We love the movies here at Blazing Minds and there’s nothing better than kicking back with a movie and being transported to another world. But if you could take a movie mini-break, a silver screen staycation, where would you go, and more importantly, how much would it cost? Well, the team over at Betway have compiled the costs of your dream Silver Screen Staycations.
CANTO BIGHT (The Last Jedi, 2017)
Being a Star Wars fan I love this one, the Canto Bight is on the desert planet of Cantonica, this glamorous coastal city is home to one of the most luxurious casinos in the galaxy where the super-wealthy spend a lot of their time. There are chances that you may run into some of the shady characters that frequent the galaxy or unscrupulous aliens in the pocket of the First Order, but if you are having so much fun, why worry about the politics. Get the chance to win coins in the casinos or you could even relax and watch the thrill of the Farhiers race.
Working out the costs of visiting Canto Bight need to be a little creative for the team, they have taken inspiration from the similar hangout for the rich and famous here on Earth, Monte Carlo in Monaco, they based the costs on the hotels and food at the most expensive 5-star hotels in Monte Carlo. As fo making the long journey to Cato Bight, the Virgin Galactic was the option for the space travel, which means that once everything comes together it is the most expensive place to visit and that’s why it’s at the top of the list.
Cost to Visit – £219464.25
THE OVERLOOK HOTEL (The Shining, 1980)
How about somewhere really creepy to stay, a place that instils fear upon its guests, with Doctor Sleep heading to cinemas this Halloween, how would you like your Silver Screen Staycation in the amazing looking Overlook Hotel from Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, OK so it may be a scary place, but it’s grand, spacious with killer views of the amazing Colorado mountains and not forgetting its glamour and charm. It’s a place so secluded in the winter that it’s the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of the world we all live in, although the isolation of The Overlook Hotel can be a little too much for some leading to some rather scary and terrifying moments, just don’t choose Room 237 to stay in!
But what about the cost for the Overlook, Betway looked to Colorado’s Stanley Hotel, which was the inspiration for Stephen King’s original novel. The Accommodation and daily food costs were taken directly from the hotel website, with travel figures based on flights to Denver and subsequent mountain transfer. They made sure to include winter sports in insurance fees, in case you find yourself running through a frozen hedge maze, and worked out the cost of renting a Snow Cat too – just in case you need to get out of there quickly!
Cost to Visit – £2575.39
LOS ANGELES 2019 (Blade Runner, 1982)
How about a Silver Screen Staycation with the chance of dreaming of electric sheep? Ridley Scott’s brilliant Blade Runner, based on the short story by Philip K. Dick, is set in Los Angeles, in the distant future of November 2019 (Blimey that’s this year! Look out for those flying cars!). In that case, you’d be forgiven for thinking a stay in Blade Runner’s LA 2019 would be easy to imagine. But the LA the sci-fi classic is considerably different to the one we know. For one thing, the orange, sunny-haze of downtown Los Angeles has been replaced by darkness and eternal rain. The city itself has become a sprawling metropolis, Tokyo on steroids – a dystopian, neon nightmare. Animals no longer exist, replicants run amok but it’s not all bad – there are flying cars! Remember to pack an umbrella though and watch out for Replicants being hunted down by Blade Runner’s, you don’t want to get caught in the crossfire!
Betway came up with the cost of this staycation by using LA to cost up travel and accommodation for Blade Runner’s moody version of the city. Plus with the city’s Japanese influence – you can enjoy some tasty ramen on the wet streets – food and drink costs were based on modern-day Tokyo. They also included the cost of car rental as you’ll need one to fly around LA (Well drive around, we still haven’t got those flying cars yet, Booooooooo) – but we’ve assumed due to ubiquity that these are just as pricey as regular cars.
Cost to Visit – £1131.82
HOGSMEADE (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, 2004)
Potter fans will be delighted with this one, especially the cost. If you love magical places then were better than Hogsmeade, the one and only wizarding village in Britain, where else could you find a charming, quaitr place, that has slanted roofs with dustings of snow, lovely small thatched cottages with holly wreaths hanging on the doors and the uniqueness of floating candles to guide you around the streets and buildings. If you fancy somewhere out of the cold, you could also try The Three Broomsticks for a pint of the famous Butterbeer, sit down and relax by the fire and relax, or how about stocking up on sweets at Honeydukes before getting very brave and visiting the Shrieking Shack, which is the most haunted home in Britain.
Costing up your Silver Screen Staycation to Hogsmeade was a little simpler than some of our others, as compared to say Canto Bight, it’s pretty local! Hogwarts and Hogsmeade are based in the Scottish Highlands, and so costs were calculated based on real trips north. Food and drink costs were found by converting Harry Potter currency – knuts, sickles and galleons – into pounds and it’s a bargain.
Cost to Visit – £194
WAKANDA (Black Panther, 2018)
Brought to light in the amazing Marvel Movie, this isolated and hidden land in Africa is the place to get away from it all, Wakanda has only just started opening up to the world, which is good news for early visitors as it’s fairly untouched by the hoards of tourists. Wakanda really has everything for you Silver Screen Staycation, it caters for the fans of the city and lovers of rolling countrysides. With its beautiful natural scenery including the mountains with giant, cascading waterfalls, surrounded by lush green fields and amazing tropical forests all with the backdrop of the shimmering skyscrapers of glass and steel that tower into the African skies. With Wakanda being the most advanced nation on the planet you stay will be a delight for anyone. This is a country that not only respects its heritage but also delights in the modern world of tech, plus you get some gorgeous purple sunsets.
Betway looked to local equivalents for Wakanda and found that Marvel fans generally agreed that the nearest real-world equivalent was Nairobi. Costs were calculated from there, with an additional extra cost for the hiring of a flying jet to get in and out.
Cost to Visit – £1096.36
ISLA NUBLAR (Jurassic Park, 1993)
Remember as a child your fascination with dinosaurs? Then cam Jurassic Park and all your dreams came true, now with the new Jurassic World movies relighting the spark and of course the Battle of Big Rock short movie, it’s time to revisit, but we know there may be some things to sort out during your stay, we can’t have all the big dinosaurs running amok during the electrical storms and the fences not stopping them going on a stomping spree, but hey it’s a great looking place and who wouldn;t want to stay somewhere with these amazing creatures actually walking around! We can assure you that Isla Nubar is perfectly safe for your Silver Screen Staycation.
Working out the cost of your staycation, the location is based off the shore of Costa Rica, it’s going to cost you a chunk to get there – flights into San Jose, then a transfer and a boat, and getting into the park itself may cost you an arm and a leg (hopefully not literally, just stear clear of the Indominous Rex. Based on estimated running cost alone, you’re looking at an extortionate ticket price to get in – say £7483! Betway took food costs based on Orlando’s Seaworld, and worked out insurance costs based on fees for shark cage diving – an activity which shares Isla Nublar’s risk of being eaten…
Cost to Visit – 15335.55
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
