Reporting Live with Pictures (was Summer Vacation booked - Mandarin Oriental, DC)

[nzdisneymom]

Our room has two double (not queen) beds. There is a nice desk, dresser, honor-bar that has enough room to add a few drinks at a time if you want to put your own in, a DVD player, and a big flat screen t.v. There is a comfortable side-chair with foot stool. The bathroom is great - a separate shower and bathtub, and even a t.v. The bath products are nice, too - I love the soap and plan to collect all the extra that they leave for us this week! Oh yeah, our room has a door-bell! There is also a switch by the door that lights up outside to say "do not disturb" or "make up room."

We get daily housekeeping (quite a change from a DVC stay) and also nightly turn-down service where they provide bottled water (in plastic bottles so we can take them with us the next day). They also fill up the ice bucket for us.

There are two bathrobes for guest use which the boys are enjoying using and feeling like they are "rich."

 

[nzdisneymom]

And to sum up our daily activities. We started the day at the Ronald Reagan Center to go to the DC Visitors Center where we picked up some brochures and learned about a new museum (Newseum) that opened in April. I'm not sure if we'll get there, but it was new and I hadn't heard about it yet.

We went to the National Archives where we had a 45 minute wait before getting into the building. Thank goodness we've had WDW training (LOL). They have redone the National Archives visitor area since we were there last in 1994 - it is really well done and worth the time to go besides just seeing the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. If you go, be sure to visit the Boeing Learning Center which is just after the Public Vault area and you can get free pencils (free souvenir - yay).

We had lunch at the Old Post Office in the food court there; we got there right as a couple of school-groups were arriving so it was a bit of a zoo. After lunch, we went up into the Tower (which is run by the National Park Service). Here's a view from the top:

We headed up to Ford's Theater (which is closed) and toured the House where Lincoln Died which is across the street. We did some souvenir shopping (thimbles, spoons, etc.), and then went to the National Portrait Gallery. This is one of my favorite places in DC. It's inside the Smithsonian American Art Museum and is across from the International Spy Museum. We will likely skip the ISM because of time constraints, but I've heard rave reviews of it.

By this time, it was about 3:15 and we were ready to take a break. Because the Air and Space Museum is open til 7:30, we opted to go back to the hotel for a break. We had a nice rest in the room, then some snacks at the Tai Pan Club, and then went back out to the A/S Museum. It's about a 20 minute walk from the hotel to the Museum (maybe 15 if your feet aren't weary already). I think we'll end up here every day as we spent a bit of time there on Sunday as well, but there is quite a bit to see. We saw a couple of the exhibit rooms and then went to the cafe which is really McD's with a couple of sandwich selections from Boston Market and a pizza from Donato's (I think). We ordered a little bit of food and divided it up to be able to have the kids eat something a bit more substantial than the "sweet savories" from earlier. A quick stop in the museum shop, and then the trek back to the hotel.

 

[Anal Annie]

We headed up to Ford's Theater (which is closed) and toured the House where Lincoln Died which is across the street. We did some souvenir shopping (thimbles, spoons, etc.), and then went to the National Portrait Gallery. This is one of my favorite places in DC. It's inside the Smithsonian American Art Museum and is across from the International Spy Museum. We will likely skip the ISM because of time constraints, but I've heard rave reviews of it.

Glad you are enjoying your trip...hope our DC weather holds out for you! At least it is not sounding like it will be TOO hot this week. I have not been to the Spy Museum yet but just wanted to warn you that it is not a part of the Smithsonian so it is not free! But I hear that it is very, VERY cool...I priced tickets online in the spring 'cuz I was thinking about taking DS down...here's the admission info copied from the website:

Please note: A $2 per ticket convenience fee (except for Memberships and Museum Programs) is included in the price.

General Admission
Average Length of visit: 2 hours
Last Admission: 2 hours before closing
Adult (ages 12-64) $20
Seniors (65+), Active Duty Military & Intel Community $19
Child* (ages 5-11) $17
Children under 5 years: FREE
*The Permanent Exhibition is most appropriate for ages 12+

Combination Admission (General Admission and Operation Spy™)
Operation Spy is 1 hour, Permanent Exhibit is self paced.
Last Admission: 3 hours before closing
Adult (ages 12 and up) $27

Operation Spy™ is an active experience for ages 12 and above. Participants will encounter some low light levels and confining spaces, an elevator, motion simulators, sound effects, and physical and mental challenges. There is one set of stairs that participants must walk up and down; however, there is no crawling, climbing, or jumping. Operation Spy is accessible and guests who require the use of a wheelchair or walker may purchase their Operation Spy tickets directly from the International Spy Museum by calling 202.654.0964.

Operation Spy™ Admission
Length of visit: 1 hour
Last Admission: 1 hour before closing
Adult (ages 12 and up) $16

In an action-packed hour, participants take on the role of U.S. intelligence officers on an international mission to locate a missing nuclear device before it falls into the wrong hands. This intense experience combines live-action, themed environments, special effects, and hands-on activities. In pursuit of their mission they will engage in many actions including:

Conduct video surveillance of a clandestine meeting.
Decrypt a secret audio conversation.
Penetrate and escape from a high-security compound.
Crack a safe and search for clues under threat of discovery.

Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your time.

Operation Spy™ is an active experience for ages 12 and above. Participants will encounter some low light levels and confining spaces, an elevator, motion simulators, sound effects, and physical and mental challenges. There is one set of stairs that participants must walk up and down; however, there is no crawling, climbing, or jumping. Operation Spy is accessible and guests who require the use of a wheelchair or walker may purchase their Operation Spy tickets directly from the International Spy Museum by calling 202.654.0964.

Hours
Holiday and Early Closings: The Museum is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. On occasion, the Museum closes for private events earlier than regular visiting hours. Such early closings are always posted as a message within the bar of electronic streaming text on the web site's Home Page. Hours vary by season. Please refer to the date you plan to visit on this web site for the most up-to-date hours of operation.


They also offer the facility for private birthday parties. I thought "Cool"! DS would love that, right?! The minimum was $1,500! Great idea if you're loaded!

Have a great week!

 

[Brave teacher]

I brought a group of high school students this January to DC for the Close-Up trip through school. We got a sneak preview of the Newseum while we were there. I hope you get to do it! It was fantastic! My juniors and seniors even said it was one of their favorites.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

Great reporting. Thanks, Cindy. I used to work in and around DC, but haven't visited much more than the museums. Looking forward to reading and seeing more.

 

[nzdisneymom]

I brought a group of high school students this January to DC for the Close-Up trip through school. We got a sneak preview of the Newseum while we were there. I hope you get to do it! It was fantastic! My juniors and seniors even said it was one of their favorites.

Thanks for the recommendation! We're planning to do the TourMobile for Wednesday and Thursday with Thursday being our "monument emphasis" day and Wednesday being our Arlington Cemetery and then Union Station area day, so I think we'll try to catch it on Wednesday. We're off to the White House in a bit this morning.

 

[alldiz]

Our room has two double (not queen) beds. There is a nice desk, dresser, honor-bar that has enough room to add a few drinks at a time if you want to put your own in, a DVD player, and a big flat screen t.v. There is a comfortable side-chair with foot stool. The bathroom is great - a separate shower and bathtub, and even a t.v. The bath products are nice, too - I love the soap and plan to collect all the extra that they leave for us this week! Oh yeah, our room has a door-bell! There is also a switch by the door that lights up outside to say "do not disturb" or "make up room."

We get daily housekeeping (quite a change from a DVC stay) and also nightly turn-down service where they provide bottled water (in plastic bottles so we can take them with us the next day). They also fill up the ice bucket for us.

There are two bathrobes for guest use which the boys are enjoying using and feeling like they are "rich."

Geez....that swanky hotel couldn't even put queen beds. I was actually thinking of trading there....but I CANNOT do double beds
Do you know if those rooms in the front with the balconies.....are suites?

Sounds like a great trip so far.
Kerri

 

[Quiksilvr]

Sounds like you're having fun in DC. I might have passed you yesterday; I work pretty close to Old Post Office and the Reagan building.

 

[jns]

Thanks for posting
looking forward to hearing all about your trip

 

[nzdisneymom]

Here are some pictures from our room:

Bed(s):

Television and cabinet (the left side and middle of which are the Honor Bar and frig - which actually has some room to add a couple of drinks in yourself). The safe is in the top right drawer, and it really is big enough to put a laptop in and still have room left over!

Here is the desk area where this trip report is coming to you from:

And here is the corner seating area.

I'll have to snap a few shots of the bathroom and the Tai Pan Lounge in the next day or two.

 

[nzdisneymom]

We spent Tuesday morning at the White House; we got tickets through our local Congressman's office and were fortunate enough to get them. It is a self-guided tour that takes about 15 minutes to walk through but definitely worth doing if you're able. The White House Visitor's Center is nearby and provides a lot of good information about the White House's history, and if you can't make it to the White House, then it's an adequate substitute.

Because you can't take bags, purses, cameras, etc. to the White House, we went back to the hotel after our tour / visitor center stop. We had a nice rest til nearly lunch time when we headed out to the Air and Space Museum for lunch and to tour a couple more galleries (we're doing a couple at a time). Then it was time to head up for our tour of the Capitol that we had also arranged through our local congressman's office.

If you ever have a chance to be in DC, please take advantage of this opportunity! Your local congressman's office can set up a tour for you led by an intern/other staff person who can take you on a personal tour of the Capitol. What's great is that you don't have to stand in the hot sun waiting for a chance to get in... they take you through the air conditioned tunnel between the buildings, and if you're lucky like we were and it's just your family, you can get some great family photos and the tour can be tailored to your ages/interests. This has been the highlight of our trip so far!

Here's a photo from today:

 

[kimberh]

We spent Tuesday morning at the White House; we got tickets through our local Congressman's office and were fortunate enough to get them. It is a self-guided tour that takes about 15 minutes to walk through but definitely worth doing if you're able. The White House Visitor's Center is nearby and provides a lot of good information about the White House's history, and if you can't make it to the White House, then it's an adequate substitute.

Because you can't take bags, purses, cameras, etc. to the White House, we went back to the hotel after our tour / visitor center stop. We had a nice rest til nearly lunch time when we headed out to the Air and Space Museum for lunch and to tour a couple more galleries (we're doing a couple at a time). Then it was time to head up for our tour of the Capitol that we had also arranged through our local congressman's office.

If you ever have a chance to be in DC, please take advantage of this opportunity! Your local congressman's office can set up a tour for you led by an intern/other staff person who can take you on a personal tour of the Capitol. What's great is that you don't have to stand in the hot sun waiting for a chance to get in... they take you through the air conditioned tunnel between the buildings, and if you're lucky like we were and it's just your family, you can get some great family photos and the tour can be tailored to your ages/interests. This has been the highlight of our trip so far!

Here's a photo from today:

My son Interned for our Federal Senator when he was at The Citadel. We did both of these Tours, they are a must do, if they can be worked out. We did enjoy them. I am so enjoying your Thread.

 

[Psychodisney]

Glad to hear your capital tour was good-our friends were there two weeks ago and didn't have anything good to say about it! I'm still waiting to hear about our White House tour-how far in advance did you request yours?

Thanks for all of the info on the Mandarin-we arrive in two weeks!

 

[nzdisneymom]

Glad to hear your capital tour was good-our friends were there two weeks ago and didn't have anything good to say about it! I'm still waiting to hear about our White House tour-how far in advance did you request yours?

Thanks for all of the info on the Mandarin-we arrive in two weeks!

Just wondering if your friends did the Public Tour or if they arranged their capitol tour through their congressman's office. I think what really made it good for us was that it was just the four of us with the tour-guide (who is an intern, and not a brand-new, first day on the job intern).

We requested our White House tour about 6 weeks before going... we didn't get word until 10 days before the tour that we would definitely be able to go. So you're nearing the window if you're able. I know that the intern and the assistant staff assistant today both said how stoked the Staff Assistant was that the White House tix came through for us!

 

[Psychodisney]

Our friends did do the tour through our congressman. They said it was very crowded-both in their group and overall. Also had to wait an hour and a half to get through the security line in the tunnel. Did you have to wait to get through security?

We requested our tours back in March-so hopefully we'll get the White House!

 

[aurorafan]

Great trip report! I hope the rain today won't dampen your activities too much. I live in Falls Church so a cyber-wave hi to you and your family

I agree about a trade-out sub forum--it would be nice to read/see tr's and pictures of places we can trade out to!

 

[aprince&princess]

Cindy, thanks for sharing your trip with us. I also am enjoying what your trip has been like. I haven't been to DC since the sixth grade and we keep saying that we should take the kids. We will have to look into trading at some point. Thanks again, Vickie

 

[nzdisneymom]

Our friends did do the tour through our congressman. They said it was very crowded-both in their group and overall. Also had to wait an hour and a half to get through the security line in the tunnel. Did you have to wait to get through security?

We requested our tours back in March-so hopefully we'll get the White House!

You know, now that I think of it, our tour guide kept commenting on how lucky we were that it was 1) just us on the tour (guess no one else from our district was in DC wanting a tour at this time), and 2) just before we got to security, she said that we would probably have a lengthy wait, but as we came around the corner, there was NO ONE in line. She was amazed, and the Capitol security person waved her on through with us. We had to wait for a couple of Staff people to go through before we did, but it she kept saying how lucky we were. And even in Statuary Hall where the "whisper spot" is, we were able to huddle around with one other group that was also a group of four.

So I guess we were really really lucky! Maybe time of day (it was a 2 p.m. tour) and that it is the week AFTER the 4th of July.

 

[nzdisneymom]

The weather forecast had us change our plans for today, so instead of getting our two-day tix for the TourMobile and going to Arlington National Cemetery and then the Union Station area today, we decided to switch those plans to Friday. We'll still get the TourMobile tix tomorrow for two days as the weather should be nice and clear for Thursday and Friday, so we'll start with the Washington Monument in the morning and go from there.

So today, we slept in, and then DH went for a run. The boys and I went to breakfast about 9:15 and the Tai Pan Lounge was full of people. The staff cleared us a table (we've actually sat at the same table every morning). It was a bit chaotic and not quite the experience they want their guests to have - I could tell the staff were trying very hard to restore some tranquility to the place, but with as many guests who arrived in the same window and the fact that a couple of the guests were toddlers who were "busy" and "protesting" when their parents corralled them, the staff were scurrying around. They had a few new food selections including these really yummy sweet pretzels with a jam filling/powdered sugar (they probably have some fancy name but I don't know what they are).

We thought we'd beat the rain and head to a museum where we could spend the day, but it was drizzling when we started out around 10 a.m. So we had a family huddle and agreed for the boys to go swimming while DH did some work. The pool area is really nice (we're going back later so I'll try to get some pics); the pool is 4-ft deep and lengthy enough for lap swimming. There are several big comfy chairs to relax in as well as the standard sun-lounger kinds of chairs. I think I mentioned before that you don't have that indoor-pool smell either which makes it nice. We were the only ones in the pool area, and the boys swam for about an hour.

The sun came out for a bit, so we walked over to the Natural History Museum. This is my least favorite museum, but going through it with the kids makes it a bit more bearable... I'm much more of a voyeur and prefer the American History museum, but DH loves the Natural History museum (great memories from when he was a kid). We went upstairs to see the Hope Diamond:

and a few other exhibits. It was pretty busy. The boys got hungry so we checked out the Atrium Cafe but it was also busy and we agreed that we'd rather just go over to the Air/Space and have lunch there. On the way, we walked through the National Gallery of Art's Sculpture Garden.

After lunch in the air/space museum, we spent some time in one of the exhibits. Here's our favorite picture:

We watched the sky and thought it was clouding up, so we headed back to the Mandarin. We stopped at the Castle on the way back to get a souvenir for DS#2, and then came back for a rest. I think we're done for today in terms of sight-seeing, but the boys are about to head to the pool again while DH does some more work. Which means I have to hurry up and post this so I can take them to the pool.

Oh yeah - the boys spotted this and said I had to take a picture to post on DISBoards -- it's in the lobby on the side of the front-desk.

 

[Psychodisney]

Love the hidden Mickeys!

We found out today that we got the White House tour! Our White House tour is at 11:30 and the Capital is at 2:00-That will be a busy day! Like a commando day at WDW!