A Birthday Trip without a Birthday - 2/16: Conclusion and Bonus Birthday Tea

Great pictures Katharina! The soap box derby looks like so much fun. And I bet the photo exhibition was pretty neat too. I'd love to see Berlin one day.
 
Just wanted to let you know that I'm here and catching up on your wonderful plans, you trip sounds like it is going to be so much fun. :goodvibes
 
Hi everyone!! Sorry for the long absence, but I am back now with an important announcement: Look at our ticker - only 3 months from today and we will arrive at the Boardwalk! :banana::banana::banana:

Katharina is off on vacation at the moment in Northern France, but I have some new pictures to post - and hope to get into more of a mood of updating this in the next weeks! :goodvibes
 
I just wanted to chime in and say that I also enjoy all that you share with us about your area and celebrations.

My dad's family has a strong German ancestry so we have always felt a kinship with things with a German influence. My uncle was stationed in Germany when he was in the Army during the Vietnam war. My brother was also stationed in Germany in the mid-80s. He was in or near a town called Hanau. He loved it over there and wanted to extend his tour, but being a habitual procrastinator, did not get the request for an extension filed in time and was sent back to the States.

On my mom's side, her ancestry is rather muddled, but with the name of Armstrong she identifies more with the Scottish. Her younger sister, however, met a man online that was an American civilian worker in Germany at one of the military bases. She eventually moved there to be with and marry him. They lived over there a couple years before he retired and they moved back here. She also loved it there.

My husband, about 10 years ago, zipped through briefly. He was on a business trip around the area but had no time to really see anything. They would meet with their suppliers during the day, have a meal, drive to the next destination in time to go to bed and get up and do it again. His only comment was that the meals "over there" - so I guess Europe in general since he wasn't in the same place twice - seemed to take "forever". But that could also be because they had no down-time and knew they had a long drive ahead of them each night.

Thanks for your lovely comments! I find it always interesting how many people in America have connections with Germany - either through ancestry or because of their military service. :goodvibes

Once again caught up.

Wonderful pictures from DLP. Everything looks so perfect.

I love Harry Potter too! I just reread the last book so I'll be ready for the movie next month. After so many books it 's so hard to come back to the real world. What will we do once the last movie is over with? I'm so happy you two will get a chance to experience the World of Harry Potter.

Thanks again for sharing so more of Germany. I know I enjoy the information so much.

Glad you are enjoying the PTR! I propably should have reread the Harry Potter books as well, now I am going to be confused when I watch the movie... :scared1: ;)

Hi Ladies! Getting all caught up after my short DIS hiatus!

Love all of the info about Germany and really love the DLP photos! It is amazing how much is similar and how much is different.

We enjoyed MNSSHP - especially the decorations and the parade. The trick or treating was okay. The best of all of the parties was pirate and princess. :sad1:

We went to the Dark Side last year (May 2010). It was just before WWoHP opened so I can't give any advice there. Here is my brief two cents. . . IOA is much better themed than Universal. I found it very difficult to get help/information there so try to learn as much as you can before you go. Seuss Landing is amazing even if you just do a quick walk through. My DD loved Men in Black and we all enjoyed simpsons. Be careful of some of the more intense rides - my DH (who rides everything) said the Hulk was too intense even for him. We had a great meal at Mythos if you are looking for a TS meal. Circus McGurkus was good for a CS meal. Hope that helps!

Thanks for all the info! Katharina and I really looking forward to this. We have decided to not spend any park time on a TS meal, so thanks for the recommendation of Circus McGurkus! :thumbsup2

Just dropping by to say hi! :wave2:

Hi!! :goodvibes

I'm just dropping by to tell you how much I enjoyed your other trip report. I found it pretty late, but liked the extra touches you included about your adventures in Germany. I bet you can't wait until your October trip. :goodvibes

:welcome: Thanks for the nice comments about the TR! I can't wait for October to come either... :rolleyes1

Thanks for sharing your German culture once again:thumbsup2 Love hearing everything you have to share :goodvibes

Hmmmm a day spent at the dark side.....I may have to investigate into this :rolleyes1 It sounds like so much to do in one day but it CAN be done:laughing: I know my niece would love to go and of course I want to also ....I can't justify staying at Universal (where you get the coveted front of line and early entry) when I can stay at DVC for "free." ;) so this may just work for us.

Off to check this out :wizard:

Tracy

Hi Tracy, sounds like a great plan for your niece. And after having read and investigated those two parks, Katharina and I are really very excited about that side trip - we admitted the other day that we are so tempted to make this into a two day side trip, but then we are afraid that that would make our WDW part more hectic. And that is something we want to avoid at all cost!!
 


Yep, pages behind. :rolleyes:



Ah...that makes sense! So perhaps a few days at DLP, then we'd move hotels. :goodvibes I look forward to planning that trip-I really should just set a date instead of saying "someday", then we'd be motivated to save and work toward it!

That is a shame about the themed food disappearing!



I'm really enjoying all your DLP pictures - and your upcoming plans! I remember reading about this on "the other board" and that is why all gift shops are mostly only themed at 3/4 of the way up the wall and higher. I never noticed this at WDW until after I read that thread! I imagine all the Disney parks are like this now too.

The arcades look beautiful! What a clever design. I have been in a couple of similar buildings here in America - one that stands out to me is near my Mom's home in Minnesota, it connects two buildings and then has shops within the arcade itself, along with a glass ceiling. It's almost like being outside-but not quite...which is good for Minnesotans in those cold winters!

I wish I could add hints about Universal for you, but I'm sure you've got plenty from other readers! We plan to adventure that way eventually as well - maybe in a couple years.

Hi Brook, I am sure you will get to plan that trip Paris one day!! :thumbsup2

Thanks for the story about Minnesota - it is great to hear that there are some real American towns which still have the feel of Main Street. I think I have mentioned that quite a few times (mainly to Wendy), but I would love to one day make a trip with just visiting places like this. :goodvibes

Just wanted to let you know that I'm here and catching up on your wonderful plans, you trip sounds like it is going to be so much fun. :goodvibes

Hi Leslie! Great to see you back on the boards and doing well! Katharina and I were just talking about what had happened to you a few weeks ago! :goodvibes
 
Two weeks ago my work had their annual summer day out - and we went on an excursion to a town north of Nuremberg called Coburg.

There even is a Disney connection between Coburg and Walt Disney World. The most famous son of Coburg would be Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a prince born into the family of the local rulers (at that time Germany did not have one central state, but was split up in a lot of different little kingdoms and principalities). He went on to marry his cousin, Queen Victoria. So he is the Albert in the restaurant at the Grand Floridian called Victoria and Albert's.

Let's start with a few pictures around town:

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This is the castle the princes of Coburg used inside the town - Queen Victoria was a regular visitor here, as well as in the summer castle, just outside town:

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In the afternoon we went hiking, so I have a few pictures of the countryside, villages and old castle ruins which we saw:

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At the end of the walk we had taken a wrong turn and ended up with having to cross the building site for the new railway from Nuremberg to Berlin:

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And one fun picture - we were rather surprised to see the symbol for Nuremberg's ice hockey team so prominently on the coach we were travelling on. It turned out that it was one of their official coaches which they use for matches etc.

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Welcome back! I love your little photo tours; your country is quite beautiful!
 


Great photos! The history of Europe and the age of the buildings, etc. always amazes me! Looks like a lovely day!

:cool1::yay::cheer2: woo-hoo for three months!
 
Thanks for the trip through Coburg. It looks lovely.



oh and :woohoo::yay::banana: for 3 months!!!
 
Oh man, I love those European towns. I'd love to visit.

That was a neat tie-in to Disney and Victoria & Alberts. :thumbsup2
 
Hi Leslie! Great to see you back on the boards and doing well! Katharina and I were just talking about what had happened to you a few weeks ago! :goodvibes

I took a self-imposed DIS hiatus. I knew I couldn't plan anymore trips for 2011 and so I just needed to take a break and focus on things that were not Disney related but I'm back and planning a trip for my husband & I in January which I'm very excited about.

Your pictures are so beautiful, I really need to do some more traveling around the world to se all of these gorgeous sights!
 
Thank you Magdalene for the lovely pictures! :cloud9: Just beautiful.... I love the Disney link as well very cool. And yeah :woohoo: for 3 months!
 
Great pix of Coburg !!As I am reading the update I seemed to have a:idea: go off !!!Of course Prince Albert !! Queen Victoria passed a law that still stands . No King can ever rule as Albert, she never wanted anyone to be higher than her beloved Albert!!!
 
At the end of the walk we had taken a wrong turn and ended up with having to cross the building site for the new railway from Nuremberg to Berlin:

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:woohoo: Nerdy engineering stuff! :banana:

The town of Coburg looks beautiful. Reminds me a lot of Fantasyland. Do you think the people there would mind if I explored every building on my own, like I do at Disney? :rotfl:
 
Welcome back! I love your little photo tours; your country is quite beautiful!

Thanks! :goodvibes

Very Nice Magdelena!! What a lovely town, so pretty!!

WooHoo for 3 months. :woohoo:

I was surprised how pretty the town was myself! :thumbsup2

Great photos! The history of Europe and the age of the buildings, etc. always amazes me! Looks like a lovely day!

:cool1::yay::cheer2: woo-hoo for three months!

It was a great day. :goodvibes

Thanks for the trip through Coburg. It looks lovely.

oh and :woohoo::yay::banana: for 3 months!!!

:cool1: for three months! Coburg was a very pleasent surprise.
 
Oh man, I love those European towns. I'd love to visit.

That was a neat tie-in to Disney and Victoria & Alberts. :thumbsup2

There are plenty of beautiful towns in that area - Bamberg is close by and a world heritage site.

I took a self-imposed DIS hiatus. I knew I couldn't plan anymore trips for 2011 and so I just needed to take a break and focus on things that were not Disney related but I'm back and planning a trip for my husband & I in January which I'm very excited about.

Your pictures are so beautiful, I really need to do some more traveling around the world to se all of these gorgeous sights!

I had a look at your PTR. looks like you did well with focusing on non-Disney issues! :thumbsup2

I always hope that my Germany updates do inspire people do consider travelling abroad. If I can travel to the US easily, it shouldn't be so much more difficult for you to come to Europe! :goodvibes

Thank you Magdalene for the lovely pictures! :cloud9: Just beautiful.... I love the Disney link as well very cool. And yeah :woohoo: for 3 months!

The Disney link is cute, isn't it? :goodvibes I thought you would enjoy them - you loved Würzburg as well, didn't you. Similar building style.

Great pix of Coburg !!As I am reading the update I seemed to have a:idea: go off !!!Of course Prince Albert !! Queen Victoria passed a law that still stands . No King can ever rule as Albert, she never wanted anyone to be higher than her beloved Albert!!!

How funny about Albert - but then who would want to be called Albert anyway? ;)

:woohoo: Nerdy engineering stuff! :banana:

The town of Coburg looks beautiful. Reminds me a lot of Fantasyland. Do you think the people there would mind if I explored every building on my own, like I do at Disney? :rotfl:

:lmao: Well, one of the buildings was the city hall, so it is a public building which you could explore.

If you want to know more about the nerdy engineering stuff (it shows that I am the daughter of a civil engineer, that's why I take pictures like that), here is the info on that new railway: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg–Erfurt_high-speed_railway

It is supposed to reduce the travel time by train betwen Munich and Berlin to 4 hours, it's 6 hours at the moment, but was 8 hours in 1992.
 
There are plenty of beautiful towns in that area - Bamberg is close by and a world heritage site.

Bamburg was on our list of cities/towns to see.. next time!


I always hope that my Germany updates do inspire people do consider travelling abroad. If I can travel to the US easily, it shouldn't be so much more difficult for you to come to Europe! :goodvibes

I hope people do get inspired to travel to Germany too Magdalene! It's a beautiful country with equally beautiful friendly people. :flower3:


The Disney link is cute, isn't it? :goodvibes I thought you would enjoy them - you loved Würzburg as well, didn't you. Similar building style.

Yes we love Wurzburg! Well we loved everything...:love:


If you want to know more about the nerdy engineering stuff (it shows that I am the daughter of a civil engineer, that's why I take pictures like that), here is the info on that new railway: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg–Erfurt_high-speed_railway

It is supposed to reduce the travel time by train betwen Munich and Berlin to 4 hours, it's 6 hours at the moment, but was 8 hours in 1992.


WOW 4 hours to Munich from Berlin that is fantastic it would make travel so much easier. When DH and I were planning our Germany trip we made a rule about train travel no more that 4-5 hours to a new destination by train. We didn't want to waste a whole day on a train. We even loved traveling by train! Something we don't have here in the midwest. And I hope Katharina will post pictures from her trip to Northern France! That would be lovely too...:goodvibes
 
We even loved traveling by train! Something we don't have here in the midwest. And I hope Katharina will post pictures from her trip to Northern France! That would be lovely too...:goodvibes

That's funny that you say that - I think it goes to show how big our Midwest area is. I live about 20 minutes from Galesburg, IL and you can't get through town without waiting on trains. Granted, most of them are freight trains, but there is an Amtrak station in town also. I have only taken one trip on it - went to Chicago once for a business meeting. But my husband used to take it a few times a year when he had a supplier he had to visit in Kansas City. It's not always very convenient. My son goes to school in Carbondale and there is an Amtrak station near campus, but for him to get home using it he would have to go from Carbonale (southern Illinois) to Chicago (northern Illinois) to Galesburg (Central Illinois) :confused3 Needless to say, he has never done that.
 
That's funny that you say that - I think it goes to show how big our Midwest area is. I live about 20 minutes from Galesburg, IL and you can't get through town without waiting on trains. Granted, most of them are freight trains, but there is an Amtrak station in town also. I have only taken one trip on it - went to Chicago once for a business meeting. But my husband used to take it a few times a year when he had a supplier he had to visit in Kansas City. It's not always very convenient. My son goes to school in Carbondale and there is an Amtrak station near campus, but for him to get home using it he would have to go from Carbonale (southern Illinois) to Chicago (northern Illinois) to Galesburg (Central Illinois) :confused3 Needless to say, he has never done that.

Oh we have trains here and an Amtrak station in town. I was referring to the high speed rail in Europe or even their local Regional trains. You could travel all of Germany without need of a car. We have nothing of that here in the mid-west.
 

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