The crazy things vacationers would rather have happen to them than have no internet connection

Research conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Roku found that internet was a vacation rental must-have for nearly three in four people. (Photo by Joey Nicotra on Unsplash)

Americans would rather endure such vacation travesties as lost luggage or food poisoning, rather than go without internet while on vacation.

Almost half of respondents (49 percent) said that no internet access would qualify as a vacation disaster ‒ just think, no streaming TV, music or movies.

Lost luggage (54 percent), food poisoning (47 percent), consistent bad weather (47 percent) and a lost credit card (44 percent) also all constituted a vacay gone-wrong.

The survey of 2,000 Americans, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Roku, found that internet was a vacation rental must-have for nearly three in four people, above even air conditioning (61 percent) and laundry (53 percent).

When respondents were given the choice between having Netflix or caffeine on a trip, two in five Americans said binge-watching takes the top spot over their morning cup of joe.

Access to the television is clearly important for people, especially the little ones. On average, kids will ask if they can watch TV within 31 minutes of arriving to a new location.

Four in 10 parents admitted that their kids wouldn’t even make it past the 15-minute mark before asking mom or dad to turn on the television.

But adults are just as impatient on vacation as kids, especially when it comes to that all-important internet access.

Connectivity is very important to adults while on vacation. It will take an average of 27 minutes before someone asks for the Wi-Fi password, with 42 percent start asking around within the first 15 minutes of arrival.

The trouble doesn’t stop there for who chose to connect and stream entertainment while on holiday. Forty-eight percent of respondents admitted to forgetting to log out of a streaming service while staying at a vacation rental.

While there were many things that could make a trip go awry, it’s the heart-warming little things that made respondents’ list of vacation’s simple pleasures.

Fifty-six percent love nothing more than a nice dinner out while other favorite activities included exploring the town (55 percent) and bonding over a TV or a movie with friends or family (46 percent).

Even on a trip, respondents made it a point to keep up to date with their favorite shows.

“America’s Got Talent,” “American Ninja Warrior,” “The Bachelorette,” baseball, “Big Brother,” “Big Little Lies” and “Hollywood Game Night” all ranked high on the list summer TV favorites.

“Vacation is meant for kicking back, relaxing and having some fun. We know that for many people, streaming their favorite TV shows and movies is the ultimate way to unwind while they’re away,” said Roku’s streaming entertainment expert, Abby Reyes. “Whether traveling solo or with family and friends, staying in a rental home or hotel, there are plenty of ways to keep up with the must-watch summer TV shows or enjoy classic summer movies with loved ones.”

When it comes to family time, parents can’t wait to share beloved summer films like “Camp Rock,” “Aquamarine,” “Caddyshack,” “Camp Nowhere” and “Summer School.” As kids get older, parents can share classics from the pop culture lexicon and their own coming-of-age summers.

“Aquamarine” and “Summer School” aren’t just for the little ones seeing as they also made it on to the overall list of the best summer movies.

Results found that other favorites included in the top 10 were “A Goofy Movie,” “Adventureland” and “Baywatch,” along with “American Graffiti,” “Almost Famous,” “Blue Crush” and “National Lampoon’s Vacation.”

Reyes added, “For those who have a short term rental or people visiting regularly, we recently launched a great feature for Roku players called ‘Guest Mode,’ which solves the problem of guests forgetting to log out of a streaming service. When turned on, Guest Mode allows guests to sign in to subscription channels using their own account credentials. Guests choose their departure date and those credentials will be automatically removed from the device on the date they’ve selected. This way, no one has to worry about forgetting to log out!”

FAVORITE SUMMER MOVIES

1. A Goofy Movie
2. Adventureland
3. Baywatch
4. American Graffiti
5. Almost Famous
6. Aquamarine
7. Endless Summer
8. Summer School
9. Blue Crush
10. National Lampoon’s Vacation
11. Independence Day
12. Blue Lagoon
13. Camp Rock
14. Road Trip
15. Camp Nowhere
16. Dirty Dancing
17. Wet, Hot American Summer
18. Weekend at Bernie’s
19. Breaking Away
20. I Know What You Did Last Summer
21. Caddyshack
22. Great Outdoors
23. Mamma Mia
24. The Parent Trap
25. 50 First Dates
26. Dog Day Afternoon
27. Crossroads
28. Stand By Me
29. Friday the 13th
30. Heavyweights
31. Moonrise Kingdom
32. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
33. It Takes Two
34. Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead
35. What About Bob?
36. Lilo & Stitch
37. Flipper
38. Dazed and Confused
39. Jaws
40. Do the Right Thing
41. The Goonies
42. The Sandlot
43. The Way, Way, Back
44. E.T.
45. Meatballs
46. Rear Window
47. The Lizzie McGuire Movie
48. Seven Year Itch
49. Something’s Gotta Give

SUMMER TV FAVORITES

1. America’s Got Talent
2. American Ninja Warrior
3. The Bachelorette
4. Bachelor in Paradise
5. Baseball
6. Big Brother
7. Big Little Lies
8. Celebrity Family Feud
9. Golf
10. Hollywood Game Night
11. Love Island
12. Master Chef
13. Match Game
14. Pose
15. Soccer
16. So You Think You Can Dance
17. To Tell the Truth
18. Women’s World Cup
19. Younger

TOP VACATION MOVIES FOR EVERYONE IN THE FAMILY

1. Camp Rock
2. Aquamarine
3. Caddyshack
4. Camp Nowhere
5. Summer School
6. Crossroads
7. Endless Summer
8. The Parent Trap
9. Mamma Mia
10. Dirty Dancing
11. Weekend at Bernie’s
12. Stand By Me
13. The Goonies
14. National Lampoon’s Vacation
15. Heavyweights
16. Moonrise Kingdom
17. It Takes Two
18. The Sandlot
19. Dazed and Confused
20. Flipper
21. Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead
22. The Way, Way, Back
23. Meatballs
24. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
25. E.T.
26. Jaws

RENTAL HOME MUST HAVES

1. Internet 74%
2. Television 62%
3. Air conditioning 61%
4. Pool 56%
5. Laundry 53%
6. Accessible to town 48%
7. Streaming options 46%
8. Parking 44%
9. Multiple bedrooms 42%

THINGS THAT WOULD MAKE FOR A VACATION DISASTER

1. Lost luggage 54%
2. No internet access 49%
3. Food poisoning 47%
4. Consistent bad weather 47%
5. Lost credit card 44%
6. Bad/unsafe location 43%
7. Lost passport/I.D. 40%
8. Got sick (sore throat, etc.) 40%
9. Air conditioner breakage 38%
10. Plumbing breakage 38%
11. Lost reservations 33%
12. Missed/delayed flight 33%
13. Terrible traffic 33%

VACATION SIMPLE PLEASURES

1. Nice dinner out 56%
2. Explore the town 55%
3. Out for a drink 49%
4. Watch TV/movie 46%
5. Bath 44%
6. Early to bed 35%
7. Bonfire/s’mores 35%

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