Hi all!
Well today is our last day in Vancouver - it is Wednesday morning here and we are all packed and ready to go. Today we will visit our last place of interest the Vancouver Aquarium, it is a beautiful sunny day with temperatures about 16 degrees - perfect!
After that we will grab our suitcases from the hotel and start the trip to the airport ready for our flight tonight at 8.30pm canada time - we will be travelling for 14 hours straight and although it is a night flight I very much doubt we will get any sleep!
So while you guys enjoy your Thursday day time we will be enjoying our Wednesday day time and while you are sleeping through your Thursday night we will be flying home to NZ!
Can't wait to get home to our own beds and our lovely house - we miss everyone and look forward to seeing you on our return!
Much love,
Lee and Hollie
Thursday, October 7, 2010
1st Day of Vancouver
On the first Day we went to Grouse mountain, it was really cool!!!
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| at Grouse Mountain there was a giant Wind turbine. |
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| There you could stand in a large pod at the top, which we did. |
Will update you on rest of Vancouver when we get back!
I have to go now!!!!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
HELLO VANCOUVER, CANADA! Friday 1st Oct USA Time
After a hideously early start we caught our flight to Vancouver with a stop over in Dallas, Texas.
We travelled all day pretty much, and there is a three hour time difference between Orlando and Vancouver.
We check into our hotel which is two bedroom and has its own kitchen - hooray!
It is a gorgeous day today and the temperature is a mere 25 degrees - yipee a normal day! Good bye hideous heat!
Tomorrow we explore Vancouver!
We travelled all day pretty much, and there is a three hour time difference between Orlando and Vancouver.
We check into our hotel which is two bedroom and has its own kitchen - hooray!
It is a gorgeous day today and the temperature is a mere 25 degrees - yipee a normal day! Good bye hideous heat!
Tomorrow we explore Vancouver!
HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS : Thurs 30th Sept - Final Day
Great afternoon hanging out at Hollywood Studios:
Highlights: Hollie meets Winnie the Pooh!!
Went on the Toy Story Midway Mania ride - great fun shooting moving tartgets all in 3D while moving in a cart! Great fun!
Watched some great shows - Indiana Jones EpicStunt Spectacular and also the Lights, Motors, Action Extreme Stunt show - lots of petrol fumes and explosions - fabulous - most of the latter show I have recorded on my movie camera - so will show you when we get home!
Near the end of the night 8.30pm ish we participated in the Magic of Disney Animation which showed how characters are brought to life on the drawing page and got to meet an illustrator and he gave us a lesson on how to draw Piglet. It was an awesome experience and made a big impact on Hollie.
The last part of the night was the Fantasmic night time spectacular with laser lights, dancing fountains and special effects - a 25 minute show of gigantic proportions - amazing!
We got back to the hotel about 11pm - shattered and with just enough time for Hollie to get some sleep and for me to pack our stuff and lie awake till 3am when we got up to go to the airport to catch our flight to Vancouver, Canada!
GOOD BYE AMERICA!!
FAREWELL MICKEY MOUSE!
Highlights: Hollie meets Winnie the Pooh!!
Went on the Toy Story Midway Mania ride - great fun shooting moving tartgets all in 3D while moving in a cart! Great fun!
Watched some great shows - Indiana Jones EpicStunt Spectacular and also the Lights, Motors, Action Extreme Stunt show - lots of petrol fumes and explosions - fabulous - most of the latter show I have recorded on my movie camera - so will show you when we get home!
Near the end of the night 8.30pm ish we participated in the Magic of Disney Animation which showed how characters are brought to life on the drawing page and got to meet an illustrator and he gave us a lesson on how to draw Piglet. It was an awesome experience and made a big impact on Hollie.
The last part of the night was the Fantasmic night time spectacular with laser lights, dancing fountains and special effects - a 25 minute show of gigantic proportions - amazing!
We got back to the hotel about 11pm - shattered and with just enough time for Hollie to get some sleep and for me to pack our stuff and lie awake till 3am when we got up to go to the airport to catch our flight to Vancouver, Canada!
GOOD BYE AMERICA!!
FAREWELL MICKEY MOUSE!
DISNEY - FINAL DAY -Thurs 30th Sept USA time
Hi All,
yesterday we did another day at Epcot and today on our final day,we are doing Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.
So first Animal Kingdom - this is a lovely park themed entirely on animals and raising awareness on animal protection and an insight into the world of wild animals. We enjoyed a short twenty minute Kilimanjaro Safari where we were driven around in an open air safari vehicle and observed such animals as Elephants, Rhinos, Giraffes, Gazelles and several other wild animals. Was fairly sedate and of course had the disney touch of pretend poachers that needed to be caught etc during the safari. Much fun and a chance to see these animals in a non caged environment - I guess they are fed so well they can't be bothered to eat each other!!
We also went to the "Finding Nemo - The Musical" - WOW what a fantastic show - and the costumes were absolutely outstanding - a total gem in the Disney family. Photos will show a little of how amazing it was...
yesterday we did another day at Epcot and today on our final day,we are doing Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.
So first Animal Kingdom - this is a lovely park themed entirely on animals and raising awareness on animal protection and an insight into the world of wild animals. We enjoyed a short twenty minute Kilimanjaro Safari where we were driven around in an open air safari vehicle and observed such animals as Elephants, Rhinos, Giraffes, Gazelles and several other wild animals. Was fairly sedate and of course had the disney touch of pretend poachers that needed to be caught etc during the safari. Much fun and a chance to see these animals in a non caged environment - I guess they are fed so well they can't be bothered to eat each other!!
We also went to the "Finding Nemo - The Musical" - WOW what a fantastic show - and the costumes were absolutely outstanding - a total gem in the Disney family. Photos will show a little of how amazing it was...
Final ride was a whip round on the Kali river Rapids - a cute little raft ride down a fairly disappointing route - of course it was still good enough to be saturated but luckily we came prepared and took changes of clothing for Hollie and a poncho for me!
After only a half a day at Animal Kingdom we hot footed it over to Hollywood Studios...Sunday, October 3, 2010
DISNEY Day 2: TUESDAY 28th USA TIME
On Tuesday 28th we started off the day at Magic Kingdom - we checked out Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. In Tomorrowland there were some really cool rides like Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin - spinning around shooting targets,we went to a very funny comedy show called MonstersInc. Laugh Floor - much humour including interaction with the audience. In Fantasyland there was an awsome ride called the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh where you roll,bounce and float through indoor adventures. Another highlight a very clever 3D movie called Mickey's PhilharMagic.
After lunch we moved onto a really awsome place called Epcot. This is made up of two sections - one is Future World - this is a showcase for future ideas and has loads of interactive games and activities to play on. Our two favourite rides were MissionSPACE where you were strapped into a capsule that simulated a rocket launch and travel through space - fantastic! Also Test Track - this is where you sit in a car and get taken through a vehicle test circuit and it ends with a high speed circuit that takes your breath away - spectacularly fun.
The second section is called the World Showcase - this is a collection of 11 countries around a large lake. They each have restaurants and cafes with their local foods and also huge retail shops that showcase items special to their country. So much to look at and all buildings replicating their traditional building styles. We had an awesome meal at a Morrocon restaurant along with live music and a belly dancer!
At the end of the day at Epcot they have a nighttime spectacular called Illuminations: Reflections of Earth - a laser light and firework display all done to music which features a giant world globe that is lit up and moves around the lake so that everyone can see. It is all done on such a huge scale you cant possibly pick up all the detail by photos so all you can do is stand back and enjoy it.
Epcot was definitely the highlight of the whole Disney experience - and even then we didnt get to see absolutely everything - we may have to come back!!
After lunch we moved onto a really awsome place called Epcot. This is made up of two sections - one is Future World - this is a showcase for future ideas and has loads of interactive games and activities to play on. Our two favourite rides were MissionSPACE where you were strapped into a capsule that simulated a rocket launch and travel through space - fantastic! Also Test Track - this is where you sit in a car and get taken through a vehicle test circuit and it ends with a high speed circuit that takes your breath away - spectacularly fun.
The second section is called the World Showcase - this is a collection of 11 countries around a large lake. They each have restaurants and cafes with their local foods and also huge retail shops that showcase items special to their country. So much to look at and all buildings replicating their traditional building styles. We had an awesome meal at a Morrocon restaurant along with live music and a belly dancer!
At the end of the day at Epcot they have a nighttime spectacular called Illuminations: Reflections of Earth - a laser light and firework display all done to music which features a giant world globe that is lit up and moves around the lake so that everyone can see. It is all done on such a huge scale you cant possibly pick up all the detail by photos so all you can do is stand back and enjoy it.
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| RESTAURANT MARRAKESH |
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| MOROCCO BUILDINGS |
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| THE NIGHT TIME VIEW OF THE EPCOT BALL |
Thursday, September 30, 2010
LAST DAYAT HARD ROCK! [USA Time: Mon, 27th Sept 2010]
This was a sad day to check out of the Hard Rock Hotel - the staff were great and we had a very cruisy time staying and enjoying the benefits of on site accomodation.
We arrive at 4pm and go hard with as much as we can fit in before 9pm. We manage most of Adventureland with a walk-through of an awesome replica of the Swiss family Robinsons treehouse home and jump on board a ride through the Pirates of the Carribean with Jack Sparrow!
It is soooo hot today and we are really feeling the heat - can't seem to get enough relief but continue on. At 8pm is the Main Street Electrical parade which is outstanding - Disney really know how to put on a spectacular show - it winds its way through the pathways of the magic Kingdom with thousands and thousands of people along the sides watching with awe. At 9pm the Wishes Night time spectacular starts - an amazing 20 minutes of fantastic fireworks to music - makes Brooklands Bowl Xmas fireworks look exceedingly amateurish!
We bolt hotel bound onto the Monorail and catch the connecting bus and manage to reach our Hotel room by 10pm - knackered! But what a great day.
Photos below:
Today Hollie went for a swim and I updated the blog a little. We have been having difficulty using the Internet as we could only access it from downstairs in the lobby or by the pool. This has meant getting back late then not being able to go online while in our room.
So after some lunch headed 25minutes further down the line and checked into the Disney Downtown Holiday Inn. Lovely and clean and newly refurbished -and way cheaper than Hard Rock Hotel!After a one hour rest we headed off to the Magic Kingdom on one of the shuttle buses that serve the Hotel.
It takes about 20 minutes to Magic Kingdom Ticket and Transportation centre and from there you catch a Monorail which takes you into the actual heart of MK. Feels like a bit of a mission but it is airconditioned the whole way and offers respite from the ever constant heat!We arrive at 4pm and go hard with as much as we can fit in before 9pm. We manage most of Adventureland with a walk-through of an awesome replica of the Swiss family Robinsons treehouse home and jump on board a ride through the Pirates of the Carribean with Jack Sparrow!
It is soooo hot today and we are really feeling the heat - can't seem to get enough relief but continue on. At 8pm is the Main Street Electrical parade which is outstanding - Disney really know how to put on a spectacular show - it winds its way through the pathways of the magic Kingdom with thousands and thousands of people along the sides watching with awe. At 9pm the Wishes Night time spectacular starts - an amazing 20 minutes of fantastic fireworks to music - makes Brooklands Bowl Xmas fireworks look exceedingly amateurish!
We bolt hotel bound onto the Monorail and catch the connecting bus and manage to reach our Hotel room by 10pm - knackered! But what a great day.
Photos below:
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| The view down to the pool from the 11th floor at Holiday Inn |
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| Exceedingly patriotic American Eagle as the finale! |
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| No Magic Kingdom is complete without a pretty Castle! |
Ahhhhg we are falling behind!
We are having such long days and such an awesome time, we get back to our hotel and fall into coma instantly then wake up and do another HUGE day!
Our third day at Universal studios was a combination of both sides of the park and a chance to do our favourite rides again and again if we chose - a few more pictures to show ourexploits ...
Highlights of today were definitely going inside the Harry Potter Castle to do the Forbidden Journey ride - wow what a breathtaking ride - too scary for Hollie and I just about coped - special effects nothing you could ever imagine - FANTASTIC!
The next day we leave Universal Studios and head for Disney about 20 minutes south.
See ya later...
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| Inside Harry Potter's Castle! |
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| We had Dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe |
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| Outside Poseidons Fury - an awesome animated show with fire and water |
Highlights of today were definitely going inside the Harry Potter Castle to do the Forbidden Journey ride - wow what a breathtaking ride - too scary for Hollie and I just about coped - special effects nothing you could ever imagine - FANTASTIC!
The next day we leave Universal Studios and head for Disney about 20 minutes south.
See ya later...
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
ORLANDO ROCKS!
Wow what an awesome place! the Hard Rock Hotel is awesome and worth every expensive cent!
We had our first day at Universal Studios today - Islands of Adventure, and of course Harry Potter was
We had our first day at Universal Studios today - Islands of Adventure, and of course Harry Potter was
first on the list! Amazing full scale replica of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade - fantastic. We went on the Hippogriff ride twice but the much bigger ride of the Forbidden Journey just too daunting for Hollie and I to try!
We went into honeydukes-the candy store , in there we saw Bertibots every flavor beans, chocolate frogs,
acid pops,and the staircase of lollies to name a few of the heaps of stuff in there. We went to Zonkos the joke shop, and saw extendable ears, sneak a scopes, pygmy puffs, jelly eyeballs, fake eggs, and so many cool things!
We had our lunch in the Three Broomsticks - and experienced Butterbeer - very sweet and frothy but quite yummy. We also tried Pumpkin Juice - interesting combination of flavours and of course very sweet!
We went into the Owl Post where the walls were covered in notebooks, Owls, writing paper and of course - Wands!
After a big fix of Harry Potter we went to each of the other sections of the Islands of Adventure. Highlights were the Jurrasic Park River Adventure, and the Pteranondon Flyers. We also enjoyed Toon lagoon where we went on the Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges - a raft ride on swirling white-water rapids - awesome and not a stitch of dry clothing on your body when you finished!
While we were still totally drenched, we went on the Dudley do right Ripsaw falls, a log flume ride with a gut wrenching drop and speed through even more water - fantastic!
We enjoyed Seuss Landing -a few rides here but also a feast for the eyeballs! check out our pictures!
So much to write about and more pictures to show than we can put on our blog - will show you more when we return.
We ae on day two tomorrow and off to the other side of Universal Studios - will post more tomorrow.
SAN FRANCISCO!
Hi All!
After a long 12 hour flight from Auckland to San Francisco we arrived after very little sleep on the plane, but an easy flight otherwise. We arrived late in the afternoon but with enough time to catch the BART train transport into San Francisco downtown and catch the cable car on the Powell Line which took us down into Fishermans Wharf. It was a gorgeous sunny warm afternoon and we had dinner in a funky restaurant with the local seafood - prawns and scallops! Yummy! We then went back to the hotel and had a six hour sleep before we got a shuttle back to the airport at 4am!
We then caught our short flight to Orlando via Denver which was flat and desert like!
BabyBot on the plane San Francisco
San Francisco Cable car
This bread was at a famous bakery in Fishermans wharf and was made into all sorts of shapes - teddies, alligators, and turtles!
After a long 12 hour flight from Auckland to San Francisco we arrived after very little sleep on the plane, but an easy flight otherwise. We arrived late in the afternoon but with enough time to catch the BART train transport into San Francisco downtown and catch the cable car on the Powell Line which took us down into Fishermans Wharf. It was a gorgeous sunny warm afternoon and we had dinner in a funky restaurant with the local seafood - prawns and scallops! Yummy! We then went back to the hotel and had a six hour sleep before we got a shuttle back to the airport at 4am!
We then caught our short flight to Orlando via Denver which was flat and desert like!
BabyBot on the plane San Francisco
San Francisco Cable car
This bread was at a famous bakery in Fishermans wharf and was made into all sorts of shapes - teddies, alligators, and turtles!Sunday, September 5, 2010
This is babybot the robot. He will be our holiday mascot! We shall take him everywhere on our holiday!
HOW WE GOT BABYBOT : Today we were at lunch with our good friend Maree.We were going through the stuff she had made since we last saw her.She showed us babybot and some other toys.I adored babybot and Maree said i could have him!So now he is part of our travelling group!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
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