Pops Travel Guide, Disneyland

In Front of Castle

It pays to go to Disneyland with someone who knows what they are doing. Last week my daughter and I went to Disneyland on Thursday. I thought midweek the crowds would be light. I was wrong, the crowds were huge with lots of school age kids. If it wasn't for Jennifer I would have spent most of the day in line.

Jennifer is my Disney expert and with her knowledge we were able to ride most of the best rides before noon. Here is how she did it.

Jennifer uses the "Fast Pass" to the full extent which allowed us to avoid most lines. As we entered the park we went directly to the Indiana Jones ride and picked up a fast pass. Most people stopped there to get in line. We then went to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and found no line. We were able to ride twice in a row with no lines. We then went to the Haunted House and again no line. After riding the Haunted  House it was time to use the fast pass for the Indiana Jones ride but before we went over there we picked up a fast pass for the Haunted House so we could ride it again. At the Indiana Jones ride we had a very short wait using the fast pass. We then went over to the Haunted House and rode that again. Jennifer didn't want to ride Splash Mountain so I was able to get into the single rider line and had a very short wait. Now it was time to get a fast pass for Space Mountain. As we walked over there we noticed the wait times for Pirates of the Caribbean and Indiana Jones were 70 minutes each however we were done with those rides. After getting the Space Mountain fast pass we went to It's a Small World and rode that, then the Jungle Cruise which was about 30 minutes and 20 minutes wait each. When we finished both it was time to use the Space Mountain fast pass. Before that we got a fast pass for the Buzz Lightyear ride.  Wait time for Space Mountain at that time without the fast pass was 60 minutes, we walked right up. When we finished the ride we still had to wait before we could use the Buzz Lightyear fast pass so we got in line and rode it that way which was about 20 minutes but as we got off the ride we went right back in with fast pass and were able to ride it twice within 30 minutes.  We wanted to get a fast pass for Thunder Mountain but the ride was down and fast pass was closed. Therefore we went to lunch.

Beauty and the Beast

So, we were able to ride Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted House, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, Jungle Cruise, some of them twice all before lunch.

After lunch Thunder Mountain was open and we were able to pick up a fast pass. Normal wait time was 70 minutes. We then rode some of the rides in Fantasy Land and walk through Tarzan's Treehouse.  After seeing the Roger Rabbit area we rode Thunder Mountain with the fast pass and by then we had been on every ride we wanted to go on and it was only 4:30 pm.

The rest of the day was walking around, shopping, drinks in Napa Rose in the Grand Californian Hotel and dinner at Storytellers Cafe in the same hotel. We then walked Downtown Disney and did more shopping before calling it a day.

Napa Rose for Drinks

It was a lot of walking, my phone app said over 30,000 steps, but next to no lines. I figured we saved over 4 hours of waiting in lines. 

If you plan your visit take advantage of the fast pass and talk to someone that has been there before.

A note on fast pass. When you get your fast pass it is good for a window of time. You cannot get another fast pass until that window starts. So you can have 2 fast passes but the first fast pass window must be active.

Space Mountain

Winnie the Pooh

It's a Small World

Buzz Lightyear

Pops Travel Guide, Universal Studios Hollywood

View from our room.

Last week I took my daughter on a father/daughter trip to Los Angeles to see Universal Studios and Disneyland. For Universal Studios I booked a VIP tour which turned out to be the best thing I could have done.

We started out with the first tour of the day. You arrive about 20 minutes early so you can check in and enjoy a continental breakfast and meet your guide and other members of the tour. Each tour size is about 12 people. After filling up on food you board a smaller bus that takes you on the back lot tour. Universal offers the back lot tour to everyone but you are on a larger trolley and you are not allowed to get off the trolley. We made a few stops along the tour and were allowed to get off and walk around. We stopped at the property room, which is a multi-story building, where props can be rented for any movie. Some of the props we saw dated back to movies like the original Spartacus. We also stopped at what they now call Wisteria Lane where they filmed Desperate Housewives. Some of the houses had been used in TV shows like Leave it to Beaver and The Munsters. Another stop was a scene from War of the Worlds with Tom Cruise. The movie purchased a retired 747 in which they cut up and used in the scene where the 747 crashed into a neighborhood. We were able to walk around the wreckage.

After the back lot tour our guide took us into the park to take advantage of the attractions. The VIP experience gave us front of line access. My favorite was the Special Effects Show where they showed us fight scenes using stuntmen, how they set someone on fire and all the precautions taken to ensure safety in a stunt. They also showed sound effects and some of the technology used in film making.

Part of the VIP experience included a lunch. Now this wasn't the theme park food you would expect but was a full sit-down buffet. We had the option of crab legs, shrimp, prime rib and a great dessert bar. It was all you can eat and was well worth it.

After lunch they saved the best for last. We were taken into the Harry Potter area where we tried Butter Beer, and watched someone purchase a wand where the wand picks you. We were also able to do all the rides and at the end our guide left us but we were still free to go anywhere in the park and still take advantage of the front of line pass.

We went back to a few attractions we wanted to see again and then finished the day with the animal actor show which was very entertaining.

The VIP Experience is on the expensive side but if you have one day in the park, want to see as much as possible and get the most for your dollar then the VIP Experience is the way to go.

Beijing Airport Layover Great Wall Tour

My son and I booked a trip to Japan with a layover in Beijing last spring. We had a 21 hour layover which had us landing a 6 pm in Beijing and leaving the next day at 3 pm. First thing I did was to talk to the airline about a hotel for the night. If you have a long enough layover some airlines will provide a transit hotel at no charge. That gave us a place to stay for the night. 

I booked the Airport Layover Tour with Tony as we had enough time to see The Great Wall before our flight. Tony was right on time (8 am) and drove to The Great Wall.  Along the way we talked about the area and history as well as how the area had transformed lately. At The Great Wall Tony got us on the cable car and rode with us to the wall. Tony also walked with us for a way explaining the history and the view of the valley below. He then let us go ahead on our own and waited there for us to get back. We then took the cable car back down and Tony drove us to the airport. One thing I didn't expect was when we got to the airport Tony didn't just drop us off. He went inside with us and made sure we knew which gate to go to. This was going well above and beyond our expectations. I would highly recommend using Tony next time you are in Beijing.

Kevin Messing Around at the Top

That's Tony in the Middle

If you want to book the tour I would contact Tony directly at beijingairporttransportation@hotmail.com .

My tips for the layover tour:

1. If you have an overnight layover, talk to the airline about a transit hotel.
2. In Beijing you can get a free 72 hour transit visa. Otherwise you can spend over $400.
3. Ask which is the correct line to get the 72 hour visa. It will save you a lot of time.
4. Give yourself at least 5 hours to tour The Great Wall.
5. Book with Tony.

Still the Best Sunset in the World

Every time I go to Costa Rica I have dinner at Villa Caletas and watch the best sunset in the world. They have an amphitheater in the bar area where most people come to watch the sunset but I prefer to watch from a table before dinner.

Crocs Casino and Resort Jaco, Costa Rica

Another new place I checked out in Jaco was Crocs Casino Resort.  Crocs is located on the beach in Jaco and at the far northern end of the beach. They bill themselves as a Las Vegas style casino. Although it is not close to the glitter of Las Vegas it is the best casino I have been to in Costa Rica. They have a large gaming floor with Vegas style games such as blackjack, poker and slots.

The resort is beautiful and sits on the beachfront. The swimming pool area is huge with lots for the kids to do. Restaurants are great with a great selection of menu items. The wine selection was good but I had brought my own wine and paid the corkage fee. They also have a high rise hotel that from I heard from the guests I talked to was very nice. The resort is kid friendly and nice enough for a romantic get-away.

My only complaint is that it is hard to find. I asked around and was told it was on the far end of the beach. But which end? There are street signs in town but it is so far north that you wouldn't expect it to be there. There are signs on the buildings but I recommended lighted signs to make them stand out. Maybe there is an ordinance against that.

I am thinking of next trip staying there.

The Pizza Shop, Jaco Costa Rica

Every time I come back to Jaco there is always something new to check out. On this trip I was turned onto a small open air pizza shop in the middle of town on the main street. The Pizza Shop is owned by a young man from the states, Kevin, who moved to Jaco recently. Where I was staying I met a group from Canada that had been there and wanted to go back so I tagged along.

Now the Pizza Shop advertises New York Style pizza which I also had and enjoyed. They also have a special only on Thursday. On Thursday he smokes a prime rib roast all day. There is limited quantities so get there early. You get a slab of prime rib with a baked potato and salad for $12. If you have never had a smoked prime I would recommend trying it. You can't beat the price.

Dominical Costa Rica

Last month found me back in Costa Rica where I go to the Pacific Coast often. However, on this trip I ventured further south down the Pacific Coast to an area called Dominical. Dominical is on the Pacific Coast south of Quepos and Manuel Antonio about 45 km. Up until recently it was a long drive past Quepos as the road was not paved making the drive a lot longer. Now there is a highway down the coast and the drive takes about 30 minutes. However, once you turn off the highway into Dominical you are back on a dirt and gravel road.

Due to the inaccessibility Dominical was the home of surfers, hippies, and others wanting to get away from it all. It still has the same vibe. Once you get to the beach, which you can drive right up to, you will find hand made crafts, and open air places to eat and drink. The beach is beautiful and goes on for miles. One landmark is the whale tail feature going out into the ocean.



For me it was worth the 1.5 hour drive from Jaco.