Trifter

This photo might have been taken from a history museum, but it’s actually from Dinosaur, a ride at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

When school is out, vacationing is in – but this year is unlikely to be prosperous for the anticipated vacation, unless the newly-appointed President Barack Obama and his government takes action on our already-scourged economy. Airlines charge more for amenities, including soda and snacks that used to be free just to compensate. Gas prices are capricious price-wise, despite the decrease from last year’s records. It’s like a lot of us are considering, “Forget the vacation – we can’t afford Cancun.”

How about a stay-cation?

Of course, more and more families are staying closer to home when their kids are out of school. For me, I prefer to stay here in the region that straddles Tampa Bay and Central Florida each spring break and summer, mainly because they’re both excellent family destinations. That’s a great perk, since I obtained a Seasonal Pass last Christmas to Walt Disney World. Also, I can use all the free time to get some exercise and write extensively on what’s on my mind or what I read, on Triond. (It’s my part time job – becoming a freelance media creator – maybe I’ll be an author someday!) and a series of blogs. Finally, the economy – well, most of us Americans know how horrendous it is now.

Another perk of staying near Central Florida – being able to give Mickey Mouse a cheek peck!

While ranks of Americans who feel that they financial issues hinder their dreams of traveling to Orlando, herds of folks on the other side of the Atlantic, the Brits, have to take our lead in stay-cationing. Merlin Entertainments, which operates Alton Towers, the London Eye, and Madame Tussauds, saw a rise in earnings by 20% due too the trend. Since 20% of our UK neighbors said on a survey that the recession this year forced them to consider their vacation, or in this case, holiday plans and 60% of them decided to vacation close to home, last Easter’s “great escape” turned into the “Great British Staycation.” In the near future, as summer is around the (cost-cutting) corner, that vacation-at-home trend would be greater.

What about the stay-cation’s stay-strictly-at-home cousin, the nay-cation? Although it eases boredom from seeing the same sites locally (unless you live in or near a tourist hotbed, such as Central Florida) and saves money even further because of dining and gas prices, it poses a host of problems. Professor Robert Thompson of Syracuse University noted that they cause negative emotions as opposed to a stay-cation. Because there’s a lot to see and do in my region of the tourist-trap state, I’m going on stay-cation this summer.

For example, Orlando and its vicinity is one of the the least likely regions here on US soil to have people going on a nay-cation – many freebies abound in the area. One of my favorite free things to do in that area is to make a pilgrimage (at least once in a lifetime for Catholics like me) to Mary, Queen of the Universe Shrine, which just turned 25 this year. Another area freebie would be Crescent Lake at Walt Disney World, where you can see Epcot’s Spaceship Earth from a near distance without even shelling out money for a one-day admission. For me, I like to start out at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort and Villas because the entertainment is completely free. If one is close to a favorite destination with a bunch of free things to offer, such as Central Florida, chances are that he or she would get the knack of having fun all the while living within his or her means.

Stay-cations, especially nay-cations, provide a series of boons to most autistic children, because the familiarities of their homes and hometowns are beneficial for their otherwise-pressured senses. There’s likely to be less distraction from routine, because many autistics don’t transition very easily. (Parents with affected children would probably still need a visual schedule even if they are staying at home on vacation days.) The costs of traveling by air is just the icing of the cake for families – autistics benefit easily because there is no wait in line at the security checkpoint.

This year, I suggest everyone in America to take a stay-cation, or even the aforementioned nay-cation. It would cut gas costs, help our (already-tightening) budgets, and simply blow away our stress. I hope that we take time revel in the pleasures of our own hometowns – like museums or parks. Let’s hope that next year the economy would be better so most of us can travel virtually anywhere again.

Now that’s off my chest, I’m planning to take a vacation in my former hometown of Clifton, New Jersey in 2011, when I’m old to drive and navigate superhighways. For now, I have Epcot in my mind.