Aussie Disneyland Planners come on in and lets plan together :)

[aussiegirls]

We are leaving on Friday week and I was wondering if anybody would like a Fairy Godmailer. We were lucky enough to get one from a very generous DISer. I think, living in Australia, we are hesitant to ask when people offer to be fairy godmailers, so I would like to offer to do it for the Aussies.

So if anyone will be going soon and would like a "can't wait to see you" postcard or if anyone has just returned and would like a "thanks for coming" postcard, just PM me with your details and we would be more than happy to do it for you

xxx

 

[queenie82]

We are leaving on Friday week and I was wondering if anybody would like a Fairy Godmailer. We were lucky enough to get one from a very generous DISer. I think, living in Australia, we are hesitant to ask when people offer to be fairy godmailers, so I would like to offer to do it for the Aussies.

So if anyone will be going soon and would like a "can't wait to see you" postcard or if anyone has just returned and would like a "thanks for coming" postcard, just PM me with your details and we would be more than happy to do it for you

xxx

That's a really sweet idea
I have heard once or twice about it but I'm not sure on exactly what you would put on it.

I would be happy to do a Christmas one for people if they would like (once I know what to write : )

 

[dave73]

We fly out in just under 3 weeks with V Australia and just wondered if anyone as heard or flown with them and what their experience was like. Seat room, service, in-flight entertainment etc..

More specifically can anyone confirm if the economy seats has a USB hub to keep devices charged throughout the flight.

We both have iPhones and this would allow us to load them up with movies etc. and have no fear of losing battery lfe a few hours into the flight.

Thanks

 

[jacs1234]

Thanks so much for telling us about your trips Rossip and kept woman. It makes me even more excited.

How can you tell if you have a fake pin?

 

[keptwoman]

jacs, the fake pin is much lower quality, the filling between the metal bits doesn't go all the way to the top, the details on the back just say Disney, without all the other guff that the real ones have and it has a different pin backing, it's round not mouse shaped. Had it been in daylight I probably would have noticed due to the obviously lower quality, but it happened as we were heading away from the park after the fireworks. I'm still very disappointed that the CM traded it, you'd think they would know not to!
Having Googled it a bit it seems there are a large variety of fake pins, some better quality than others. I'd take a good look at the real ones at the Disney stores and use them as your benchmark for checking the others. Out of all my trades (10+ in 2 days) I only got one fake, so I guess it's not epidemic but something to be wary of and check the pins carefully. This is my very green, very uneducated thoughts on the matter.

 

[melbarkwith]

We are leaving on Friday week and I was wondering if anybody would like a Fairy Godmailer. We were lucky enough to get one from a very generous DISer. I think, living in Australia, we are hesitant to ask when people offer to be fairy godmailers, so I would like to offer to do it for the Aussies.

So if anyone will be going soon and would like a "can't wait to see you" postcard or if anyone has just returned and would like a "thanks for coming" postcard, just PM me with your details and we would be more than happy to do it for you

xxx

That's a really nice thing to offer. We got a Fairy Godmailer card a few weeks back, and the kids were just thrilled about it.

 

[melbarkwith]

More specifically can anyone confirm if the economy seats has a USB hub to keep devices charged throughout the flight.

It says on their website that each economy seat has a USB port. Sure hope so, the kids are taking their ipods.

 

[melbarkwith]

Keptwoman,
It sounds like you had a great trip.

Thanks so much for the warning about the pins, I think DD8 was planning on getting some and doing trading. When we last visited DL (and were walking down the esplanade the last time), DD was quite upset about going home. A CM sitting on a bench heard her, and gave her a Pixie Dust pin with tinkerbell on it - it was just perfect.

 

[keptwoman]

Thats so sweet of the CM! My DS cried in the car on the way to the airport. He also started pin trading/collecting on this trip, his aim is Pluto pins and boy they are hard to find! We lucked in with a special "hidden Mickey" pin of Pluto which he was very excited about. I've also bought one for him for Christmas and tucked it away. Plus I might try to get a couple more on eBay. The CMs were super helpful about explaining pin trading, and one explained all about the special pins that you can only get by trading with a CM. I got a Minnie one too! I think it really adds something to the whole experience.

 

[queenie82]

jacs, the fake pin is much lower quality, the filling between the metal bits doesn't go all the way to the top, the details on the back just say Disney, without all the other guff that the real ones have and it has a different pin backing, it's round not mouse shaped. Had it been in daylight I probably would have noticed due to the obviously lower quality, but it happened as we were heading away from the park after the fireworks. I'm still very disappointed that the CM traded it, you'd think they would know not to!
Having Googled it a bit it seems there are a large variety of fake pins, some better quality than others. I'd take a good look at the real ones at the Disney stores and use them as your benchmark for checking the others. Out of all my trades (10+ in 2 days) I only got one fake, so I guess it's not epidemic but something to be wary of and check the pins carefully. This is my very green, very uneducated thoughts on the matter.

If you are talking about the black rubber backing then this really has nothing to do with it.
Many people actually use locking pin backings to ensure things don't fall of the lanyard. (the more those black backings are used they can get loose.) So a CM may well be wearing a pin with a locking pin (not mickey head) backing. This is especially true for some pin on pin bigger pins.
I have traded for a couple of pins that the CM had with a locking backing on it. I knew they were real for all the other reasons including that they were actually ones currently being sold. If you want the pin but want to keep your backing the CMs are happy with this. You trade pins but keep the backings.
All the other info is correct though :

It is mostly to do with quality....if you or a child trade for one that after looking at it later you think might be fake you could always go to the trading station and ask someone...
These are some pics of pins (they are a bit blurry but they show a typical back)

 

[keptwoman]

If you are talking about the black rubber backing then this really has nothing to do with it.
Many people actually use locking pin backings to ensure things don't fall of the lanyard. (the more those black backings are used they can get loose.) So a CM may well be wearing a pin with a locking pin (not mickey head) backing. This is especially true for some pin on pin bigger pins.

Well it's kind of a double thing, the black rubber backing thing was round not mouse shaped, but still black rubber, not a locking backing. But more importantly the logos on the back only had "Disney" not the official PT logo, and the overall quality of the image is below par. It's definitely a fake as I asked at the PT shop.

 

[keptwoman]

Here are the pics of the two pins. The one on the left is genuine, the one on the right is the fake.

And the front

Sorry it was hard to get good photos as it's a dull day and the flash took all the detail out. You can see the difference in the logos and the lower overall quality both front and back. Also the difference in the black fixings, now by itself that wouldn't be a biggie, but it's the package kwim? That black fixing would make me look closer from now on.

 

[Flea]

YAY the girls halloween TOT costumes are almost finished such a relief...one less thing to worry about

 

[Jade+3]

We fly out in just under 3 weeks with V Australia and just wondered if anyone as heard or flown with them and what their experience was like. Seat room, service, in-flight entertainment etc..

More specifically can anyone confirm if the economy seats has a USB hub to keep devices charged throughout the flight.

We both have iPhones and this would allow us to load them up with movies etc. and have no fear of losing battery lfe a few hours into the flight.

Thanks

We are going next week. I will be taking my laptop, so will post a report for you. I must be one of the few people on earth that do not own an iPod or an iPhone, but if you tell me what to look for, I will see if it is there.

 

[dave73]

We are going next week. I will be taking my laptop, so will post a report for you. I must be one of the few people on earth that do not own an iPod or an iPhone, but if you tell me what to look for, I will see if it is there.

There will be a USB slot either on the arm of the seat like where you put the headphone jack, or it may be on the back of the seat.

You should be able to do the same with the laptop, letting you use it without fear of the battery going flat.

But if you get a chance to see that would be great.

 

[Jade+3]

I well check it out and report back!

 

[queenie82]

Here are the pics of the two pins. The one on the left is genuine, the one on the right is the fake.

And the front

Sorry it was hard to get good photos as it's a dull day and the flash took all the detail out. You can see the difference in the logos and the lower overall quality both front and back. Also the difference in the black fixings, now by itself that wouldn't be a biggie, but it's the package kwim? That black fixing would make me look closer from now on.

Yes I know the pin is fake but the backing doesn't mean it is fake is my point.
I have done a load of pin trading in WDW and DL and DLP since 2003 and the backings on the pins won't always be a mickey head. It can be that round one sometimes. These pins will be traded many times and mickey head ones get lost and traders will have various things on the back. When they trade with a CM they enter the system and by the end of a day a CM might have various backings on the back of pins.

I just don't want people to think that JUST because the backing is round that the pin is fake. It might ring a small alarm bell but don't miss out on the trade because you see that. The fake pin in that photo is fake because it is fake and the quality difference is the tell tale sign.
Indeed it is the kind of backing that may well come from a fake pin originally....but it doesn't make the pin fake.

The MAIN thing to look for is the official pin trading logo on the back of the PIN.

I'll have to dig it out but I did actually get a genuine Disney (but not official Pin trading) pin once at DCA off a CM's lanyard.
What is VERY cool about it is that it is in the shape of a stamp with a picture of Australia of it. From memory it was a Disney Store Pin
(remember the good old days when we had disney stores ) so I'm guessing it is from ours?? but I never investigated.

 

[keptwoman]

Yes I know the pin is fake but the backing doesn't mean it is fake is my point.

Yes. I didn't mean to suggest it was. It was the whole package.

The MAIN thing to look for is the official pin trading logo on the back of the PIN.

Which is what I said. I started with that and then mentioned the backing as different.

 

[Flea]

11 sleeps to go till we fly out...I thought I'd post what i've completed in the way of our TOT costumes
It's a bit too cold here to get proper photos (hence why my DD is wearing her big thick winter polarfleece in the pic).

and for the adults we are going as Hippies so I tiedyed us some tops.

For those there at the same time as us (I think there are a couple of us) Keep an eye out and say hi

 

[aussiegirls]

Flea, they are gorgeous. If my girls had dresses like that they would want to be wearing them everywhere they go

We will be there at the same time as you so I will keep my eyes peeled

xxx