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

[BecBennett]

I am really disgusted in the way the Aussie media is handling the swine flu. I was watching a USA expert and he was saying that the swine flu in the US is actually having milder affects on the people than regular flu. And yet we are acting like it is some sort of plague. With ridiculous statistics that 2 million aussies would be infected etc etc, even though all the symptoms are mild!

I know, I feel the same way. It's really no worse then any regular flu, but it's just gotten out of control here! I'd like to hear from a few people who have had it, to find out exactly how bad it is.

 

[Czardas]

Amex had a promotion running from Sep-Dec where you received 1000 points per transaction, so everyone started going a bit silly and started putting really small transactions on the credit card.
Amex realised that made a mistake and tried to suspend people from the promotion, however the financial Ombudsman intervened and virtually made Amex pay everyone their points, so their was some happy people
we virtually made enough points for 4 round the world business class seats, just buying our everyday stuff.

I didn't participate in that promotion as that one was invites only. I earned my 1 million points the harder way with the Earth Card promo of 3 for 1 on Amex from Nov - March

 

[gogo65]

I didn't participate in that promotion as that one was invites only. I earned my 1 million points the harder way with the Earth Card promo of 3 for 1 on Amex from Nov - March

Wow you must have spent some serious money

 

[hannah75]

So with all this talk about New York, I'm seriously considering doing a quick side trip there in October. I can get transport by bus and 3 nights accomodation at the Edison for around $700.00pp for my DD and I. It would be a early am departure and we would arrive at the hotel at 3pm. We would have two full days and then leave on the fourth day. Since I've never been to NYC I think maybe it is time for a visit.

You should definitely go to NY. October will be their fall and should be amazing, esp central park.

I may be heading back to the states in October (was there in april) to visit a sister who lives in boston and i'm def planning to head back to NY just to see it in it's autumn splendor.


About disneyland:I may also make a side trip to disneyland but i'd be doing that on the trip up and i'll be on my own, don't know if i'll enjoy it on my own but i'd love to see the halloween decor. I'm in two minds about it at this stage. Has anyone been to disneyland on their own?

 

[lovintheland]

Definately agree about over reaction here to swine flu. We didn't hear a thing about it the two weeks were were there and now we got home yesterday and our 3 kids have to stay home from school. I teach at the same school as youngest 2 but I'm free to return to school.(only have to stay home to look after them) ho hum tough job but someone has to!!!!. Crazy really but I must admit a week at home is just what Swine Dr ordered and just what I need to catch up on sleep and ironing!!!!! get me back to Disney I'm going crazy with the "this time last week we were ........"

 

[marvel]

yeah, i know, it gets depressing once you get back. takes a while to recover.

 

[aussietravellers]

Definately agree about over reaction here to swine flu. We didn't hear a thing about it the two weeks were were there and now we got home yesterday and our 3 kids have to stay home from school. I teach at the same school as youngest 2 but I'm free to return to school.(only have to stay home to look after them) ho hum tough job but someone has to!!!!. Crazy really but I must admit a week at home is just what Swine Dr ordered and just what I need to catch up on sleep and ironing!!!!! get me back to Disney I'm going crazy with the "this time last week we were ........"

Yes I don't get this keeping children away for 7 days once returning when teachers are not included in this! My DS's teacher returned from LA and he was not included in this stay home from school for 7 days business, I don't really get that. My DS's teacher didn't go with his family, he went for a conference so he didn't have to stay home with anybody so last week was back at school, whilst any children who had gone away had to stay home

It's not totally a media hype though that I keep hearing people say (not just on here) as it isn't the media closing schools, putting people into home quarantine, getting children to stay home from school/childcare for 7 days once returning from certain countries, the media just reports it (yes, over and over and over again ) I did hear some people on the radio the other day, one was a father who has it mildly but his wife and child are very very sick, much worse than any flu any of them have ever had. I heard one woman say that the body aches that start first are just so bad, times the regular flu aches by 100 and you get what the aches with this feel like. Anyway nothing we can do about it, if we get it we get it, no point worrying about it, we certainly won't be changing any travel plans because of it.

 

[gogo65]

I also believe the reaction is over the top.

I am a nurse at the Children's Hospital and we do not have the stay away rule if we have been travelling. Now we have contact with those deemed to be high risk, ie sick kids. If any of these kids get the swine flu then they would be at risk of dying, yet the dept of health has not put anything in place to reduce that risk.
I am unsure if the reason they have not put any policies in place after travelling is 1. Because we are so busy that the hospital can not afford the time for staff to have off or 2. I f they really don't think it is an issue.

i have heard that the strain of flu that is in Australia has so far been mild, therefore causing only regular flu symptons.
I supppose we will have to wait and see.

 

[kylieh]

At DH's work, a colleague recently returned from the US. There is a list of countries that if you have visited you have a mandatory period of 1 week off work. It includes NZ, Canada, Mexico, and a few others. But definitly not the US!!! His colleague visited Canada, but that was two weeks earler followed by Las Vegas, LA, etc, and she's at work.

If the USA isn't on the list you wonder how serious they are about keeping or appearing to keep it out.

 

[Flea]

We rarely hear stuff on swine flu in NZ - After the initial outbreak news stories seem to have died off. The last thing i saw was about Australia and the Cruise ship and it wasn't a big story either.

 

[BecBennett]

Ok, so I'm *fingers crossed* planning a trip to WDW November 2010. How does everyone get there? Anyone had any luck with direct - or close to direct - flights?

Did you still have to go to LA and then on from there? Or did you find that there was a better international airport to go to? Hawaii is supposed to be a pretty short flight from Sydney (comparatively) is it reasonable to think you could go from there to Orlando? Sorry I have no concept of Geography...

 

[gogo65]

Ok, so I'm *fingers crossed* planning a trip to WDW November 2010. How does everyone get there? Anyone had any luck with direct - or close to direct - flights?

Did you still have to go to LA and then on from there? Or did you find that there was a better international airport to go to? Hawaii is supposed to be a pretty short flight from Sydney (comparatively) is it reasonable to think you could go from there to Orlando? Sorry I have no concept of Geography...

We flew into LAX and unfortunately had to wait 7 hours for our flight to Orlando, we then arrived at 6am. we were exhausted.
If I had a choice I would fly into LAX then have a night at the airport and fly out to Orlando the next day.

I am not sure that you would get a direct fight from Honolulu to Orlando. Honolulu to Syd is 10.5 hours so it isn't that much shorter than LAX -Syd

 

[kylieh]

Ok, so I'm *fingers crossed* planning a trip to WDW November 2010. How does everyone get there? Anyone had any luck with direct - or close to direct - flights?

Did you still have to go to LA and then on from there? Or did you find that there was a better international airport to go to? Hawaii is supposed to be a pretty short flight from Sydney (comparatively) is it reasonable to think you could go from there to Orlando? Sorry I have no concept of Geography...

When we were looking at Orlando we found that we needed to change in LA or San Francisco. I think if we do it, we'll end up staying the night in LA first. I don't think there were any from Honolulu.

A good way is to have a look at Expedia www.expedia.com.au and see what routing options they suggest. I had a quick look at it appears that United Fly Direct to Orlando from both SFO and LAX. Depending on connections it a total of 22 - 24 hours in travel time

 

[arje]

In planning our trip for next year, I was very keen to break up the trip to Orlando. Being a similar flight to our Syd-Perth route I don't think I wanted to do that after the Syd-LA leg. Which is why we'll be flying into San Francisco and staying there a couple of days, and visiting the Disney Museum at the Presidio (opens September this year I think). We'll then fly on to Orlando from there.

 

[aussietravellers]

Ok, so I'm *fingers crossed* planning a trip to WDW November 2010. How does everyone get there? Anyone had any luck with direct - or close to direct - flights?

Did you still have to go to LA and then on from there? Or did you find that there was a better international airport to go to? Hawaii is supposed to be a pretty short flight from Sydney (comparatively) is it reasonable to think you could go from there to Orlando? Sorry I have no concept of Geography...

Most common way is through LA. If you were to go through Honolulu (which is what we are looking at for probably Sept/Oct next year) then from Honolulu you fly to Dallas then Dallas to Orlando (which is not a long flight). Did this last year, as we flew home through Honolulu, so went Orlando - Dallas (maybe a 1.5 to 2 hr wait in Dallas) then Dallas to Honolulu. When we go next year we are going to go to New York, then to Orlando then Honolulu. Last year we had a nightmare with cancelled flights out of LA to Orlando, ended up being put up in a hotel by AA for the day, then put onto a flight from LA to NY late that night, then quick terminal change and straight onto a flight from NY to Orlando (which was about 1.5 to 2hrs). Ended up arriving at Disney World a day late due to the delays, but there was not another flight out of LA to get to Orlando for 5 days due to all of the cancellations that were going on, so we were very lucky to get the seats to NY. Our travel time from Bris to Orlando that trip was 49hrs!!!! We were absolutely exhausted. So the flight home through Honolulu, with a few days there was heaven compared to the nightmare going over.

Anyway so if there is a direct flight to NY from Australia (which I dont think there is, but did hear there is, so will be investigating this), then you could fly to NY, then onto Orlando. But through Honolulu is definately doable, and but not direct, through Dallas but you bypass LA. OH just a quick edit here, that Honolulu/Dallas/Orlando portion we did with American Airlines, who code share with Qantas so if you are a frequent flyer, you do get points for that portion of the flight too. Another quick edit will I ever stop editing this post You can get flights pretty cheap with Jetstar sometimes to Honolulu. They had some earlier in the year for $129 one way (SYD-HNL), then you have your fares from HNL to Orlando.

 

[Flea]

Does the newcomer v-australia (or whatever it is called) fly direct to New York from Australia?

 

[aussietravellers]

I had a quick look at it appears that United Fly Direct to Orlando from both SFO and LAX. Depending on connections it a total of 22 - 24 hours in travel time

Delta fly direct also from LAX to Orlando too. American Airlines have a direct flight but it does not connect well with incoming flights from Australia, not enough time to clear customs/change terminals etc, but if someone was overnighting in LA then it would be possible. But AA do fly from LA to Dallas, Dallas to Orlando which doesn't add much time to the flight actually as Dallas is on the way and it is not a long wait in Dallas and it is also not a long wait in LAX from arrival from the Aussie morning flights, only about 1 or 2 hours.

 

[aussietravellers]

Does the newcomer v-australia (or whatever it is called) fly direct to New York from Australia?

No not yet. I think all of their flight to the US are through LAX. Hope they are going to bring in more direct flights

 

[Flea]

No not yet. I think all of their flight to the US are through LAX. Hope they are going to bring in more direct flights

Bummer I would love to go to New York and then to WDW but not if I have to do 2 long trips since my girls are still quite little. Is v-australia the same company as pacific blue?

 

[aussietravellers]

Bummer I would love to go to New York and then to WDW but not if I have to do 2 long trips since my girls are still quite little. Is v-australia the same company as pacific blue?

Yes I think Pacific Blue is one of Richard Branson airlines, so I assume they are all linked. Yes, LA to NY is about a 5 or so hour flight. I have been googleing though and it does say that there are direct flights from Syd or Bris to NY. I did think that I had heard of it, I will continue to investigate this as we will do that next year. This year we are doing Disneyland/San Diego as did Disney World last year. Just looked and Qantas flies direct Syd to NY.