Ireland Trip Report **Finally Finished...Sort of p.13**

[Wonders10]

Hi everyone,

I've read a few trip reports and love hearing about the ABD trips. I also love reading people's planning adventures for WDW vacations on TR forums so I thought I would do both in one for my upcoming Ireland trip.

MODS - if that's not ok, feel free to delete, but I thought it would be a great spot for anyone going to ireland, and possibly to meet some fellow travelers :goodvibes

First let's meet the people going on this trip:
Me, Shannon, 28 y/o Speech Pathologist living in south Florida and my mom, who lives about an hour south of me:
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r130/wonders10/DSC00173.jpg

And my niece, Claire, who will be 8 1/2 when we go on the trip:
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r130/wonders10/ClaireTR.jpg

Like it says in the title of this trip report, we are going on the Ireland vacation June 20, 2009. It will be all of our first times traveling internationally!

We are all of Irish descent, and my father was actually born in Galway and moved to the US when he was 18. He passed away in January of this year after battling cancer. So after years and years of my mom and I saying that we'll go to Ireland "someday", we decided that this was it. My dad still has some family living in that region. My maternal great-grandparents were also from Ireland. I think county cork or clare. I always forget which - maybe it's both.

So that's just a preview of how we decided on ABD and who we are. Stay tuned for updates that will include such exciting topics as booking airfare, when will we be able to book pre and post nights?, what clothes will we need and more!

:cutie:

[my2boysrtwicethefun]

Hi Shannon. :wave2:

A trip to Ireland! How exciting!!! :goodvibes I would love to go there someday. What part of Ireland will you be traveling to? You've picked a great date, my husband & I will be married 11 years on June 20, 2009.

Have fun planning your trip & be sure to keep us posted. :thumbsup2

[Wonders10]

Hi Shannon. :wave2:

A trip to Ireland! How exciting!!! :goodvibes I would love to go there someday. What part of Ireland will you be traveling to? You've picked a great date, my husband & I will be married 11 years on June 20, 2009.

Have fun planning your trip & be sure to keep us posted. :thumbsup2

My first reader! This board doesn't really get much traffic unfortunately. But I'm going to write away anyway.

It is a 7 day 8 night adventure! It begins in Dublin, then Cashel and Killarney, Kenmare, Adare, and the Shannon region including the cliffs of moher. So we start on the east and end on the west. We are also planning/hoping to add a pre-night on in Dublin and a post-night on in Shannon so that we have a little extra touring time by ourselves.

[cappygirl]

Hi Shannon!
We're going to Ireland a few weeks before you so I can totally relate to your excitement!!

[Wonders10]

Hi Shannon!
We're going to Ireland a few weeks before you so I can totally relate to your excitement!!

So fun...we were thinking of the June 13, 17 or 20th but ended up going with June 20th because it will give me a little extra time once school is out (I work in a school) plus the EBD was only available for the 20th, not the 17th.

Hope you will stick with my trippie...our trips are close enough that we are sort of planning at the same time!

[Wonders10]

So today's oh so exciting topic is pre and post nights!

We want to do one extra night at the beginning and end of the trip. Unfortunately it is still unavailable for booking which is very frustrating for an OCD planner like myself. I called yesterday to check and a VERY friendly CM told me they should have the dates available today - as in the dates you can start booking, not the actual booking. So I called after dinner and still nothing. Another very friendly cm double checked my contact info and said she will have my "vacation specialist" notify me when booking becomes available or anything else is known about it. She also said to call back in 2 weeks if I don't hear from them.

Well I'm impatient so I will probably be calling in 1 week. Or less. :rolleyes:

Coming soon...airfare is how much? :scared1:

[mkmommy]

I am looking forward to reading your TR and then also the actual trip report. I am most interested to hear how your neice enjoys the trip. I am thinking about an ABD tour for my daughters but I am not sure if they would be able to keep up with the pace.

Lisa

[Wonders10]

I haven't forgotten about this, just haven't had much to post yet.

I did finally receive my initial reservation papers yesterday - 4 days before they need to be signed and sent/faxed back. See, I just moved so my mail is taking a little longer to get to me. Plus my mom and I both have to sign it looks like and she lives an hour from me. I had planned on going home this coming weekend so I will have her sign it then. I also called ABD in a panic because I was afraid they would cancel my trip - she made a note on my reservation that it would be arriving late and she spoke to me about it. Hopefully that works.

And another ABD representative put my name on "a list" to have someone call me when extra nights can be booked. But to call in 2 weeks if I haven't heard from anyone. I think it has been almost 1 week since then.

Airfare is still not booked. DSIL's comment on my huge email discussing when to book and the cost, etc's reply? "wow - expensive" and then proceeded to talk about everything but booking the airfaire. Super.

I still think we have some time but I really do not want to wait too long.

I've been feeling lately like this trip isn't real. I can't fathom in my head that in 9 months I will be touring Ireland. Crazy.

[Wonders10]

I am looking forward to reading your TR and then also the actual trip report. I am most interested to hear how your neice enjoys the trip. I am thinking about an ABD tour for my daughters but I am not sure if they would be able to keep up with the pace.

Lisa


My niece is pretty used to busy, on the go vacations since that is what DSIL and DB take. She also goes to WDW with my mom, her brother and I all the time. The thing I'm most concerned about is the food! She can be a bit picky - so I'm hoping they have kid friendly american-y choices for her.

[sue1013]

Hi Shannon glad you started this thread DH and I will be on the July 4 Ireland trip. So excited! We also are going to be booking before or after nights. We have family that will be in Ireland the same time so we are waiting for them to get their plans set to meet up with them before or after our tour. Even if it's after we will book a night before the tour starts I know I won't sleep on the plane and will need a day to get back to myself. We're going to Florida first week of November will see the others then I've told them they need to have their plans set by then so I can make mine when we get back. We'll see they are great people just not good planners more the last minute type which is usually ok for me but I'm too excited about this trip so want to get it set.

[AndreaJ]

You will all have an amazing time! We went this past June and it truly was the trip of a lifetime! If you have any question, don't hesitate to ask. :)

[sue1013]

Andrea are you the one that did the trip report? If it was you I really enjoyed reading it and seeing your pictures.

[AndreaJ]

Awatt and Poppins2000 did the fantastic trip reports! Have a wonderful time!:)

[slg]

We're going on the July 22 trip. Me, DH, DS 13, DS10, DS who turns 8 on the trip!

We still haven't been contacted about pre-night stay and we called August 1.

I'm just worried that the trip will be cancelled for lack of interest. I'm going to be calling in a couple of weeks to see how its filling up.

[wdwsos]

We're going on the July 22 trip. Me, DH, DS 13, DS10, DS who turns 8 on the trip!

We still haven't been contacted about pre-night stay and we called August 1.

I'm just worried that the trip will be cancelled for lack of interest. I'm going to be calling in a couple of weeks to see how its filling up.

The pre- and post-nights aren't in the system yet for any of the Emerald Isle dates. I just asked about 30 minutes ago. Hopefully, we can add them by next week though!

I'm seeing more interest for the Ireland trip than ever before, so I don't think you'll have to worry. In the 20+ reservations I've made since August 1, four of them were for that trip (one in May, one in June, two in July) and that's a high percentage! Get your friends to go with you -- that'll help. ;-)

Dotti

[lin555593]

We just returned last Thursday. This is truely a trip of a life time!!!!! The castle was the best part of the trip. I would mention your concerns to ABD and see what they say to you. You should see if they can make accomodations for a fussy eater? Asking never hurts!!!! Happy planning, if you should have any questions, please let me know.:goodvibes

[slg]

ABD just called me this morning to add the pre-trip night. It'll cost us $795 for my family of 5. Sigh. Also, I asked if there was anyone else booked on our trip and she said NO! That is very discouraging! I had called about a month ago and there had been another family so they must have cancelled.

I'm so worried that it won't go. Its a complicated trip for me to plan as we are going to Portugal to visit family first. If I had to cancel the trip last minute and try to rebook to a different date, I would need to change my Ireland flights and my Portugal flights back as well.

I wish I had waited to book as I hate the fact that so many trips are cancelled. I feel that I will be out of pocket significantly, we're talking thousands, plus disappointed to boot, if its cancelled.

Next time I'll stick to cruises, they're never cancelled!

[Wonders10]

We just returned last Thursday. This is truely a trip of a life time!!!!! The castle was the best part of the trip. I would mention your concerns to ABD and see what they say to you. You should see if they can make accomodations for a fussy eater? Asking never hurts!!!! Happy planning, if you should have any questions, please let me know.:goodvibes

Oh Wow! I don't think it's so bad that she'd need special meals, but the girl likes to eat and, like he auntie, gets very grumpy when she is hungry. Do you recall what some of the kid food was?

Are you doing a trip report? Or would you mind sharing some brief highlights or pics?

ABD just called me this morning to add the pre-trip night. It'll cost us $795 for my family of 5. Sigh. Also, I asked if there was anyone else booked on our trip and she said NO! That is very discouraging! I had called about a month ago and there had been another family so they must have cancelled.

I'm so worried that it won't go. Its a complicated trip for me to plan as we are going to Portugal to visit family first. If I had to cancel the trip last minute and try to rebook to a different date, I would need to change my Ireland flights and my Portugal flights back as well.

I wish I had waited to book as I hate the fact that so many trips are cancelled. I feel that I will be out of pocket significantly, we're talking thousands, plus disappointed to boot, if its cancelled.

Next time I'll stick to cruises, they're never cancelled!

What trip are you booked on? I hope that mine doesn't get cancelled!

I was also contacted today about pre/post nights. I went with one night pre and one night post. I do remember that the cost of the post night at the castle was more than double the cost of the prenight. yikes. but this is a once in a lifetime trip for us probably. So, we are scrimping and saving every little bit we can to make it happen.

I also spoke with my cousin who lives in Galway and he is looking forward to spending some time with us at the end of our trip - our extra day at dromoland. Should be lots of fun.

Sorry for such a short update...I'm crazy with work and just been busy. Plus haven't had much to report.

[slg]

We're booked July 22. Its a mid-week one which I thought folks would jump at as mid-week flights are cheaper than weekend.

We are saving and scrimping for this trip, so please send good thoughts that others will book it.

[wdwsos]

With the current state of the economy, all of my past experience with AbD may be worthless, but I do find that these trips pick up towards the end of the year and into January. August is busy with new bookings on the more popular trips so that the early booking discount is still there. However, the next big surge in bookings is usually around the holidays when a) families get together and discuss where they're going for vacation (after a lot of eggnog, when they actually think they'll get along for a week), and b) companies are looking for employees to give notice of when they will be taking vacations. It forces the decision of when and where to go.

Hopefully, this is the case this year!

Dotti

[sayhello]

Next time I'll stick to cruises, they're never cancelled!Oh, yes they are! Just not for lack of bookings. ;)

Sayhello

[Wonders10]

I have sort of abandoned this Pre-trippie as I have gotten settled in my new place and new job.

I do have some updates though...

We have booked 1 pre- and post-night for the trip. Apparently I am made of money, but this is going to be a trip of a lifetime so I'm trying not to get too stressed out about the money. When I wake up in a castle, I'm sure it will seem very well worth the extra money.

And today, I finally booked our airfare. Flying out of West Palm Beach to Dublin with a stop in Philadelphia. I always liked that airport which is a good thing since our layover is 4 hours...even longer coming back. Prices are ridiculous but they have been pretty much the same since I looked back in October so sucked it up and booked them.

Looking for some advice...I hate to fly. Every little sound makes me nervous and I just get very tense and stressed out. Any tips for me to make the flights, especially the overseas flights, a little easier to handle?

[Aburns8]

Hi Shannon!

I am going to subscribe to this thread. I always wanted to go to Ireland.

As for flying, I hate long trips to. A four hour flight kills me sometimes.

[wdwsos]

Looking for some advice...I hate to fly. Every little sound makes me nervous and I just get very tense and stressed out. Any tips for me to make the flights, especially the overseas flights, a little easier to handle?

I love my noise-canceling headphones. I didn't go with the expensive Bose, but got a Jabra model instead for a little over $100.00 (with the best price so far on Amazon). They help me a lot -- I hate those little noises, too.

I also recommend a comfy pillow. The flight seems much longer when your back or neck are hurting.

My biggest problem flying is my height. On most flights, my knees feel like they're somewhere around my chin. Business class isn't always an option when you're paying for five - ouch.

Dotti

[Poppins2000]

I have sort of abandoned this Pre-trippie as I have gotten settled in my new place and new job.

I do have some updates though...

We have booked 1 pre- and post-night for the trip. Apparently I am made of money, but this is going to be a trip of a lifetime so I'm trying not to get too stressed out about the money. When I wake up in a castle, I'm sure it will seem very well worth the extra money.

And today, I finally booked our airfare. Flying out of West Palm Beach to Dublin with a stop in Philadelphia. I always liked that airport which is a good thing since our layover is 4 hours...even longer coming back. Prices are ridiculous but they have been pretty much the same since I looked back in October so sucked it up and booked them.

Looking for some advice...I hate to fly. Every little sound makes me nervous and I just get very tense and stressed out. Any tips for me to make the flights, especially the overseas flights, a little easier to handle?
You will so glad that you booked the pre and post nights. We booked two pre-nights and had a great time in Dublin on our May trip. Wished we had booked a post-night to spend some time at the castle - there was so much to do there; tennis, golf, archery, heated indoor pool, spa, walking trails - you won't regret your decision and it IS the trip of a lifetime...:wave2:

[slg]

I had a pre night booked, but for our family of 5 it was $760 US (for us Canucks, depending on the dollar, it was $1000 for one night!). The post-night was over $1600 US!

We booked into Bewley's Hotel which seems very nice. It has family rooms which will accomodate all of us for 99 euros. They pick up and drop off free from the airport, so we will come in the night before, go back to the airport, get picked up by ABD, put our luggage with the valet and spend the afternoon in Dublin, for about $800 less! Works for us...

When is everyone going? We're on the July 22 trip. I hope that our trip isn't cancelled. I'm really worried that it will be. There are 12 people booked on our trip but you need a minimum of 20.

Also, I have requested a brochure 4 times, since August 1 and still not received one. It makes me really upset. I really want to look at the new brochure and dream, dream, dream...

[sayhello]

There are 12 people booked on our trip but you need a minimum of 20.Unless they've changed the policy, no you don't. My tour ran with 14 people last year, and I've heard of another one that ran with 12. I sure hope they haven't changed that!

Sayhello

[slg]

Really? The actual person at ABD told me they would need 20. Perhaps its varies with each adventure.

I hope you are right, its giving me so much anxiety wondering whether or not it will happen.

And I would sure love to receive my brochure. Every day I check the mail and feel rather cross about not getting one. They didn't waste any time sending me my package when I booked!

[Poppins2000]

That is strange - they must have changed something for back in May, our guide on the Emerald Isle tour, told us that they have run the Ireland tour with as little as 11 people (I think that was done in 2007) and that the most was 40 (we had 40 in our group)....

[slg]

Oh I hope you are right! But perhaps there are a lot of other things that contribute to the decision, such as whether there are two tours close together that have few numbers that they can combine, etc.

Anyway ABD told me they normally cancel no closer than 8 weeks out. 8 weeks out! I think that's so close, and hard to change vacation dates etc.

I'm looking forward to my ABD, but this will most likely be my last. In 2010 we are going on a Baltic Cruise with DCL and I feel confidant that will go and I can make firm plans:)

[Wonders10]

What brochure have you requested? Is it one especially for Ireland or the general ABD brochure?

[sayhello]

It took them a couple of months to send out my brochure. I wasn't happy. You can look at it online, (flash) but it's not the same as having it in your hot little hands!

I hope we're right, too, and that your tour has enough people to go. But I think you may be right, and it really depends on a case by case basis...

Sayhello

[slg]

I'm referring to the ABD Brochure. I'm wondering if this is a cost cutting measure. We're in Canada and perhaps they don't want to bother! Honestly, I've asked 4 times, and requested it on-line as well.

(Maybe 6 months from now I'll end up with 5!)

I'm going to be calling ABD again next month and ask how the tour is coming along.

My dh and I have decided that we will do Ireland on our own if they cancel the tour as we don't want to lose the cost of our flights and our insurance won't cover them.

We haven't booked yet, but Ryanair has loaded them into their system so I will be doing it soon.

[Bobo912]

I ordered the brochure and received it about two weeks later.

My dh and I have decided that we will do Ireland on our own if they cancel the tour as we don't want to lose the cost of our flights and our insurance won't cover them.

I haven't booked my flight, but will probably be doing so soon, so I checked the cancellation policy. This is what it says with regard to airfare if ABD cancels the trip:

if you booked airfare through us, we will issue a full refund of your airfare; and (iii) if you did not book airfare through us, we will reimburse you for your reasonable out-of-pocket (subject to proof) airline cancellation charges or, in the case of bookings using frequent flier miles, a reasonable cancellation service fee, provided you have exercised best efforts to mitigate such charges/fees

Sounds like you would get at least some of your money back. I'm with you though - I would go anyway.

[tigger_ttfn]

We just booked for the 6/20 trip. I had no idea that there would be possibility of cancellation. It's me and my DH.

[Bobo912]

In case you haven't seen the other threads, my Discovery Down Under trip was cancelled two weeks ago. I think there were some other adventures cancelled as well. If you call ABD they will give you the percentage of capacity that is currently booked for your trip. ABD has handled my cancellation/rebooking situation very well, so I'm happy with the way things have turned out.

[Wonders10]

We just booked for the 6/20 trip. I had no idea that there would be possibility of cancellation. It's me and my DH.

Those are our dates! For 2009 right?

[Wonders10]

In case you haven't seen the other threads, my Discovery Down Under trip was cancelled two weeks ago. I think there were some other adventures cancelled as well. If you call ABD they will give you the percentage of capacity that is currently booked for your trip. ABD has handled my cancellation/rebooking situation very well, so I'm happy with the way things have turned out.


When was your trip scheduled (the ones that was cancelled)?

I'm not on these boards much these days, but has there been any mention of ANY of the Ireland adventures being cancelled for this year?

[slg]

Yes, the first one is May has been cancelled. I don't know about any others.

Ours is July 22. Anyone else on that one?

[cappygirl]

We were scheduled for the first Ireland trip in may :sad:
But Disney rebooked us on the June 13th trip.

[Wonders10]

I just called to ask about my dates (June 20). She said it is about 1/3 full. And wasn't really offering me anymore info on how many people the tours need, when this particular adventure usually is cancelled, etc. She did say it is one of their more popular tours and that many of the adventurers book closer to the last minute. Seems odd but anything is possible. Fingers crossed. I would be utterly devastated if this trip is cancelled. And even more so if there are not any other dates this summer that we could do it.

[Wonders10]

We were scheduled for the first Ireland trip in may :sad:
But Disney rebooked us on the June 13th trip.


I'm so sorry...but at least you were able to rescedule! :thumbsup2

Was your adventure the adults only one?

If not adults only, maybe that one wasn't getting too popular because a lot of kids are in school still. :confused3

[cappygirl]

I'm so sorry...but at least you were able to rescedule! :thumbsup2

Was your adventure the adults only one?

If not adults only, maybe that one wasn't getting too popular because a lot of kids are in school still. :confused3

The adults only is the week after but we had a scheduling conflict that week so we couldn't do it. I agree that it was a bit early but I was hoping it would fill up anyway. Apparently there was only one other family booked on it. I've yet to see anyone else on the DIS booked for the June 13th trip but I'm hoping they pop up soon!

[figmentfan2009]

I just called to see what the percentage booked is on the china trip for july and the lady said they can't see that anymore. They CAN tell me if there is space for my party which is already booked is available... but they can no longer see how much space might be remaining...

I would have liked to have the comfort of knowing it was at least starting to fill..

Ah well.:sad1:

[Bobo912]

When was your trip scheduled (the ones that was cancelled)?

I'm not on these boards much these days, but has there been any mention of ANY of the Ireland adventures being cancelled for this year?

It was the June 6 trip.

[slg]

THey probably don't want to release that information because too many people are requesting it.

I know I've called a couple of times.

[xxFloridaBellexx]

My niece is pretty used to busy, on the go vacations since that is what DSIL and DB take. She also goes to WDW with my mom, her brother and I all the time. The thing I'm most concerned about is the food! She can be a bit picky - so I'm hoping they have kid friendly american-y choices for her.

Hi Wonders10 :wave2:

This is my first post on this board but I have been a reader for some time.

I just stumbled across this thread and thought I would help a little with the childrens food (I'm from Northern Ireland)

Have a look here a different restaurants in the areas you will be visiting - most have an online menu (www . findarestaurant . ie) - sorry can't add link yet.

The only two main difference I can think of at the moment are our fries are known as chips (and also thicker cut) and our sausage are tend to be different.

HTH
FB

[tigger_ttfn]

Those are our dates! For 2009 right?


Yes! I was so excited to find someone going on our date. It would be nice to know someone before we go. We just booked last week. DH has always wanted to go to Ireland so I'm hoping it doesn't get cancelled.

This is our big vacation this year and the only time frame that will work since he is a teacher. I had given my TA several dates this summer and she said that two trips were already sold out (the last week in June and the last week in July). That makes it sound hopeful!

[Wonders10]

Yes! I was so excited to find someone going on our date. It would be nice to know someone before we go. We just booked last week. DH has always wanted to go to Ireland so I'm hoping it doesn't get cancelled.

This is our big vacation this year and the only time frame that will work since he is a teacher. I had given my TA several dates this summer and she said that two trips were already sold out (the last week in June and the last week in July). That makes it sound hopeful!


Cool...as I'm sure you read, I'll be traveling with my mom and my niece who just turned 8. We are all very excited! I've been wanting to go to Ireland forever! My mom too. My niece just thinks it's cool she is going to another country.

I work in a school - as a speech pathologist - so I understand vacation restrictions.

I think it is a very good thing that 2 of the dates are already sold out! School down here lets out June 5 for most of south Florida and my area, and our trip is a couple weeks after that so hopefully that will help.

Are you doing any pre/post nights?

[tigger_ttfn]

School lets out for us on June 5th as well. No, we didn't book any pre or post trip nights.

[Wonders10]

June 20th has been cancelled. Huge Bummer.

She gave me 3 alternative dates to choose from and I'm waiting to hear back from my mom to tell her the bad news.

[cappygirl]

Did she give you June 13th as an alternative? If so, you should come with us!!

[slg]

What alternate dates did she give you? We've booked the July 22.

Sigh. I have not been sleeping well and feeling very, very anxious about this. There is not excited enthusiasm any longer, and my kids have long faces as we startle everytime the phone rings.

There has to be a better way of doing this. I never want to book an ABD again! Even if I have the best time, these months of worrying aren't worth it.

[Wonders10]

Did she give you June 13th as an alternative? If so, you should come with us!!

She did offer that date. But I think we are going to go with June 17.


What alternate dates did she give you? We've booked the July 22.

Sigh. I have not been sleeping well and feeling very, very anxious about this. There is not excited enthusiasm any longer, and my kids have long faces as we startle everytime the phone rings.

There has to be a better way of doing this. I never want to book an ABD again! Even if I have the best time, these months of worrying aren't worth it.

She gave June 13, June 17, and July 22. I think I'm going to go with June 17 though.

I agree. For some reason I had been having a hard time getting truly excited about this trip and now even more so. Now I'm concerned that this trip will be cancelled and then there won't be an alternative. I don't think I'll truly be excited until I'm sitting in my plane seat. Too late to cancel it then haha.

[cappygirl]

We were originally on the first trip in May but they moved us to the June 13th. I'm hoping that since those are the alternatives they seem to be giving people that means those trips won't be canceled! (I had originally asked about a different date but was told that was unavailable which I took to mean, it was being canceled)

[slg]

Oh I hope that the fact that she offered you July 22 means that it is a probable go.

Last month a cm told me that there wouldn't be any more Ireland trips canceled so I don't trust anything they say now.

Oh I hope our trip is a go. The other two dates you were offered wouldn't be possible for us as we have already paid for our trip to Portugal for June 27 and we are flying to Ireland from there.

Send pixie dust my way please!

[Wonders10]

Ok, well I just booked the June 17th adventure.

I asked the likelihood if it being cancelled and she said it "is looking good" which gives me no comfort since that is what they told me about the 20th. She did say that since it was before my original date of the 20th, that it would have been cancelled already if it was going to be. I guess they were going in date order and seeing the numbers and then cancelling from there? :confused3 My mom and I both agreed that if it does get cancelled, we will be disappointed but will get all of our money back and do something else that is equally as fun. But I'm still having a hard time getting excited. Is there a date that it is a "for sure, definitely not getting cancelled"? Or do I actually have to wait right up to my trip.


As a completely unrelated topic, but related to my little TR here. My sister-in-law has still not gotten a passport for my niece. Mind you she has known about this since we booked in September and still nothing. Then they needed to order another birth certificate because they couldn't find it after they went on a cruise. No offense to stay at home mom's, but she is one and her kids are in school all day. I'm having a hard time understanding why she can't stop on the way home from the bus stop one afternoon and get it taken care of. At the end of the day, it will be my niece's loss and I will not hesitate for one second in telling her that it is mommy's fault that she doesn't get to go, but it is so annoying and they are cutting it so close. Not for the trip, but to get that paperwork in (with the passport and flight info).

[redzinner]

Ok, well I just booked the June 17th adventure.


Oh, I hope it works for you Shannon ... everything including your S-I-L dragging her feet with your niece's Passport. Maybe subconsciously your sil doesn't want your niece to go?

[Wonders10]

Oh, I hope it works for you Shannon ... everything including your S-I-L dragging her feet with your niece's Passport. Maybe subconsciously your sil doesn't want your niece to go?

Thanks...who knows, really, what DSIL is thinking. It is very typical for her to wait until the last minute but this is not the sort of thing that you procrastinate on. Either way, my mom and I are going on this trip and will have a trip of a lifetime. I hope DNiece will be able to join us, but we had this booked before we even asked her to go so...

[tigger_ttfn]

I got the terrible news today as well. We were given those same three alternatives.

We booked on the June 17th one as well. The other two dates didn't work for me because of coworkers vacations. They can't keep cancelling these trips as some people have to plan their time off in advance due to work constraints.

If this one is cancelled, I don't what we will do. :confused3 I don't want to have to find another vacation this late. (I'm a big-time plan-aheader)

I'm praying this works out for all of us! :goodvibes

[slg]

I just called ABD and although they were super friendly and nice they wouldn't/couldn't tell me anything. Pretty much the tour can be canceled at any time until we leave. :sad1

He also said that ABD wouldn't help me with rebooking fees for european flights so I think I'm completely hooped if we are canceled. I guess we'll try to find another tour company if possible or just do it on our own.

This was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime and a celebration of our 20th anniversary. Now it feels like a nightmare.

The fellow sounded surprised that I had so much information about the canceled trips, so I told him I read it on the disboards.

Good luck on everyone's Irish tours! I hope they go, and I hope that we get to go too! If anyone books on the 22nd of July, say hello to me!

[clarabelle]

Wonders -I just booked the Ireland June 17 trip
My DH and I and our girls 14 and 11 at the time of the trip
:)

[tigger_ttfn]

Okay, that makes at least 9 known people for the 6/17 trip - Wonders (3), Clarabelle (4), and me (2).

Surely there is at least one more family booked otherwise they wouldn't have given us this date.

Sounds promising to me!! :banana:

[Wonders10]

Wonders -I just booked the Ireland June 17 trip
My DH and I and our girls 14 and 11 at the time of the trip
:)

That's great! Are you doing any pre or post night?

Okay, that makes at least 9 known people for the 6/17 trip - Wonders (3), Clarabelle (4), and me (2).

Surely there is at least one more family booked otherwise they wouldn't have given us this date.

Sounds promising to me!! :banana:

I agree...it seems like it would be incredibly stupid of ABD to cancel trips and inconvenience travelers TWICE for one trip. Now I think I can finally start getting excited! Although I'm so busy at work and stressed out with a new puppy and awaiting news on the short sale I bid on that I am having a hard time finding time to get excited!

[clarabelle]

Erin -the ABD rep I spoke to the most today acted like it was almost full. She acted like the trips that they were pushing 13,17th and July 22 were a go.
She said she would not put me in a trip likely to be cancelled -but could not make any guarantees.


The whole airlines booking being done by a different person than the rest of the tour seemed frustrating.
We are doing one pre-night -the day the trip starts (17th) is my DDs 11th birthday:)

[Wonders10]

As I mentioned many times earlier, I am traveling with my niece on this adventure. And I've vented on here (mildly compared to here in the "real" world) about how her mom has yet to get her passport and it is completely freaking me out. I'm thinking worse case scenario here, and while my mom and I will still go on the trip and have an awesome time (we originally did not plan to bring her with us), I will be bummed but I will get over it. I will not however, get over paying for a child and not getting my money back. So while I technically hold DSIL responsible for re-paying me that money even though she is not going and my mom and I were originally paying her fare, I do not want that money to just disappear. I'm just assuming it does not get refunded so is there a way to transfer it to a WDW credit and use it for WDW resort, etc. to use at a later date?


Now assuming passport does come in time, is there any special documentation I would need since I'm traveling with a minor who is not my child and doesn't even have the same last name as me?

Thanks for answering my questions (if you can!). I spent a lot of this weekend reading about things to do in Dublin since it seems we'll have a decent amount of time there, including the pre-night.

[sayhello]

I'm just assuming it does not get refunded so is there a way to transfer it to a WDW credit and use it for WDW resort, etc. to use at a later date? To my knowledge there is no way to "transfer" a reservation, to, say WDW or DCL. And ABD considers changing the date of a reservation as a cancellation, and you lose your deposit ($300). But it couldn't hurt to call ABD & ask what options there are.

Now assuming passport does come in time, is there any special documentation I would need since I'm traveling with a minor who is not my child and doesn't even have the same last name as me? You definitely need documentation/written authorization to take a child whom you are not the parent or guardian for out of the country. I'm not sure if there is a form, or if it's just a notarized letter or what. I bet ABD could answer that for you, also.

Sayhello

[DOPEYLUVER]

As I mentioned many times earlier, I am traveling with my niece on this adventure. And I've vented on here (mildly compared to here in the "real" world) about how her mom has yet to get her passport and it is completely freaking me out.

If it makes you feel any better, it took less than 3 weeks to get passports for my two teenagers for our recent trip to Ireland. My kids are 18 and 17. They absolutely loved the trip and Ireland. It was through a completely different tour operator. I will say though that this was my third tour and we had the best tour guide ever. What a difference in the experience. I hope you get a great guide like we had.

[MerissaAndMomLoveDis]

is there any special documentation I would need since I'm traveling with a minor who is not my child and doesn't even have the same last name as me?

Yes. You need a notarized affidavit signed by BOTH of her parents explaining your relationship to the child and that you have permission from both of them to take her, and where you are permitted to take her to. But I encourage you to ask ABD for sure what you need for Ireland (and don't forget to ask about any other country in which you might land in an airport on the way if you plan on going thru customs and leaving the airport for a brief time during a layover).

I have been to many countries with my daughter (just the two of us) and a few times I have been asked in airports to show that I have her father's permission to travel internationally with her. This is a precaution to make sure that one parent is not fleeing the jurisdiction of the court with a child in order to avoid a custody battle or custody order (i.e. parental kidnapping). I always carry a certified copy of the court Order which says I have sole custody of her AND that I have the court's permission to travel internationally with her without his consent AND that I have the sole right to control her passport. But a notarized affidavit from the parent (in your case both parents) is supposed to be acceptable.

Please don't forget this--very important!!! I am surprised that AbD has not brought this up to you...maybe they don't realize that the child is not the child of one of the adults booked in the room?

Have fun!!!!

[Wonders10]

My mom spoke with my brother tonight and....

the passport has finally been ordered! Now I'm not exactly sure when they did it but the paperwork is all in and now all we have to do is wait. Relief is an understatement right now!

I also spoke with an ABD rep about traveling with a minor. Basically she told me that we need a notarized statement from both parents stating all the info - where she is going, who with, when, etc. DSIL has already given us a copy of a medical release too. Hopefully that will be enough. I may ask again when it gets a tad closer just to double check.

Now I am back on to being excited! I've watching a couple Ireland shows that I have DVRed and it is so neat watching them now that I know that I will be in some of those places!

[wdwsos]

This is a good article about cruising with minor children who are not your own, but it applies to other travel as well. There's a link at the bottom to a sample letter:

http://www.cruisediva.com/parental_permission1.htm

Dotti

[Turtlemom]

In response to Dopeyluvr's comment above that you took a trip to Ireland with a different tour operator and had a great time--do you mind if I ask which tour operator you used? Have you ever taken an ABD before? If so, I would be very interested to know how they compare.

Thanks for any info. . . .

Turtlemom:)

[slg]

We took a tour of Ireland in 1994 with Cosmos. It was wonderful! Even though Cosmos is a budget company, the hotels were great, the breakfasts were great, the tourguide was fantastic, and everything was top-notch! I would definitely travel with them again, but we decided to go with ABD for the kids. However, considering the cost of this tour, our next European tour will be with another company as ABD is just too expensive for us, and with the Canadian dollar so unstable we really shouldn't be doing this tour. We can afford it, but barely and its causing me a lot of stress.

Having said that, I'm planning to fully enjoy my ABD experience, as its going to be a once in a lifetime one and a celebration of our twentieth anniversary!

(My son will turn 8 on our trip and is hoping ABD will do something special for him)

[Turtlemom]

Thanks for the feedback, Slg! I'd be really interested to hear how the ABD trip compares to the Cosmos trip you took earlier. I'm sure that they will do something special for your 8 yr. old on the trip and I hope that you have a great time!

Turtlemom :)

[Wonders10]

Hey everyone!

This isn't really an update...more of a "I'M SO EXCITED FOR OUR TRIP TO GET HERE!" post.

Did I mention I'm excited?

Our trip is now completely paid in full...I'm actually pretty pleased at the final amount my mom and I ended up spending. Including airfare, it came out to getting my niece's trip for free when we look at the money we saved up. And we are still saving for spending once we are there.

I've been reading tour books and anything that has the words "Ireland" or a picture of a shamrock on it. Same goes with tv shows. I'm becoming quite an Irish historian haha.

I really need to get shopping for some clothes...and I desperately need new sneakers. This weekend I am planning on heading to a local store that sells TONS of Vera Bradley merchandise to see if they have a bag that is on sale, but no longer available on their website. I know ABD gives us backpacks, but I just don't feel comfortable using a bag that advertises we are tourists. Even if we will look like tourists anyway. They will still get plenty of use though.

Hope all my fellow Emerald Isle travelers are doing well with their planning!

[Wonders10]

What is everyone planning on doing during their free time. I have spent the majority of my time thinking of Dublin things to do:
*Dublin Zoo
*Hop on Hop off bus tour
*Trinity College (other than the book of kells)

What else would you suggest or have planned?

Stupid question maybe, but how do you call back to the U.S. My cell does not have international service and we will definitely want to get in touch with my DSIL (niece's mom) and my cousin who is dog-sitting for my mom and I. i was thinking of buying international calling cards.

Has anyone received their plane tickets yet? The ABD rep told me 30 days out which is about now so I'm keeping my eye out for them.

I'm also hanging up my potential outfits in the closet to see what I have and don't have. I'm having a really hard time deciding if I will be too warm or too cold with certain outfits. I'm from Florida so 60's can be chilly to us...but if it is sunny, I could get away with short sleeves and light pants. Suggestions?

How is everyone else's planning coming? I can't believe it is so close!

[redzinner]

We booked one pre-night so we've pretty much decided to walk Dublin on Friday (this Friday in fact :goodvibes) after arrival and possibly hit Jameson Distillery. On Saturday we plan on getting a bus to Newgrange to have a look see at the neolithic monuments, megalithic passage tomb, etc and hopefully be back in time for the reception dinner that evening. You'll be surprised at how fast your 'free' time goes when there are so many new things to see and enjoy.

I hear you about the Florida/Ireland wardrobe. I'm taking 2 sweaters (pullover), scarf and gloves for the chill coming off the Irish Sea. I think layering is going to be the best bet. I've finished my 'test' pack and made it under 40 lbs so I'm happy.

Can't comment on the other 2 items in your post since I did my own airlines and my phone has International standard calling at 1.29 per minute. I won't use it much, just for emergencies if needed.

[sayhello]

Only a few days left, redzinner? Whee! Enjoy, enjoy your trip! Looking forward to your trip report when you get back!!!

Sayhello

[azdisfan]

We went to Ireland last August, and we did a pre-night. One of the places we went was the National Museum. It was really interesting and you can do it in couple of hours.
Weather was warmer than I expected, I took to warm of clothes. It was a beautiful trip, we made the circle from Dublin to Galway and back to Dublin. No matter what you do it will be a fun trip.
azdisfan

[Stringman]

Hi Shannon, forgive me for popping into your thread, but im here in Ireland, 20miles south of Dublin city centre, on the Wicklow coast. About a month ago I came across this tread while googling something else, and I was drawn in to read by how enthusiastic you were about coming to Ireland. So I`ve come back a couple of times in passing to see how your plans were going. I have to say, you seem to be so looking forward to coming over here, im a bit worried about us not living up to all your dreams, but hopefully it will be all you hope for. Anyway, I just felt I should give you a couple of thoughts in reply to your last post. On the cloths front, at that time in june id guess the normal temp in Dublin should be round 20 degrees C, which I think is the mid sixty`s in degrees F, but remember if its rainy it will be quite a bit lower, plus if the winds off the sea it will be cooler as the sea never gets that warm round here. remember your light rain jacket, and you`ll have no worries. As to what to do, can I suggest, as the rest of your trip is so organised you just go for a long wander, assuming the weather`s`not to bad. A nice circuit I sometimes do myself is to wander up grafton street, cross the road into stephens green, stroll past the ponds and lawns. if its a nice day in june, it will be full of people just relaxing. then mayby come out of the park at the southern end and wander on to merrian square, where you pass government buildings, which are quite impressive. The oscar wild statue at the corner of the square is worth seeing. Also the national gallery is here, which is not hugh, but has a fair few world renouned pictures, plus its always a good spot for a coffee or lunch break. then you can head into trinity if you like, it is a nice place on a sunny day. After that I would strongly suggest you just stop off in a pub, and just relax over a nice drink, and a chat with whoever may be around. Finally, mayby wander down the river, and see the custom house which is without douth the finest building in Dublin. There`s a new bridge being put in down there, which looks like A harp on its side, very pretty, so have a look for it. In short just be part of dublin while your here, rather than running round the tourist stuff. I really hope you have a wonderfull time, and have a big smile on your face when you cross the river that gave you your name later in your trip. I`ll actually be on a fishing weekend in the shannon estuary, when you arrive in Ireland. If there`s anything you think I can tell you, just ask. enjoy.

[Wonders10]

Hi Shannon, forgive me for popping into your thread, but im here in Ireland, 20miles south of Dublin city centre, on the Wicklow coast. About a month ago I came across this tread while googling something else, and I was drawn in to read by how enthusiastic you were about coming to Ireland. So I`ve come back a couple of times in passing to see how your plans were going. I have to say, you seem to be so looking forward to coming over here, im a bit worried about us not living up to all your dreams, but hopefully it will be all you hope for. Anyway, I just felt I should give you a couple of thoughts in reply to your last post. On the cloths front, at that time in june id guess the normal temp in Dublin should be round 20 degrees C, which I think is the mid sixty`s in degrees F, but remember if its rainy it will be quite a bit lower, plus if the winds off the sea it will be cooler as the sea never gets that warm round here. remember your light rain jacket, and you`ll have no worries. As to what to do, can I suggest, as the rest of your trip is so organised you just go for a long wander, assuming the weather`s`not to bad. A nice circuit I sometimes do myself is to wander up grafton street, cross the road into stephens green, stroll past the ponds and lawns. if its a nice day in june, it will be full of people just relaxing. then mayby come out of the park at the southern end and wander on to merrian square, where you pass government buildings, which are quite impressive. The oscar wild statue at the corner of the square is worth seeing. Also the national gallery is here, which is not hugh, but has a fair few world renouned pictures, plus its always a good spot for a coffee or lunch break. then you can head into trinity if you like, it is a nice place on a sunny day. After that I would strongly suggest you just stop off in a pub, and just relax over a nice drink, and a chat with whoever may be around. Finally, mayby wander down the river, and see the custom house which is without douth the finest building in Dublin. There`s a new bridge being put in down there, which looks like A harp on its side, very pretty, so have a look for it. In short just be part of dublin while your here, rather than running round the tourist stuff. I really hope you have a wonderfull time, and have a big smile on your face when you cross the river that gave you your name later in your trip. I`ll actually be on a fishing weekend in the shannon estuary, when you arrive in Ireland. If there`s anything you think I can tell you, just ask. enjoy.

Thanks for such a detailed post! I seriously doubt that Ireland will disappoint me in any aspect, but I see what you are saying. I have been wanting to go there for many years and I'm lucky that I am getting to go at all. I think just walking off the plane and knowing that I am finall there will be exciting enough for me. Everything else will be icing on the cake.

I'm asking for other things to see because if I don't have some sort of plan of possible things to do - even if the plan is just wandering the city, we will stand on a street corner getting annoyed with each other for not knowing where to go. And I'm also sure that even if I plan the last second, as soon as I get there most of our plans will go right out the window. Plus since we are seeing some of the tourist-y things with ABD, we thought it might be fun to do other things that are a little less known.

[Disnewbie76]

My wife and I went for 10 days in june about 8 years ago, and I remember that it was chilly for summer for us..but we are from houston, tx. :) I would recommend a few sweaters. It was definitely beautiful there!:thumbsup2

[Wonders10]

My wife and I went for 10 days in june about 8 years ago, and I remember that it was chilly for summer for us..but we are from houston, tx. :) I would recommend a few sweaters. It was definitely beautiful there!:thumbsup2

Exactly my point! :thumbsup2 For many many people 60's is shorts weather...for a native south Floridian like me, it is when we break out our "winter wear" - the warmest sweater we have that we are lucky to wear once a year.

Most of my tops are short sleeves and I'm thinking of having a lightweight long sleeve tee to wear under and/or a lightweight hoodie jacket if I get chilly. And I'm wearing pants everyday - jeans or khakis mostly.

[clarabelle]

What about Kilmainham Gaol?
Does anyone know anything about that? I thought of going there in our free time in Dublin.

[Wonders10]

What about Kilmainham Gaol?
Does anyone know anything about that? I thought of going there in our free time in Dublin.

I have read about it a few times...looks kind of neat. But I was under the impression that the stories the guides tell are rather graphic (to go along with its graphic history) and I don't think my 8 yr old niece would like it. If she weren't with us, I'd definitely be interested in going there.

[Wonders10]

So I came home from work today to a lovely message telling me that one of my return flights (from Shannon to the U.S.) was cancelled. Fabulous. After calling to discuss with ABD, I was told that I can either take what they are "pretty sure" US Air is going to give us - which is leaving 2 hours earlier, Shannon to Newark, Newark to Philly, Philly to West Palm Beach. OR I can cancel all of my flights (coming and going) and start over, playing a cancellation fee plus what ever the cost of flights are now. And just for giggles, I looked at flights now. The cost is about the same, but they all have multiple stops coming and going which is really what I wanted to avoid. Not fun. I'm waiting to hear back from ABD to see what the final outcome will be...either tonight or tomorrow I should know more. My mom was not too happy about this added flight and as a person who is not a huge fan of flying, I am not too jazzed about it either.

[Wonders10]

ABD called me back a little while ago, and apparently US Air is not offering their "protection service" for the day we need a flight. Only the day before or after. Makes no sense to me but whatever. My only option at that point was to cancel my old flight reservations (without penalty) and start over...which really worked out actually. The awesome ABD rep was able to get us on Delta at very similar flight times to our old reservations. We still have a 3rd stop coming back, which stinks, but the very best part is...........................








We saved $1200!!!


We will now be getting into Dublin around 10...clarabelle, aren't you arriving around that time too, also on Delta? Maybe we are on the same flight - Atlanta to Dublin!

[clarabelle]

Sounds like it!
I am PMing you!

[slg]

Does any Irish ABD'ers know when the best time to get the money for the tips for the guides is? I think I read somewhere that if you wait until you get to the castle it will be too late. How does the tip thing work? Do they give us envelopes on our last night and we just stuff them full of money?

I wish we could just charge tips to our credit card! It would make it so much easier! I hate carrying around that much cash...especially in a foreign place.

Also...I read somewhere that the guides supply sunscreen, purell and snacks. Does this mean they are free, or do they just have them available to sell? If they have sunscreen I certainly won't be hauling it in my teeny tiny carryon suitcase from Portugal that I'm taking on my Ryan Air flight.

What other tips might some of you know that I don't?

[kristilew]

On the Peru trip, the guides had those little bottles of purell and sunscreen that hang on clips - they were hanging on their backpacks, and anyone could get a squirt. Same for bug spray. They did not hand out personal supplies of the stuff. We carried our own anyway, just because I always do (tiny bottle of purell, face stick sunscreen the size of lipstick - they don't take up much room) but it was nice to have the back up.

The snacks were in a basket on the bus, and passed around every time we got on the bus. Also water.

We got an information booklet the day we arrived that included envelopes for tips stapled in the back, which most folks used. Based on what I had read here, I had already brought my own cards with a Disney theme. We each wrote a thank you note in the card on the last day, and tucked in cash, which we had brought with us in American dollars. Again this was based on advice I'd gotten here. I just kept the large bills tucked in a pocket in my purse. I know some people got money out the day of, though, and that worked fine too. I just didn't want to have to worry about it.

Not specific to your Ireland trip, but I hope that helps. I had all these questions last year. I find it so hard to relax until I feel like I know all I can!

[tigger_ttfn]

That helps so much! I had the same questions. I'm still debating on whether to already have the cash for the tips or just wait. :confused3

[kristilew]

I should add: it would probably be useful to hear from someone who has actually done the Ireland trip as to the Purell. In Peru, there was much concern about bacteria in general, as it was basically a 3rd world country. (People peed in the streets and and animals were everywhere. Not clean.) The guides were really focused on avoiding any tummy issues that would ruin someone's trip. I don't know if this would be such a concern in European countries, so it might not be at the top of the guides' lists.

[sayhello]

I should add: it would probably be useful to hear from someone who has actually done the Ireland trip as to the Purell. In Peru, there was much concern about bacteria in general, as it was basically a 3rd world country. (People peed in the streets and and animals were everywhere. Not clean.) The guides were really focused on avoiding any tummy issues that would ruin someone's trip. I don't know if this would be such a concern in European countries, so it might not be at the top of the guides' lists.Our guides had Purell on my Southwest Splendors tour, so I don't think it's just a 3rd world country thing. It's to their advantage to keep everyone on a tour healthy!

Sayhello

[redzinner]

Does any Irish ABD'ers know when the best time to get the money for the tips for the guides is? I think I read somewhere that if you wait until you get to the castle it will be too late. How does the tip thing work? Do they give us envelopes on our last night and we just stuff them full of money?

I wish we could just charge tips to our credit card! It would make it so much easier! I hate carrying around that much cash...especially in a foreign place.

Also...I read somewhere that the guides supply sunscreen, purell and snacks. Does this mean they are free, or do they just have them available to sell? If they have sunscreen I certainly won't be hauling it in my teeny tiny carryon suitcase from Portugal that I'm taking on my Ryan Air flight.

What other tips might some of you know that I don't?

Get the tip money in either Dublin or Killarney!
We are here right now! Free internet access at Killarney Plaza. Out to do the pony cart and bike ride this morning! The weather has been absolutely lovely ... sunny! We have a small group, only 24. Dublin is such a fun city!

More when i get home ...

[Wonders10]

Get the tip money in either Dublin or Killarney!
We are here right now! Free internet access at Killarney Plaza. Out to do the pony cart and bike ride this morning! The weather has been absolutely lovely ... sunny! We have a small group, only 24. Dublin is such a fun city!

More when i get home ...

So jealous! Hope you are having a great time...hope you will share your trip with us when you get back!

[clarabelle]

I got my flight info in today!

Redzinner -I hope you are having a wonderful time!

[kristilew]

Redzinner - you obviously have the "ABD high" going! So glad your trip is going well and can't wait to hear all about it. Have fun!

[sayhello]

Whee! redzinner is in Ireland! Congrats! So glad you are enjoying yourselves! Looking forward to a trip report!

Sayhello

[redzinner]

We are having a great adventure. I admit I was sceptical that it could equal Viva Italia but it has. Wonderful guides Jennae and Francesc ... great fun.
Off to the castle today. We did have a windy rainy day on the eco-tour yesterday but it was still fun. The sun did come out for the ring of Kerry drive. Such a lovely country and lovely fun people.

[tigger_ttfn]

Nothing like live updates!!

Thanks for keeping us updated and I'm so glad you are having a great time.

I'm so excited now.

[Wonders10]

I treated myself to an iPhone for my birthday a few days ago. My old phone was VERY outdated and old. Anywho, I will be bringing it to Ireland, but I am not sure how I will be able to charge it since the outlets over there are different than in the US. Where could I get an adaptor? Or something else so my phone can get charged? TIA! :goodvibes

P.S. I cannot believe that it is 2 weeks from Monday!!! Unbelievable.

[Wonders10]

Got our flight info today! Woo-hoo!

[tigger_ttfn]

Got our flight info today! Woo-hoo!

Me too! I can't believe it's almost time!!!!!

[Wonders10]

Me too! I can't believe it's almost time!!!!!

I know you probably mentioned this, but are you on the June 17th trip as well?

[tigger_ttfn]

Yes!

[Wonders10]

Yes!

How on earth did I miss that? Who's coming with you?

[tigger_ttfn]

It's just me and DH - our first ABD and first transatlantic trip.

[nordkin]

I treated myself to an iPhone for my birthday a few days ago. My old phone was VERY outdated and old. Anywho, I will be bringing it to Ireland, but I am not sure how I will be able to charge it since the outlets over there are different than in the US. Where could I get an adaptor? Or something else so my phone can get charged? TIA! :goodvibes

P.S. I cannot believe that it is 2 weeks from Monday!!! Unbelievable.

You can get a converter kit that has different plugs in it at Target and many other stores. Check with either Apple or At&t to see if the iphone is dual voltage, I think it is. To avoid a large bill from emails, change the setting to only check for mail when you request it to. That is the setting I always use on mine

Enjoy your trip.

[Wonders10]

Ok so I went to Target earlier and saw the adaptors and stuff. Now, do I need just the adaptor or do I also need the converter as well? Can you tell I've never traveled internationally? I will only be using it to charge my iphone and a Nintendo DS for my niece. No hair dryers or laptops. Just wondering because the cost difference was pretty significant if you get the convertor as well and I definitely don't want to be spending any more than I need to.

Thanks!!!

[sayhello]

Ok so I went to Target earlier and saw the adaptors and stuff. Now, do I need just the adaptor or do I also need the converter as well? Can you tell I've never traveled internationally? I will only be using it to charge my iphone and a Nintendo DS for my niece. No hair dryers or laptops. Just wondering because the cost difference was pretty significant if you get the convertor as well and I definitely don't want to be spending any more than I need to.

Thanks!!!Here's some links to discussions of converters vs adaptors. It seems it really depends on the item. Some can handle the extra voltage in Europe, some cannot. If it can't, not having a converter can totally fry your device.

http://www.amazon.com/adapter-vs-converter/forum/Fx16YEQQR6NT1L2/Tx1O4CE1Z4KN10R/1?_encoding=UTF8&asin=B0002H4YUI

http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/8300945231/m/998004474931

Sayhello

[ACmom]

We had the same question. According to Nintendo customer service, you need a voltage converter and an adapter to recharge the DS as the charger is not dual voltage and can't step down the 220 volts. It will fry if you just use an adapter. Any converter that does up to 50 watts will work. I picked one up at Radio Shack for $13. You don't need to get one of the "high-low" converters (up to 1600 watts) and probably should avoid those because most are not supposed to be plugged in for an extended time.

Most cell phone chargers (and camera battery chargers, camcorder chargers etc) just require an adapter. You can look at the battery charger and if it says something like 100-240V (or 110-220V) it is dual voltage and can step down the current itself - you just need an adapter to change the prongs.

[Wonders10]

Are any of the other ABD's in crazy prep mode? My to do list is a mile long and I have gone through my outfits at least 10 times to make sure I have something that is comfy, decent looking and appropriate to the day's activity and weather. It still seems like just yesterday I made the first call and booked this adventure and now we are leaving in 8 days! My week is going to be nuts. Thank goodness school is out (where I work) and I am officially on vacation!

Monday - Pre-pack trip stuff to take to mom's; pack up and organize all of my therapy supplies from school, buy mom's birthday present

Tuesday - hair cut

Wednesday - Doggy Dr. appointment

Thursday - must have everything ready to head down to my mom's. My dog is staying there while we are away and I wanted him to get adjusted before I leave him (he is a puppy with some "issues" :laughing:) Plus my mom's birthday is on Tuesday so I will be celebrating that. And it will be nice to do any last minute shopping and packing with a travel mate. Plus the good suitcases are at her house.

Friday and Saturday - nothing planned

Sunday - manicures and pedicures; Packing!

My niece is so excited about the trip too which is cute...everyone she sees, she tells them that she is going to Ireland. What a lucky girl!

I was looking at the types of planes we are flying (we are on Delta both ways) and wondering how I could tell if they had the individual tv's or not. Anyone know? I'm such a dork that I wrote down the types of planes we'll be on: 757, 767-400ER, and 737-800. I'm really hoping that at least for the transatlantic portions, we have a tv. The last time I flew I had that and it was such a great distraction for a nervous flyer like me.

Off to do more cleaning, organizing and vacation prep!

[clarabelle]

Wonders -you sound sooo much better organized that me.
See you next week!!

[Wonders10]

Wonders -you sound sooo much better organized that me.
See you next week!!

Yes I am VERY OCD and I love to make lists. My mom says to me...well I have enough tops and bottoms but I'm not really sure what tops I'm wearing with what bottoms. Me? I have a list that is something like this: old navy jeans *size* with Jcrew floral tee, black hoodie if cold; Dark Gap jeans *size*, long sleeve white tee, white tank for underneath. That detailed. It is a little much, I will admit.

Keep your eyes peeled for us in Atlanta...wouldn't it be funny if our plane seats were near each other?

[TDC Nala]

I treated myself to an iPhone for my birthday a few days ago. My old phone was VERY outdated and old. Anywho, I will be bringing it to Ireland, but I am not sure how I will be able to charge it since the outlets over there are different than in the US. Where could I get an adaptor? Or something else so my phone can get charged? TIA! :goodvibes

P.S. I cannot believe that it is 2 weeks from Monday!!! Unbelievable.

Check the the voltage rating on the charger for your Iphone and see if it is dual voltage. Most if not all newer electronics appear to be dual voltage. Somewhere on the charger it will say 110/220. If it does, all you need to charge it is an adapter for the plug, not a voltage converter. If it says only 110 you will need a voltage converter.

This is how I handled my camera charger and computer in Australia. Both were dual voltage and required only an outlet adapter. They did not need a voltage converter.

Make sure you buy an adapter that conforms to the outlets in Ireland.

[kristilew]

Wonders, on the Delta website you should be able to find layouts of the planes. It's under a heading along the lines of "travel tools" along the top of the home page.

My 2 cents about convertors/adaptors: a converter, which prevents your device from being fried by the higher current, works great for when you need to charge your phone, or your camera batteries. If you like to use a flat iron for your hair, or have some other "high drain" appliance, it will not work. It tones the juice down too much. Having tested this on two trips now (and living with crazy curly hair in all the pictures!), I will be buying a dual voltage travel flatiron for next time.

As for adaptors, be sure to check the plugs on all the items you will bring. DH's laptop plug only had two prongs (like the other stuff we brought), so that was the adaptor I brought. It turned out that DD's laptop had a three-pronged plug, so I couldn't charge it even though it is dual voltage. :sad2:

Have a wonderful trip! Planning so much ahead of time can be great if you're able to relax and enjoy when you're there, knowing you've controled what you can control. Can't wait to hear all about it!

[Wonders10]

Wonders, on the Delta website you should be able to find layouts of the planes. It's under a heading along the lines of "travel tools" along the top of the home page.

My 2 cents about convertors/adaptors: a converter, which prevents your device from being fried by the higher current, works great for when you need to charge your phone, or your camera batteries. If you like to use a flat iron for your hair, or have some other "high drain" appliance, it will not work. It tones the juice down too much. Having tested this on two trips now (and living with crazy curly hair in all the pictures!), I will be buying a dual voltage travel flatiron for next time.

As for adaptors, be sure to check the plugs on all the items you will bring. DH's laptop plug only had two prongs (like the other stuff we brought), so that was the adaptor I brought. It turned out that DD's laptop had a three-pronged plug, so I couldn't charge it even though it is dual voltage. :sad2:

Have a wonderful trip! Planning so much ahead of time can be great if you're able to relax and enjoy when you're there, knowing you've controled what you can control. Can't wait to hear all about it!


I tried browsing Delta's website and found the layouts, but all they show are the seats, bathroom locations, galley, etc. Not if there are individual tv screens. I'll keep looking though.

I'm going to head back to Target tomorrow to look at the convertors/adaptors I saw last weekend. My iPhone instruction manual/charger does not say anything about voltage :confused3 but someone above said a nintendo DS will probably need a convertor as well and I definitely want that available for my niece. And maybe me ;).

[TDC Nala]

For the planes try www.seatguru.com but you'd need to know what type of plane you are flying in.

My iPhone instruction manual/charger does not say anything about voltage

Don't look at the manual. Somewhere on the charger there should be a sticker or printing with the voltage information. The one for my ipod says in relevant part "Input AC 100 240v 50-60 HZ" which means it will operate with any voltage between 100 and 240.

[Wonders10]

For the planes try www.seatguru.com but you'd need to know what type of plane you are flying in.



Don't look at the manual. Somewhere on the charger there should be a sticker or printing with the voltage information. The one for my ipod says in relevant part "Input AC 100 240v 50-60 HZ" which means it will operate with any voltage between 100 and 240.

Cool..I will try that website!

Seriously, there isn't a single marking on my charger! I'm not this stupid people :laughing: It looks like a white USB cord and there is an added white plastic part that you hook into it that plugs into the wall...definitely not like any other charger I have had....which is why I headed to the manual to see if it offered any help. Thanks though!

[kristilew]

Now you got me curious so I googled the 757-400er and found this on another forum:

I am a Flt Att for DL and there are no in-seat videos on the 400. There are TV monitors located in the cieling above the aisles to watch video. Have fun and thx 4 flyying on the best airlines in the world.

[TDC Nala]

is the plastic part square and the prongs pop out of it? That is what I have for the Ipod. There's definitely writing on it. Try looking at the Iphone itself. Or google Iphone voltage and see what people say about it.

[redzinner]

Shannon,

I don't have an iPod phone but if you can't find the voltage reading on your charger I would call Apple, since they were having problems with 3G phone chargers. Apple Support (http://www.apple.com/support/usbadapter/exchangeprogram/)

#5 or WA-7 are the types of adapter you need for any appliance that is marked with a 100/240 v range (all the newer electronic devices should have this) at the hotels we stayed in.

http://inlinethumb46.webshots.com/44333/2998055450074279726S425x425Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2998055450074279726fhLRnk)

The adapter I used in Ireland for my Samsung phone, ipod (music) and curling iron was #5. I did not need a converter. All of my appliances were two prongs.

The Westin and Dromoland Castle had one adapter already plugged into an outlet in the room. Dromoland Castle had two 'American' outlets where no plug adapter was necessary.

[Wonders10]

Now you got me curious so I googled the 757-400er and found this on another forum:

I am a Flt Att for DL and there are no in-seat videos on the 400. There are TV monitors located in the cieling above the aisles to watch video. Have fun and thx 4 flyying on the best airlines in the world.

Thanks for looking! But that totally contradicts what seatguru.com said, which said they have individual screens. :confused3 Oh well, not much I can do about it, is there? I will found out soon enough though and report back. :thumbsup2

[Wonders10]

Shannon,

I don't have an iPod phone but if you can't find the voltage reading on your charger I would call Apple, since they were having problems with 3G phone chargers. Apple Support (http://www.apple.com/support/usbadapter/exchangeprogram/)

#5 or WA-7 are the types of adapter you need for any appliance that is marked with a 100/240 v range (all the newer electronic devices should have this) at the hotels we stayed in.

http://inlinethumb46.webshots.com/44333/2998055450074279726S425x425Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2998055450074279726fhLRnk)


The adapter I used in Ireland for my Samsung phone, ipod (music) and curling iron was #5. I did not need a converter. All of my appliances were two prongs.

The Westin and Dromoland Castle had one adapter already plugged into an outlet in the room. Dromoland Castle had two 'American' outlets where no plug adapter was necessary.

Thanks for your help and info!!! :goodvibes

[Wonders10]

is the plastic part square and the prongs pop out of it? That is what I have for the Ipod. There's definitely writing on it. Try looking at the Iphone itself. Or google Iphone voltage and see what people say about it.

ok, I went back to dissect my phone and charger and I found what I was looking for. It is printed onto the actual plastic where the prongs out (they are out all the time, do not pop out and go back in though). Anyway, I needed a magnifying glass to actually read the stupid writing it was so small and pale which is probably why I didn't see it in the first place (mind you I do not wear glasses and am only 29 years old so my vision is fairly good). Anyway, it did say 100 v 240 v so it seems an adaptor would be ok. However my nintendo (as I mentioned above only says 100v so I think I still need to get a convertor for that).

Another stupid question - are there american plugs in the ireland airports? Like would I be able to charge something while waiting for my flight home in Shannon?

[redzinner]

Shannon airport is bare basics. Fast, easy but bare. Once you clear security there are only vending machines and restrooms and of course seats.

Make sure everything is charged before you leave Dromoland.

[clarabelle]

Shannon we got a couple of portable chargers. We are I-pod obsessed and hated the idea of them not making it through the flight

[tigger_ttfn]

I have my packing list ready to go - for clothes, I only have quantities listed but I have some ideas in my head of what I want to bring. We bought DH some more jeans. He doesn't have many jeans since he dresses up for work (unlike me). I have purchased a converter and "No Jet Lag" pills. And, I have dug out my suitcases.

But I haven't done much else. I feel like I'm unprepared (unlike a trip to WDW) and want to get started packing. We will be leaving before I know it.

Can't wait to meet ya'll in person!

[TewEpcot]

I'm sure this is going to fall on deaf ears... BUT... don't worry or fret? It was such an incredibly easy and fun trip... whatever happens, happens... and the Irish people (as well as your Adventure Guides) will be sure to make you feel welcome and comfortable regardless of what you are wearing, listening to, looking like, feeling like... etc. I realize that we (as people, and in general) tend to over-plan and over-think... but don't make yourself crazy! Just get on that plane and be prepared for the trip of a lifetime. Literally. Just my 2cents. ;)

[Wonders10]

I'm sure this is going to fall on deaf ears... BUT... don't worry or fret? It was such an incredibly easy and fun trip... whatever happens, happens... and the Irish people (as well as your Adventure Guides) will be sure to make you feel welcome and comfortable regardless of what you are wearing, listening to, looking like, feeling like... etc. I realize that we (as people, and in general) tend to over-plan and over-think... but don't make yourself crazy! Just get on that plane and be prepared for the trip of a lifetime. Literally. Just my 2cents. ;)

You are right...I am not really meaning it to sound like I am stressed about getting ready - because I am not stressed at all. But I do want to make sure I have enough outfits plus Ireland weather is so much different than south florida weather so I want to be prepared for that as well. I do not do laundry on vacation ;) And as far as the adaptor topic :laughing: I had no idea it would be talked about for almost 2 pages! But my biggest concern is that my phone be working so that my niece can talk to her mom (back in the US) and vice versa. Otherwise I could really care less about my phone. Plus as someone who has never traveled internationally, I want to make sure that I am taking care of the things that need to be taken care of. I had the some wonders, concerns and questions a few years ago when I went on my first cruise. The prep I am doing is literally the same stuff that I do when I am spending the weekend at my mom's - and she lives an hour away! :rotfl: Well to a certain point - I don't need to exchange currency to buy things at her house.

But really, part of the fun of a trip for me - any trip - is talking about it! Whether it is how many pairs of socks I need or what restaurants sound good, I just want to talk about it! :thumbsup2

[kristilew]

But really, part of the fun of a trip for me - any trip - is talking about it! Whether it is how many pairs of socks I need or what restaurants sound good, I just want to talk about it! :thumbsup2

Amen, sister! :thumbsup2

[Wonders10]

:banana::banana:7 Days!!!!!:cool1::cool1:

One week from today (yes I know my ticker is off...still has the original dates plugged in) I will be throwing all those last minute things into my suitcase and giving my puppy lots of hugs and kisses before heading to pick up my niece and then the airport!

[WeLoveABD]

And I can't stress enough, based on past experiences...bring an extra camera card if you have a digital camera! Have a great trip!

[Wonders10]

And I can't stress enough, based on past experiences...bring an extra camera card if you have a digital camera! Have a great trip!

Yes that is one of the first things I bought...but thanks for the reminder!

[Wonders10]

I couldn't sleep so I started searching for trip reports and "insider" info from past travelers and stumbled across this website. It has lots of pictures and brief daily descriptions of what they did on each day.


http://www.pyaray.com/vacation2008/

[redzinner]

I couldn't sleep so I started searching for trip reports and "insider" info from past travelers and stumbled across this website. It has lots of pictures and brief daily descriptions of what they did on each day.
http://www.pyaray.com/vacation2008/

Another satisfied ABD repeat traveler, I see. They took one heck of a lot of photos. Thanks Shannon for posting the site.

[tigger_ttfn]

OMG! The pictures on that link are really getting me in the mood. Thanks for sharing!

[Wonders10]

Another satisfied ABD repeat traveler, I see. They took one heck of a lot of photos. Thanks Shannon for posting the site.

I know, I couldn't believe how many ABD's they've been on! Lucky them!

OMG! The pictures on that link are really getting me in the mood. Thanks for sharing!

Aren't they awesome? I especially love seeing all the castle pics...I am so freakin' excited to get to Dromoland though that I'm worried I will not take everything else in like I should.

[Wonders10]

I'm heading down to my mom's tomorrow, and I'm going to be staying there until we leave on Monday. That means I have to have everything I need packed up for the trip PLUS clothes for the days leading up to the trip and a couple for after. Plus stuff for my dog (his food, a few toys, "just in case" medicine). And I have one tiny suitcase so needless to say I am like a crazy bag lady with all my stuff that is taking over my tiny apartment.

Yesterday, I got my haircut, took Winston (my dog) to the Vet for a follow up appointment, and went to the At&T store to add international calling onto my plan just for the month. This morning I paid all my bills so that is up to date and I also stopped my mail. All that is left (I hope) is to pack up my toiletries and little things that I will still need tomorrow morning. Then I have the fun job of transferring it all into the "real" suitcase at my mom's house. Fun.

While I was reading about the hop on hop off bus tours in Dublin, I saw that they have half day trips to Malahide Castle or Powerscourt Estates and Gardens. I know Dublin has lots to do but I'm wondering if this might be something fun to do as well. They also have a rail tour that heads to Cork and Blarney Castle (which is the one place I really wished we were going to on the tour that we aren't), but it gets back to late at night and we would end up missing the Welcome Reception.

Hope everyone is having fun these last few days before our adventure begins!

[sayhello]

Wonders10, have a WONDERFUL trip! Look forward to your report when you return!

Sayhello

[cappygirl]

Have a great trip Shannon!!

[clarabelle]

see you there Shannon!

[richard430]

Hi Guys

Enjoy your trip here in Ireland, from an Irishman who loves Florida I am sure you will all enjoy my homeland

CÉAD MÍLE FÁILTE

a hundred thousand welcomes


Richard:dance3:

[redzinner]

Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy!

You will love it! :flower3:

[clarabelle]

Hi Guys

Enjoy your trip here in Ireland, from an Irishman who loves Florida I am sure you will all enjoy my homeland

CÉAD MÍLE FÁILTE

a hundred thousand welcomes


Richard:dance3:

Thanks Richard!
One thing I keep hearing over and over again is how nice the Irish people are!

[Wonders10]

Hi Guys

Enjoy your trip here in Ireland, from an Irishman who loves Florida I am sure you will all enjoy my homeland

CÉAD MÍLE FÁILTE

a hundred thousand welcomes


Richard:dance3:

Thanks for the welcome! I'm really looking forward to seeing your country!

[Wonders10]

I'm Back!!!! As my niece said as we were leaving the Castle, it truly was "the adventure of a lifetime"! My mom and I have already started discussing the possibility of doing another ABD next summer. And meeting fellow DIS-ers was an extra bonus (shout out to Tigger_TTFN and Clarabelle!) :goodvibes We stayed an extra night in the castle, and arrived back home in Florida last night around 11pm local time (4am Ireland time), and opted to sleep over at my DB and DSIL's house before heading back down to my mom's this morning. I need to get my pictures uploaded and will try to start a trip report soon!

If you have any questions in the mean time though, feel free to ask!

[Wonders10]

Hi everyone...not sure if anyone is actually interested in reading this but I will post the first couple days of our trip and see how the response is. I don't have the pics yet, but I will get them up in a little while. Enjoy!

--------------------------------------------------------------------
June 15th-16th, 2009 – Dublin Pre-Night

I was getting a little nervous as we headed to the airport, but both flights from West Palm Beach to Dublin were pretty smooth. I wish I was able to sleep more on the way there, but luckily I was running on pure adrenaline so I was functioning fairly well when we landed. After retrieving our luggage, I started looking for our ABD driver to take us to the Westin. And I couldn’t see him. I looked and walked around for a good 15 minutes and then started to get a little panicky. My cell was not cooperating when I tried calling the Westin and ABD either. I ended up going to the information desk, who was nice enough to call the Westin. She told me that it really isn’t her problem since Disney was responsible for picking us up. We decided to just hop in line for a cab because we didn’t know what else to do. While we were in line, a man came up and asked if we were the Wonders10 party and noticed our ABD tags on our luggage – the Westin called and sent the driver out to get us. Yay! They actually had us as coming in on Sunday, not Monday so it was all messed up. But on we were to the Westin.

Check in was a breeze. Our room wasn’t ready yet so we left our bags and headed out to get some lunch. We ended up at Gallagher’s Boxty House, a short walk from the hotel. My mom and Claire shared the Fish and Chips and I had the Chicken Boxty. It was good, but I could have done without all the sauce, which is unusual for me since I typically love sauces. Then we continued walking around and ended up on Grafton Street. Boy do Dubliners walk fast! I wanted to keep up but I was missing everything! We took the obligatory picture with Molly Malone and continued down Grafton before ending up in St. Stephen’s Green. The weather was beautiful and the park was packed with people. We strolled around for a bit, enjoying the weather and scenery before heading back to the Westin. Our room was ready and it was very nice. Two singles and a rollaway, which was pretty much just a twin bed a little lower than my mom’s and I. Perfect for Claire – she loved it. We had a few of the Temple Bar area. This is where our day went down hill. We were starting to feel the effects of our traveling and getting sleepy. My mom and I were on our beds, watching TV while Claire was amusing herself with the TV, her journal, etc. My mom and I fell asleep and when we woke up about 45 minutes later, ready to get some dinner and explore some more, we saw Claire sound asleep in her bed. Nothing would wake this girl up. Not a darn thing. At this point it was around 4 in the afternoon. After about a half hour of trying to wake her up, we gave up and I decided to wander around and see what I could get for a take out dinner. Room service would have been nicer, but I just cannot justify paying 25 euros for a hamburger. Anyway, I still wasn’t sure of where everything was and I didn’t want to get to disoriented so I ended up getting Subway from a 7-eleven type store across from the hotel. It was fine – just like at home. We ate, watched some TV, and headed to bed early, ready for our first full day in Dublin.

Most Favorite Thing – Arriving safely in Ireland!
Least Favorite Thing – Being forgotten at the airport.

[Wonders10]

June 17th, 2009 – Day 1, Cead Mile Failte

We woke up around 7 to Claire saying her stomach hurt…luckily it was due to hunger and not anything more serious. After showers all around, we headed down to the buffet, which was really nice. Claire’s breakfast for our days there was rice crispies, a bagel, and hot chocolate. I got different things everyday – sometimes just cereal and a croissant, maybe eggs and sausage. It was all good. Oh and as we were coming downstairs we had our first meeting with Francesc, who was great right off the bat – asked how everything was going, what our plans were for the day, and where to meet later that night.

Anyway, our plan for the day was to go to the Dublin Zoo in Phoenix Park. We headed to the tourism center and bought tickets for the hop on hop off busses and after about a 20-minute drive, we got off in Phoenix Park. It was rainy, rainy, rainy on this day and definitely on the cool side, but we were fine with our raingear. The rain there is much different than here at home I thought – more of a heavy mist where we have huge drops of rain. Dublin Zoo is the 3rd oldest zoo in the world and the lion that is used in MGM movie openings was actually born at this zoo way back when. I’m an animal lover so I just love zoos but this was a really great zoo and ended up taking a good chuck of our day to see everything. The rain stopped about halfway through our touring and it was beautiful after that. We got back on our bus and got off at Dame Street with the hopes of finding the Queen of Tarts. It is a tiny pastry shop/bakery that I read nothing but good things about so we just had to try it. It did not disappoint. The three of us shared a huge lemon tart (with tons of meringue) and a slice of chocolate cake. YUM! Then we booked it back to the hotel and relaxed for a little over an hour before our Welcome Reception and Dinner. It had been a great day so far.

It is so funny looking back at that first night because so many families in our group got very close and that first night we were all huddled close together in our families, almost avoiding the other adventurers. I met Clarabelle and her family that night - my 1st DIS-meet! We were ushered into the dining room for a very cute ice breaker game and an introduction by our Adventure Guides, Francesc and Andrew. We ended up sitting with a family who had 3 kids. One of their daughters would become BFFs with Claire and they were always together for the rest of the trip. Dinner was pretty good too – I think I stuck mostly to the steak and potatoes so I don’t remember much of what else they served. It was a buffet though. After dinner, we ventured out towards O’Connel Street, did a little shopping and made the loop around the Ha’Penny Bridge before heading back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep. Oh and after dinner, ABD had left a little surprise in our room – a small carry-on duffel bag and mini binoculars!

Most Favorite Thing – Dublin Zoo
Least Favorite Thing – Not wanting to go to sleep because of the sun being out at 10 and just wanting to see everything

[Wonders10]

June 18th, 2009 – Day 2, Life on the Liffey

The day started with another great breakfast from the buffet. It was our first day with the rest of the group and our first stop was Dublinia and Viking World. It was interesting to see, but not the highlight of my day. The kids seemed to enjoy it more. Then we walked past Christ church cathedral on our way to Dublin Castle. This was a really neat place to visit and I liked how the castle tour guides matched her spiel to the group, talking about the U.S. connections to Ireland, etc. A beautiful place as well. Back on to the coach for a short ride to the Guinness Storehouse for lunch and a tour. There were chicken tenders for the kids and Guinness stew or ham and cabbage for the rest of us. My mom could have licked her plate clean, she loved it so much, but I’m not a huge stew person. It was good though. We were given tickets to have a pint of Guinness with our meal or after the tour. I think most of the group (the adults anyway) opted to have their pint later on as I didn’t see many at lunch. After the tour, which was pretty informative, we had some free time to head up to the Gravity Bar and/or the gift shop. Most everyone went to the bar for their pint. It took a few minutes to get up there, another 10 to actually get served at the bar and by that point we had barely 15 minutes to drink our drinks, enjoy the views and browse the gift shop. I would have rather had less time at Dublinia in order to have more free time at Guinness.

We all boarded the coach and headed back to the Westin. We had about 10 minutes to run back to our rooms before meeting in the lobby to walk over to see the Book of Kells, at Trinity College which was literally a stone’s throw from the hotel. Great location. It looked like most of our group opted to head over, even though it was optional. There was no wait to get in and once we got inside, we were on our own for the rest of the evening. The book of kells was beautiful but in a way disappointing. I guess I thought it would look bigger? Not really sure. The library though was amazing. I wanted to touch every book. My family and I opted to walk around for a bit before dinner. I believe we were somewhere around Nassau Street(?) before heading back towards Grafton. Claire was really getting hungry and in desperate need of some “American” food, so we opted for Captain America’s, on Grafton St. It was very crowded and the food was decent. My mom and I both had burgers while Claire had chicken tenders and a milkshake (from a coupon we found on the hop on hop off bus tour). Overall a great meal. It was around this time that I headed into a jewelry shop on Grafton and made my first “big” purchase, a silver Claddagh ring. We decided to head back to our favorite pastry shop, The Queen of Tarts, to get some dessert for the room. I got a slice of carrot cake while my mom went for that lemon tart again. Claire opted for a chocolate lollipop from Butler’s Chocolate company. Once back at the hotel, we enjoyed our desserts while packing up our suitcases…we were heading to Killarney the next day!

[clarabelle]

Keep going!
I wish we had went to queen of tarts! We have to go back!

[mkmommy]

Please do continue, I am most interested to see how your niece enjoyed the trip, and would love to see pictures.

[Aburns8]

Keep going! I would love to hear your trip report! I would have been freaking out if there was no one there to pick us up from the airport! It sounds like you see a lot on the tour, did you have a lot of free time?

[Wonders10]

June 19th, 2009 – Day 3, Celtic Kingdoms

After getting ready and throwing our last minute “getting ready” items in our suitcases, we left them outside our door before heading down to our last breakfast at the Westin. I really enjoyed the breakfast here…good options and everything tasted yummy. My mom especially loved the berries. I’ve never seen blackberries so big before! We had time before we had to meet the group so we ran upstairs one last time to use the restroom…our luggage was already gone. We hoped the luggage fairies had taken them and not someone else! After boarding the bus, we were off to Killarney, but we had some stops along the way. I sat with my mom while Claire and her new friend, E, sat together near us. We had this seating arrangement for the entire trip which worked our great for our party of 3. The scenery was just beautiful and such a contrast from the big city feel of Dublin. Our first stop was in Abbeyleix for some scones and tea! Coffee, hot chocolate and soft drinks were also available. The scones were SO good. I loaded mine with butter and strawberry jam and I’m not even a jam kind of girl. But, man oh man do I wish I had one of those scones now. Then, we hit the restrooms before boarding the bus. All along the way, Andrew and Francesc did an amazing job of telling stories and facts about things we were driving by or were going to be seeing later that day. They were really entertaining. Not long after our scones break, we approached the Rock of Cashel. It was beautiful! And windy! I actually needed help to get into my jacket because the other sleeve kept blowing out of my reach! Did I mention it was windy? Our private guide gave us a tour and history of the Rock and I’m not going to lie, I didn’t really hear much of it. I was in too much awe just looking around and taking it all in.

After exploring the Rock (we had about 15-20 minutes on our own to explore after the tour), we boarded the coach for the 2 minute drive into the town of Cashel. Francesc pointed out some options for lunch – we had a little over an hour I believe. We opted for a small bakery, sandwich shop. Truthfully I wasn’t too hungry, but the food was fine. Ham sammies for my mom and I, chicken sandwich for Claire. We did a little shopping, bought a few postcards and my new favorite candy – the Irish Beanie Bar. Basically it is a chocolate bar with mini m&m type candies in it, but for some reason I just love them. I think I ate 3 over the course of the trip. Should have stocked up…

Anyway, once again, we boarded the “coach” as my niece began calling it and we were on our way to Killarney. Our guides put on a movie – Enchanted, which I forever will associate with our Ireland trip. It was on tv the other day and I got all choked up remembering where I was the last time I saw it. I swear, I get so sentimental sometimes. The movie did make the time fly by, plus the scenery was pretty great and before I knew it, we were pulling into the Killarney Plaza. It was a beautiful lobby and we had a special welcome waiting for us when we got to the lobby! After grabbing our keys, we booked it to our room. I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t blown away by the rooms at this hotel. They were nice and everything, but I expected something, different? Something that matched the modern-ness of the lobby perhaps? But all in all, it was still very nice. I was a little bummed about having to share a bed with Claire. I HATE sharing a bed with people. I like my space. So it was a long 3 nights…I started praying for a 3rd bed in the castle. Would I get it?

Tonight was the adult dinner night and kid’s movie night. While I was finishing up, my mom dropped Claire off downstairs and soon my mom and I were heading down to dinner ourselves. It was really nice getting to chat with the rest of our group in a more intimate and quiet setting. The food was great! Now, I am not a big drinker. Actually I don’t drink much at all anymore. But, on vacation I don’t mind having a cocktail or 2 and I was really surprised that a complimentary glass of wine (or beer or something) was not included with this meal. Just sayin’. After dinner, we picked up Claire who looked like she might need to be carried back to the room. She was exhausted! And it was off to bed! Another great day!

Favorite Thing – Rock of Cashel (if I had to pick just one thing)
Least Favorite Thing – ummm, this is hard. My ham sandwich, maybe?

[Wonders10]

Ok, I will admit that the thing I hate the most about writing trip reports is uploading the pictures. It takes soooo long. But I also love reading trip reports that have pictures. So I have started my facebook album and supposedly this is a link so that anyone can see them, not just my "friends". Would you mind letting me know if it does work for you all? I'm still uploading more...between my niece and I, we had almost 900 pictures to sort through and many of them were the same. I'll let you know as I add more pictures to the album, too.

Enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=124548&id=745979427&l=4a686bade0

[Aburns8]

Thanks for the photos Shannon! Being a third Irish myself I can't wait to go on this trip one day. My dad's cousin did research and I need to contact her to see what part we are from.

[tigger_ttfn]

Loving your report! It's so neat to see the same trip from someone else's eyes. AND, I love reliving the adventure again...

Great pics too!

[Wonders10]

Keep going!
I wish we had went to queen of tarts! We have to go back!

It was yummy! I am still reliving our trip...it was more than I even thought it would be.

Please do continue, I am most interested to see how your niece enjoyed the trip, and would love to see pictures.

My niece loved the trip and actually really enjoyed (and remembered) all the little "history lessons" along the way. We didn't have any meltdowns on the trip or "I miss mommy's" either. She is a great traveler and I would not hesitate for a second to bring her on another ABD.

Keep going! I would love to hear your trip report! I would have been freaking out if there was no one there to pick us up from the airport! It sounds like you see a lot on the tour, did you have a lot of free time?

We saw tons, I think - way more than if we were traveling on our own. But we did have a good mix of free time to eat wherever we wanted, shop, explore.

Thanks for the photos Shannon! Being a third Irish myself I can't wait to go on this trip one day. My dad's cousin did research and I need to contact her to see what part we are from.

Glad you like the pictures! It was really neat driving through some areas and knowing that that is where my dad grew up...very surreal.

Loving your report! It's so neat to see the same trip from someone else's eyes. AND, I love reliving the adventure again...

Great pics too!

Thanks! I feel like I keep getting little reminders (or sometimes little bits of torture) of our trip everyday. Like, the girl next to me at a restaurant was wearing a shirt that had a shamrock and something written on it in Irish. Or tv shows talk about Ireland. My mom has an Ireland day calendar and leading up to the trip were none of the places we were going, but now they are all the places we were at...it was really a trip of a lifetime.


Thanks everyone for reading! I'll have the next installment up later today! :goodvibes

[Wonders10]

We got our photopass info and DVD today! Well actually it came to my mom's house so it will be awhile until I watch the DVD, but she did call to give me the info so I could go online and see the photos. Now I need to see how many are good enough to buy and if it is worth it...

Oh and she said that the DVD was the same one they showed on our last night...I was under the impression that it would be different. Oh well. Still a ncie memento to have.

[clarabelle]

We just watched ours. I noticed more this time. Last time I was too busy freaking out that the trip was over.

The photo pass pictures are so expensive. I doubt I will buy many of them.
I am doing a photo book on Kodak.com

One of my favorite pictures on the photo pass is of you standing by a street sign that has a picture of a car going into the water.
Priceless!

[Wonders10]

We just watched ours. I noticed more this time. Last time I was too busy freaking out that the trip was over.

The photo pass pictures are so expensive. I doubt I will buy many of them.
I am doing a photo book on Kodak.com

One of my favorite pictures on the photo pass is of you standing by a street sign that has a picture of a car going into the water.
Priceless!

I will probably notice more as well, as the first time I was trying not to burst into tears! Slideshows set to music do not play well with my emotions!

Actually the more I'm looking at the photos, I'm liking the ones I took more! There are a few that I like of us, but on the whole, I'm more pleased I think with our photos. Still tempted to make a photo book though with a mix of theirs and our photos.

[redzinner]

One of my favorite pictures on the photo pass is of you standing by a street sign that has a picture of a car going into the water.
Priceless!

That would be across from Monk's Restaurant in Ballyvaughan, County Clare. ;) A lovely spot on the Burren.
This a beautiful but sad song that I love to listen to (sometimes) when I think of Ireland. Very melancholy. Sweet Ballyvaughan (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCCgheiWYmw)

[Wonders10]

June 20th – Day 4, Cycle of the Kings and Queens

It was getting hard to get out of bed by this point. But we managed. I’m actually surprised by how well Claire did this entire trip. My mom and I would shower and once we were close to being ready, we would start waking her up. First the TV, then the window blinds are opened, etc. Worked pretty well and once she was awake, she cleaned herself up, brushed teeth and got dressed without any extra prodding! I was impressed.

Anyway, it was our first breakfast at the Killarney Plaza and the first thing I noticed was how huge the dining room was compared to the Westin. The food was set up more like a traditional buffet. After giving our room number to the hostess, we were seated. We placed our drink orders (2 coffees and a hot chocolate, our usual) and hit the buffet. I honestly don’t remember exactly what I had every morning here and I had something different every day. But it was mostly good. The scones, however, were not good. At least I didn’t care for them compared to the previous scones we had eaten in Abbeyleix. But the buffet had a good assortment of cereals, fruit, croissants, pastries, and hot items like eggs, sausage, ham(bacon), pancakes which looked more like crepes to me and porridge.

After filling up, we met the group outside for our jaunty cart ride to Muckross House. This was hysterical. Clarabelle – your husband rode with us so I’m sure he could tell you about it too. Our cart was packed! It was my mom, Claire and I, Claire’s friend E with her parents and brother and sister, Andrew the adventure guide, and Clarabelle’s husband. I do not know how we all fit, but we did. Our horse, Chester, was obviously not pleased at having such a heavy load to pull around as he was the slowest horse I’ve ever seen. We were the next to last cart to leave I believe and we were shortly passed by the last cart from our group, plus 2 others. Oh and a lady walking by pushing a stroller. Yep we were moving that slow. And our driver (a jarvy, FYI) was hysterical for the mere fact that none of us could understand a single word he said! But he told tons of stories, anyway. Between the 20 of us in the cart, we could mostly piece the story together. It was just a really fun moment of the trip with lots of smiles and laughter.

So after what seemed like an hour later, we finally made it to Muckross House. After a group shot, we started the tour. No pictures allowed inside which was a shame because it’s gorgeous! Pictures probably wouldn’t do it justice anyway. Then it was time for the bike riding. I opted out of the bike riding, but Claire and my mom went. I took the time for some independent exploring. I followed a portion of the path that the bikers took, but didn’t want to get too far into the trails so I turned back and cut through another path that brought me back behind Muckross House and towards the gardens. It is beautiful back there. By that time I had only about 10 minutes before the bikers returned so I grabbed a bottle of water and waited it out.

Then it was time for lunch! We ate in the gift shop area, which was set up like a cafeteria. We were told to get “whatever we wanted”. Claire got some roasted chicken and potato wedges, plus a cupcake. Now this is a funny story…I ordered the shepherd’s (cottage?) pie. She asked if I would like some veggies on the side so I said “sure!”. I look away for a second and when I look back, she is handing me the biggest plate of food I have ever seen in my life! It was almost embarrassing how much food was on my plate. I had a casserole dish of the cottage pie, a side of carrots, cabbage, a scoop of mashed potatoes (mind you the cottage pie has mashed potatoes on it already), plus a “sprinking” of fried potato wedges. It was all good, but it looked like I didn’t even make a dent in it. My mom ordered the same but didn’t make the same mistake as I did with the “vegetables”. And we got a chocolate macaroon to share for dessert. We had time when we were finished eating to shop and explore the gardens. Since I had already explored the gardens, we opted to shop. I bought a couple books, more postcards, and a small county Clare pin for Claire’s lanyard….and another Irish Beanie bar.

After boarding the coach, the guides said that since it was so nice out and we had time, we would be stopping at Ross Castle. This was neat to see. A high school friend of mine is also Irish, and her family is from Killarney. She told me that the little yellow house next to Ross Castle actually belongs to her aunt and uncle. They used to be the caretakers but now that is just where they live! I think they also run the little refreshment stand there too. I would have liked to go down there and say hello (not that they know me) but didn’t get around to it. We had the option of walking or taking the bus and it seemed a good chunk of the group took the bus back to the hotel. On the drive back, Francesc was going on and on about Murphy’s ice cream. Well, Claire was going to have a full on hissy fit if we didn’t join the group for an optional walk to Murphy’s ice cream, so that was our next stop. My mom and I had the Kahlua coffee and Claire had the cookies (and cream). Yum!

We were on our own for the rest of the evening. Claire was dying to go for a swim so we (Claire and I) donned our bathing suits and swim caps and went down to the pool. I don’t think I have ever swum in an indoor pool before. It was really dark down there. Like swimming at night. But it was refreshing and soon we were dry and dressed and headed down Main Street to get some dinner. We opted to eat at an Italian restaurant that night. Claire had the kids spaghetti Bolognese, which she inhaled. My mom and I shared an entrée salad and individual pizza. It was a really good meal. Although I started noticing a pattern with the servers. They really give you lots of time and they do not bug you at all during your meal. Much different than here were they are pushing you out as quickly as possible. We opted to skip dessert here so we could head to Murphy’s for more ice cream. If you are keeping count, yes, that is twice in one day. I had chocolate whisky, Claire again had cookies and cream, and my mom had the brown bread.

There was a festival going on while we were there and a portion of the road was closed off so a stage could be put up. We really enjoyed watching the dancers and musicians during our stay here…we even ate on the 2nd floor of Murphy’s so could have a clear view of everything. It was crowded down there! Then it was back to the hotel for a good night’s rest!

Favorite thing – jaunty cart ride to Muckross House
Least Favorite thing – not doing the bike portion of the tour

[clarabelle]

That would be across from Monk's Restaurant in Ballyvaughan, County Clare. ;) A lovely spot on the Burren.
This a beautiful but sad song that I love to listen to (sometimes) when I think of Ireland. Very melancholy. Sweet Ballyvaughan (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCCgheiWYmw)

Yes it was! at the pier.

Beautiful song- thanks for sharing

[tigger_ttfn]

We opted to skip dessert here so we could head to Murphy’s for more ice cream. If you are keeping count, yes, that is twice in one day. I had chocolate whisky, Claire again had cookies and cream, and my mom had the brown bread.



Yep, we had it twice in one day as well. First we shared the Honey Comb (caramel) and then we shared the Rum and Raisin. Both were REALLY good!

[tigger_ttfn]

I haven't gotten my DVD or photopass info. I wonder if it will go to my TA first since she has sent me other stuff from ABD? :confused3

I've been dying to get it. Good to know that it should be soon.

[DisneyJo]

Hi Shannon, remember me :wave2: I saw the link in your siggie on V's TR and have just caught up!

So far the trip sounds fantastic, well except the flight changes and the first trip being cancelled. Even though Ireland is so close to me and an old school friend lives near Dublin I've never been. Really must make the effort as it sounds gorgeous :goodvibes

[Wonders10]

I haven't gotten my DVD or photopass info. I wonder if it will go to my TA first since she has sent me other stuff from ABD? :confused3

I've been dying to get it. Good to know that it should be soon.

Have you received the photopass stuff yet?

Hi Shannon, remember me :wave2: I saw the link in your siggie on V's TR and have just caught up!

So far the trip sounds fantastic, well except the flight changes and the first trip being cancelled. Even though Ireland is so close to me and an old school friend lives near Dublin I've never been. Really must make the effort as it sounds gorgeous :goodvibes

Of course I remember you! How have you been? The trip was amazing...so glad we decided to do it. I am still recovering from my post-Ireland depression.

[tigger_ttfn]

Still haven't gotten either...my TA is on vacation until Friday :confused3

[Wonders10]

June 21st – Day 5, Ring around the Kenmare

This morning was the optional walking tour of the Killarney Natl. Park. My family and I opted out of it to catch a little extra sleep, especially after seeing Claire’s demeanor leaving the movie night. We had another decent breakfast and met up with the rest of the group at 10:15 I believe. I was really looking forward to today – we were doing the eco-cruise on Kenmare Bay. It was about an hour to get there and another lovely drive. Once we arrived, we boarded the boat and were on our way. Total, I think the cruise was an hour, hour and a half (??). We saw lots of beautiful scenery and of course some harbour seals! There were refreshments on board, snacks and hot chocolate and the captain let all the jr. adventurers take a turn steering the ship.

After returning to dry land, we drove into Kenmare for lunch and a little free time. As we drove through town, Francesc called out some restaurants that we could go to. Well turns out many of the restaurants were closed! No one really knew why, but Francesc believes it had something to do with everyone celebrating the summer solstice. Luckily we were not too hungry and we stumbled upon a small (and I mean small!) bakery, The Bread Crumb. There was literally enough room to walk in, place your order and walk back out. We ended up getting a croissant, a chocolate croissant and a pizza/pretzel type thing to all share amongst the three of us. Everything was really good! Then we wandered into some of the shops before it was time to board the bus.

Once we returned back to the hotel, we had about an hour before our wine and cheese tasting and irish dancing lessons. We all basically just layed around and relaxed. Once downstairs, Francesc led us into a private room where we could help ourselves to wine and a plate of assorted cheeses. There was also a list to let you know what you were eating. I’m not a huge cheese person, especially just plain cheese. And the crackers had an interesting taste to them, but I did try all of the cheeses and was pleased with most of them. The wine was good too. What I didn’t eat in cheese, I drank in wine! Then it was time for the dancing to begin. I was looking forward to this too because I just love watching irish dancing. To be honest I wish they had done more hard shoe dancing, instead of the soft shoe. but either way, it was all good! All the kids were very eager and excited to partake in the lessons and then it was time for the adults to have a turn. Francesc so kindly volunteered myself to go and apparently I am not that bad in irish dancing. I wasn’t great, but I didn’t make a complete fool of myself. I don’t think anyway…pretty much everyone got up there at some point to do some dancing and it was a really really fun night. I also think it helped bring the group closer together in a way. A bonding moment for all of us. Sigh…:hug:

After the dancing was over and the wine was gone, we headed back down Main Street for dinner. On Francesc’s recommendation we ate at Mac’s. This was sort of a modern diner. It seemed to have lots of locals eating there…and by locals, I mean non-Americans. ;) It was almost a 15 minute wait which I took as a good sign. I opted for another round of fish and chips, Claire had chicken goujons (fingers) and fries, and my mom had the cottage pie. We all loved our meal! I really recommend this place for future ABDers in Killarney. The prices were not bad either. Claire was really wanting some ice cream from this place (which apparently they are semi-famous for) so we got her a cup to go. Totally forgetting the flavor she got…I think bubble gum?

The town was still having their music festival so we stood and watched that for a bit before deciding that we (mom and I) needed dessert too…so off to Murphy’s we went. I had another serving of my chocolate whiskey…totally forget what my mom had. I was too enraptured with my own. We went upstairs to watch some of the performers and then headed back to the hotel to pack up our things. The next day we were heading to the Castle!

Favorite thing – Irish Dancing Lessons
Least Favorite thing – ummm, this is hard so I’m gonna be nitpicky – wait, still can’t do it. Nothing stuck out to me…everything was great!

**My notes from this point on are slim to none and memory is fading with the details so bear with me if the rest of the report isn't quite so detail oriented!

[Wonders10]

Still haven't gotten either...my TA is on vacation until Friday :confused3


That is so strange! Definitely give her a call, or even ABD. I noticed on mine that the pictures "expire" on Aug. 8th...I'm just guessing that is for everyone on this trip.

[tigger_ttfn]

Francesc so kindly volunteered myself to go and apparently I am not that bad in irish dancing. I wasn’t great, but I didn’t make a complete fool of myself. I don’t think anyway…

DH and I were amazed at how good you did!!! We were like "Wow, she's got it down"

[tigger_ttfn]

Question on the photopass...does it give you the option to purchase a cd with all the pics like it normally does?

[clarabelle]

Shannon is being modest -she really picked up on the dancing very quickly -we all thought she had some training.

[clarabelle]

Question on the photopass...does it give you the option to purchase a cd with all the pics like it normally does?

Yes -you can purchase it for 150.00:)

[Wonders10]

Hi everybody!

I just wanted to let you all know that I have uploaded all the pictures I'm going to upload to my facebook account...the link is on pg. 11. Anyone can view it...you don't have to be on facebook. I have tons more (about 800 more actually) but I just don't have the patience to upload all of them.

Clarabelle - I didn't forget about you! I'll email you some pictures from the Medieval Banquet night. :goodvibes

I'm heading to WDW on Thursday for a short getaway, so I'm gonna try to get the last couple days of the trip report finished.

[Database]

Thanks for the trip reporting and the photos!

We're heading to Ireland-ABD in September. Your report is getting us more and more excited for the adventure.

[Wonders10]

June 22nd – Day 6, Limericks and Leprechauns

Part 1

We woke up today and started getting ready to leave Killarney. I had really enjoyed Killarney, more than I expected and was sad to leave. But I was so looking forward to arriving at Dromoland!

This morning I started having some wardrobe issues. It was warm out. Really warm out. Much warmer than I ever expected Ireland to be. I had planned my wardrobe around cooler days, similar to our “winter” here in Florida. But there must have been a heat wave, because if it felt like it did in Ireland in Florida, I’d be wearing a sundress, shorts and t-shirt, sandals. Heck I might have even gone to the beach. So needless to say, I was not too jazzed about having to wear jeans every day and long sleeve tops, but I managed. My tip for you – pack a couple outfits that you don’t think you will need, because you just might!

Anyway, we finished getting ready, put our luggage outside our door and headed down to breakfast. Once our bellies were full, it was almost time to grab a seat on the bus and before we knew it, we were on our way. Our first stop was Inch Beach…it was so pretty! The sand felt so good between your toes. Sand down here is not that soft, plus it’s usually hot and burns your feet, and the shells scratch them up. But Inch Beach was great. The water definitely was chilly but not quite as cold as I expected it to be. We had about an hour to explore the beach. The jr. adventurers played games and hunted for crabs – there are tons! And basically just walked up and down the coast soaking it all in. I could have spent a lot more time here. Claire said it was her favorite part of the trip. Leave it to a native Floridian to travel all the way to Ireland and say her favorite thing there was the beach. Next we drove to Adare for some lunch and free time. Francesc again gave us some recommendations for restaurants, and this time they were actually open! We chose to eat a small pub very close to where we were dropped off. I am forgetting the name. Aunt somebody’s? Dirty something? I don’t know. Anyway, apparently the rest of our ABD group had the same idea because they got slammed! And there was just one waitress working the whole restaurant. Poor girl…I was stressed just watching her. But she did an awesome job serving everybody. I was pleased anyway – she earned her tip and then some. As for our meals, I had (surprise!) fish and chips, Claire had chicken fingers, and my mom had something Irish-y, like stew or cottage pie. But I can’t remember what now. She liked it though. After paying for our meal, we browsed the shops and bought a few more souvenirs (and another beanie bar) at the adare gift shop. Then it was time to head on the bus. I decided to have a little piece of my beanie bar and when I opened it – it was white chocolate! I HATE white chocolate. Talk about disappointing. Claire was happy though because she loves it, so she got this beanie bar. Makes up for the times I wasn’t too willing to share mine (milk chocolate) with her. Then we had about 2 hours to get to Dromoland. Andrew and Francesc put on Darby O’Gill and the Little People in keeping with the theme of the day. I tried to pay attention to the movie, but my goodness, it was boring. Luckily I had my iPod to keep me occupied, not to mention the beautiful scenery outside our window. Soon we would be arriving at the Castle…

[Aburns8]

I was wondering if they would play Darby O'Gill and the Little People. I watch that every St. Patrick's day. I can't wait to do this trip one day. It sounds amazing!

[redzinner]

[B][U]June 22nd – Day 6, Limericks and Leprechauns

We chose to eat a small pub very close to where we were dropped off. I am forgetting the name. Aunt somebody’s? Dirty something? I don’t know. Anyway, apparently the rest of our ABD group had the same idea because they got slammed! And there was just one waitress working the whole restaurant. Poor girl…I was stressed just watching her. But she did an awesome job serving everybody. I was pleased anyway – she earned her tip and then some.

Aunty Lena's, I'm guessing. We ate there also in Adare. Our guides suggested we stay away from it but as the bus drove by they both said 'Oh, it looks like it's been cleaned up a bit.' So Mindy and I tried it and enjoyed the place. It was fun because there was a Wedding party in there for their 'pre-ceremony' drinks ... only in Ireland. Everywhere else waits until after the ceremony for drinks ... they did it before! Anyway it was fun to see everyone dressed and the ladies had some wild hats on too.
We still were served in good time and hot meals even though they had the big party going on.

[Wonders10]

Aunty Lena's, I'm guessing. We ate there also in Adare. Our guides suggested we stay away from it but as the bus drove by they both said 'Oh, it looks like it's been cleaned up a bit.' So Mindy and I tried it and enjoyed the place. It was fun because there was a Wedding party in there for their 'pre-ceremony' drinks ... only in Ireland. Everywhere else waits until after the ceremony for drinks ... they did it before! Anyway it was fun to see everyone dressed and the ladies had some wild hats on too.
We still were served in good time and hot meals even though they had the big party going on.

Yes that was it! Thanks for reminding me of the name.

I saw a couple other group members, including Andrew and Francesc, eating at the Adare heritage center restaurant (Table Service). It was one of the places they recommended.

[DisneyJo]

Of course I remember you! How have you been? The trip was amazing...so glad we decided to do it. I am still recovering from my post-Ireland depression. I'm great, thanks for asking, the girls are getting very big now the eldest just turned 13 :faint: I'm also being kept busy as I am a member of the Disney World Moms panel, I couldn't believe it when I was chosen as the first Brit to be on the panel :goodvibes I had to go for training last December and was lucky enough to spend a night in Cinderella's Castle suite!!!


Sounds as though you're loving fish and chips, they taste so different over here compared to in the US and the Irish dancing sounds like fun :thumbsup2

Hope you're having a fantastic time in WDW :goodvibes

[kozbisa1972]

I went on this trip in 2007 with my parents and daughter. What a beautiful place to visit and it was not hot in July! The best comes last at the castle. Wait until you get there!

[jagmom]

I can't wait to hear about the castle!

[jagmom]

I can't wait to hear about the castle!

[Wonders10]

I am sorry that I have been such a slacker in finishing this report. I really thought that I was going to finally finish a trip report too. I just had a whole days worth typed out when I accidentally deleted it. oops. So I'm sort of ending it there...if anyone has any questions about the rest of our trip, or any parts of the trip,, I would be more than happy to answer them, but to actually finish and write 2.5 more days is just not happening right now. I'll give some final thoughts thoush on those last 2.5 days.

Dromoland - beautiful castle, but needs air! Seriously, being there when it is above 75 is a little on the warm side. But very very beautiful. I have to say that I was a little underwhelmed at the castle - I think I had built it up so much in my head and I missed the city and town atmosphere of so much to walk around and do that we had in Dublin and Killarney. If I were doing this trip over, I would not have stayed an extra night at Dromoland.

Hawk Walk - We were able to do this on our last day, after rest of the group went home. Definitely recommend it. Very neat experience.

Ennis - We also took a cab ride into Ennis on our last day. Do not do this. Our cabbie told me, as we were getting out of the cab, "don't flash your money around". Great first impression. We were able to run into a grocery store and stocked up on irish candy and snacks which we didn't get a chance to do before that.

Shopping - a regret my mom and I have is that we didn't buy enough stuff. I kept talking myself out of things that now I am kicking myself for not buying.

Shutterfly vs. Photopass - I loved my pictures way more that disney's pictures so I ended up making a photo book on shutterfly. It ended up having 50 pages and cost $60-ish. I love it!!!! And way cheaper than Disney.

Another ABD? - I would do another ABD in a heartbeat if I could afford it. I was really hoping to do the knights and lights this summer but financially it just is not going to work for me. But that is ok. I would however recommend ABD to anyone wanting to go on a trip of a lifetime...because that is truly what you get.

Thanks for reading...and again, feel free to ask any questions!!! :goodvibes

[starrzone]

:flower3: read your report from start to finish; thanks for sharing! I really, REALLY want to do a tour of the UK and Northern Ireland some day, although I'm still a student so that day is way in the future. Scary that the cabbie warned you not to "flash your money" around; when I went on a tour of Eastern Europe back in 2003, our guide warned the guys in the group of "ladies of the night" who would hang around in the lobby of the (not fancy but mid-range, sort of like a Holiday Inn standard) hotel, "peddling" their services. Thankfully, we did not encounter any during our stay :thumbsup2.

[OurDogCisco]

I LOVEd your pictures. The greenery looks amazing. I live in CA and we don't have that kind of greenery here. TFS...