{"id":79093,"date":"2006-10-09T07:59:53","date_gmt":"2006-10-09T11:59:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_ms_news\/?p=1129"},"modified":"2022-10-17T00:15:34","modified_gmt":"2022-10-17T04:15:34","slug":"adventures-by-disney-accounts-of-italy-londonparis-and-hawaii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/adventures-by-disney-accounts-of-italy-londonparis-and-hawaii\/","title":{"rendered":"Adventures by Disney: Accounts of Italy, London\/Paris and Hawaii"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Kathy Greenwell<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rome, of course, included the\u00a0history and ancient ruins.\u00a0 We did a ton of walking, but nothing too strenuous.\u00a0 We saw the Spanish Steppes, the Trevi Fountain (where our guides provided three coins for each of us to toss [for luck, or to ensure a future return to Rome]), the Pantheon,\u00a0the Forum,\u00a0and other ruins\/ancient architecture too\u00a0numerous to mention.\u00a0We visited the Coliseum which was amazing.\u00a0 We had dinner at a very old restaurant, where they have records to show it’s been operating since at least 1824, and probably is older than that.\u00a0 We had a private room there with a private gladiator show.\u00a0 Those guys\u00a0really went at each other with their swords and shields – ouch!\u00a0 One other word – gelato!\u00a0\u00a0My new favorite\u00a0treat!\u00a0 We went to one of the better\u00a0gelato shops and\u00a0this ice-creamy-type treat was the best!<\/p>\n

A visit to the Vatican was on the list as well.\u00a0 I was totally unprepared for the crowds.\u00a0 But they told us that August is actually the least crowded time in most of Europe, as many Europeans take the month of August for their own vacations – even the Pope was on vacation!\u00a0 I cannot imagine the crowds we encountered there as “light” – Whew! – but the Vatican museum is just full of wonderful pieces of art; the Sistine Chapel is amazing.\u00a0 To see that ceiling and try to imagine Michelangelo lying on his back painting those detailed scenes just boggles your mind.\u00a0 We learned, however, that apparently Michelangelo was a bit full of himself!\u00a0 He pretty much told the church what he was going to do, not the other way around.\u00a0 When you see his talent, I suppose you can understand how he would have developed such a big ego.\u00a0 St. Peter’s Basilica is huge and beautiful.\u00a0 Standing in St. Peter’s Square, imagining the thousands of people I’ve seen on TV crammed into that area during the Pope’s Easter and Christmas Masses, gave me such a feeling of awe.<\/p>\n

Then on to\u00a0Tuscany, where we\u00a0stayed in the most interesting accommodations we’ve ever encountered.\u00a0 In the mountains they have all of these little hamlets (called borgos), which were like small town compounds that over the years became abandoned.\u00a0 People are buying them and turning them into bed\/breakfast type places.\u00a0 But they are clusters of buildings that used to be the hamlet, turned into charming rooms.\u00a0 I can’t begin to describe it to you; suffice it to say we’ve traveled a great deal and never encountered anything like it.\u00a0 They had put in the most gorgeous pool which overlooked the sides of the mountain.\u00a0 Olive trees and vineyards everywhere – the views were wonderful, quiet, peaceful at night.\u00a0 Even the\u00a0windows opened – casement windows with the outside shutters that you could throw\u00a0open, gauzy curtains that swayed in the evening\u00a0breeze – my goodness, it was just like you’d picture it on TV!!!!<\/p>\n

From that base, we headed to\u00a0genuine medieval towns (Sienna and Orvieto).\u00a0\u00a0Seeing these throwbacks to\u00a0a time long gone was amazing.\u00a0 The cobblestone streets, the fortress type buildings, the quaint town squares, the shopping – oh my!\u00a0 Their history is so interesting – like towns that time forgot.<\/p>\n

Then into Florence – a beautiful center of culture and art.\u00a0 The sculpture is amazing and prevalent.\u00a0 The crisscrossing streets are jammed with shopping –\u00a0Florence is known for gold and leather.\u00a0 Every huge name in upscale shopping is there –\u00a0in fact, on this whole trip I’ve never seen more Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Dior,\u00a0Bulgari, and Chanel stores anywhere!\u00a0 You can drop some serious dollars here!\u00a0 We saw the original statue of David by Michelangelo.\u00a0 Had to admit, after seeing tons of pictures of this guy, I was thinking okay – we’ll see this statue.\u00a0 Unbelievable!!!\u00a0 It is awesome and with the information provided by our private tour guide, it just came to life.\u00a0 I had no idea I would be so inspired by this seemingly common sculpture.\u00a0 When you see it, you realize it is not common at all.<\/p>\n

Another major attraction in nearly every city are the duomos\u00a0(cathedrals).\u00a0 These are absolutely spectacular.\u00a0 If you’d like to feel that old time reverence, you must visit these glorious structures.<\/p>\n

After our three days in Tuscany, it was time to board the Eurostar train (first class with Disney, of course) and head to Venice.\u00a0 One of the first of many cool experiences was to arrive by train, walk out the front doors of the\u00a0train station, and be standing on the Grand Canal!\u00a0 What a sight!\u00a0 We were loaded into authentic gondolas for the trip to our hotel.\u00a0 The water “streets” were\u00a0so neat – the water literally laps at the doors of buildings.\u00a0 So much “traffic” – we occasionally encountered boat jams!\u00a0 The hotel was centrally located and very nice.\u00a0 One thing we discovered was that Venice is more like a maze than a city!\u00a0 We felt like mice trying to find our way\u00a0around tiny little alleys that count as streets.\u00a0 There are no cars\u00a0in Venice –\u00a0which is a good thing.\u00a0 As tiny as some of these byways\u00a0are (you could touch\u00a0the buildings on both sides if you stood in the middle of\u00a0the street) and with all of the foot\u00a0traffic,\u00a0the situation would be unbearable with motor vehicles.\u00a0 We also didn’t see any bicycles or scooters (as were prevalent in\u00a0both Rome and Florence).\u00a0 That made Venice relatively quiet.\u00a0 Good thing – there was enough people-noise.\u00a0\u00a0The tiny streets are choked with pedestrians.\u00a0 Our guide said you had to have been born there to find your way around.\u00a0 Even with maps we all spent some time lost.\u00a0 But the charm\u00a0is unmistakable and again, unbelievable shopping.<\/p>\n

One of our Disney surprises included a trip to a Venetian Mask Shop.\u00a0 They celebrate Carnavale over there, so there are tons of stores with those\u00a0beautiful, elaborate masks.\u00a0 We were then given the opportunity to make our own masks!\u00a0 How fun was that?\u00a0 We laughed and did our best to\u00a0draw out our artistic sides, with varying results:\u00a0 my husband managed to be creative enough to paint his mask like the Italian flag – not exactly a barn-burning design, but it came out nice and simple.\u00a0\u00a0One of\u00a0the guys in our group painted his mask like his dog’s face – hey, guys aren’t always the most imaginative!\u00a0 Several girls made cat faces.\u00a0 One made a wood nymph in dark purple and hunter green.\u00a0 Came out better than it sounds.\u00a0 I tried for a dainty, Tinkerbell kind of look – well, at least it was fun!<\/p>\n

We took water taxis to the island of Murano – and saw spectacular blown glass objects.\u00a0 Passed a funeral procession, boats and gondolas carrying caskets draped in flowers headed to the cemetery island, which is where everyone is buried.\u00a0 Our farewell dinner was held aboard a full-size replica of a pirate ship while we sailed around the islands.\u00a0 It was great fun.\u00a0 Alas, on Friday morning we had to\u00a0leave this watery haven, and experienced our last very cool event – arriving at the airport by boat!\u00a0 How neat is that?\u00a0 I couldn’t get over the juxtaposition of pulling up\u00a0by boat to the airport to catch a plane!<\/p>\n

There were so many more moments, but you’d be here reading all day. As you can tell, we loved it.\u00a0 We traveled with a wonderful group of people, and the kids on this trip were such fun! Everyone got along extremely well, and we’ve already been in touch by email.\u00a0 I think that’s probably my favorite part of all of our trips so far – our new\u00a0friends.<\/p>\n

Kathy reminisced on her <\/strong>Cities of Knights and Lights trip:<\/strong>
\nA few words about London\/Paris.\u00a0 The hotel was fabulous (the Renaissance at Chancery Square).\u00a0 We saw the major sights (Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey).\u00a0 We took a ride on the London Eye (which was installed for the Millennium celebration.) Like a giant, slow-moving ferris wheel, you get stunning views of London from every side.\u00a0 On our free time, we visited the British Museum (national museums offer free admission) and saw the Rosetta Stone.\u00a0 We had a proper English tea for lunch one day, and scones are one of my new\u00a0favorite things!\u00a0 The original London presentation of Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward Theater was spectacular!\u00a0 The play was\u00a0just wonderful and the cast superb!\u00a0\u00a0As a special treat, Disney presented us with a\u00a0program and original cast recording CD.\u00a0 We also had a pre-play dinner in a private\u00a0club across from the theater, and were treated to a behind-the-scenes stage tour after the production.\u00a0 Truly one of the highlights of\u00a0the London portion of our trip.<\/p>\n

Then we took the Eurostar\u00a0train through the Chunnel to Paris.\u00a0 The train travels 198 miles per hour.\u00a0 Because of its speed, when you go through tunnels your ears pop – just like on an airplane.\u00a0 Our hotel, the Westin, was spectacularly located for walking to major sites (the Champs Elysees, the Arc de Triomphe, Tuilleries Gardens).\u00a0 A refurbished older hotel, our room included a fireplace and antique wardrobe instead of a closet.\u00a0 I managed to hit the Disney Store on the Champs Elysees (as well as the one I found in Florence, Italy).\u00a0 It’s fun to check out the different merchandise abroad.\u00a0 The Eiffel Tower, with dinner in the\u00a0Altitude 95 restaurant\u00a0in the\u00a0Tower, was as impressive as you would imagine.\u00a0 Getting to the top can be a bit tricky, however.\u00a0 Lines are long, the elevators move slowly, and it’s a bit chaotic figuring out where the queues are.\u00a0 Worth the effort though!\u00a0 The\u00a0Louvre (Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Nike) was amazing.\u00a0 It’s so gigantic, that if you stopped at each\u00a0exhibit for one minute, it would take you over three months, day and night, to see it all!\u00a0 The Palace of Versailles and the\u00a0Versailles Gardens are quite dramatic!\u00a0\u00a0Part of our Adventure included bike rental to ride around the Versailles\u00a0pond.\u00a0 What fun – although I did figure out that those bike seats are for tiny little French bottoms, not my fluffier American bottom!<\/p>\n

We then took a day to visit Disneyland Paris (on our own, not part of our Adventures by Disney tour).\u00a0 We had a wonderful time there.\u00a0 It’s quite picturesque and charming.<\/p>\n

Kathy also shares the details of her Hawaiian experience, back when Adventures by Disney was just starting out. The Hawaii itinerary is not offered for 2007:
\n<\/strong>My husband and I had the pleasure of traveling on one of the inaugural trips last summer. They did not advertise this new venture much, and from my understanding, even the travel agents weren’t given tons of info about it. They considered it sort of a “soft opening”. I had to really investigate and make a lot of calls to find out about it and get us booked. It was well worth the effort though!<\/p>\n

They offered only two options last year: Wyoming and Hawaii. We went on the Hawaii trip. My husband had been promising me since our fifth wedding anniversary that he would take me to Hawaii. Well, it was coming up on our 30th anniversary – so as soon as I saw Disney and Hawaii in the same sentence, I said “We’re there!!!”<\/p>\n

Because it was an inaugural season, things were being tweaked constantly; but our trip was handled with the utmost professionalism that you would expect from Disney. Travel to the start of the Adventure is on your own and not included in the cost of the Adventure. We flew to Honolulu the day prior to the beginning of the Adventure, and it was a good thing. Jet lag would have ruined my first day had we waited till the actual start day.<\/p>\n

Our group consisted of 18: Three adult couples with grown children (ourselves included); three families with a total of 5 children ranging in age from 5 – 11; and one single adult traveler. It was a great mix of ages and interests, and we all meshed extraordinarily well. In addition, we had two tour guides: Mark, a cast member hailing from Walt Disney World; and Julie, hailing from Disneyland. They were great fun!<\/p>\n

We hopped between three islands, and the accommodations were outstanding on each leg of the tour. All transfers of luggage and plane trips between islands were included in the price. All tours on the islands were conducted by experts, with travel in private deluxe motor coaches. We received special “Disney” treatment at some of the stops (i.e. opening to serve our group lunch even though the lodge was officially closed for the season). Most meals were included, though not all, so we had some time to explore on our own.<\/p>\n

We saw the highlights of the islands, and enjoyed little Disney surprises all along the way. One night we had a private \u2018Ohana meal on the hotel grounds, with music and fabulous food. After dinner, we were entertained by a private showing of Lilo & Stitch under stars on an outdoor screen with a fresh popcorn maker right there tempting us to overeat even more! It was truly paradise to lie on a chaise lounge under the stars, totally relaxed after a wonderful dinner, having fresh popcorn served while watching one of my favorite Disney movies. Nobody wanted it to end!<\/p>\n

All details were handled for you, and believe me, that can get you spoiled real fast. I didn’t even have to think about what time we had to get up – even our wake-up calls were set up for us!!! There were activities for the adults and some separate ones for the kiddies so that nobody felt overwhelmed. The kids got time to themselves and the adults did too. The shared experiences were great fun as well – since our kids are grown it was fun to see some of these sites (such as volcanoes) through the eyes of the younger set again.<\/p>\n

This was the quintessential vacation experience – and has now become our benchmark for the future. In fact, we are so taken with the Adventures by Disney experience that we are booked AGAIN! It was extremely hard to pick – and we narrowed it down to London\/Paris and Italy. We went back and forth trying to decide which would work best – and finally we decided:<\/p>\n

We’re doing both!!!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Magically Speaking Featured Article
\nLibrary of Congress ISSN:1556-3863<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Kathy Greenwell Rome, of course, included the\u00a0history and ancient ruins.\u00a0 We did a ton of walking, but nothing too strenuous.\u00a0 We saw the Spanish Steppes, the Trevi Fountain (where our guides provided three coins for each of us to toss [for luck, or to ensure a future return to Rome]), the Pantheon,\u00a0the Forum,\u00a0and other…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":202,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1682],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-79093","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adventures-by-disney"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79093","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/202"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79093"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79093\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87728,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79093\/revisions\/87728"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79093"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79093"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79093"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}