Living the dream and remembering the Bagman LIVE UPDATE 10/2 About This Page:

[chezp]

Originally Posted by Silvercat

Can I just ask - what travel card do you use? I was thinking of getting one that would cover us in Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore, as taking 3 lots of currency is going to be a bit of a pain, but I've never used one before. Any advice?

We use the Thomson one, but it's only for eight commonly used currencies and I don't think it includes any of yours. I know it's definitely Euros, US and Canadian dollars, Australia and... ugh, I'm struggling to think of the others now.

[chezp]

Originally Posted by cubfancolleen

You're really coming down to last days before travel now!!

We are - a week tomorrow!

It may have been a good thing we didn't bring you costumes, as our bags were so full! On the other hand, it might have caused us to scale back a bit on what clothes we brought, and that might have saved us from having BOTH bags weigh in too heavy for the trip home. (We were lucky as the United employee winked and let us through - after he let me put things back in the bag that I'd removed to vainly try hitting 50 lbs)

Oh wow, you were lucky there!

Cruise planning is so much easier than WDW planning!

Definitely!

[chezp]

Originally Posted by disney_duke

All these little details.... makes me wonder - does Mark know of all the little things you do for your trips? I'm thinking he does. My husband doesn't have a clue, but I'm very much like you in the planning department with notes, guidebooks, maps, etc... I think he knows I'm researching all this stuff because just like magic, it's all there and figured out when we're on the actual trip! But I don't think he realizes all the work that goes into it for months and months. Just wondering if Mark knows.

I think he knows the vast majority of it.

[chezp]

Originally Posted by lindawdw

So many details to think of when you're planning a trip such as yours!!! We're heading to DL and Aulani next week and my plans seem like nothing compared to yours!!!

Oh wow - have an awesome time! Mind you, you can't fail to do so, given where you're going...

How wonderful that you're going to spend the afternoon at the museum with Sharon in NYC. I used to volunteer to be a class mother whenever my daughter's school planned a trip there because I enjoyed it so much.

It sounds wonderful.

[KMB733]

I was surprised too that the Halloween merchandise was out so soon, but you're right, I think the first party is actually tonight. You certainly are a dedicated Olympic fan! I was amazed when I saw you post things on FB and I knew it was the middle of the night for you.

[chezp]

Originally Posted by KMB733

I was surprised too that the Halloween merchandise was out so soon, but you're right, I think the first party is actually tonight.

Oh my goodness, that is too early! I'm only just getting used to the fact that it's now September...

You certainly are a dedicated Olympic fan! I was amazed when I saw you post things on FB and I knew it was the middle of the night for you.

Yep, love my Olympics, always have - all the way back to 1988, when I first started to get up in the middle of the night to watch things live. I told Mark I'm now seriously considering Tokyo for 2020!

[SuperDave]

A couple of nice updates! I can't it's just a week now until you fly out!

Glad you'll be going to the Star Wars fireworks as it seems like a great show. Do you have any idea how long this show is?

[Cam22]

We stayed up late the entire 2 weeks to see the Olympics coverage, but I'm not sure how I would have been getting up at 1 AM. Glad the phone is working!

[SuperDave]

Originally Posted by Cam22

We stayed up late the entire 2 weeks to see the Olympics coverage, but I'm not sure how I would have been getting up at 1 AM. Glad the phone is working!

I too had very little sleep for those two weeks! Week one was easier as I was on vacation, so I got to see most of the swimming, gymnastics and men's golf (a return after over 100 years). I love the Olympics so much and get my enjoyment out of it for certain!

What it is, is the passion some of these athletes have not only for the competition but also representing their country!

I was actually quite turned off by one possible athlete who didn't want to compete in the games as the paycheck wasn't big enough. It came out of the US golfer Ricky Fowler who pretty much said how honored he was to be selected to the US golf Olympics team as over 100 years since golf was in the summer Olympics. He said this was a great opportunity for all golfers involved and especially himself as he wanted to advance the game and do as much as he can for the game. It was something like that.

Meanwhile, you have someone like Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy who is one of the most prominent players in golf who decided not to play as his pockets would not be stuffed enough with just a gold medal if he won! According to him, he does not care about advancing the game but I only play to win tournaments! Not what I wanted to hear and I can;t stand arrogance and selfishness like that! Worse being as my heritage is from Ireland, but from Republic of Ireland and not the North like this guy!

Then there is the US golfer Matt Kuchar (also part of the US Olympic golf team) who is one of the most notable players in golf who was so honored to be selected for the US Olympic team and was quite emotional when he won the bronze in the Olympics after his phenomenal final round! Someone was obviously looking after him. He has always been noted as one of the best guys in golf and I met him briefly once and seemed like a very good guy!

Sorry, if this was a bit long!

[chezp]

Originally Posted by SuperDave

A couple of nice updates! I can't it's just a week now until you fly out!

No, I know... a week today we'll be... ah, that's still to come... I won't spoil the surprise!

Glad you'll be going to the Star Wars fireworks as it seems like a great show. Do you have any idea how long this show is?

I seem to remember reading somewhere it was 15-20 minutes, but I may be remembering that wrong now.

[chezp]

Originally Posted by Cam22

We stayed up late the entire 2 weeks to see the Olympics coverage, but I'm not sure how I would have been getting up at 1 AM. Glad the phone is working!

I am a committed fan, I admit it - or should it be that I should be committed? I only did it a couple of nights. Sadly the chronic fatigue doesn't like getting up in the middle of the night any longer. I swear it was easier when we had Beijing eight years ago....

[chezp]

Originally Posted by SuperDave

I too had very little sleep for those two weeks! Week one was easier as I was on vacation, so I got to see most of the swimming, gymnastics and men's golf (a return after over 100 years). I love the Olympics so much and get my enjoyment out of it for certain!

Oh me too!

What it is, is the passion some of these athletes have not only for the competition but also representing their country!

What I also love is how so many of them do it for that reason and that reason alone, for pride - not for money, as they're not professionals, and they don't earn a lot. I love hearing the back stories to some of them, as they're so moving when you learn how much work they put into getting where they are.

I was actually quite turned off by one possible athlete who didn't want to compete in the games as the paycheck wasn't big enough. It came out of the US golfer Ricky Fowler who pretty much said how honored he was to be selected to the US golf Olympics team as over 100 years since golf was in the summer Olympics. He said this was a great opportunity for all golfers involved and especially himself as he wanted to advance the game and do as much as he can for the game. It was something like that.

Meanwhile, you have someone like Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy who is one of the most prominent players in golf who decided not to play as his pockets would not be stuffed enough with just a gold medal if he won! According to him, he does not care about advancing the game but I only play to win tournaments! Not what I wanted to hear and I can;t stand arrogance and selfishness like that! Worse being as my heritage is from Ireland, but from Republic of Ireland and not the North like this guy!

I know - it was very sad how many of the top golfers didn't show up for the Olympics.

Then there is the US golfer Matt Kuchar (also part of the US Olympic golf team) who is one of the most notable players in golf who was so honored to be selected for the US Olympic team and was quite emotional when he won the bronze in the Olympics after his phenomenal final round! Someone was obviously looking after him. He has always been noted as one of the best guys in golf and I met him briefly once and seemed like a very good guy!

Sorry, if this was a bit long!

No worries - I'm always happy to talk Olympics!

[chezp]

Pre-trip report – part thirty eight: the original Winnie-the-Pooh toys are still there?

Tuesday 16 August

One of my friends on Facebook posted that she’d been to the New York Public Library. No big deal, you might think, but it was! She posted photos of the original Winnie-the-Pooh toys! I had no idea Pooh, Eeyore and all their friends (minus Roo, who was sadly lost many years ago ) were still living happily there. I first went to see them with my parents in October 1987 and according to the New York Public Library website, they only arrived there on (get this) 11 September 1987.

Well, apparently, they’ve been away for major conservation between 2015 and 2016, and only returned on 3 August, so how ironic would this be? I first visit them about six weeks after they arrive at the library, then I go back to visit them (hopefully!) about eight weeks after they arrive back from conservation almost 30 years later. This was so meant to be! It’s only about 10 minutes walk from our hotel, so hopefully we can fit it in either on the Friday when we arrive or the Saturday when we leave. The only problem might be the opening hours, which are 10:00am – 6:00pm, but hopefully we can fit in a quick visit to say hello to the original Eeyore!

Wednesday 17 August

We’ve been watching a series called Great American Railway Journeys. It’s presented by a former British politician, Michael Portillo, who’s already done various similar series on railway journeys across the UK and Europe. I guess he covered everything it was possible to do and headed Stateside. Anyway, the first episode was all about New York City. It was fascinating to watch and see new things, like the park created from a former elevated railway (I’d love to have seen the looks given to the person who first came up with that idea – I bet people thought they were nuts, but what an awesome idea! ) to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to Central Park and Ellis Island. Some we’ve been to, some we haven’t, but the bit I was most fascinated by was the last bit.

It concentrated on the former site of the World Trade Center, which we’ll be visiting in just a few weeks’ time. The views from the tower look amazing, but much more moving were the pools they’ve constructed where the twin towers used to stand. When they showed the bit recorded at ground level, they really didn’t look that big, as the people on the other side appeared to be quite close behind. It was only when they did the shots from above, you truly got the measure of how massive those pools are. So sad, but by the looks of it, so beautifully done.

They also showed the Oculus (I think I have that right? ), home to the new transportation centre there, and although I’d seen photos of the interior before, I hadn’t seen photos of its truly impressive exterior. Wow!

The next installment mentioned New York’s airports, and I thought I should double check how we’re going to get from LaGuardia and back to JFK. I was going to go with a taxi, but thought I’d check out the shuttle services. We used a shared shuttle service on our honeymoon, I think it was or maybe it was 2008. Gosh, isn’t it a great problem when all your trips melt into one? Anyway, it wasn’t a pleasant experience, as we had to wait for various other hotel pick-ups. It’s not something I want to do again.

I looked at a couple of car services that are private ones, but I got no further than the reviews on TripAdvisor and immediately gave up. Both companies had appalling reviews, so that wasn’t going to work. I guess it’ll be a taxi then…

Thursday 18 August

Oh boy, something I hadn’t considered before was the sales tax in Canada, but I found out all about that this morning from comments on my pre-trip report. Apparently, it’s quite hefty, around the 13% mark, which is a bit of a pain, but then again, I suspect it’ll still be cheaper there, given the difference in exchange rates between the pound and the US and Canadian dollars.

In the evening, we watched the episode of Great American Rail Journeys (I have learnt so much from this series ) that featured Niagara Falls, and wow, it was truly breath taking! Ok, so they focused on the American side of the falls, but I kept saying to Mark “there’s the Skylon Tower where we’re having dinner”, as I could spot it on the other side of the falls. They also did the Maid of the Mist boat ride, whereas we’re doing the Hornblower one from Canada, but Mark’s now worried about my camera getting soaked having seen it. I figured there’s no point worrying about it, as no doubt there are thousands of people every day who have the same problem. I’m sure there’s a way around it – the tour company may even provide camera sized ponchos? If not, hell, I’ll use the cell phone or my back-up camera instead…

Friday 19 August

You know you’re having a really bad day, when an email comes into your inbox from Cirque du Soleil, and you’re staring it, going “why are you telling me about this show?” I looked at it and it wasn’t about Paramour that we’re seeing in New York City, but I’d totally forgotten we’re seeing Luzia in Toronto and that’s what it was about. Ooops…

As I was swimming this morning, all my thoughts were about Niagara Falls. It’s funny, but when you have a multi-leg trip like this, your enthusiasm for bits of it change, depending on something you’ve seen, how much research you’ve done – things like that. Yes, of course, I’m excited about the whole thing, but invariably each day, there’s one aspect that appeals more than the others. Maybe that’s just me?

I did post later on in the Bagman Days Facebook group, as I realised that we don’t have any plans for a group meet at the Halloween Party. We were all going to meet for the second parade originally, but that’s when everyone was planning on going. Now? I’m not so sure. I suggested that original idea and also encouraged people to shout if they had any other ideas for a meet. It would be a shame for some of us to be going and then not to actually get together during the course of the evening.

Saturday 20 August

We have a few of us who’ll be meeting up for the second parade at the Halloween Party, which is lovely. I didn’t want us all to be there and miss each other. Now we’re just debating where to meet. It’s got to be somewhere where we can get a good view of the headless horseman approaching, so I’ve thrown that out to everyone, and asked if they know which way the second parade will come from, as that will influence where we decide to meet up. I can’t for the life of me remember the route, although I want to say that both start from Frontierland.

This weekend, we’ve been in Southampton to meet up with Colleen (cubfancolleen on the boards) and her husband Mike and we had such a wonderful time with them. It was interesting throwing our stuff together for a one night away stay, and knowing the next time we do this, it’ll be for this trip! It has reminded me of a couple of things I still need to buy to take with us, such as mouthwash and toothpaste, so that’s useful.

Sunday 21 August

I got home to an email from Disney, telling me I could now book my Fastpass choices… Nope, I think I did that a month ago guys but thanks for the reminder, just in case I’d forgotten over the last four weeks…

I decided to just suggest somewhere to meet for the Halloween Party second parade and we opted for outside the Diamond Horseshoe, after talking to Mark. I thought that’s where we’d watched it from, and he confirmed it was, so hopefully it will be a good location. Already, Carol, Bob, Janine, Marie, Sandy, Stephanie and Jennifer have signed up, so we’ll have a nice little group, and I suspect more will add their names as time goes on.

I put a few of the bits from our weekend straight into the suitcase, as I got my big shawl out to go with my dress for afternoon tea. Although it was August, it was chilly, with a wind really whipping around, and temperatures no better than the mid 60s, even without the wind chill. I also realised, while I was doing this, that I hadn’t already put blank CDs in the case. I could’ve sworn I did, but I think it must have been our Baltic cruise. It’s terrible how I’m getting them confused. I have enough CDs, but I need to get a couple of packs to put them in, so I’ll put that down on my list of things to get done this week….

Monday 22 August

I guess now I’m getting all the “four weeks out/one month out” emails at the moment, as I had an email from Southwest Airlines, reminding me about our forthcoming itinerary, when we’ll be flying down from Buffalo to Orlando on 20 September. Yes, that would be four weeks out, so it’s a good time for a reminder…

Next: “Montreal” and “Niagara or Buffalo?”

[Tara O'Hara]

Awesome news about the original Pooh toys!! I hope you get the fun and nostalgic chance to say hello to them! Also, I can tell you I took my good camera on the Hornblower tour and I am happy to report it did just fine!! I can't wait to see what you guys think of Niagra Falls!! It is one of our favorite places to go!! It is so beautiful and getting up close to it makes you realize how powerful it is as well!

[Poobah7206]

Uber would be another airport transportation option. We watched the parade from in front of Pecos Bill back in 2002 and got a decent pic (considering my camera at the time).