englishrose47
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2007
Happy Belated Birthday !!!
DREAMing, some MAGIC and a little bit of Paris! Trip report link!
- Thread starter dizneeat
- Start date
dizneeat
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2006
This is such a beautiful picture. I love how the wreaths are all Mickey Shaped. Nice touch.
We were really impressed with all the decorations. They really did a great job!
Nice mega update!
I tried to get as much done as possible before heading to Italy, but I failed and only posted a few updates.
Yikes to the crowds. Glad you got in easily, managed to find a parking space on the way back, and get back in just in time to see the parade.
As it was a holiday weekend we knew we were in for crowds. And even though we both "wined" about it, it was not as bad as other times we have been there.
Space Mountain exterior looks so cool. Very, very different from WDW.
It IS a completely different ride. Awesome, FAST, but very dark in there and I usually bump my head a few times when riding it.
And I love the HM. I've seen pictures of the exterior before but I think those of the first inside and graveyard pics I've seen. Very cool!
It's so funny how all of the HMs (WDW, DL and DLRP) look kind of similar but are then so different - exterior different and even the stories behind the rides are a bit different too.
DLRP has a fun graveyard (sounds crazy, doesn't it?), even an "interactive" tomb. If you knock at it, you can hear the "ghost" inside knocking back at you.
Your lunch looks yummy!
What an adorable carry-on!
It is so cute and holds a lot of stuff. AND it already travelled to WDW and DCL and back to Austria.
Great update! Can't wait to see the entire parade!
Update coming soon!
To me it is the best of the Thunder Mountains. Really fun to ride, as you need to go "under water" to actually reach the island in the middle. The train goes through a dark tunnel and you have the feeling that you go at "lightning" speed.
Jen, we knew it would be packed as we were travelling during a holiday weekend. And since we go so often and are so used to the crowds we're quite okay with it. Having the AP helps too, as we can just hop in, ride a ride or walk around and leave without having to worry about how much one spends on a ticket.
I LOVED the Christmas overlay at the IASM. Gave it a whole new feel.
They "kind of" took care of the room issues at the hotel and we just let it go in the end.
Karin,
Loving the updates. I love how you have your in room picnics and how much fun they appear to be. I am ready for my Disney fix!!! Still 8 months away....wish the 2015 rates would come out. I think they should release rates and prices a year at a times so in Jan 2014 I can plan my 2/15 trip. Oh well I don't know why Disney doesn't agree with me
I am happy to hear that you enjoyed the updates.
And am proud to say that those picnics are so much fun and the food is so yummy too.
Count me in on the ones who would love to know the 2015 rates. I need a few nights for Tom's birthday trip and I won't use my DVC for it (I think. Well, at least at the moment I do).
dizneeat
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2006
Thank you, Rosie!
It was a crowded weekend, but since we knew it would be a holiday weekend it was no surprise to us.
I wish you could try those fresh crisp warm baguettes they sell. I have NEVER had anything like it anywhere else. It is to die for.
Oh, and most signs are in both, English and French. And most of the CM will understand and speak English. Thank god, because otherwise I would have a HUGE problem.
Welcome!
I am so sorry it took me so long to respond, but with our weekend getaway to Italy and then trying to catch up on work I just didn't get enough DIStime.
When in August will you be at DLRP? We will be there Aug 12 - 21!
Let me know if I can help with some planning. We go to DLRP on a very regular basis, so any questions concerning the park I am sure I can help you with.
Fun update, Karin.
Although I don't like It's a Small World, I do like the added Christmas decorations.
It's not my favourite ride either, but sometimes it is just nice to get off your feet and just sit and relax.
But I have to say that they really did a great job with the Christmas stuff in there.
Big Thunder looks really cool there.
To me it is the best Thunder Mountain. Fast and with a few extra twists and turns. We love it. Unfortunately the line gets LONG - 2 hours is an average in the summer. So it's either FP or not riding it for us.
Glad you got your treats at the bakery.
I so wish you could all come here just for that bakery. It is AWESOME. Tiny and family run and all baked goods are just divine!
Love the parade picture...I like the float with Santa.
We were so impressed with the Christmas parade. It did grow from last year and we really loved watching it.
So now not only do I want fresh baguettes, but I have also moved DLP up near the top of my travel wish list! I haven't been to Paris since I was 15 and that was a really long time ago!
Yeah, what a great idea to push Paris and DLRP closer to the top. It's worth the long flight.
What is going to happen to me when you post pictures from your trip to Italy?
I have only so much time and money to spend on travel, you know! How will I ever manage to fit it all in?
I'll count on you to find a way to make it all happen.
Where there's a Mickey there's a way.
dizneeat
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2006
Hi Karin...I love all your trips that you have planned. I'm glad things worked out for you.
Thank you, Elaine. It was really nice to see things fall into place and now to share the countdown with you all.
The spa and, of course, the town pictures are amazing. When Rachel studies in Spain next year, she said the first trip she takes is to see the alps.
I really hope that you see the need to visit Rachel in Spain and join her on a tour of some of the European countries. It would be awesome to see you here.
I love all the Christmas decorations around DLP. Christmas is the best at a Disney park, except for the long lines.
It is so nice to see more and more decorations each year. Christmas is definitely the time to go to Disney.
On my....those bakery items look delicious, especially the elcairs, you are making me hungry, I just might have to eat a midnight snack.
I really wish there was a way to send some of that baguette by internet. It is to die for.
It's a Small World looks so nice with a touch of Christmas.
It was the first time we saw it all "dressed" up for Christmas and it was really cute.
Phantom Manor reminds me of the Psycho House. They even have a rocking chair in one of the side window.
And the cemetary at the end is really cool. You need to read all the tombstones - they all rhyme and are so funny.
Thank you! We did have a really nice time.
Thanks, Jen!
dizneeat
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2006
Thank you, Kathy, we had a lovely time!
And we are back again already.
It was a lovely trip, even though Venice was a bit "on the wet side". Can't wait to hear about your trip and see some great pictures.
Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards
You won't have to wait much longer, Teresa. I am working on a short(ish) TR for Italy, to squeeze into my Paris TR, which I squeezed into my planning.
All caught up and hope you had a great weekend!
We had a lovely time. And even though it was just so short, it was nice to be away from home.
Okay, I absolutely LOVE how you and Tom eat when you pick up food for yourselves. Baguettes, meat, cheese, beer, etc. It's so gourmet, but relaxed. And those eclairs!Look amazing!
Yip, we ARE foodies.
The cemetery looks way more intricate than the MK, I think. And waaaay better than Disneyland's definitely.
The cemetery is such a neat little addition at the end of the ride, unfortunately mostly overlooked as you have to walk over to your far left, whilst the exit is more to the right. But we love to explore and read all the inscriptions.
How cute the little santa hat on IASW
Can't wait to hear about your Italy trip!
I am already working on a short TR. So I guess you will get to hear more about it pretty soon.
dizneeat
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2006
Thank you, Jill!
Happy Birthday Karin!
Thank you, Teresa!
Happy Birthday Karin from all of us! Hope you had a great day!!
Thank you, Elaine! We had a lovely weekend and took it pretty slow. Something we can't do often.
Thank you, Jen!
Thank you, Rosie!
dizneeat
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2006
Welcome to the trip report (Italy) inside the trip report (Disneyland Paris) inside the pre-trip report (summer 2014)
Day 1, May 1
OMG, I love it here! - Part 1
And it was finally time to start another adventure
We had planned on leaving at 4am and the alarm rang at 3am. We were both still dead tired and decided to add on another half hour. At 3.40 we finally got out of bed and after getting ready we headed downstairs to have some breakfast. Since we did not have to be anywhere at a certain time, we just lingered over breakfast and when we finally made it out the door it was past 5am.
One more stop at the ATM and then we were on our way to the motorway. The weather forecast had not been too promising for this weekend and we were happy to see that at least there was no rain. Once on the motorway we made good progress
and after a quick restroom stop at a rest station we made it to Salzburg in about an hour and a half. There we were pleasantly surprised to see that there was not too much traffic and we made it around town and onto the next part of the motorway without a hitch. Unfortunately it was still pretty overcast with low hanging clouds, but we got a good view of Castle Hohenwerfen,
which sits so majestically on top of a hill. We were already snacking on M&Ms
when we reached all the tunnels through the Alps.
When we came to the toll station we were so happy not to have forgotten to buy video tolls, as we just got into the very left lane, drove through the video lane and were through without stopping. And yes, there were quite a few cars in line to pay their toll. And once we had reached Carinthia we were in for a beautiful surprise, wonderful blue skies and just a few stray clouds.
Perfect start for the second part of the drive. We quickly stopped to fill up the car again as gas is a lot more expensive in Italy and then we were on our way again. Soon enough we hit the border to Italy,
picked up a road toll ticket and off we went to leave the mountains behind us.
Pretty soon, we were on the outskirts of the mountains
and had reached Udine and had gotten onto the last part of the motorway. We were making good progress even though our GPS was telling us that there was some major traffic jam ahead of us. We realized that the GPS was right, when we left the motorway.
There is a toll station and not all booths were open and there were long lines to get to the booths. So we got into one line and waited. And waited and waited some more. The lines were moving very slowly. Then finally they opened up a few more lines and we were able to get over to some of the new ones. It still took over 20 minutes until we were through, but at least we had cut a bit of the wait time.
There is a country road leading to Lignano and usually it is smooth sailing, but this time it was stop and go and so we lost even a little more time. Finally around 1pm we reached our destination and stopped at the shopping center outside town to stock up on drinks and snacks before heading to our final destination, the little Aparthotel. We have been there quite a few times now and try to return as often as possible and when we arrived it was great to hear that we were considered frequent guests. We were told that our room was not ready yet, but we would be able to park our car and head out to have some lunch. Good.
Until we got to the parking garage. Now parking spots are small all over Europe, here you have to drive to the basement and there are loads of columns and everything is VERY narrow. Tom had to reverse several time to get our car into the spot we had been assigned. Not that the other spots were larger and as we should see, some of those people in other spots were not even able to move their cars without other cars being moved. I got my handbag out and off we went in search for some lunch.
We had a restaurant in mind already and were heading straight there. When we arrived we saw the dreaded rope at the entrance, which meant that they were full. But the owner was out and taking names. So we asked how long it would be for a table for two and he said that we should come back in about 25 minutes after taking down our name.
So we just went window shopping for a while. We walked past the church
und down to the sea, then we turned around and headed back to the restaurant and our table was already waiting for us. It didnt take long to be handed a menu and
some bread was put on the table. Then it was time to place our orders. Tom who had driven all the way, now rewarded himself with a beer and I got some Diet Coke.
Both drinks were soon served and it did not take long for our pizzas to be brought out either. Tom had ordered the
Pizza Siciliana, tomatoes, Mozzarella, Anchovies, Capers, Olives and Oregano while I had my heart set on the
Pizza Verdura, tomatoes, Mozzarella, grilled Vegetables and Rocket Salad. And both were absolutely wonderful. Once we had finished our lunch we slowly strolled back to our hotel and now we were handed keys and with a smile the receptionist sent us up to the 3rd floor (US = 4th floor). This was the first time we were staying on the 3rd floor, so we were excited to see what our room would look like.
To be continued .....
Day 1, May 1
OMG, I love it here! - Part 1
And it was finally time to start another adventure
We had planned on leaving at 4am and the alarm rang at 3am. We were both still dead tired and decided to add on another half hour. At 3.40 we finally got out of bed and after getting ready we headed downstairs to have some breakfast. Since we did not have to be anywhere at a certain time, we just lingered over breakfast and when we finally made it out the door it was past 5am.
One more stop at the ATM and then we were on our way to the motorway. The weather forecast had not been too promising for this weekend and we were happy to see that at least there was no rain. Once on the motorway we made good progress
and after a quick restroom stop at a rest station we made it to Salzburg in about an hour and a half. There we were pleasantly surprised to see that there was not too much traffic and we made it around town and onto the next part of the motorway without a hitch. Unfortunately it was still pretty overcast with low hanging clouds, but we got a good view of Castle Hohenwerfen,
which sits so majestically on top of a hill. We were already snacking on M&Ms
when we reached all the tunnels through the Alps.
When we came to the toll station we were so happy not to have forgotten to buy video tolls, as we just got into the very left lane, drove through the video lane and were through without stopping. And yes, there were quite a few cars in line to pay their toll. And once we had reached Carinthia we were in for a beautiful surprise, wonderful blue skies and just a few stray clouds.
Perfect start for the second part of the drive. We quickly stopped to fill up the car again as gas is a lot more expensive in Italy and then we were on our way again. Soon enough we hit the border to Italy,
picked up a road toll ticket and off we went to leave the mountains behind us.
Pretty soon, we were on the outskirts of the mountains
and had reached Udine and had gotten onto the last part of the motorway. We were making good progress even though our GPS was telling us that there was some major traffic jam ahead of us. We realized that the GPS was right, when we left the motorway.
There is a toll station and not all booths were open and there were long lines to get to the booths. So we got into one line and waited. And waited and waited some more. The lines were moving very slowly. Then finally they opened up a few more lines and we were able to get over to some of the new ones. It still took over 20 minutes until we were through, but at least we had cut a bit of the wait time.
There is a country road leading to Lignano and usually it is smooth sailing, but this time it was stop and go and so we lost even a little more time. Finally around 1pm we reached our destination and stopped at the shopping center outside town to stock up on drinks and snacks before heading to our final destination, the little Aparthotel. We have been there quite a few times now and try to return as often as possible and when we arrived it was great to hear that we were considered frequent guests. We were told that our room was not ready yet, but we would be able to park our car and head out to have some lunch. Good.
Until we got to the parking garage. Now parking spots are small all over Europe, here you have to drive to the basement and there are loads of columns and everything is VERY narrow. Tom had to reverse several time to get our car into the spot we had been assigned. Not that the other spots were larger and as we should see, some of those people in other spots were not even able to move their cars without other cars being moved. I got my handbag out and off we went in search for some lunch.
We had a restaurant in mind already and were heading straight there. When we arrived we saw the dreaded rope at the entrance, which meant that they were full. But the owner was out and taking names. So we asked how long it would be for a table for two and he said that we should come back in about 25 minutes after taking down our name.
So we just went window shopping for a while. We walked past the church
und down to the sea, then we turned around and headed back to the restaurant and our table was already waiting for us. It didnt take long to be handed a menu and
some bread was put on the table. Then it was time to place our orders. Tom who had driven all the way, now rewarded himself with a beer and I got some Diet Coke.
Both drinks were soon served and it did not take long for our pizzas to be brought out either. Tom had ordered the
Pizza Siciliana, tomatoes, Mozzarella, Anchovies, Capers, Olives and Oregano while I had my heart set on the
Pizza Verdura, tomatoes, Mozzarella, grilled Vegetables and Rocket Salad. And both were absolutely wonderful. Once we had finished our lunch we slowly strolled back to our hotel and now we were handed keys and with a smile the receptionist sent us up to the 3rd floor (US = 4th floor). This was the first time we were staying on the 3rd floor, so we were excited to see what our room would look like.
To be continued .....
Tink rules
<font color=teal>The kids in my family sometimes t
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2006
dizneeat
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2006
Surrrre... once again... you leave me hanging!!!
BTW... I had a friend on FB who asked whether or not DCL was good for older people with no kids... I sent her one of your trip reports!!!
& I would LOVE to drive through the alps!
Sorryyyyyyyy! I promise to update tonight!
How cool you sent your friend to read our trip report. Thank you!
The Alps are beautiful. To be honest, we are so used to seeing them that for a long time we didn't really look. But since writing my TRs and seeing how other people react to the majesty of the mountains, it makes me look at them in a totally different way.
englishrose47
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2007
Oh poor you and all the delays !!! Your Pizza look wonderful , making my mouth water . I have been checking out the menu for The Heidelberg Inn in Queensbury NY for our Lake George trip!! They have sooooo much to choose from !!! I am toying with the Veal Alma which I have had before , then there is liver and onions, and a quiche and so on and so on !!!
Tink rules
<font color=teal>The kids in my family sometimes t
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2006
Sorryyyyyyyy! I promise to update tonight!
How cool you sent your friend to read our trip report. Thank you!
The Alps are beautiful. To be honest, we are so used to seeing them that for a long time we didn't really look. But since writing my TRs and seeing how other people react to the majesty of the mountains, it makes me look at them in a totally different way.
I live close to the Adirondacks, but they are small compared to the alps... someday I'll make it there... One of my friends says the train between Geneva and Zurich is quite breathtaking!
englishrose47
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2007
Just checking in for the day, as I have time !!!
dizneeat
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2006
Oh poor you and all the delays !!! Your Pizza look wonderful , making my mouth water . I have been checking out the menu for The Heidelberg Inn in Queensbury NY for our Lake George trip!! They have sooooo much to choose from !!! I am toying with the Veal Alma which I have had before , then there is liver and onions, and a quiche and so on and so on !!!
It wasn't too bad, Rosie.
The only delay that was really annoying was the one at the toll station. Both pizzas were so good. It was worth going all the way to Italy for.
The menu at the Heidelberg Inn sounds interesting. Can't wait to find out what you will be ordering.
Most train routes through the Alps are breathtaking - I think the best of them are in Austria, not that I am biased.
Great to know that you are not forgetting about me.
dizneeat
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2006
Day 1, May 1
OMG, I love it here! - Part 2
This was the first time we were staying on the 3rd floor, so we were excited to see what our room would look like.
We opened the door and walked right into the kitchen, which was nice.
But wait, is there a balcony? NO, its not a balcony, its a huge veranda! We opened the door and were in awe!
There was a lovely view of the beach and room enough for two loungers and a table and four chairs, complete with umbrella. We stood there admiring the view and enjoying our luck before we headed inside and had a look at the rest of the villa.
The bathroom was pretty small,
but there was a master bedroom and a second room with a bed and a convertible chair. And after we had finished our inspection we went to the elevator and down to our car to haul up all our stuff.
Once we had everything up, we unpacked and chilled for a while. Around 4pm we went for another walk up the main street and checked out the different stores.
On the way back we stopped in at a specialty grocery shop. They sell lots of home-made things and real nice pasta. So we picked up some linguini and some cheeses and Tom got some antipasti as well. This shop is not cheap and we spent a little fortune on a few things that we were able to take home in a small carrier bag. When we passed the bakery we stopped in and bought rolls and then headed back to our villa to drop it all off. There was one more shop we wanted to visit, but it was way past our hotel.
To be continued .....
dizneeat
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2006
Did you expect anything else than food porn from me?
Hohenwerfen dates back to the 11th century and YES, you can visit it. There is a lot to look at.
dizneeat
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2006
Day 1, May 1
OMG, I love it here! - Part 3
There was one more shop we wanted to visit, but it was way past our hotel.
So with all our purchases in the fridge we headed over to the small grocery store to pick up some olives and some meats. The owner of the shop is very nice and even remembered us and told us that she had had an operation and her shoulder was still hurting.
And once we had everything and had said our goodbyes we headed back to our villa. On the way there we passed an ice-cream stand and I could not resist and got myself a cup with some
Malaga and Tiramisu ice-cream. It was only a few steps up to our hotel and we sat outside on the veranda,
Tom enjoying a cold adult beverage
and I was digging into my ice-cream. We sat outside for quite some time enjoying the warm evening air and around 7pm we went inside and talked about what to do that evening.
We were both already pretty tired, so we decided to have dinner and then watch a little TV before calling it a day. So we laid the table with all the yummy things we had bought
and sat down to indulge in some
prosciutto,
salami,
Mortadella and
prosciutto de San Daniele,
olives,
marinated goats cheese,
smoked goats cheese and pecorino with chili flakes.
Well, at least we tried to enjoy the cheese with chili flakes. When I unwrapped it and looked at it more closely I saw something that looked like mold. So I looked more closely and YES, there was mold on the outside. I cut into the cheese to have a look and when it split apart there was a lot more mold inside the cheese. NO, I am not one who throws it in the trash. I wrapped it up again and put it aside as I was going to take it back.
Then, when everything was on the table we sat down and had a nice long dinner. After dinner we decided to go for a little walk and I took my packed up moldy cheese with me and took it back to the specialty shop. They were very apologetic about it and exchanged it for a piece off of a new loaf. We got back to our room at around 9.30 and instead of doing something else, we just got ready for bed and had an early night.
To be continued .....
Tink rules
<font color=teal>The kids in my family sometimes t
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2006
you had me at proscuitto... what??? no fresh mozz???
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