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Quick Summer Getaways Poll Results

Time for one last American summer vacation.

Sep 2, 2006

The Luxury Travel section wondered what readers would choose as their last quick summer vacation. What was NOT selected is as revealing as what was.

The voting booths are closed, and the results are in! The Luxury and Resorts Travel's poll asked about favorite last-minute quick summer getaways, and the readers' preference is blatantly clear. In fact, never before have Luxury Travel's poll results been so lopsided.

The poll question was, "Before summer is officially over, what is the one last American vacation you'd like to take?"

In first place, with a giant 60.66% of the votes, is "Soak up some beachside

rays." Of course! Beach towns and oceanside resorts are the top luxury vacation destinations, and a simple, relaxing day at the beach has been the epitome of summer days for generations.

We drop way down to a narrow difference between second, third and fourth place, with, respectively, 14.75% for "A long weekend at Napa, or another American wine region," 13.11% for "What do you mean, summer's gonna be over," and 11.48% for "Hiking and camping in the deep woods." The difference between all three here are statistically insignificant. Nevertheless, it's fun to note that the option of simple denial gets around the same amount of votes as valid summer activities, like the wine tour and hiking.

Most telling, however, is what came in last place. "Family fun at Disney" received (drum roll, please) a grand total of ZERO percent of the votes. That's right, not a single poll taker chose this option. Amazing: not one of our adult voters wants a last minute summer getaway, in the Magic Kingdom. Could it be the crowds, the two-hour waits for three minute rides? Could it be the intense August sunshine, mixed with screaming children, obnoxious teens - some of which are our family members? Perhaps it's the overpriced knicknacks sold on every corner. Or, the ever-increasing park admission price. Who knows? The only thing we know for sure, is that The Happiest Place on Earth, is the Last Place on Earth that reasonable travelers would want to go for their last summer vacation.

Gonna go to Disneyland anyway? You don't have to spend a fortune, to enjoy the good things Disneyland has to offer. For great ideas on budgeting a Disney vacation, check out our Budget Travel columnist's Disney tips.

The copyright of the article Quick Summer Getaways Poll Results in Luxury Vacations is owned by Jennifer W. Miner. Permission to republish Quick Summer Getaways Poll Results in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Comments

Sep 3, 2006 10:57 AM

Jill Florio :

heeheehee. I had to laugh at your cute asides. happiest place...last place.... :)

Sep 3, 2006 3:16 PM

Jennifer W. Miner :

Thanks! :)
My family just took a return flight yesterday, from JFK to LAX, and in front of us was a family of 5 headed to...you guessed it, Disney World! The kids had never flown before, and the bumpy take-off and landing were pretty exciting to them. Good thing too, because Labor Day weekend is NOT the time I'd recommend for Disney, unless your family <i>enjoys</i> 3 hour lines for the roller coasters. THe bumpy take-off and laning may, indeed, be the only "rides" those kids get to actualy experience on their trip!
Jen

Sep 5, 2006 1:07 PM

Jill Florio :

I really do enjoy disney but it's not my idea of a summer trip. too hot, too humid, too many kids, too much everything.

so for your poll, it's just a choice of all around poor planning as a summer trip, IMO. Unless it's the ONLY time for people to get there for some reason (like a conference, or free tickets won in a prize or something).

Other choices...beaches are nice, camping is nice, and I forget the other thing. it was probably nice too.

3 Comments