**** Vancouver FAQ Thread **** A few updates in main post!

[lbgraves]

Thanks! That makes sense. LOL! I knew that. You are right about the butterflies. We got to the front of the tram for the trip down for good pictures. I turned on the video of my camera. The time of the trip was 4 m 14 s. The cable was at an angle as we approached the tower, then as the weight of the tram went onto the cable, it seemed to go straight down and the trip was much faster. LOL! Several people in the tram screamed as if they were on a roller coaster as we were coming off the towers. Yet I wouldn't go near the Capilano bridge. LOL! That was probably milder than the tram ride down.

 

[mom_rules]

Thanks! That makes sense. LOL! I knew that. You are right about the butterflies. We got to the front of the tram for the trip down for good pictures. I turned on the video of my camera. The time of the trip was 4 m 14 s. The cable was at an angle as we approached the tower, then as the weight of the tram went onto the cable, it seemed to go straight down and the trip was much faster. LOL! Several people in the tram screamed as if they were on a roller coaster as we were coming off the towers. Yet I wouldn't go near the Capilano bridge. LOL! That was probably milder than the tram ride down.

Capilano was awesome-thought it would be really scary (some people did freak out) but for the 8 of us it was wonderful.
They also have a really nice little restaurant and outdoor patio across the street called the Bridge House. Great food.

 

[rsjj]

Some asked about this...
They have a service where they will transport ur luggages straight to yvr from the same place u store ur luggages for the day! We did that...super convenient!! $10 per luggage, w/a minimum of 4 luggages. The only catch is, they will arrive @ yvr by 4 pm. So ur flight have to b later than that.

We had a 7pm flight. Worked out for us! After leaving our luggages w/them, we took pub transportation (bus #19) to Stanley park, rented bikes, and rode along the seawall. We've already visited the park prior to our cruise...the trails, totem poles, etc. So it was truly a leisure ride!! Then had lunch around the area (lots of eatery where the bike rental place (spokes) is located). Took the skytrain back to yvr. Picked up our luggages there, and proceeded to check ourselves into the airport/flight.

 

[poohj80]

A friend mentioned something about a park in Vancouver with totem poles. Does anyone know which park this might be?

Thanks!

 

[WDWLVR]

A friend mentioned something about a park in Vancouver with totem poles. Does anyone know which park this might be?

Thanks!

That would be Stanley Park which is right near downtown. The Big Bus and Trolley both serve Stanley Park and others have walked or taken bikes over there.

 

[poohj80]

That would be Stanley Park which is right near downtown. The Big Bus and Trolley both serve Stanley Park and others have walked or taken bikes over there.

Thanks, I thought that might be it but wasn't sure.

 

[RedSox68]

Okay, so I gave up on Hotwire as there were no five stars and, I must admit, I don't like not knowing what I'm getting or where it is located until payment.

After looking around on the different hotel discount sites, I was finding that all the Pan Pacific prices were higher than what they offered me when I contacted them via email as a AAA member, AND the room selections were limited as many categories said "SOLD OUT" for the dates I need. In addition, the cheapest price I could find on Hotwire was for a four star for $273/night in an unknown location and unknown room type (or view), and that was only for two adults. Granted, their site changes every day and deals come up, but I didn't want to lose my chance at Pan Pacific as they are selling out very fast. (They are HAL's main hotel and our cruise is sold out, so everyone is heading there.)

So I contacted Pan Pacific directly and worked with an absolutely lovely reservation rep who got me a terrific AAA package that includes breakfast and free luggage assistance to the port. It is a harbor view room with 2 beds and even though the breakfast deal is for two, she included my daughter in the package. After much research, we are very happy with the price since it's three adults AND she threw in the third breakfast for my daughter. So for $60 more per night than the 4-star prices on Hotwire, we got the room of our choice at a 5-star notel, with the view of our choice and breakfast (which will save us money on lunch ). And hey, we'll be saving on tax fare as we can walk to the terminal

I know from everything written here that THIS is an ideal hotel and location and we are thrilled with the deal. Now I just have to book hotels in Seattle and airfare

 

[lbgraves]

It is the PERFECT location. Did she tell you where the ship docks? When you are facing the hotel with the conference center to your left, it is the side of the hotel that looks away from the center -- the the right. You will have an open dock and be able to see the ferry dock on that side. You will be able to watch the Wonder turn the corner and dock. She showed up around 6:50 the morning we were there. DS had woken up at 4 am to watch, so DH took him out to the waterfront to get breakfast and watch.

 

[rosiep]

Okay, so I gave up on Hotwire as there were no five stars and, I must admit, I don't like not knowing what I'm getting or where it is located until payment.

After looking around on the different hotel discount sites, I was finding that all the Pan Pacific prices were higher than what they offered me when I contacted them via email as a AAA member, AND the room selections were limited as many categories said "SOLD OUT" for the dates I need. In addition, the cheapest price I could find on Hotwire was for a four star for $273/night in an unknown location and unknown room type (or view), and that was only for two adults. Granted, their site changes every day and deals come up, but I didn't want to lose my chance at Pan Pacific as they are selling out very fast. (They are HAL's main hotel and our cruise is sold out, so everyone is heading there.)

So I contacted Pan Pacific directly and worked with an absolutely lovely reservation rep who got me a terrific AAA package that includes breakfast and free luggage assistance to the port. It is a harbor view room with 2 beds and even though the breakfast deal is for two, she included my daughter in the package. After much research, we are very happy with the price since it's three adults AND she threw in the third breakfast for my daughter. So for $60 more per night than the 4-star prices on Hotwire, we got the room of our choice at a 5-star notel, with the view of our choice and breakfast (which will save us money on lunch ). And hey, we'll be saving on tax fare as we can walk to the terminal

I know from everything written here that THIS is an ideal hotel and location and we are thrilled with the deal. Now I just have to book hotels in Seattle and airfare

Congratulations!!! Looks like your hard work paid off!

 

[RedSox68]

It is the PERFECT location. Did she tell you where the ship docks? When you are facing the hotel with the conference center to your left, it is the side of the hotel that looks away from the center -- the the right. You will have an open dock and be able to see the ferry dock on that side. You will be able to watch the Wonder turn the corner and dock. She showed up around 6:50 the morning we were there. DS had woken up at 4 am to watch, so DH took him out to the waterfront to get breakfast and watch.

We're sailing on HAL, not Disney. But I did see pictures on their photo gallery that not only included HAL docked there, but also the Wonder!

what I found really "odd" was that if you booked this through HAL, they wanted $499/night "with transfers". Ummmm, you don't need transfers to go down an escalator to the cruise terminal! The deal I got is $150 cheaper AND includes breakfast. Their's didn't include anything but "transfers" And since we're doing a cruise tour, our transportation is included at the end of the tour to the airport anyway.

 

[HiMagicFan]

Just wanted to send a shout out (sorry so late) to EVERYONE for sharing their advice and experiences!

It was so very helpful in all my planning and in making the trip so great!

You are all Da Best!

 

[NWmom]

bumping this up for those asking questions
NW

 

[tinker1bell]

When we stayed in Vancouver for one night, we stayed at the Landis Hotel & Suites. We got a fantastic rate of about $240 for the four of us. We had a two bedroom suite with living area, full kitchen, dining area and little breakfast nook. They have a free shuttle to the port. I would definitely stay there again.

 

[ratt1345]

DW and I stayed at Hotel Le Soleil back in June. We had a great experience there. Most everything was in walking distance, except Stanley Park. We took a trolley to Stanley Park. I highly suggest going to Stanley Park and go to the aquarium!!! We thoroughly enjoyed Vancouver. The people who live there should be proud of having such a great city.

 

[mellers]

If you're looking for a different experience, try the Four Points Sheraton Vancouver Airport in Richmond, BC. The International Buddhist Temple Gardens in Richmond are amazing. (However, please, those who go there, remember that this is a place of worship and be respectful, whether or not it is your religious tradition. I saw a lot of people discarding bottles and trash in the temple.)

The hotel is next door to a large shopping mall (Lansdowne shopping center) with a Toys R Us, a nice little bookstore, and a Zellers (very like Target) where you can pick up last-minute items. It also has a nice food court, and it is close to a laundromat. The mall is next door to the Canada Line of the SkyTrain, so it is very easy to get into Vancouver proper, and the hotel has a free shuttle from the airport. Getting to the cruise generally requires a taxi, but for two or more people, it is probably less expensive than Disney transportation, and for three or more, it definitely is. It isn't hard to get to the port from there--we had no problems when we went last August.

 

[geoffrey]

Capilano was awesome-thought it would be really scary (some people did freak out) but for the 8 of us it was wonderful.
They also have a really nice little restaurant and outdoor patio across the street called the Bridge House. Great food.

+1 for the Bridge House. Have eaten there twice and really enjoyed it both times.

And oh yeah, going over the top tower can be quite a trip!

 

[jilljill]

With the new cruises for 2013 that just opened, might as well bring this thread back to life since there's so much good info already posted.

 

[mellers]

Be very careful that this will work for you, but there is a deal on the Pan Pacific Hotel available through Groupon right now--read the restrictions carefully, and make sure you can book it before you buy the certificate, but it is a great deal:

http://www.groupon.com/deals/ga-m-p...=ga-m-pan-pacific-vancouver&p=1&c=deal_button

 

[poohj80]

Be very careful that this will work for you, but there is a deal on the Pan Pacific Hotel available through Groupon right now--read the restrictions carefully, and make sure you can book it before you buy the certificate, but it is a great deal:

http://www.groupon.com/deals/ga-m-p...=ga-m-pan-pacific-vancouver&p=1&c=deal_button

Many of us were able to book the Pan Pacific last year through Hot Wire for about $140 US per night which I believe is an even better deal, but not guaranteed.

 

[queenbee99]

This thread is super long but I am hoping to get to reading it soon. We are doing the Alaskan out of Seattle but want to do Seattle for a few days and Vancouver too. So many questions, I saw the deal for the Pan Pacific and haven't booked our flights yet. We would fly into Seattle and then go to Vancouver. Which is most cost effective? Renting a car and driving or taking the train? I thought I had read somewhere that AAA gets business class upgrade on Amtrak but can't find anything. The parking is expensive at the hotels so I didn't know if we could rent and turn in the car, then rent after we return. I have heard that the public transportation is great in Vancouver. What is the best way to get from the train station in Vancouver to Pan Pacific hotel? Not sure if we will be staying here but possible. I have an 8 year old that would love to see snow. Is our only option for that in Whistler? It seems that the June calendar of events is not available for Whistler. This is very overwhelming to plan and hope to get some advice. Between hotels, transportation, flights, cruise...HELP!!