Dina in Oklahoma Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 Hello ~ I have read the posts regarding Colonial Williamsburg and the surrounding areas and am playing with the idea of going. I have found a wealth of information about where to go, activities, etc. but I need some specifics. I live in Oklahoma and my family of five (including grandparents) would drive to the homeschool days in CW. My questions are ... :confused: 1) How much would you guesstimate the whole trip might cost (excluding gas) if we were to would stay in clean but not luxurious hotels and eat at cost effective resturants, IHOP etc? Cost for three days in CW ? $___________ Cost for five days in CW? $_____________ 2) Would you attend homeschool days in: February _____WHY? or September _____WHY? Thank you!!! Dina :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate CA Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 My two dds were there in September and they accidentally landed on a homeschool day. It saved them $80! They were also there for the Revolutionary City performances and just loved them. Many of the homeschoolers came in costume and the place had a festive air. http://www.virginia-beach-family-fun.com/colonial-williamsburg-virginia.html is a link I found while searching that might be of help to you. I believe they stayed at this hotel with their grandparents. Quality Suites 1406 Richmond Rd. Williamsburg VA (757) 220-9304 Enjoy! I would love to be able to take my whole family. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNC Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 We are going the first week of March (still homeschooling week) and staying at the Woodlands. We have 2 double beds for $69 a night for 3 nights. We will plan on eating in Williamsburg 1x a day. We'll eat our breakfast at the hotel and bring lunchy foods to tide us over until a late lunch/early dinner. We chose the spring homeschooler week bc I can't tolerate heat, when spending the day walking around outside (have MS). It won't be as pretty, but we are sooooo excited. We are heading for DC after Williamsburg! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Virginia Dawn Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 Well, September is much nicer weather wise. February can be yucky with 30's and 40's and rain. Also there are more things to do and see after the beginning of March when the regular season starts. There are some reasonable hotels, you might want to get one that has a "free" breakfast included. There is usually a $5 per person fee tacked on, but that would probably be cheaper than eating breakfast out. I would plan on spending about5-7 dollars a person for a fast food meal, and 8-12 dollars for a reasonable sit down meal. Ways to cut costs: drink water instead of soda at restaurants, look for buffets like Golden Corral. Chinese and Mexican are the cheapest restaurants in town, beside fast food and pizza. Have younger kids, or people that don't eat much, share adult meals. Buy your own snacks and drinks at a grocery store. Food and drinks inside Colonial Williamsburg are expensive. However, you can buy a souvenir mug for about $10 and you can have it refilled with soda for free whenever you want, the whole time you are visiting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in OK Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 :lurk5: We're hoping to take a family vacation in September to the east coast. One of my reasons for doing it then (aside from planning around clients!) is so we can be at the Homeschool Days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dina in Oklahoma Posted January 23, 2010 Author Share Posted January 23, 2010 :)Thank you ladies -- so very helpful! Anyone care to take a stab at cost ? Annyone willing to share what their trip cost?:w00t: Dina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXMomof4 Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 (edited) We went this last september and if I remember correctly they gave us the homeschool discount even though we had missed the homeschool days (I wouldn't count on this -we just ran into a super nice lady at the counter). My dh got the military discount so altogether we spent about $150 for 5 of us (ds was still free) the freedom pass which is good for a year. It also gives you entrance to all the museums and most of the special tours. It was well worth evey penny. Enjoy! We also were able to get a hotel with a kitchenette and just made do for dinner and breakfast with that. Cereal, microwave foods, snack things - then we ate out at lunch every day. Take water - lots of it. Our hotel was a military special, so the cost was exceptional. We also went to Jamestown for a day and Yorktown for a day - we bought those tickets separately, and spent two days in DC. It took us 2 days to drive up and three days to drive down. The total cost with gas, food, all the hotels, tickets to all the attractions, souvenirs - everything was about $1500.00. Like I said our hotel was minimal cost so that helped a lot, but that was basically a 10 day vacation for 6 people. Edited January 23, 2010 by TXMomof4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 One of the homeschool networks we're in offers $5 admissions, and we enjoy the Christmas decorations and it's very quiet there in early December. Obviously we're closer because we leave home early and drive down to be there shortly after they open, and then stay overnight in a hotel and drive home the next day. We've always stayed at the Holiday Inn Gateway because it has a nice indoor pool, kids under 12 eat free, and it's close. This last time they upgraded us to a suite because we have stayed there before. I agree that February would be iffy. This last December was unusually snowy in Virginia, typically January and February are our worst months in terms of weather. Sometimes it's actually hot in September, but I'd rather deal with that than ICE. Other times we've done Busch Gardens, Yorktown, and Jamestown, and they're good too. If you have time to drive to Virginia Beach, my kids love the Marine Museum there and there's a lot in Norfolk as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgia On My Mind Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 Love Colonial Williamsburg anytime of the year. If the weather is mild and dry, pack a quilt and picnic lunch for each day you are there and save your money for one traditional colonial meal while there. Take advantage of a guided tour or glop on with a group that has a guide. The guides have so much information and can add interest for your young ones. Get an early start, so much to take in and the mind and feet get weary later in the day. That is another good reason to take a break for a picnic lunch under a tree on the grass. I would allow at least two full days for Colonial Williamsburg or three days if you have the time. Jamestown and Yorktown are wonderful if you have done your homework ahead of time. There was some revisionist history presented at Jamestown when we were last there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 I can't guess at costs there now, but I would definitely rather go in September than February! Unless you catch a rainy week, you should have much nicer weather.... And I guess I should add, in case you don't know anyone who has ever been, that you will spend much of your time in that area outdoors, which is why the weather matters.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margo out of lurking Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 1) How much would you guesstimate the whole trip might cost (excluding gas) if we were to would stay in clean but not luxurious hotels and eat at cost effective resturants, IHOP etc? Cost for three days in CW ? $___________ Cost for five days in CW? $_____________ 2) Would you attend homeschool days in: February _____WHY? or September _____WHY? Thank you!!! Dina :001_smile: I like Trip Advisor for hotel reviews. Definitely choose a hotel with free continental breakfast. We've been twice. The first time was in March, not during Homeschool Days. We stayed in a nicer hotel ($~110/night). We visited Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens. We were lucky that the weather had warmed up to the 50s. I found CW to be horribly overpriced for what we paid. We went for HS Days a year and a half later in September. We stayed in a cheaper hotel, Sleep Inn on Bypass Rd. for ~$60/night. I was on a total budget, and it was fine, I'd stay there again. It was unseasonably warm, in the 80s, and we went to Jamestown. We went to Virginia Beach the next day--that was one of the best times of my life, and I can't wait to go back. So my personal recommendation would be to go in September, and take a morning or evening to go east to VA Beach, walk on the sand, let the kids play in the water, and watch the dolphins jumping in the surf. If your kids haven't had much beach time, oh, I'd definitely squeeze this in. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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