The Dis Exclusive City of Knights and Lights Trip 10/8 - 10/17/2012

[SingingMom]

I'm glad to hear others did this. At the end of the Italian trip, I really felt that the maximum "recommended" amount was too low.

To tell you the truth, I wish we had given even more. I wished I could have known what others did, but of course would never dream of asking. I just wanted to make sure we had taken care of them sufficiently. They went above and beyond, in my opinion. I would have brought them home with us if we could have. LOL

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[fsufan53]

How much money you should bring will depend on many things.

What do you intend to purchase? Where do you intend to go? What do you intend to eat? What do you intend to do on during your free time?

The answers to those questions will greatly impact the answers given.

QUOTE]

Thanks Kevin. The main thing is food, as I am thinking around $30-$40 a meal for both of us at OYO meals since we will probably will want to eat something authentic but slightly more inexpensive. I am also anticipating not being so hungry after all the great meals included with the trip. Does that sound reasonable?

Do you know what time lunch at Harrods ends on Day 2? I think we may try to hit a cab to Churchill's War Rooms or a Beatles tour right after that if we have enough time. Also, will we have anytime in London after Lunch on Day 3 or do we go directly to our Foxhills transfer? Sorry I am so OCD but I want to get the max out of London that I can!

I am not doing as much research on Paris for our OYO time as we will prob want to just experience the city or tag along with the group if some folks are going to do something cool, if you guys will have us!

To the rest of you, thank you so much for replying and for the tips. Feel free to share more. Going out of the USA is intimidating but you guys are making the task much lighter.

 

[mattincanberra]

How much should I plan on bringing in Pounds/Euros? I plan on putting everything I can on my credit card, however I know some places might not take them, so I didnt know if anyone had an amount they were comfortable with. I know the Pounds are very large so I dont want to have too much!

I usually travel as much as possible without Cash, and grab a small amour from an ATM (Think 40 pounds ish) to keep in my wallet for coffee/water/bottle of coke kind of purchases.

One thing to be aware of, if you are carrying pounds that you want to exchange for euros the exchange rates at the St Pancras were a complete rip off. I really would suggest keeping your exposure to "Real money" as limited as you can.

Speaking of Credit Cards, which ones are best for international travel? I have Capital One and Chase and am going to call them.

Mastercard and Visa cards will be almost universally accepted, American Express a little less so - figure out the fees for each card - I have one that is better for getting cash with, and another that has a lower fee for purchases.

Would anyone mind sharing the expenses they incurred while on the trip on food/souvenirs/taxis/tips/etc.? I am a big budgeter so just trying to plan.

I couldn't tell you how much I spent, but it didn't feel excessive, it will depend on what kind of restaurants etc you want to go to.

 

[DisneyKevin]

How much money you should bring will depend on many things.

What do you intend to purchase? Where do you intend to go? What do you intend to eat? What do you intend to do on during your free time?

The answers to those questions will greatly impact the answers given.

QUOTE]

Thanks Kevin. The main thing is food, as I am thinking around $30-$40 a meal for both of us at OYO meals since we will probably will want to eat something authentic but slightly more inexpensive. I am also anticipating not being so hungry after all the great meals included with the trip. Does that sound reasonable?

Do you know what time lunch at Harrods ends on Day 2? I think we may try to hit a cab to Churchill's War Rooms or a Beatles tour right after that if we have enough time. Also, will we have anytime in London after Lunch on Day 3 or do we go directly to our Foxhills transfer? Sorry I am so OCD but I want to get the max out of London that I can!

I am not doing as much research on Paris for our OYO time as we will prob want to just experience the city or tag along with the group if some folks are going to do something cool, if you guys will have us!

To the rest of you, thank you so much for replying and for the tips. Feel free to share more. Going out of the USA is intimidating but you guys are making the task much lighter.

I did not find food in London or Paris to be more or less expensive than in Orlando. That being said...it will depend on where and what you eat.

Matt, John and I had a great lunch at a Wagamama (Asain food, sushi) and for the three of us, it was about $100.00

I dont remember the exact time that we finished lunch at Harrod's, as it was a buffet and folks left as they finished. There was transportation back to the hotel, or you could stay and shop in Harrod's (or do as you pleased). I know stayed and shopped a bit, but, as a group, we had decided to meet at the London Eye and ride as a group. Judging by the fact that we had time to shop and ride the Eye.....I'm thinking lunch finished fairly early....12:30 to 1:30ish.

Unfortunately, this is the first year that the trip is going to Foxhills, so I have nothing to go by.

 

[DisneyKevin]

Taxis were similar to NYC taxis, but bigger.

London taxis seat 5 comfortably.

 

[DisneyKevin]

Please welcome Dustin, Shaun and William to the party!



This is Dustin, Shaun and William dancing. Make sure you ask to see them do it in person..

 

[LionKingRules84]

Welcome Dustin, William and Shaun! The more the merrier!

I will gladly join in the dancing if it is asked.

 

[SingingMom]

We finished lunch at Harrods, shopped for a bit (daughter could have stayed in the equestrian department for hours!), took the tube and got lost for an hour, looking for the TKTS booth. (dopey me was looking at the map upside down @@). Found the TKTS booth, purchased our tickets to that evenings performance of Les Miz, took the tube back to Chancery Court, and had a wonderful afternoon tea in the hotel lounge
, time to clean up, and out to jump in a cab for our evening performance! (theatre on the West End was on our must do list !)

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[LionKingRules84]

We finished lunch at Harrods, shopped for a bit (daughter could have stayed in the equestrian department for hours!), took the tube and got lost for an hour, looking for the TKTS booth. (dopey me was looking at the map upside down @@). Found the TKTS booth, purchased our tickets to that evenings performance of Les Miz, took the tube back to Chancery Court, and had a wonderful afternoon tea in the hotel lounge
, time to clean up, and out to jump in a cab for our evening performance! (theatre on the West End was on our must do list !)

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

Harrods has an equestrian department?! Looks like I'll be spending more time in Harrods than I thought. I know of a stable about 20 minutes by tube(although pretty much everything I've looked into is about 20 mins, the Chancery Court seems awesome for that) that also has a tack shop that I plan on trying to visit if I have time. If Harrods has what I'm looking for I may not have to take the trip but visiting a stable might be fun though.

 

[SingingMom]

Harrods has an equestrian department?! Looks like I'll be spending more time in Harrods than I thought. I know of a stable about 20 minutes by tube(although pretty much everything I've looked into is about 20 mins, the Chancery Court seems awesome for that) that also has a tack shop that I plan on trying to visit if I have time. If Harrods has what I'm looking for I may not have to take the trip but visiting a stable might be fun though.

The equestrian department was awesome!! We bought DD two official Team GB Olympic polos - one long sleeved and one short sleeved. She is the envy of her entire college equestrian team!! ;-)

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[WebmasterShaun]

Hi Everyone! I am so looking forward to this trip - I can hardly wait!



I had a really nice time chatting with everyone last night too!

 

[LionKingRules84]

Hi Everyone! I am so looking forward to this trip - I can hardly wait!



I had a really nice time chatting with everyone last night too!

As am I! Enjoyed chatting with you too! As well as everyone else that was there.

Slightly off topic but just watched a movie called 'Paris' off of netflix just now and I really liked it. It takes place in Paris and is in French and the subtitles are pretty close and only a few characters speak extremely fast so they are easy to understand in French. It doesn't really have a plot it's basically a bunch of stories of people and the city of Paris. Kinda like the movie 'Crash' only A LOT less dramatic. Got me excited for the trip actually so thought I would share.

 

[WebmasterMike]

If anyone is going to be spending a few extra Pre-days in London, it might be worth looking into the information below. We used our Oyster Cards all over London and loved it. Once the Adventure begins, the guides will give you Tube passes if you need them.

I would suggest getting an oyster card (£5 refundable deposit if you hand the card back in) as you pay £1.90 per journey by tube rather than £4.00 for the cash fare. They also cap each days total spend, it's £6.60 if you don't travel between 6.30 - 9.30am and 4 - 7pm Monday to Friday and £8.00 if you do travel between those times

You can get these at most tube stations I think.

This is the website

 

[fsufan53]

Whay about adapters for the outlets when I need to charge my phone, etc.? Do I really need one and where is the best place to buy?

 

[jcb]

Whay about adapters for the outlets when I need to charge my phone, etc.? Do I really need one and where is the best place to buy?

You should read Mike's post: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2799671

I ordered mine from Amazon.

 

[whodini]

Whay about adapters for the outlets when I need to charge my phone, etc.? Do I really need one and where is the best place to buy?

Your phone charger is actually dual voltage. I'm going to pick up a good world travel adapter and then use my travel surge protector for my equipment.

Check out something like this, which also includes a built-in USB port - http://www.amazon.com/Tripshell-WOR...5301&sr=1-1&keywords=world+travel+adapter+usb

 

[WebmasterMike]

From our adventure last year...

And you have to use the UK plug on the Eurostar until you get to France, then you have to change to the France plug on the train.

While this is still fresh on my brain, I thought I would throw out some things we learned from our Recent Adventures by Disney Trip to London and Paris. I hope that this reference will help not only those traveling to London and Paris, but to other locations as well


Understand the Power requirements of the locations you are going.

• Check all of your devices and make sure they are capable of dual voltages!
• Learn what plug adapters you will need. London and Paris use different power plugs than the ones used in the US and they are different from each other.
• Get a dual voltage power strip that uses a universal power connector. If you get into a situation where you need to unplug a lamp to get power, you can plug in the lamp into the universal plug.

If you have an Ipad and want to avoid costly internet charges at the hotel, find a SIM Card provider that does not require a credit card on file.

• I used Vodaphone. They charged £5 for a Sim and 250mb of data. I was able to get an additional 750mb for £15. Very reasonable. I used about 500mb total while we were in London.

Think about the bag you will carry around and protecting your wallet.

• Think about using a messenger bag over a backpack. It is easier to keep a hand on a messenger bag. I carried a messenger style camera sling bag instead of my backpack. It is not as easy for someone to take items from a messenger bag.
• Watch your pockets and be aware of your surroundings at all times.

If you use the hotel internet, bring a small wifi router (not access point).

• When you purchase the hotel wifi or wired internet, you can only use it on a couple of devices. I had my travel router with me. This helped in connecting my Ipad, Blackberry, Iphone, and laptop. The router allowed me to use the wired connection and share that with all of my devices.

If you have free time, plan it out before you go on your trip.

• We made reservations at a couple of restaurants several months out. These were small cafes and the space went quickly.

Take time to plan out where you want to wander.

• Know that the most popular locations, in Paris especially, are popular targets for pickpockets and scammers. People will also sell "le crap" at these spots. AVOID THEM. We saw a person buy something and then he was then pegged as a "sucker." And was hit by every illegal "le crap" vendor.

XL = Sausage Skin in Paris.

• I tried to purchase an XL shirt in Paris but was not happy to find that XL in Paris means body condom in US sizes. They do not sell any thing above XXL, and that was even tight.

More to come....

 

[SingingMom]

Best buy and radio shack had adapters, too, if you don't want to order online. Just make sure you get a UK and a European adapter. The ones in UK are different than Paris.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[fsufan53]

Thank you all so much, we found an adapter package at Target that has adapters for UK and France so I think we are covered.

Next question! LOL I saw where some of you tipped the ABD guides in Pounds or Euros, however could I tip them via an American check? I dont want to carry much currency.

Thanks

 

[DisneyKevin]

Thank you all so much, we found an adapter package at Target that has adapters for UK and France so I think we are covered.

Next question! LOL I saw where some of you tipped the ABD guides in Pounds or Euros, however could I tip them via an American check? I dont want to carry much currency.

Thanks

At this point, we dont know who our guides will be.

Last year, we had a guide from London and one from the US.

If we had a US guide again, a check might not be an issue. If our guides are European, checks might be very, very difficult to handle and there is the possibility that they might not be cashable at all.

If you have a debit card, you should be able to use European ATMS.

It would be far easier on our guides to receive cash as a tip.

At our welcome dinner last year, we asked where each of our guides were headed after our Adventure. Landon (American) was headed back to the states, so we tipped him in US dollars. Adam (British) was headed back to London, so he was tipped in pounds.

You have to make sure you take the conversion rate in account when dealing with gratuities.

Please understand that I am not telling you what you must do. There is no "must". I'm just offering an opinion.