PrincessInOz
Thanks for my avatar, Mary Jo!
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2010
I wanna be at Disney on a Disney coaster
Me too...
I wanna be at Disney on a Disney coaster
Hiya Shushh,
Your dates for WDW are pretty much the same as what we would be considering for next year.
What love to see that crazy detailed table once it's done
Thanks for the heads up re the water park ticket pricing. We certainly wouldn't be going more than one day and so will just decide once there.
I look forward to hearing your feedback on MVMCP.
I would love to see the travel times table if you are happy to share.
I'm happy to tell you more about our previous 5 days in NYC. It was amazing and we saw lots of the "main tourist things" but we are now keen to do some other stuff.
Thanks for all of the answers.
I'd be more than happy to share the info! Just PM me your email address.
Would actually love to hear more about your dining experiences in NYC. We're keen to do the "main tourtist things" as well as it will the first time there for most of us. I remember that you took a bus tour? Do you remember how big/small the group was?
Thank you for all the details!!! It is very helpful. We are staying at the NOvotel Times Square. We are quite keen on the bus tour as well with very similar reasons to you. Do you think it would be doable with 6 children ( aged 2,3,5,5,8,8)? There are 14 of us in total so hopefully we won't bother too many other people...
I completely disagree with this!!!Empire State Building is expensive and to be honest not worth the money. I read many reviews that say the Top of the Rock is better so maybe try that instead.
I completely disagree with this!!!
It is true that top of the rock is better (because you can see the Empire State Building from there )
But if you get the VERY good value Citi Pass it is included and so not at all expensive. http://www.citypass.com/new-york
To me the highlights of NYC are all included in the Citi Pass.
You get the MET (unmissable) and the actually very good Natural History Museum. [And if you have any fans of the Night at the Museum movie!!!]
The Top of the Rock is ALSO now included (which it wasn't when we went.)
The Circleline cruise is fantastic.
We always do the Upgrade to the 3-Hour Full Island Cruise which is a full circumnavigation Manhattan Island for an additional $4.
We have done all these attractions on both recent trips to NY and never get bored of them. The cruise is the best perspective you will get of NY. And rather than GOING to Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty and spending hours queuing you cruise close to them so you can get GREAT photos of them.
We didn't do any tours. NYC is about the easiest city to get around yourself and we would just hop in a taxi to get from one end of the city to another. We were either a group of 3 or 4 and a trip from one end to the other would be $8-10. We would go to the relevant avenue cross street and then go say 34th to 80th.
It has become clear to me that Shuttergirl and I have completely different priorities (If anything is a waste of time and money it is the carriage ride)
So make what you will of my opinions in comparison.
[I completely respect your opinions Shuttergirl! It just facinates me how we are polar opposites when it comes to American Cities ]
My first trip to the US was as a 9 year old.Hmmm, how to respond to such an interesting post from you Queenie. Let me see...
I didn't do the Top of the Rock because my husband insisted on doing the Empire State Building, a kind of "when in Rome" thing for him. Whilst for the first minute or so it was great to have a look over Manhattan (I got some great pictures) I felt that it wasn't worth the expense, but I didn't get the Citi Pass which I agree does look like good value.
With our tour we also did the cruise past the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. I agree that I think it is a waste of time lining up to go into the Statue of Liberty when the best views of her are from the water. We took the ferry over to Statten Island and thoroughly enjoyed it.
The taxis were definitely a quick way to get around, however my DH felt the taxi drivers were insane and he fear for our children's lives every time we hopped in one . Taxis also might not be an option for Shushh since they have little ones who will need child restraints.
It looks to me Queenie like we do agree on much of the above.
One other thing we agree on is that yes "we totally have different priorities" mainly because I am travelling with children and you are not. Of course you would approach any trip differently than I would. It is a completely different experience to travel with children and my focus would be on a million different things to what your focus would be.
The carriage ride for children is so much fun, it is something they don't get to do very often and I am positive other parents would agree with me. For just adults maybe it does lack a little something, I can't be sure.
I'm not wishing to get into a war with you on the subject here Queenie because I was just trying to give Shushh "my" opinion which she asked me for. But with that said, while you say you respect my opinions I have found that your comments can be quite rude and aggessive at times when people try to express an opinion different to your own. I think your knowledge of the US and esp Disney related stuff is incredible and I always value your information, however I think sometimes it is delivered with an acid tongue and as with email and texting, tone is often hard to convey in writing. I am sure this is not your intention though. I know you are just trying to give your input very generously.
So Shushh, make of all of this information what you will , with a crowd of 14 I am certain your priorities will differ vastly from Queenie's and my own. You are one brave woman to travel with such a tribe and I can't wait to hear how it all works out on your return. And I am desperate to hear about your Washington experiences so any info you can share about that would be wonderful.
My first trip to the US was as a 9 year old.
We did ALL these attractions (with exception to top of the rock which wasn't open and the cruise) when I was 9 and adored them
So please don't be condescending about what children might and might not like.
I am actually giving a child's AND adult's experience.
I went to museums and galleries in Paris, London, Amsterdam etc as a 9 year old.
I ADORED them all.
I find it curious that you choose to criticise my 'manner' in a very condescending and arrogant manner
So I'm feeling really pleased with the New York to Washington leg of our trip. The Amtrak train looks like a great option. At $147 each way total for our family of 4, I think under $300 is a good price to get us all down there and to see some scenery on the way. Plus the kids have never been on a long train ride so they will probably enjoy it. I've read somewhere I think that the food isn't that great so much remember to pack snacks for the kids.
It's the getting from NY to Canada part that I am struggling with. Flying is expensive after Christmas, I did some quick research and it was looking like being something like $1500-$1800 return. Ouch. Amtrak is an option at I think around $350 return all up which is great, however it's about 9 hours of travel each way so I'm concerned about losing so much time. The other option is to hire a car and drive which would still take ages but we could enjoy the scenery and spend some time in Boston and anywhere else that took our fancy. Problem with this option is neither of us are keen to drive in the US (I can hear you groaning Queenie ). And in fact I doubt whether hubby would do it, but he said he would be happy for me to. That would be right . To be honest, I'd be the calmer one of the two so I would be the best option. Just not sure if I want the pressure but maybe we would find it more rewarding. Don't know. I'm starting to feel that at this time of year the Canada thing is going to be too hard and maybe we should skip it.
What's Hawaii like in January )
What's Hawaii like in January )
FANTASTIC!What's Hawaii like in January )
FANTASTIC!
Didn't like Waikiki area at all. Very much like tacky gold coast cavill mall. There are designer shops but it is all so bleh...
Can't WAIT for the new DVC to go in though! It is in a beautiful part of Oahu.
I really want to visit Kauai too....that is where Stitch lives when he isn't on the mainland