skier_pete
DIsney-holics Anon
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2006
I set up those slots on the first page for trip overviews - but I'll also post any new information here within the thread. This way new readers can just look at the front page while those of you following along can see it here as well.
It's not often that the idea of a first ever trip to Disneyland would be the LEAST exciting part of a vacation, but that might be the case hear! We are very much looking forward to seeing Disneyland, especially the new/different rides. But after three days there - we will be ready to move on.
I am hoping three days at Disneyland also tires us enough that we can get a decent amount of sleep on the plane. Our flight leaves from LAX at 10:30 PM, and we should be pretty tired, and will hopefully be able to sleep at least 6-7 hours on the plane. That would be great except it's a 15 HOUR flight.
This is the main reason I wanted to break up the trip, as it typically take 8-9 hours to get from Buffalo to LA, and the idea of following that with a 15 hour flight just gives me the creeps.
Another interesting thing that some Americans might not be aware, when you cross the international dateline to Australia, you essentially skip over a day. So, though we leave LA on Tuesday July 24th, we don't arrive in Sydney until Thursday, July 26th. Wednesday, July 25th is a day we won't experience this year! (Though August 16th will be the longest day EVER!)
The other bad thing I didn't originally think about, we arrive in Sydney on July 26th at 6:30 AM. What's so bad about that you say? Well, in all likelyhood we won't be able to check into our hotel for another 8-9 hours, and we might just be pretty beat! The actual time change as I see it from LA to Australia is 7 hours (or actually its 17 hours, but really will feel like 7).
Including Thursday - we have about 4.5 days in Sydney. We leave the afternoon of July 30th - a Monday. I wanted a hotel that was in the city, and we wouldn't have to spend money to rent a car. (Plus The idea of driving on the right is scary enough without the first time being in a big city.)
Part of my goal in budgeting for this trip was to keep the hotel costs per night at less than $200. My biggest fear was that this would be impossible, but I don't know if it because we are traveling in winter, the costs don't seem too bad, I searched a few places in the heart of Sydney under that price, but then found a place called the Rendezvous Strattord which is right in The Rocks. For any US readers, that seems like it not so much in the city center, but more in the entertainment center - between the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Opera House and not too far from the Botanical Gardens at Circular Quay. The price was $233 a night US including tax, but I thought the location was so perfect I decided to splurge the extra few bucks. Reviews on TripAdvisor were very good, and I think it will be an exciting location.
So - as far as what we want to accomplish in sydney, I have yet to work out the specifics, but definitely want to do a tour of the harbor, the city, the Opera House, probably the Aquarium, maybe out to one of the beaches (Manly or Bondi) and less likely the zoo. (I hear the Sydney zoo is excellent, but there are a lot of Zoological stops planned on our trip, and with our limited time here I think we will skip it.)
I don't know how badly the time change will hit us, nor how much we will be used to the time chanage already from Buffalo -> LA, so it might feel more like a 10 hour time difference. So, our first day I am thinking may be a lost cause, except that again we will have several hours before we can check into the hotel. Hopefully, we will be able to suffer through and enjoy our 4 days in Sydney.
FIRST QUESTION OF THE THREAD:
This is for any folks familiar with Sydney...what would you recommend for dining options?
I think we have a pretty good idea for what kind of tourist options there are - though would accept any potential budget/discount advice there as well - but I would appreciate food advice from locals. We really are trying to budget this trip, and for that reason are not interested in posh/expensive restaurants, even though I am sure there are many good ones in Sydney. After all, we will also be towing a very-likely-tired 9-year-old. I am more interested in good food and reasonable prices - and by that I am thinking $50-$75 AUS for 2 adults and a child. (For example our last trip to Las Vegas we blew $200 US eating at Voodoo Steak and had an awesome steak dinner for the two of us, but then we went and ate at Hash House A-Go-Go for Brunch and for >$50 had one of the best meals I've ever had.) I am trying to budget about $125-$150 per day for our meals if that is possible. The hotel we are staying in is a studio, and has a small kitchen which might allow us to even have breakfasts in the room.
It's not often that the idea of a first ever trip to Disneyland would be the LEAST exciting part of a vacation, but that might be the case hear! We are very much looking forward to seeing Disneyland, especially the new/different rides. But after three days there - we will be ready to move on.
I am hoping three days at Disneyland also tires us enough that we can get a decent amount of sleep on the plane. Our flight leaves from LAX at 10:30 PM, and we should be pretty tired, and will hopefully be able to sleep at least 6-7 hours on the plane. That would be great except it's a 15 HOUR flight.
This is the main reason I wanted to break up the trip, as it typically take 8-9 hours to get from Buffalo to LA, and the idea of following that with a 15 hour flight just gives me the creeps. Another interesting thing that some Americans might not be aware, when you cross the international dateline to Australia, you essentially skip over a day. So, though we leave LA on Tuesday July 24th, we don't arrive in Sydney until Thursday, July 26th. Wednesday, July 25th is a day we won't experience this year! (Though August 16th will be the longest day EVER!)
The other bad thing I didn't originally think about, we arrive in Sydney on July 26th at 6:30 AM. What's so bad about that you say? Well, in all likelyhood we won't be able to check into our hotel for another 8-9 hours, and we might just be pretty beat! The actual time change as I see it from LA to Australia is 7 hours (or actually its 17 hours, but really will feel like 7).
Including Thursday - we have about 4.5 days in Sydney. We leave the afternoon of July 30th - a Monday. I wanted a hotel that was in the city, and we wouldn't have to spend money to rent a car. (Plus The idea of driving on the right is scary enough without the first time being in a big city.)
Part of my goal in budgeting for this trip was to keep the hotel costs per night at less than $200. My biggest fear was that this would be impossible, but I don't know if it because we are traveling in winter, the costs don't seem too bad, I searched a few places in the heart of Sydney under that price, but then found a place called the Rendezvous Strattord which is right in The Rocks. For any US readers, that seems like it not so much in the city center, but more in the entertainment center - between the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Opera House and not too far from the Botanical Gardens at Circular Quay. The price was $233 a night US including tax, but I thought the location was so perfect I decided to splurge the extra few bucks. Reviews on TripAdvisor were very good, and I think it will be an exciting location.
So - as far as what we want to accomplish in sydney, I have yet to work out the specifics, but definitely want to do a tour of the harbor, the city, the Opera House, probably the Aquarium, maybe out to one of the beaches (Manly or Bondi) and less likely the zoo. (I hear the Sydney zoo is excellent, but there are a lot of Zoological stops planned on our trip, and with our limited time here I think we will skip it.)
I don't know how badly the time change will hit us, nor how much we will be used to the time chanage already from Buffalo -> LA, so it might feel more like a 10 hour time difference. So, our first day I am thinking may be a lost cause, except that again we will have several hours before we can check into the hotel. Hopefully, we will be able to suffer through and enjoy our 4 days in Sydney.
FIRST QUESTION OF THE THREAD:
This is for any folks familiar with Sydney...what would you recommend for dining options?
I think we have a pretty good idea for what kind of tourist options there are - though would accept any potential budget/discount advice there as well - but I would appreciate food advice from locals. We really are trying to budget this trip, and for that reason are not interested in posh/expensive restaurants, even though I am sure there are many good ones in Sydney. After all, we will also be towing a very-likely-tired 9-year-old. I am more interested in good food and reasonable prices - and by that I am thinking $50-$75 AUS for 2 adults and a child. (For example our last trip to Las Vegas we blew $200 US eating at Voodoo Steak and had an awesome steak dinner for the two of us, but then we went and ate at Hash House A-Go-Go for Brunch and for >$50 had one of the best meals I've ever had.) I am trying to budget about $125-$150 per day for our meals if that is possible. The hotel we are staying in is a studio, and has a small kitchen which might allow us to even have breakfasts in the room.
Hopefully you won't wear yourselves out TOO much, but just enough so you can sleep on the plane. How crazy that you will skip an entire day of the year! My co-worker's son lives in Australia and she has gone twice to visit him, and the next time she wants to bring her 2 year old granddaughter. I think that's NUTS! I'm worried about all of the time we will be spending on a plane for our trip with DS, I cannot even imagine that long of a flight with a toddler! Hopefully your DD will sleep a lot and have enough to keep her busy on the plane.
