Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend Tour - Nov/Dec 2015.

[Minnie Sue Oz]

Hello out there

It's been a while since my last post, quite some time actually. That is something I would like to rectify right now
We had a trip in the works for late this year where DH and I were going to visit Europe and visit both Paris Disneyland and also Hong Kong Disneyland on the way over.The trip will still will happen, just in a couple of years time!!! It wasn't possible to get to the USA in the same trip so I had been very busy planning like mad to cover all the things we wanted to do without delving into the USA.

However........................ that has all changed

As you may be aware, Disneyland will be celebrating 60 magical years this year. For some of you that may have come along on my previous adventures, you will know that Disneyland is my everything. It's my whole world actually........kind of like an obsession, and a big one at that.
My darling DH of over 20 years knows this all too well. So, he decided that I "needed" to go to help Mickey out with the celebrations. It was a huge shock and a most wonderful wonderful gesture on his part. There were lots of tears, happy happy tears from me
He likes Disney parks, he just doesn't live, eat, sleep, breathe Disney parks!!!
My DD however is very much like her Mum. This trip will probably be the last mother daughter trip I get to have her to myself as she has a boyfriend now and at nearly 18 is not a kid any more! ( but she will always be my baby )

So, we are off. Just the 2 of us on a magical journey and one I know I will treasure forever.
I thought now was as good as time as any to get a PTR started. I find it so much fun and it sure does help the time counting down to the the big day go that much faster

So, here we go folks.............."The Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend Tour" has begun

 

[TheChapman6]

I hope you have an amazing trip! Where will you be staying?

 

[WDWJonasGirl]

Have a great trip!

 

[Minnie Sue Oz]

I hope you have an amazing trip! Where will you be staying?

Hi there and thanks for popping in

We will be staying at the Howard Johnson hotel. We really do like it there and have stayed there on our last 3 trips at some point. Our last visit was in 2013 but we stayed most of that trip at the Disneyland Hotel. I would love to stay at the DLH again, but with the time of year and the way the exchange rate is for us Aussies at the moment, it is just out of the budget.
And, as we are staying for 18 nights.............well, you can imagine the cost of that!!!!
Plus, we have soooooooooo much stuff we want to buy on this trip, we figured we would save on costs where we can. Admittedly, I can get other places cheaper, but we know the Ho Jo like the back of our hands, I got a great deal on the price and it has everything we need and look for in a place to stay

Have a great trip!

Hi and it's nice to see you

We have a jam packed trip planned as per our usual style. I have finished off the itinerary and will be posting it real soon. We will have our usual annual passes and will be spending as many waking moments in the parks as we can

I really can't wait for this trip

 

[PHXscuba]

Plus, we have soooooooooo much stuff we want to buy on this trip, we figured we would save on costs where we can. Admittedly, I can get other places cheaper, but we know the Ho Jo like the back of our hands, I got a great deal on the price and it has everything we need and look for in a place to stay

Be sure to tell them you want a room with lots of storage space!! We had a room at the HoJo that had a walk-in closet in the corner by the window where I think they store the portable crib. You could park a lot of parcels in there!

PHXscuba

 

[Minnie Sue Oz]

Be sure to tell them you want a room with lots of storage space!! We had a room at the HoJo that had a walk-in closet in the corner by the window where I think they store the portable crib. You could park a lot of parcels in there!

PHXscuba

That sounds like a great plan! We have stayed there on 3 of our trips and have had 3 different rooms in 3 separate buildings! I have requested building 1 again as that was our top pick out of the 3 we have stayed in!

And yes, there will be lots of shopping. Lots and lots of shopping

I just hope the exchange rate doesn't drop any further

 

[Minnie Sue Oz]

Hello out there...............update time........................

We have gone under the 300 sleeps to go now which is very exciting

The itinerary is done and looks like this.................

Friday 20th November - Depart Sydney 11:40 am LAX bound!
Arrive LAX 6:35 am on the same day!!!

We will head straight to the hotel. If the room isn't ready ( not likely at that hour of the day! ) we will store luggage and head straight up the road
Swap paper AP's for the real thing and head inside. Cry. Laugh. Cry. Laugh. Cry ......those tears of sheer and utter disbelief at the fact we are really "home"

Saturday 21st - sleep in, late breakfast and parks!

Sunday 22nd - Disneyland

Monday 23rd - Parks and Downtown Disney

Tuesday 24th - DCA - World of Color Package

Wednesday 25th - Knotts Berry Farm with dinner at Pirates Adventure

Thursday 26th - Disneyland with Thanksgiving Dinner at the Disneyland Hotel

Friday 27th - Black Friday shopping

Saturday 28th - LA/Warner Bros Studio tour

Sunday 29th - DCA

Monday 30th - Disneyland - Sue day

Tuesday 1st December - DCA - Laura day

Wednesday 2nd - Disneyland - Laura day

Thursday 3rd - DCA - Sue day

Friday 4th - Disneyland - Fantasmic! Dinner Package Blue Bayou

Saturday 5th - Shopping/Parks/Downtown Disney

Sunday 6th - DCA

Monday 7th - Disneyland - Breakast with Minnie & Freinds Plaza Inn

Tuesday 8th - Disneyland. Flight home 10pm

Wednesday 9th - in transit

Thursday 10th - Arrive Sydney

There may be some minor tweaks, but this is pretty much what we will do. It's our perfect kind of trip. We just love spending as much time in the parks as we possibly can. We will only have a few days where we will not step foot into either one of the parks at some stage.
The reason.............Laura will have a Deluxe AP and will have the couple of block out days after Thanksgiving. The difference in the price between the Deluxe and the Premium is over $200 Australian so it makes sense. I will have the Premium one to take advantage of the higher discounts available for merchandise and dining. As we do a whole lot of purchases in the parks, it makes sense too!!!

So, that's us!

And, if you noticed that there are Sue day's and Laura days listed, there is a reason for that!!!! We have one day each in each park where that person gets to choose what we do for the whole day.........no questions asked!!! The rides, shows, where we eat etc etc. ( on Laura's DCA day I expect to be riding Tower of Terror multiple times!!! ) We did it on our mother/daughter trip in 2012 and it was loads of fun and we can't wait to do it again! I will also be making reservations for quite a number of the park restaurants before we go.

Thanks for stopping in

 

[princesszelda]

I just found your TR! Looks like our trips will cross paths again. I wonder if I will find you again. We will be Dl Dec 2-6. We will be staying at the BWPPI!

 

[kaoden39]

I love the idea for the Sue and Laura days! Brilliant!

 

[Minnie Sue Oz]

Helloooooooo

Well, things have certainly changed form the last post!
I am very pleased to announce a new addition to the trip. It's big, it's located on the east coast of the USA and contains princesses, mice and a castle!!!
That's right folks, WE ARE OFF TO WALT DISNEY WORLD!!!!!!

Yep, for the very first time, we will be visiting the house of mouse on the "other side"!!! It was about time we ventured out of our comfort zone and will be heading off to Florida.

So now we are blessed to be going to both castles

The trip is all booked, confirmed and now we just have to wait!
The itinerary is as follows..................

Saturday 14th November depart Sydney Australia
Saturday 14th November arrive LAX
Saturday 14th November LAX - MCO arriving Orlando 5pm. Check in at POP Century resort for 7 nights
Sunday 15th November ( after a much needed rest ) - EPCOT
Monday 16th November - Magic Kingdom
Tuesday 17th November - Animal Kingdom
Wednesday 18th November - Hollywood Studios
Thursday 19th November - Magic Kingdom - Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party
Friday 20th November - Animal Kingdom/Hollywood Studios
Saturday 21st November - Magic Kingdom
Saturday 21st November - Check in Best Western Plus universal for 3 nights
Sunday 22nd November - Universal Studios
Monday 23rd November - Islands of Adventure
Tuesday 24th - Universal/IOA
Tuesday 24th - MCO - LAX
Tuesday 24th November - Check in at Howard Johnson Anaheim for 9 nights
The next 10 days will be spent soley between Disneyland and DCA.
Tuesday 3rd December - LAX - SYD

So, there you have it folks! Are we excited.................you bet your sweet patootie we are

Dining reservations open up tomorrow night so will update when booked!!!

 

[kaoden39]

Sounds so exciting and wonderful!!

 

[princesszelda]

That is exciting! Hoping to see you again!

 

[PHXscuba]

Wow!! Lucky you!! WDW is just as magical but requires much more planning than Disneyland! DH and I went to WDW and Universal last September, if you have any questions about the whole Fast Pass Plus they have. I wish I could take a 2 1/2 week all-theme-park vacation!

PHXscuba

 

[Minnie Sue Oz]

Wow. The world never ceases to amaze me with the way in which it spins!
It's spun for us again, right back to where we started from!

So, is our vacation still happening? Yes yes it is!

Are we still going to WDW? No no we're not!

Are we going to spend 21 days soaking up as much of my beloved Disneyland as we can? Yes yes we are!

Are we upset we are not going to WDW? No no we're not!

Did I mention we are spending 21 days at Disneyland? Yes yes I did!

Will I be updating again soon? Yes yes I will.

142 sleeps to go

 

[momtohms]

Following along! Love the Sue & Laura days idea (I really want to take my girls on a mother/daughter trip when they are older and I'll have to remember that!) and I'm SO jealous of your itinerary! We did 6 park days (or partial days) on our trip to DL recently and I was still wishing for more :-D

 

[kaoden39]

Wow! I can hardly wait t hear more!

 

[kateandy08096]

Sounds like a great trip so far. I know what you mean having a 18yo and last trips. Im planning a mom and daughter trip to DL march into april 2016. She will be a senior and Im totally surprising her. We have been to.WDW over 15 times so time to venture to the west coast

 

[princesszelda]

can not wait for more information. Does this mean your dates have changed?

 

[VandVsmama]

Prior to your trip, in early November in the U.S., there are websites that start to post the Black Friday ads of a lot of the stores. It really helps when planning your shopping. A lot of sales have started to show up on Thanksgiving itself, too.

Walmart is always a mad house. But I have found Target to be much more manageable.

The actual official Black Friday ads come out in the Thanksgiving newspapers.

 

[kaoden39]

A lot of times the sales get leaked on the internet too.