‘Wheel of Fortune’ fans debate ‘disappointing’ prize puzzles: Is show cutting costs?

For all skills related to the solution Wheel of Fortune riddles (without embarrass yourself on national television), the syndicated game show definitely has an element of luck. And fans think some Prize Puzzle prizes will turn out to be disappointments.

“Imagine that you are driving VOF and win the coveted puzzle prize, and you can’t wait to find out if you’re going to Turks and Caicos or Barcelona or (on) an Alaska cruise, just to hear (announcer) Jim (Thornton) I’ll tell you that you’re going to Salem, Massachusetts or Savannah, Georgia,” one fan wrote on new topic on reddit. “Nothing against these places, but come on, it’s a trip for half the party.”

This fan wondered if the “travel” was producers’ way of making money back after handing out big prizes – or if producers “just cut back so much this year.”

This poor girl worked hard to solve the Wheel of Fortune prize puzzle and ended up winning, thinking she was in for a special journey. She got a trip to… Salem, Massachusetts. Her face

— AJ (@slayjb2) October 24, 2024

When a commenter said, “Both of these cities are great vacation spots,” the original post responded, “Absolutely they are. I personally love Salem, but rarely travel or even been there. I’m just saying that if I won that trip and a couple of days ago someone won a trip to Greece, it would be a little disappointing.”

Another fan agreed. “My husband and I laugh every time we travel around the US,” they wrote. “(I have) the same thought: (I) hope the winner doesn’t live three or four hours from the venue.”

One commenter said they live an hour outside of Salem and listed some of the historic Massachusetts town’s tourist attractions, including the Peabody Essex Museum and local whale watching tours. “But winning a trip there over the Caribbean, Alaska or Europe? Bummer,” they added.

Other fans disagreed, with one saying they would be ecstatic if they won a vacation to the so-called Lower 48. “Any type of destination means a luxury hotel room, entertainment and food, but overseas destinations mean losing a couple of days on air travel,” they claimed. “I’d rather minimize travel time and relax as much as possible.”

Someone else wrote: “I’m sure many of these participants would love to win an all-expenses-paid trip to just about anywhere. How many of them have passports, can take time off from work, or even afford to pay taxes on their winnings? Heck, I travel several times a year (for pleasure, not work) and there are countless places here in the US that I’ve never been to and would love to win a trip to.”

How excited would you be to win a vacation to the continental US in a prize challenge? Let us know in the comments!

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