Show No Fear! DIS Exclusive Viva Italia+DLP TR Sept 2014*COMPLETE* New TR link added 7/3

[khertz]

I'm glad they wrapped it so well. I'd have been afraid to buy anything just knowing how fragile and bulky it would be to fly home with it!

The glass blowing demonstration really looks like it was a lot of fun and very interesting. Amazing what a craftsman who knows what they're doing can manifest out of something simple like a blob of liquid glass.


NOOOOO!!!!


Looks classy to me. I'd probably be taking a bigger bite and have gelato all over me.

But then again, this was the last one, so I guess savoring it a bit makes sense.





Such a sad, bittersweet time...

I was a little nervous to buy it too, but it was probably one of the only things we bought that I wasn't worried about getting home once I saw how they packed it. It was incredible watching an artisan at work like that, to see what he could create and how quickly.

It was kind of tough not to just dive in, knowing it would most likely be our last taste of that heaven on earth known as gelato!

It was definitely bittersweet to be at the end of the ABD. On the one hand, I was SO ready to get home to see DS, and the end of the ABD meant that time was getting closer. But we had loved the people and the places so much and it sucked to be leaving!

Great pics, as always, and I love the mask you guys picked!

The glassblowing demonstrations are unreal. So cool!

Thanks! That mask was such a great find for us, and something I will always look at and remember walking around Venice with DH.

It was amazing to see an artisan at work like that!

All caught up!! I also really loved Venice, though for some reason DH wasn't a huge fan. I could spend a week there just walking around and taking photos! The Doge's palace was a visit we thoroughly enjoyed. Your dinner with the hail sounds crazy!! Though the tables sure are decorated nicely esp for being outside! Love the story of the little mask shop - we stumbled upon one as well in our search for two masks and love them!

The glass blowing demonstration looked really cool and what a beautiful little horse sculpture. Nice choice on the red vase, though too bad about the salesman following you around- SO annoying!

I was blown away with how much I fell in love with Venice, thinking Rome would blow the other cities out of the water for me. We really loved both, for two completely different reasons.

The hail storm was NUTS!! It was crazy enough that we encountered the aftermath in Florence, but even more so that it followed us to Venice and we were actually able to experience it!

It's so great what you can find when you stumble upon a little shop nestled between all of the touristy places.

The salesman was super annoying, and we were so relieved to shake him off finally so we could talk amongst ourselves and decide what we wanted to bring home. So happy we were able to get the vase. I love it!

I love glassblowing demonstrations. It's always amazing how they pull such intricate & beautiful shapes out of a molten blob!

That vase you got is exquisite! How large is it? It's hard to tell from the picture. I'd've been so scared to carry it home. But obviously they know what they're doing when they pack stuff!

The Farewell Dinner is always such a bittersweet time...

Sayhello

It's crazy how much detail they get in such a short amount of time. It really surprised us all how quickly he formed that horse!!

It's about 9 inches tall or so. I was nervous until they brought it back all wrapped up. Without even seeing what was under the brown paper, it was obvious it was sturdy! That made me a little less nervous.

Definitely. I was not prepared for that!

 

[DDuck4Life]

Here is the vase once we got it home and opened up the package you can't even see it through all the stuffing. It was probably wrapped up to be 2-3 times the size of the vase itself. I was never really worried about something happening while traveling back but still took a deep breath when opening up the package to find everything still intact. the definitely knew what they were doing to protect their glass.

 

[khertz]

View attachment 86653
Here is the vase once we got it home and opened up the package you can't even see it through all the stuffing. It was probably wrapped up to be 2-3 times the size of the vase itself. I was never really worried about something happening while traveling back but still took a deep breath when opening up the package to find everything still intact. the definitely knew what they were doing to protect their glass.

I didn't realize you had this! Thanks for posting.

 

[khertz]

Day 9 Continued: Tuesday September 23rd

After a quick shower and outfit change, it was time to head down to the lobby to meet up with everyone for the Farewell Dinner. I couldn't believe how much I had been dreading this night coming. Despite being ready to get home to DS, I just wasn't ready to say goodbye to our new family yet! It wasn't something I was expecting to happen, and yet I was really sad that this was our last meal all together.

We were some of the first few down in the lobby, so we grabbed a seat and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings.

ABD 09-182 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


ABD 09-183 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
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Jean & Rosemary were the first to come down dressed for the occasion.

ABD 09-184 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
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Then a masked man appeared on the balcony above us.

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And another down on the ground floor with us!

ABD 09-189 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


ABD 09-193 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Seriously, how adorable are they?!
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We headed up to dinner where we were seated with Grant & Lesley, Chris, Chuck, Rick & Mike. It was only fitting since it seemed like we had shared most of our family meals with them over the course of the trip! First up we were served some delicious bread, then came the appetizers.

DH had the seafood risotto.

ABD 09-195 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
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I went for the pasta with tomato sauce.

ABD 09-196 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
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We took a taste of each other's first course, and they were both as delicious as they looked! There was a 3rd option of a truffle ravioli that Grant ordered and let DH take a photo of it. Despite how good my pasta was, after seeing his, I was having some serious food envy!

ABD 09-197 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
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DH and I both ordered the steak for our main course, which came with French fries. A little unexpected, but we weren't complaining. Again, delicious!

ABD 09-201 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
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Last but certainly not least was dessert! Who cares that we had just had gelato a couple hours ago? It's vacation, calories don't count! DH had the chocolate mousse, while I had the ricotta cheesecake.

ABD 09-202 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


ABD 09-204 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
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After eating and some wonderful dinner conversation, we started going around the room so everyone could say what they had enjoyed about the trip the most. As you can imagine, that's when the waterworks started! It was really moving to hear how this trip had impacted each and every one of us in a different yet similar way.

Viva 09-083 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


Viva 09-084 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


Viva 09-085 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

We watched a slideshow of photos the guides had taken throughout our trip, and we all laughed and cried some more. It was so bittersweet to think we were leaving these people the next day! Once the slideshow was over, it was hugs all around. I made sure to get a photo with Marco & Dusty, and DH was going to take it, but they insisted DH join in!

ABD 09-206 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
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I made a special point to find Kevin and thank him for putting this trip together and working so hard to make it such a wonderful experience. It was really perfect timing that this customized itinerary happened to be at just the time we wanted to take the trip to celebrate our anniversary. I had been a little hesitant to spend the money on this trip after hearing some of the things on the podcast that made me worry (like the Tuscan prison!). In the end, it couldn't have been more perfect, and we met some wonderful people along the way! I'm sure we would have enjoyed any ABD group we had joined, but I think this being a DIS trip made it even better. The chat nights leading up to the trip made it feel like we already knew some people on our arrival night, which made it much easier to break the ice when meeting in person. One of my other worries about this particular trip was that many of the people we were traveling with had traveled together before and knew each other well. But it was not worth the worry because everyone welcomed us right in! Now this trip was not cheap by any means, especially considering it was an alternate itinerary, so it was even more than a typical Viva Italia trip, but both DH and I could say with confidence that it was absolutely worth every single penny for the experience, the family, the amazing guides, and the level of Disney service we experience while traveling to the most beautiful and amazing cities I have ever had the chance to see!

But despite having come to the end of our farewell dinner, the night was not over yet!

Continued in next post...

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[khertz]

Day 9 Continued: Tuesday September 23rd

For the last night in Venice, Pete, Dustin, Mike & DH were going out to take some nighttime photos. After the last night they had gone out to take photos, Pete had kept telling me the next day that I should have gone with them. So since it was our last night in a beautiful city, I decided to take them up on that offer instead of sitting up in the room alone or going to bed early.

We started off in St. Mark's Square, and it was pretty interesting seeing how they set up all of their equipment, that I know absolutely nothing about. Normally I am a little impatient with DH when he is taking these kinds of photos because we usually have DS with us on vacation and it is hard to keep him occupied while DH sets up and tries to get the perfect shot. But tonight, we were in a beautiful city, and I had nothing to do but soak in the surroundings without worrying about an antsy toddler, so it was all good.

ABD 09-209 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


ABD 09-210 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


ABD 09-211 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


ABD 09-212 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


ABD 09-213 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
One of my favorites! Like it's just the two of us in St. Mark's Square...


ABD 09-214 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
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Being in St. Mark's was particularly interesting because it gave me the opportunity to experience the music of the dueling piano bars they have out at night. Each one tries to get the crowd more riled up and into the performance than the next! It was really interesting to see how the Square transformed at night when the thick crowds of cruise ship visitors have all left for the day.

We moved on to another location, and found a beautiful church across the water that they wanted to capture. I took a little time to thank Pete for all of the work he does and encourages others to do to raise money for Give Kids the World because so many of our pediatric oncology patients at the clinic choose Disney World and GKtW for their Wish trips! In fact, as I type this I know of 2 of our patients that are there right this very moment!

ABD 09-215 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


ABD 09-216 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


ABD 09-217 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


ABD 09-220 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
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The last spot we walked to was the Accademia bridge, which DH and I had never ventured over to in all of our wanderings of Venice, so it was nice to get a new view on our last night. We saw one of the cruise ships pulling out of port, and Dustin took the stop motion video of it that you saw in the videos posted on the DIS if you watched them. And if you haven't, what are you waiting for?!

ABD 09-221 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


ABD 09-222 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


ABD 09-223 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


ABD 09-224 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


ABD 09-225 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


ABD 09-226 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


ABD 09-228 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


ABD 09-229 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


ABD 09-230 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
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It was after midnight when we started walking back. It was an interesting experience because not one of us knew how to get back to the hotel! But following the posted signs pointing us back to St. Mark's, we were able to figure out the way and get back in one piece. It was about 12:45 am when DH and I got back to the room and into bed. Our ABD vacation may be over, but the second part of our epic trip was just beginning!

UP NEXT: Pixie Dust at Disneyland Paris!

 

[Cousin Orville]

Lovely photos. I look forward to seeing you report from DLP!

 

[skier_pete]

Hey - we were posting updates in our respective threads at the same time. Wow.

I have gotten tragically behind on your trip. Probably 2 days (I think last post I read was when you were heading to Venice). It's one of those things that I get a little behind, then want to wait to find the time to catch up, and I keep falling further and further behind. I promise I'm catching up at some point! These pictures of Venice are fantastic. Looks like you guys had such a great time.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

I didn't realize you had this! Thanks for posting.

You guys should talk more.


Oh I totally understand how sad this must have felt. When you refer to people as family, it is so tough to say goodbye. It's rough.

OMG I did not expect to see french fries. That caught me off guard. They look good though. I am one that likes fries with my steak.

That last dinner sounds truly wonderful. That was such a nice mention of how great everyone was and I have no doubt the evening was very emotional. I always think of things just one way. Never do I look back on a trip and think, wow, that cost a lot. I just think of the memories it created... and I smile.

Give Kids the World. I could not agree more.

Wow, what beautiful photos. Not much more I can say about that.

And YAYAYAYAYAYA DLP!!!!

 

[christannj]

Sadly, our part of the trip has come to an end once again. Now I can just enjoy your add on trip to DLP. After the dinner, a group of us ended up seated at one of the "dueling orchestra" locations talking and reminiscing about what we had just experienced. It was then that it hit me that I was enjoying the night in VENICE in St Mark's square! I think that when you are touring like we were,you sometimes forget the significance of the place that you are until you are back home and then you go " I was in Rome, Florence and Venice". But while you are there it is surreal. I don't think that any of us at that moment wanted it to come to an end. You're right when you describe the group as "family" and I have told several people how very welcoming everyone was to those of us who were "newbies". My hope is that our paths will cross again someday either through Disney or some other circumstance. Dustin should definitely continue playing with his camera because he has a great eye for composition.

 

[MinnieGarden]

The night photos in Venice were amazing! I think I was in St. Mark's Square that night for the dueling orchestras. The entire adventure was simply incredible!

 

[afwdwfan]

Despite being ready to get home to DS, I just wasn't ready to say goodbye to our new family yet! It wasn't something I was expecting to happen, and yet I was really sad that this was our last meal all together.

I can understand that feeling. You can really form some tight bonds quickly when sharing the types of experiences you have had with this group!

DH and I both ordered the steak for our main course, which came with French fries. A little unexpected, but we weren't complaining. Again, delicious!

Nothing like eating a classic American meal your last night in Italy.

I can't help but notice though that the room your meal was in looks amazing. Not a bad way to wrap things up.

We watched a slideshow of photos the guides had taken throughout our trip, and we all laughed and cried some more. It was so bittersweet to think we were leaving these people the next day! Once the slideshow was over, it was hugs all around. I made sure to get a photo with Marco & Dusty, and DH was going to take it, but they insisted DH join in!

Great picture!

Now this trip was not cheap by any means, especially considering it was an alternate itinerary, so it was even more than a typical Viva Italia trip, but both DH and I could say with confidence that it was absolutely worth every single penny for the experience, the family, the amazing guides, and the level of Disney service we experience while traveling to the most beautiful and amazing cities I have ever had the chance to see!

I'm glad that you felt it was all worthwhile. As much as I'd hate to spend that much money for a trip, I have to think that it would be a good way to see the sights over there. It has to be worth a lot just to have a Marco and Dusty there to take care of the details and get you safely from one place to the next without having to worry about language barriers or other problems.

One of my favorites! Like it's just the two of us in St. Mark's Square...

Cool picture!

All of the night time pictures were great. He apparently knows what he's doing when he takes his time to set up all that stuff that I know nothing about either.

 

[saintstickets]

WOW!!! If you have to have a last meal on a last night, that one seemed just about perfect! I really need to make a day trip to NOLA and take photo lessons from your DH. Those night pictures were fantastic! I'm really sad to see this TR nearing an end. It has been such a wonderful experience to share your wonderful experience. Thanks so much.

 

[hokieinpa]

Wonderful photos, as always! I really like the one of you and DH in St. Mark's Square!

The last dinner sounds lovely. It's amazing how you can grow so close with the people you are traveling with. The whole experience really brings you together.

Excited to read about DLP!

 

[khertz]

Lovely photos. I look forward to seeing you report from DLP!

Thanks! I'm so excited to share it with y'all. It was only a day and a half, but it was packed full of fun!

Hey - we were posting updates in our respective threads at the same time. Wow.

I have gotten tragically behind on your trip. Probably 2 days (I think last post I read was when you were heading to Venice). It's one of those things that I get a little behind, then want to wait to find the time to catch up, and I keep falling further and further behind. I promise I'm catching up at some point! These pictures of Venice are fantastic. Looks like you guys had such a great time.

I need to head over and get caught up on your plans as well! I totally understand how that goes. Sometimes life gets in the way of DIS time! We absolutely had a fantastic time in Venice. Such a beautiful city!!

You guys should talk more.


Oh I totally understand how sad this must have felt. When you refer to people as family, it is so tough to say goodbye. It's rough.

OMG I did not expect to see french fries. That caught me off guard. They look good though. I am one that likes fries with my steak.

That last dinner sounds truly wonderful. That was such a nice mention of how great everyone was and I have no doubt the evening was very emotional. I always think of things just one way. Never do I look back on a trip and think, wow, that cost a lot. I just think of the memories it created... and I smile.

Give Kids the World. I could not agree more.

Wow, what beautiful photos. Not much more I can say about that.

And YAYAYAYAYAYA DLP!!!!

I know, right? I was there when we opened the vase, so surely I was there when he took the photo but it totally slipped my mind that we had it.

It was amazing how much we had grown to adore spending time with people we had practically just met. I had hoped we'd all get along, but I wasn't expecting the level of sadness I felt at leaving them. When you share such an amazing experience together, it's hard not to form some bonds!!

None of us were expecting fries with our steaks either! But I have to say, over a week of delicious pastas and risottos and roasted potatoes, those fries really hit the spot!!

So true, the fact of how much the trip cost hasn't really entered our mind at all since we arrived in Italy. All of the memories and experiences were totally worth it, and we don't regret one expense or purchase.

Venice is beautiful, but it really transforms at night. It's hard to believe places so beautiful still exist!!

I'm so excited to share DLP!!

Sadly, our part of the trip has come to an end once again. Now I can just enjoy your add on trip to DLP. After the dinner, a group of us ended up seated at one of the "dueling orchestra" locations talking and reminiscing about what we had just experienced. It was then that it hit me that I was enjoying the night in VENICE in St Mark's square! I think that when you are touring like we were,you sometimes forget the significance of the place that you are until you are back home and then you go " I was in Rome, Florence and Venice". But while you are there it is surreal. I don't think that any of us at that moment wanted it to come to an end. You're right when you describe the group as "family" and I have told several people how very welcoming everyone was to those of us who were "newbies". My hope is that our paths will cross again someday either through Disney or some other circumstance. Dustin should definitely continue playing with his camera because he has a great eye for composition.

I know exactly what you mean, Chris. Sometimes I see it on TV or just think about seeing things like the Colosseum or the David and still can't believe it was all real! Everyone was so welcoming, and it wasn't awkward at all like I had thought it would be in my mind to integrate into a bunch of people who had known each other for years and traveled together several times before! I couldn't imagine a better family to have traveled with!

 

[Imagineer5]

Sad to see the last night of your trip but OH boy am I excited for your DLP portion!! And I hope we get the same pixie dust you got, though we'll be happy staying at the Hotel New York regardless!

 

[khertz]

The night photos in Venice were amazing! I think I was in St. Mark's Square that night for the dueling orchestras. The entire adventure was simply incredible!

Thanks, Christy! It was a little strange at first hanging out with the photo guys, I felt like I was intruding, but it ended up being a great night! The orchestras were so fun to watch. Every part of this trip was amazing!

I can understand that feeling. You can really form some tight bonds quickly when sharing the types of experiences you have had with this group!


Nothing like eating a classic American meal your last night in Italy.

I can't help but notice though that the room your meal was in looks amazing. Not a bad way to wrap things up.


Great picture!


I'm glad that you felt it was all worthwhile. As much as I'd hate to spend that much money for a trip, I have to think that it would be a good way to see the sights over there. It has to be worth a lot just to have a Marco and Dusty there to take care of the details and get you safely from one place to the next without having to worry about language barriers or other problems.


Cool picture!

All of the night time pictures were great. He apparently knows what he's doing when he takes his time to set up all that stuff that I know nothing about either.

It's so true! I've heard Kathy & Teresa on the podcast talk about how skeptical they were of keeping in touch with the people on their ABD trip, but it really just happens. We exchanged Christmas cards with nearly everyone this year and we keep up on Facebook. It's hard not to grow close with people you share something so amazing with.

It was an unexpected but well appreciated surprise! Having a pasta course before the steaks definitely kept it feeling Italian though. I believe it was the ballroom of the hotel where we had our meal. Beautiful, beautiful hotel!

Although we look forward to doing ABD again some time in the future, it's not something we can say we'll do every year or even every other. It's a huge financial commitment! But the ABD guides and Disney service are totally worth it, especially for travel to a foreign country with a different language and culture that can be difficult to navigate on your own.

Thanks! That was one of my favorites! These guys definitely do know what they're doing with all that equipment, and thank goodness they do. I was so impressed with the photos DH took on this trip to document such an amazing trip!

WOW!!! If you have to have a last meal on a last night, that one seemed just about perfect! I really need to make a day trip to NOLA and take photo lessons from your DH. Those night pictures were fantastic! I'm really sad to see this TR nearing an end. It has been such a wonderful experience to share your wonderful experience. Thanks so much.

It was so perfect! We had time to reminisce with each other all of the fun and memories we'd shared. I'm sad that it's coming to and end too, it's like reliving the end of the trip all over again! But there's lots of DLP fun still left to share, then I have to start my DL TR!!

Wonderful photos, as always! I really like the one of you and DH in St. Mark's Square!

The last dinner sounds lovely. It's amazing how you can grow so close with the people you are traveling with. The whole experience really brings you together.

Excited to read about DLP!

Thanks! I really liked that one too!

It was a great way to cap off the trip with a lovely meal with new friends. I didn't expect to be so sad to leave them all the next day!

Coming right up!!

Sad to see the last night of your trip but OH boy am I excited for your DLP portion!! And I hope we get the same pixie dust you got, though we'll be happy staying at the Hotel New York regardless!

That's just how I felt on our last night...so sad to leave our new friends and the beautiful city of Venice, but SO excited to get to DLP! Fingers crossed for pixie dust for you too, but I know what you mean. I'd had been just fine and happy with our original hotel, but man you just can't beat that kind of upgrade!!

 

[MEK]

Your last night sounded wonderful. What a special trip you had and I'm certain you made memories to last a lfe time. Very, very special.

Dinner looks fabulous.

But those night time shots are just magnifcient. Your DH definitely went all out on his last night.

I so enjoyed reading about the Italy part of you trip and I am really looking forward to DLP.

 

[khertz]

Glass Blowing Demonstrations

DH uploaded the two videos he shot of the glass blowing demonstrations, so before moving on to the Disneyland Paris part of this trip, I wanted to share these with you. The second one especially is fantastic. I feel like you can tell the exact moment we all figured out that he was creating a horse! Also, I would be remiss if I failed to mention how talented our artisan was, because it was explained to us that very rarely do they create a horse standing on four legs. Usually they are depicted rearing up on their hind legs because it is so difficult to create a piece where the four legs are the correct length for the horse to stand level.

Vase Demonstration

Horse Demonstration​

 

[khertz]

Day 10: Wednesday September 24th

Despite our late night out in Venice the night before, we were up pretty early to finish packing. And packing was NOT easy! Since we had switched to a budget carrier, there were a lot of rules to follow when it came to packing, the worst of which was that we could each bring only one item with us on the plane, not a carry on and personal item like we are used to. We had to pay to check another bag, and had to do quite a bit of squeezing and rearranging to get everything to fit, but we were able to get it done thanks to DH's pretty incredible packing skills! Then we headed down for one last breakfast. Dusty was down there in some custom Mickey ears and regular clothes, which was a surprising sight after seeing him in his official ABD uniform every day!

It was good that we had a later flight, because it gave us time to enjoy breakfast, and we were able to chat with a few of our ABD family once more before we left. After breakfast, we went back to the room one last time to put our luggage out for the luggage fairies, then went down to the lobby to wait for our ride to the airport. We were still a bit early, so DH and I had a few minutes to head outside and get one last glimpse of St. Mark's Square, but since our bags were all packed, DH didn't have his camera to capture it.

Our boats to the airport were leaving at 10 am, and we were going with Dusty, Jeff, and Val. Since we were taking all of our luggage, plus the luggage for Kevin, John, and Kathy who were taking another mode of transport to the airport, we were actually in 2 different boats. Soon enough, our rides arrived.

DLP 1-000 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
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Marco was out there to bid us our final farewell!

DLP 1-001 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
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We split up into the boats with DH and I riding with Dusty and a few pieces of luggage, while Jeff & Val and the rest of the luggage went into the other. Such a bittersweet moment! We were ready to get to the second part of our adventure, but we were really truly leaving Italy, and that made me so sad!!

DLP 1-004 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
A last view of Venice!
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Dusty explained to us that we were approaching the Venice version of the Interstate, a section of the water marked off with 2 way-traffic that at a certain point can go much faster than the boats around the city because it's not as close to cause large wakes.

DLP 1-006 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


DLP 1-011 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
A small island used for their cemetery
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The ride to the airport took about 30 minutes, and we also passed the shipyard where the Disney Magic & Wonder DCL ships were built! Lucky for us we had Dusty on our boat who was still playing tour guide while technically off duty. lol All too soon, it seemed, we were pulling in at Marco Polo Airport.

DLP 1-012 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
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When we arrived, we were the only ones headed to Easy Jet, which was down on the first floor (we had entered on the second, where everyone else would be departing from). Dusty went downstairs with us to help us find the check in area, and then he had to head back up. I'm not gonna lie, I was a bundle of nerves by then as we hugged him goodbye for the last time! I was so nervous about being completely on our own for the first time!

We had to wait a bit once we got to the Easy Jet counter. You were only able to check-in something like 30 minutes before departure. But once we were able to check our bags, it didn't take long to do, and then we made our way upstairs to go through security, which also didn't take long. I really liked how they did security there, it was very well paced and we didn't feel rushed like I always have in American airports going through security. We spent most of the time waiting for our flight looking for something to eat for lunch, running into Jeff & Val along the way. We ate something, then headed to our gate. They weren't kidding when they said you could only bring one bag on the plane! They had employees going down the line looking and stopping people who were trying to bring on two. I saw several ladies stuffing their purses in their carry on bag because of that!

We boarded our flight, and ended up with an exit row and no one in the third seat so we were able to spread out for the pretty short flight to Paris. We made it to baggage claim to get our stuff, and then went out to look for the car we had hired to take us to our hotel, but no one was waiting for us. We sat there waiting awhile, and still, no one was coming. DH was trying to use the shoddy wi-fi in the airport to figure out what was going on, but eventually he had to suck it up and call the company. It turns out that even though all of the communication had been done through email all through the trip, and we had let them know about the changes to our flight, they had still tried to call us to confirm and when he didn't answer, they didn't send anyone. We got it straightened out quickly enough and they sent someone to get us. It was about a 20 minute drive to our hotel, the Newport Bay at Disneyland Paris. We had spent a good amount of time looking at the hotel choices for DLP before our trip, and had chosen this one because it was reasonably prices, a 10 minute walk from the parks, and it was a theme I have always been interested in trying (similar to Beach & Yacht Club) but didn't think we would ever go for in WDW.

We got to the check-in counter, and the CM helping us first noted that we had a famous last name (we get that a lot at home, but we would find out later why he mentioned it). Then he said it was our lucky day, because a pipe had burst in the hotel, flooding the room we had been assigned, so we were being upgraded to...THE DISNEYLAND HOTEL!!! I swear, it took me about 5 minutes to process what he had said. I was in shock! But within minutes, we were being whisked away to a van waiting for us outside to take us and our luggage to our new home for the next two nights!

Talk about some MAJOR pixie dust!!!! (Sorry we have absolutely no photos from this time, we were so shocked neither of us even took out our phones to capture anything!)

We arrived at the Disneyland Hotel (and yes, if you have listened to the DIS Unplugged episodes about their London/Paris trip with the DLP add on, the lobby smells overwhelmingly like baby powder!) to check in and found out not only had we been upgraded in hotel, we had a Club Level room!! PIXIE DUST OVERLOAD!! We had gotten the half-board meal plan as part of our package, so we received our vouchers for that at check-in along with our park tickets and information on using the special FP that you get for being a Disney hotel guest. Then a CM helped us up to our room. Once he left, DH and I had a total freak out moment where all the excitement we had been feeling since arrival could finally be let out! There was lots of jumping and squealing (okay, so I probably did MOST of the squealing) involved as we totally wanted to pinch ourselves. It seemed too good to be true! Our plans for that night had been to get a cab into Paris to at least see the Eiffel Tower, but with this new level of excitement, we both agreed pretty quickly to abandon that plan and head to the park. How could you not when it is LITERALLY steps away from your hotel?!

First though, DH wanted to capture all details of the room now that he had access to his camera again.

DLP 1-016 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


DLP 1-017 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


DLP 1-018 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


DLP 1-019 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


DLP 1-020 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


DLP 1-022 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
The headboard


DLP 1-023 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
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We unpacked what we would need for the park and were ready to head out. If I am remembering right, if you buy a package like we did that was for 2 nights, it includes 2 days of park tickets. Because the price was the best for us, we had just planned to not use one day of the tickets, so our change in plans was not a big deal and we could still have park access for that day. We decided to go to DL instead of the Studios because Studios would be closing fairly soon.

DLP 1-024 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
The view coming off of the Club Level elevator


DLP 1-025 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
View of the park from the dining area for Club Level guests!
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We went down to the ground floor, and stepped outside the side doors. This is the view from that doorway of the gates into DL. Right freaking there!!

DLP 1-026 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


DLP 1-027 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Looking back at the hotel
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When we entered the park, we were just in time for the evening parade at 5:30, so we walked around the end of Main Street taking photos while waiting for it to get to us. I was surprised to see that the park was all decked out for Halloween. I guess I didn't think of it being as big of a holiday in Paris to where the park would be decorated for it at the end of September!

DLP 1-028 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


DLP 1-030 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Hello, Gorgeous!!


DLP 1-031 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


DLP 1-032 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


DLP 1-033 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


DLP 1-034 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
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I hate to leave you with just a taste of DLP, but the parade is going to require it's own update, for sure!

UP NEXT: Disney Magic on Parade!

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[hokieinpa]

Wow wow wow! Super pixie dust for sure! Club Level DLH. It must have been a magical trip.

The hotel is gorgeous, of course. And I love the preview of DLP. Main Street seems so similar to WDW but there are enough differences that make it look totally unique. And the Halloween decorations are cute - love all the ghosts! And the castle is magical, of course!

Excited to see parade pictures!