Globetrotting: to Disneyland Paris and back with TCD

[Travisma 1,317]

 

Well darn, now I wish we had taken the time for the tour.  I'll have to try it the next time I'm over there.

 

 

Thank you for the kind words.

 

 

Well played.

 

 

I agree with you there.  The funny thing is that my parents both like ketchup with scrambled eggs (is that a Long Island thing?).  I never have.

 

Grayton Beach!

Lucky!

 

Thanks for the input on RyanAir.  I was tempted to use them for our short fights in Europe, but I didn't want a problem.  I figured they might have really strict baggage restrictions or other tricks to jack up their revenue.

 

We did make it to the Globe and ended up really enjoying it.  I have photos of that later in the report.

 

I'm glad I didn't know there was blood in the pudding.  I probably would have eaten it anyway, but that does sound gross.

 

TCD

 

Any upcoming food shots of beans and eggs on toast?

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Any upcoming food shots of beans and eggs on toast?

 

Sadly, no.

 

I heard beans for breakfast was a thing there, but we never encountered it.

 

TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I think y'all need an update to hold you over for the weekend.

 

So let's go.

 

We made it across the bridge- no problems at all:

 

 

The we decided to take a walk along the river.  There's a nice walkway there and all, so why not.  Here we go:

 

 

Before long, we came to this interesting structure:

 

 

Conveniently, this sign told us what we were looking at:

 

 

It's a pretty nice place, and there's a cool fountain in the covered area:

 

 

Looking out:

 

 

Here's something that you might find shocking.  This is the real London Bridge:

 

 

We were doing pretty good getting down the river.  Here's a look back from where we came.  You can see the Tower Bridge there in the distance:

 

 

Next we came to an old church.  We had to do some weaving here, as the path did not continue along the river edge:

 

 

This is a replica of a ship used by a famous English explorer.  I can't remember who now:

 

 

Next we passed the ruins of an old building which were preserved and incorporated into some new construction.  I found that very interesting:

 

 

We were near the Globe theater.  And it was getting to be near lunchtime.  We decided to stop for an early lunch at Nando's again.  We liked it in Dublin, so we wanted to try it in London.  Plus, we had seen this poster on the tube a couple of times, and I told DD that I would order that exact meal the next time we got to a Nando's:

 

 

This restaurant was beautiful:

 

 

Twin #1 told us that she really enjoyed Nando's because they had ice and allowed drink refills, which is not the case at most London restaurants:

 

 

Here's the food:

 

 

Everything was great.  Even the Macho Peas.  I'm not sure what made them Macho.  Still, they were good.

 

After lunch, we continued on to the Globe.

 

We found out that you need to be on a tour to actually see inside the theater.

 

And the rest of the day's tours were booked.

 

Dang.

 

We decided that we would come back tomorrow.

 

For now, we grabbed a taxi to take us to the London Eye.

 

This was our first time in a famous London Taxi:

 

 

The taxi driver was great.  Once he heard we were from Florida, he shared with us how he had been to Disney World on holiday, and how much he liked it.  He also told us about how he grew up in London, and loved it.

 

It wasn't far to the London Eye.  This was another thing I wasn't sure I would like, but my DD wanted to do it, so we were going to do it:

 

 

I didn't know how tickets worked, but we saw a huge line of people waiting to ride.  Then I saw a ticket window for "Fast Track" tickets.  I headed there.  As luck would have it, another American dad was there to buy tickets as well, and he told me this was the way to go.  These tickets would allow us to bypass the long line we saw and ride immediately.  Sounded good to me.  I don't know what the regular tickets cost, but the Fast Track tickets for two worked out to be $90.  This had better be good, I thought.

 

Here we are on the loading platform- that mob of people you see extending out from there is the standby line:

 

 

As soon as we started to go up, I saw the tower from Peter Pan.  I guess they must have built that as a tribute to the movie?:

 

 

Just kidding- that's the House of Parliament and Big Ben.

 

Here's a look at the capsules we were in:

 

 

I think that bridge down there is called the Millennium Bridge:

 

 

A look at the capsule next to ours:

 

 

Photo time:

 

 

 

Yes, I'm rocking a Wilderness Lodge shirt.   When I packed for this trip, I threw in a few long sleeved t-shirts.  I don't own many, so this Wilderness Lodge shirt got to come.  I thought I'd only be wearing it at night and under a jacket, but it was cool enough during the days that I needed the sleeves.

 

You can see really far from up high:

 

 

Big Ben doesn't look so big from up here:

 

 

I don't know if you noticed the funny-shaped building in the photos of the skyline from the Tower Bridge, but if you did, you can see it here on the far right in this photo.  The Tower Bridge would be further to the right, any maybe not visible from here:

 

 

Here's the view from the top:

 

 

The London Eye is operated by the Merlin group.  They also operate a way museum, and converted this building below the Eye into an aquarium:

 

 

Interestingly enough, this same group is now operating the Orlando Eye along with an aquarium and wax museum.  Business must be good.

 

One last look at House of Parliament on the way down:

 

 

So, was it worth $90?

 

Heck no!

 

But, it was something that we wanted to do.  I remember seeing it during the London Olympics, and always wondered what it was like.  Now I know.

 

Next up, we will visit another landmark, and then head back to the hotel for a rest before we pursue our evening plans.

 

TCD

[Travisma 1,317]

Sadly, no.

 

I heard beans for breakfast was a thing there, but we never encountered it.

 

TCD

Hmmm, they must've given you the Colonies menus!

[dvccamper 32]

I AM shocked at the real London Bridge. It doesn't even look that old. I prefer to keep thinking the Tower Bridge is London Bridge.

The London Eye looks cool. How long did it take to go all the way around?

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

 

This is a replica of a ship used by a famous English explorer.  I can't remember who now:

 

This ship is a replica of the Golden Hinde which is the ship captained by Francis Drake when he circumnavigated the globe.  He was the first to do this, so it was a pretty big deal.  My kids just studied that yesterday in history, so thank you for the picture.  I will be sure to show it to them. :)  Here is the website for the ship, which is a museum: http://www.goldenhinde.com/

 

I don't remember any advertisements in London taxis when I was there, but I believe I only had 2 taxi rides, so I may just not recall them.

 

The standard London Eye ticket is about $30 each.

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

I AM shocked at the real London Bridge. It doesn't even look that old. I prefer to keep thinking the Tower Bridge is London Bridge.

The London Eye looks cool. How long did it take to go all the way around?

The old London Bridge was bought and moved to America: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Bridge_(Lake_Havasu_City)

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Hmmm, they must've given you the Colonies menus!

 

LOL.

 

The London food scene is not what I expected.  I looked high and low for some Fish and Chips served in a newspaper like they do at Epcot.

 

I didn't find any!

 

Sure, all the restaurants had Fish and Chips on the menu, but I wanted some in a newspaper!

 

 

I AM shocked at the real London Bridge. It doesn't even look that old. I prefer to keep thinking the Tower Bridge is London Bridge.

The London Eye looks cool. How long did it take to go all the way around?

 

I thought the same way.

 

I just looked at the time stamps on my photos, and it looks like one time all the way around on the London Eye was 20 minutes.  it seemed faster.  That's a lot of money for a 20 minute ride.

 

This ship is a replica of the Golden Hinde which is the ship captained by Francis Drake when he circumnavigated the globe.  He was the first to do this, so it was a pretty big deal.  My kids just studied that yesterday in history, so thank you for the picture.  I will be sure to show it to them. :)  Here is the website for the ship, which is a museum: http://www.goldenhinde.com/

 

I don't remember any advertisements in London taxis when I was there, but I believe I only had 2 taxi rides, so I may just not recall them.

 

The standard London Eye ticket is about $30 each.

 

Thanks for the superb research!

 

Francis Drake is the guy.

 

Man, I paid an extra $30 to skip the London Eye line?  That's a lot.  But, I'm glad we didn't have to wait.

 

The old London Bridge was bought and moved to America: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Bridge_(Lake_Havasu_City)

 

I've heard that before, and it's a weird story.

 

TCD

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

$90 for a fancy ferris wheel ride?  And they can pack a lot of people into each pod.  Ouch!

[sherryberry 35]

I'm curious what you had at McDonald's? I'm sure they had some unique items on their menu.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

$90 for a fancy ferris wheel ride?  And they can pack a lot of people into each pod.  Ouch!

 

You are right.  I'm sure it was expensive to build, but that thing has to be a huge money maker!

 

I'm curious what you had at McDonald's? I'm sure they had some unique items on their menu.

 

Have you seen Pulp Fiction?

 

I had the Royale with Cheese.

 

AKA the Quarter Pounder with Cheese. 

 

They did have some strange things on the menu, but we were looking for something quick and safe to eat before the show.

 

TCD

[DaveInTN 3,247]

$90 is a steal!  Imagine what it would cost to ride on Francis Drake's golden hind?  

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

$90 is a steal!  Imagine what it would cost to ride on Francis Drake's golden hind?  

 

True!

 

Another good one, sir.

 

TCD

[campingdawgs 4]

 

Thanks for the input on RyanAir.  I was tempted to use them for our short fights in Europe, but I didn't want a problem.  I figured they might have really strict baggage restrictions or other tricks to jack up their revenue

 

TCD

There was a fee for luggage, but I don't remember what it was. We had carry ons only, so I wasn't really paying attention to it. They also were pretty strict about the size of the carry on, but we knew about that beforehand and our bags were fine. We loved not having big bags to check and possibly get lost.

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

A London McDonalds was the first place I encountered mustard on a hamburger. Since then, I have seen that at some McDonalds in the states. I think it is a regional thing.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[keith_h 420]

All of the McDonald's hamburgers I ate through high school had ketchup and mustard on them. I haven't eaten at one in years so don't know what they put on them here.

[keith_h 420]

$45 per person is a lot but so is $30. Then again since it is a once in a lifetime thing I wouldn't hesitate to go for it just to say I did. I also don't think the $15 difference is that big a deal after seeing the size of that line.

[dblr....Rennie 224]

So now I guess you can skip the Orlando eye when it opens.

[ependydad...Doug 176]

Have you seen Pulp Fiction?

 

I had the Royale with Cheese.

 

I love any trip report with a Pulp Fiction reference.

[disney4dan 68]

Were some of those modern buildings for the Olympics?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Seals 111]

That's London Bridge? It's not even falling down. Someone has a lot of explaining to do.

So you're afraid of the height of the bridge but you'll go up in the London Eye. Didn't you realize that capsule's not going to do anything to protect you when the cable breaks and you start plunging to your death. At least on the bridge you can hold on to something.

[Travisma 1,317]

So now I guess you can skip the Orlando eye when it opens.

The Orlando Eye opened earlier this month.

TCD, slightly better deal over here than in London

LEGOLAND just announced a new AP

The Merlin AWESOMERPASS.

$149 YEAR INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING

LEGOLAND

LEGOLAND Water Park

Orlando Eye

Madame Tussands Orlando

Sea Life Orlando

LEGOLAND Discovery Center Atlanta

Collectors Edition Welcome Kit

Free Parking

10% off retail, dining LEGOLAND Hotel Stay

Bonus Brick Time (early entrance starting May 16 )

Newsletter

$15 off guest tickets to LEGOLAND (up to 6)

Of course all you would see in Orlando is I Drive, no Tower of London.

[PrincessE'sMama 6]

I am really enjoying your report!   My one and only trip to London was for an NFL game almost 2 years ago.  We stayed in a different part of town and did not spend much time in these parts - so it if fun to see.  Our trip consisted of checking out lots of pubs!  We did convince the guys to go on one of the double decker bus tours - that is how we saw all of the well known sites - and everyone enjoyed it.  It lasted the better part of one day with getting off an exploring thrown in.

 

Thanks for doing this report (and helping me pass the time until we are at the Fort in one week!)

[Santa ... Shannon 160]

Got up to leave at intermission? You really are "That Guy"!

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

There was a fee for luggage, but I don't remember what it was. We had carry ons only, so I wasn't really paying attention to it. They also were pretty strict about the size of the carry on, but we knew about that beforehand and our bags were fine. We loved not having big bags to check and possibly get lost.

 

I figured that Ryan Air must have some hefty fees for baggage and such to compensate for the low fares.  We were doing good to meet the Aer Lingus restrictions, but I think that Ryan Air's were stricter.  I will keep this in mind for future trips, though, as those flights are really cheap.

 

A London McDonalds was the first place I encountered mustard on a hamburger. Since then, I have seen that at some McDonalds in the states. I think it is a regional thing. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I don't think I've ever had a McDonald's hamburger without mustard, and I've been to many regions of the US.

 

All of the McDonald's hamburgers I ate through high school had ketchup and mustard on them. I haven't eaten at one in years so don't know what they put on them here.

 

Most of the McDonald's hamburgers I've eaten have been in Florida, and they've all had mustard on them, as far as I could tell.

 

$45 per person is a lot but so is $30. Then again since it is a once in a lifetime thing I wouldn't hesitate to go for it just to say I did. I also don't think the $15 difference is that big a deal after seeing the size of that line.

 

That's what I was thinking, and I salute the Merlin group for excellent marketing.  After seeing how many people they can cram into a car, I'll bet that long line moved a lot quicker than a Disney World line.  I probably paid $30 to bypass a 15 minute wait.

 

So now I guess you can skip the Orlando eye when it opens.

 

it's already open.  I didn't want to ride it before, but now I'm tempted-just so I can compare it to the London Eye.

 

I love any trip report with a Pulp Fiction reference.

 

You never know what you're going to find referenced in a TCD TR.

 

Were some of those modern buildings for the Olympics?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I'm going to guess yes.  We kept wondering where the Olympic Stadium was, as we expected to see it in our travels around the city.  We later found out it's about a half-hour train ride to the northeast of where we were staying.

 

That's London Bridge? It's not even falling down. Someone has a lot of explaining to do.

So you're afraid of the height of the bridge but you'll go up in the London Eye. Didn't you realize that capsule's not going to do anything to protect you when the cable breaks and you start plunging to your death. At least on the bridge you can hold on to something.

 

Yeah, the real London Bridge is very underwhelming.  From what we heard the original one back in the day was a sight to behold.  It used to be the only bridge across the river, but it did fall down (actually it burned down).

 

You make a very valid point about the irrationality of my fear of heights.  I also think a plane is more likely to crash than a bridge is to collapse, and I'm perfectly fine on a plane.

 

 

The Orlando Eye opened earlier this month.

TCD, slightly better deal over here than in London

LEGOLAND just announced a new AP

The Merlin AWESOMERPASS.

$149 YEAR INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING

LEGOLAND

LEGOLAND Water Park

Orlando Eye

Madame Tussands Orlando

Sea Life Orlando

LEGOLAND Discovery Center Atlanta

Collectors Edition Welcome Kit

Free Parking

10% off retail, dining LEGOLAND Hotel Stay

Bonus Brick Time (early entrance starting May 16 )

Newsletter

$15 off guest tickets to LEGOLAND (up to 6)

Of course all you would see in Orlando is I Drive, no Tower of London.

 

Wow.  That really is a good deal, for those with younger kids.  I think mine would be bored by Lego Land.

 

I am really enjoying your report!   My one and only trip to London was for an NFL game almost 2 years ago.  We stayed in a different part of town and did not spend much time in these parts - so it if fun to see.  Our trip consisted of checking out lots of pubs!  We did convince the guys to go on one of the double decker bus tours - that is how we saw all of the well known sites - and everyone enjoyed it.  It lasted the better part of one day with getting off an exploring thrown in.

 

Thanks for doing this report (and helping me pass the time until we are at the Fort in one week!)

 

We never did get to wherever Wembley Stadium is-it's quite a distance from the downtown London area that we were in.

 

Those bus tours looked fun, but we didn't do one in England- we found the Tube and bus system to be very easy to navigate, so we used those.

 

The Fort in a week? 

 

Lucky!

 

Have a great trip.

 

TCD