To ask what you dreamed would be fabulous but is actually maybe a bit shit

[hitsvilleuk]

I think this about lots of things to do with celebrity lives, when I was younger I thought it all would amazing now not so sure.

A particular one I have is that I always longed for a villa on the Italian lakes. We went to a hotel there one year for 5 days ( in the same village as George Clooney ) It pissed down for 3 days. Everything was dark and damp and that combined with the endless queuing for flights and the thought of maintaining a property in another country sort of did for the dream. Not achievable without a lottery win anyway but now I don't even want it.

Anyone else got stuff like this or that they actually got and then thought 'meh'. I seem to have it about more and more things as I get on - I just don't want stuff anymore. Is it just to do with age?

@ferntwist

This thread is making me feel sad! Would it be okay to ask for a few stories of unexpected delights to counter balance all the disappointments?

We went to the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque and were absolutely blown away, about 700 balloons going up in the early light was a wonderful sight. The best part though was how the crowd was free to walk among the balloons, to watch someone holding a massive burner to start the inflation and then being asked to 'take a step back' as it became upright. We both commented that in Europe we would have been herded together behind the line in the name of health and safety. The Desert Museum in Tucson is wonderful, we liked to end our trips in Tucson to visit it. Many of the canyons other than the Grand Canyon are wonderful, Canyon de Chelly was one of our favourites. There are lots of wonderful places though many are sadly off limits because of the politics, I feel very fortunate to have been able to see them years ago.

I know that Kiwis hate any criticism of NZ, but it is worth pointing out that NZ Tourism has done a marvellous job of convincing Brits that the scenery and lifestyle is unparalleled, when in actual fact you can see a lot of similar things, with a significantly lower cost of living right here in the UK.*

Lots of assumptions and generalisations in there 😂 Again, the attitude is one of British colonialism, a tone of superiority and submissiveness. It is so unattractive. I would never claim to know what all Kiwi(s) like or dislike. (Btw the plural of kiwi is kiwi not kiwis) not what all English or French or any other nationalities like or dislike. I do know from recent time in NZ that it is not the outpost so many fellow English refer to so dismissively, that the English are the greatest number of migrants to NZ, and have a reputation for being negative and superior. So much so that when I'm there I pretend I'm not English, it's embarrassing 😔

But its horses for courses - all I'm saying is that it's worth properly looking into what it's like to live there, rather than merrily hopping on a plane thinking it's going to be paradise....

Well you'd have to be pretty stupid to do that. 😂 again, advice dispensed with such arrogance. Cringe.

@TroublesomeTrucks

Cadbury's World was the most boring, overpriced, queue-filled pile of nothing I've ever been to.

I totally agree. I was expecting it to be like Willie Wonka's factory, but it was a complete non-event of a day out. My children can't remember anything about it.

Short self-catering breaks with small children eg midterm break - the labour to enjoyment ratio is about 10:1, usually made worse by a highly uncomfortable bed and horrid faux leather sofa that you can't relax on. Just as everyone is getting settled the rigmarole of cleaning, packing,njourney home unpacking ...back to work knackered

So many takeaway meals...for years we couldn't afford them so I kind of built them up as a treat to be looked forward to. But usually feel a bit underwhelmed, esp with chipshops, Chinese or pizza takeaways, and wish I'd just saved the 30 quid and bunged sthg in the oven

Loved Paris, Venice, Florence, london, Rome, New York, Cornwall and many more...just wandering about with no major expectations and stopping at cafes/galleries/churches off the beaten track a bit. Though I now feel liberated from the need to go to so many other places mentioned here, inc LA, Niagra, New Zealand etc

Back to disappointments...agree with PP re New Years Eve. Have come to loathe it. Agree re Dublin. Also so many film adaptations of books I've loved have been a big let down.

@KatharinaRosalie

Dubai. I should have read MN first. A good friend of mine is going to Dubai every holiday and raves about it. It's horrible! Shopping malls in a desert, full or arrogant people. Luckily it was just a stopover, but never again.

I tend to look at the people who rave about a place and make my decision based on that! Those who swear by Dubai tend not to do things I like so I'd never go.

Center Parcs.

Filthy swimming area with children openly urinating, all food options are overpriced chains with microwave food and you have to pay for a reservation, total lack of culture and understanding of nature

@somethingonthecarpet i am
a Londoner and I think think this is important. Neither my DC or I fare well outside of London.

We moved out of London for the big county house and we all miss London. My DC are stifled by this big rural house. They miss
red buses and diverse community as do i. We miss tea and neighbours.

God I just did not understand Centre Parcs. Had to book the crappy restaurants before you even arrived, pay for all activities on top of the exorbitant price of the holiday, the setting was weirdly sterile and the pool/tropical dome thing was too cold. So so underwhelming.

@Silverfly
Bad luck! I also went to a men’s Wimbledon final when my dad got tickets, but mine was Borg vs McEnroe in 1980 (I am quite old). It was nearly four hours long and one of the greatest tennis matches ever.

@Hoolihan

God I just did not understand Centre Parcs. Had to book the crappy restaurants before you even arrived, pay for all activities on top of the exorbitant price of the holiday, the setting was weirdly sterile and the pool/tropical dome thing was too cold. So so underwhelming.

Exactly. Why do people love it? What am I missing? What have I got wrong? Was expecting it to be the perfect mini break with young children. We ended up leaving early as we couldn’t stand it

@Roominmyhouse

Totally agree with all the Paris comments, been twice. The metro stank. Not a great city break in my opinion!

San Francisco was another place I was so looking forward to. Accommodation is hideously expensive and we stayed in a hostel and all you could hear all night were people shouting. A local couple we met in ta bar warned us we were staying very close to the tenderloin which is a very dangerous area. The amount of homelessness and mentally ill people in SF was awful. As with a PP Alcatraz absolutely made it worth the visit as it was amazing. But I’d never go back!

Loved the Alcatraz trip. I'd worn a pair of blue and white striped trousers and as we disembarked the boat the National Park ranger pointed to me and said he was pleased to seen visitors getting into the spirit, my trousers were exactly like the prisoners used to wear! Totally agree about San Francisco, the water front round Pier 39 is such a dump. It's worth gping across the bridge and up into the Napa Valley, avoiding the massive wineries though. Sausilito used to be lovely but now it's just another grotty tourist trap.

Notting Hill Carnival. I’ve had more fun at a smear test - it was absolutely rammed (to the point of not actually being able to move), there was rubbish and litter EVERYWHERE where those who had bought their overpriced Red Stripe/jerk chicken)/coconut just lobbed it aside, there was an endless parade of lorries with a sound system lashed in the back, playing the sort of music that sounded like a migraine in auditory form, and none of the police were local so they didn’t know which Tube stations were open. I had to walk to Bayswater in the end.

I had expected steel bands, fabulous outfits and, you know, a carnival vibe. What I got was a fear of being crushed and endless warnings about being pickpocketed. Never EVER again.

I couldn’t agree more. I was expecting vibrant, cultural, fun etc etc. The reality of the day I went was deafening, dangerous and frightening. I was groped numerous times, although some of it was probably accidental due to the crazy overcrowding. I was getting carried along in the crush with very little control of my movements, and was genuinely scared that a Hillsborough type crush might occur. In the end, I didn’t care how many random hands were on my boobs, I just wanted out of the place. Never, ever again.

@MumofSpud

Places - Florence Lake Garda /Como Edinburgh (overpriced)

Wicked the Musical (2 good songs but so old fashioned)

I agree with wicked. It was a yawn fest. Lion king however was amazing!

@FatCatThinCat

Butlins. We drove past the one in Skeggie every year on our way to our boring caravan on a boring site. I dreamed of going to Butlins, begged my parents but it was always a no. Finally got to go with my DD as an adult. What an absolute shit hole.

I drove through Skeg Butlins on a coach from London every year in the 1970s, on my way to visit my grandmother, and thought it looked like the most magical of wonderlands. We couldn't afford to go. Kind of relieved to hear we didn't miss anything!

Having an allotment with small kids. No your precious moppets do NOT just potter around endearingly with their miniature watering cans for hours while you happily harvest perfect vegetables that have taken minimal effort to grow. The reality is more that you will be desperately hoping that the kids just bloody leave you alone while you try to speed- weed an area the size of a football field. You will get about a quarter of the way through before someone is “boooooooooored”, or tries to climb on you while you are crouching down. Instagram and overpriced gardening books written by smug hippies have got a lot to answer for, I tell you 🙄

Vegas - dirty, crowded and noisy
Barcelona - Gaudi was fab, but everything else was horrible and we got mugged on our last day
Cross Canada train - everyone smoked and it was so boring. I wanted to do this for decades!
Paris is very overrated too

Niagara Falls is great though. The town is a bit tacky, but the falls are absolutely amazing. I've been 3 times now and did the maid-of-the-mist every time.

Centre Parcs - overpriced very ordinary "villa", paying over the top for activities - why do people go there?
Paris - hated it. The only city I've felt unsafe in on 3 separate occasions in a 5 day stay
Slow cookers - bland, watery food

Agree with a PP about Cancun. I was young and thought it would be the best holiday ever. It wasn't.
Was fairly underwhelmed by Barcelona but absolutely loved Madrid.
Didn't expect to like Las Vegas but surprisingly loved it.
Have now taken LA off my bucket list after reading this thread

Menstruation

Paris - agree on one level. I speak good French and the rudest set of people you would ever wish NOT to meet. Take comfort, the French outside Paris hate them too. However loved the galleries, bookshops and markets.

Venice - Ive only ever been in winter. Can be cold but people are much nicer and welcoming and you can get to places without the queues. Been several times and its my favorite European city. Would HATE it in the tourist season.

Vegas - I lived there for a year while teaching at Uni of Nevada. Hated the crowds and the casinos - full of fat vulgar people trying to win money. Hated the buffets - full of fat vulgar people stuffing themselves. But there are some interesting things to do and see - loved the LIberace museum (now closed) and people watching in some of the big restaurants. Its so different when you know people there.

@Tribblers

Being an artist. I pictured being feted by my gallery, taken out for long lunches etc. In reality was treated like a cash cow and an annoyance, it was all about the buyers being sucked up to (realise I was a bit naive in retrospect to think it any different, plus I was very minor, must be different than for big name artists).

I'm not letting go of my dream though that if I write a novel my publishers will wine and dine me!

Enjoy that dream! A dear friend is a published, quite popular author, and she is wined and dined by her publishers occasionally...when she isn't being run off of her legs doing 87 book signings at 87 book stores in 75 cities in 70 days.

This is why I would never go on the Orient Express - not just because I can't afford it but also because it's my absolute dream and I suspect would be very different in reality to my Agatha Christie based fantasies.

What, like fewer murders?!

@RaraRachael

Centre Parcs - overpriced very ordinary "villa", paying over the top for activities - why do people go there? Paris - hated it. The only city I've felt unsafe in on 3 separate occasions in a 5 day stay Slow cookers - bland, watery food

yes Centre Parcs - why? I used to do it when I was married - fairly well off with small kids - blimey it was dull! and expensive (although DD2 was conceived there!) - Butlins proved much more fun as a poor newly single parent

I was just looking at a video about the orient express.

It looks lovely but at 3,200 pounds for a one night trip, it is a total waste of money