New York City trip--summer 2008

[O'MalleytheAlleyCat]

My two kids are HUGE theater nuts and our vacation next year is not going to be to WDW, but to NYC to see some Broadway shows. The kids may actually even go to a day camp on broadway for theater if we can swing it. Since none of us have ever been there, I would certainly appreciate any advice on where to stay, what to do, etc... We are new DVC members and I know there is the Regency Hotel that we could use our points at. I don't think it's the best use of points, but may still beat paying out of pocket for a room in the city. We will be flying in and do not plan to rent a car. Thanks in advance for any help!

O'Malleythealleycat

[princessesmom]

I live just north of the city. My father (who lives in Indiana) had some relatives from Iowa and Missouri who wanted him to show them around NYC. I gave him a hand with the planning. I had them get a room at the Belvedere Hotel (West 48'th Street) which worked out really well. I think you can get a room during the summer (less expensive time to visit NY) for under $250/night. I didn't see the rooms, but my father said they were nice and the location was very good. The rooms have microwaves, refrigerators, and coffee makers which I consider a big plus. The location is in the theatre district which will be perfect for you.

I would recommend looking around for some discount tickets. You won't be able to get tickets to the really hot shows, but many shows do have discounts. Do a google on Broadway ticket discounts. There is also a place called TKTS in Times Square that offers half price tickets the day of the show. You wait in line to get tickets and it is cash only. They always have tickets to several shows.

Be sure to see some of the other sites in the city - Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, museums, Central Park, etc. You are wise to not get a car. You should be able to get anywhere you want to go via subway or cab.

New York is a great place to visit! Good luck with the planning.

[Sweezy]

my reccomendation for hotel would be the Grand Hyatt at Grand Central...one of the absolute best locations possible (accessible right off the main terminal of Grand Central)...10-15 min walking time to times sq/broadway area, or just hop on the shuttle.

[ImagiAsh]

I don't have much advice to offer as far as hotels, considering I am a New Yorker and have never needed to stay in one. However, I can pass along some information about the Broadway scene. As one of the previous posters mentioned, there is a location in Times Square (specifically at the Marriott Marquis) where you can find half price tickets for most Broadway shows that night, except for the most popular ones, such as Wicked. It is usually a long, long line of people, but it does move rather quickly once the ticket windows are opened. There are boards next to the windows that list the show tickets available. If you opt to do this, you must pay in cash. Considering most Broadway shows today are $110 for full price tickets, plan accordingly for the half price tickets.

Another way to get cheaper tickets (as cheap as $20) is to do the "lottery" at the theatre of the show you wish to see. I believe most shows do this now. A lottery is when you go to your theatre two or three hours before showtime and enter your name in a bin. About a half an hour later, they draw names from the bin. Each name called gets up to two tickets (so you would need two names called to get your three tickets). They call about 14 names depending on the theatre and all of the tickets are front row seats for $20-25 paid for in cash. Call the show you wish to try the lottery for and ask what time it begins, so you can get there in time.

I would personally recommend going to the ticket center at the Marriott Marquis, because you are more likely to get tickets there then at a lottery. You should pick three shows you all want to see in case one is sold out once you get up to the ticket window. (I don't recall the time the windows open, so you might want to call the Marriott to find out. You will want to get on that line around the time the windows open.) If you opt to do the lottery for front row seats at $20-$25, just know that some lottery lines are up to 300 people long (often the case for Wicked), so chances are slim to be one of the 14 or so people called. Some shows have fewer people for lottery--RENT can range from 20-50 people on average.

Your other options (which will likely be more expensive) are to walk up to a theatre during the day and see if they have any tickets available during your stay or stand on the cancellation line before the show starts. On average, the more popular shows have 20-25 cancellations a night, so if you get on the cancellation line early enough, you may luck out. However, you will be paying full price.

Well, I hope that helped! Good luck! :mickey:

[O'MalleytheAlleyCat]

Wow! Thanks, Ashley for such terrific information. I like your advice of picking out 3 shows and then being able to buy tickets for whichever one is available once we get to the front of the line. I hope with a lot of planning our trip will go smoothly. Right now my kids are thinking of doing a Broadway day camp during the week we're there, which will leave DH and I to see some things on our own during the daytime and then we can do some shows in the evening. :thumbsup: