the trip worked for them. For the folks who don't fancy the expense, structure and pace - the updates are here so they can "experience" the trip vicariously.

 

I'm sure nobody here meant to step on anyones feelings. Everyone has (and is entitled to) their opinion. I'm just glad we have TPR so everyone can enjoy the adventures, whether present or not.

 

HAPPY FRIDAY

 

David

[coaster05]

Spokker there was no attitude in that post he was just stating facts. Even if he was, doesn't he have that right. They bust their hump to pull off these trips and you come in with the I can do it cheaper and I want culture credits. Those beliefs are fine, but why did you feel the need to post in the trip thread that the trip isn't for you. the thread is for people who have questions that are actually interested in going.

 

BTW no way possible can you do the same trip, with the same perks, staying in the same motels, for anywhere close to what they did.

[65skylark]

^ Oh come on Rich, are you kidding me! I'm sure Holiday Park would let Mr. Spooker walk to the top of Expedition GeForce while they are running the coaster if he planned carefully and asked very nicely. Perks smerks!

[coaster05]

^I suppose your right, but he would have to ask really, really nice.

[Spokker]

Those beliefs are fine, but why did you feel the need to post in the trip thread that the trip isn't for you. the thread is for people who have questions that are actually interested in going.

I was interested in going, that's why I posted here. Now that I have thought it through, I am not interested.

 

Is that such a bad thing?

[coaster05]

^It is if you are going to accuse Robb of having attitude and claim that the trips can be done cheaper.

[Spokker]

^It is if you are going to accuse Robb of having attitude and claim that the trips can be done cheaper.

I never said that the trips could be done cheaper. What I did do however is mull over whether or not there is a substantial discount in doing it Robb's way or doing it yourself.

[ParkTrips]

I would have to say that there is no way you could plan an identical trip on the same budget. Paying group rates and using a bus saves soooo much money! I think Robb has even said in the past "yeah, you could possibly do the trip cheaper" (like staying in the cheapest hotel possible, driving one of those enclosed mopeds they have in Europe, etc) but that's a lot different than staying on-property at some of the nicest parks on earth. Chances are there isn't a Motel 6 on earth that has a "Dragon Bar" which ended up being one of the highlights of the Euro trip.

 

edit:

 

whoops, I need to stop reading your posts

 

That's one big thing I want out of a vacation, to see the actual country, not just their Schwarzkopf's.

[ginzo]

You mean a site called "Theme Park Review" offers trips where you do nothing but ride roller coasters?

 

On a more serious note sightseeing is fine. And there are about a billion companies that offer sightseeing tours of Europe. That just happens to be outside the focus of this outfit. The wife and I plan to arrive in Paris a few days early to do all the standard tourist stuff beforehand. So we get both the standard tourist stuff AND the theme parks.

[Spokker]

whoops, I need to stop reading your posts

 

That's one big thing I want out of a vacation, to see the actual country, not just their Schwarzkopf's.

Huh? That doesn't have anything to do with cost. Yes, I was thinking out loud to decide if I would ever want to take one of these trips, and that was one of the issues I had in mind. So what?

 

I'm not sure who is reading who's posts.

[ParkTrips]

It was a joke. I love Schwarzkopfs.

[thecoasterkid]

Dave, you hit the nail right on the head! It's the people on the trips that make them so much better than anything you would be able to do on your own! Even if you were able to match their price, you would never be able to match the experience of visiting 13 parks in 11 days with 99 other people who share the same passion for coasters and amusement parks that you do!

 

I met some AMAZING people on the Mid-West trip and I honestly can't wait to do another TPR trip in the future and meet even more. You experience a park in a totally different way when you're with coaster enthusiasts than you do with just a couple of friends or on your own.

 

If you're simply not going to do the trip because you think you can match the cost, then you're not going for the totally wrong reason. The trips are relatively inexpensive for what you're getting, and the time and effort that Robb and Elissa put into the trips is evident when you're on them. They honestly do think every little detail through, and the trips are completely relaxed and hassle free. I would have gone mad sitting in the traffic around Chicago if I was driving, and would have been in a REALLY bad mood once we arrived to Cedar Point with no power if I was on my own. But because of having a driver and Robb and Elissa to sweat out all the work, I was able to sit back and relax on the bus and have a great time with friends in a completely hilarious situation!

 

But if you're going to come on one of the trips and just complain and be moody, then please be sure to sit on the opposite end of the bus from me so that you don't ruin the great time I'll be having!

[Dragon Khan]

Hi Everyone ! I have been reading TPR's forum for years now, and have enjoyed every minute of it. Now's high time I registered, because I'd like to join in the fun, and I'm really interested for the East coast Trip 2008. Will probably send my deposit for it before Friday. Robb and Elissa, if you're reading this, I'm the guy who spoke to you while Queueing for Tonnerre de Zeus in 1997. At that time, I tried to convince you to have a go on Dragon Khan (you still hadn't ridden it at that time... hope you enjoyed it during your Spanish trip) Well, enough... I'll introduce myself to you all, members in another thread. This is the 1st time I'm using a forum, so I hope my message will get across. Very happy to be able to correspond with coaster-nuts like me ! Hope to see you soon.