Checking in with ABD when arriving early

[Cinderella's Slipper 2015]

We are arriving in Prague for our Central Europe ABD a day early and staying at the same hotel as the trip. We plan on touring on our own the day the trip officially starts. I'm curious how early the guides will be available for checking in with them and finding out what time/where the welcome dinner is going to be that night. We don't want to have to run back to the hotel mid afternoon just to check in. We want to try to maximize our time in Prague as much as possible.

Thanks.

 

[Rapunzellover]

No worries, Cinderella. The guides usually send a hello letter the night before to the early arrivers. They'll tell you meeting times. Generally, they're available early (9-12 or so) for those that want to leave. And often, they will tell you in the letter when and where to meet for the welcome dinner, in case you can't meet them. They'll maybe even be cell #s for calling. So generally, it's okay not to meet them before welcome dinner. However, sometimes menu choices need to be made in advance. So meet if you can.

 

[Cinderella's Slipper 2015]

No worries, Cinderella. The guides usually send a hello letter the night before to the early arrivers. They'll tell you meeting times. Generally, they're available early (9-12 or so) for those that want to leave. And often, they will tell you in the letter when and where to meet for the welcome dinner, in case you can't meet them. They'll maybe even be cell #s for calling. So generally, it's okay not to meet them before welcome dinner. However, sometimes menu choices need to be made in advance. So meet if you can.

Thanks. Hoping they are there early as would definitely like to meet them before dinner as I have a dietary issue that I need to make sure that they are aware of. I just don't want to have to be running back to the hotel to meet them between 1 and 3 if we're up at Prague Castle or checking out the National Library building. If we could meet them before we leave to go shopping in the morning it would be so much easier.

 

[sayhello]

In my experience, the Guides' check-in times have overlapped with the times breakfast is available in the Hotel.

Sayhello

 

[Cinderella's Slipper 2015]

In my experience, the Guides' check-in times have overlapped with the times breakfast is available in the Hotel.

Sayhello

Prague Marriott has breakfast from 6:30am to 11am so I guess the guides would have check in overlapping those times at some point. That would be a huge help. I need to make sure my food allergy got transmitted through to them before we all meet for dinner and if I could do that before we set out for the day it would make things a lot easier and would mean we don't have to try to run back to the hotel to check in later in the day. This is our first international ABD so wasn't sure how the check in worked. On our Backstage Magic ABD, we didn't do check in until mid-afternoon on the first day so wasn't sure how they worked outside the US.

 

[Rapunzellover]

Cinderella- the welcome dinners are usually buffet, so there should be enough options that the guides should be able to point you to something that meets your dietary requirements, even if you don't talk to them early. If you informed ABD of the issue already, the guides will have the information.

Plus, I doubt 1-3 will be a meeting time, as the guides themselves will need to have a lunch break, probably around that time.

 

[Cinderella's Slipper 2015]

Cinderella- the welcome dinners are usually buffet, so there should be enough options that the guides should be able to point you to something that meets your dietary requirements, even if you don't talk to them early. If you informed ABD of the issue already, the guides will have the information.

Plus, I doubt 1-3 will be a meeting time, as the guides themselves will need to have a lunch break, probably around that time.

Buffets are the easiest for me to navigate but I still need to be careful because my allergen can be used in a number of different foods and I wouldn't know it. That's why I need to make sure the guides know about it. I'm not saying they wouldn't be notified, but I've read too many things where information doesn't get forwarded and things get missed. I've even gotten incorrect information from my own Disney guides and then basically been blamed for being in the wrong place to meet up with the group so I want to make sure that they have my dietary information because it's one of the major allergens and the last thing I want is end up needing medical attention while I'm in Europe.

As for the meeting time with the guides, our guides in California were there between 12 and 3 so it's possible.

 

[Rapunzellover]

Certainly, talk to them; medicial attention is the last thing you need. I was only saying talking to them at dinner instead of earlier would probably be enough time for them to find you a buffet option.

I've never had a 12-3 meeting time with any ABD guide, so hopefully, you won't encounter it.

 

[sayhello]

Buffets are the easiest for me to navigate but I still need to be careful because my allergen can be used in a number of different foods and I wouldn't know it. That's why I need to make sure the guides know about it. I'm not saying they wouldn't be notified, but I've read too many things where information doesn't get forwarded and things get missed. I've even gotten incorrect information from my own Disney guides and then basically been blamed for being in the wrong place to meet up with the group so I want to make sure that they have my dietary information because it's one of the major allergens and the last thing I want is end up needing medical attention while I'm in Europe.

As for the meeting time with the guides, our guides in California were there between 12 and 3 so it's possible.

Oh, definitely double-check it with the Guides! That's important, and they'll *want* you to double-check it with them. Information usually does get to them (always has in my case) but it's occasionally garbled or incomplete.

That's not something you want to take chances with!

Sayhello

 

[Cinderella's Slipper 2015]

Oh, definitely double-check it with the Guides! That's important, and they'll *want* you to double-check it with them. Information usually does get to them (always has in my case) but it's occasionally garbled or incomplete.

That's not something you want to take chances with!

Sayhello

Exactly, especially cause this is a fairly new development for me so I'm extra vigilant about it and this is my first time travelling with this kind of allergy. Also, it's not like shellfish where I just have to worry about cross contamination of cooking utensils and making sure I don't eat lobster or crab or shrimp. My allergen can be used in so many different things, things you might not even think of, that's why I need to make sure the guides are aware. I'm even packing my own safe snacks for the trip because I need to make sure that I always have something I can eat that's how tricky this can be. I can't even eat an individual package of cookies, unless it's oreo's, which is why I'm bringing my own snacks.

 

[Rapunzellover]

that's a severe allergy, Cinderella! I hope you stay safe.

 

[Rapunzellover]

It also sounds like you definitely need an early time to talk to the guides, since it's a complex allergy they might need time checking into.

 

[Cinderella's Slipper 2015]

It also sounds like you definitely need an early time to talk to the guides, since it's a complex allergy they might need time checking into.

That's why I wanted to know how early they guides were usually there. I'm allergic to the protein in dairy, which means I can't have milk, butter, yogurt, cheese or any products that may contain these items or the proteins from them. It's amazing the amount of things that these things are in.

Maybe we just missed them in California. We stayed at the Leow's Hotel in Hollywood, which is the trip hotel for the night before since we arrived the day before but we didn't eat breakfast at the hotel. We were out early and ate at Johnny Rocket's at the Hollywood and Highland Centre and didn't return to the hotel until later because we went hiking in Runyon Canyon that morning so we may have just missed them in the morning and didn't catch them until later in the day.

 

[SingingMom]

Just to let you know - one of our fellow travelers in London/Paris was allergic to Vitamin C, among other things. Even some of the bottled water had a mineral she was allergic to. The guides were fantastic with her - always checked at each meal with the chef, etc.

 

[Cinderella's Slipper 2015]

Just to let you know - one of our fellow travelers in London/Paris was allergic to Vitamin C, among other things. Even some of the bottled water had a mineral she was allergic to. The guides were fantastic with her - always checked at each meal with the chef, etc.

That's why I want chance to talk to them before we get to the welcome dinner and things start getting crazy. That is not the time to be discussing dietary issues, especially allergy concerns.