We'’re out of it! A summer 14 “MAGICal” Med adventure Day 14/Aug 05 updated 05/05

[jenseib]

catching up too...I had read about Mary's house and the wishing wall in a few TR's. It looks so interesting.
And again loving all the ruins pictures!

 

[shezfrombermuda]

I am joining very late but am really enjoying your review and pictures.

 

[RGirl]

Guess I am going to shock you even more now. With all that is going on at Disney, ticket prices over $100 for a single ticket, FP+ restrictions for AP holders come to mind, we are not only considering giving other cruise lines a go, I have even considered (and am really thinking about) getting rid of our DVC. There are other great places to visit and if Disney does not want my money I can happily take it somewhere else.

You know, Karin, I completely understand this. I am sorry you are feeling like this, but I don’t blame you. This summer will likely be our last trip to WDW for quite some time - the cost, the FP+ stuff, the fact that I have so many other places I want Willow to experience, the ease and fun of DLR compared to WDW (although maybe they’ll ruin that with FP+ too) - all those things play into that. And DCL. I love it. We are going this summer again - but I have been seriously looking into RCI now that Willow is a bit older. So much more affordable, and they seem to have a lot to offer. It makes me sad. But maybe it's just how things go. I think we'll always be into Disney and continue to have Disney vacations, but I know they won't be as frequent because there are so many other places we want to go! I hope that you will continue to write TRs even if they are non-Disney though!!! I would love to hear about your and Tom’s other adventures.

All that aside, I have once again enjoyed reading all of your updates. And I am so grateful for all the pics - these are places that I want to visit someday VERY soon. Italy and Greece have been on my bucket list for decades, and somehow I have never made it to either. It is hard seeing Miss Willow grow up so fast, but I’m excited to be able to make trips like this with her very soon!

How fun to have a Beatles cover band - that’s a nice touch. And how awesome that you had such a good Greek meal - I was soooooo worried!

What an amazing private tour in Turkey! Clearly, this was the way to go. Wow! Can’t wait to read more!!!

 

[PiperGirlInWondrland]

Just read your whole report - it's awesome! Love all the beautiful photos. I can't believe how much they are "out of"! That had to be very frustrating! Can't wait to read more.

 

[dizneeat]

Great updates!! Athens is beautiful. It sounds like you had a great tour and DIS meet.
I know the rate hikes for Disney are frustrating. However I am also noticing rate hikes for everything except gas in the US. My insurance copays have gone up, the cost of foods is increasing, the hotels I stay at when I travel to see my God daughter are going up as well.

We just loved Athens, even though it was SO hot. The history of the city is just amazing.
And YES, meeting Debbie was the highlight of the day. She IS a sweetheart. We cannot wait to see her again.

I would not mind the price hike if AP holders were treated equally. But with their new policy, regardless if you stay on property and pay their expensive rates, they will only let you have 7 days of FP+ at one time. Now I have booked two weeks at Disney resorts and I am a lesser guest because I have an AP. This is what really irks me.

I guess I was posting while you were posting a new update. I love those cats!! You seem to do really well at getting your own tours. I have done that as well and usually do really well. They are often less expensive and not the massive number of people. When we cruised Alaska, In Juneau I rented a minivan and the rental company gave us a list of where to go when and we managed to be leaving when the buses pulled up!

There were SO many cats everywhere and we both have such a weak spot for the felines.
And we were really lucky with the private tours (apart from the one in Rome) - we had awesome guides and great drivers and were able to fit so much in, in the short time we had. And that sounds like a great rental company in Alaska.

Ephesus seems to be quite amazing!! I have been wanting to travel to Turkey for quite some time (not for the beach, but for some real sightseeing), but it is one of those destinations that never make it all the way to the top! Going for a private tour was certainly the smart thing to do there, I guess you will have seen far more that way.

Funnily enough I had no desire to travel to Turkey. Then, when we found out that Kusadasi was one of the shops I started to read up on it a bit and it sounded pretty interesting. And we were stunned - it was amazing. And we were so lucky with our tour. Our guide was really good.

I am still not sold on a cruise as a vacation where I am going to see a lot of sights though. I think I love to explore more on my own speed if I really want to explore. I love cruising for the relaxation and maybe getting some interesting glimpses. But not as a substitute for a land trip.

It was one of those vacations where you need a vacation AFTER the vacation. We really enjoyed the few days at sea and there were just SO many ports to explore.
When we cruise in the US we don't have much planned and just go with the flow now, but I guess I got overwhelmed with Mr. Concierge's constant imput.

Been MIA forever Karin, and I think I'm figuring out the new DIS. Will we still see you in August, any changes on your end? We aren't doing US anymore but we will be at BC 8/14-22. Fingers crossed we will overlap!!!! Sorry again I was busy with school, work, kids, and I get on FB but haven't been able to do much more than lurk on the DIS.

Tell me about being busy, Jeanette. It definitely looks like we will be at WDW at the same time. We will arrive on Aug 15 and stay until the 22nd when we board the Fantasy.
There is still lots of time to figure out when and where to meet. But it should be AWESOME!!!!!

 

[englishrose47]

Hi Karin just keepin' up!!! I have noticed that getting ressies is harder . Of course for 10 is a big part of it , but I never had as much trouble as I am having now .

 

[dizneeat]

Mmm I like Turkish coffee, and how many to have the cats lounging around!!

It was delicious coffee and we are coming from a country of "coffee snobs".
We could not get over the amount of cats who enjoyed the day and were not in any way desturbed by the masses of people.

As usual I enjoy your reports, cant wait to see your next report on our cruise in March!!!

I cannot wait to see you on our upcoming cruise. Can't believe you will only be a few doors down the hallway.

I am shocked about the tour in Rome, You didn't have time to tell us about that because you were letting us know about the ordeals on the Magic! (Our cruise was ok, and I am really looking forward to seeing what other cruise lines are offering for 2016 (any recommendations?)

Rome was a disaster. Our highlight was Athens ...... especially because we got to meet with some very special friends.
Keep your fingers crossed for us as we go back on the Magic in just a few more weeks. I am so hoping it will be a much better cruise - and btw I changed our stateroom but will come prepared.
Tom and I have seriously looked into "Mein Schiff". I would love to cruise in Europe again, just not with Disney. But I guess we would just skip a few port adventures - we were in need of a vacation after that vacation and were happy to go to Paris 4 days after we returned.

I had I feeling what was coming when I read about Tom needing a glo cube... I am still utterly embarrassed and promise never to visit a bar after a Tequila tasting again....

Debbie, getting the glow cube and presenting it to its rightful owner, was one of the highlights of our trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ephesus looks amazing but I don't know if I can get my hubby to agree to go there.. (roll eyes smilie here..... I will learn them soon)

Ephesus was the one excursion I was so worried about, but it worked out brilliantly and we had a great day. That was money well spent on that tour!

Don't forget I am boarding a RCL cruise on the 16th so if you are up for a meet on your arrival day I would love to see you!!!!

We will only arrive in the evening and if you don't mind meeting us later that day we would LOVE to see you and start our vacation off with a highlight.

Oh, and judging from your comments I guess I no longer need to feel bad that I forgot to order the 'cake of the day'

Well, you did not miss anything - only if you are interested in "yesterday's dessert".

Playing catch up...again.

The pictures of the ruins are spectacular.

It sounds like you picked a winner with this private tour this time.

Playing catch up? That is a game I know all too well.

We really were so lucky with that tour. It was just great all around and we really really enjoyed our day in Ephesus.

 

[dizneeat]

Hi Karin wow! I am enjoying your Greek report so much! I have always wanted to visit there
It makes me sad to hear how Disney has alienated the AP guests like you and Tom. You would think they could recognize how their staunch defense of something so stupid will eventually hurt the bottom line.
We added an extra day to the beginning of our stay but the system won't recognize the entire stay for ADR ressies and I had to have a CM fix it. I figured this would be the case fo FP+ so I called IT and was told there was nothing they could do about it. That is small potatoes compared to what you spend but it is a suite and she was actually laughing like it was a funny glitch or something. For your type of guest they should have a point system and give you anything you want!

Tammie, I am glad you enjoy to "travel" with us. We loved our port days, well apart from Rome, that is.

Isn't it odd that if you want to spend even more of your money they seem to just not care at all? And then to laugh, how odd is that. They really should get someone who knows what he is doing and they should rethink their policies and award those FP+ to the lenght of stay, not your ticket.
Oh, and I do not want anything more than every other "regular" guest gets, but at the moment I feel like a second class guest, who may hand in money for a room, but they won't give the privileges other guests get.

Karin, your photos are beautiful
It really looks like you visited some amazing places on this cruise

Thank you, Linda!
We really hit the checkpot with our port adventures and Ephesus was a great one too.

One thing that Mick hates most is once he decides what he wants to order, they say they are out of it! I am very sorry the Magic did not match the service we have received on the Dream and Fantasy.

Oh thank god, he was not on this cruise - he would have heard the "out of it" quite often.
I am kind of worried and excited at the same time about our upcoming trip. Now that my expectations concerning the Magic are quite low I really hope they can impress me.

catching up too...I had read about Mary's house and the wishing wall in a few TR's. It looks so interesting.
And again loving all the ruins pictures!

Tell me about the catching up game - that is one I play far too often lately.
The pictures don't do Mary's House and the wishing wall justice. It was really impressive when we were there.
And the history of Ephesus was just amazing. I had no idea we had all those great pieces of history in Turkey.

 

[dizneeat]

I am joining very late but am really enjoying your review and pictures.

- you are not late at all - there is plenty more to come. And I am happy to hear that you are enjoying the TR and pictures.

All that aside, I have once again enjoyed reading all of your updates. And I am so grateful for all the pics - these are places that I want to visit someday VERY soon. Italy and Greece have been on my bucket list for decades, and somehow I have never made it to either. It is hard seeing Miss Willow grow up so fast, but I’m excited to be able to make trips like this with her very soon!

Italy and Greece are really beautiful, well, all of Europe is worth travelling to. Miss Willow will be old enough to enjoy trips to another continent far too soon.

How fun to have a Beatles cover band - that’s a nice touch. And how awesome that you had such a good Greek meal - I was soooooo worried!

I was a bit sceptic at first, but the band was really good. We had a lot of fun listening and singing along.

What an amazing private tour in Turkey! Clearly, this was the way to go.

Yes, the private tours worked out pretty well and it is nice to have the full attention of your guide.

Just read your whole report - it's awesome! Love all the beautiful photos. I can't believe how much they are "out of"! That had to be very frustrating! Can't wait to read more.

and thank you for your kind words.
Yes, they were out of pretty much everything and anything. But thanks to their policy of bringing booze on board we started to get independent.

Hi Karin just keepin' up!!! I have noticed that getting ressies is harder . Of course for 10 is a big part of it , but I never had as much trouble as I am having now .

Oh no, Rosie, that is not good.
We only have one reservation for our upcoming trip, but I was able to get a brunch ressie on Easter Sunday without any problems. Guess I got lucky. Tom and I plan on snacking around the snack stands at Epcot's Flower and Garden for the two days we will be there. Should be fun.

 

[dizneeat]

​

Day 11, August 2

Kusadasi, Ephesus and more“ - Part 3​

All the ruins were pretty impressive, given that they date so far back. And while we walked the streets of Old Ephesus,

our guide told us a lot of interesting and sometimes fun stories about life there.
Needless to say that we had to take photos of those first public toilets as well.

Then we finally made it to the hillside houses, which we had asked to be included in the tour as they not usually are.
And we were so glad we did as these freshly excavated sights were just stunning.

We took our sweet time to just explore and walk around.

To be continued ..........​

 

[englishrose47]

[QUOTE="dizneeat, post: 53212171, member: 112495"


Oh no, Rosie, that is not good.
We only have one reservation for our upcoming trip, but I was able to get a brunch ressie on Easter Sunday without any problems. Guess I got lucky. Tom and I plan on snacking around the snack stands at Epcot's Flower and Garden for the two days we will be there. Should be fun. [/QUOTE]

That is because you are 2 I am 10

 

[englishrose47]

Your pix are awesome . First public "Loos" !!!

 

[pas130]

Tell me about being busy, Jeanette. It definitely looks like we will be at WDW at the same time. We will arrive on Aug 15 and stay until the 22nd when we board the Fantasy.
There is still lots of time to figure out when and where to meet. But it should be AWESOME!!!!!

I know you can relate to busy my friend FINALLY our dates match up YAY!!

 

[MAGICFOR2]

How amazing to see an excavation under progress in Ephasus! Interesting public toilets. Hope you enjoy your F&G time! I'm excited it will still be on when we arrive in May!

 

[englishrose47]

I know you can relate to busy my friend FINALLY our dates match up YAY!!

Jeanette I HOPE ONE DAY OURS DO TOO!!!!

 

[pas130]

Jeanette I HOPE ONE DAY OURS DO TOO!!!!

More than a quick next time Rosie!!

 

[dizneeat]

Your pix are awesome . First public "Loos" !!!

Thank you, Rosie! Guess those first public toilets were a big deal, as our guide made a big fuss about them.

I know you can relate to busy my friend FINALLY our dates match up YAY!!

We are so glad that finally our dates are perfect. Now, if you please could refrain from changing them.

How amazing to see an excavation under progress in Ephasus! Interesting public toilets. Hope you enjoy your F&G time! I'm excited it will still be on when we arrive in May!

It was really wonderful to see Ephesus. It was so impressive.

First time we will actually be there for F&G!!! We have seen them put up bits and pieces, but never seen the whole thing. And I was so lucky to score a studio at BCVs!! Can't wait to hear about your experience in May then.

 

[pas130]

We are so glad that finally our dates are perfect. Now, if you please could refrain from changing them.

I can assure you the dates are set Approved by my boss and my DHs ....the resort I am trying ...

 

[LuvEeyore]

Great update!! I think I'll keep my bathroom that is in serious need of cleaning instead of a public one.Now that I said that...I guess it is time to get to cleaning!!

 

[GoofyFan1515]

Okay, tried this new supposedly wonderful Multiquote function but like everything else in this new improved upgrade, it is a royal PITA!

Karin, I'll just say you had lots more wonderful and beautiful pics of places I would really like to visit one day!

RGirl, I couldn't agree more with your comments about prices, FP+, and the constant reduction in benefits and discounts for the huge number of people who have been loyal in choosing to spend their $$$ over the years on Disney trips. It certainly makes it easier to consider alternate trips to other non-Disney destinations.