A Travel and vacations forum. TravelBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » TravelBanter forum » Travel Regions » USA & Canada
Site Map Home Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Empire State Building in January



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old January 14th, 2008, 03:33 PM posted to rec.travel.usa-canada
Christian McArdle
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2
Default Empire State Building in January

Does anyone know the likely queue lengths to go up the Empire State
Building in January? I'm going to be there on the weekend of the 26th,
but need to know whether or not to buy the express pass for over
double the money. I can't afford to sit around for three hours.

Christian.
  #2  
Old January 14th, 2008, 05:53 PM posted to rec.travel.usa-canada
SMS
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 899
Default Empire State Building in January

Christian McArdle wrote:
Does anyone know the likely queue lengths to go up the Empire State
Building in January? I'm going to be there on the weekend of the 26th,
but need to know whether or not to buy the express pass for over
double the money. I can't afford to sit around for three hours.

Christian.


I've been there in February and it wasn't much of a line. Probably about
15 minutes to buy a ticket.

They've really turned the ESB into a big scam. When I went there as a
child you put a dime into a turnstile on the 102nd floor. Now you can
easily spend $60 a person. Don't fall for the "mandatory" photo or audio
tour. When you're up at the 86th floor observatory there are signs that
point out all the landmarks, you don't need the audio tour. I wouldn't
bother with the 102nd floor either.
  #3  
Old January 15th, 2008, 04:59 AM posted to rec.travel.usa-canada
sharx35
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 803
Default Empire State Building in January


"SMS" wrote in message
...
Christian McArdle wrote:
Does anyone know the likely queue lengths to go up the Empire State
Building in January? I'm going to be there on the weekend of the 26th,
but need to know whether or not to buy the express pass for over
double the money. I can't afford to sit around for three hours.

Christian.


I've been there in February and it wasn't much of a line. Probably about
15 minutes to buy a ticket.

They've really turned the ESB into a big scam. When I went there as a
child you put a dime into a turnstile on the 102nd floor. Now you can
easily spend $60 a person. Don't fall for the "mandatory" photo or audio
tour. When you're up at the 86th floor observatory there are signs that
point out all the landmarks, you don't need the audio tour. I wouldn't
bother with the 102nd floor either.



Only a complete idiot would pay anything NEAR $60 a person for that. $20
tops.



  #4  
Old January 15th, 2008, 11:22 AM posted to rec.travel.usa-canada
Christian McArdle
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2
Default Empire State Building in January

I've been there in February and it wasn't much of a line. Probably about
15 minutes to buy a ticket.


Only a complete idiot would pay anything NEAR $60 a person for that. $20
tops.


Thanks. I think I'll go with the simple prepay, without the express
option. I don't want to waste any time, I've only got 36 hours in New
York and 16 of those will sleeping. However, $45 did seem like a lot.
That's theme park money.

Christian.
  #5  
Old January 15th, 2008, 12:53 PM posted to rec.travel.usa-canada
J. Clarke[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 438
Default Empire State Building in January

Christian McArdle wrote:
I've been there in February and it wasn't much of a line. Probably
about 15 minutes to buy a ticket.


Only a complete idiot would pay anything NEAR $60 a person for
that.
$20 tops.


Thanks. I think I'll go with the simple prepay, without the express
option. I don't want to waste any time, I've only got 36 hours in
New
York and 16 of those will sleeping. However, $45 did seem like a
lot.
That's theme park money.


They're charging 60 bucks for an elevator ride these days? Geez.
That's ludicrous. Damn Osama--for 60 bucks you could have had lunch
at Windows on the World.


--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)


  #6  
Old January 15th, 2008, 01:02 PM posted to rec.travel.usa-canada
Shawn Hirn
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 773
Default Empire State Building in January

In article
,
Christian McArdle wrote:

Does anyone know the likely queue lengths to go up the Empire State
Building in January? I'm going to be there on the weekend of the 26th,
but need to know whether or not to buy the express pass for over
double the money. I can't afford to sit around for three hours.


Try calling the Empire State's information desk and ask. Whenever I have
been there, the line is long on days when the visibility is good, even
on cold January days.
  #7  
Old January 16th, 2008, 12:31 AM posted to rec.travel.usa-canada
SMS
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 899
Default Empire State Building in January

J. Clarke wrote:
Christian McArdle wrote:
I've been there in February and it wasn't much of a line. Probably
about 15 minutes to buy a ticket.
Only a complete idiot would pay anything NEAR $60 a person for
that.
$20 tops.

Thanks. I think I'll go with the simple prepay, without the express
option. I don't want to waste any time, I've only got 36 hours in
New
York and 16 of those will sleeping. However, $45 did seem like a
lot.
That's theme park money.


They're charging 60 bucks for an elevator ride these days?


They have all sorts of ridiculous options. Just to go the 86th floor is
a little less than $20. But they try to sell you all sorts of extras,
some sort of ride, food, audio tour, photographs, and a hefty extra
charge if you want to go to the 102nd floor rather than just the 86th
floor. They really push these extras very hard while you're in line for
the elevator (they take everyone's picture, well not mine, and it got
them really upset that I didn't stop for a photo, they ran over and were
yelling at me. The audio tour is also heavily hyped, yet ultimately
unnecessary.

The best day to go to the Empire State Building is on Firearm Fridays.
See "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvF_nxXJO5s" for tips on NYC and
the Empire State Building (the part about the ESB is near the end).

Actually the prepay is not really worth the extra cost, because the long
wait is in the line after you get the ticket but before you get on the
elevator. On a winter non-holiday weekend it shouldn't be too bad.

The S.O.L. is really where you want to prepay and have a reservation.
It's not all that great anymore because they no longer allow you up into
the statue. You're better off with a free Staten Island Ferry ride.
  #8  
Old January 16th, 2008, 10:22 PM posted to rec.travel.usa-canada
[email protected]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 261
Default Empire State Building in January

How much to go to the top of rockefeller?

My last trip down, we went there instead, and quite honestly, it is
essentially the same view. The big difference, is that you can see
the ESB, which imo is much more exciting than being on the esb....


Chuck

 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/Interested in Building Online Business Empire WithoutInvesting Single Dollar /~/~/~/~/~/~/~/ [email protected] Europe 0 November 26th, 2007 04:16 PM
Interested in Building Online Business Empire Without InvestingSingle Dollar!! [email protected] Europe 0 November 26th, 2007 12:40 PM
CNN: Man dies in leap from Empire State Building Kuacou USA & Canada 0 November 27th, 2004 12:15 PM
Empire Builder mrsean USA & Canada 2 May 20th, 2004 05:48 PM
Advance tickets for the Empire State Building? John W USA & Canada 0 September 19th, 2003 03:33 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 12:44 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 TravelBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.