We have another trip on our Itinerary! This time, we will be going to Las Vegas in September to see Katy Perry live in concert!
In our home city, Katy Perry's tickets sold out before we could even get a glance at a ticket. Feeling defeated, my best friend and I weren't sure we would be able to see her in concert. A few hours later, however, she sent me an email from her work.
"I know this is a stretch, but how about we make the trip to Vegas to see Katy Perry in September? They still have decent tickets and it would be cheaper than going to B.C. or Toronto." I thought about it for a minute. I had never been to Vegas before, so this was a great way to kill two birds with one stone. Without another moment's hesitation, I agreed. So we decided to purchase the ridiculously expensive tickets that get us into the preshow party (was worth it for how close to the stage we are!) You can't take money with you when you die and I am a firm believer that experiences are worth infinitely more than material possessions. Plus we get a bunch of cool tour exclusive stuff!
Now we have the task of booking our hotel and flight. We have it narrowed down to two hotels, one that's a more expensive but beautiful hotel, and one almost equally beautiful hotel. Of course I am talking about the Aria (more expensive hotel) and the Tropicana. I'm leaning towards the Tropicana mostly because of it's reasonable prices and the fact that it's right across the street from the MGM Grand Garden Arena (where the concert is being held) Which might be handy when we wander over there after a drink or two ;)
My friend often books through expedia, but I noticed that a common thing for Vegas hotels to do is to offer a cheaper rate than any other travel site if you book directly through the hotel's website. Some even offer up to 30% off just for booking directly with them and pre-paying for the hotel. Coupled with going to a cheap flight website for our flight, this might be the best way for saving money when going to Vegas.
It's always important to explore both and more options when booking vacations if you're searching for the cheapest deal. Vegas is busy 365 days of the year so prices don't often fluctuate too much (except for long weekends, spring break, etc) but this is commonplace for any travel destination. Going in an off season like September is a great time for any travel, as lots of children and even adults have just gone back to school and not nearly as many people will be looking at vacationing at this time.
More info on our booking method will be posted this coming weekend, when my best friend comes home from Mexico!
-Sarah
Monday, April 21, 2014
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
What to Pack for Disneyland - Winter or Summer
Having been to Disneyland park in both summer and winter, I can now say that you need quite a different packing list for each occasion. Winter in California is very moderate temperatures. I don't believe that it ever dropped below zero anytime we were there (but it did SNOW once!) but you want to come prepared, especially if you still want to risk a ride on Splash Mountain.
Winter in Disneyland can be quite nice!
Here are my tips for packing for a WINTER trip to Disneyland:
Now, winter can flip flop a lot in California. Some times, it was very cold and we needed hoodies, jeans, and sneakers; other days, it was so warm that we were wearing shorts and flip flops (still with hoodies in the AM) So here is a list that I recommend fulfilling to ensure all your bases are covered:
-one light hoodie
-one thicker, warmer hoodie
-tank top to wear under in case of weather changes
-jeans
-one pair of shorts or capris
-sneakers (regardless of weather, always the best option for lots of walking)
-sandals or flip flops (great as long as you don't wear them every day!)
-water bottle (I recommend no more than two unless you have a stroller for storage)
-a backpack to fit your needs
-autograph book and long pen (like the ones they sell in the park with Mickey's silhouette on the end- the longer the pen the better so costumed characters can grip it easier!)
- this isn't a packing item, but if you're celebrating a special occasion, be sure to notify someone so you can get a button to wear!)
-sunglasses
-I also recommend putting some of your spending money on a Disneyland gift card, which you can have delivered to your hotel room
These things plus your own essentials will make the perfect list for going to Disneyland in Winter.
Here is my SUMMER Disneyland packing list:
-one pair of jeans
-a few pairs of shorts or capris
-at least one sundress or skirt (if you are a girl)
-SUNSCREEN (OR you will burn. I forgot sunscreen for half of one day and I got a wicked sunburn.)
-sunglasses; it's bright out there!
-tank tops and t-shirts
-lots of hair ties for anyone with frizzy or long hair
-a rain coat in case there is rain forecasted for when you plan to be there. preferably a cheap poncho or something of the like so you can carry it in the backpack.
-sneakers (regardless of weather, always the best option for lots of walking)
-sandals or flip flops (great as long as you don't wear them every day!)
-water bottle (I recommend no more than two unless you have a stroller for storage)
-a backpack to fit your needs
-autograph book and long pen (like the ones they sell in the park with Mickey's silhouette on the end- the longer the pen the better so costumed characters can grip it easier!)
- this isn't a packing item, but if you're celebrating a special occasion, be sure to notify someone so you can get a button to wear!)
-sunglasses
-I also recommend putting some of your spending money on a Disneyland gift card, which you can have delivered to your hotel room.
I hope you find these lists somewhat insightful and let me know if there is anything you would add!
(and yes, I know these lists are not made for families with children!)
Winter in Disneyland can be quite nice!
Here are my tips for packing for a WINTER trip to Disneyland:
Now, winter can flip flop a lot in California. Some times, it was very cold and we needed hoodies, jeans, and sneakers; other days, it was so warm that we were wearing shorts and flip flops (still with hoodies in the AM) So here is a list that I recommend fulfilling to ensure all your bases are covered:
-one light hoodie
-one thicker, warmer hoodie
-tank top to wear under in case of weather changes
-jeans
-one pair of shorts or capris
-sneakers (regardless of weather, always the best option for lots of walking)
-sandals or flip flops (great as long as you don't wear them every day!)
-water bottle (I recommend no more than two unless you have a stroller for storage)
-a backpack to fit your needs
-autograph book and long pen (like the ones they sell in the park with Mickey's silhouette on the end- the longer the pen the better so costumed characters can grip it easier!)
- this isn't a packing item, but if you're celebrating a special occasion, be sure to notify someone so you can get a button to wear!)
-sunglasses
-I also recommend putting some of your spending money on a Disneyland gift card, which you can have delivered to your hotel room
These things plus your own essentials will make the perfect list for going to Disneyland in Winter.
Here is my SUMMER Disneyland packing list:
-one pair of jeans
-a few pairs of shorts or capris
-at least one sundress or skirt (if you are a girl)
-SUNSCREEN (OR you will burn. I forgot sunscreen for half of one day and I got a wicked sunburn.)
-sunglasses; it's bright out there!
-tank tops and t-shirts
-lots of hair ties for anyone with frizzy or long hair
-a rain coat in case there is rain forecasted for when you plan to be there. preferably a cheap poncho or something of the like so you can carry it in the backpack.
-sneakers (regardless of weather, always the best option for lots of walking)
-sandals or flip flops (great as long as you don't wear them every day!)
-water bottle (I recommend no more than two unless you have a stroller for storage)
-a backpack to fit your needs
-autograph book and long pen (like the ones they sell in the park with Mickey's silhouette on the end- the longer the pen the better so costumed characters can grip it easier!)
- this isn't a packing item, but if you're celebrating a special occasion, be sure to notify someone so you can get a button to wear!)
-sunglasses
-I also recommend putting some of your spending money on a Disneyland gift card, which you can have delivered to your hotel room.
I hope you find these lists somewhat insightful and let me know if there is anything you would add!
(and yes, I know these lists are not made for families with children!)
Planning our first trip to DisneyWorld
Welcome all!
I have been to Disneyland three times, and since Disney World is currently having a 30% off hotels during summer, we decided to book a trip to Disney World in Orlando! It's quite a long ways for us, and unfortunately both our flights there and home have layovers, but it saved us heaps of money on a trip that would normally have cost twice as much.
Ever since our Honeymoon in Disneyland last June, going back has been on our minds. But neither of us have been to Disney World, and everyone says it's worth going at least once to experience it. I know it is quite a lot bigger and will be a daunting task, so we gave ourselves an extra day if there is a particular park we find we need to visit twice. We will also be visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, as I am one of the biggest Harry Potter fans there is. (Not going to lie, I am looking forward to this the most.)
We are hopeful that the seven dwarves mine cart ride will be open the time we get there so we can give a full report on the experience and the finally completed new Fantasyland. (So exciting!) We will also be trying to focus a major part of our day in Animal Kingdom on the Dinoland U.S.A (my husband LOVES dinosaurs.)
We weighed the options between going to Disneyland and going to Disneyworld and going to Disneyworld was almost the same cost, except it also includes food! That meant that even though we will have painful flights and long days, it will be very worth it. In my opinion, the option for 30% off a hotel in Disney World is worth even more than the free dining they tend to offer once a year during particular low seasons.
As people native to Alberta, I'm sure going to Florida in the middle of summer is going to be very hard on us, so i'm going to be sure that we each have a water bottle, and stay hydrated. We have a mini- backback that we took to Disneyland that we might use again, though my husband said he wouldn't mind carrying a larger backpack this time around (more room for our autograph book and his pins!)
We are going to be staying at Disney World's Carribean Beach resort, which i found to be reasonably priced and more central of a hotel to all the parks compared to the other moderate resorts. At the time of booking, I found that there was not significant enough of a price difference between the value (ie; All Star Music, All Star Movies, etc.) and the moderate resorts for me to take the lower price option. Plus, going to a moderate versus value hotel fills me with the hope that there will be a few less children hanging around. That and from what I can assume about transporting to each park is that having a closer hotel will be much nicer.
That said, I'm still working out the logistics for planning to get to Universal Orlando, but as soon as that is booked I will be doing a post on all the different options, the one we decided to go with, and why.
I have been to Disneyland three times, and since Disney World is currently having a 30% off hotels during summer, we decided to book a trip to Disney World in Orlando! It's quite a long ways for us, and unfortunately both our flights there and home have layovers, but it saved us heaps of money on a trip that would normally have cost twice as much.
Ever since our Honeymoon in Disneyland last June, going back has been on our minds. But neither of us have been to Disney World, and everyone says it's worth going at least once to experience it. I know it is quite a lot bigger and will be a daunting task, so we gave ourselves an extra day if there is a particular park we find we need to visit twice. We will also be visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, as I am one of the biggest Harry Potter fans there is. (Not going to lie, I am looking forward to this the most.)
We are hopeful that the seven dwarves mine cart ride will be open the time we get there so we can give a full report on the experience and the finally completed new Fantasyland. (So exciting!) We will also be trying to focus a major part of our day in Animal Kingdom on the Dinoland U.S.A (my husband LOVES dinosaurs.)
We weighed the options between going to Disneyland and going to Disneyworld and going to Disneyworld was almost the same cost, except it also includes food! That meant that even though we will have painful flights and long days, it will be very worth it. In my opinion, the option for 30% off a hotel in Disney World is worth even more than the free dining they tend to offer once a year during particular low seasons.
As people native to Alberta, I'm sure going to Florida in the middle of summer is going to be very hard on us, so i'm going to be sure that we each have a water bottle, and stay hydrated. We have a mini- backback that we took to Disneyland that we might use again, though my husband said he wouldn't mind carrying a larger backpack this time around (more room for our autograph book and his pins!)
We are going to be staying at Disney World's Carribean Beach resort, which i found to be reasonably priced and more central of a hotel to all the parks compared to the other moderate resorts. At the time of booking, I found that there was not significant enough of a price difference between the value (ie; All Star Music, All Star Movies, etc.) and the moderate resorts for me to take the lower price option. Plus, going to a moderate versus value hotel fills me with the hope that there will be a few less children hanging around. That and from what I can assume about transporting to each park is that having a closer hotel will be much nicer.
That said, I'm still working out the logistics for planning to get to Universal Orlando, but as soon as that is booked I will be doing a post on all the different options, the one we decided to go with, and why.
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