Viva Italia

[Cinci]

Just booked our Viva Italia tour for Sept.21 thru our travel agent. Looking forward to the countdown on here. Love reading all the tips, seeing the pics and getting the reviews. Does anyone know anything about the different hotels they are using this year?

[MickeyManiac001]

Hey there! Glad to hear you will be on the 9/21 Viva Italia trip! So will I and my former co=worker! As to the hotels.....if you do an internet search for each of them, you will find them in all their splendor! They are magnificent! It's neat to find other people signed up for the same trip you are!

[Cinci]

We are so excited reading and hearing from our Travel agent, who by the way, filled us in on the ones that others have been on. Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? I looked on Tripadvisor.com and got reviews of all the hotels that we are staying at. Not one negative review.

Where are you from? We live in Central Florida and will be flying out of Orlando. Can't wait to meet you and your friend.

[Kris10luvsDisney]

Hi there Cinci and MickeyManiac! This is my first post here at the DIS and wanted to say hello!! My DH and I will also be on the 9/21 Viva Italia trip! We are celebrating our 10th anniversary and are so excited to see Italy! We are leaving the kiddos at home for this one so we are really looking forward to a nice, relaxing trip!
Looking forward to meeting you both there!

[MickeyManiac001]

Hey there Cinci!! I am in Orlando, and my friend is near Fort Lauderdale! We will be flying out of Miami on Al Italia. Figured we would take the Italian air line! It is SO cool to meet someone else going on our trip! Perhaps we could all meet before we depart and share travel tips! It will be here before we know it!

[MickeyManiac001]

No kids here either Kris...just us grown ups! This will be awesome! It will be here before we know it!

[Cinci]

This is great!!!! We live in Winter Haven, which is only about 35min. from Disney. We love taking day trips and we were just there for Mickey's Merry Christmas show. We have lived in Hollywood in S. Florida before moving here. My hubby worked at MIA and retired from Lufthansa airlines...... We're flying out of Orlando on US air. Darn, I wish we were on the same flight.

[Cinci]

Can't believe we have already met four of our touring buddies for 9/21 trip. We are all going to have a blast...

[dingoballs]

Just booked our Viva Italia tour for Sept.21 thru our travel agent. Looking forward to the countdown on here. Love reading all the tips, seeing the pics and getting the reviews. Does anyone know anything about the different hotels they are using this year?

Were you able to get the Early Booking Discount?

[glassslipper2004]

Hi all. I'm on the 8/14 Viva Italia trip. I can't wait!

[Cinci]

Hi again.......... I tried sending two messages to your PM but I'm getting an error message so don't know if you got them or not. I'll post here again and hope I'm not being a nuisance. Epcot is our favorite....... We would love to go there to the Italy pavillon and imagine we are on our trip already. Sounds like a fun day...... Looking forward to meeting .

[Cinci]

Yes, our Travel Agent was able to get us the early booking discount but she had to do allot of salestalk. She was told none avalable at first then she tried calling back and spoke to someone else and she was told there were only a couple of spots open at the discount price. Who really knows but we did manage to get in thanks to her fast talking.

[KyleRayner]

Hey Cinci, MickeyManiac, and Kris!!!

My name is Marc and I'm also going to be on the Viva Italia tour on 9/21/08! I'm 37 and I'm going with my sister Debra (50) and my friend Lisa (45). We all live in Long Island, NY and we're flying out of JFK.

Although my sister has been to Italy before, this will be the first visit for my friend Lisa and myself. We're all very excited!!! :banana: :woohoo: :yay:

I look forward to getting to know everyone between now and the trip. If any of you guys are on MySpace, PM me and we can add each other to our MySpace pages.

This is me!
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d19/kylerayner70/Marc3.jpg

Keep in touch!

[Cinci]

Hey Marc........... What a handsome picture. You look Italian, are you? My hubby and I will be celebrating our 41st anniversary and can't wait to meet everyone. Sounds like we will have a great group of new friends. I have been reviewing the hotels we will be staying at and they all have 5*..... Everything I have read and heard about previous trips is so positive, not just on here but in other travel reviews.

I am not too adept at finding my way around the web so don't know if I could do the my space PM, but I love that you and your sister and friend will be joining our group. I think there are a couple of others from New York too.

Lets all try to keep in touch. By September 21 we will be best of friends already.

Patty ( Cinci)

[KyleRayner]

Hey Marc........... What a handsome picture. You look Italian, are you? My hubby and I will be celebrating our 41st anniversary and can't wait to meet everyone. Sounds like we will have a great group of new friends. I have been reviewing the hotels we will be staying at and they all have 5*..... Everything I have read and heard about previous trips is so positive, not just on here but in other travel reviews.

I am not too adept at finding my way around the web so don't know if I could do the my space PM, but I love that you and your sister and friend will be joining our group. I think there are a couple of others from New York too.

Lets all try to keep in touch. By September 21 we will be best of friends already.

Patty ( Cinci)

Hey Patty, nice to meet you!!!

I've been researching the hotels as well. The thing that I'm keeping in mind is that what Europe considers a 5 star hotel is different than what we in the States consider a 5 star hotel. So sometimes the rooms and bathrooms in Europe are smaller than what we are used to in the States.

But with that said, I'm very excited. Not only is this my first trip to Italy, but my first trip outside the U.S.

I hope we get to meet more people going on our tour between now and the trip.

[Cinci]

Hey Marc.............. I read the reviews from others on tripadvisor.com about our hotels. Everyone gave them rave reviews. Wonder why they changed to the Bernini this year. Do you know? Seems everyone liked the one they have been using., just curious as to why change a good thing.

I have not been to Italy either. I have traveled to other countries but missed Italy......and I'm Italian. I should be ashamed of myself........

[KyleRayner]

Hey Marc.............. I read the reviews from others on tripadvisor.com about our hotels. Everyone gave them rave reviews. Wonder why they changed to the Bernini this year. Do you know? Seems everyone liked the one they have been using., just curious as to why change a good thing.

I have not been to Italy either. I have traveled to other countries but missed Italy......and I'm Italian. I should be ashamed of myself........

Not sure why they changed the hotel in Rome. I know ABD used to use the Bauer and now they use Bernini.

To answer your earlier question, I'm not Italian, but a lot of people think I am. I'm actually Puerto Rican, Spanish, and Felipino, but I don't speak a word of Spanish, so talk about being "ashamed".

I'm actually speaking with my travel agent right now and purchasing my airfare and I'm also adding an additional night in Venice. My travel agent told me that we only get 1 full day in Venice, so we're going to stay an extra night and fly home on Sept. 30th.

[Cinci]

After reading other posts, the dinners sound yummy too. I'm looking forward to the Gelato I keep hearing about.

Good idea to stay the extra night. I thought, after we booked, we should have gone a day earlier or stayed an extra night too. Too late now, maybe next time.

The only Italian I know is "man'gia" which means EAT!!! and we Italians love our food and love to eat . :)

[ashky71]

I love reading how excited everyone is about their trips. I am new here and was posting about having to go alone because my cousin backed out. Sound like I should go around Sept. 21 if I decide to go at it alone. You sound like a great group of people.

[KyleRayner]

I love reading how excited everyone is about their trips. I am new here and was posting about having to go alone because my cousin backed out. Sound like I should go around Sept. 21 if I decide to go at it alone. You sound like a great group of people.

I think trips like this are sometimes once in a lifetime. So if you have the opportunity, I say, Go For It!!!!

[Cinci]

I wouldn't hesitate one bit about going alone on this tour. Being with everyone is like being with a new family. I read a post from one gentleman that gave us a day by day itinerary and how much he enjoyed meeting new friends. This is the perfect trip for anyone going by themselves. Please don't hesitate for that reason.
Patty

[MickeyManiac001]

Hi again.......... I tried sending two messages to your PM but I'm getting an error message so don't know if you got them or not. I'll post here again and hope I'm not being a nuisance. Epcot is our favorite....... We would love to go there to the Italy pavillon and imagine we are on our trip already. Sounds like a fun day...... Looking forward to meeting .

Hey Cinci! Let's work something out to meet mid-February for a day at Epcot! Then we can all talk about our trip plans! How does that sound?

[Cinci]

That sounds fantastic. We are looking forward to it for sure..... Anxious to meet and talk about our plans-----sounds like fun.
Cinci ( Patty)

[MickeyManiac001]

That will be great! I will be intouch with you, Patty and we will arrange a meet and greet at Epcot!! I can't wait until our trip!~

[Cinci]

Anyone know how many more seats available on our tour? Just wondering how quickly it fills up. I know 40 is the limit. Friends are "talking" about going but they usually wait until the last minute. Just wonder when that is.

[Kris10luvsDisney]

Hey Marc! Nice to "meet" you! My DH & I are also flying out of JFK and staying an extra night in Venice at the end. Wonder if we are on the same flights ?!? My dream has always been to go to Venice, so we wanted to spend an extra night there, who knows if we will ever get to go back!

Cinci, I know when I booked earlier this month, she said there were already around 20 people booked on our tour, I wonder how full it is now? I'm sure we'll have a full group by the time of departure :)

Have any of you heard what is better as far as exchanging Euros? I wonder if we get a better exchange rate her or over in Italy?

Can't wait to meet all of you in person:goodvibes

[KyleRayner]

Hey Marc! Nice to "meet" you! My DH & I are also flying out of JFK and staying an extra night in Venice at the end. Wonder if we are on the same flights ?!? My dream has always been to go to Venice, so we wanted to spend an extra night there, who knows if we will ever get to go back!

Cinci, I know when I booked earlier this month, she said there were already around 20 people booked on our tour, I wonder how full it is now? I'm sure we'll have a full group by the time of departure :)

Have any of you heard what is better as far as exchanging Euros? I wonder if we get a better exchange rate her or over in Italy?

Can't wait to meet all of you in person:goodvibes

Hey Kris,

We're flying out of JFK on Saturday 9/20 at 7pm and arriving in Rome on Sunday 9/21 around 10am I think. We're flying home from Venice to JFK on Tuesday 9/30 at 11:25am and arriving in JFK at 3pm. What about you?

[Kris10luvsDisney]

Hi Marc, we are on the 4:05 out of JFK arriving at 6:15 am, but we're on the same flight coming home! How funny! :)

Are you staying at the Dei Dogi for the extra night? We thought about changing, but didn't want to deal w/ the luggage for only 1 night and this way we'll still get the transfer back to the airport too.

I'm so excited, I can't wait to be over there!!

[KyleRayner]

Hi Marc, we are on the 4:05 out of JFK arriving at 6:15 am, but we're on the same flight coming home! How funny! :)

Are you staying at the Dei Dogi for the extra night? We thought about changing, but didn't want to deal w/ the luggage for only 1 night and this way we'll still get the transfer back to the airport too.

I'm so excited, I can't wait to be over there!!

6:15am:scared1:

LOL!

Yes we're staying the extra night at Dei Dogi. We were thinking about staying at Westin Europa & Regina, or the Hotel Carlton Grand Canal, or the Bauer Hotel but we just felt it was too expensive for just one extra night.

That's cool that we're on the same flight home. I'm so glad there's someone else leaving from NY on this thread. I was starting to get jealous of Cinci and MickeyManiac because they both live in FL and are planning to meet at WDW before the trip.

In regards to the Euros, it really is a crap shoot. You don't know what the exchange rate will be at the time the trip rolls around. So it's hard to say whether you're better off getting the Euros now or later, or here or in Italy. I think I'm just going get a few Euros before I leave for cabs, taxis, tips, things like that and then just use my credit card for eating and shopping when I'm there.

[Kris10luvsDisney]

I know what you mean about the 6:15 am arrival:eek: I am not a morning person, but I figured that way we may have a little more time to nap & shower at the hotel in Rome before meeting everyone that afternoon. I don't know if that will help/hurt in trying to get acclimated to the time change. We'll have to see how it all works out! :)

[KyleRayner]

I know what you mean about the 6:15 am arrival:eek: I am not a morning person, but I figured that way we may have a little more time to nap & shower at the hotel in Rome before meeting everyone that afternoon. I don't know if that will help/hurt in trying to get acclimated to the time change. We'll have to see how it all works out! :)

I know. That's the only thing I'm not looking forward to is the jetlag going there and coming back. I took 10/1 off from work, so I can have a day to recuperate before going back to work.

Any chance you're on MySpace?

[Kris10luvsDisney]

I don't do myspace, sorry!! You can always PM me if you want and I try to check in on the boards a couple of times per week.

[KyleRayner]

I don't do myspace, sorry!! You can always PM me if you want and I try to check in on the boards a couple of times per week.

Sounds good!

[wdwsos]

Anyone know how many more seats available on our tour? Just wondering how quickly it fills up. I know 40 is the limit. Friends are "talking" about going but they usually wait until the last minute. Just wonder when that is.

There are still rooms available for the 9/21 tour, and you can also still get the early booking discount! (This was as of 3pm on 1/18, and could change at any time.) I know the exact number of rooms left, but not how many are with the EBD.

Dotti

[KyleRayner]

There are still rooms available for the 9/21 tour, and you can also still get the early booking discount! (This was as of 3pm on 1/18, and could change at any time.) I know the exact number of rooms left, but not how many are with the EBD.

Dotti

Dotti's the Best!!!!!:thumbsup2 :woohoo:

She's my wonderful travel agent who booked my trip and I met her right here on the DIS Boards.

Thanks again Dotti!!!!!

[eva]

I know what you mean about the 6:15 am arrival:eek: I am not a morning person, but I figured that way we may have a little more time to nap & shower at the hotel in Rome before meeting everyone that afternoon. I don't know if that will help/hurt in trying to get acclimated to the time change. We'll have to see how it all works out! :)

You might not be able to get in the room right away. Be prepared to have to wait until mid to late afternoon. I'm sure I saw here somewhere that the hotel stored their luggage and then they went out for lunch and finally got their room around 4:00 pm. We are arriving for our September 14th tour at 8:15 am, so I am hoping we will get a room early too. But if not, we will just have to muddle through. It may be an early night that night. :)

[Cinci]

Hey Marc,,,,,,,,, I am jealous of you staying the extra day!!! . Come on down to WDW and join us for our Italy tour at Epcot in February. I want to take a look at the masks and see if I can get any hints on how to paint them before we get to the real thing. Wonder if they have paint by numbers. ha

[KyleRayner]

You might not be able to get in the room right away. Be prepared to have to wait until mid to late afternoon. I'm sure I saw here somewhere that the hotel stored their luggage and then they went out for lunch and finally got their room around 4:00 pm. We are arriving for our September 14th tour at 8:15 am, so I am hoping we will get a room early too. But if not, we will just have to muddle through. It may be an early night that night. :)

Thanks eva!!!

Kris I didn't even think about that. Our flight doesn't get in until about 10am, and they probably won't let us into our room either. I don't know what time check-in is. But keep in mind upon arrival we still have to get our luggage, go through customs, meet up with the ABD guide who will bring us to our transportation to the hotel. Plus they may make us wait for some more incoming flights before we leave the airport. So who knows, after all that, by the time we get to the hotel, our rooms might be ready. Keep your fingers crossed.

[KyleRayner]

Hey Marc,,,,,,,,, I am jealous of you staying the extra day!!! . Come on down to WDW and join us for our Italy tour at Epcot in February. I want to take a look at the masks and see if I can get any hints on how to paint them before we get to the real thing. Wonder if they have paint by numbers. ha

Hey Patty, thank you so much for the invite. I would be there in a heartbeat, but believe it or not, we're still only in Jan of this year and all my vacation time has been scheduled for the year. I get 4 weeks. 1 week I'll be Nashville in March to visit family for Easter. 1 week I'll be in Ft Lauderdale in May for my sister's birthday, I have the Viva Italia trip in September, and then my WDW trip in December. Plus if I'm lucky, I'm going to try and squeeze in a short trip to WDW in October just for Party for the Senses at EPCOT and MNSSHP at Magic Kingdom.

But if anything changes, I will definitely let you know. No one has to twist my arm to go to WDW. The only thing stopping me is not having time off from work. Just to keep in the back in my mind, when in February will you be there?

[Kris10luvsDisney]

I don't know how to use the quote feature, but thanks for the heads-up Eva & Marc! I used to be a travel agent in my previous life, you'd think I would remember that little tidbit about a check-in time!:rotfl2:

Anyhoo, I did figure with luggage, customs and just getting to the hotel would take a few hours, I was hoping we could get into our room even a few hours early & if a nap isn't possible, maybe time for a shower would help!

I'm sure I'll be so tired at that point that I could sleep on the airport floor and my carry-on in a pinch! lol

[KyleRayner]

I'm sure I'll be so tired at that point that I could sleep on the airport floor and my carry-on in a pinch! lol

:lmao: :rotfl: :rotfl2:

[KyleRayner]

It's been a while since there has been a post on this thread. So I thought I would give it a bump to see if there are anymore people out there going on the 9/21 Viva Italia Tour.

[Cinci]

Hey Marc, I'm still here and as anxious as you are for our 9/21 Viva Italia trip. I was thinking we should start getting some feedback from others who will be with us. I'm still looking for anyone who will join us flying out of Orlando. They have already changed our initial flight, so happy we booked directly thru ABD instead of on our own.

Your flying out of New York, right?

[KyleRayner]

Hey Marc, I'm still here and as anxious as you are for our 9/21 Viva Italia trip. I was thinking we should start getting some feedback from others who will be with us. I'm still looking for anyone who will join us flying out of Orlando. They have already changed our initial flight, so happy we booked directly thru ABD instead of on our own.

Your flying out of New York, right?

Hey Patty,

Yes I'm flying out of JFK and so is Kris. Kris and I are not on the same flight going there. She's on an earlier flight. But Kris and I are both staying an extra night in Venice and we're on the same flight coming home. So that's cool. I hope we get to meet some more people that will be on our tour.

[Cinci]

Hopefully, the closer we get the more people may join the discusssion group. Happy to read that Kris and her hubby will be there and celebrating their 10th anniversary. Great that you are flying out of the same area.

We'll just have to keep waiting to find more friends joining us. I wonder if ABD would tell us how many are in our group and where they are from? I wouldn't ask any names but just curious I guess..... I want to know everything possible about our trip.

[KyleRayner]

Patty,

Did you ever meet up with MickeyManiac at EPCOT?

[glassslipper2004]

Hi all. I'm really hoping to hear from anyone else going on the 8/14 trip. I'm also wishing we had arranged to fly in a day early - the threat about jet lag is making me nervous. Oh well!

:)

[glassslipper2004]

Sorry - in the above message, I meant to say the "thread" about jet lag, not the "threat"...

[Cinci]

Marc,,,,,, Richard took off work and we were so excited, but I called to confirm 2 days before and she said she decided not to go on the tour because her friend wasn't going. I tried to convince her to go alone, as I've read great reviews from others who have gone by themselves, but she was kind of bummmed out. Maybe she'll think about it and change her mind. But, to answer your question, No, we never did meet her there. We go there on our own because we live so close so maybe we'll do Epcot Italy before we leave in September. ......... Thanks for remembering and asking.

[KyleRayner]

Marc,,,,,, Richard took off work and we were so excited, but I called to confirm 2 days before and she said she decided not to go on the tour because her friend wasn't going. I tried to convince her to go alone, as I've read great reviews from others who have gone by themselves, but she was kind of bummmed out. Maybe she'll think about it and change her mind. But, to answer your question, No, we never did meet her there. We go there on our own because we live so close so maybe we'll do Epcot Italy before we leave in September. ......... Thanks for remembering and asking.

Aw, I feel bad that she isn't going. Like you said, maybe she'll change her mind.

[Kris10luvsDisney]

Hey Everyone!

It's been a long time since I have posted and wanted to check in w/ everyone :) Happy Spring! I still haven't done much planning or researching yet, but I did purchase an Italy travel book that I have looked through a little bit.
I was reading the thread about safe backpacks. wallets etc. to wear over in Europe since the pickpocketing is so bad. Any suggestions? What are you going to bring with you to carry your wallet, sunglasses, cell phone etc?


A little over 5 months to go!! :cool1:

[glassslipper2004]

Hi. I was reading that thread too, but I can't find those type of backpacks near me, and I hate to buy something so expensive and kind of personal without seeing it in person. I have a small backpack I always bring to DWD, and I will probably use that, but have my husband keep the majority of our money in his wallet. With my two kids, I am constantly needing to get things in and out of a backpack, and having it locked up seems like it would drive me nuts.

[Kris10luvsDisney]

GlassSlipper-

I totally agree w/ what you are saying. While the backpack looks like it is well made etc... I can't really justify spending that much for something I will probably only use once. I have two little kids and traveling to Europe every year isn't something I can see us doing until the kids are a lot older. I will probably have my hubby carry our major things too, I will try to find a bag that I can carry my necessities in that is a little bit more affordable.
It looks like you are going before me, so you will have to let me know what your experience is like!

[hack2112]

Hey Marc.............. I read the reviews from others on tripadvisor.com about our hotels. Everyone gave them rave reviews. Wonder why they changed to the Bernini this year. Do you know? Seems everyone liked the one they have been using., just curious as to why change a good thing.

I have not been to Italy either. I have traveled to other countries but missed Italy......and I'm Italian. I should be ashamed of myself........

My thought is that the Exedra was extremely expensive (My family stayed 3 days extra in Rome before the tour.) and in order to keep the price somewhat the same, they needed the extra money for the new 2nd hotel.

[Cinci]

Thanks so much for the hotel answer to my question. I see you are from S. Florida. We lived in Pembroke Pines for 25 years and now are in Winter Haven Florida. Did you do the Viva Italia tour, or are you planning to?

[hack2112]

Thanks so much for the hotel answer to my question. I see you are from S. Florida. We lived in Pembroke Pines for 25 years and now are in Winter Haven Florida. Did you do the Viva Italia tour, or are you planning to?

I did it last summer with my family. It was one of the best family vacations we had ever done, hands down.

[disneytraveler]

I stayed at the EXEDRA last summer with ABD. It is a very nice hotel .The whole of the inside is very expensive. The Boston Celtics were there also.

[glassslipper2004]

So overall, did those of you who have been on the trip (Kevin!) think the hotels were good? I know in general European hotels are different (smaller rooms?) than U.S. hotels, but hopefully they will be high quality.

[nicolepdonnelly]

Hi all! I am new to the boards and happily found this thread.
I am booked for Sept 21st Viva Italia Too!
We are going as a family, me DH, DD 12, DS 9, and my mom
We are really looking forwrd to it.
I hope some other kids are booke as well!
Looking forward to meeting everyone~ I've heard great things about ABD!
~Nicole

[KyleRayner]

Hi all! I am new to the boards and happily found this thread.
I am booked for Sept 21st Viva Italia Too!
We are going as a family, me DH, DD 12, DS 9, and my mom
We are really looking forwrd to it.
I hope some other kids are booke as well!
Looking forward to meeting everyone~ I've heard great things about ABD!
~Nicole

Hey Nicole,

Welcome to the DIS boards!!! Glad to hear from another person who will be on the 9/21 Viva Italia tour. I'm Marc and I'm 37. I'm going on the tour with my sister Debra who's 50 and my friend Lisa who's 45. My sister has been to Italy before but it's the first time for my friend Lisa and myself. We're all really excited.

[nicolepdonnelly]

Hi Marc,
We're so excited too! I'm 37 as well, My husband Mike is 38 and my mom will be going along too. She's 65! My kids (9 & 12) are practicing some Italian for the trip. THey want to be able to order in restaurants in Italian! We have wanted to go to Italy since my husband was there in the Navy. My mom's parents had gone many times, and my mom's 2 brothers have been there as well. She was the only one in her family that hadn't, so we saved and saved and included her in our trip. She is worried that she won't be able to keep up with the tour. I think she'll do fine.
Looking forward to hearing from everyone as we continue to get ready to go!
~nicole

[Cinci]

Hey Nicole,

My husband and I will be on the same tour as you and your family. We are Seniors too and look forward to meeting your mom. I don't think she will have a problem keeping up unless she has some health issues. You know 65 is the new 55!!!!! :cheer2:

I feel like we already know Marc!!!!

Where are you flying from? We are flying out of Orlando. I'm sure as we get closer to our departure date more people will be checking in here and you can see how many kids will be going with us. YOu can probably check in with ABD too in the future........... Patty

[nicolepdonnelly]

Hi Patty,
We are flying out of Rochester then Philadelphia. Thanks for all the info, I will probably be checking this thread regularly, I am one of those detail oriented people. I love all the extra info you can get here. I have questions pop in my mind all the time and it's nice to find the answers~or at least know I'm not the only one out there thinking of stuff!

~Nicole

[Cinci]

Nicole,
We will be flying to Rome from Philadelphia also. US Air flt. 718.... 6PM.

Looking forward to our trip and meeting new friends.

[KyleRayner]

I'm flying out of JFK on the evening of 9/20, arriving in Rome the morning of 9/21. We're staying an extra night in Venice, so we're flying home on 9/30.

[nicolepdonnelly]

Wow Patty! We're flying out on US AIR 718 too!

[Cinci]

Cooooooollllllllllll!!!!!!!!!! I wonder how many others from ABD will be joining us on that flight.

What time do you get into Philadelphia? Our flight from Orlando is "scheduled" to arrive at 4pm, but know that US Air flights are sometimes delayed 60 - 70% of the time, depending on the flight and where it originates from...... ........ My husband is retired from the airlines(Lufthansa) so we are just keeping our fingers crossed. I check the flights every day and so far that flight has only been late twice and cancelled once. I'm too Obsessive Compulsive not to take a peek every day. ABD had already changed the flight once since we booked and may change again, who knows? We should have flown in a day earlier, I know, but woulda, coulda, shoulda, too late now. ha.

I know in my heart all will work in our favor and each one of us will have the time of our lives. So many memories will be made and shared on this trip.

Patty

[alebisi]

hey guys! I am Italian, I know you will enjoy your trip, I just reccomend you to bring all kinds of clothes... because in September can be very hot but also some times cold, and beware of AlItalia... is not the best airline... just get there with extra time! Enjoy your trip!

[Cinci]

Hey Alebisi,,,,,,, thanks for the tip on clothing. Probably cooler in the evenings, huh?

We are flying US Airways all the way to Rome from Philadelphia.....

My husband and I are both Italian too but have not been to Italy, only my parents have been there many times.

Patty

[Kris10luvsDisney]

Hi Nicole!

My DH & I are also on the 9/21 Viva Italia tour. We are leaving our 2 kiddos at home and we will be celebrating our 10th anniversary! I'm 36, DH is 35 so we are around the same age too! Looking forward to meeting you in Italy:)

Alebisi- Thanks for the heads up on the clothing and also Alitalia. We are flying them from JFK to Rome, hopefully we won't have any issues, we are supposed to arrive at 6:00 am, so even with some delays, we should still be in Rome with plenty of time before the tour starts!

[nicolepdonnelly]

I just got off the phone with ABD and it looks like the trip so far has very few children on it. I called to see if they could tell me how many kids, they said they could tell me if there are kids and the age range (but not exactly how many). I wanted to know because we are bringing our 9 & 12 yr olds. SHe told me there is at least a few more in the age range of 10-13, but you never know if they will cancel or change dates etc. I hope there will be some others for our kids to hang out with!
I was reading about passports on some other threads. They were talking about carrying a copy of it and leaving the original in the hotel room. Any thoughts on that?

[nicolepdonnelly]

Hi all! We are almost at 120 days until we fly to Italy!

Time's movin' fast and I love reading all the recent trip reports!

Hope all our trip buddies are well and hope to hear more on this post as time gets closer!

[cydlei]

Hi Nicole,
When we were in Italy last week (I can't believe I just said that! :sad2: ), our guides advised us to leave our passports in the hotel room safe (s). We carried our Driver's Licenses just in case we were picked up for not smoking in public or some other such offense ;)
You are going to have the time of your life!
Cindy

[nicolepdonnelly]

Thanks Cindy- there are so many little questions I have like that. It really helps to have these boards with advice and tips from others!
So glad you had a great trip!
~nicole:woohoo:

http://www.********************/timers/tickers/ey9khz1qvb45vw2i.png (http://www.********************/timers/)

[jackienut]

Hi Cindy,
I have really enjoyed reading your trip reports.:surfweb: My Dh and I are just under four weeks out from our trip. Would you please report on the locations (if any) in which you were NOT allowed to take photos and thanks for all the tips.

[cydlei]

HI Jackienut,
The photography policies were weird and very confusing but your guides will tell you when and when not to take photos. As we remember, the Vatican museum was OK with non-flash photog. The Sistine was "non" to either. St. Peter's was OK with non-flash photog. St. Marks's in Venice was "non" to either. The Duomos in Orvietto and Florence were OK with non-flash, but we saw lots of flashes going off. But, you know what, it just didn't feel right to flash when folks were there to pray. You will see signs on the doors of the churches re: their policies. Err on the side of caution and decorum and you'll be o.k.
Cindy :thumbsup2

[ashky71]

I was on the same trip as Cindy and I would like to add that there were no pics allowed in the Accadamia where the real David was. They do take you to a fake David for pics. As Cindy said the guides are good at telling you the info that you need to know about pics.

[KyleRayner]

Just checking in with my fellow Viva Italia travelers. Any of you guys already have or look into getting a International Converter for the outlets there?

I saw this on Sharper Image and wondered if it was a good buy:

www.sharperimage.com/us/en/catalog/product/sku__FZ508

[Kris10luvsDisney]

Hey Mark-

I also saw a converter on Brookstone's site for $20, but it's only a 50 watt plug, so not sure if that is enough for a hair dryer? (I'm sure not an issue for you:goodvibes ) but the one you found looks like a nice item with lots of options!
I'm getting so excited! There is so much to plan still. The main thing I am contemplating is what type of bag/wallet to bring. I'm leaning towards a backpack for myself and one of those wallet on a string things (the official term is not coming to me right now!). How about you?
I'm also thinking of looking into tix for the Uffizi (sp?) museum, but haven't decided if I just want to totally relax while in Orvieto, or if want to add another day trip into the mix!

[KyleRayner]

Hey Mark-

I also saw a converter on Brookstone's site for $20, but it's only a 50 watt plug, so not sure if that is enough for a hair dryer? (I'm sure not an issue for you:goodvibes ) but the one you found looks like a nice item with lots of options!
I'm getting so excited! There is so much to plan still. The main thing I am contemplating is what type of bag/wallet to bring. I'm leaning towards a backpack for myself and one of those wallet on a string things (the official term is not coming to me right now!). How about you?
I'm also thinking of looking into tix for the Uffizi (sp?) museum, but haven't decided if I just want to totally relax while in Orvieto, or if want to add another day trip into the mix!


I was looking into getting a money belt, but haven't bought one yet. I'm going to check with my travel agent to see what she thinks. She did the Viva Italia trip last year and books many ABD trips for people. If she gives me any helpful tips, I'll post them here.

[nicolepdonnelly]

Hi all!
I picked up a kit with a couple of converters and one large one for about $30 at Target http://www.target.com/International-Converter-Adapter-Kit/dp/B000B6KNWI/sr=1-1/qid=1212520393/ref=sr_1_1/601-4219712-2758540?ie=UTF8&index=target&rh=k%3Atravel%20converters&page=1
I liked the look of those baggalini bags at ebags.com or a pacsafe. I think hubby will have a backpack though, so I want to travel light. It is so great to see all the trip reports. I can't believe we're about 100 days away!:hyper:

[KyleRayner]

Hi all!
I picked up a kit with a couple of converters and one large one for about $30 at Target http://www.target.com/International-Converter-Adapter-Kit/dp/B000B6KNWI/sr=1-1/qid=1212520393/ref=sr_1_1/601-4219712-2758540?ie=UTF8&index=target&rh=k%3Atravel%20converters&page=1
I liked the look of those baggalini bags at ebags.com or a pacsafe. I think hubby will have a backpack though, so I want to travel light. It is so great to see all the trip reports. I can't believe we're about 100 days away!:hyper:

Thanks for the Target link! $10 cheaper at Target than at Sharper Image!

[wdwsos]

I was looking into getting a money belt, but haven't bought one yet. I'm going to check with my travel agent to see what she thinks. She did the Viva Italia trip last year and books many ABD trips for people. If she gives me any helpful tips, I'll post them here.

Beat you to it, Marc. :)

My boys really liked the "hidden pocket" type of money belt. The loops slip onto your belt and the "pocket" is then tucked into your pants. They really didn't want anything bulky on their necks or waist, and this worked really well.

http://www.amazon.com/Eagle-Creek-UnderCoverTM-Hidden-Pocket/dp/B000SSNUXI/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&s=apparel&qid=1212522989&sr=8-16

Dotti

[KyleRayner]

Beat you to it, Marc. :)

My boys really liked the "hidden pocket" type of money belt. The loops slip onto your belt and the "pocket" is then tucked into your pants. They really didn't want anything bulky on their necks or waist, and this worked really well.

http://www.amazon.com/Eagle-Creek-UnderCoverTM-Hidden-Pocket/dp/B000SSNUXI/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&s=apparel&qid=1212522989&sr=8-16

Dotti

Hi Dotti :wave2: :wave:

This is my travel agent, Dotti, who booked my Viva Italia trip!!! Met her right here on the boards! :worship:

Thanks for the link!

[whayes]

Just checking in with my fellow Viva Italia travelers. Any of you guys already have or look into getting a International Converter for the outlets there?

I saw this on Sharper Image and wondered if it was a good buy:

www.sharperimage.com/us/en/catalog/product/sku__FZ508

I'm all about Rick Steves. He has a lot of excellent items at his store. The products are great! We were able to purchase them on sale at his store. There is also a website. Check out travelstore.ricksteves.com. The converters are really cheap ($4 for the Italy converter) and the money belt is nice. The only thing he doesn't have a voltage converter. However, most products have built in voltage converters, so you probably won't need one.

[whayes]

Hey Mark-

I also saw a converter on Brookstone's site for $20, but it's only a 50 watt plug, so not sure if that is enough for a hair dryer? (I'm sure not an issue for you:goodvibes ) but the one you found looks like a nice item with lots of options!
I'm getting so excited! There is so much to plan still. The main thing I am contemplating is what type of bag/wallet to bring. I'm leaning towards a backpack for myself and one of those wallet on a string things (the official term is not coming to me right now!). How about you?
I'm also thinking of looking into tix for the Uffizi (sp?) museum, but haven't decided if I just want to totally relax while in Orvieto, or if want to add another day trip into the mix!

I am sooooo excited! I am planning every day! I think I am crazy!! Again. Like my previous post. I'm all about Rick Steves. I am planning on packing VERY light (20 lb carry-on only). I will be bringing a small day pack for holding needed items, a money belt for important items (credit cards and big cash) and a small wallet for loose change (small cash). There are a lot of thieves in Italy that pickpocket tourists. They are very crafty! A money belt or similar item is very important. Check out www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/tips_menu.htm for other information about traveling in Europe. It is very straightforward and simple.

[Kris10luvsDisney]

thank you Whayes, Dotti and Marc for the great links! I'm off to check the Target link right now. Second mission is to find a bag for me and a money belt for my hubby. Is it really only about 100 days until we leave????? I'm so busy w/ end-of-school year stuff, I haven't really checked:banana:

[KyleRayner]

thank you Whayes, Dotti and Marc for the great links! I'm off to check the Target link right now. Second mission is to find a bag for me and a money belt for my hubby. Is it really only about 100 days until we leave????? I'm so busy w/ end-of-school year stuff, I haven't really checked:banana:

I know, it will be here before we know it.:cool1:

[KyleRayner]

Wow, 2 weeks from today we all leave for Italy!!! I can't believe it!!
:cool1: :rotfl: :woohoo: :yay: :dance3: :banana:

[nicolepdonnelly]

Hey Marc, Hard to believe only 2 weeks! I am actually packing a little today! I am weird like that. I have to have everything in order or I go nuts- who am I kidding I will still probably go a little nuts !:scared1:

:rotfl:

[KyleRayner]

I would love to see what my fellow travelers look like. Anyone here on MySpace or Facebook, or can you post a pic of yourselves here on the thread?

[Cinci]

I would love to see what my fellow travelers look like. Anyone here on MySpace or Facebook, or can you post a pic of yourselves here on the thread?
Hey Marc,
You already have a picture of me. I'm standing next to you in your picture.....

Richard and I will be the Seniors of the group I'm sure, so just look for the "oldies but goodies"... Looking forward to meeting everyone.

Patty (Cinci)

[Kris10luvsDisney]

My friends ended up letting me borrow their Brookstone converter/adapter to use while in Italy. I still have to go to BJ's and buy an International calling card, and I haven't even started packing yet....but I did make my list!!!

I can't believe in less than 2 weeks we will be in Italy, it has come so quickly!!

I'm getting a little anxious/worried about leaving my kids behind. I'm going to miss them terribly, but I know once I get over there I will have a great time:goodvibes

I am so clueless about myspace etc... I have no idea how to post a picture. I should really learn how to do that stuff!! lol

See you all in 13 days:banana:

[KyleRayner]

Our trip is here!!!! Our trip is here!!!!!

:cool1: :banana: :woohoo: :yay: :dance3: :cheer2:

[Kris10luvsDisney]

Keep your fingers crossed for me Marc! My DH and I are supposed to be flying on Alitalia, god knows if they will still be in business this time tomorrow!! Hope to see you on Sunday!!

[KyleRayner]

Fingers crossed! I'm flying out on Delta.

[whayes]

Our trip is here!!!! Our trip is here!!!!!

:cool1: :banana: :woohoo: :yay: :dance3: :cheer2:

Keep your fingers crossed for me Marc! My DH and I are supposed to be flying on Alitalia, god knows if they will still be in business this time tomorrow!! Hope to see you on Sunday!!

Enjoy your trip!! I am having an excellent time and I am sure you will as well. Fingers are crossed for everyone on Alitalia!!!

[nicolepdonnelly]

Marc and Kris!
Yay Yay Yay
See you all Sunday, God willing!
I think I have everything in order:thumbsup2 Hope I don't forget anything!
Hope everything works out for your flight Kris!
Ciao and Arrivederci
~Nicole

[KyleRayner]

Hey Nicole! I know I can't believe our trip is here. What time does your flight get in on Sunday. Kris' flight gets in around 6:30am if memory serves me correctly and my flight gets in around 10am.

[KyleRayner]

Well I'm back home to reality. I was re-reading our posts to this thread and remembering how excited we were about our trip and now it's over. :sad:

We had no clue back then how much fun we would have (visiting each other's apartments and the Pashmina Fashion Show in Tuscany) and how much we would bond with each other as well as with Marco and Vincenzo.

I'm going to miss everyone terribly and I hope we all stay in touch. My Disney wish is that one day we can take another ABD trip together and try to re-create the magic we shared. :wizard:

Take care everyone!!!

[nicolepdonnelly]

Hi Marc, Kris and Patty!
Hard to believe we were at the Piazza San Marco 2 days ago. We had a great time and I think it was even better because of are fantastic group and our fantastic guides. I miss my daily Gelato fix!
Hope you are all well and I hope we stay in touch. I think we all should do ABD again too Marc!
I will write again soon after I climb through this huge pile of laundry!
~Nicole

[Kris10luvsDisney]

Hi Marc, Patti, and Nicole!!

Wow, is it weird to be home!! Yesterday we taking in our last sights of Italy, and today I am staring at mountains of laundry! :rotfl2:

It was so great to "meet" you officially in person after so many months of chatting online. It really was the trip of a lifetime and so many memories we will never forget!

How many of you got a tear in your eye when you saw the postcard from Vinnie and Marco?? I'm such a wimp!

I really hope we all stay in touch as well, Blake & I were already talking about what ABD tour we would like to do next, we would love to tour with our group again (maybe we can highjack Marco & Vincenzo to come with us??)

Miss you all and take care,

Kristen

p.s. Marc- I'm sorry we didn't get to say goodbye to you at the airport yesterday, our ride was waiting outside for us. It was so great to meet you and Debbie and Lisa, please say arriverderci for us!

[Cinci]

Hi Marc, Nicole, Kris, and anyone that that I missed that may be reading this.

What a glorious trip, huh? When I try to describe to friends and family I just can't find the right words. Our TA told us that we all will be getting one more surprise from Vinnie and Marco. IF you want to know what it is, just email me, as I don't want to spoil anything for others reading. I think each of you probably have an idea anyway.

If any of you are in the Orlando area, PLEASE give us a call or email and maybe we can meet somewhere. We would love to give hugs and kisses in person, even tho I am sending them now thru cyperspace.

Love to all,,,,,,, Patty and Richard ( he feels his bed is so empty now. )!!

[KyleRayner]

Hi Marc, Patti, and Nicole!!

Wow, is it weird to be home!! Yesterday we taking in our last sights of Italy, and today I am staring at mountains of laundry! :rotfl2:

It was so great to "meet" you officially in person after so many months of chatting online. It really was the trip of a lifetime and so many memories we will never forget!

How many of you got a tear in your eye when you saw the postcard from Vinnie and Marco?? I'm such a wimp!

I really hope we all stay in touch as well, Blake & I were already talking about what ABD tour we would like to do next, we would love to tour with our group again (maybe we can highjack Marco & Vincenzo to come with us??)

Miss you all and take care,

Kristen

p.s. Marc- I'm sorry we didn't get to say goodbye to you at the airport yesterday, our ride was waiting outside for us. It was so great to meet you and Debbie and Lisa, please say arriverderci for us!

I literally gasped when I took in the mail when we got home and saw the postcard from Marco and Vinnie, so you're not alone. Yeah, that customs line was long, huh? By the time we got to the baggage claim, we saw all the suitcases laying around the baggage carousel. Crazy! I hope Blake enjoys his trip golfing trip to Ireland.

[KyleRayner]

Hi Marc, Nicole, Kris, and anyone that that I missed that may be reading this.

What a glorious trip, huh? When I try to describe to friends and family I just can't find the right words. Our TA told us that we all will be getting one more surprise from Vinnie and Marco. IF you want to know what it is, just email me, as I don't want to spoil anything for others reading. I think each of you probably have an idea anyway.

If any of you are in the Orlando area, PLEASE give us a call or email and maybe we can meet somewhere. We would love to give hugs and kisses in person, even tho I am sending them now thru cyperspace.

Love to all,,,,,,, Patty and Richard ( he feels his bed is so empty now. )!!

Patty, I hope to see you and Richard in October or December if not both. Here are the dates: arriving very late on Thursday Oct. 23rd. Plan on spending the 1st half of Friday Oct. 24th at Animal Kingdom and then the 2nd half of the day at Magic Kingdom for MNSSHP. Then spending the full day at EPCOT on Saturday Oct. 25th for the Food & Wine Festival. Then Sunday Oct. 26th we're going to try and squeeze in some Hollywood Studios before flying back home that evening.

In December we'll be there the 13th through the 20th, so we have a whole week to figure out when to meet.

[KyleRayner]

Hey guys!

I know we just got back from Viva Italia, and that these trips are not cheap by any means but Deb and I are seriously considering doing the Amalfi Coast trip in June. My travel agent, Dotti, who booked my Viva Italia is going as well. If anyone wants the info, let me know and I'll email it to ya!

I also uploaded my pics from our trip to Kodak Gallery, so again if anyone is interested in seeing them, give me your email address and I'll email you the link to the pics.

[Kiderak]

Hi Marc,

Mike here, Nicole's husband. We would love to go, but have already made reservations for AKV for the end of June. We were possibly thinking of something in 2010. Maybe Knights and lights.

[KyleRayner]

Hey Mike! Good to hear from you. I think 2010 is perfect! Should be enough time for everyone to raise the money and hopefully people haven't made vacation plans that far out where there would be a scheduling conflict.

[Boardwalk Tigger]

Interested in taking one of these trips in the near future. Where do I find specific infomation on this? Thank you:wizard: :wizard: :wizard:

[redzinner]

Interested in taking one of these trips in the near future. Where do I find specific infomation on this? Thank you:wizard: :wizard: :wizard:

Italy Adventures by Disney (http://abd.disney.go.com/abd/en_US/destination?name=RomeTuscanyVeniceLandingPage)

[glassslipper2004]

It's funny that you just got back from Viva and are thinking of another Italy trip next summer. I had the same experience, but decided to try something a little closer to home (Southwest Splendors) for some variety. The France trip also looked good - a similar combination of country towns and a big city - with the possibility of Disneyland Paris at the end.

Oh, to win the lottery!

[Arlyn717]

Hey guys!

I know we just got back from Viva Italia, and that these trips are not cheap by any means but Deb and I are seriously considering doing the Amalfi Coast trip in June. My travel agent, Dotti, who booked my Viva Italia is going as well. If anyone wants the info, let me know and I'll email it to ya!

I also uploaded my pics from our trip to Kodak Gallery, so again if anyone is interested in seeing them, give me your email address and I'll email you the link to the pics.

I'm new to the boards & just learned about ABD tonight! I'm interested in the Viva Italia tour for September 2010. Can you please message me pictures:yay:

Thank you so much...I haven't posted enough to PM you my e-mail...I better get started on the boards :D

[DisneyKevin]

Hi Folks...

As the Moderator of this board, I have to ask that we follow the guidelines set forth by the Dis.

Please keep in mind that soliciting for another travel agent / agency is not allowed. Discussion is fine, but some of these posts come very close to stepping over the line.

I appreciate everyone's cooperation in following Dis Boards policy.

If you have questions, please let me know.

Thanks,
Kevin