GAME: The Great ANZAC Pretend Planning on Paper PTR - Out and In for ADRs (05/04)

[PrincessInOz]

Right....given the chomping at the bits.....


Where are we staying for:

Hong Kong/HKDL
Paris/EuroDisney
Orlando/WDW
LA/DLR
Hawaii


Shall we start with Hong Kong? Do we stay in Kowloon or do we stay at HKDL?

 

[shushh]

Sorry I've been missing in action. Just a quick note, DCL is likely to release dates for late 2012 cruises soon (April 6 is the likely date). Sorry I just realised that I hadn't even checked if we're going in 2011 or 2012!

Will comment more when I have time...

 

[queenie82]

Right....given the chomping at the bits.....


Where are we staying for:

Hong Kong/HKDL
Shall we start with Hong Kong? Do we stay in Kowloon or do we stay at HKDL?

The Disneyland Hotel if you are just there for Disney.
IF you are planning to look around Hong Kong and only do Disney for one day I would suggest staying in Tsim Sha Tsui. It is pretty isolated around Disneyland. Whereas you get shops open as late as 11pm around there.
The Marco Polo is beautiful and you'd get stunning views from the best rooms. The Peninsula is the 'Ultimate'

Some info on Marco Polo Hong Kong 'rates'
http://www.marcopolohotels.com/en/corporate/promotions/discovery_rate.html
http://www.globekey.com/reserve.php?hid=hkg355&rid=dis&showrates=yes

Paris/EuroDisney

The Disneyland Hotel...no brainer...the VERY best there is and the location cannot be beat

Orlando/WDW

Bay Lake Tower 3 bedroom Grand Villas!!!!!
Grand Floridian for the 'hotel' luxuries.


LA/DLR

Grand Californian Grand Villas

Hawaii

errrr.....we're there only for Aulani
http://resorts.disney.go.com/aulani-hawaii-resort/

Sound ok

 

[PrincessInOz]

Right....given the chomping at the bits.....


Where are we staying for:

Hong Kong/HKDL

My vote goes to Mandarin Oriental or the Four Seasons Hotel.

Paris/EuroDisney

Disneyland Hotel, all the way. But we do have 6 nights. Are we staying here the entire time or are we going to give ourselves some time in Paris?

Orlando/WDW

This is gonna be interesting. There's the choice to stay at a Monorail resort or at the Epcot resort.
I know Queenie didn't think much of the Beach Club; but what about the Yacht Club or Boardwalk Inn? Location of Epcot cannot be beat.
If we're doing a Monorail resort, then my vote goes to Grand Floridian.

LA/DLR

And my winner is.......Grand Californian Villas


Hawaii

Aulani all the way.

And for our cruise, which I forgot to include, I'm thinking a Room with a View (and a chamber pot for the upchuckers like me); why don't we spread out and put 2 per room; rather than 3 or 4?

 

[queenie82]

Orlando/WDW

This is gonna be interesting. There's the choice to stay at a Monorail resort or at the Epcot resort.
I know Queenie didn't think much of the Beach Club; but what about the Yacht Club or Boardwalk Inn? Location of Epcot cannot be beat.

I wasn't thrilled with the Boardwalk. I liked the Beach Club.
If you want EPCOT then go with Beach Club.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

I think at HKDL we would also want to shop, not just Disney so somewhere in the city and we can cab it or whatever to HKDL???

WDW - whilst I love love loved WL, I am happy to try an Epcot resort. Happy to go with the more experienced Disers on this one.

DL, totally has to be Grand Californian, died with envy as I walked past each day.

DLP - must be the Disneyland Hotel, as Queenie said, the location is awesome, can't wait to check it out but would agree, over 6 nights, payment we should have 2 or 3 in Paris at a little cool apartment or something. Check out this link:- http://www.parisvacationapartments.com/

 

[PrincessInOz]

I wasn't thrilled with the Boardwalk. I liked the Beach Club.
If you want EPCOT then go with Beach Club.

My mistake....it must have been someone else I was debating with.

I loved the Beach Club; so that would be my vote.

 

[queenie82]

My mistake....it must have been someone else I was debating with.

I loved the Beach Club; so that would be my vote.

I think Stormalong Bay is overhyped. It isn't the best slide in my opinion but it is fun 'landing' on sand. The Whirlpool is nice but small. But it is lovely and the closest to the International Gateway.

Back to Hong Kong - How about the Newly opened Ritz Carlton???
"World's highest hotel opens, 490 metres up"

http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/HongKong/Information/Default.htm
http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel...hotel-opens-490-metres-up-20110330-1cf9n.html


Now...being high up isn't necessarily a good thing in HK as you may well see nothing up there...bloody fog/smog...but it is the Ritz!!!

A presidential suite is going for HK$100,000. Is that over budget??

 

[PrincessInOz]

I think Stormalong Bay is overhyped. It isn't the best slide in my opinion but it is fun 'landing' on sand.

The slide was under refurb when we were there. So I don't feel like we missed out.

The Whirlpool is nice but small. But it is lovely and the closest to the International Gateway.

We liked the whirlpool and the proximity to IG.

Back to Hong Kong - How about the Newly opened Ritz Carlton???
"World's highest hotel opens, 490 metres up"

http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/HongKong/Information/Default.htm
http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel...hotel-opens-490-metres-up-20110330-1cf9n.html


Now...being high up isn't necessarily a good thing in HK as you may well see nothing up there...bloody fog/smog...but it is the Ritz!!!

A presidential suite is going for HK$100,000. Is that over budget??

How many can we sleep in the Presidential suite. That's an exchange rate of about 6:1; so we're coming in at about $17,000.

It depends on whether we get anyone voting on the poll. For each vote we get, I'm adding $25K to the kitty.

IF YOU'RE READING THIS AND LURKING, PLEASE VOTE! I'd love to be going Business Class or First class all the way, staying at the Presidential suites AND doing CL at the Disney resorts.

 

[shushh]

I am loving this trip already. I just have to think about the places and the suggestions and the research gets done for me! It is so easy!!!!

I vote for a split stay in HK. Don't care where while we're shopping/seeing but definitely at the DIsneyland Hotel when we're visiting Disneyland. I won't get to stay there come May so I need to live my dream elsewhere...

As for WDW, I am happy to stay at ANY deluxe resort. I want to try them all out at some stage. But if I had to choose, then yes I agree that I would pick one of the Epcot resorts. Queenie, I actually enjoyed the Boardwalk Inn! Can we do a split stay?

As for the other accommodation choices, I nod and say yes to the consensus.

As for the cruise, verandah please!!!! And for those prone to seasickness, remember that this is a virtual cruise, where I have virtual wonder drugs! You will all be protected against the vomit monster and have wonderful sea legs. Do you think we can afford the suites?

I now have to go back and check out PIO's proposed dates carefully...do we have time to stop in New York?!?!?

 

[queenie82]

I am loving this trip already. I just have to think about the places and the suggestions and the research gets done for me! It is so easy!!!!

I vote for a split stay in HK. Don't care where while we're shopping/seeing but definitely at the DIsneyland Hotel when we're visiting Disneyland. I won't get to stay there come May so I need to live my dream elsewhere...

I was going to suggest that. Because I would have given a lot to have crashed at the DLH after my day at HK. Plus they have a nice character Breakfast I think. So 2 nights there would be nice.
But it isn't at all practical to base yourself there.

As for WDW, I am happy to stay at ANY deluxe resort. I want to try them all out at some stage. But if I had to choose, then yes I agree that I would pick one of the Epcot resorts. Queenie, I actually enjoyed the Boardwalk Inn! Can we do a split stay?

You know it's one of those things. I'd been obsessed with the Boardwalk resort since 2003. So much so that when DVC started being bought into resale Boardwalk points were bought.
But the actual experience was spoiled by various factors. None less than taking over and hour at check in getting a half decent room. Then spending further hours at check in getting tickets fixed as they stuffed up transfer. I have so many bad memory hours in that bloody foyer.


So...yes I'll give it another go. You know how time heals wounds.
But I think Beach Club is better.

I have to say I love and adore and am DYING to stay at a Bay lake tower Grand Villa. They are 2 story at the top of the tower.
Split Stay...pretty please!!!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Keep the Votes coming in Readers!

We're up to 14 votes and our budget is now $350K.
For the 9 confirmed hands in the leaky boat, that's about $40K each

THANK YOU THANK YOU

I'm fine with a split stay. ...on the budget we have, I wonder how much it would cost to hire someone to PACK for us?

 

[shushh]

How fixed are our dates? I am assuming that we set for a 2011 departure then?

There is a 10 night China ADventures by Disney tour which includes Hong Kong and HKDL. SHould we try that? It has no dates attached so we can just assume that it will go on regardless! Alternatively, if we can leave earlier, there is also and ABD tour that goes from London to Paris (I noticed that our flight to CDG is via LHR). The tour leaves in early Oct though. Maybe then we can do that little stop in NYC...

 

[shushh]

I have to say I love and adore and am DYING to stay at a Bay lake tower Grand Villa. They are 2 story at the top of the tower.
Split Stay...pretty please!!!

OK!

For the 9 confirmed hands in the leaky boat, that's about $40K each

I'm fine with a split stay. ...on the budget we have, I wonder how much it would cost to hire someone to PACK for us?

Yippee!!!!!

 

[queenie82]

How fixed are our dates? I am assuming that we set for a 2011 departure then?

There is a 10 night China ADventures by Disney tour which includes Hong Kong and HKDL. SHould we try that? It has no dates attached so we can just assume that it will go on regardless!

interesting.....

Alternatively, if we can leave earlier, there is also and ABD tour that goes from London to Paris (I noticed that our flight to CDG is via LHR). The tour leaves in early Oct though. Maybe then we can do that little stop in NYC...

Me like this Idea of stopping in London

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

interesting.....



Me like this Idea of stopping in London

I bet you do

 

[shushh]

Me like this Idea of stopping in London

Of course I was only thinking of you when I made that suggestion...

 

[PrincessInOz]

How fixed are our dates? I am assuming that we set for a 2011 departure then?

There is a 10 night China ADventures by Disney tour which includes Hong Kong and HKDL. SHould we try that? It has no dates attached so we can just assume that it will go on regardless! Alternatively, if we can leave earlier, there is also and ABD tour that goes from London to Paris (I noticed that our flight to CDG is via LHR). The tour leaves in early Oct though. Maybe then we can do that little stop in NYC...

Early October???

Would we catch the Christmas displays at Paris, WDW and DLR? Might work out with the:

• ABD China/HK/HKDL
• ABD London to Paris
• little stop in NYC.

You wanna propose some dates and the costs for the ABDs? (Time for some research )

 

[austraveler]

I am dying to do an ABD tour. Let's add that to the list. Re accommodations, the Paris and LA options sound good. I put in my vote for a split stay that includes the Boardwalk. We are already staying at BC in September and I am keen to try somewhere else. I can't comment on Hong Kong so will go with anything. I read that Hong Kong Disney is a bit of a dud. Do we really want Disney there or shoul we just shop?

 

[queenie82]

Hey I was thinking (a dangerous past time I know) what about Hilton Head and Vero Beach.
Vero Beach is a nice location for the night before the cruise and a lovely place.
Hilton Head is also lovely and we could make it a pit stop between NYC and Orlando

If you have never heard of these places you don't know the full Disney DVC story...get reading

Vero Beach

Hilton Head