Much ado about nothing, and more planning

Hello?  Is there anyone there?  Everyone’s started off with a bit of a flurry with these blogs, but it’s been quiet for a while now.  I just went through and checked the comments that get left on our posts, and there is no escaping the crap that people throw around the internet is there?  Spam email, spam on our boards and spam on our blogs.  Good thing though is we can mark it, delete and ignore it.

I’m sitting writing this at home, I’m off work for just over a week which is good for both me and the boss.  Can’t believe how boring and irrelevant my job is at the moment.  I don’t achieve anything or contribute to the greater good.  I just go round and round in circles.  Bit like NASCAR, without the excitement.  Speaking of NASCAR our boy is going great at the moment isn’t he?  Sitting 18th and ticking off a string of top 10 finishes.  As Barney would say, Marcos is Legen-Dairy!

I’m preparing for the upcoming State Age Netball Championships starting tomorrow for 3 days.  The team I’m with are in the championship division, under 14s.  We should do pretty good, but it’s amazing how the tension builds up though.  I’m only assisting coaching and I’m starting to get nervous.  I could imagine how the main coach and especially the players are feeling right now.  It’s going to be exciting and I’m really looking forward to it.  Gotta love sports don’t you?  So if you happen to be in the Liverpool area, pop in and check it out.

Well on to important stuff now.  Planning for our big trip next year is coming along nicely.  The itinerary is pretty well locked in as far as where we’ll be on any given day.  We’ve locked in over half of our preferred accommodation as well and are well on the way to formulating our key activities.  Nothing’s available to book yet.  I’ve started looking at the websites of the hotels which won’t be “on-site” and they’re just not quite in the window, but at least I can start to guage some pricing.  I was getting a little excited with the dollar up in the mid 80s a few weeks ago, and I nearly paid for the cruise and cashed some money as well.  I should have cashed some money at least, so I missed the boat there, but I’m still relaxed about it.  I just get nervous, especially after the disappointement with the Tokyo trip, and not wanting to make the same mistake again.  The itinerary?  of course, sorry, here it is.

Dec 5th land in San Francisco, spend 3 nights there and make a visit to the Disney Museum.  So looking forward to this, and I really love SF.  Didn’t get to go there on our last visit which was a bummer.
Dec 8th we fly out for Orlando.  Not sure where we’ll stay yet, but we have 3 days before the cruise departs.  We plan to visit NASA and just look around a bit.  We also plan to do the Mickey and Minnie’s Very Merry Xmas Party during these 3 days as well.  Figured we’re better doing that out of the crowds.  We’ll also be able to activate our Annual Passes during the quieter time as well.
Dec 11th, the cruise departs.  7 Night Western Caribbean on the Magic.  We have booked a balcony cabin and are so looking forward to this.  Everything I see and read just looks awesome.
Dec 18th the cruise arrives and we’ll be going to Universal for 5 nights, more than likely staying in Hard Rock.  We plan to do Universal in detail, maybe a day and half at least and expect to spend 2 days in Islands of Adventure.  With eldest daughter being so passionate a Harry Potter fan, I suggest no stone or hidden secret will remain unturned.  Plus I so want to ride dueling dragons and the other great rides there.
Dec 23rd, the start of our WDW escapade.  We realise that this is the busiest time of year to visit the world, but hey it’s Xmas, and what a better time to sample a Disney park than at Xmas time.  We will be splitting WDW into 2, first chunk 14 days and then another 7 after that.  The first stint, we don’t plan to do much, just soak up the festivities and see the Xmas sights.  I will book ADRs for the Candlelight Processional and also for Fantasmic.  I will also pick out a special spot to eat Xmas dinner at, and we want to also make sure we do the same for Xmas Eve dinner, as this is what the locals seem to do as well.  NYE will need to be planned in detail, as having spent one in DL I know how packed they can be and want to make sure we get it right.  Our preferred accommodation for this 14 days is the Port Orleans French Quarter.
Jan 6th we go and stay somewhere near Sea World for 4 nights.  The family are so itching to do Discovery Cove and we love Sea World as well so we’ll spend some time there.  I plan to attack Manta! as hard as I can.  I love the inverted coasters, but to lie down throws up another dimension to it.  Aquatica also looks exciting.
Back to the World on the 10th of Jan for 7 more nights, planning to stay at the Caribbean Beach Resort in a Pirate room.  How can you resist staying in a room themed to Pirates of the Caribbean?  We can’t, so that is our plan.  I reckon we’ll adopt a bit of a theme park commando style for this week as well.  Low crowds and the urge to do as much as possible following our slow first time there will be too much to bear.
And as if that wasn’t enough, on the 18th we’ll leave Florida and find ourselves in Anaheim for a relaxing and emotional I’m sure, 5 nights in the DLR, staying at this stage in the Paradise Pier Hotel.  Hopefully the bulk of the work will be complete by then in DCA (I know Carsland and Little Mermaid won’t be, but then what a good excuse to return the following year), and hopefully they have also fixed the Dragon in Fantasmic by then (lol).  There has been alot of changes we won’t have seen since our last visit in Jan 2006, so we need to catch up on them

That’s it.  We depart on the 23rd, home on the 25th, just in time for Australia Day.  It’s a long time, and yes the budget will take a hammering, but our kids are 17 and 14 by this time, and I can’t see us being able to shout them on a trip like this again (they are more then welcome to travel with us in future, but they pay themselves ), so whatever it takes will be worth it.  Timewise not an issue either, with me having over 5 months long service leave and Ros also having some LSL plus school holidays as well.  The only risk to this is that I may not be employed coming into the new year, so my new employer will need to be aware and accommodating of my extended time away next December and January.

Well I gotta go.  Have to tidy the kitchen, hang out the towels, put the sheets in the wash, clean the pool, probably sweep the floors, pick the kids up from school, try and fit in a coffee and a beer somewhere, watch the footy and cricket, set the timer to record the Townsville races and get ready for the extreme weekend of Netball.  See you all around the boards!

Anthoyn

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So that was christmas …

Apologies to the poor use of the legend’s (John Lennon) song lyric there, but it had to be.  Christmas 2008 came and went like a flash, but luckily I was able to take a few weeks off which I had already booked for the ill fated trip to Tokyo.  Go back to work on the 19th which is going to be a bummer.

I suppose many of you were like me and spent the equivalent to a small African nation’s GDP on gifts and food.  It is incredible what we spend.  On this year’s budget I could have done 7 nights in a moderate level Anaheim hotel with 14 day DL park hopper for the 4 of us!  But it was a great day anyway.  This was a rare year when we were able to stay at home all day, with the trade off being the need to entertain near on 20 people.  To start with we were awoken at not too bad a time around 6 with the kids.  Then I was off to share the christmas spirit with the kids of our community with Santa delivering presents to those who participated.  It’s a few of us blokes who get together to do it and it is a great time, finishing up with a couple of well earned sherbets.  For this year the local bush firies have offered use of the fire truck which will be a great spectacle.  So overall our christmas was pleasant and luckily not too hot, unlike the weather that was to follow.

New year was another story though.  We had planned on doing very little, but ended up having dinner with friends and then wandering around to a local party.  Should have stuck with the planned to do nothing as it took me the whole next day to get over the 3 bottles of red I consumed the prior evening.  You know, we never learn do we.  Luckily Australian reds are just so good that at least it was enjoyable while it was going down.  This year’s poison was Wolf Blas Yellow label Cab Sav.

Now the new year did bring some joy at least.  We started in earnest the planning for the December 2010 trip to Orlando.  For those who revel in the planning process, you will know the discussion that this brings.  What to do where, when and how.  We want to do all the main attractions around Orlando as well as the cruise, but WDW is the focus.  Christmas must be spent in WDW somewhere as well as NYE.  Because cruises are set, we decided to work around those dates, so obviously, first things first, the cruise.  Which we decided upon and booked.  No point mucking around with these things.  December 11th 7 night Western Caribbean, deck 6.  We now are able to work every thing around this now, which is harder than it sounds.  I also want to be able to land in San Francisco and see the Disney Family Library before we head to Orlando and if possible duck into the Happiest Place on Earth for a few days on the way home.  I also want to be able to time the Very Merry Christmas Parade at MK as well as the Candlelight Processional at Epcot.  As you can see alot of planning, but thankfully time is on our side (at the moment anyway).  At least we’ve started with booking the cruise anyway.  In future blogs I’ll update on any new plans we make but for now, it’ll be a little low key.

On another note, starting Feb 3rd, I commence my time as Assistant Coach of the Camden & Districts U14 Representative Netball side.  I’m nervous but excited about the prospect.  I know some of you are saying WHAT THE about netball coaching.  But for the few years I’ve done it, I’ve enjoyed it, and I’m not bad at it either if I do say so myself.  But I wanted to learn more and this was one way I saw to do it, and I get to try and influence a team to achieve at a State Championship, which is pretty special I reckon.

Look forward to this year’s meetings and enjoyed the Wednesday night trivia.  I’ll open a little secret and tell you that I actually had the whole family in the study participating, we all had a ball.  Anyway until next time!

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My first EVER blog

As you can see from the title, I have never plunged into the depths of blogdom before.  I’ve always thought of blogs as being a self indulgent thing, and never considered that I would be one to do that.  But the other day, I had finished reading Lisa’s very good blog from her trip and thought, what the heck.  So I contacted Greg and here I am!  I won’t be fastidious or regular with this, just when the urge takes me.

In this one I’d like to cover our recent disappointment of having to cancel our Tokyo trip.  It was really self inflicted through a very poor planning decision, but nonetheless, it had to happen.  I plan to write a IMHO about my opinion of the impact of the financial crisis on travel from Australia, so this is more about us personally.

You see when we booked the trip the dollar was 105 yen.  We had planned to land at Osaka, spend a night look around then catch the train to Tokyo.  8 nights we had booked at the Palm & Fountain and then 4 nights at the majestic Disneyland Hotel.  After a train trip back to Osaka we had 3 more nights booked at the hotel right at Universal City for another few days looking around Osaka, Kyoto and also Universal before flying home.

At 105yen this turned out to be a decent holiday and good value considering our plans.  Once we booked it all, we then planned to buy the currency closer to christmas and then have everything set for our Jan 9 departure. 

Once the crisis hit and the dollar plummeted, I watched it and even at 90ish yen I still was confident that all would be OK and that it would level out shortly.  It shot through 80 and 70 quicker than I could react, and well that’s where are today, currently around 61 yen.  At 70yen, I was still prepared to stretch and go, but it never got back.

If it was only spending money that was impacted, it wasn’t so bad.  But when I made all the bookings, they would not allow me to pay in advance.  Booking direct with Hotels, that is reasonably common practice.  But that meant that the entire budget had to be taken with me, which is what caused the problem.  Perhaps I should have booked through a Travel Agent.  In hindsight, maybe, but I did speak with a couple at the time, and they offered me very little in the way of knowledge, support or confidence.  If you want something done properly …

So here we are!  2 days from xmas, and facing 2009 without visiting a Disney Park.  This is not ideal as we’re itching like anything.  January 20th 2006 was our last step inside a Disney park.  And our next now is not planned until December 2010.  But in the meantime, we have our good friends at DUD to help us through this tough time and the planning has started in earnest for that next trip.  I will be making better decisions for that one for sure.

Tokyo is not lost.  We are prepared to make a reactionary decision to go, if an opportunity presents itself that will be too good to refuse, so we have not taken it off the radar.  But for now though it’s soyanara to Tokyo 2009 for us.

Now that I’ve blabbered enough in my first self indulgent foray into the cyber world of journal making, I’ll finish up by wishing all of you in DUD land, your families and beyond a wonderful xmas and fun filled 2009 wherever you find yourself in the world!

Anthony

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Dreaming of Disney

Like many Australians of my generation, I grew up watching the Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday nights which introduced me to Disneyland. This was compulsory viewing – unless that pixie got it wrong! She would start hopping around the four lands: Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Adventureland and Frontierland. I would sit with fingers crossed, willing her to land on Fantasyland or Tomorrowland but I swear that wench landed on Frontierland far more often then any others – grrrr – cowboys and men with dead things on their heads! Adventureland was tolerable – the problem with Disney, as most fans would know, they have no qualms in killing off favourite animals, live or characters!

I also grew up watching the Mickey Mouse Club, (the second lot not the first lot- I’m not that old!), Mouse Factory, Duck Tails, Tail Spin etc

I desparately wanted to be a Mouseketeer and would leap out from shopping aisles or telegraph poles and say “Beth” with a great cheesy grin followed by a time-step ! ( age has tempered my enthusiasm)

In 1976 my Dsis went to Disneyland and brought me back two porcelain figurines: Mickey and Minnie. They have a wind up on the bottom, turn around and play M-I-C-K-E-Y and A spoonful of sugar, respectively, and they have held pride of place in my life ever since. Wherever I moved they came too and were displayed prominently. I still remember her description of the Haunted Mansion – the lift, the doom buggies, how you look over the balcony at the dancers and the mystery behind how they make the ghost sit next to you!

So I dreamed of visiting DL myself and never considered it within my reach for many years until “Make-a-wish” granted my then 12 year old DS his wish and sent us to DL in 2005. I cried walking in the gates, I cried on every ride and we all howled as we walked out of the gates on the last night. But as we walked through the tunnel and under the railway for the last time I promised them we would come back and in October I am fulfilling my promise!

Listen to Walt Disney’s dedication of Disneyland 1955:

01-walt-disneys-dedication-of-disneyland

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Best Ride

I read a lot of Disney websites – and I mean A LOT.  And I always see forum threads that ask questions like “What is the best park to visit?” or “Which is the best ride in Disneyland?” stuff like that.  I bet you could go right now to your top five Disney website forums and find a similar question on at least two of them in a very short amount of time.  It is a recurring theme.

So what is the best ride when you go to Disneyland?” – I know the answer.

But let’s have a look at some of the ones that aren’t quite number 1.

Indiana Jones – one of the greatest theme park rides around.  It is modern storytelling with special effects and no expense spared.

Space Mountain – innovative indoor roller coaster with a wonderful soundtrack and space visuals – IMHO better than WDW’s original.

Tea Cups – a Wonderful World of Disney TV show classic – who doesn’t get nostalgic for those evenings in the 1970’s watching the opening of that show when you are in the parks spinning in those cups?

Monorail – as above! An iconic ride made even more famous by TV.

It’s a Small World – so many of us lampoon it, but every time we visit, we ride it!

Pirates – Brilliant, storytelling genius.

Haunted Mansion – another classic attraction with special effects that look as good today as they did when most of them debuted in the late 1960’s.

So, these are some of the losers, and there are many more I didn’t list.  But the best ride when going to Disneyland is…

…the bus trip from LAX down Interstate 5 to Harbor Blvd.  Seeing those Disney signs as you get closer to the resort and the anticipation of the next few days/weeks ahead.  The knowledge that you are about to step out of reality, leaving your normal life of paying bills, cooking dinner, driving to work, picking up the dry cleaning, and all those day to day tasks behind.  It is the promise of fantasy, adventure, excitement, thrills and happiness – that is the best ride.

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Trip Countdown

Well as all the regular forum members know my sister (Dsis), my 2 sons (DS15 and DS12) and myself are heading “home” in 12 weeks and 3 days. (My husband DH is staying home to feed the cat but I’m sure he is thinking he made a big mistake in deciding not to go)

First stop LAX Holiday Inn to catch our breath for 1 night (Dsis thinks she might squeeze an LA tour in, sans homes of the stars, as it’s been 30 years since she stepped foot in the US, whereas we saw enough to last us 30 years in 2005) then off to Orlando.

Then we have 7 nights in Disney All Star Music, 4 nights Disney Wonder cruise to the Bahamas, 3 nights in Cocoa Beach, back to WDW for 7 nights at the Polynesian (2nd mortgage required) over to LAX (via Chicago – like flying from Sydney to Perth via Darwin!) with 3 nights in Anaheim.

Will I be Disneyed-out? I don’t think so!

Upcoming posts:

* ADRs

* American airlines

* Space Shuttle launch

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The obsessions

Whenever Della and I travel to a Disney park, Della always tends to return with some obsession.

In May 2005, after returning from the 50th Anniversary kick off in Anaheim, it was pins.  She picked up the pin obsession while over there and after our return, she discovered the wonder of buying pins from Ebay.  She would scour the Internet, determine the auction cut off times, log on at the last minute and continue bouts of bidding, followed by frantic presses of the refresh icon on her web browser, waiting to win, or God-forbid, waiting to be out-bid.

In March 2006 after we returned from Hong Kong, she was still interested in pins, but we were instantly distracted by news of the Down Under Disneyana Club’s world Disney tour in September, so no general obsession set in – other than counting down six months to the holiday.

But our return from the Disney round the world tour bought an odd obsession – Pal Mickey.  We enjoyed PM while we were in Walt Disney World Florida, but I didn’t expect to be badgered on a daily basis about him when we returned…”can’t you get him to talk” , “I want to hear his trivia again” , “You’re good with computers, can’t you do something?” – No Della, sorry – that was one obsession I couldn’t help!  Mind you, when his batteries went flat and Mickey began shuddering and talking gibberish in front of Della causing her a minor panic attack – I did have to laugh!

So what about the return from Tokyo this year?  Well, the current obsession is all about Duffy.  “Who is Duffy?” you ask?  Duffy is a teddy bear character from Tokyo Disneysea.  He was originally sold in WDW as “The Disney Bear” and came in different colours.  He wasn’t that successful there, so he was handed over to Japan where he is available in a traditional teddy bear brown colour.  I have to admit, Duffy is a really nice bear and was supposedly a gift from Minnie to Mickey to accompany him on his journeys around the world.  In Japan, he has become a cultural phenomena. They release new clothes for him at Disneysea each month, and Duffy owners take him to the park on every visit.  When two Duffys meet in the park, the owners make sure they greet each other!  Now that we are back in Australia – Duffy is Della’s latest obsession.  I’m being dragged around Build-a-Bear Shops in search of new clothes, and sent on missions to obscure Japanese websites – using Google language tools to determine whether they ship items such as bear shoes to Australia.

As for me, I don’t get post-holiday Disney obsessions.  Sure, I spend hundreds of hours on the internet viewing You Tube videos and reading website forums about the parks I just returned from.  I painstakingly plot the route of my holiday on Google Earth.  I bought around 15 Disney books on Amazon when I returned from Anaheim.  And next week, I’m planning on purchasing eight Tokyo Disney Resort CDs from HMV Japan (which will go nicely with the 15 I purchased over there, plus a few more I borrowed since I returned) .

You see, I’m quite normal – I don’t have any post-holiday obsessions…do I?

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Disney Life

About two minutes ago, I purchased tickets to High School Musical – Live on Stage, a production that will be held in Sydney this December and January.  In two weeks time, I’ll be off to Homebush Bay to see Disney on Ice, Mickey and Minnie’s Amazing Journey.  Last night I went and saw the latest Narnia movie – a Disney production.  A couple of weeks ago, I bought a new home theatre system – my first Bluray movie? Disney’s Enchanted.  Two months ago, I returned from an overseas holiday – to Tokyo Disney Resort.  Tomorrow, I’ll be back at work, wearing a Disney Mickey Mouse watch, a Disney branded business shirt, and a Disney tie.  I’ll also be listening to Disney songs on my mp3 player on the train.

So what does this all mean?  Am I a slave to corporate brain washing?  I like to think not.  I’m a fairly smart guy who is generally cynical about the modern world (especially advertising).  I’d like to think that I haven’t been suckered in.

On the other hand, I do have a rather intense job in law enforcement.  I get to see a lot of the bad side of human nature.  So every now and then, it is comforting to glance at my watch and see Mickey’s face looking back, or watch a film that places an emphasis on human values, or visit a place on the other side of the planet where everyone is smiling, or see a show that makes you laugh or sing.  There’s nothing wrong in any of that is there?  Am I sucker?  I like to think not.

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First post

My first step into Disney blogging!

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