Quick trip report may 2013

[gregpso]

Hi been back 3 weeks.

Trip

April 28th Fly Air new zealand to LAX. AirNZ have auction system for upgrades. Bid $500 for 2 of us to be upgraded to premier businessclass from melb to Auckland. Successful bid and it was great to try premier Class for the 3.5 hr flight. Bloody hard going back to economy from Auckland to LAX.

First week
8 nights new York. All the sights 9/11 ground zero ect well worth seeing

Second week

Washington DC Loved the place with all the momuments and history.

3rd week

las Vegas Shows done 1 jersey Boys 2 Elton John 3 David Copperfield
4 chris Angel 5 beatles Tribute show and to top it off 6 ROLLING STONES LIVE AT MGM GRAND.

4TH WEEK WDW
7 NIGHTS AT THE BEACH CLUB

We flew the red eye arriving at Orlando at 0630 am. The magic express bus service is great. Just show up at the airport check in and in no time you are at your resort. naturally enough we had to wait until 11.30 am to get our room. My Opinion of the beach resort ? is very expensive at nearly $4000 for 7 nights including dining plan and theme park admissions... but we loved it. LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION 5 minute walk to EPCOT !! Rooms are well appointed and clean and staff are good. excellent pool with sand botttom. If you can afford it do it !! if not POPS is quite adequate (stayed there 2010)

The parks were great as usual.. enough is known about the attractions. loved Test track and Soaring. fav meals were the 50s diner in Disney Studios and the peaches and cream at the yahct Club (right next to the Beach Club. ice cream dessert was huge. other meals were the usual steaks chicken and burgers.. all quite adequate. Would do the Dining plan again. although you still pay 18 per cent tips that you charge to your room.. but thats the USA !!

Did a day trip to Kennedy Space Centre.. if you are interest in space related history etc a must do.... touched a moon rock.. saw a real luner Module etc.. well worth the day trip.

Well that was short and sweet. do yourself a favor and go to WDW. We will return. Off seasons only... never in the summer or other crowded times. Crowds were OK in May but still people everywhere. there really is no off seasons in WDW only slower seasons. The fast pass is great otherwise a 2 hr wait for soaring and test Track. The fast passes for those were exhausted by midday (imagine june july August or Xmas time peak seasons)

Thanks for reading hoping to return in 2016 PM me if you want any advice

Greg

 

[PrincessInOz]

Those headliner shows at Vegas are making me green with envy! Well done on snagging the tix.


Glad you had a good time and here's to another fly-by TR in 2016.....or sooner.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I agree - great selection of Vegas shows.

Well done for winning an upgrade bid on Air NZ. I plan on putting in a cheeky bid for my AKL to LAX flight to see if we can get an upgrade to premium economy. I have a rough price in my head that's most probably not going to be enough - but worth a try anyway.

 

[gregpso]

Those headliner shows at Vegas are making me green with envy! Well done on snagging the tix.


Glad you had a good time and here's to another fly-by TR in 2016.....or sooner.

yeah very lucky. Elton john plays there alot (and we booked that well in advance) I had no idea the Rolling Stones were going to be there. it was one night only at the MGM grand. When I saw the sign at the MGM I thought it must have been a "Tribute Show" but looked again and confirmed the real thing. Thought to myself it will be sold out.(only 3 nights away from booking) Went to ticket box and said some tix left for $250 each.. so paid $500.. plus $42 tax but it was worth it.

Got David Copperfield etc cheap. Thjey have ticket boxes along the strip that sell tix for that night only for up to 50 per cent discount. Just line up for about one hr and get the discounted tix. easy. very rare I am told that a show that plays there all the time sells out completly.. so why pay full price. Copperfield cost us $70 each as did Chris Angel. Elton was about $140 each. beatles tribute show (fan bloodytastic by the way) only cost $42

Vegas a fun place as long as going eay on the gambling. I won about $80 over 6 nights My other half lost about $100 so good result. Much rather spend $ on shows rather than gaming.

 

[BecBennett]

Thanks for the report. I always forget about the shows at vegas...

 

[Busy Busy]

What an amazing holiday you had!! Wow - next time I'm going with you to Vegas!! We were there on a Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights - so not a lot to see (plus we didn't even get to Vegas until 11.30pm on the Sunday night)!

We could have seen Celine Dion - but then my husband would have had to have jumped off a building - so now shows for us!

I did see the 9.00pm Bon Jovi show on the giant canopy on Fremont Street - a 70 foot tall Jon Bon Jovi - it made my trip!!!!

 

[gregpso]

What an amazing holiday you had!! Wow - next time I'm going with you to Vegas!! We were there on a Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights - so not a lot to see (plus we didn't even get to Vegas until 11.30pm on the Sunday night)!

We could have seen Celine Dion - but then my husband would have had to have jumped off a building - so now shows for us!

I did see the 9.00pm Bon Jovi show on the giant canopy on Fremont Street - a 70 foot tall Jon Bon Jovi - it made my trip!!!!

My personal view is you need at least 5 nights in vegas and really 7 to do Justice to the shows. The tribute shows are excellent as well as the many magic shows. Shows like beatles Bee gees Elvis real value for money. Dare I say it..... some of the tribute shows sound better than the originals due to 21st century sound and mixing. PS Hover Dam is also worth seeing.

 

[Travel Mum]

Thanks so much for sharing your TR Gregpso and it sounds like you had a great time!

 

[Mum from oz]

Great little TR. Short but sweet! Sounds like a fab trip!

 

[australiankaren]

we got a successful bid lax-akl pe to business...well worth the $$$$....they say its easier to get the upgrade lax-akl rather than akl-lax.... and dont forget your luggage limit goes up to 3 bags each if you get the flight home...all that shopping, so little time

we loved ANZ

 

[Minniemum]

Sounds like you had a great time especially with that lineup of shows in Vegas.

 

[WAMUMOF4]

What a great trip I would love to see that many shows in one trip, we might even have to go back to Vegas to do it

 

[lffam]

Great report.


We are thinking of going apr/may 2014. Love to hear a bit more about Washington. I def want to do the Whitehouse tour but beyond that not too sure what else is worthwhile. NYC is a must for us too this time.

WDW we are thinking 10 ads as first timers but we do want to see Universal and NASA also so not sure if we could do it in the 10 or need extra. We did DL in 2010 and.gad 5 days.. We like a leisurely paced time at the parks not jammed packed going from one attraction to other..I know some people love that, it's just not for us.

We did Vegas also we saw the lion king. Had our 8yo with us so we found Vegas not the best place with him. We did do the Vegas Elvis wedding which I know is cliche but was our 10yr anniversary Andrew wife wanted to and I'm so lad we did was great fun!