Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Day 7 - Finally, Anaheim


Hotel #2 - RAMADA Maingate, S. Harbor Blvd, Anaheim, CA (stay 3 nights)

The drive to Anaheim from Oceanside was like a thrill ride. All those interweaving highways and multiple exits are nerve wracking. I don't think we would have been able to deal with it if it hadn't been for the Nokia Navigator phone.

Ramada Maingate (there are many Ramadas) has the perfect location, it was almost across Disneyland. You do not have to worry about getting hungry, as IHOP, Tony Roma's and Denny's are all located adjacent to the hotels dotting South Harbor Blvd. Ramada had a good sized pool (kept warm), a spa and an onsite coin-operated laundry. I mention the laundry because this is quite important for families traveling with children. They also have a complimentary Continental Breakfast shed (in the pool area) where guests walk through, pickup their food and eat them either on poolside or carry them back to the room.

Other room amenities were a fridge, a microwave, a coffee maker and condiments, a cable TV, and Wi-Fi.

Our room was too far from the office such that the WiFi signal was very weak. I was told to ring their IT help desk but I never bothered to.

Unfortunately, I will not go back to this hotel. The room we had was very small and felt very constricted. Ramada Maingate badly needs to be renovated, in my opinion.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Days 5 & 6 - Downtime

Original itinerary for Day 5: Los Angeles organised tour
Original itinerary for Day 6: Universal Studios

Revised itinerary for Day 5 and Day 6: Stay in resort and chill

Originally, I wanted to book a bus tour that will pick us up from the hotel and take us around the many sights of LA. But the reality is, the children will not enjoy it. And my husband would rather spend a very slow couple of days before we hit Disneyland.

So both LA tour and Universal Studios tour got shelved! Oh well, there goes a reason to come back to LA then ...

Fortunately, Worldmark by Wyndham had a heated pool and a warm spa (aka a hot tub by the Americans). We also enjoyed the basketball and tennis courts. Gambit cooked a wicked BBQ dinner on our balcony (bought from Ralphs). The children enjoyed the cable TV and we enjoyed reruns of Iron Chef America.

Happy kids equals happy parents!


Thursday, October 8, 2009

Day 4 - Shopping again!


Itinerary: Desert Hills Premium Outlet

This shopping outlet is in the middle of nowhere (well, in the middle of a desert to be exact). Cabazon is a 1.5-2 hour drive from Oceanside. This outlet had Levis and Timberland, and more shops than the Carlsbad outlet - it is worth the long drive.

Levis was selling @ US$19.99! Of course this was another no-brainer. My husband was aghast when he saw me with an armful of jeans. I had to justify it all by saying I am not buying anymore for the next decade! I even added that this will encourage me in keeping my weight down else I will not fit in any of my spare jeans. It must have worked, coz he fell silent ... I knew he was already picturing how all these jeans (plus the boots) will fit into our two suitcases ... Men!

Timberland was another shoppers paradise. If you like hiking boots or outdoor clothes, this shop is for you. Hiking boots were selling for one half of their original price.

Did I mention Nike? Ha! One could go crazy over the US$10 Nike shirts.

Of car hires ...

Always check what arrangements are available at your car hire location.

Conveniently, Enterprise have a "We'll Pick You Up" service. You do not have to spend cab fare to pick up your car!

Avis on the other hand have what is called a "Delivery and Collection Service".

Do remember to return your rental car with the same amount of petrol to avoid exorbitant charges.

Note that online travel agents may not disclose the final daily rate of your car rental. There is an 8.75% tax added, as well as many optional insurance add-ons. Check your Travel Insurance and be ready to accept/decline which cover. It is probably a good idea to purchase an additional liability insurance which protects you from Third Party claims.

I quote verbatim below from the AVIS website:

Loss Damage Waiver (LDW)

Renters may purchase loss damage waiver (LDW) that reduces the financial liability for loss or damage to the Avis car as long as they comply with the terms of the Avis rental agreement. Cost of LDW will vary by location, car group and rate. If you have rental car coverage through your personal insurance or charge card, LDW offers maximum protection while your personal insurance or charge car may contain a deductible.

Personal Accident Insurance (PAI)

Return to top of pagePersonal Accident Insurance (PAI) provides accidental death benefits and emergency medical expense benefits to the renter and all passengers in the Avis car.

The renter is covered 24 hours a day during the rental for the following:
-$175,000.00 accidental death
-$2,500.00 medical coverage for injuries due to an accident
-$250.00 for ambulance expenses

The passengers are covered while in the car for the following:
-$17,500.00 accidental death
-$2,500.00 medical coverage for injuries due to accident
-$250.00 for ambulance expenses Exceptions:

NEW YORK: The renter is covered 24 hours a day during the rental for the following:
-$175,000.00 accidental death
-$3,500.00 medical coverage for injuries due to an accident
-$250.00 for ambulance expenses

Personal Effects Protection (PEP)

Return to top of pagePersonal Effects Protection insures the personal belongings of the renter and the immediate family members who are traveling with the renter. The maximum coverage is $600.00 per claim, with a maximum coverage for individuals of $1,800.00. Exceptions:

NEW YORK: Personal Effects Protection insures the personal belongings of the renter and the immediate family members who are traveling with the renter. The maximum coverage is $500.00 per claim, with a maximum coverage for individuals of $1,500.00.

Additional Liability Insurance (ALI)

Renter may purchase Additional Liability Insurance (ALI) at the time of rental. ALI provides additional protection for bodily injury, death or property damage and increase the limits to one million dollars. When ALI is purchased, Avis will always provide the Financial Responsibility Limits (FRL) on a primary basis.

Coupons coupons and more coupons!

U.S.A. is a land of coupons!

For the smart mum, here are some coupon tips for you. The more savings you make, the more shopping money there is! How good is that?

1 - When you do your grocery shopping (at Ralphs for example), sign up for membersip. You do not have to tell them you are a tourist. They just give you a Discount card which dramatically reduces your costs. Our first purchase was reduced from $21 to $13 (I think I got the Orange Juice for free)! Look out for those register receipts for more coupons (eg. $1 off your next loaf of bread).

2 - If you know you are eating out at Boston Market or Dennys for example, go to their website and check out any coupons. If not, Google for "Dennys coupons" for example.

3 - Premium Outlet Shopping VIP Club - sign up and enjoy more savings. Once a Club Member, you can claim your voucher booklet at the Guest Services. What's more there are additional coupons online.


Day 3 - Legoland again!



It was not crowded when we went to Legoland (it was a Monday). The queues were only a 10 to 15 minute wait. Most attractions do not have any lines at all. Parking was $12.

Rides/attractions/shows we did:

1 - Dragon ride (a roller coaster designed to introduce small children to thrill rides)
2 - Pharaoh's Revenge
3 - 4D Show: Racers (12 minutes)
4 - 4D Show: Spellbreaker (12 minutes)
5 - Factory Tour
6 - Clubhouse shop (here you will be able to buy Lego bricks by the pounds. I don't think you can buy it anywhere else.)
7 - Bionicle Evolution
8 - Build and Test
9 - Xbox Challenge
10 - Mindstorms workshop (this is a 45 minute workshop that requires booking. So pre-book first before proceeding to do other parts of Legoland)
11 - Miniland (the most enjoyable section for mums and dads)

11 - Lastly and the most fun of all was the Volvo Driving School. This is basically a mini-highway where kids can practice reading road signs. Migo ignored all road rules; overtaking all cars and making two illegal U-turns because he wanted to keep up with his brother. Gab in the meantime followed all road rules correctly.