General thread - general tips, ideas, comments, whatever

[lovintheland]

Hi, another vote for the old fashioned TC's. We are coming up to our fourth trip and never use anything else. Accept the trusty CC for some things. The dollar is dropping at a scary rate, and I really think it will keep dropping and take a long time to recover.

 

[queenie82]

The dollar is down to 83

That's 10 cents

 

[PrincessInOz]

The dollar is down to 83

That's 10 cents

It's heading to sub 80's....

 

[aussietravellers]

The dollar is down to 83

That's 10 cents

I just saw that and was coming to post the news.

 

[aussietravellers]

The $ is down to .82

Its dropping .02 a day for the last couple of days, whats going on????

 

[PrincessInOz]

PIIGGS!!

(Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece, Germany, Spain).

Just having a look at my sharechart software. If it breaks the 81 cent barrier, the next resistance/support line for the AUD is at 77-80 cents.

Aussie to Euro is heading up and into uncharted resistance/support lines. I'd be buying Euro in small lots and planning a European vacation.

 

[aussietravellers]

PIIGGS!!

(Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece, Germany, Spain).

Just having a look at my sharechart software. If it breaks the 81 cent barrier, the next resistance/support line for the AUD is at 77-80 cents.

Aussie to Euro is heading up and into uncharted resistance/support lines. I'd be buying Euro in small lots and planning a European vacation.

Just looked at xe.com and its at .80 now!!!!

 

[BecBennett]

I just want to say that I hate winter... It's so hard to organise a winter getaway.

Does anyone know anything about The Entrance, DF and I are thinking about going there for the long weekend, but I can't find anything on it. I've been there before for a day, but can't really remember anything about it.

Is there any good shopping? how about Day Spas? What else is there to do during winter

 

[aussiegirls]

Yep, I know The Entrance. My family has a holiday house there and we go often.

To be honest there is not a lot there. It's just a smallish beach suburb. It's relatively nice and quiet, so good to go for a bit of a chillax. Not a great deal of shopping there that is not anywhere else. Just the normal Westfield type shops that are everywhere, although I think there is an outlet mall there but I have never been - my mum always goes though and she loves it.

Not too sure about the day spas but I would guess that there would be some there as it is a bit of a touristy place. They have markets on every weekend too.

Personally I like it there. I just spend a lot of time doing nothing much, which I reckon is pretty good

xxx

 

[kazbar]

What else is there to do during winter

Have you considered the Hunter Valley (wineries, art galleries, restaurants etc)

Canberra, Cooma and surrounds? (day trip to the snow, museums, War memorial, Parliament house, the Mint etc)

How about Berry or Bowral (curl up in front of an open fire, visit some lovely shops and the markets)

 

[BecBennett]

We're meeting a friend at The Entrance for the weekend, by the sounds of it it's for a bit of a piss up, I'm not a drinker so that doesn't appeal to me, so I thought I'd look into things that do, ie: day spas and shopping

Personally I've always found the Hunter Valley over rated, too expensive for what it is. that's just IMO though.

 

[queenie82]

Personally I've always found the Hunter Valley over rated, too expensive for what it is. that's just IMO though.

I agree with that. The accommodation in and around the hunter is seriously overpriced. (Having said that accommodation ANYWHERE near Sydney is a rip off. )
However it is still nice to go to on occasion. I'm not a big drinker but the tyrells free tour is interesting.

Anyway places that are nice for weekend trips are the Blue Mountains and Leura, and Kiama. Leura is a nice shopping strip to look around and I believe they do have markets sometimes. We stumbled upon one but I don't know if it is regular.
And of course the three sisters are lovely. You need to rug up a bit but heck...it's winter so whats a few degrees cooler when there is a lovely destination to visit.

Bowral is nice and would have day spas. Berrima is a nice town to look around similarly to Leura.

Other than Canberra and the Hunter we do these places as day trips though. The Hunter and Canberra are a bit further out.
As I say accommodation is a rip off. I don't know why and how they get away with it given I can get FAR superior quality accommodation for less in the US...even with the dollar in the toilet

As for The Entrance we used to go there when we wre kids. I wouldn't call that a winter destination though. There really isn't anything to do there.
We really don't even bother going there anymore. But I would only go there in summer and spring if I had younger kids.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

The online Disney store has some great sales on at the moment, most esp for clothing.

I just bought far too many things on there for the family. I was esp pleased to find some Men's "grumpy" t-shirts for so cheap. My hubby is a bit bah-humbug about Disney at times but I knew I had him hooked when on our last day at Disneyland last October, he walked into a shop and came out with a Grumpy T-shirt. Previous days he had been bagging us about our Mickey & Tinkerbell ones . Anyway, he wears that Grumpy t-shirt around the house alot. It seems that Grumpy has become his Disney persona (and ain't that the truth sometimes LOL) so I was happy to be able to pick up a few gems for $5-$8US. I think he will get a kick out of them, but if he doesn't it wasn't much money to spend.

I got 11 items:-

3 boys t-shirts for DS8
1 girls t-shirt for DD12
1 small woman's Tink hoodie for DD12
1 small woman's 3/4 sleep top for DD12
2 men's t-shirts for DH
1 men's 3/4 sleeve top for DH
1 woman's t-shirt for me
1 Pluto Christmas decoration on sale

For $136US which is about $160 Australian I believe, price includes the postage. Considering there is a hoodie and 2 long sleeve tops in there, I think an average of $14.50 per item that is good value.

 

[queenie82]

Grumpy t-shirts are the one thing that are always in over supply.
The ams outlets (http://www.ams-liquidation.com/) are always stuffed full of them.
It is the Stitch t-shirts that are hard to find discounted

Having said that...if you found stuff you all liked those prices aren't too bad including postage. Was this the regular disney store stuff (disneystore.com) or the actual Disney park merchandise online store (http://www.disneystore.com/disney-parks/c/70992/) ?

I remember when they first started selling park merchandise online I went and put one ear hat in my shopping cart and it said the postage was $49.95!!!
I would LOVE the 2010 graduation eat hat...but not at those prices

Also - I noticed a christmas decoration on your list

 

[1rocky]

I put in a couple of vinylmation small ones and i also got the huge postage of $49.95. More than the items cost.

 

[glara]

Your shopping has inspired me - however mine was books from a local site, www.fishpond.co.nz.

I got the Lonely Planet LA/SoCal guide, but my great find - and I only came across it by searching 'Disneyland' was the Hidden Mickey's book.

I'd also read on here that some people take an encyclopedia of Disney characters to use as an autograph book - each character has their own page with a little bio. I'd intended to buy it over there, but apparently it's kind of hard to get - so I thought I'd try my luck and search for it - and it was on the website! So I have ended up with that too...here's the link if anyone is interested:

www.fishpond.co.nz/Books/Childrens/...'s+Junior+Encyclopedia+of+Animated+Characters

No doubt I could have got the Hidden Mickey book at DLR - but this gives me time to read through and get my fix!

 

[aussietravellers]

I'm going to visit Amazon this week. I am going to get the books about the kids that are at WDW after dark, Kingdom Keepers I think the series is called, for my son to read (he is not a big reader, so hoping to find a new series of books that he may like, he needs to move on from Zac Power ).

Has anybody read those or their children read them?

 

[queenie82]

I'd also read on here that some people take an encyclopedia of Disney characters to use as an autograph book - each character has their own page with a little bio. I'd intended to buy it over there, but apparently it's kind of hard to get - so I thought I'd try my luck and search for it - and it was on the website! So I have ended up with that too...here's the link if anyone is interested:

www.fishpond.co.nz/Books/Childrens/...'s+Junior+Encyclopedia+of+Animated+Characters

That's so cool!!!
What a wonderful idea.

The third Kingdom Keepers book came out recently and I'm told it has a great ending.
I haven't read them myself as they aren't in the library and I haven't seen them here....and I have to refrain from going to amazon for a few weeks after my last shopping trip....
Which included -
Sherman Brothers Songbook
The Disney Songbook
A Musical History of Disneyland
The Lion King (Original Broadway production)(Special 2-Disc Edition)
Enchanted
The Disney Theme Park Songbook: Remember the Magic (Piano/Vocal/Guitar Songbook)
amongst other things

Must.....stay......away......

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

I ordered the following from Amazon last week:-

1 "Inside the Dream"
Katherine & Richard Greene; Hardcover; $37.80

1 "The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World: Over 600 Secrets of the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom"
Susan Veness; Paperback; $9.32

1 "Disney Parks: The Secrets, Stories and Magic Behind the Scenes (Six-Pack)"
Mickey Mouse; DVD; $26.49

The DVD is the one I am most excited about. It was on preorder but I got an email that it shipped yesterday so I'm looking forward to the parcel arriving. Will save it for when the kids and I have time to curl up together with hot chocolate and watch. DD12 will esp love it.

Aussietravellers, I haven't heard of those books before? Tell me more....

 

[queenie82]

And my previous order included these WONDERFUL books:

Jeff Kurtti, Bruce Gordon "Walt Disney's Imagineering Legends and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park"
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0786855592

Jason Surrell "The Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies -- Updated"
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1423118952

Kristin Lund, et al "The Complete Locations of Star Wars: Inside the Worlds of the Entire Star Wars Saga"
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0756614198

John Hench "Designing Disney"
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1423119150