US & Canada PTR - 2 sleeps to go, wow

[areweindisneyyet]

Love the plan. So many of my bucket list things in one amazing trip. Can't wait to read along. I love your trip reports. I totally get the need to be organised, before our trip last year if I had not been organised by this point I never would be. Crazy busy working and lucky to get two days off in a month. (i have resigned from this job and am now working for me, its all about the priorities)We flew out 9 dec last year for our US Christmas and I was still emailing the morning we left.

Love the sporting events, love the ice hockey, the schedule didn't work for our trip last year which was is appointing. Can't wait to hear about the Christmas Spectacular, a perfect Christmas Day activity.

We did t mobile thing for our trip. I bought two Sim cards, one for I phone and one for Nokia. They were around 29 each. I the. Purchased $60 credit for the I phone which gave me 2gb data and unlimited texts and calls for a month. This also included calls to international landlines. He'd to pay to international mobile. For the second phone we purchased $30 credit which gave us 1500 mins over the mth. 1 text is 1 minute. We put in the sims at home the night before we left and we immediately got a message from t mobile. You are in Australia and the global roaming rate is. I had rung a week before to Telstra to unlock the phone. .

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

hi spent Christmas in NYC in 2005 with dw and in 2010 with dw and 4 yo ds

of there is one experience you have to do it is the radio city music hall Christmas spectacular . it is quintessential NYC Xmas experience - there are specials on for tickets right now

also ice skating wollman rink in central park or Rockefeller centre

Christmas windows

serendipity - very cool little restruant, try the frozen hot chocolate. your dd will be in heaven if she likes desert

If you haven't been to NYC before use subways great cheap safe and quick to get around. we
also did 72 hour all loops hop on hop off . saw everything at our own pace. gave us a good overview of city for our own exploring

you will love NYC at Christmas it is beautiful

even better when it snows (unless it is a once in 50 year blizzard)- although that only slowed us down for 12 hours. we got an extra 3 days in NYC Paid for by travel insurance.

Thanks for all the ideas and tips. I have Serendipity on the list of things that would be good to go to if we get time. Perhaps I should move it up the list of must dos, that frozen hot chocolate sounds delish.

And yes, please no blizzards hehe.

oops got ahead of myself there - saw NYC at Chrissy and got excited. now I have read your post you have most of those things

Thanks

OK...guess I am sad you are not staying in our area longer - there is much to see! Honestly makes me wonder whether you should bother, and instead go right from Quebec to Boston. It seems like a lot of cost and effort to look at some frozen water.

Skier Pete - I realise 1 day is not enough to scratch the surface of anywhere, especially somewhere as beautiful as this area. But to me it is definitely worth the cost and effort to see such an amazing sight. I am confident we won't have any regrets about the cost and effort once we are standing there gazing at the falls, frozen water or not . Sorry to make you sad though, but 1 day is better than no days right.

Love the plan. So many of my bucket list things in one amazing trip. Can't wait to read along. I love your trip reports. I totally get the need to be organised, before our trip last year if I had not been organised by this point I never would be. Crazy busy working and lucky to get two days off in a month. (i have resigned from this job and am now working for me, its all about the priorities)We flew out 9 dec last year for our US Christmas and I was still emailing the morning we left.

Love the sporting events, love the ice hockey, the schedule didn't work for our trip last year which was is appointing. Can't wait to hear about the Christmas Spectacular, a perfect Christmas Day activity.

We did t mobile thing for our trip. I bought two Sim cards, one for I phone and one for Nokia. They were around 29 each. I the. Purchased $60 credit for the I phone which gave me 2gb data and unlimited texts and calls for a month. This also included calls to international landlines. He'd to pay to international mobile. For the second phone we purchased $30 credit which gave us 1500 mins over the mth. 1 text is 1 minute. We put in the sims at home the night before we left and we immediately got a message from t mobile. You are in Australia and the global roaming rate is. I had rung a week before to Telstra to unlock the phone. .

I must go back and read your adventures from last year AWIDY. Thanks so much for the information re the T mobile sims. I have to say the mobile issue is giving me sleepless nights this time for some reason. I don't know what it is, I guess because this is the longest trip we have taken. With regard to the 1500 mins, 1 text is 1 minute, did that include texts to international?

We definitely need to make sure we have wifi on the laptop and ipad at least, but on the iphones would be handy too. We have a 14 year old DD who will feel like she has had a limb severed by not having her mobile phone and texting so I figure so long as she can get a Facebook fix and catch up with her friends that way we should all be fine

 

[Andona]

We definitely need to make sure we have wifi on the laptop and ipad at least, but on the iphones would be handy too. We have a 14 year old DD who will feel like she has had a limb severed by not having her mobile phone and texting so I figure so long as she can get a Facebook fix and catch up with her friends that way we should all be fine

Shuttergirl, I don't think I mentioned before that I 've bought the AT&T iPad sim from Travelgear ( as well as the iphone ones) I'll let you know how that works out after we hit L.A.

Andona

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

I'm just about to buy tickets for the KSC so I can cross another thing off my to-do-list.

I was wanting to do the Grayline tour where you do the airboat ride through the Everglades but unfortunately the "fraidy" DH thinks it's a bit unsafe for the kids (and probably him hehe) so we will just be booking the KSC direct tour.

My question to those more experienced Disers is I have the option to be picked up at The Disney Swan Hotel or Disney All Star Music. We are staying at Port Orleans French Quarter. Which hotel/resort would be the closest as we will likely catch a taxi over to the pick up point.

Any thoughts would be most welcome.

Also, I don't think I'll bother with a "dining with an astronaut" booking however would love to hear from someone who has done this.

My family is not as excited about NASA as me, I really can't understand why but I know once I drag them there they will adore it.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Shuttergirl - I would nominate a pick up at the Swan. It is located at the Boardwalk area; and I can't remember if the resort buses take you there or not.

In any event, from the PO area resorts, the Epcot resorts are closer than the All Stars.

And tell your DH that the airboat ride is NOT dangerous in any way at all. It is a lot of fun and we really enjoyed it.




ETA - I just double checked. There is complimentary transportation for resort guests to the Boardwalk.

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/disneys-boardwalk/transportation/

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Shuttergirl - I would nominate a pick up at the Swan. It is located at the Boardwalk area; and I can't remember if the resort buses take you there or not.

In any event, from the PO area resorts, the Epcot resorts are closer than the All Stars.

And tell your DH that the airboat ride is NOT dangerous in any way at all. It is a lot of fun and we really enjoyed it.




ETA - I just double checked. There is complimentary transportation for resort guests to the Boardwalk.

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/disneys-boardwalk/transportation/

Thanks PIO, I was thinking the Swan and now you've confirmed it for me.

I agree that the airboat would be so fun. He said something about gators, jumping in boats, not safe and I zoned out . I was watching CSI Miami last night and they were zooming about on airboats and I was thinking - wheeeeeeee

 

[hjd0411]

Oh I second the vote for airboats!! Had a ball last time on a smaller boat (6 seater plus driver). We went wherever we wanted to go for 2 hours, just us and the driver. Got some great photos, saw loads of wildlife - gators included from itty bitty babies to huge 12 footers!! Never once did we feel in danger at all, and it was a great getaway from the madness that can be WDW..!! ;-)
I would do it again in a heartbeat - just don't think I have time this trip! :-(
And when we went to KSC I was really really excited to go, my travel buddy not so much. Guess who loved it too??!! :-0 so I'm thinking the same will happen to your family!!

 

[Mum from oz]

I think your kids will enjoy Kennedy when they get there. I wasn't sure mine would as they were 3 and 4 when we went, I wasn't even sure if I'd enjoy it but we all had a really good day. It was really interesting.

As for airboats we also did this and I wouldn't have thought it dangerous at all. Maybe your DH has been watching to much Swamp People (I know I do) and seen all the fish leap into boats. I know where we went at Boggy Creek the boats are inspected regularly be the U.S coast guard and have life jackets and hearing protection. Also their boat captains are coast guard certified. I felt completely safe with my two kidlets and we all had a ball.

 

[Melbourne5]

If anyone was watching abc news 24 last night about 10pm they crossed live to Orlando / KSC to show the space shuttle that's taking a piggyback on a 747 taking off and then doing some flyovers on its way to a museum in LA. It was sensational viewing. Was anyone there to see it?

 

[PrincessInOz]

If anyone was watching abc news 24 last night about 10pm they crossed live to Orlando / KSC to show the space shuttle that's taking a piggyback on a 747 taking off and then doing some flyovers on its way to a museum in LA. It was sensational viewing. Was anyone there to see it?

Someone posted this link in one of the PTRs I"m following...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPK7IlsX2ns&feature=em-uploademail

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Oh I second the vote for airboats!! Had a ball last time on a smaller boat (6 seater plus driver). We went wherever we wanted to go for 2 hours, just us and the driver. Got some great photos, saw loads of wildlife - gators included from itty bitty babies to huge 12 footers!! Never once did we feel in danger at all, and it was a great getaway from the madness that can be WDW..!! ;-)
I would do it again in a heartbeat - just don't think I have time this trip! :-(
And when we went to KSC I was really really excited to go, my travel buddy not so much. Guess who loved it too??!! :-0 so I'm thinking the same will happen to your family!!

Great to hear your friend was a convert at KSC. I'm sure my family will thank me for dragging then there.

I think your kids will enjoy Kennedy when they get there. I wasn't sure mine would as they were 3 and 4 when we went, I wasn't even sure if I'd enjoy it but we all had a really good day. It was really interesting.

As for airboats we also did this and I wouldn't have thought it dangerous at all. Maybe your DH has been watching to much Swamp People (I know I do) and seen all the fish leap into boats. I know where we went at Boggy Creek the boats are inspected regularly be the U.S coast guard and have life jackets and hearing protection. Also their boat captains are coast guard certified. I felt completely safe with my two kidlets and we all had a ball.

I think I will have to show my DH all of your comments and see if he changes his mind. I'd really love to do this.

If anyone was watching abc news 24 last night about 10pm they crossed live to Orlando / KSC to show the space shuttle that's taking a piggyback on a 747 taking off and then doing some flyovers on its way to a museum in LA. It was sensational viewing. Was anyone there to see it?

Cool

 

[Travel Mum]

I was mother help on my 7 year-old DD's class trip to the Carter Observatory today. I already knew that our whole family had enjoyed our day at the KSC last year but I was reminded of it when I saw her so interested in what she was seeing today and often remembering things we saw at KSC

 

[skier_pete]

The Disney web-site might say it, but there are no direct buses to the Boardwalk from the other resorts. (Well, you could bus from the other epcot resorts.) Note that same page that says "Bus" for the other resorts also says:

Most areas throughout Walt Disney World Resort, including Disney Theme Parks, Disney Water Parks, Resort hotels and the Downtown Disney Area, are accessible by bus. Some bus routes may require transfer from one bus to another.

However, I concur that if taking a taxi, the Swan is a closer locale than the All-stars to POFQ. We have taxied from POFQ to the Beach Club for breakfast, and it was only about $15.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

I definitely think for the sake of $15 it will be much more convenient to just cab it over to the Swan.

 

[dabecs]

Ms Shuttergirl - not sure if you have looked into the Kennedy Space centre annual membership? It costs $55 (special this year) and includes:

Commander's Club – Kennedy Space Center Annual Pass Benefits:
Year-round access to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, including the Kennedy Space Center Tour, Shuttle Launch Experience, IMAX® space films, daily astronaut encounters, free admission to the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame® and more.
$10 off admission for up to six guests
10% off at The Space Shop
Complimentary subscription to Kennedy Space Center’s Apogee StarNews, published three times annually
Invitations to special events, exhibits and ceremonies
10% off Astronaut Training Experience and Camp KSC
20% off on-site food locations
Commemorative collectible coin

It is definitely worth it in my opinion

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Dabecs, that does look like a good deal. I'm not sure whether it would be worthwhile with us not having a car and having to pay $99 per ticket which includes entry etc.

However if you were driving yourself there I think this is a definite must.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

I'm going to buy my 1 day universal tickets online and it would seem that Undercover Tourist are the cheaper option at $90 which includes tax and they ship you the tickets free. Buying directly with Universal comes in at approx. $95 per ticket and you print at home.

My question is, I am going through the checkout process on Undercover Tourist and it isn't asking me for a date. Are the tickets for whatever date we want to go there? Do you not have to nominate a date????

 

[dabecs]

Dabecs, that does look like a good deal. I'm not sure whether it would be worthwhile with us not having a car and having to pay $99 per ticket which includes entry etc.

However if you were driving yourself there I think this is a definite must.

I didn't catch that you were going with a tour - sorry We are driving and with normal entry $50 per person the annual membership is a great deal for us (we are a party of 6 so the $10 off will save us $50!!)

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

So guess what? I told my DH what you guys said about the airboats and he said okay fine, do it! I hope he doesn't regret saying that .

Are you sure sure sure they are safe?

 

[hjd0411]

Absolutely safe!! Just as long as you follow the rules and don't do anything silly - which you wouldn't anyway!! You really won't regret it! I loved it.

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