kylieh
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2006
Arrived home on Friday morning. Qantas A380, ontime.
So after having heaps of probs getting my photos uploaded, I finally have half a trip report. This is the first few days between arriving and the last night in Las Vegas.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2450279
Over the next day I'll write the DL part.
Here are some random notes....
The service in the USA is a million times better than at home. With the exception of Hertz. Well, not only with the Hertz service, but their cars, and all.
The Warner Bros tour is brilliant, and I recommend it. There are no rides, etc, just a working movie studio. It goes for about 2 1/2 hours. No photos inside. No videos at all.
The most we paid for a sit down meal, according to my credit card statement was about AU$140 at Outback Steakhouse. Included tax, tip, fancy drink for me and MIL, desert. There were 3 adults and 1 child. Most other sit down meals using the above formula were about $100-$120.
Meal portions are generally huge. The only time when a children's meal wasn't sufficient for DD was at Bubba Gump's in Anaheim. DD had children's fish and chips, I had the full version. I gave her a couple of pieces off my plate. Very nice though.
Yellow cabs in LA and Anaheim make Sydney cabs and their drivers look good. This happened on multiple times, not just one. Stories to follow when I'm less jet-lagged. The green independants were better.
The ART bus drivers change over around 3.20pm. Almost guaranteed a bus at that time without a wait. But if ARTing, make sure at least one person in your group lines up. The Homewood where we stayed had it's own shuttle, but in the end we preferred ART. Go figure!!!
Target is a dangerous place for your purse and will strip you from your money very quickly. I think I spent about $500 there, on STUFF
The purpose of the luggage department of Target Garden Grove is to supply Australians and Kiwi's with extra luggage. Each time I went back to buy more luggage (3 times) I met other Aussies doing the same. We went over with 4 bags between us, and came home with 8.
Driving for DH was really easy. I couldn't do it. Just sitting in the front seat of the car made me so nervous. DH said that he would recommend driving to any Aussie as the roads are really easy and drivers are courteous, but would recommend driving to yanks coming to Australia.
You need to pay for petrol first. And the pay at pumps didn't accept either mine, DH's or MIL credit cards. So you go in and give them, say $50 and the bowser number, they give you a receipt. Fill the car, then go back in and get your change. Everywhere else accepted all cards.
Even the supermarkets in Las Vegas have poker machines.
Circus Circus has low limit tables, so if you do want to gamble, it's pretty cheap and if you get a good dealer like we did, they teach you to play. You have to tip the dealer. For non-smokers, it can be a shock. But you can be lucky and find a table where no one is smoking.
Churros at DL are now $3.50. Coke $3. But everything else is cheap.
If you buy a case of water and keep it in the hotel room remember to take it with you to the parks
Fairy Floss is Cotton Candy, and when you are tired and can't remember it's cotton candy, using "the pink fluffy stuff" will work
I'll post some more notes as I think of more...
So after having heaps of probs getting my photos uploaded, I finally have half a trip report. This is the first few days between arriving and the last night in Las Vegas.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2450279
Over the next day I'll write the DL part.
Here are some random notes....
The service in the USA is a million times better than at home. With the exception of Hertz. Well, not only with the Hertz service, but their cars, and all.
The Warner Bros tour is brilliant, and I recommend it. There are no rides, etc, just a working movie studio. It goes for about 2 1/2 hours. No photos inside. No videos at all.
The most we paid for a sit down meal, according to my credit card statement was about AU$140 at Outback Steakhouse. Included tax, tip, fancy drink for me and MIL, desert. There were 3 adults and 1 child. Most other sit down meals using the above formula were about $100-$120.
Meal portions are generally huge. The only time when a children's meal wasn't sufficient for DD was at Bubba Gump's in Anaheim. DD had children's fish and chips, I had the full version. I gave her a couple of pieces off my plate. Very nice though.
Yellow cabs in LA and Anaheim make Sydney cabs and their drivers look good. This happened on multiple times, not just one. Stories to follow when I'm less jet-lagged. The green independants were better.
The ART bus drivers change over around 3.20pm. Almost guaranteed a bus at that time without a wait. But if ARTing, make sure at least one person in your group lines up. The Homewood where we stayed had it's own shuttle, but in the end we preferred ART. Go figure!!!
Target is a dangerous place for your purse and will strip you from your money very quickly. I think I spent about $500 there, on STUFF
The purpose of the luggage department of Target Garden Grove is to supply Australians and Kiwi's with extra luggage. Each time I went back to buy more luggage (3 times) I met other Aussies doing the same. We went over with 4 bags between us, and came home with 8.Driving for DH was really easy. I couldn't do it. Just sitting in the front seat of the car made me so nervous. DH said that he would recommend driving to any Aussie as the roads are really easy and drivers are courteous, but would recommend driving to yanks coming to Australia.
You need to pay for petrol first. And the pay at pumps didn't accept either mine, DH's or MIL credit cards. So you go in and give them, say $50 and the bowser number, they give you a receipt. Fill the car, then go back in and get your change. Everywhere else accepted all cards.
Even the supermarkets in Las Vegas have poker machines.
Circus Circus has low limit tables, so if you do want to gamble, it's pretty cheap and if you get a good dealer like we did, they teach you to play. You have to tip the dealer. For non-smokers, it can be a shock. But you can be lucky and find a table where no one is smoking.
Churros at DL are now $3.50.
Coke $3. But everything else is cheap.If you buy a case of water and keep it in the hotel room remember to take it with you to the parks
Fairy Floss is Cotton Candy, and when you are tired and can't remember it's cotton candy, using "the pink fluffy stuff" will work
I'll post some more notes as I think of more...
.
