Cars Land, Disneyland, Anaheim, California

The much anticipated opening of Cars Land was exciting for me and my little cousin being that he has a great admiration for Lightning McQueen and was dressed accordingly. We went on the second day of the park opening and arrived at the park early in the morning and was greeted with the new Buena Vista Street and the new trolley.

All the rides had long line ups, over one hour, but nothing came close to the Radiator Springs Racer, which was nearly two hours long! The first time, my uncle had lined up while we went on the Luigi's Flying Tires ride where the waiting area featured Luigi's store as close as seen in the Cars movies. The Mater's Junkyard Jamboree is also similar to the famous Tea Cup ride where the rider can control the spinning of the Mater's.

The main street of Route 66 is beautifully depicted and is flanked by various restaurants and shops displayed as a motel and gas station. At the end of the street was the City Hall of Radiator Springs.

By the end of the day and night, having lined up for the Radiator Springs for the SECOND time but was WELL worth it, we were all exhausted, especially the kids, but was lucky enough to have a picture with Lightning McQueen himself!

Legoland California- San Diego, California

On our trip to Los Angeles, in addition to visiting Cars Land at Disneyland Resort, it was a choice between Legoland California and Sea World to visit. But the temptation of enjoying a hot summer day in California at a water park was hard to refuse. Unfortunately, the day we were there, it was nothing but hot, just borderline warm at best.

 

The park features many different rides, mainly targeting children, but adults like myself are still able to enjoy most of the rides. There was a driving school ride for kids, a boat ride, and a water gun boat fight- pirate style as well where you get wet.

 

In addition to that, we took a boat tour to view the Lego displays of replicates of world known landmarks like the Taj Mahal, Sydney Opera House, and the Eiffel Tower.

 

There is also replicates of Hollywood, Las Vegas Boulevard, San Francisco, New Orleans, Washington DC, Star Wars to name a few. All showed great detail and replicated reality to a tee.

 

Ofcourse I thoroughly enjoyed the replication of San Francisco, but it was the New York City display that truly blew my breath away. It featured the entire skyline of New York City including the soon to be finish World Trade Centre Freedom Tower. Amazing...

Macau, P.R of China

The Ruins of St. Paul

Macau is a former Portugese colony from the mid-16th century to 1999, and is now one of two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China and is most known for its tourism and gambling at their numerous casinos and resorts.

This was my second time visiting Macau, the first being in 2007 in the scorching heat. Similar to Hong Kong, the weather can be quite daunting, both being hot and humid during most of the year. But being the first time for my cousin to visit Asia, it was really a must to visit here for a two day getaway.

Staying at The Venetian Macau

Having heard from some of our distant relatives about their recent trip to Macau and the promotion deal with the ferry ticket and accommodations at the Venetian. So we booked it with a room with two queen size beds for $1,600HKD including first class high speed ferry tickets. Arriving by ferry, there are numerous free shuttle buses that bring visitors to various hotels and casinos. Inside the hotel/casino, it was very similar to the one in Las Vegas with the artificial sky ceiling and the canals with gondolas.

The room itself was very spacious. It had a sitting/lounge area with a table and television (old one). The room featured beautiful decor and two spacious comfy queen sized beds. The washroom area was also really large, with both a separate bath, waterfall showers and double sinks. The pool area had many pools: regular, warm pool, and three hot tubs/Jacuzzi.

One feature in the Venetian Macau I was extremely interested to visit was the Manchester United Experience. Unfortunately, when I was there, it was under maintenance meaning the exhibits were closed, leaving only the retail portion of the store open for business. We also went to watch a Cirque du Soleil show called ZAIA; the most dazzling spectacle ever in Asia. Finally I enjoyed a meal with my cousin at one of the Portugese styled restaurants called The Madeira in the casino, bit pricey, but delicious.

Thanksgiving Disneyland Day 2- Anaheim, California

The second day spent at Disneyland Parks was spent at the Disney California Adventure Park, which seems small, but is still packed with beautiful sights and exciting rides. The park features different zones: Buena Vista Street, Hollywood Pictures Backlot, Paradise Pier, Golden State, and the upcoming Cars Land due to open in summer 2012.

California Screamin' pictured above in Paradise Pier pictured below, is an exhilaration of a ride where passengers are launched from the get-go. Other fun rides include Goofy's Sky School, Grizzly River Run, Soarin' over California, and Toy Story Mania! as well as the classic- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. The lines were all long on such a gorgeous day, but that's the sacrifice considering all the fun involved.

Paradise Pier features Games of the Boardwalk where guests can play classic carnival style games for a chance to win a prize. And right beside it is the Mickey's Fun Wheel, which offers amazing views of the entire park.

In the end of this two-day adventure to Disneyland, I was surprised at the quality of rides and attractions at both parks. Having been to Florida's Disney World in Summer 2009 and Hong Kong Disney in May 2011, this park is ranked relatively high. It is still on the small scale of amusement parks, but it makes up for it for its location, attractions, and affordability. Perfect for a weekend vacation, from anywhere in the vicinity, us driving down from San Francisco, it was well worth it.

Thanksgiving Disneyland Day 1- Anaheim, California

I had the opportunity to visit Disneyland Park in Anaheim California during the Thanksgiving holiday. Instead of the Black Friday shopping frenzy that follows Thanksgiving in the states, spending it at Disneyland is like a fairy tale. This was the second Disneyland I visited in the year 2011, the first being the Hong Kong Disneyland back in May. However, this time was with my two younger cousins aged 6 and 9, and their parents. Let me say, being here with kids, it did help in feeling like a kid myself again.

The park itself is not large by any means but it's effective in its layout. The Disneyland Resort in California is separated into two different parks: Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park. This makes purchasing the park hopper pass highly valuable if you plan on staying in the area for a couple of days. It was perfect for us in the sense it allowed us to experience both parks at a leisure pace for two days and allowing you to visit both parks on the same day.

The rides there? There really is something for everyone of all ages! The Astro Orbitor pictured above was our first ride at the park where riders sit in a rocket and are able to control its height while the ride is in motion. Pictured below is the Disneyland Monorail and Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage which are also for all ages. Also, don't forget about Splash Mountain or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad or Space Mountain Ride, all of which are able to satisfy the brave thrill seekers.

Sometimes waiting in line is long, the most being around 60 minutes. The benefit of a Disneyland Park is their Disney FASTPASS Service- a complimentary program that allows guests to save their place in line while they enjoy the rest of the Park. But don't forget a moderate amount of sugar for the little ones for their Disney adventure for the entire day.

Pictured below is the Disneyland Railroad a railroad that encircles the entire park with four different stations: Main Street USA, New Orleans Square, Mickey's Toontown, and Tomorrowland. We hopped on and off this train numerous times, not only because was it my little cousin's favourite, Trains; but because it allowed us to get around the park quickly and some much needed rest as well.

Visiting on Thanksgiving holiday, they had this delicious turkey entree with cranberry sauce, mash potatoes, and veggies. It was rather delicious as well, not too dry, not too sweet, just right. Also featured is their kids meal in a cute Mickey ears inspired plate with Mac & Cheese, and with some healthy treats along.

Mickey's Toontown was a favourite for the kids that included numerous number of kid and pre-schooler friendly rides and attractions. Also, don't forget the Mad Tea Party ride. I still remember the time in Florida with my friends, and we were getting a bit crazy on the ride. Needless to say, I was scarred afterwards. Other than that, it's still a fun ride when spun moderately.

Lastly, once the sun sets and the lights are lit, the scene is truly breathtaking. Additionally, the fireworks at every Disney Park are always my favourite part of the day. And being Thanksgiving, this monstrous Christmas tree shown below was the landmark of Main Street USA.