Trip Report: July 5, 2014 Central Europe ABD (Austria, Germany & The Czech Republic)

[Calfan]

Those pretzels look great, too, but I'm glad to know the scone making is even better! (I love both pretzels *and* scones, but scones a lot more! )

Sayhello

Sayhello, you are going to have so much fun on the Scotland ABD. The scones are awesome. I was a bit disappointed to hear that the horseback riding at Rothiemurcus is now a junior adventurer-only activity. Riding the horses through the heather was a real highlight for me. However, the Scotland ABD is littered with highlights, so I know you are going to have a great time, even without horseback riding. If you get a chance to ask one of your guides why it was eliminated for the adults, I am very curious to know the reason. Dare I say that I suspect it might have to do with the weight of some of the adults being too much for the smaller highland ponies?

 

[sayhello]

Sayhello, you are going to have so much fun on the Scotland ABD. The scones are awesome. I was a bit disappointed to hear that the horseback riding at Rothiemurcus is now a junior adventurer-only activity. Riding the horses through the heather was a real highlight for me. However, the Scotland ABD is littered with highlights, so I know you are going to have a great time, even without horseback riding. If you get a chance to ask one of your guides why it was eliminated for the adults, I am very curious to know the reason. Dare I say that I suspect it might have to do with the weight of some of the adults being too much for the smaller highland ponies?

Thanks, Calfan! I was probably going to have to skip the horseback riding due to tailbone issues anyways. Or would have done it and regretted it. So I guess I'm not heartbroken. I will ask about why it got changed, though.

Scones! Yay!

Sayhello

 

[sayhello]

OK, so a couple of things my contact at ABD passed on to me.

First off, about the WiFi. I'm paraphrasing a bit, but basically what she said was that years ago, hotels around the world, including WDW, signed contracts pertaining to the Internet and its usage. Hotels like the Ritz Carlton signed one of these contracts and they are still held by it. The terms of the contract are strict and only allow a portion of the hotel's internet to be complimentary (I guess that ends up in the lobby).

It's just like at WDW, where they were never allowed to offer guests free internet. Instead, guests had to pay $9.95. Now of course that contract with Smart City is over and WDW has free WiFi.

So in the case of the Ritz Carlton, ABD could certainly let Guests have free WiFi. But, they would end up paying for as an increase in the price of the ABD trip. Some guests wouldn't be happy knowing that they are paying $30 per night for Internet access even if they don't use it. It's a non-negotiable at the time. Disney cannot get free Internet at the Ritz. They tried, but it just wasn't doable.

Anyways, the other thing is about the Prater. Apparently ABD does not consider it a good amusement park, and considers it to be unsafe. They'd never take guests to a bad, unsafe amusement park. She said the only good part is the Ferris wheel, but it's not in a nice part of town.

Sayhello

 

[Calfan]

OK, so a couple of things my contact at ABD passed on to me.

First off, about the WiFi. I'm paraphrasing a bit, but basically what she said was that years ago, hotels around the world, including WDW, signed contracts pertaining to the Internet and its usage. Hotels like the Ritz Carlton signed one of these contracts and they are still held by it. The terms of the contract are strict and only allow a portion of the hotel's internet to be complimentary (I guess that ends up in the lobby).

It's just like at WDW, where they were never allowed to offer guests free internet. Instead, guests had to pay $9.95. Now of course that contract with Smart City is over and WDW has free WiFi.

So in the case of the Ritz Carlton, ABD could certainly let Guests have free WiFi. But, they would end up paying for as an increase in the price of the ABD trip. Some guests wouldn't be happy knowing that they are paying $30 per night for Internet access even if they don't use it. It's a non-negotiable at the time. Disney cannot get free Internet at the Ritz. They tried, but it just wasn't doable.

Anyways, the other thing is about the Prater. Apparently ABD does not consider it a good amusement park, and considers it to be unsafe. They'd never take guests to a bad, unsafe amusement park. She said the only good part is the Ferris wheel, but it's not in a nice part of town.

Sayhello

Interesting. Thanks for looking into this. I agree I wouldn't want to go to an unsafe amisement park. Maybe it's a good thing we didn't go to the Prater on our own after all. On the wifi, I understand why the Ritz has to charge, but I am a little skeptical about ABD's position that they would have to raise the price of the trip if they paid for the wifi for their adventurers. I can't believe ABD's profit margins are so slim that they can't pay for wifi without *having* to raise prices. They are choosing not to make this an ABD perk, or at least that's my opinion.

 

[disneyphx]

I agree about the Prater - the Ferris wheel is cool - and it was on the Amazing Race! but the rest was pretty icky. We went when we were in Vienna 3 years ago (on or way to our South Africa ABD). I actually don't think we even went on another ride or did anything else there.....
Your trip is so awesome! That train photo is a classic!

Michele

 

[mgsquared]

The prater was renovated and while it is still not pretty or anything...some rides are cool- you have to know where to go though! You have to book the nice car in the ferris wheel with the cafe and it's special and the other car is not nice, etc. etc.

Too bad you weren't given a list of cool rainy day activities. Really traditional coffeehouses where missing IMO. The Ritz is not far from many. And plant of nice hotels in the same area offer Wifi. ABD should make sure guests get it at their price point.

You guys... the Pavillion in the zoo is where I got married!

 

[Calfan]

You guys... the Pavillion in the zoo is where I got married!

Wow! Such a fun and unique place to get married.

 

[Cousin Orville]

Interesting. Thanks for looking into this. I agree I wouldn't want to go to an unsafe amisement park. Maybe it's a good thing we didn't go to the Prater on our own after all. On the wifi, I understand why the Ritz has to charge, but I am a little skeptical about ABD's position that they would have to raise the price of the trip if they paid for the wifi for their adventurers. I can't believe ABD's profit margins are so slim that they can't pay for wifi without *having* to raise prices. They are choosing not to make this an ABD perk, or at least that's my opinion.

I checked Ritz Carlton's website and apparently they give their regular guests "1 hour of free in room wifi per day". That's pretty petty for a luxury hotel. At the Chengdu (China ABD) Ritz this June we had free wifi, but honestly it was unusable at prime hours. Our worst hotel in terms of Wifi. Having said that, I'm still very glad we stayed at the Ritz Chengdu for the ABD. Easily one of the most beautiful hotels I've stayed at. Just frustrating Ritz Carlton is still behind the times. I'm not sure I would blame ABD for not shelling out the $30/day (assuming that's possible). I can understand the argument, but I'd probably put the money towards better meals (my soapbox ) or maybe another activity in Vienna since there's so much downtime.

Still sounds like an incredible trip. We're heading to Prague, Vienna, and Budapest this Christmas, but I have my younger children with me so sadly no ABD. Anyway, great trip report and beautiful photos!

 

[hilarys]

I needed to get some work done on the rainy Saturday afternoon so I did end up buying the WiFi at the Ritz. The good news is that for the price - I was able to get very good Wi-Fi and all four of us were able to use it in the 2 rooms. It was nice for the kids when they got tired of Watching Wonder Pets in German during their quiet time.

Kevin, I see that you are going to Prague with your younger kids later this year. I thought I would pass along the private guide company I used for our pre-day. Someone here recommended them earlier this year: Caput Regni. CaputRegni.cz The woman who runs the guide company is a mom to three young children so she loves to create special itineraries that will interest the children. She was very easy to work with and the particular guide we had was very good and took into consideration the program that had been suggested as well as some particular things we wanted to see. I bet Prague will be really beautiful in December.

Hilary

 

[Cousin Orville]

I needed to get some work done on the rainy Saturday afternoon so I did end up buying the WiFi at the Ritz. The good news is that for the price - I was able to get very good Wi-Fi and all four of us were able to use it in the 2 rooms. It was nice for the kids when they got tired of Watching Wonder Pets in German during their quiet time.

Kevin, I see that you are going to Prague with your younger kids later this year. I thought I would pass along the private guide company I used for our pre-day. Someone here recommended them earlier this year: Caput Regni. CaputRegni.cz The woman who runs the guide company is a mom to three young children so she loves to create special itineraries that will interest the children. She was very easy to work with and the particular guide we had was very good and took into consideration the program that had been suggested as well as some particular things we wanted to see. I bet Prague will be really beautiful in December.

Hilary

Hilary, great to hear! I have two half day tours set up with Caput Regni!

 

[Calfan]

Today we visited the Spanish Riding School at the Hoffberg Palace, which was the Imperial Palace of the Habsburgs. The Spanish Riding School is where the famous white Lipizzaner stallions are trained, and it has been in operation for over 440 years. This was another great Vienna activity. The tour covered the winter riding school (indoors), the tack room, the summer riding school (outdoors) and the stables. This was the only other activity on the ABD where whisper listening devices were used, although ironically, our guide was unable to get the whispers to work until after he had finished his introductory remarks in the winter riding school. This wouldn’t have been a problem, since we were the only group in the school at the time. However, at almost the exact moment our guide started speaking, a big, tractor-like piece of equipment rolled into the winter riding school to prep the dirt floor for a later performance, and it was pretty loud. But we were still able to hear most of what our guide was saying (or, rather, shouting). After that, the whispers worked for the rest of the tour. In the stables we got a real treat, which was getting to see four- to six-week-old foals with the mares, in addition to the stallions. This wasn’t really an ABD “surprise” so much as great luck in the timing. I believe we were the first ABD of the season to get to see the foals. Not being a horse person, I was surprised to learn that the foals are born dark and then turn white or grey. It was funny to see the young foals with salt and pepper coats. No photos were allowed in the stables, but once again, the guides managed to sneak in a few (although none of the foals).

After the Spanish Riding School, we walked around the corner to the Elmayer dance studio for waltzing lessons. I’m not sure how others on the trip felt about this activity, but I could easily have skipped it. Or maybe I would have enjoyed a shorter version more. The lesson lasted about an hour and felt long. I think maybe a half hour would have been better. I personally would actually have preferred to just watch the professionals give a demonstration or performance.

After the waltz lessons, the rest of the day was on our own until the farewell dinner that evening. The first thing we did during our free time was go back to the Spanish Riding School to check out the gift shop, which we really didn’t have time to browse after our tour. We ended up purchasing a number of items at the shop, including a couple of Christmas ornaments, a brass horsehead hook and some pins to supplement our lanyards.

Then we walked to the Vienna Narshmarkt in search of lunch. The guides had recommended the Naschmarkt, and it was a good recommendation. The market runs for a couple of city blocks (at least) and has both restaurants (on one side) and vendor stalls (on the other side) selling all manner of beautiful looking fruits, nuts, meats, seafood, etc. We chose an Italian restaurant for a sit-down lunch, and the pasta was really good. I definitely recommend the Narshmarkt as a place for a sit-down meal or to grab something on the go.

Since it was a beautiful day (finally!) in Vienna, we chose to walk the Ringstrasse again after lunch so we could get a better look at sights like the University of Vienna and the Votive Church that we had glimpsed in the rain from the coach the day before. Much more enjoyable than the previous day.

We had promised the kids that they could go swimming at the Ritz, so we headed back to the hotel in the late afternoon so the kids could swim and I could relax in a lounge chair, catch up on some email, etc. before dinner.

Our farewell dinner was at the Piaristenkeller restaurant, which doubles as a kind of museum, full of an eclectic mix of art and objects. Our host was quite eccentric and entertaining. I am not going to include any details about the farewell dinner or too many pictures, because I want future adventurers to have the benefit of a first impression without giving any surprises away. I will just say that the farewell dinner made for a great closing event to what had been a really wonderful trip. Happily, we did not have to return from the farewell dinner to face packing up our suitcases, as we had one more day on our own in Vienna before heading home.

 

[Calfan]

Statue of Maria Theresa at the Hoffberg

View of the university from the Hoffberg

Hercules

Rotunda outside the Spanish Riding School

The Winter Riding School

The noise maker

The tack room

The Summer Riding School

How it's supposed to look

 

[Calfan]

The "golden cabbage"

Lunch at the Naschmarkt

The University. The scaffolding is due to a film festival going on.

The Votive Church

Some kind of protest march

The pool at the Ritz

Our eccentric host

Saying goodbye

 

[Cousin Orville]

I was curious about sorcerer Mickey. So apparently the are showing Fantasia on Aug 21 at that festival.

Looks like an amazing trip. I really surprises me that ABD cancelled their central Europe trip several years ago. It seems like it's back now, better than ever. Looks like an amazing ABD. Thanks for the trip report!

Glad you had Jennae with you. She really awesome! She was our guide back in SE Asia, and I remember her saying she was super excited about this new ABD.

 

[Calfan]

I was curious about sorcerer Mickey. So apparently the are showing Fantasia on Aug 21 at that festival.

Looks like an amazing trip. I really surprises me that ABD cancelled their central Europe trip several years ago. It seems like it's back now, better than ever. Looks like an amazing ABD. Thanks for the trip report!

Glad you had Jennae with you. She really awesome! She was our guide back in SE Asia, and I remember her saying she was super excited about this new ABD.

Jennae is great, and I'm so glad she was one of our guides. They are running some overlapping dates of this ABD, so I was crossing my fingers we would get Jennae.

The history of this trip is definitely interesting. Jennae said that it originally ran from Prague to Vienna, then they reversed the order from Vienna to Prague, before eliminating the itinerary altogether. For some reason, it just wasn't selling. But it is back in a big way now. This summer's trips are all full or close to full, and apparently, it has also been selling really well for 2015. I think it has a lot to do with Prague being a very popular destination right now. Prague seems to be having a moment that it wasn't having a few years ago.

 

[carpenta]

Thanks again for the beautiful pictures. Most of my pictures can't compare. A few years ago the Lipizzaner horses summered in North Hero Vt. and we saw them every summer in their shows. They are beautiful animals. The Colonel (father of the family) would tell the story of how General Patton sent a group of army personal to take the horses and family out of the communist countries at the end of WW II. He really loved this country and Gen. Patton for saving his loves. Very moving. Those horses (well the line of horses) also were in a Disney movie to bring it full circle.

 

[Calfan]

A few years ago the Lipizzaner horses summered in North Hero Vt. and we saw them every summer in their shows. They are beautiful animals. The Colonel (father of the family) would tell the story of how General Patton sent a group of army personal to take the horses and family out of the communist countries at the end of WW II. He really loved this country and Gen. Patton for saving his loves. Very moving. Those horses (well the line of horses) also were in a Disney movie to bring it full circle.

Very cool. The guides did tell us about General Patton and moving the horses to save them during WWII, but I had forgotten. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[tufbuf]

We're heading to Prague, Vienna, and Budapest this Christmas!

Wow! You have to deal with three types of denominations - the koruna, euro and forint! Cool!!

 

[Cousin Orville]

Wow! You have to deal with three types of denominations - the koruna, euro and forint! Cool!!

Better than our 2010 Baltic Cruise: British Pound, Norwegian Krone, Danish Krone, Swedish Krona, Russian Ruble, and the Euro for Germany. Thankfully Estonia accepted the Euros or $ or something although I'm sure I probably got some Kroon back as change.

 

[mgsquared]

The first thing you listed as the university near the Hofburg is actually the national library and where I and most students go to study.
The second place with the film festival is the Rathaus (city hall where they mayor works, etc.). The festival is quite cool as there is a sort of mini food & wine festival right in front of it during the summer with stands that have food from all over the world. It's packed at night! The food is quite good too. My husband and I went to the last Fantasia showing and fortunately we were there early eat and get seats (the movie free) as it was packed!. It was in German but very cool to watch Fantasia in such a beautiful setting and big screen.

The picture right after the fruits looks like it could be one of the university buildings.