Trip Report! ABD/DCL Mediterranean Magic Part 2 - IMAGE INTENSIVE!

[sayhello]

SayHello, fabulous report, as always!

I love the picture of you with Mickey. And weren't the salt pans cool? We saw those in Peru as well, and found the process fascinating. I guess it never occurred to me to wonder before where salt came from.

Looking forward to the rest of your report, and more great pictures. Thanks for taking the time!

Thanks, kristilew!

I'd heard people talk about 'visiting the salt pans', and had no clue what they were talking about. Now I know. And yes, they're very cool!

More report very soon if I can get Photobucket to cooperate!

Sayhello

 

[2GirlsMama]

The Backstage trip is high on my list, but the cost makes us lean toward the out of country tours.

Sayhello, I keep checking for more pictures!!! Your trip reports are always GREAT!

 

[Disneygrl36]

Wow gorgeous views!!!!! Makes me really want to do a Med cruise. Love your Mickey & Dopey pics....so cute.

 

[sayhello]

Wow gorgeous views!!!!! Makes me really want to do a Med cruise. Love your Mickey & Dopey pics....so cute.

Thanks! I'm sure you'd enjoy the Med!

Sayhello

 

[sayhello]

The Backstage trip is high on my list, but the cost makes us lean toward the out of country tours.

Sayhello, I keep checking for more pictures!!! Your trip reports are always GREAT!

I keep thinking I'll do the Backstage trip *some day*. We shall see.

More soon! Photobucket is giving me fits; if I can get it to behave, I should have more up tomorrow!

Sayhello

 

[tig82174]

A wonderful second installment!! Now I can't wait to move on to part 3!!

Thanks for this great trip report....it's definitely getting my hubby and I excited about our trip!

I have a shopping/souvenir question for you........

the stairwell to our basement (which is our office/den & an extra spare bedroom when guests are visiting) is painted with "magnetic paint" so that your walls become magnetic. We use this area as a living scrapbook and put up pictures from our various Disney and DCL adventures....but we also buy a magnet for everywhere we vacation or visit (Any city we visit---magnet. Any attraction or amusement park---magnet. Any resort---magnet. Any port on a DCL trip---magnet.) We have amassed quite the collection of photos and magnets from our many vacations together. So that's the background----here's the question: In all the ports you visited with the ABD trip, did you have time and were there small souvenir-type shops that might carry inexpensive magnets with the name of the town/country/port? Doing the B2B, we're really excited to visit so many ports and get so many more magnets for our collection!

 

[sayhello]

A wonderful second installment!! Now I can't wait to move on to part 3!!

Thanks for this great trip report....it's definitely getting my hubby and I excited about our trip!

I have a shopping/souvenir question for you........

the stairwell to our basement (which is our office/den & an extra spare bedroom when guests are visiting) is painted with "magnetic paint" so that your walls become magnetic. We use this area as a living scrapbook and put up pictures from our various Disney and DCL adventures....but we also buy a magnet for everywhere we vacation or visit (Any city we visit---magnet. Any attraction or amusement park---magnet. Any resort---magnet. Any port on a DCL trip---magnet.) We have amassed quite the collection of photos and magnets from our many vacations together. So that's the background----here's the question: In all the ports you visited with the ABD trip, did you have time and were there small souvenir-type shops that might carry inexpensive magnets with the name of the town/country/port? Doing the B2B, we're really excited to visit so many ports and get so many more magnets for our collection!

Ohhhhhh.... this is dangerous! I never knew there was magnetic paint!!!! I also collect magnets everywhere I go, and my refridgerator is pretty much totally covered now. Expanding onto a wall...? DANGEROUS!

So anyways, the answer is yes. In most of the ports, you stop *somewhere* long enough to get a magnet, even if it's just in the port. I didn't get for *every* port, but I did get one for most of them, and more than one in some others... The guides are well aware that people want souvenirs, and they accommodate that.

Sayhello

 

[tig82174]

Ohhhhhh.... this is dangerous! I never knew there was magnetic paint!!!! I also collect magnets everywhere I go, and my refridgerator is pretty much totally covered now. Expanding onto a wall...? DANGEROUS!

So anyways, the answer is yes. In most of the ports, you stop *somewhere* long enough to get a magnet, even if it's just in the port. I didn't get for *every* port, but I did get one for most of them, and more than one in some others... The guides are well aware that people want souvenirs, and they accommodate that.

Sayhello

Fabulous!! That is very good news for us!!

And if I can say....magnetic paint is wonderful...but it does take several coats and then we've had the best luck using high power magnets if you want the magnet to hold anything up like photos. That said, our magnetic walls are one of our favorite things and we get many compliments on them. It's so nice to have all our pictures displayed rather than in photo albums!

 

[sayhello]

Fabulous!! That is very good news for us!!

And if I can say....magnetic paint is wonderful...but it does take several coats and then we've had the best luck using high power magnets if you want the magnet to hold anything up like photos. That said, our magnetic walls are one of our favorite things and we get many compliments on them. It's so nice to have all our pictures displayed rather than in photo albums!

I'm definitely going to have to look into this. Is there a particular brand you use? Where would I go to purchase such a thing? I really like this idea a LOT!

Sayhello

 

[tig82174]

I'm definitely going to have to look into this. Is there a particular brand you use? Where would I go to purchase such a thing? I really like this idea a LOT!

Sayhello

no special brand. We bought it in the home depot. It's just a standard paint that is very very thick because it's full of little flecks of iron. It goes on your wall black and you just put up a few coats until your wall is "metal" enough to hold a magnet up (we tested it throughout the process....ended up requiring 3 coats I think). Then once you have it as magnetic as you want it, you just paint over it (if you don't want a black wall) with whatever color walls you want and then your wall looks like normal but happens to be magnetic.

 

[sayhello]

no special brand. We bought it in the home depot. It's just a standard paint that is very very thick because it's full of little flecks of iron. It goes on your wall black and you just put up a few coats until your wall is "metal" enough to hold a magnet up (we tested it throughout the process....ended up requiring 3 coats I think). Then once you have it as magnetic as you want it, you just paint over it (if you don't want a black wall) with whatever color walls you want and then your wall looks like normal but happens to be magnetic.

Oh, how cool. I am so doing this!

Sayhello

 

[glassslipper2004]

Wow, the water looks so amazingly beautiful! It sounds like a really fabulous day trip that was made just a little less perfect by the wind, but what can you do. Still wish I was there! Someday...

 

[Disneygrl36]

I think we need a picture of the magnetic wall.....please. It sounds so cool.

 

[sayhello]

Wow, the water looks so amazingly beautiful! It sounds like a really fabulous day trip that was made just a little less perfect by the wind, but what can you do. Still wish I was there! Someday...

The water really was incredible. The wind was mostly just annoying. It did not spoil the trip!

Sayhello

 

[tksbaskets]

Day 3 - Valletta, Malta and Gozo

Before dinner, I made the circuit of Character pictures. Some of them actually turned out!

Me and Mickey!

I LOVE this picture! Your trip report ROCKS!

Did you get an ABD pin each day and an ABD lanyard?

 

[sayhello]

I LOVE this picture! Your trip report ROCKS!

Did you get an ABD pin each day and an ABD lanyard?

Thanks, tk! I'm kind of fond of that picture, too.

Yes, we got pins each day (even Sea days!) but no lanyard. They gave us this funny pouch that's meant to go on your belt, and that you can pin the pins on. 2 problems: 1) I don't ever wear a belt 2) The pouch has the ABD logo embroidered on the front, and the pins cover it up... I kind of hate to pin through the embroidery. Oh, well. I hope it's not the new thing, and that they still do lanyards for the regular ABD's. The Guides thought it might be because they expected a lot of folks to be wearing Castaway Club lanyards.

Sayhello

 

[tksbaskets]

I'm hoping they offer an ABD add-on for the Alaskan cruise next summer

 

[sayhello]

I'm hoping they offer an ABD add-on for the Alaskan cruise next summer

Our Guides said it's pretty sure to happen, but they're not sure when... I guess the Med one went over really well.

Sayhello

 

[glassslipper2004]

What a great pic of you and Mickey!

 

[tksbaskets]

Our Guides said it's pretty sure to happen, but they're not sure when... I guess the Med one went over really well.

Sayhello

Sweet! Do you think you would have paid about the same for the ABD add-on as paying for individual excursions?