Central Europe: Austria, Germany & Czech Rep. Meets Thread

[ivrier]

I've updated the Roll Call to put you under the July 12th trip. When you introduced yourself, you said you were on the same trip as Calfan, so I assumed you were on the July 5th trip. I really do know better than to assume, but oh well!

Sayhello

NO worries sayhello,
I was too excited being my first ABD and all. I guess it was my fault not reading it more carefully.

 

[west&east]

I received an email the other day from ABD stating they found that something in the flight info I provided (booked myself) was no longer valid. I called ABD and it seemed they may have flagged it because we have an overnight in Frankfurt post trip and there was no hotel in our notes. Otherwise, all the info was correct and confirmed with the airline. In any case, I found it interesting that they still track and check flight info even when you don't book through them. Also, in speaking to the Vacationista, I got super excited for the trip! It sounds like there will be some great adventures ahead!!

 

[Calfan]

Also, in speaking to the Vacationista, I got super excited for the trip! It sounds like there will be some great adventures ahead!!

Woo hoo! I cannot wait. Got to get seriously started with packing this weekend. We leave on June 30.

 

[ivrier]

Just spoke to a vacationista and we will have 43 in the group of which 16 are children. Among the girls there are one 6 y/o, two 7 y/o and one of each of ages 8, 13, 14, 16 and 17.
Among the boys there will be one 6 y/o, two 8 y/o and one of each of ages 9,11,14, 17 and 18.

I am so glad that my 7 and 17 year-old daughters will have someone to mingle with!!

 

[ivrier]

Woo hoo! I cannot wait. Got to get seriously started with packing this weekend. We leave on June 30.

I guess we won't be seeing your family in this trip. I got too excited and thought that your family will be on the July 12 trip.
Hope to meet your family some time at the Baltic cruise!

 

[Calfan]

I guess we won't be seeing your family in this trip. I got too excited and thought that your family will be on the July 12 trip.
Hope to meet your family some time at the Baltic cruise!

Yes, that is too bad we won't get a chance to meet before the cruise, but hopefully we will get an opportunity to meet on the ship. We booked the ABD add-on for the cruise when it was released yesterday morning.

 

[Marthasor]

Just spoke to a vacationista and we will have 43 in the group of which 16 are children. Among the girls there are one 6 y/o, two 7 y/o and one of each of ages 8, 13, 14, 16 and 17.
Among the boys there will be one 6 y/o, two 8 y/o and one of each of ages 9,11,14, 17 and 18.

I am so glad that my 7 and 17 year-old daughters will have someone to mingle with!!

Thanks for posting this info, ivrier! My son is the 6 year old boy on this trip (will be 7 in October). Glad to see there are some other little ones on our departure!

Looking forward to meeting you on July 12!

 

[Calfan]

So I think the first Central Europe ABD of the season recently ended. For anyone on that trip, I would love to get your feedback on what exactly you saw during the ABD tour of Prague Castle. What sites were included, if any, other than St. Vitus Cathedral, which is listed in the itinerary? Did you feel like you saw enough of Prague Castle with ABD, or would you recommend using some of our time during our pre-days to see more of the Prague Castle complex? I would also really like to know exactly what was included in your walking tour of Prague in addition to the Astronomical Clock and the bridge so we don't duplicate things during our pre-days. Finally, can you let me know approximately how much time there was between the Marionette making and dinner? Thanks so much!

 

[sayhello]

So I think the first Central Europe ABD of the season recently ended. For anyone on that trip, I would love to get your feedback on what exactly you saw during the ABD tour of Prague Castle. What sites were included, if any, other than St. Vitus Cathedral, which is listed in the itinerary? Did you feel like you saw enough of Prague Castle with ABD, or would you recommend using some of our time during our pre-days to see more of the Prague Castle complex? I would also really like to know exactly what was included in your walking tour of Prague in addition to the Astronomical Clock and the bridge so we don't duplicate things during our pre-days. Finally, can you let me know approximately how much time there was between the Marionette making and dinner? Thanks so much!

Yes, the first trip did just end a couple of days ago. I know, because I was following one of my acquaintances from ABD on facebook as she went along on the first trip. And I can tell you, from the pictures I saw, I'm going to have a REALLY hard time waiting 14 months to take this trip!! Looking forward to all the reports!

Sayhello

 

[Calfan]

Yes, the first trip did just end a couple of days ago. I know, because I was following one of my acquaintances from ABD on facebook as she went along on the first trip. And I can tell you, from the pictures I saw, I'm going to have a REALLY hard time waiting 14 months to take this trip!! Looking forward to all the reports!

Sayhello

Very exciting!

 

[ivrier]

Thanks for posting this info, ivrier! My son is the 6 year old boy on this trip (will be 7 in October). Glad to see there are some other little ones on our departure!

Looking forward to meeting you on July 12!

Yes, I am very excited to meet your family as my 7-year old daughter will mostly be playing with your son! Where will you be staying on your pre-tour days. We will be arriving on the 10th and stay at the Marriot. We booked it on our own since the ABD prices were more than the Marriot prices. On the 11th we are booked on a walking tour. I'm not sure of the rules of posting the tour group. Am I allowed to post the tour group?

 

[sayhello]

Yes, I am very excited to meet your family as my 7-year old daughter will mostly be playing with your son! Where will you be staying on your pre-tour days. We will be arriving on the 10th and stay at the Marriot. We booked it on our own since the ABD prices were more than the Marriot prices. On the 11th we are booked on a walking tour. I'm not sure of the rules of posting the tour group. Am I allowed to post the tour group?

Yes, you can feel free to go ahead and post the independent vendors you use for your pre-days! If the DIS has an issue with them, the filters will change it into asterisks. If you post a website, be sure and post the entire URL (www.whateversite.com) so that the filters will be engaged.

Sayhello

 

[Tozzie]

Vacationistas are usually referred to the ABD people at the other end of the phone line when you book an ABD. The good folks who will be traveling with you are the ABD guides. Just a clarification. The guides assigned to your trip will set up a table in your hotel lobby, usually late morning through the early afternoon. All these will be detailed to you as you check in. There will be someone on the airport (not your guides) holding an ABD sign whom you will approach to let them know you arrived and will take you to the hotel. The pre-nights should have been booked through ABD and not through your own to avail this perk.

It may indeed be the guides, on two of my trips the guides were at the airport

 

[tufbuf]

It may indeed be the guides, on two of my trips the guides were at the airport

The only time we had our guide pick us up was in Ecuador and Southwest Splendor ABD. The latter is understandable since we went to Sedona from the Phoenix airport immediately. At least in our case, majority of the time the guides do not pick us up esp if you do a number of pre-nights.

 

[Bobo912]

Our guides picked us up in Alaska and SWS, of course. An ABD guide met us at the airport in Costa Rica too, but she wasn't one of our guides. Maybe she was there dropping off the tour previous group. I doubt that will happen if you book pre-days.

 

[west&east]

Wishing there were more updates and discussion about the itinerary but also grateful there hasn't been a lot of discussion so I can let it all unfold and be surprised for a change! The beauty of letting someone else do the planning!

 

[sayhello]

Wishing there were more updates and discussion about the itinerary but also grateful there hasn't been a lot of discussion so I can let it all unfold and be surprised for a change! The beauty of letting someone else do the planning!

Ah, well! Only one trip has finished so far, and it's possible the folks on that trip are still traveling (it only ended 2 days ago!) DISer RSM is on the trip right now, and I'm pretty sure he'll be back to tell us all about it! Hopefully that will give you a few days to absorb it before your trip!

Sayhello

 

[Calfan]

Ah, well! Only one trip has finished so far, and it's possible the folks on that trip are still traveling (it only ended 2 days ago!) DISer RSM is on the trip right now, and I'm pretty sure he'll be back to tell us all about it! Hopefully that will give you a few days to absorb it before your trip!

Sayhello

If you can get him to answer my handful of specific questions, that would be awesome. I don't want any surprises given away but the info would really help me figure out how best to use the time on our pre-days.

 

[abbyjt]

I haven't read through this post, I just wanted to tell people to bring gloves for the ice cave. We are here now. Jennae & Bette are our guides. Having a great time. Very cool weather which is unusual. The cave is cold no matter the outside temp. The metal handrails that you will want to hold while walking & climbing in there are really cold.

 

[abbyjt]

If you have pre days, we did the Jewish quarter, the castle a little bit, Disney does it, but it was Sunday & we couldn't go into st vitus & you don't want to miss that.