USA - Disneyland

We were lucky enough to have a Disneyland Tour Desk in our hotel so we spent an hour or so talking to the lovely lady there, getting all the goss on the best way to tackle everything there is to see and do in the 5 days that we had for both Disneyland and California Adventure Land. So we were up early every morning to be there upon opening, and staying until closing on 4 of the 5 nights (one of those nights was at midnight) and we did actually managed to do and see everything. Sometimes we were even lucky enough to do a ride a second and third time if the line was very short. Can't say the food was the best inside at some of the outlets, but we did find 1 or 2 good ones and gave most a go anyway. Each day was allocated 2 sections and then we also needed to fit in the shows and character appearances.

The Main Street contained most of the shops, and the characters. Emily collected as many of their autographs as she could (32) but Dylan wasn't fussed about it at all. We waited 75 mins to get into the Disney Princess Royal Walk in Fantasyland, only to find 3 of them, not all 7 (much to Lyndons dismay). Fantasyland was good with the kids favourites being the Mad Hatters Tea Cups, The Matterhorn Bobsled, Pixie Hollow and King Arthurs Carrousel. Toontown is for the littler ones but was fun anyway and had Minnie, Mickey, Goofeys, Donalds, and Chip & Dales house. Tommorrow land had Dylans favourites, Buzz Lightyear, Space Mountain, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage and the Jedi Training Academy, where he was chosen from the crowd to participate in getting rid of the 'baddies", (he even made his own light sabre and we lugged it all the way home).

Frontierland had Emilys' favourite Big Thunder Mountain Railroad rollercoaster (although when it broke down with us on it up a steep hill, she wasn't so impressed). Off to Critter Country to see Winnie the Poohs Adventure but unfortunately for us Splash Mountain and Davy Crockets Canoes were closed. Adventure Land had Tarzans Treehouse , the Jungle Cruise, Indianan Jones (which we did 3 times, Jodies favourite) then off to New Orleans Square for the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean (also done 3 times as it was Lyndons favourite). Also high amongst the favourites was Breakfast with Minnie and Friends, we had a huge buffet breakfast full of yummy treats and about 10 of the characters came along for a photo op and more autographs.

We got a sneak preview of Pirates of the Caribbean III on Stranger Tides, with a live show to introduce it which was great. As Disneyland was hosting the world premier of the movie, some of the rides in this area were closed for the preparations. Our most favourite of all was "It 's a small world" with a riverboat ride through a series of storybook animations (even though that song stuck in our heads for days) and in the night time it turned into a huge movie screen showing pictures taken throughout the day by the Disneyland photographers. Last but not least were the fireworks - a fantastic display set to music for 30 minutes, a great way to end the day.

At the enterance to Disneyland and then at the exit

Us with Walt Disney and then the enterance to Toontown

Us with Green Army man & Woody, then Pooh at Breakfast

The kids fav shop - lollipops then off to Mickey

Cpt Hook at Breakfast and chasing The Mad Hatter

Em with her fav princess Belle, then with her Mouse ears

The must do waterfall shot and Fantasyland castle

Inside the small world and Emily outside of the small world

Dylans Jedi bad guy and then him with his light sabre, off to save the world

King Arthurs Carrousel in Fantasyland then onto the teacups for a ride

A view up the main street and Emily with Pooh Bears honey pots

Jack Sparrow's actual body double and then the closed sign for the rides

Space mountain ride and the Buzz lightyear ride

By the end of the week we had Disneyland and California Adventure Land well and truely done and dusted although the kids kept saying "well, when we come back next year....." to which we quickly replied " the next time you come here will be with your own children!!!"

The Quirke Tribe hit the US of A

Well, finally after months of research and planning the day had finally arrived for us to take off on our US trip. The countdown had started 2 months prior with a map on the wall marking all the places we were going and a running daily calander listing the activity for each day at each stop. Way too over organised if you ask Lyndon but atleast we had a plan, we didn't always stick to it, with chopping and changing of activities on a regular basis but we still saw everything we wanted too and even got in a few extra activities and sights that weren't planned. See..... I can do impromptu as well as organised. We flew from Tonga to Nadi, spent an hour there, then boarded the flight to LA which took 11hrs. The timing of the flights in and out of LA were good because they were overnight, so we watched movies then slept, then time for brekkie and then we were at our desitination so it really wasn't that much of a hassle. The kids did really well, Lyndon got the most sleep and I hardly had any due to a combination of nerves and excitment.

The first round of packing, eventually we took 3 half filled suitcases and came home with 4 full ones, 4 overfilled cabin bags and had already sent 4 parcels back home to OZ.







Emily and Dylan get ready to board the flight from Nadi to LA

Our first ever double decker plane ride - on the way home we got to sit up the top which the kids absolutely loved as Dylan was able to lie out straight on the side storage section under the window, that meant Lyndon and Emily could now share the 3 seats. I was across the isle, but sat next to 2 nice people from Brissy, so we just chatted and drank some wine before nodding off.

Arriving in the afternoon on the day we actually left (due to gaining a day over the date line) we finally landed, got off the plane onto the tarmac and then it was a 10 min bus ride to the terminal to collect our luggage. That in itself was mind blowing for the kids - they didn't understand how an airport could possibly be so big. It took ages to get through immigration and security (definately like you see on the TV shows) and then we finally got our luggage and went outside the terminal doors only to go "holy crap"!

We caught the Disney bus to our hotel and just marvelled at the hugeness of everything from the 10 lane freeway, the size of the billboards, the number of McDonalds on the side of the road and on and on and on.

We stayed at the Sheraton Park Hotel, Anaheim with a great room up on the club lounge floor. This is Jodie outside on the club bar balcony overlooking the huge carpark. Every evening, drinks and canapes were included in our package however we only made the most of it on the first night, as for all the rest, we were still in Disneyland on the rides.

All the streets in the area were lined with these fabulously huge palm trees that went on for miles and miles and miles. We only had to walk for 10mins to get to and from the hotel to Disneyland.

We made sure that we had a swim in every hotels spa or pool, regardless of how cold it was for us. Here we are on our first evening in the spa at the Sheraton.

This is the view from our balcony, of the city blocks surrounding our hotel.
We had a fabulous room overlooking the California Adventure Land and Disneyland and this was our view for the first night in town. It was chilly for us so we rugged up in winter PJ's and the hotels dressing gowns and sat on the balcony having a wine and enjoying the fireworks and .. ...........

the World of Colour Water show.

We all couldn't believe what a great start this was to our holiday and we had only been there for 8 hours, with 6 weeks in total to go.

So, at the end of a long 24 hr evolution, we were all exhausted and this picture just about summed it up. Although Emily and Dylan did not like the fact they had to sleep together for the entire holiday( we had to build the great wall of pillows between them under the covers), they were usually just too exhausted to care.

The Royal Wedding 29 Apr 2011

For the upcoming Royal wedding, the girls at TWISC decided to have a Mad Hatters Tea Party to celebrate the royal wedding. Jodie dressed as Kate and Lyndon went as William. The girls put on a great function at the "Pot Luck" hospitality training resturant. The Mad hatters theme was for those with little respect of royalty, most ladies wore chose to wear a hat. With Jodie as the bride it was only fitting that the remainder of the Fab 5 came as brides maids with Sal and Rochelle coming as international guests.

Jodie in all her glory. The entire outfit was from the marketi, (except the gloves which were her original wedding gloves) the veil was a curtain and the boots - well they just finished it all off. Boring old Lyndon just wore his Mess undress uniform.


"Kate" was all smiles - as every bride is on her wedding day. Just look at this lovely taffiter and lace number.

What kind of Royal wedding is it without uniformed personnel.

The bride and groom with the international guests. One day Sal will possibly buy Rochelle something other than a sheet but when you look this good who needs to spend up big hey Sal?

Games included Naughts and Crosses.

Bouncing a pingpong ball into the china tea pot.

Some of our Royal tea pot decorations.

The Royals at the head of the table, our cheeks hurt just as much as our real day. That is from smiling so much. Guess we need the practice for Vegas anyway.

Althea played Mother of the bride, and a guest bought along Wills and Kate face puppets.

Jodie releasing her inner ping pong! With no luck we might add.

Just a small selection of desert the girls whipped up for the event

The wedding cake by Rochelle.

Everyone ready for...............

Of course cutting of the cake.

Lyndon had a little message to send to his Jodie.

By the end of the night Sal had yet another new nickname "Muffasa" with his best "In the Navy" pose.

What else would you expect us to do after one function was done? Yep make a Royal enterance into our friends new nightclub "Reload". We even made the local paper with this one. Papparizzi - we can never escape them.

Due to the time difference the actual royal wedding only commenced as we arrived at Reload so we had to stay and take it all in. King George Tupo V was actually at the wedding too, the real one that is, not our fake one.

Just so you can see the similarities in the dresses.

The first of many Kisses and Happily Ever after's!