# Scotland Meets Thread (formerly Scotland: A Brave Adventure)



## sayhello

Please post here if you would like to talk with anyone else who has signed up to travel to Scotland with ABD.

You can also share information/ask questions about the Scotland: A Brave Adventure ABD.

Please try and keep this thread on topic to discussion and questions  about the Scotland ABD.  Off topic posts will be deleted or moved.

Thanks!
Sayhello

Roll Call:

Previous:

June 9 - 17, 2013
- jjharts, dh, and dd (14)
                         - SleepingPrincess & DH
                         - 2BNDisney

Jun 30-Jul 08, 2013
- Liz (MKTowerView) & Mom.
                           - paddles, hubby & 2 kids (8 & 10)
                           - Miss SD, DH & DD14
                           - OhhBother & DH
                           - bobrex & DW (Sandy)
                           - lkkinghorn & family (includes 2 kids, 12 & 14)

Aug 04-12, 2013
- Terrie (calypso726) & DH Wally (W@LL-E)
                       - Monica (CaliforniaGirl09), DH Dave, DS16 & DD13
                       - Laura (Calfan), DH (Rob), DD (10/11) & DS(9)
                       - Jane (janecamillacharlton), DH Paul & DD(13)
                       - Brett (brett24), DW Julia, DS (14) & DD (10 turning 11 during the trip)

Sep 15-23, 2013
- Tozzie
                       -  wld, DH
                       - fleaflour
                       - Coty's Dads & partner

Jun 21 - 29, 2014 - Jack'sGirl5 & DD (15)
Jun 29 - Jul 7, 2014
- WeLoveABD, DW, son (20) & daughter (13)
                           - Disney6005 & party of 11 - her Parents, her son (13), her sisters, their husbands & kids (13, 11, 11 & 9)
- tufbuf, DH & DD (13)

Aug 3 - 11, 2014
- JLoane, husband, 2 sons (20 & 17) and daughter (16)
                          - rebeccam31, husband & daughter (12)

Aug 17 - 25, 2014
- disneydeb8, DH, dd (20), dd (16), ds (12) & dd (10)
                         - DCPhotoGal, DH, DD (10) & DD (9).
- ABDGurl

Aug 31 - Sep 8, 2014
- Kat6783
                                - Sayhello
                                - bamagoofy
                                - Astro269 (Lance) & wife (Diane)


Aug 16 - 24, 2015 - aggiemomx3 & daughter


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## calypso726

Thank you Sayhello for adding meet threads for everybody! 

Hi everybody! 

I posted some of this on another thread but am reposting some of it here on our official meet thread.

I am Terrie and my DH is Wally (W@LL-E). It is just the two of us. We will be on the 8/4 adventure. This will be our first ABD trip!  

We were planning our first ABD trip to be London/Paris in 2014 and intended on leaving a few days early on that trip to fly into Scotland and go on an Outlander (book series by Diana Gabaldon set in Scotland) day tour first. I am thoroughly addicted to the series which is probably why I've been dying to visit Scotland  I was hoping ABD would add it one day.

Once the new Scotland itinerary was hinted at though, I felt like a kid on Christmas morning!  I spent a few days trying to see if we could make it work for 2013. That wait wound up costing us thanks to the increases in price  I finally decided it will have to work  I know airfare prices aren't out for those dates yet but took a peek at what it looks like for August of this year 

We are hopig to fly in a couple of days early and see the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Also, thanks to fellow traveler Monica (CaliforniaGirl) we will also be hoping to do the Mary Kings Close tour. Thank you for the heads up!

Looking forward to sharing ideas, tips and general excitement over this, sure to be awesome adventure, with everybody!


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## Tozzie

I am booked on the 9/15 adventure,  I am pretty sure there won't be other people on this trip as it has been blocked by a group but I booked it before it was blocked so I am safe for the trip.  As my trip will be the last of the season, I would be very interested in hearing about things that travellers did on their free time as well as restaurants for on your own meals.


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## MKTowerView

Hi there!

I'm excited that I booked the June 30 departure last Friday! I can't believe that the prices went up again so soon...I'll be going with my mom again - ABD trips are our (relatively new) cute mother/daughter bonding tradition.

I was originally looking to do Bella Italia next summer, but my mom fell instantly in love with the Scotland itinerary. So, I couldn't say no to her. Plus, that archery lesson (along with everything else) sounds so very cool.

Looking forward to meeting / talking to others on the Scotland train. In the meantime, I'm focused on Esprit de France! I leave in 17 days. Eeek! 

-Liz


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## paddles

Hi everyone!

We're booked on the 6/30 trip as well and are so excited for the trip - the itinerary looks amazing!

There are 4 of us - me, my hubby, and 2 kids (who'll be nearly 8 and 10 next summer).

This will be our second ABD trip....we're leaving for the Bella Italia trip on June 10th (so just a week away!!).


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## Paul (tigger fan)

Hi guys,

Have a fab time when you arrive here in Scotland, any questions I'll endeavour to answer.

Ps bring a sweater ha ha 

Paul


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## Miss SD

paddles said:


> Hi everyone!
> 
> We're booked on the 6/30 trip as well and are so excited for the trip - the itinerary looks amazing!
> 
> There are 4 of us - me, my hubby, and 2 kids (who'll be nearly 8 and 10 next summer).
> 
> This will be our second ABD trip....we're leaving for the Bella Italia trip on June 10th (so just a week away!!).



We're also on the 6/30 adventure (me, DH, DD14). 

I fell in love with Scotland on a trip I took 20 years ago with my cousin. Can't wait to see Edinburgh again! My husband and daughter, however, have never been. When I saw the itinerary, I thought, OK, let's plan for 2014, but they overruled me. They wanted to go sooner rather than later.

This will be our fifth ABD. Just wanted to say it got a lot easier to pull the trigger with these trips after our Germany ABD last year. It was fabulous!

And, Paul (tigger fan), I'll be sure to show your advice to my DD. My husband and I told her that she'd have to wear wool (or at least bring long sleeves) if she wanted to enjoy this trip. I don't think she's taking us seriously. ("C'mon, we're going in summer!")


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## Tozzie

Paul (tigger fan) said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> Have a fab time when you arrive here in Scotland, any questions I'll endeavour to answer.
> 
> *Ps bring a sweater ha ha *
> Paul



I plan to bring more than one, I learned my lesson the hard way in Ireland last year and froze and it was the end of May.


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## CaliforniaGirl09

Hey Everyone, I've posted this in other places as well, but we booked the 8/4 date on the first day for insiders, I was so excited about the itinerary. I've traveled around Scotland extensively--including most of the places we'll go--but this will be such a great way to share the beauty of Scotland with the kids! I'm especially excited for them to see the Isles! 

It will be me (Monica), DH Dave, DS16, and DD13 at time of travel. We are friends with Calfan and her family who I'm sure will be posting here soon, and I also just convinced half of my sister's family to join us (DS, DNephew16, DNiece12). 

Terrie, do you want to take over roll call duties from Say Hello since you have that nice second spot?  All you would do would to is edit your post to add a little intro paragraph for late-comers about the roll call and then copy all the trip dates like we had in that other post. Then when people post on the list you just keep going back to edit the post and add them to the list. I can do it from down here if you don't want to, just let me know.


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## calypso726

Tozzie said:


> I am booked on the 9/15 adventure,  I would be very interested in hearing about things that travellers did on their free time as well as restaurants for on your own meals.



I will definitely post a trip report and share anything I learn that seems interesting or isrecommended along the way.



MKTowerView said:


> Hi there!
> 
> ...I'll be going with my mom again - ABD trips are our (relatively new) cute mother/daughter bonding tradition.
> 
> Looking forward to meeting / talking to others on the Scotland train. In the meantime, I'm focused on Esprit de France! I leave in 17 days. Eeek!
> 
> -Liz



Hi Liz, What a great thing to do with your mom! I love sharing great experiences with my mom when I can. She will be coming on our London/Paris ABD in 2014. We do plan to leave early to go to Scotland too. I am glad I will have already been there before I go with her. How exciting to hvae an ABD to France right around the corner! Have fun!!!



paddles said:


> Hi everyone!
> 
> We're booked on the 6/30 trip as well and are so excited for the trip - the itinerary looks amazing!
> 
> There are 4 of us - me, my hubby, and 2 kids (who'll be nearly 8 and 10 next summer).
> 
> This will be our second ABD trip....we're leaving for the Bella Italia trip on June 10th (so just a week away!!).



Hi there! Have fun on your Italy trip!



Paul (tigger fan) said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> Have a fab time when you arrive here in Scotland, any questions I'll endeavour to answer.
> 
> Ps bring a sweater ha ha
> 
> Paul



Hi Paul! Thank you for the offer of assitance  I know I will have questions. Oh boy, a sweater??? I'm from Florida and not used to the cold at all. I'll probably wind up bringing a parka  Paul, what would you suggest as a "do not miss, must do" for the free time we would have in Edinburgh, Portree and Inverness?



Miss SD said:


> We're also on the 6/30 adventure (me, DH, DD14).
> 
> I fell in love with Scotland on a trip I took 20 years ago with my cousin. Can't wait to see Edinburgh again! My husband and daughter, however, have never been. When I saw the itinerary, I thought, OK, let's plan for 2014, but they overruled me. They wanted to go sooner rather than later.
> 
> This will be our fifth ABD. Just wanted to say it got a lot easier to pull the trigger with these trips after our Germany ABD last year. It was fabulous!



I know how they felt! When the itinerary was announced I thought we'd have to wait to 2015 to do it due to having planned out vacations through 2014 and part of 2015 already! Then I couldn't fathom waiting or NOT having this one be my first ABD trip. After some creative vacation budget arranging and agreeing to give up going to MNSSHP, F&W and the D23 expo for next year DH agreed to book it 



CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Hey Everyone, I've posted this in other places as well, but we booked the 8/4 date on the first day for insiders, I was so excited about the itinerary. I've traveled around Scotland extensively--including most of the places we'll go--but this will be such a great way to share the beauty of Scotland with the kids! I'm especially excited for them to see the Isles!
> 
> It will be me (Monica), DH Dave, DS16, and DD13 at time of travel. We are friends with Calfan and her family who I'm sure will be posting here soon, and I also just convinced half of my sister's family to join us (DS, DNephew16, DNiece12).
> 
> Terrie, do you want to take over roll call duties from Say Hello since you have that nice second spot?  All you would do would to is edit your post to add a little intro paragraph for late-comers about the roll call and then copy all the trip dates like we had in that other post. Then when people post on the list you just keep going back to edit the post and add them to the list. I can do it from down here if you don't want to, just let me know.



I can and don't mind at all but it looks like she already has in the first post. 

Tobi, if you want me to take over roll calls in the 2nd post I will. Let me know.


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## Calfan

As CaliforniaGirl09 mentioned, we are also booked on the Aug. 4 trip.  It will be me (Laura), DH (Rob), DD (10 at time of departure and turning 11 while in Scotland) and DS (9 at time of travel).  This will be our first ABD.  We were originally planning on the Ireland trip, but once the Scotland itinerary came out we decided to switch due to the fabulous itinerary and the opportunity to travel with our friends.  Luckily, we booked on day one for the general public and got ahead of the price increases.  We are planning to head to Scotland a few days early as well.  Everyone in my family is excited to see Brave and get a sneak peak at our adventure


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## OhhBother

We're booked on the 6/30 trip. Just me and my DH.  This is his Christmas present, so I have to keep everything a secret until Dec. 24!

This will be our first ABD trip. We're DVC members and love all things Disney! Can't wait to make this amazing trip.


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## CaliforniaGirl09

calypso726 said:


> I can and don't mind at all but it looks like she already has in the first post.
> 
> Tobi, if you want me to take over roll calls in the 2nd post I will. Let me know.



Ah, didn't see that! Sounds good. 



OhhBother said:


> We're DVC members and love all things Disney! Can't wait to make this amazing trip.



We're DVC, too! This will be our second ABD. We did Emerald Isle in 2007 and absolutely loved it. One of the best family vacays ever. 



Calfan said:


> Everyone in my family is excited to see Brave and get a sneak peak at our adventure



I'll be seeing a sneak peek of BRAVE at PIXAR on the 10th--I can't wait. We live right by the studios and many of the execs have kids in our schools, so they always do these benefits. I'll report back without any details!


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## tylerandalexsmom

Hello all!  We do WDW frequently, but have never been on ABD.  I had been looking into ABD trips, and always thought "if only there was a trip to Scotland......"  (My family is Scottish, and I was a competetive Highland dancer in my younger days, and performed with the City of Denver Pipe Band, and I once got to dance with the Fourty Twa!  And it's always been my dream to dance in Scotland!)    But there wasn't one, so I kept putting it off, and planning other Disney trips....

Now I see the Scotland vacation, and have been making myself sick trying to figure out how to work it in to our vacation plans, but I already have a trip to DLR planned for this Christmas , and a DCL Caribbean cruise next year , so I just don't think I can fit the (cost of the) Scotland vacation in 2013 as well.  I've seen a few people mention 2014 (and even 2015) - so do you think they will continue a Scotland itinerary in 2014?  That would work out perfectly, as I haven't yet committed our 2014 vacation plans, but I was afraid this would be a one time (one season--2013) thing with the Brave movie coming out.....  Anyone have insight?  

And Calypso726 -- Outlander is my favorite series too!!!!


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## sayhello

tylerandalexsmom said:


> Hello all!  We do WDW frequently, but have never been on ABD.  I had been looking into ABD trips, and always thought "if only there was a trip to Scotland......"  (My family is Scottish, and I was a competetive Highland dancer in my younger days, and performed with the City of Denver Pipe Band, and I once got to dance with the Fourty Twa!  And it's always been my dream to dance in Scotland!)    But there wasn't one, so I kept putting it off, and planning other Disney trips....
> 
> Now I see the Scotland vacation, and have been making myself sick trying to figure out how to work it in to our vacation plans, but I already have a trip to DLR planned for this Christmas , and a DCL Caribbean cruise next year , so I just don't think I can fit the (cost of the) Scotland vacation in 2013 as well.  I've seen a few people mention 2014 (and even 2015) - so do you think they will continue a Scotland itinerary in 2014?  That would work out perfectly, as I haven't yet committed our 2014 vacation plans, but I was afraid this would be a one time (one season--2013) thing with the Brave movie coming out.....  Anyone have insight?
> 
> And Calypso726 -- Outlander is my favorite series too!!!!


It's hard to say for sure (reading ABD's mind is difficult! ), but considering how popular this Scotland trip has turned out to be (it's selling out quickly and has only been available for a couple of weeks) it's likely they will continue to offer the trip.  Whether they continue to push the Brave connection or not would, I assume, depend on how successful the movie is.  But I think it's likely the trip will appear in 2014.  

Of course, nothing is guaranteed, so if you *really* want to do the trip, you might want to think about, say, pushing that cruise into 2014...  Just saying!  

Sayhello


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## Calfan

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> We're DVC, too!



We are also DVC members.


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## tylerandalexsmom

sayhello said:


> It's hard to say for sure (reading ABD's mind is difficult! ), but considering how popular this Scotland trip has turned out to be (it's selling out quickly and has only been available for a couple of weeks) it's likely they will continue to offer the trip.  Whether they continue to push the Brave connection or not would, I assume, depend on how successful the movie is.  But I think it's likely the trip will appear in 2014.
> 
> Of course, nothing is guaranteed, so if you *really* want to do the trip, you might want to think about, say, pushing that cruise into 2014...  Just saying!
> 
> Sayhello



Thanks.  I have thought about pushing the cruise into 2014, but I would have to cancel the Christmas DLR trip too in order to make the 2013 Scotland trip work.  It really is tempting...... but the shorter time span  would make it more difficult, plus then I would be left without the trip I planned as a surprise Christmas present for my kids  (plus, we really aren't supposed to be on vacation in December -- I had to move heaven and earth to make that happen.....so can't really back out now )  I'm really afraid I will have to take my chances on 2014 and hope they do all the cool stuff in 2014 that they have on this itinerary!  Just know that I am SOOOO jealous of all of you going!  (And send lots of great trip reports and photos!!!)  If I can figure out how to work it out, I will be back on here with you all jumping up and down!!


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## calypso726

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> We're DVC, too! This will be our second ABD. We did Emerald Isle in 2007 and absolutely loved it. One of the best family vacays ever.
> 
> I'll be seeing a sneak peek of BRAVE at PIXAR on the 10th--I can't wait. We live right by the studios and many of the execs have kids in our schools, so they always do these benefits. I'll report back without any details!





Calfan said:


> We are also DVC members.



As you can see in my siggy, we are DVC members too. Next add-on - Grand Floridian. I imagine we will wind up using or renting out points to book ABD down the line as there are so many itineraries we'd like to do. Emerald Isle is definitely on the list as well as Germany! 

Sneek peek for Brave! Lucky you!!!!




tylerandalexsmom said:


> Hello all!  We do WDW frequently, but have never been on ABD.  I had been looking into ABD trips, and always thought "if only there was a trip to Scotland......"  (My family is Scottish, and I was a competetive Highland dancer in my younger days, and performed with the City of Denver Pipe Band, and I once got to dance with the Fourty Twa!  And it's always been my dream to dance in Scotland!)    But there wasn't one, so I kept putting it off, and planning other Disney trips....
> 
> Now I see the Scotland vacation, and have been making myself sick trying to figure out how to work it in to our vacation plans, but I already have a trip to DLR planned for this Christmas , and a DCL Caribbean cruise next year , so I just don't think I can fit the (cost of the) Scotland vacation in 2013 as well.  I've seen a few people mention 2014 (and even 2015) - so do you think they will continue a Scotland itinerary in 2014?  That would work out perfectly, as I haven't yet committed our 2014 vacation plans, but I was afraid this would be a one time (one season--2013) thing with the Brave movie coming out.....  Anyone have insight?
> 
> And Calypso726 -- Outlander is my favorite series too!!!!



Highland dancing ... that is way too cool  We are only 3 hours away so we go to WDW a lot or cruise DCL, go to D23 events etc. Clearly we LOVE anything Disney, totally drank the Kool Aid  One of my concerns regarding the new Scotland ABD was due to the fact I was afraid they might not offer it again or change the itinerary. It came down to how bad do I want to do this and figure out how to make it work. Would I give up 3 planned trips and utilize creative budgeting. I will reiterate what you said in the other thread, in the words of Jamie Fraser (Outlander) Jes Suis Prest  (I am ready).



OhhBother said:


> We're booked on the 6/30 trip. Just me and my DH.  This is his Christmas present, so I have to keep everything a secret until Dec. 24!
> 
> This will be our first ABD trip. We're DVC members and love all things Disney! Can't wait to make this amazing trip.



Awesome Christmas present!!!!



tylerandalexsmom said:


> Thanks.  I have thought about pushing the cruise into 2014, but I would have to cancel the Christmas DLR trip too in order to make the 2013 Scotland trip work.  It really is tempting...... but the shorter time span  would make it more difficult, plus then I would be left without the trip I planned as a surprise Christmas present for my kids  (plus, we really aren't supposed to be on vacation in December -- I had to move heaven and earth to make that happen.....so can't really back out now )  I'm really afraid I will have to take my chances on 2014 and hope they do all the cool stuff in 2014 that they have on this itinerary!  Just know that I am SOOOO jealous of all of you going!  (And send lots of great trip reports and photos!!!)  If I can figure out how to work it out, I will be back on here with you all jumping up and down!!



I hope you are able to to join us! I am sure there will be trip reports. Feel free to PM me if you want to know what I decided to do in order to make this trip work for us. I'd be happy to share.


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## CaliforniaGirl09

calypso726 said:


> As you can see in my siggy, we are DVC members too. Next add-on - Grand Floridian.



Have you seen the rumors about the Poly being next (after GF)? I may be tempted to pull the trigger on that. I assume we're talking 2015 or so, so I'll have plenty of time to decide


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## calypso726

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Have you seen the rumors about the Poly being next (after GF)? I may be tempted to pull the trigger on that. I assume we're talking 2015 or so, so I'll have plenty of time to decide



Yup! I've heard the same rumors. I doubt we will be adding on at the Poly. I think Wally will only be willing to go for ONE monorail resort.

This might be noteworthy to the DVC members going to Scotland that may want to come in up to a week early or stay a week later. There is an exchange resort in Edinburgh through RCI, The Edinburgh Residence that would be 134 points for a week in a studio and 160 for a week in a 1 bedroom. We can't do a week early, a couple days only.


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## jjharts

Booked the June 9th trip for me, dh, and dd (14).  Can't wait!!!  We will be heading to London (with a day trip to Paris) afterwards...first time in the UK for us


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## CaliforniaGirl09

jjharts said:


> Booked the June 9th trip for me, dh, and dd (14).  Can't wait!!!  We will be heading to London (with a day trip to Paris) afterwards...first time in the UK for us



Weclome Jharts and congrats on booking the trip! It's going to be a blast. We go to London every other year for Thanksgiving (no family it's just a week long break for my kids and we love it) and this year we are doing a day trip to Paris for the first time. I'll let you know how it goes!


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## CaliforniaGirl09

Wow, just checked the prices, and they've gone up again--over $5600 for an adult now for our date. So glad I jumped early. Wonder how full we are getting.


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## 2BNDisney

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Wow, just checked the prices, and they've gone up again--over $5600 for an adult now for our date. So glad I jumped early. Wonder how full we are getting.



You're not kidding - these prices seem to just change without warning over the matter of a few days. I think it has changed at least 3 times already.  Imagine if WDW or DL did this - like charge more in the summer or on a particular day just because people show a greater interest to go then versus another season or day.  I assume they are raising the price to see how much they can get people to pay due to a large interest in Scotland, unless they did not do a thorough analysis on their own costs of the trip and have reevaluated it over the matter of a week or so.  If it is the first, not a big fan of that business practice.  But as they say, people can vote with their pocketbook.  Trying to decide which way to go with mine now - .


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## calypso726

jjharts said:


> Booked the June 9th trip for me, dh, and dd (14).  Can't wait!!!  We will be heading to London (with a day trip to Paris) afterwards...first time in the UK for us



Hi there! Welcome to the group!



CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Wow, just checked the prices, and they've gone up again--over $5600 for an adult now for our date. So glad I jumped early. Wonder how full we are getting.



Holy Guaca-Moly! I am so glad we decided to book when we did!


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## sayhello

2BNDisney said:


> You're not kidding - these prices seem to just change without warning over the matter of a few days. I think it has changed at least 3 times already.  Imagine if WDW or DL did this - like charge more in the summer or on a particular day just because people show a greater interest to go then versus another season or day.  I assume they are raising the price to see how much they can get people to pay due to a large interest in Scotland, unless they did not do a thorough analysis on their own costs of the trip and have reevaluated it over the matter of a week or so.  If it is the first, not a big fan of that business practice.  But as they say, people can vote with their pocketbook.  Trying to decide which way to go with mine now - .


ABD will normally have a range of prices for a trip.  They start out pretty close to the low end of the range, then, as the trips fill up, the prices for those departures goes up.  But usually it takes weeks or months for that to happen!  I don't think I've ever seen a trip fill up as quickly as this Scotland trip has!  Of course, they didn't have that many departures, so that might have something to do with it.  

It's an incentive to book early, as you get the lower prices if you book earlier.  DCL does this also.  The cruises will definitely increase in price as they sell out.

Sayhello


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## jjharts

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Weclome Jharts and congrats on booking the trip! It's going to be a blast. We go to London every other year for Thanksgiving (no family it's just a week long break for my kids and we love it) and this year we are doing a day trip to Paris for the first time. I'll let you know how it goes!




I'll be looking forward to hearing about your trip and getting some tips and advice from you


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## jjharts

calypso726 said:


> Hi there! Welcome to the group!
> 
> 
> 
> Holy Guaca-Moly! I am so glad we decided to book when we did!





EEEGADS!!!  I was kicking myself for waiting until yesterday to book, now I'm just glad I didn't put it off any longer


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## paddles

Hi - I've seen several of you mention doing an "Outlander" day tour before the ABD trip starts.  Can you please provide more details or a link? I know my hubby and kids have no interest, but if we can arrive a day early and I can do the Outlander tour while they play in the pool (or other distraction in Edinburgh)...I would be so excited!

thanks!
paddles (aka Jamie's biggest fan )
(booked on 6/30 tour)


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## calypso726

paddles said:


> Hi - I've seen several of you mention doing an "Outlander" day tour before the ABD trip starts.  Can you please provide more details or a link? I know my hubby and kids have no interest, but if we can arrive a day early and I can do the Outlander tour while they play in the pool (or other distraction in Edinburgh)...I would be so excited!
> 
> thanks!
> paddles (aka Jamie's biggest fan )
> (booked on 6/30 tour)



Hi Paddles. Addicted to Outlander here and completely in love with a fictional character  Jamie of course  Fortunately DH doesn't mind and thinks Jamie is  

The Outlander day tour is actually in Inverness *<CLICKY HERE>* Diana has several links to Outlander tours on her web site *<CLICKY HERE>*

I am not doing the Outlander tour this trip. We are coming in early for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and whatever else we can squeeze in. I plan to do the Outlander tour in 2014. That's when we will be doing ABD London/Paris with my parents. My mom is hooked on the series now too. 2014will be her first and probably only time she goes to Europe so I promised to take her on a pre ABD Outlander tour. 

Hope this helps


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## sayhello

I'm glad you clarified this about the Outlander series, because I thought it had something to do with the odd sci-fi movie from 2008 or the long running sci-fi book series...  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outlanders

Sayhello


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## calypso726

sayhello said:


> I'm glad you clarified this about the Outlander series, because I thought it had something to do with the odd sci-fi movie from 2008 or the long running sci-fi book series...  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outlanders
> 
> Sayhello



AH I see where that could get confusing   I never read the sci-fi series or saw the movie. The Outlander series I'm addicted to is set in Scotland in 1743 just prior to the Jacobite Rising. Honestly, I never thought I would like that story based on the description of this book. But after having people tell me how good it is for the last 20 years I decided to finally read it. The author does such a beautiful job of storytelling that I feel like my mind has already seen Scotland. Now I want my eyes to see it too


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## SleepingPrincess

DH and I are signed up for the 6/9 trip. We're thinking of potentially adding on a few days to go to Glasgow and Stirling as well. This will be our first ABD. We actually just got back from London and doing a Mediterranean Cruise and DH mentioned that he really wanted to visit Scotland (I went about 10 years ago and loved it). So when we saw the itinerary - we decided to go for it!


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## CaliforniaGirl09

SleepingPrincess said:


> DH and I are signed up for the 6/9 trip. We're thinking of potentially adding on a few days to go to Glasgow and Stirling as well. This will be our first ABD. We actually just got back from London and doing a Mediterranean Cruise and DH mentioned that he really wanted to visit Scotland (I went about 10 years ago and loved it). So when we saw the itinerary - we decided to go for it!



Whoo hoo! Congrats on signing up. It's an AMAZING itinerary, and you are going to love ABD. I think we are going to go to Edinburgh a couple days early and take the train to Stirling for the day (so we don't have to move around so much). I keep meaning to contact my TA about pre-nights. Has anyone done this yet?


----------



## sayhello

Tozzie said:


> I am booked on the 9/15 adventure,  I am pretty sure there won't be other people on this trip as it has been blocked by a group but I booked it before it was blocked so I am safe for the trip.  As my trip will be the last of the season, I would be very interested in hearing about things that travellers did on their free time as well as restaurants for on your own meals.


Something just occurred to me.  Did ABD tell you who the group is that you're traveling with?  I imagine they're all communicating through whoever reserved the date, and I'd think you'd want to be included in that...  I know when I went on the DIS exclusive Knights & Lights, we made a lot of plans for before & during the trip, and just got to know each other.  It really added to the trip.



SleepingPrincess said:


> DH and I are signed up for the 6/9 trip. We're thinking of potentially adding on a few days to go to Glasgow and Stirling as well. This will be our first ABD. We actually just got back from London and doing a Mediterranean Cruise and DH mentioned that he really wanted to visit Scotland (I went about 10 years ago and loved it). So when we saw the itinerary - we decided to go for it!


Welcome to ABD!  You're going to love ABD, and the Scotland itinerary looks wonderful!  Be sure & report back to us after you go!

Sayhello


----------



## OhhBother

Did you guys see the blog post by Deb Wills with www.allears.net today? That's who has the group block on the September trip.


----------



## calypso726

SleepingPrincess said:


> DH and I are signed up for the 6/9 trip. We're thinking of potentially adding on a few days to go to Glasgow and Stirling as well. This will be our first ABD. We actually just got back from London and doing a Mediterranean Cruise and DH mentioned that he really wanted to visit Scotland (I went about 10 years ago and loved it). So when we saw the itinerary - we decided to go for it!



Welcome to the Scotland meet thread! It looks like there are several of us coming in a few days early on our adventures. 



OhhBother said:


> Did you guys see the blog post by Deb Wills with allears dot net today? That's who has the group block on the September trip.



Yes, I did! Too bad she's not going before we are. I would like to see her write up on the trip.


----------



## sayhello

OhhBother said:


> Did you guys see the blog post by Deb Wills with allears dot net today? That's who has the group block on the September trip.


Just thought I'd mention here that if you are posting a website, you need to post the entire address.  If you post the "dot net" thing, then the site's filters are being bypassed, and the DISboard policies don't allow that. (Some sites have been banned from the DISboards, and the only way you'd know is by posting the whole address).   I've edited your post to show the entire address.

I was wondering if it was Deb Wills.  She likes to take groups on new itineraries.

Sayhello


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

calypso726 said:


> I would like to see her write up on the trip.



Me, too!


----------



## Calfan

Did anyone else receive the offer from Disney Visa for 4 complimentary tickets to an advance screening of BRAVE?  We are going to see it in San Francisco on June 18.  I'm embarrassed to admit how excited I am to see this movie due to having booked this trip.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

Calfan said:


> Did anyone else receive the offer from Disney Visa for 4 complimentary tickets to an advance screening of BRAVE?  We are going to see it in San Francisco on June 18.  I'm embarrassed to admit how excited I am to see this movie due to having booked this trip.



That is so cool. I have a Disney Visa and didn't get it, but as I mentioned I'm seeing it Sunday night (10th) at Pixar studios. I'm right there with you on excitement for this movie.


----------



## jjb52

calypso726 said:


> Hi Paddles. Addicted to Outlander here and completely in love with a fictional character  Jamie of course  Fortunately DH doesn't mind and thinks Jamie is
> 
> The Outlander day tour is actually in Inverness *<CLICKY HERE>* Diana has several links to Outlander tours on her web site *<CLICKY HERE>*
> 
> I am not doing the Outlander tour this trip. We are coming in early for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and whatever else we can squeeze in. I plan to do the Outlander tour in 2014. That's when we will be doing ABD London/Paris with my parents. My mom is hooked on the series now too. 2014will be her first and probably only time she goes to Europe so I promised to take her on a pre ABD Outlander tour.
> 
> Hope this helps



Thanks for the tip on the Outlander Tour-I put it in my favorite places for future reference. I want to go to Scotland in 2014 and hopefully w/ABD and would love to do this tour as a pre or post trip. I am just starting the 4th book in the Outlander series-all I want to do is read!! Would love to hear more on this trip if anyone adds it to their itinerary this year.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

Saw a special screening of BRAVE last night at PIXAR, and it was amazing! Found out that we were the first group outside of PIXAR to see it, which was pretty cool. You guys are going to be so anxious to go on this trip when you see it. Visually stunning. Had a chance to talk to the director for a while, and he was excited to hear that I was doing the ABD Scotland trip. Many of the location inspirations for the film were taken from his honeymoon trip to Scotland years ago. Is it August 2013 yet?


----------



## Calfan

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Saw a special screening of BRAVE last night at PIXAR, and it was amazing! Found out that we were the first group outside of PIXAR to see it, which was pretty cool. You guys are going to be so anxious to go on this trip when you see it. Visually stunning. Had a chance to talk to the director for a while, and he was excited to hear that I was doing the ABD Scotland trip. Many of the location inspirations for the film were taken from his honeymoon trip to Scotland years ago. Is it August 2013 yet?



So glad you liked it, and how cool to be able to chat with the director!  So excited to see it and even more excited for our trip.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

Calfan said:


> So glad you liked it, and how cool to be able to chat with the director!  So excited to see it and even more excited for our trip.



It will definitely get you in the mood for the trip! BTW, Calfan pointed out that the trip prices have gone up yet again! Some are nearly $1000 more than opening day. So glad we jumped quickly!


----------



## calypso726

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Saw a special screening of BRAVE last night at PIXAR, and it was amazing! Found out that we were the first group outside of PIXAR to see it, which was pretty cool. You guys are going to be so anxious to go on this trip when you see it. Visually stunning. Had a chance to talk to the director for a while, and he was excited to hear that I was doing the ABD Scotland trip. Many of the location inspirations for the film were taken from his honeymoon trip to Scotland years ago. Is it August 2013 yet?



That is so cool! I am dying to see this movie! I have been chomping at the bit over it since it was revealed as the next Pixar project at a D23 event a couple of years ago.



CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> It will definitely get you in the mood for the trip! BTW, Calfan pointed out that the trip prices have gone up yet again! Some are nearly $1000 more than opening day. So glad we jumped quickly!



I saw that! For us, it is now $500 more than when we booked  We weren't as quick on it as some of you but happy we got in when we did


----------



## bobrex

DW (Sandy) and I are booked on the June 30 trip.  This is out third ABD trip; we did the Yosemite trip a few years ago and the Germany trip last year.  We are also DVC, but not using our points for this trip - it's just too many points.

I can understand the price increasing as time goes on, but the trip dates were announced in mid May, less than a month ago.  That's jumping the prices a little too early, no?


----------



## sayhello

bobrex said:


> DW (Sandy) and I are booked on the June 30 trip.  This is out third ABD trip; we did the Yosemite trip a few years ago and the Germany trip last year.  We are also DVC, but not using our points for this trip - it's just too many points.
> 
> I can understand the price increasing as time goes on, but the trip dates were announced in mid May, less than a month ago.  That's jumping the prices a little too early, no?


I agree with you.  But apparently the trips are filling up REALLY quickly, and ABD generally increases the prices as the trips fill up.  I've seen this sort of thing with DCL, but never seen it with ABD before.  It's just a REALLY popular trip, but doesn't have a lot of departures.

(And it's actually only been 3 weeks!  Crazy!)

Sayhello


----------



## Miss SD

bobrex said:


> DW (Sandy) and I are booked on the June 30 trip.  This is out third ABD trip; we did the Yosemite trip a few years ago and the Germany trip last year.  We are also DVC, but not using our points for this trip - it's just too many points.
> 
> I can understand the price increasing as time goes on, but the trip dates were announced in mid May, less than a month ago.  That's jumping the prices a little too early, no?



Wow, that's strange. My DH and I (and DD) will be on the June 30 trip. My name is Sandy and we took the Germany trip last year.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

calypso726 said:


> We weren't as quick on it as some of you but happy we got in when we did



I think this trip and the recent DVC cruise special are the fastest I've ever moved on anything. 



Miss SD said:


> Wow, that's strange. My DH and I (and DD) will be on the June 30 trip. My name is Sandy and we took the Germany trip last year.



Wow, that is strange! Cool.


----------



## calypso726

bobrex said:


> DW (Sandy) and I are booked on the June 30 trip.  This is out third ABD trip; we did the Yosemite trip a few years ago and the Germany trip last year.  We are also DVC, but not using our points for this trip - it's just too many points.
> 
> I can understand the price increasing as time goes on, but the trip dates were announced in mid May, less than a month ago.  That's jumping the prices a little too early, no?



Hello! Welcome to the thread! Germany looks like a really fun trip. It's on the short list so hopefully we will get to do it down the line. 



CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> I think this trip and the recent DVC cruise special are the fastest I've ever moved on anything.



The fastest for us would be our 2 DVC cruises, started dialing right when the phones lines opened to book. Then the Maiden Voyage of the Fantasy we booked on day 1. Thank goodness too because those prices doubled


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

calypso726 said:


> Then the Maiden Voyage of the Fantasy we booked on day 1. Thank goodness too because those prices doubled



Lucky you to be on the maiden voyage. I'll be taking my first Fantasy cruise in 11 days . . . I can't wait!


----------



## calypso726

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Lucky you to be on the maiden voyage. I'll be taking my first Fantasy cruise in 11 days . . . I can't wait!



Oh you will have so much fun! It is a lovely ship and I like it even better than the Dream.


----------



## calypso726

Hi everybody! Like some of you we are coming in a few days early. I was looking around at places to eat and or stay that might be somewhat unique and came across The Witchery by the Castle *CLICKY HERE* which I have heard mentioned several times while reading trip reports online. There are 2 restaurants, The Witchery and The Secret Garden. Andrew Lloyd Webber is quoted saying, "Is this the prettiest restaurant ever? I think so."  

I figured if it was popular it would require reservations so I checked out he web site and discovered they have 8 (only 8) dramatically decadent, opulent over the top suites. I read one person's trip report that said Catherine Zeta Jones was staying there during their stay there. Anyhow, it is totaly up my alley with regards to being out of the ordinary and campy  So we made reservations for the 2nd and 3rd of August in the Inner Sanctum suite and dinner at The Witchery on Friday and The Secret Garden on Saturday. 

I thought I'd share with the group in case someone else might find it to their liking


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

calypso726 said:


> Hi everybody! Like some of you we are coming in a few days early. I was looking around at places to eat and or stay that might be somewhat unique and came across The Witchery by the Castle *CLICKY HERE* which I have heard mentioned several times while reading trip reports online. There are 2 restaurants, The Witchery and The Secret Garden. Andrew Lloyd Webber is quoted saying, "Is this the prettiest restaurant ever? I think so."
> 
> I figured if it was popular it would require reservations so I checked out he web site and discovered they have 8 (only 8) dramatically decadent, opulent over the top suites. I read one person's trip report that said Catherine Zeta Jones was staying there during their stay there. Anyhow, it is totaly up my alley with regards to being out of the ordinary and campy  So we made reservations for the 2nd and 3rd of August in the Inner Sanctum suite and dinner at The Witchery on Friday and The Secret Garden on Saturday.
> 
> I thought I'd share with the group in case someone else might find it to their liking



Very cool place! I've seen it before but had never checked it out. Thanks for the info. With the kids, I suspect we'll either try to stay at the Balmoral (so we don't have to move) or one of the bigger chains with family rooms, but this place looks awesome. Up my alley, too


----------



## 2BNDisney

Looks like I am set for June 9 also ..... going solo.  First time ABD and first time to Scotland.  Considering taking a pre-trip to Italy/Ireland and maybe some Scotland places so guess I may need a guide book for all three


----------



## calypso726

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Very cool place! I've seen it before but had never checked it out. Thanks for the info. With the kids, I suspect we'll either try to stay at the Balmoral (so we don't have to move) or one of the bigger chains with family rooms, but this place looks awesome. Up my alley, too



The Balmoral looks awesome. I am so glad we get to stay there with ABD. I read it was named one of the top 10 Luxury Hotels in the UK on Trip Advisor and top 500 world's best hotels in Travel & Leisure! The other one I would love to stay at in Edinburgh is Prestonfield. Maybe the NEXT time we go to Scotland  

I'm happy to know I won't be the only one on this trip with tastes that run towards the theatrical and dramatic 



2BNDisney said:


> Looks like I am set for June 9 also ..... going solo.  First time ABD and first time to Scotland.  Considering taking a pre-trip to Italy/Ireland and maybe some Scotland places so guess I may need a guide book for all three



Hi  and  to the group! I'm a first timer for both too. Your pre-trip sounds fun! We will be going to Italy in October but not with ABD. It will be our first time there so please share your experiences here. I will probably be lurking on the Italy meet threads to see if I learn any tips for the people who are going or getting back. I would love to go to Ireland! It's not in the cards just yet but defintely someday! 

It's not exactly a guide book, but I picked up a book about Scotland that is a fun little read called Scottish Miscellany Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave. I also picked up a pocket guidebook called Edinburgh Encounter. Oh and there is a free App called Welcome to Scotland Scot Guide that you can download. It's loaded with info on where to go, what to do, discounts, interactive maps that locate your position using GPS. It works for iPhones and Android phones *< CLICKY HERE > *


----------



## Calfan

calypso726 said:


> The Balmoral looks awesome. I am so glad we get to stay there with ABD. I read it was named one of the top 10 Luxury Hotels in the UK on Trip Advisor and top 500 world's best hotels in Travel & Leisure! The other one I would love to stay at in Edinburgh is Prestonfield. Maybe the NEXT time we go to Scotland



The only other time I have been to Scotland was in high school on a trip with my parents.  We ate dinner at Prestonfield House for my father's birthday.  A great experience.  

We are seeing BRAVE tonight.  Can't wait!


----------



## sayhello

2BNDisney said:


> Looks like I am set for June 9 also ..... going solo.  First time ABD and first time to Scotland.  Considering taking a pre-trip to Italy/Ireland and maybe some Scotland places so guess I may need a guide book for all three


Congrats, Blake!  I'm sure you're going to love this trip, love Scotland and love ABD!!!  You'll be going on one of the first trips, so I'll really be looking forward to your report!

Sayhello


----------



## wld

DH and I are going on the Sept trip.  Booked today and they said we got the last room with Debs group.   This is our first ABD and we are very excited.   We are also thinking about adding on a couple of days.  Or maybe flying into London and taking the train to Edinburg for a little more adventure.  Since I'm not planning most of this trip, I got to have something to plan!


----------



## 2BNDisney

Thanks so much for the info on the app and book.  I will definitely check it out!
I went on the Mediterranean cruise in 2010 and my 2 favs were Rome and the Cinque Terra (very small town Italy).  Hoping maybe for Verona next year and take the train to different cities from there.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

Calfan said:


> We are seeing BRAVE tonight.  Can't wait!



Can't wait to hear what you think. We loved it!



sayhello said:


> Congrats, Blake!  I'm sure you're going to love this trip, love Scotland and love ABD!!!  You'll be going on one of the first trips, so I'll really be looking forward to your report!
> 
> Sayhello



Ditto what SayHello said. Welcome and can't wait to hear your report back!



calypso726 said:


> Oh and there is a free App called Welcome to Scotland Scot Guide that you can download. It's loaded with info on where to go, what to do, discounts, interactive maps that locate your position using GPS. It works for iPhones and Android phones *< CLICKY HERE > *



I'll have to check this out, too. I love new apps


----------



## Calfan

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Can't wait to hear what you think. We loved it!



We loved it too.  My 7-year old DS broke out into cackling laughter numerous times.  The plot was actually a little different than I thought it would be based on the previews I had seen, but that is a positive as far as I am concerned.  Definitely not the case that we had "seen" the whole movie by virtue of having seen the previews.  We plan to buy it when it comes out on DVD so we can watch it again closer to our trip and whet our appetite even more.


----------



## calypso726

Calfan said:


> The only other time I have been to Scotland was in high school on a trip with my parents.  We ate dinner at Prestonfield House for my father's birthday.  A great experience.
> 
> We are seeing BRAVE tonight.  Can't wait!



Lucky you! You've been to Prestonfield House and seeing Brave!



wld said:


> DH and I are going on the Sept trip.  Booked today and they said we got the last room with Debs group.   This is our first ABD and we are very excited.   We are also thinking about adding on a couple of days.  Or maybe flying into London and taking the train to Edinburg for a little more adventure.  Since I'm not planning most of this trip, I got to have something to plan!



Hi  and  to the group! I would have loved to go on the adult trip. I'm sure Deb's group will be great! I am glad I am going in August though  Ooh the train sounds like fun too. I know what you mean about the planning 



2BNDisney said:


> Thanks so much for the info on the app and book.  I will definitely check it out!
> I went on the Mediterranean cruise in 2010 and my 2 favs were Rome and the Cinque Terra (very small town Italy).  Hoping maybe for Verona next year and take the train to different cities from there.



You're welcome! 



Calfan said:


> We loved it too.  My 7-year old DS broke out into cackling laughter numerous times.  The plot was actually a little different than I thought it would be based on the previews I had seen, but that is a positive as far as I am concerned.  Definitely not the case that we had "seen" the whole movie by virtue of having seen the previews.  We plan to buy it when it comes out on DVD so we can watch it again closer to our trip and whet our appetite even more.



I am so glad to hear that the whole movie isn't shown in the previews. I hate it when they do that. We will be going on Friday ... can't wait!


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

Calfan said:


> The plot was actually a little different than I thought it would be based on the previews I had seen, but that is a positive as far as I am concerned.



So glad you guys liked it, too. I *totally* agree about the plot being different than expected (in a good way). It was very appropriate that I saw it with DD.


----------



## 2BNDisney

Calfan said:


> We loved it too.  My 7-year old DS broke out into cackling laughter numerous times.  The plot was actually a little different than I thought it would be based on the previews I had seen, but that is a positive as far as I am concerned.  Definitely not the case that we had "seen" the whole movie by virtue of having seen the previews.  We plan to buy it when it comes out on DVD so we can watch it again closer to our trip and whet our appetite even more.



Just saw the movie tonight.  LOVED IT and cannot wait for Scotland. And I was happy that there were surprises that I did not anticipate in the story of the movie.   I too had seen all the trailers and wondered.  May have to see it again


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

2BNDisney said:


> Just saw the movie tonight.  LOVED IT and cannot wait for Scotland. And I was happy that there were surprises that I did not anticipate in the story of the movie.   I too had seen all the trailers and wondered.  May have to see it again



It's funny how we are all having the same reaction about being surprised by the story. I'm about to hop on the Fantasy for a cruise, so I think I'll be seeing it a few more times


----------



## starry_solo

Have a great time all!  I have yet to be able to afford an ABD trip but maybe soon.

I did have a question, though, about ABD.  Is it true that you get specific pins for the trip?  Like for China - you get Mulan?  So for Scotland, you might get Merida?


----------



## sayhello

starry_solo said:


> Have a great time all!  I have yet to be able to afford an ABD trip but maybe soon.
> 
> I did have a question, though, about ABD.  Is it true that you get specific pins for the trip?  Like for China - you get Mulan?  So for Scotland, you might get Merida?


There are Collectable pins given to you for each day of an ABD.  They are specific to the Theme of the Day for that specific trip.  You can only get these pins on an ABD (unless someone parted with theirs on ebay or something, which I would NEVER do!)  So, if there was a themed day in China that Mulan was appropriate for, they'd likely put her on the pin for that day.  You get pins with all sorts of characters, like Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck, Belle, etc.  I think they do tend to tie the pins to characters from related countries, etc, if they can.  So, since the Scotland trip is so themed to _Brave_ (at least for next year) I think it's likely you'd see a pin with Merida on it, and probably other characters from _Brave_.

Sayhello


----------



## Calfan

sayhello said:


> There are Collectable pins given to you for each day of an ABD.  They are specific to the Theme of the Day for that specific trip.  You can only get these pins on an ABD (unless someone parted with theirs on ebay or something, which I would NEVER do!)  So, if there was a themed day in China that Mulan was appropriate for, they'd likely put her on the pin for that day.  You get pins with all sorts of characters, like Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck, Belle, etc.  I think they do tend to tie the pins to characters from related countries, etc, if they can.  So, since the Scotland trip is so themed to _Brave_ (at least for next year) I think it's likely you'd see a pin with Merida on it, and probably other characters from _Brave_.
> 
> Sayhello



Funny how sometimes it is the little things that just give you chills of excitement.  Of course I am excited about the actual trip itself and all of the great places we are going to go and sites we will see, but I have to admit that seeing your post about the pins gave me a whole new tingle of excitement in anticipation of our first-ever ABD!


----------



## SleepingPrincess

I was browsing the ABD site and it looks like they added several more dates to the trip. Plus a couple of the trips are overlapping now.


----------



## 2BNDisney

sayhello said:


> There are Collectable pins given to you for each day of an ABD.  They are specific to the Theme of the Day for that specific trip.  You can only get these pins on an ABD (unless someone parted with theirs on ebay or something, which I would NEVER do!)  So, if there was a themed day in China that Mulan was appropriate for, they'd likely put her on the pin for that day.  You get pins with all sorts of characters, like Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck, Belle, etc.  I think they do tend to tie the pins to characters from related countries, etc, if they can.  So, since the Scotland trip is so themed to _Brave_ (at least for next year) I think it's likely you'd see a pin with Merida on it, and probably other characters from _Brave_.
> 
> Sayhello



I did not know we could expect that    Are there other surprises or gifts to look forward to as a first timer?


----------



## sayhello

Calfan said:


> Funny how sometimes it is the little things that just give you chills of excitement.  Of course I am excited about the actual trip itself and all of the great places we are going to go and sites we will see, but I have to admit that seeing your post about the pins gave me a whole new tingle of excitement in anticipation our first-ever ABD!


Oh, dear!  I hope I didn't give away a surprise!  But I guess it's all good if it adds to the excitement!  



SleepingPrincess said:


> I was browsing the ABD site and it looks like they added several more dates to the trip. Plus a couple of the trips are overlapping now.


Wow!  I guess ABD underestimated the popularity of this trip.  I'm glad they were able to arrange extra departures!  They have plenty of time to train extra Guides!

Sayhello


----------



## sayhello

2BNDisney said:


> I did not know we could expect that    Are there other surprises or gifts to look forward to as a first timer?


Well, obviously I don't know what surprises are in store for you specific to the Scotland trip , but you'll be getting an ABD duffel bag your first day, with a few little logo gifts in it. (The gifts seem to vary from trip to trip.  I've gotten small binoculars, a water bottle, a cooldana, things like that).  The duffle bag is really useful for carrying stuff onto the motorcoaches, especially on Hotel transfer days, when you likely won't see your suitcases until much later in the day, and want to bring a few things with you.  And I know some people who used them for all those lovely souvenirs they bought along the way... 

Sayhello


----------



## calypso726

Calfan said:


> Funny how sometimes it is the little things that just give you chills of excitement.  Of course I am excited about the actual trip itself and all of the great places we are going to go and sites we will see, but I have to admit that seeing your post about the pins gave me a whole new tingle of excitement in anticipation our first-ever ABD!



Me too  I knew about the pins. I was on a Disney Cruise and attended an ABD presentation where they raffled off a set of pins that contained ALL of the pins for every adventure. 

I had not thought of Merida and Brave pins specificlly for the ABD trip though so I am quite excited about the possibility!


----------



## Calfan

sayhello said:


> Oh, dear!  I hope I didn't give away a surprise!  But I guess it's all good if it adds to the excitement!



Not at all!  I knew about getting pins on an ABD trip, but it still made me happy to read about it.


----------



## SingingMom

2BNDisney said:


> I did not know we could expect that    Are there other surprises or gifts to look forward to as a first timer?



We were thrilled with of our "surprises" on our Cities of Knights and Lights trip last month!!

This afternoon dd and I went to see "Brave". Now we want to do ABD Scotland!!


----------



## sayhello

calypso726 said:


> Me too  I knew about the pins. I was on a Disney Cruise and attended an ABD presentation where they raffled off a set of pins that contained ALL of the pins for every adventure.
> 
> I had not thought of Merida and Brave pins specificlly for the ABD trip though so I am quite excited about the possibility!


ALL of the pins for every adventure?  That's a LOT of pins!  How cool.  Was that a door prize sort of raffle, or did you have to buy tickets?



Calfan said:


> Not at all!  I knew about getting pins on an ABD trip, but it still made me happy to read about it.


 Cool!   Glad to hear it!



SingingMom said:


> We were thrilled with of our "surprises" on our Cities of Knights and Lights trip last month!!
> 
> This afternoon dd and I went to see "Brave". Now we want to do ABD Scotland!!


I don't think you're alone in that, SingingMom!  

Sayhello


----------



## calypso726

SingingMom said:


> We were thrilled with of our "surprises" on our Cities of Knights and Lights trip last month!!
> 
> This afternoon dd and I went to see "Brave". Now we want to do ABD Scotland!!



I've been obsessing so much about our trip next year I made a board of our itinerary on Pinterest. So when we saw Brave on Friday, I was able to recognize some of the places we are going to and of course that just got me more excited 




sayhello said:


> ALL of the pins for every adventure?  That's a LOT of pins!  How cool.  Was that a door prize sort of raffle, or did you have to buy tickets?
> Sayhello




Yes, it was a LOT of pins. No purchase necessary it was a door prize. I think the first one I attended was on the member cruise in 2010. I recall the presenter saying that while some folks had been on multiple adventures, no one had done all of them yet. Therefore, the prize would be something nobody else would have.


----------



## sayhello

calypso726 said:


> Yes, it was a LOT of pins. No purchase necessary it was a door prize. I think the first one I attended was on the member cruise in 2010. I recall the presenter saying that while some folks had been on multiple adventures, no one had done all of them yet. Therefore, the prize would be something nobody else would have.


Very, very cool!  

Sayhello


----------



## lynnemcb

Hope you all enjoy your trip to our country - i keep looking at ABD but the cost just seems so much - once you add flights.  

funny how exotic scotland seems when you are reading through an ABD intinery  - its a great itinery and will really show off the beautiful spots in Soctland.  

Just watch out for the midges  - if youre coming in the summer!!!!

Lynne


----------



## bobrex

lynnemcb said:


> Hope you all enjoy your trip to our country - i keep looking at ABD but the cost just seems so much - once you add flights.
> 
> funny how exotic scotland seems when you are reading through an ABD intinery  - its a great itinery and will really show off the beautiful spots in Soctland.
> 
> Just watch out for the midges  - if youre coming in the summer!!!!
> 
> Lynne



Yes, ABD is more expensive than most of the other tour companies.  I've done a number of Globus and Tauk tours, and as far as I'm concerned, you get what you pay for.  The ABD experience is superior to anything I've done before.  In every case, and this can be critical for international trips, ABD uses superior lodging, additional tours that other companies cannot offer, more meals,...  Ther's just something special when the mouse is involved.


----------



## SingingMom

bobrex said:


> Yes, ABD is more expensive than most of the other tour companies.  I've done a number of Globus and Tauk tours, and as far as I'm concerned, you get what you pay for.  The ABD experience is superior to anything I've done before.  In every case, and this can be critical for international trips, ABD uses superior lodging, additional tours that other companies cannot offer, more meals,...  Ther's just something special when the mouse is involved.



Having never traveled to Europe before, I knew we wanted a "tour". I was between Tauck and ABD. Disney had the itinerary my 18 year old wanted. We LOVED it and will only travel a tour with them again!  The added attention to details is par none !


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

sayhello said:


> Wow!  I guess ABD underestimated the popularity of this trip.  I'm glad they were able to arrange extra departures!  They have plenty of time to train extra Guides! Sayhello



I'm not sure what to think about the added dates. I *really* hope the quality doesn't suffer, especially for the overlapping tours. I'm actually a little bummed to hear this. 



calypso726 said:


> Me too  I knew about the pins. I was on a Disney Cruise and attended an ABD presentation where they raffled off a set of pins that contained ALL of the pins for every adventure.



Our pins for Ireland are really cute, I'd love to see something with Merida for Scotland. I can't imagine a full set--that must have been a ton!



bobrex said:


> Yes, ABD is more expensive than most of the other tour companies.  I've done a number of Globus and Tauk tours, and as far as I'm concerned, you get what you pay for.  The ABD experience is superior to anything I've done before.  In every case, and this can be critical for international trips, ABD uses superior lodging, additional tours that other companies cannot offer, more meals,...  Ther's just something special when the mouse is involved.



I haven't done Tauk, but I've done a tour through a University alumni program and that was much MORE expensive than Disney. It was also very upscale with lots of added extras, although not geared toward kids. The university does have family trips, which I'd love to try to compare at some point (maybe when I win the lotto


----------



## calypso726

Has anyone besides me noticed that under the Scotland itinerary Tips & Tricks area of the ABD website there is a section that says "*Recommended Reading* - a selection of books to help you get the most of out of your travel prepared especially to enhance your Adventures by Disney vacation." Then when you click on the recommended reading all of the books are about Ireland  

I contacted ABD last month to let them know about the error. They responded and said they would let their web services team know. So I checked today thinking I would be ordering some books and  it still has recommended reading on Ireland


----------



## Calfan

calypso726 said:


> Has anyone besides me noticed that under the Scotland itinerary Tips & Tricks area of the ABD website there is a section that says "*Recommended Reading* - a selection of books to help you get the most of out of your travel prepared especially to enhance your Adventures by Disney vacation." Then when you click on the recommended reading all of the books are about Ireland
> 
> I contacted ABD last month to let them know about the error. They responded and said they would let their web services team know. So I checked today thinking I would be ordering some books and  it still has recommended reading on Ireland



Bummer.  I hope they fix that.  I hadn't taken a look at the Tips & Tricks section but will do that.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

calypso726 said:


> Has anyone besides me noticed that under the Scotland itinerary Tips & Tricks area of the ABD website there is a section that says "*Recommended Reading* - a selection of books to help you get the most of out of your travel prepared especially to enhance your Adventures by Disney vacation." Then when you click on the recommended reading all of the books are about Ireland
> 
> I contacted ABD last month to let them know about the error. They responded and said they would let their web services team know. So I checked today thinking I would be ordering some books and  it still has recommended reading on Ireland



Double eye roll! I hadn't seen that section either but will check it out. I could think of a huge list of books to read, if they need help, LOL.


----------



## calypso726

Calfan said:


> Bummer.  I hope they fix that.  I hadn't taken a look at the Tips & Tricks section but will do that.





CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Double eye roll! I hadn't seen that section either but will check it out. I could think of a huge list of books to read, if they need help, LOL.



I went and took a peek at the ABD we page under Tips & Tricks for Recommended Reading and it now contains books on Scotland instead of Ireland


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

calypso726 said:


> I went and took a peek at the ABD we page under Tips & Tricks for Recommended Reading and it now contains books on Scotland instead of Ireland



Looks like a pretty good list. I've read a number of them. Would have been nice to see some fiction up there (Sir Walter, anyone?).


----------



## calypso726

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Looks like a pretty good list. I've read a number of them. Would have been nice to see some fiction up there (Sir Walter, anyone?).



Yeah, and Outlander too 

Any recommendations? I was thinking of getting Scotland, A Concise History and Culture Smart! Scotland.


----------



## SnowhiteHeather

I am desperate to go on the Scotland abd. However, I have no one to go with and they charge an arm and a leg extra to go alone


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

calypso726 said:


> Yeah, and Outlander too
> 
> Any recommendations? I was thinking of getting Scotland, A Concise History and Culture Smart! Scotland.



I have the MacLean book and, if I remember correctly, it's a pretty good intro to Scottish history. Don't know about the Culture Smart, book. The Johnson Boswell book is a classic and a pretty fun read. When I took my Stanford Alumni cruise through the Western Isles that was one of the required reading books (as was Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson, which would also be a great choice and one I was surprised wasn't on the list). I also loved the Sea Room, but that is probably because I've been to the Shiant islands, which are the subject of the book. I was trying to post a picture, but couldn't figure it out. I just noticed that Waverly (by Sir Walter) is on there--glad they didn't completely miss him.  If you want to read historical fiction classics, I'd recommend Nigel Tranter The Wallace or The Bruce trilogy.


----------



## calypso726

SnowhiteHeather said:


> I am desperate to go on the Scotland abd. However, I have no one to go with and they charge an arm and a leg extra to go alone



Hi SnowhiteHeather  Yeah, I saw the charge for solos was pretty steep  I know someone else on this thread, 2BNDisney, is going solo. I also distinctly remember reading a post somewhere on the ABD boards where somene was asking if there was another solo traveler that might want to room together on a trip. I don't remember who it was or what trip it was for though  If you are up for it, I would post a thread on ABD and in the Solo travlers section of the DIS to see if someone might want to room with you. Back when I was showing dogs everyone used to do that on the show dog message boards. It was always cheaper to travel together and share the expenses than going solo. I made some really great lifelong friends that way too 



CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> I have the MacLean book and, if I remember correctly, it's a pretty good intro to Scottish history. Don't know about the Culture Smart, book. The Johnson Boswell book is a classic and a pretty fun read. When I took my Stanford Alumni cruise through the Western Isles that was one of the required reading books (as was Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson, which would also be a great choice and one I was surprised wasn't on the list). I also loved the Sea Room, but that is probably because I've been to the Shiant islands, which are the subject of the book. I was trying to post a picture, but couldn't figure it out. I just noticed that Waverly (by Sir Walter) is on there--glad they didn't completely miss him.  If you want to read historical fiction classics, I'd recommend Nigel Tranter The Wallace or The Bruce trilogy.



Thank you for the suggestions  I think I will pick up the Johnson/Boswell book as well with the ones I'm getting right off the bat. I will look into the others as well. Hopefully reading will channel some excess energy and tone down my obsession for this trip  Putting our entire itinerary up on Pinterest helped but I find myself counting the days to August 2013 again 

Oh and for the other Diana Gabaldon/Outlander fans here in case you haven't heard. Sony pictures tv has bought the rights to the Outlander series and Ron Moore will be adapting it into a cable tv series. I'm torn between feeling YAY FINALLY and OMG please don't RUIN the BEST series I've ever read. If they do it like they did Game of Thrones, it should be ok. If they do it like they did True Blood/Sookie Stackhouse series I think I will be sick


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

calypso726 said:


> I'm torn between feeling YAY FINALLY and OMG please don't RUIN the BEST series I've ever read. If they do it like they did Game of Thrones, it should be ok. If they do it like they did True Blood/Sookie Stackhouse series I think I will be sick



Completely ditto for me--with same examples. I absolutely love GOT, but only the first season of TB worked for me. Wonder who they will get to play Jamie. Need a bigger Kevin McKidd.


----------



## calypso726

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Completely ditto for me--with same examples. I absolutely love GOT, but only the first season of TB worked for me. Wonder who they will get to play Jamie. Need a bigger Kevin McKidd.



If he can nail the accent, I'm thinking Chris Hemsworth (Thor) with red hair and a kilt  He's tall, long straight nose, wide mouth and has got the blue "cat eyes."  To keep this on topic  ... So what are the chances of falling 200 years back though time when we visit the Callanish Standing stones and running into Jamie Fraser? This is Disney after all. I'm sure imagineering could come up with something


----------



## calypso726

I was wondering if anyone is planning on getting a new camera specifically for this trip or if they already have the perfect camera. If so, what are you thinking of getting and why or what do you have and what makes it awesome?

I will be looking for a new camera for this trip. I haven't bought a new camera in years and I'm sure the technology has changed. I am definitely not a photographer and don't know much about cameras so I wanted to see what do others like and why. I will be sticking with a point and shoot for sure though.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

calypso726 said:


> If he can nail the accent, I'm thinking Chris Hemsworth (Thor) with red hair and a kilt  He's tall, long straight nose, wide mouth and has got the blue "cat eyes."  To keep this on topic  ... So what are the chances of falling 200 years back though time when we visit the Callanish Standing stones and running into Jamie Fraser? This is Disney after all. I'm sure imagineering could come up with something



I'm fine with Thor in anything--the only issue is the ginger hair 



calypso726 said:


> I was wondering if anyone is planning on getting a new camera specifically for this trip or if they already have the perfect camera. If so, what are you thinking of getting and why or what do you have and what makes it awesome?



I have this camera and really like it: http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerSh...TF8&qid=1342903450&sr=8-1&keywords=cannon+s95 It's not cheap, but it takes great pics and is easy to tote around everywhere.


----------



## sayhello

calypso726 said:


> I was wondering if anyone is planning on getting a new camera specifically for this trip or if they already have the perfect camera. If so, what are you thinking of getting and why or what do you have and what makes it awesome?
> 
> I will be looking for a new camera for this trip. I haven't bought a new camera in years and I'm sure the technology has changed. I am definitely not a photographer and don't know much about cameras so I wanted to see what do others like and why. I will be sticking with a point and shoot for sure though.


I have a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5.  I absolutely, positively LOVE it!  The Panasonic Lumix DMC cameras all have Leica lenses, a 10x optical zoom and image stabilization.  And they take fabulous pictures.  I have lots of people think I've used a large, expensive camera to take my pictures.  You can use it as purely a point-and-shoot, or play around with "scene" settings.  The current model (Panasonic comes out with a new one at least every other year) is the DMC-ZS20.

Sayhello


----------



## calypso726

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> I'm fine with Thor in anything--the only issue is the ginger hair
> 
> 
> 
> I have this camera and really like it: http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerSh...TF8&qid=1342903450&sr=8-1&keywords=cannon+s95 It's not cheap, but it takes great pics and is easy to tote around everywhere.



You and me both! Well it's easy enough to dye his hair for the role.

I have heard great things about that one. I understand it does really well in low light too. It's on my list of cameras to compare.



sayhello said:


> I have a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5.  I absolutely, positively LOVE it!  The Panasonic Lumix DMC cameras all have Leica lenses, a 10x optical zoom and image stabilization.  And they take fabulous pictures.  I have lots of people think I've used a large, expensive camera to take my pictures.  You can use it as purely a point-and-shoot, or play around with "scene" settings.  The current model (Panasonic comes out with a new one at least every other year) is the DMC-ZS20.
> 
> Sayhello



Thank you for the suggestion! I will look into that one too. I'm thinking that if I can figure out which camera I want before Christmas and  delivers then I will have plenty of time to figure out how to use it before the trip


----------



## SnowhiteHeather

Sorry I am no good at this quote thing...I am new at this


----------



## SnowhiteHeather

SnowhiteHeather said:


> Hi SnowhiteHeather  Yeah, I saw the charge for solos was pretty steep  I know someone else on this thread, 2BNDisney, is going solo. I also distinctly remember reading a post somewhere on the ABD boards where somene was asking if there was another solo traveler that might want to room together on a trip. I don't remember who it was or what trip it was for though  If you are up for it, I would post a thread on ABD and in the Solo travlers section of the DIS to see if someone might want to room with you. Back when I was showing dogs everyone used to do that on the show dog message boards. It was always cheaper to travel together and share the expenses than going solo. I made some really great lifelong friends that way too




Thanks so much! I thought that might be a good idea! However, I think I'm going to wait until 2014, to make sure I save enough money to blow...and now I cant decide on the Scotland trip or Ireland trip. But it would be great to find another solo traveler to room with! I think its possible now that I have an extra year to do so. Thanks again!


----------



## calypso726

SnowhiteHeather said:


> Thanks so much! I thought that might be a good idea! However, I think I'm going to wait until 2014, to make sure I save enough money to blow...and now I cant decide on the Scotland trip or Ireland trip. But it would be great to find another solo traveler to room with! I think its possible now that I have an extra year to do so. Thanks again!



You're welcome. On the upside if you decide on Ireland there are trip reports already made from previous travelers to give you an idea on what it is like. By 2014 you will have trip reports from those of us on here to give you an idea what the Scotland ABD was like  Best of luck!

It took me a while to learn about the whole quoting thing too. If you look at the post you want to reply to and click the word quote (bottom right of each post) on that post your reply box will pop up with the quote for that post. To multi quote, you click the "quotation mark" (in the box next to the word quote) for each post you want to reply to. It will highlight the box. When you are done highlight/clicking all the posts you want to reply to, scroll to the bottom of the page, left side and click on the "post reply" button. Then your reply box will pop up with all of the quotes you clicked/highlighted the "quotation mark" with. Hope this helps


----------



## SnowhiteHeather

calypso726 said:


> You're welcome. On the upside if you decide on Ireland there are trip reports already made from previous travelers to give you an idea on what it is like. By 2014 you will have trip reports from those of us on here to give you an idea what the Scotland ABD was like  Best of luck!
> 
> It took me a while to learn about the whole quoting thing too. If you look at the post you want to reply to and click the word quote (bottom right of each post) on that post your reply box will pop up with the quote for that post. To multi quote, you click the "quotation mark" (in the box next to the word quote) for each post you want to reply to. It will highlight the box. When you are done highlight/clicking all the posts you want to reply to, scroll to the bottom of the page, left side and click on the "post reply" button. Then your reply box will pop up with all of the quotes you clicked/highlighted the "quotation mark" with. Hope this helps



 I finally figured out the quote thing! I have read two amazing stories about Ireland and it sounds really awesome, and I can't wait two hear about Scotland!


----------



## calypso726

SnowhiteHeather said:


> I finally figured out the quote thing! I have read two amazing stories about Ireland and it sounds really awesome, and I can't wait two hear about Scotland!



Well done! The next head scratcher until you get the hang of it, is how to post pictures 

I'd like to do Ireland too one day! I read some great TR's here. I'm glad there will be several ABD Scotland trips before mine. I'm looking forward to the feedback!


----------



## fleaflour

Will be on the Sep 15, 2013 - Sep 23, 2013 trip . Can't wait .


----------



## sayhello

fleaflour said:


> Will be on the Sep 15, 2013 - Sep 23, 2013 trip . Can't wait .


Welcome to the ABD Forum, fleaflour!  This looks to be a really popular trip.  I'm amazed at how many DISers have signed up for it!  Can't wait to hear all the reports!

Sayhello


----------



## calypso726

fleaflour said:


> Will be on the Sep 15, 2013 - Sep 23, 2013 trip . Can't wait .



Hi fleaflour  

 to the group!


----------



## paddles

Are any of you stopping by England or Ireland before the trip? If so, where are you planning to stay and what are you doing?  just curious....

We're on the June 30th trip, and are planning a few days in England beforehand.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

paddles said:


> Are any of you stopping by England or Ireland before the trip? If so, where are you planning to stay and what are you doing?  just curious....
> 
> We're on the June 30th trip, and are planning a few days in England beforehand.



I think we'll head straight to Edinburgh, since we travel to London pretty frequently. But that could change depending on flights!


----------



## Miss SD

paddles said:


> Are any of you stopping by England or Ireland before the trip? If so, where are you planning to stay and what are you doing?  just curious....
> 
> We're on the June 30th trip, and are planning a few days in England beforehand.



We're (me, DH, DD 14) planning on three nights, we think, in London beforehand. Not exactly sure on how many nights, but DD is a total anglophile and wants to see more of London. We spent one short day there after our Germany ABD last year. We hope to stay at one of the Hyatts, probably the Andaz Liverpool Street (on points).

DD wants to see the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, etc. I think we'll end up taking the train up to Edinburgh. It's a long way off, but that's our plan as of this week!


----------



## SingingMom

Miss SD said:
			
		

> We're (me, DH, DD 14) planning on three nights, we think, in London beforehand. Not exactly sure on how many nights, but DD is a total anglophile and wants to see more of London. We spent one short day there after our Germany ABD last year. We hope to stay at one of the Hyatts, probably the Andaz Liverpool Street (on points).
> 
> DD wants to see the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, etc. I think we'll end up taking the train up to Edinburgh. It's a long way off, but that's our plan as of this week!



Any chance on you taking DD on ABD Cities of Knights and Lights tour next year?!  ;-).  If she wants to see those places, nothing beats the fabulous tours given at those locations by the "blue badge guides" that Disney uses!  Sarah's tour of Westminster was beyond amazing and Stephen's insights to the Tower of London were so interesting!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards


----------



## Calfan

paddles said:


> Are any of you stopping by England or Ireland before the trip? If so, where are you planning to stay and what are you doing?  just curious....
> 
> We're on the June 30th trip, and are planning a few days in England beforehand.





CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> I think we'll head straight to Edinburgh, since we travel to London pretty frequently. But that could change depending on flights!



Our current plan is to spend 3 nights in Edinburgh before the trip, but (same with CaliforniaGirl09), that could change depending on flights. We are hoping to use our United miles, so if it ends up that flying into London is more feasible than flying into Edinburgh, we might end up doing that.  Getting close to when I can book flights.


----------



## Miss SD

SingingMom said:


> Any chance on you taking DD on ABD Cities of Knights and Lights tour next year?!  ;-).  If she wants to see those places, nothing beats the fabulous tours given at those locations by the "blue badge guides" that Disney uses!  Sarah's tour of Westminster was beyond amazing and Stephen's insights to the Tower of London were so interesting!
> 
> Sent from my iPad using DISBoards



I wish! We'd talked about it, but we're planning to go only to Paris in 2014. While we're there, we also might try to go back to Mainz, where we stayed for one night before our Germany ABD. Never say never, though. We've been on an ABD every summer since 2009 so it might be a challenge for me to get through May 2013 without booking another tour. And if an Israel or Japan itinerary is added, all bets are off.


----------



## calypso726

We are also arriving a couple of days early but in Edinburgh not England since we are planning to do Knights & Lights with ABD in 2014.


----------



## paddles

We'll likely spend a couple days sightseeing in London (and follow an itinerary similar to the ABD Knights and Lights tour....but on our own). And we'll also spend a couple days visiting some cousins in England as well.

I think it might be fun to show up in Edinburgh a day early and relax and enjoy the hotel a little before the tour begins.


----------



## connie1042

I am not doing ABD. While at Disney 5 years ago, I met a family form Scotland. We started with e-mail, letters and phone calls. They have been back here since and I spent a week with them at WDW. I am now going over to stay with them for 9 days.  Nothing like local guides. I am very excited, and will report back as to what we did. I have never been out of the US before, except on a cruise, so sorta scared. I go from MSP to Amsterdam, then on to Edinburgh. Wish me luck.


----------



## 2BNDisney

SnowhiteHeather said:


> I am desperate to go on the Scotland abd. However, I have no one to go with and they charge an arm and a leg extra to go alone



I actually found it to be an arm, leg and a kidney for solo


----------



## 2BNDisney

paddles said:


> Are any of you stopping by England or Ireland before the trip? If so, where are you planning to stay and what are you doing?  just curious....
> 
> We're on the June 30th trip, and are planning a few days in England beforehand.



I am torn between a pre-trip to Italy or Ireland or more days in Scotland.  At least we all have time to decide


----------



## calypso726

Hi everybody! 

We are less than a year out for our trip. WOO HOO! We got our air travel secured already. DH and I managed to rack up enough miles to book round trip in First Class   I am so excited! This will be a first. Anytime we've flown anywhere it has always been coach. 

I went online to check out the seats on our flight and they are the kind that can lie flat. Way cool, I will be able to sleep   Here's a pic!

I can't wait until next August!!!!!!


----------



## SingingMom

calypso726 said:
			
		

> Hi everybody!
> 
> We are less than a year out for our trip. WOO HOO! We got our air travel secured already. DH and I managed to rack up enough miles to book round trip in First Class   I am so excited! This will be a first. Anytime we've flown anywhere it has always been coach.
> 
> I went online to check out the seats on our flight and they are the kind that can lie flat. Way cool, I will be able to sleep   Here's a pic!
> 
> I can't wait until next August!!!!!!



That is SO NEAT!!!  What airline?  I have to start spacing those points!! 

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards


----------



## calypso726

SingingMom said:


> That is SO NEAT!!!  What airline?  I have to start spacing those points!!
> 
> Sent from my iPad using DISBoards



I thought so too! We are flying on United Airlines.


----------



## SingingMom

calypso726 said:
			
		

> I thought so too! We are flying on United Airlines.



That was supposed to read "start saving those points".  (dopey auto correct on the iPad lol)

You should be able to get some sleep on that flight in that comfy seat!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

Very jealous of those first class seats! Sadly, we just used out miles for London so we'll be paying cash. Flights are super expensive right now. I'm waiting for a drop.


----------



## Calfan

After more calls to United than I care to think about, we too have finalzed our air travel arrangements to and from Edinburgh.  I managed to use United miles for 3 of our party of 4, so all of the calls (and some angst over getting my husband's reservation ticketed) paid off.  Alas, we are not flying first class like calypso726 (jealous!), but I am still satisfied with the arrangements.  Another step closer to our fabulous adventure in Scotland...


----------



## lost*in*cyberspace

calypso726 said:


> Hi everybody!
> 
> We are less than a year out for our trip. WOO HOO! We got our air travel secured already. DH and I managed to rack up enough miles to book round trip in First Class   I am so excited! This will be a first. Anytime we've flown anywhere it has always been coach.
> 
> ......



FYI, UA flies the 757-200 to EDI, which does not have a first class.  It's BusinessFirst, which is actually business class.  This is a reconfigured Continental plane.  Of course, it is very nice and a huge improvement over a seat in economy, but it's not Global First class.  Also, the seat you have pictured appears to be a global first class seat, not a BusinessFirst seat.  Here's a good summary of the business service:

http://www.svenblogt.de/airlinereview-united-businessfirst-on-txl-ewr-757/


----------



## calypso726

lost*in*cyberspace said:


> FYI, UA flies the 757-200 to EDI, which does not have a first class.  It's BusinessFirst, which is actually business class.  This is a reconfigured Continental plane.  Of course, it is very nice and a huge improvement over a seat in economy, but it's not Global First class.  Also, the seat you have pictured appears to be a global first class seat, not a BusinessFirst seat.  Here's a good summary of the business service:
> 
> http://www.svenblogt.de/airlinereview-united-businessfirst-on-txl-ewr-757/



FYI, There are a number of ways to get to Edinburgh from the US and United operates a decent number of planes from a decent number of airports across the country to get there. We are not flying direct. The long haul which is 7 hours 50 minutes from IAD connecting into FRA is on a Boeing 777-200 which is a 3 cabin plane and the seats are in Global First operated by UA. We then have a less than 2 hour connection from FRA into EDI.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

calypso726 said:


> The long haul which is 7 hours 50 minutes from IAD connecting into FRA is on a Boeing 777-200 which is a 3 cabin plane and the seats are in Global First operated by UA.



With those seats sounds like there is room for me? Pretty please? Can't I tag along  Sigh. Unfortunately not enough miles for us and I'll be relegated to "steerage" as my DS puts it


----------



## calypso726

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> With those seats sounds like there is room for me? Pretty please? Can't I tag along  Sigh. Unfortunately not enough miles for us and I'll be relegated to "steerage" as my DS puts it



Sure! Why not  Without the travel hacking blogs and forums we would have never had enough miles either. But, then again that was part of the strategic plan to get DH to agree to this trip when we hadn't budgeted for it. We'll probably be in "steerage" for our flight to the DCL Alaska cruise in 2014.


----------



## lost*in*cyberspace

calypso726 said:


> FYI, There are a number of ways to get to Edinburgh from the US and United operates a decent number of planes from a decent number of airports across the country to get there. We are not flying direct. The long haul which is 7 hours 50 minutes from IAD connecting into FRA is on a Boeing 777-200 which is a 3 cabin plane and the seats are in Global First operated by UA. We then have a less than 2 hour connection from FRA into EDI.



I misread the post; should not have assumed the nonstop option from EWR would be most people's first choice.   I try not to connect in FRA myself; spent too many hours there due to missed connections (late arriving flights, loooong security lines).


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

calypso726 said:


> Sure! Why not  Without the travel hacking blogs and forums we would have never had enough miles either. But, then again that was part of the strategic plan to get DH to agree to this trip when we hadn't budgeted for it. We'll probably be in "steerage" for our flight to the DCL Alaska cruise in 2014.



LOL awesome! I think I need to have you do our strategic planning next time, DS (and the rest of us for that matter) would be much happier.


----------



## Calfan

calypso726 said:


> FYI, There are a number of ways to get to Edinburgh from the US and United operates a decent number of planes from a decent number of airports across the country to get there. We are not flying direct. The long haul which is 7 hours 50 minutes from IAD connecting into FRA is on a Boeing 777-200 which is a 3 cabin plane and the seats are in Global First operated by UA. We then have a less than 2 hour connection from FRA into EDI.



We are connecting through Frankfurt as well (and then taking Lufthansa to Edinburgh).  What day are you arriving?  We will be there on Aug. 1.



lost*in*cyberspace said:


> I misread the post; should not have assumed the nonstop option from EWR would be most people's first choice.   I try not to connect in FRA myself; spent too many hours there due to missed connections (late arriving flights, loooong security lines).



We had no problem connecting through FRA to Barcelona for our DCL Med cruise.  My theory is I would much rather have to deal with a cancellation or missed connection when I am already in Europe (when trains, ferries, etc. can get you to your final destination) than when I am still in the U.S. and the Atlantic Ocean still needs to be crossed.


----------



## sayhello

calypso726 said:


> Sure! Why not  Without the travel hacking blogs and forums we would have never had enough miles either. But, then again that was part of the strategic plan to get DH to agree to this trip when we hadn't budgeted for it. We'll probably be in "steerage" for our flight to the DCL Alaska cruise in 2014.


"Travel hacking blogs and forums"?  What are those??? 

Sayhello


----------



## calypso726

lost*in*cyberspace said:


> I misread the post; should not have assumed the nonstop option from EWR would be most people's first choice.   I try not to connect in FRA myself; spent too many hours there due to missed connections (late arriving flights, loooong security lines).



The non stop from EWR would have been my first choice but it wasn't available for partner award travel. We're using US Air miles. Fortunately, we are coming in a couple of days early. If life decides to throw us an unexpected adventure  we'll have plenty of time to deal with it. 



CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> LOL awesome! I think I need to have you do our strategic planning next time, DS (and the rest of us for that matter) would be much happier.



Happy to oblige. I think I might have posted somewhere on this board, but not this thread what my planning entailed. 



Calfan said:


> We are connecting through Frankfurt as well (and then taking Lufthansa to Edinburgh).  What day are you arriving?  We will be there on Aug. 1.
> 
> We had no problem connecting through FRA to Barcelona for our DCL Med cruise.  My theory is I would much rather have to deal with a cancellation or missed connection when I am already in Europe (when trains, ferries, etc. can get you to your final destination) than when I am still in the U.S. and the Atlantic Ocean still needs to be crossed.



We will be getting into FRA on Aug. 2nd.

Yup totally agree. I'd rather be there and come up with plan b or c.



sayhello said:


> "Travel hacking blogs and forums"?  What are those???
> 
> Sayhello



You know how there are numerous blogs, forums and message boards dedicated to all things Disney? People read and share to learn how to make the most of their trip. Things like how FP's work, need to make ADR's at the 180 day mark for certain restaurants, best place to see fireworks etc.

Well, there are other forums, blogs, message boards dedicated to all the ways to travel free or near free. On these boards people share what airline or travel credit card bonus is worth signing up for. How to make the spend requirements without really spending as much.  Which cards to keep and actually spend money with, utilizing bonus spend categories, which ones to cancel, which ones to sign up for again. Whenever there is an offer to earn bonus miles for something I find out from those forums. 

I just started this when we booked the Scotland ABD and between DH and I we have hauled in 770K in miles. I'm helping my parents with the travel hacking now too since we are planning to do the London/Paris ABD in 2014. My mom knew what I was doing for our Scotland trip and asked if would be possible to do it for our trip with them too


----------



## Calfan

calypso726 said:


> You know how there are numerous blogs, forums and message boards dedicated to all things Disney? People read and share to learn how to make the most of their trip. Things like how FP's work, need to make ADR's at the 180 day mark for certain restaurants, best place to see fireworks etc.
> 
> Well, there are other forums, blogs, message boards dedicated to all the ways to travel free or near free. On these boards people share what airline or travel credit card bonus is worth signing up for. How to make the spend requirements without really spending as much.  Which cards to keep and actually spend money with, utilizing bonus spend categories, which ones to cancel, which ones to sign up for again. Whenever there is an offer to earn bonus miles for something I find out from those forums.
> 
> I just started this when we booked the Scotland ABD and between DH and I we have hauled in 770K in miles. I'm helping my parents with the travel hacking now too since we are planning to do the London/Paris ABD in 2014. My mom knew what I was doing for our Scotland trip and asked if would be possible to do it for our trip with them too



770k miles since booking this trip?  Wow!  Would you mind sharing what blogs and forums you are following?  If you don't want to post them here (or maybe you aren't allowed to?) you can PM me or send me an email at calfan2009@yahoo.com.


----------



## sayhello

Calfan said:


> 770k miles since booking this trip?  Wow!  Would you mind sharing what blogs and forums you are following?  If you don't want to post them here (or maybe you aren't allowed to?) you can PM me or send me an email at calfan2009@yahoo.com.


Me, too?  I'd love it if you could PM me the links to those blogs & forums!  I'm hoping to do Greece or Scotland in 2014, and I'd love to fly not-steerage!

Sayhello


----------



## calypso726

Calfan said:


> 770k miles since booking this trip?  Wow!  Would you mind sharing what blogs and forums you are following?  If you don't want to post them here (or maybe you aren't allowed to?) you can PM me or send me an email at calfan2009@yahoo.com.





sayhello said:


> Me, too?  I'd love it if you could PM me the links to those blogs & forums!  I'm hoping to do Greece or Scotland in 2014, and I'd love to fly not-steerage!
> 
> Sayhello



E-mail and PM sent. Good luck! Don't hesitate to reach out if you need help along the way!


----------



## OhhBother

I'd be interested in these links too. We just booked our airfare to Scotland through AMEX, but we're going on an Antarctic cruise in 2014, and I'd love to have free airfare for that one.


----------



## calypso726

OhhBother said:


> I'd be interested in these links too. We just booked our airfare to Scotland through AMEX, but we're going on an Antarctic cruise in 2014, and I'd love to have free airfare for that one.



PM sent!


----------



## SingingMom

calypso726 said:
			
		

> PM sent!



Me too! Me too!  ;-)

Renee

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards


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## calypso726

SingingMom said:


> Me too! Me too!  ;-)
> 
> Renee
> 
> Sent from my iPad using DISBoards



PM sent


----------



## LadyTrampScamp&Angel

> Well, there are other forums, blogs, message boards dedicated to all the ways to travel free or near free. On these boards people share what airline or travel credit card bonus is worth signing up for. How to make the spend requirements without really spending as much. Which cards to keep and actually spend money with, utilizing bonus spend categories, which ones to cancel, which ones to sign up for again. Whenever there is an offer to earn bonus miles for something I find out from those forums.



Wow, that's an incredible number of miles! Would you mind sending those links to me too? 

ladyandtramp@triad.rr.com

Thank you!


----------



## calypso726

LadyTrampScamp&Angel said:


> Wow, that's an incredible number of miles! Would you mind sending those links to me too?
> 
> ladyandtramp@triad.rr.com
> 
> Thank you!



Email sent


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## LadyTrampScamp&Angel

> Email sent



Thank you - you rock!  I really appreciate it!


----------



## calypso726

Day two of the ABD itinerary has us from late afternoon on through dinner on our own. If anyone else is thinking of seeing the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo or looking for something to do on day two, I thought I'd share the following information. 

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 2013 performance dates are August 2nd - August 24th. *CLICKY HERE FOR WEB SITE*

The tickets will go on sale December 3rd at 10 am (GMT). There is a priority booking advantage prior to December 3rd for those who join "Friends of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo." 

There are also VIP covered seating/dining experience packages available. If you e-mail Hospitality (on the web site) they will provide you with the information as the e-brochure is not out just yet.

Can't wait 'til next August!!!!


----------



## starry_solo

I haven't read through this all, but whoever has been on one, how was it?  And can you share pictures of the pins you got?  

I want the Mulan pins myself but can't bring myself to spend that much money on an ABD to China, when I could do a Chinese tour for less.


----------



## sayhello

starry_solo said:


> I haven't read through this all, but whoever has been on one, how was it?  And can you share pictures of the pins you got?
> 
> I want the Mulan pins myself but can't bring myself to spend that much money on an ABD to China, when I could do a Chinese tour for less.


The Scotland trip is new for 2013 so no-one has been on this trip yet.  I know a lot of us are eagerly awaiting the first reports on this trip next year.  

Sayhello


----------



## SingingMom

sayhello said:
			
		

> The Scotland trip is new for 2013 so no-one has been on this trip yet.  I know a lot of us are eagerly awaiting the first reports on this trip next year.
> 
> Sayhello



Dd and DH really want this one!  I want  Amalfi Coast. Will be interesting to see who "wins". Lol.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards


----------



## Calfan

I just started listening to Diana Gabaldon's Outlander on CD.  It has been so long since I read the book that, so far, it doesn't feel like a repeat.  It is definitely whetting my appetite for our trip!  I hope to make it through several of the books in the series before we leave (although it is competing with the Game of Thrones books -- I am currently about two thirds of the way through book 3 but had to turn it back in to the libarary and put myself back on the hold list -- for my listening time).  I don't think I ever read all of the Outlander series books, altough I read at least five or six.  I can't remember how many there are in all.


----------



## 2ScottishPrincesses

Hi Folks, having just read your thread I thought I'd give you a few wee ideas for your trip.  Someone asked about Stirling (sorry not so good at the multi quoting ) I would highly recommend Stirling especially if you're a fan of Mary Queen of Scots et al. Stirling Castle always has tons of activities and actors and their cafe has the best homemade soups and cakes ever. Glasgow also is fantastic (but I would say that ) tons to do for the history buffs, social butterflies and if you coming in June we have the West End Festival which boasts masses of events & the odd gala.  In Inverness you should visit Castle Urquhart and there are some smashing boat trips up Loch Ness.  Anyway I could blether on for ages but have a wee look at the Historic Scotland website, they own Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle and Castle Urquhart and they organise loads of special events throughout the year which includes Jousting in the summer.  Hope this is of use to some of you and helps you to make the most of what looks like a very expensive trip


----------



## calypso726

Calfan said:


> I just started listening to Diana Gabaldon's Outlander on CD.  It has been so long since I read the book that, so far, it doesn't feel like a repeat.  It is definitely whetting my appetite for our trip!  I hope to make it through several of the books in the series before we leave (although it is competing with the Game of Thrones books -- I am currently about two thirds of the way through book 3 but had to turn it back in to the libarary and put myself back on the hold list -- for my listening time).  I don't think I ever read all of the Outlander series books, altough I read at least five or six.  I can't remember how many there are in all.



I will be going for my re-listen on the books sometime after the new year. My DH just finished the Fiery Cross (book 5). There are currently 7 books. Number 8 is due to come out in 2013. Can't wait!



2ScottishPrincesses said:


> Hi Folks, having just read your thread I thought I'd give you a few wee ideas for your trip.  Someone asked about Stirling (sorry not so good at the multi quoting ) I would highly recommend Stirling especially if you're a fan of Mary Queen of Scots et al. Stirling Castle always has tons of activities and actors and their cafe has the best homemade soups and cakes ever. Glasgow also is fantastic (but I would say that ) tons to do for the history buffs, social butterflies and if you coming in June we have the West End Festival which boasts masses of events & the odd gala.  In Inverness you should visit Castle Urquhart and there are some smashing boat trips up Loch Ness.  Anyway I could blether on for ages but have a wee look at the Historic Scotland website, they own Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle and Castle Urquhart and they organise loads of special events throughout the year which includes Jousting in the summer.  Hope this is of use to some of you and helps you to make the most of what looks like a very expensive trip



Thank you so much for sharing your insight. We will definitely be checking out your suggestions!


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

calypso726 said:


> I will be going for my re-listen on the books sometime after the new year. My DH just finished the Fiery Cross (book 5). There are currently 7 books. Number 8 is due to come out in 2013. Can't wait!
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you so much for sharing your insight. We will definitely be checking out your suggestions!



Ditto from me on the thanks! 

For anyone who is interested, Random House is doing an ebook bundle on Diana's series starting next Monday or Tuesday. I think it's $50 for the kindle versions.


----------



## 2ScottishPrincesses

calypso726 said:


> Thank you so much for sharing your insight. We will definitely be checking out your suggestions!



only a pleasure to help feel free to ask if you need any info from one of the natives FONT]


----------



## cheryllarsen

This adventure looks amazing. I'm certainly considering for next vacation!


----------



## cheryllarsen

My hubby and I tried the Peru adventure to Macchu Piccu. It was certainly very interesting as well!


----------



## Calfan

calypso726 said:


> I will be going for my re-listen on the books sometime after the new year. My DH just finished the Fiery Cross (book 5). There are currently 7 books. Number 8 is due to come out in 2013. Can't wait!



I'm only on disk 3 of Outlander, but there have already been at least two mentions of places we will be visiting on our ABD:  Fort William and Urquhart Castle.  So excited!


----------



## calypso726

Calfan said:


> I'm only on disk 3 of Outlander, but there have already been at least two mentions of places we will be visiting on our ABD:  Fort William and Urquhart Castle.  So excited!



I know me too!!! Outlander was the inspiration for me to go on this trip. I feel like I've already been there LOL


----------



## lorre

Pretty sure we are going, family of 4 with 16 year olds. anyone else with teens?


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

lorre said:


> Pretty sure we are going, family of 4 with 16 year olds. anyone else with teens?



I have two teens and my sister as one.


----------



## dato63

Hi.   I'm subscribing in order to learn from all of you.   We have never done an ABD tour, but this one (Scotland) interests me a lot for 2014.


----------



## Calfan

Hi, all.  Not sure if anyone else got a tiny bit concerned when they saw the post about the May Scotland trip being cancelled due to lack of interest.  Just for some peace of mind, I emailed Kevin at Dreams Unlimited, and he advised that our trip is 86% full but considered sold out because there are no available rooms left.  So exciting to be approaching the six month mark for our trip.  I can't wait!


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

Calfan said:


> Hi, all.  Not sure if anyone else got a tiny bit concerned when they saw the post about the May Scotland trip being cancelled due to lack of interest.  Just for some peace of mind, I emailed Kevin at Dreams Unlimited, and he advised that our trip is 86% full but considered sold out because there are no available rooms left.  So exciting to be approaching the six month mark for our trip.  I can't wait!



I can't believe we are approaching the six month mark. I'm still holding out hope for a summer airfare sale. Doesn't seem to have been any yet.


----------



## SleepingPrincess

Good to know I'm not the only one that's still hoping for a sale on airfare! That being said, I think I'm about to give in and get them soon.


----------



## calypso726

dato63 said:


> Hi.   I'm subscribing in order to learn from all of you.   We have never done an ABD tour, but this one (Scotland) interests me a lot for 2014.



Hi  This is the first ABD tour for DH and I. I wil post pictures and share our experience here once we get back.



Calfan said:


> Hi, all.  Not sure if anyone else got a tiny bit concerned when they saw the post about the May Scotland trip being cancelled due to lack of interest.  Just for some peace of mind, I emailed Kevin at Dreams Unlimited, and he advised that our trip is 86% full but considered sold out because there are no available rooms left.  So exciting to be approaching the six month mark for our trip.  I can't wait!



I saw that and worried for a minute until I remembered that your family and CaliforniaGirl's family were going at the same time we were. That makes 10 of us here on the DIS and I figured surely there must be other people going who were not on the DISboards and posting here. I am glad to know for certain though. Thanks for putting our mids at ease 



CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> I can't believe we are approaching the six month mark. I'm still holding out hope for a summer airfare sale. Doesn't seem to have been any yet.



OMG I cannot believe it is almost here! I really need to get cracking on learning the ins and outs of my new camera! I am determined to take lots of good pictures for this trip!


----------



## 2BNDisney

Our news had a segment last night that said 81 days out is the key time to buy overseas flight tickets.  Not sure how that was arrived at though.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

SleepingPrincess said:


> Good to know I'm not the only one that's still hoping for a sale on airfare! That being said, I think I'm about to give in and get them soon.


Glad to know I'm not alone, too.



calypso726 said:


> I saw that and worried for a minute until I remembered that your family and CaliforniaGirl's family were going at the same time we were. That makes 10 of us here on the DIS and I figured surely there must be other people going who were not on the DISboards and posting here.



My sister and her two kids are going to, so that's 13 



2BNDisney said:


> Our news had a segment last night that said 81 days out is the key time to buy overseas flight tickets.  Not sure how that was arrived at though.



I've heard the 3-4 month thing, too, and I'm *really* trying to hold out and not panic. But it's tough...


----------



## Calfan

I just bought tickets to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo for the evening of Aug. 3.  I know it's a bit early, but I didn't want it to sell out!


----------



## calypso726

Calfan said:


> I just bought tickets to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo for the evening of Aug. 3.  I know it's a bit early, but I didn't want it to sell out!



You are in good company. We bought ours back in October LOL We didn't want it to sell out either so we decided to do one of the packages. We will be attending the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on August 2nd.


----------



## Calfan

Calfan said:


> I just bought tickets to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo for the evening of Aug. 3.  I know it's a bit early, but I didn't want it to sell out!



Tickets came today (in a very small envelope -- lucky we didn't recycle it or throw it out by mistake!). Very exciting.


----------



## paddles

Are there any other "must do's" in Edinburgh? We'll have an entire day to ourselves before the tour begins, and we were thinking of a chill day going to see a ghost tour and maybe the Royal yacht.  

I'd love to do high tea in the hotel....my husband has zero interest, so I may splurge on that with my daughter (she'll be 8 years old - but I'm sure she'll think its fun).


----------



## edinburghlass

paddles said:


> Are there any other "must do's" in Edinburgh? We'll have an entire day to ourselves before the tour begins, and we were thinking of a chill day going to see a ghost tour and maybe the Royal yacht.
> 
> I'd love to do high tea in the hotel....my husband has zero interest, so I may splurge on that with my daughter (she'll be 8 years old - but I'm sure she'll think its fun).



I've only read the last page of this thread, the title caught my eye, my favourite *must do's* for visitors is Mary King's Close, can be done through the day especially if raining as its all underground. 

http://www.realmarykingsclose.com/

The best ghost tour in my opinion is the Murder and Mystery tour, best done in the dark so in the summer time aim for the latest tour.

http://www.witcherytours.com/index.html


----------



## calypso726

edinburghlass said:


> I've only read the last page of this thread, the title caught my eye, my favourite *must do's* for visitors is Mary King's Close, can be done through the day especially if raining as its all underground.
> 
> http://www.realmarykingsclose.com/
> 
> The best ghost tour in my opinion is the Murder and Mystery tour, best done in the dark so in the summer time aim for the latest tour.
> 
> http://www.witcherytours.com/index.html



Perfect timing Edinburghlass! Thank you! Today, I was working on adjusting bookings and things to do when we get there. We changed flights and decided to come in on the 1st instead of the 2nd. I just added these to our itinerary. Here is the pre ABD itinerary so far:

Arrive August 1 - dinner ressies at The Witchery by the Castle but still haven't decided where we are sleeping that evening. Probably whoever I have the most hotel points with so we don't pay out of pocket that night 

August 2 - booked for a Real Mary King's Close tour at 11:00 am. Then we check into the Inner Sanctum Suite for 2 nights at Witchery by the Castle. If I suggest to DH that we add a third night (arrival day before) he may have a stroke  The rooms sure look cool though!

That evening we are attending the Royal Military Edinburgh Tattoo. We did the Queen Anne hospitality package that includes:

_Drinks and canapé reception in the courtyard of the Queen Anne room
Three course set dinner with wine followed by coffee and tablet
Short performance by Tattoo cast members
Introduction to the show by the Producer of the Tattoo
Escorted over the Castle drawbridge and across the esplanade to your VIP seat in the covered Royal Gallery
A gift bag and official Tattoo souvenir programme
Invitation to the Producer’s Pommery Champagne Reception_

August 3 - dinner ressies at The Secret Garden. Followed by a Murder and Mystery Ghost Tour.

If you have any suggestions for other must do's please share!!!


----------



## lkkinghorn

This will be our family's first time with ABD and visiting Scotland.  Yahoo!  We are traveling on the 6/30 trip with our two kids ages 12 and 14.  I saw that someone posted to bring sweaters for everyone.  Any other tips? Thanks, LKK


----------



## sayhello

lkkinghorn said:


> This will be our family's first time with ABD and visiting Scotland.  Yahoo!  We are traveling on the 6/30 trip with our two kids ages 12 and 14.  I saw that someone posted to bring sweaters for everyone.  Any other tips? Thanks, LKK


Welcome to the ABD Forum on the DISBoards, lkkinghorn!  There are a lot of DISers on the 6/30 trip!  It sounds like a fabulous trip.  Just be warned -- ABD's are highly addictive!  

I've added you to the Roll Call in the first post.

Sayhello


----------



## calypso726

lkkinghorn said:


> This will be our family's first time with ABD and visiting Scotland.  Yahoo!  We are traveling on the 6/30 trip with our two kids ages 12 and 14.  I saw that someone posted to bring sweaters for everyone.  Any other tips? Thanks, LKK



Hi!  Welcome to the Disboards. This is our first ABD too. We don't leave until August so please feel free to share your trip with those of us still waiting to go report when you get back


----------



## 2BNDisney

paddles said:


> Are there any other "must do's" in Edinburgh? We'll have an entire day to ourselves before the tour begins, and we were thinking of a chill day going to see a ghost tour and maybe the Royal yacht.
> 
> I'd love to do high tea in the hotel....my husband has zero interest, so I may splurge on that with my daughter (she'll be 8 years old - but I'm sure she'll think its fun).



Tripadvisor has some good tours in Edinburgh.  Think I may do the Hairycoo one when I fly in early.  It actually takes you out of Edinburgh for the day to see some different sights.  I don't believe ABD stops at these, but I could be wrong.  I can only base my opinion on the reviews though as I don't personally know anyone who has taken it.  But there are several tours in Edinburgh itself by different operators. 

And will these air fares ever come down - lol.  Still holding out hope.  They have been fairly steady for many months.


----------



## edinburghlass

lkkinghorn said:


> This will be our family's first time with ABD and visiting Scotland.  Yahoo!  We are traveling on the 6/30 trip with our two kids ages 12 and 14.  I saw that someone posted to bring sweaters for everyone.  Any other tips? Thanks, LKK



Bring at least two sweaters each 

As with most cities you can't go wrong with a bus tour to get an idea of the city and what you want to see.  All the tickets give you 24/48 hours travel on their buses and you can hop on and off where you want.

https://kiosk.iristickets.co.uk/k?v=lothianbuses&item_type=10&ticket_family=TFCEDINTOUR&ka=KCEBT

The Royal Edinburgh ticket gives you admission to Britannia, Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace which at adult prices would cost you £39 and the ticket price is £45 so quite a good deal along with the different bus tours and 48 hours to use the ticket for.

They also have a tour down to South Queensferry to see the Forth Bridge and the Forth Road Bridge with a boat trip under the bridges.

If you feel like walking down the High Street/Royal Mile do make sure you pop down the closes (alleyways) that you will pass as you find they open into interesting courtyards or steps down to different areas of the city.

Any Rebus fans by author Ian Rankin you can find a phone app that describes his city while you walk the city to places mentioned in his book and his favourite pub.


----------



## calypso726

2BNDisney said:


> Tripadvisor has some good tours in Edinburgh.  Think I may do the Hairycoo one when I fly in early.  It actually takes you out of Edinburgh for the day to see some different sights.  I don't believe ABD stops at these, but I could be wrong.  I can only base my opinion on the reviews though as I don't personally know anyone who has taken it.  But there are several tours in Edinburgh itself by different operators.
> 
> And will these air fares ever come down - lol.  Still holding out hope.  They have been fairly steady for many months.



Thank you for mentioning the Hairy Coo tour. I looked it up on Trip Advisor and it has loads of good reviews. We booked it for Saturday August 3rd. I also saw a photography tour of Edinburgh on Trip Advisor that was highly recommended. The tour guide actually teaches each person on the tour how to take the best pics with their own camera. It is supposed to be great for both beginners and enthusiasts. I contemplating whether or not I can squeeze this is in too. 

I took a peek at the airfare rates out there  



edinburghlass said:


> Bring at least two sweaters each
> 
> As with most cities you can't go wrong with a bus tour to get an idea of the city and what you want to see.  All the tickets give you 24/48 hours travel on their buses and you can hop on and off where you want.
> 
> https://kiosk.iristickets.co.uk/k?v=lothianbuses&item_type=10&ticket_family=TFCEDINTOUR&ka=KCEBT
> 
> The Royal Edinburgh ticket gives you admission to Britannia, Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace which at adult prices would cost you £39 and the ticket price is £45 so quite a good deal along with the different bus tours and 48 hours to use the ticket for.
> 
> They also have a tour down to South Queensferry to see the Forth Bridge and the Forth Road Bridge with a boat trip under the bridges.
> 
> If you feel like walking down the High Street/Royal Mile do make sure you pop down the closes (alleyways) that you will pass as you find they open into interesting courtyards or steps down to different areas of the city.
> 
> Any Rebus fans by author Ian Rankin you can find a phone app that describes his city while you walk the city to places mentioned in his book and his favourite pub.



Thank you again Edinburghlass for the advice!


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

Ditto on all the great advice everyone! Keep it coming


----------



## lkkinghorn

We will pack 2 sweaters each!  Thanks.  Also, I am planning a side trip either before the ABD or after.  We would like to visit Kinghorn, Scotland.  It looks like it is under an hour train ride from Edinburgh.  
Please post if you went on the March trip to Scotland.  I think the Brave ABD starts in March...


----------



## sayhello

lkkinghorn said:


> We will pack 2 sweaters each!  Thanks.  Also, I am planning a side trip either before the ABD or after.  We would like to visit Kinghorn, Scotland.  It looks like it is under an hour train ride from Edinburgh.
> Please post if you went on the March trip to Scotland.  I think the Brave ABD starts in March...


You're right!  The first Scotland trip started on Sunday!  They're still on the trip, so there's still a chance we may hear something after the trip ends on Monday.  

Sayhello


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

OMG, I had no idea! How exciting that the trips have started already. I can't wait to hear. Hope there are some DISers on it


----------



## calypso726

sayhello said:


> You're right!  The first Scotland trip started on Sunday!  They're still on the trip, so there's still a chance we may hear something after the trip ends on Monday.
> 
> Sayhello



Crossing fingers!



CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> OMG, I had no idea! How exciting that the trips have started already. I can't wait to hear. Hope there are some DISers on it



I know me too! If there are, they aren't on our roll call. The first group on this forum is going in June!


----------



## edinburghlass

lkkinghorn said:


> We will pack 2 sweaters each!  Thanks.  Also, I am planning a side trip either before the ABD or after.  We would like to visit Kinghorn, Scotland.  It looks like it is under an hour train ride from Edinburgh.
> Please post if you went on the March trip to Scotland.  I think the Brave ABD starts in March...



The train to Kinghorn will travel over the Forth Bridge, it was considered lucky to throw a coin from the train into the water, they would mainly land on the track and be gathered up and donated to charity. Sadly I don't think the windows on the trains now open sufficiently to be able to do this. Lovely journey though.


----------



## calypso726

Hi everybody! About 6 months ago I had mentioned that DH and I began "travel hacking" to earn airline miles so we could fly free or close to free and had earned 770K miles between us since booking this trip. We are now at over 1.8 million between the two of us. I remember answering a lot of PM's on how to start travel hacking. I was wondering if anyone else took the plunge and is also flying free or near free.

We did wind up having to change our flights and airlines since the United schedule kept changing. That's what I get for booking so early  The last straw was our flight getting switched to departing Edinburgh to return home at 6 am  We are on American and then British Airways now but still flying first class  I will probably look like a dork taking pictures of my first First class flight  but I will probably be too excited at the time to care much.

Thanks to the travel hacking thing we are staying at the Sheraton Spa and Resort in Edinburgh when we arrive on Aug. 1st. for one night on hotel points. One of the cards that earned us a 100K mile sign up bonus also gives automatic gold status at Sheraton which will allow us a 4 pm late check out! So we will be able to explore and then check out from there and check in at 3 pm into Witchery by the Castle for the next 2 nights  I am glad this venture into travel hacking wound up with some unexpected bonuses besides all the airline miles


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

I am so jealous of all your wonderful miles. I looked into some of it and wanted to do it, but we've been going through the refinance from hell, and I didn't want to screw up the credit scores with all kinds of new cards. You have inspired me, however, to be much more savvy about my card benefits. I'm definitely going to switch some around as soon as possible. I love Virgin Airlines, and I have over 100k of miles with them (and their AMEX card), but using them for int'l flights is really bad with the taxes. We ended up on Air France using no miles (but did get a decent deal on premium economy so that's okay). Next trip to Europe I vow to use miles! Be warned that I will probably pump you for info on our trip! 

We're staying a couple nights at the Radisson before--I've stayed there before, and it's a great location on the Royal Mile. The only plans I have for the pre-trip are tentative. I hope the weather is good enough to climb Arthur's seat, and after being shut out my last two times to Edinburgh, I'm hoping to see Mary King's Close. We're also staying a day after, and I just made plans for touring the Fife area. One of the few places in Scotland I haven't been! I've been to St. Kilda but not St. Andrews, LOL.


----------



## calypso726

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> I am so jealous of all your wonderful miles. I looked into some of it and wanted to do it, but we've been going through the refinance from hell, and I didn't want to screw up the credit scores with all kinds of new cards. You have inspired me, however, to be much more savvy about my card benefits. I'm definitely going to switch some around as soon as possible. I love Virgin Airlines, and I have over 100k of miles with them (and their AMEX card), but using them for int'l flights is really bad with the taxes. We ended up on Air France using no miles (but did get a decent deal on premium economy so that's okay). Next trip to Europe I vow to use miles! Be warned that I will probably pump you for info on our trip!
> 
> We're staying a couple nights at the Radisson before--I've stayed there before, and it's a great location on the Royal Mile. The only plans I have for the pre-trip are tentative. I hope the weather is good enough to climb Arthur's seat, and after being shut out my last two times to Edinburgh, I'm hoping to see Mary King's Close. We're also staying a day after, and I just made plans for touring the Fife area. One of the few places in Scotland I haven't been! I've been to St. Kilda but not St. Andrews, LOL.



You are right to hold off. Even the travel hackers say not to do anything if you are trying to finance a house or car. On the upside the few points it will affect on the credit score are temporary. Each new card will add to your available credit and lower your utilization ratio whcih eventually increases your credit score  

We'd like to do Arthur's seat as well. I have realized there are other parts of Scotland I will probably want to see so I will put that on a future "to do" list. Exploring Fife sounds awesome! You can book the Mary King's Close tour online. We are booked for the tour on August 2nd at 11:00 am. If you do book online, don't forget to use a credit card that does not charge you foreign transaction fees  Let me know if you need a list of cards that don't 

Yeah the taxes and fees on some of the airlines  You can get around some of those though if you are creative. Feel free to ask away for any tips or advice once you are ready  I don't mind. We have a large group of friends that we have met here on the DIsboards on the cruise meet threads and now we regularly cruise together. 39 of us are all going to Alaska on the Wonder for the Aug. 4, 2014 sailing. We all have to fly to Vancouver so I am in the process of helping them "travel hack" too


----------



## calypso726

PM's sent to those who PM'd me about travel hacking last night.

Changing currency at the airport can wind up costing you an extra 27%  So, I thought I'd go ahead and post a list of the credit cards that do not charge foreign transaction fees. I know some people have come back from their cruises and then had the unpleasant surprise of discovering their souvenirs wound up costing an extra 3 - 7% in foreign transaction fees 

I also have read that many merchants in Europe will only accept credit cards with the EMV chip technology. Therefore, I have underlined the cards that have no FTF's and are also available with the EMV chip and signature/chip and pin by request.

Chase cards: Sapphire Preferred, Ink Plus, Ink Bold, British Airways, Southwest Premier, Hyatt Visa, Priority Club Visa, Marriott Premier, Ritz Carlton Visa, Fairmont Visa, J. P. Morgan Select, United Club Mileage Plus, 

Amex cards: Platinum Mercedes Benz, Business Platinum, Personal Platinum, 

Capital One: Venture, Cash Rewards, Spark Miles Select

Citibank: Thank You Premier, Thank You Prestige,  Executive Aadvantage, Hilton Honors Reserve

PenFed: Platinum Cash, Platinum Rewards, Platinum Travel, Promise, Visa Gold

Barclays: Arrival

Bank of America: Travel Rewards

I hope some may find the information helpful.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

calypso726 said:


> Yeah the taxes and fees on some of the airlines  You can get around some of those though if you are creative. Feel free to ask away for any tips or advice once you are ready  I don't mind. We have a large group of friends that we have met here on the DIsboards on the cruise meet threads and now we regularly cruise together. 39 of us are all going to Alaska on the Wonder for the Aug. 4, 2014 sailing. We all have to fly to Vancouver so I am in the process of helping them "travel hack" too



Very cool about the large travel group--sounds very fun!

I'd love to hear hints if you have them on how to use Virgin Atlantic miles for travel to the UK without the taxes. I've looked into converting them, but it seems like VA is pretty restrictive on partners. I've also trolled the boards for info but haven't seen anything. 

Great head's up for everyone on the transaction fee free cards. We have a Capital One card just for traveling. 

I have a link to a chart somewhere with all the cards that do chip and pin. I went to a lot of trouble to try to get what I thought was a chip and pin for my VA Amex, but contrary to what the CS person told me, turned out to be a chip and signature, which IMO is fairly useless. If you want a card that will be guaranteed to work everywhere you need the chip and PIN. We travel to the UK quite a lot and the only time it has come up is in unmanned train stations in France--they only take chip and pins. Our chip and signature (and any regular US credit card) would not work. I've never had an issue otherwise, even in very remote areas and smaller villages.


----------



## calypso726

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Very cool about the large travel group--sounds very fun!
> 
> I'd love to hear hints if you have them on how to use Virgin Atlantic miles for travel to the UK without the taxes. I've looked into converting them, but it seems like VA is pretty restrictive on partners. I've also trolled the boards for info but haven't seen anything.
> 
> Great head's up for everyone on the transaction fee free cards. We have a Capital One card just for traveling.
> 
> I have a link to a chart somewhere with all the cards that do chip and pin. I went to a lot of trouble to try to get what I thought was a chip and pin for my VA Amex, but contrary to what the CS person told me, turned out to be a chip and signature, which IMO is fairly useless. If you want a card that will be guaranteed to work everywhere you need the chip and PIN. We travel to the UK quite a lot and the only time it has come up is in unmanned train stations in France--they only take chip and pins. Our chip and signature (and any regular US credit card) would not work. I've never had an issue otherwise, even in very remote areas and smaller villages.



Thanks we always have a blast cruising together!

I'm afraid I won't be much help on the Virgin Atlantic miles. I have been concentrating on earning miles with airlines that are within 2 of the 3 global airline alliances, One World and Star alliance. VA isn't part of a global network. Even my cards that earn points that transfer to airline miles are focused on transferring to airlines that are part of one or more of the global airline alliances to maximize my flexibility. So, I'm not too familiar with VA. I imagine the Virgin Atlantic forum on Flyer Talk would be a wealth of info though!

The one "avoid exorbitant taxes" tip I know is with British Airways Avios which normally carries huge surcharges to fly on internationally. Wonderful for flying domestic though! You can transfer BA Avios into an Iberia Avios account that has been open at least 3 months. Then use the Avios to fly Int'l on Iberia. There are still taxes and fees but waaaaayyy less than on British Airways.

Yeah, most USA EMV capable cards are chip and signature. However, the Penfed ones do have real chip and pin. From what I have read the chip and signature works almost everywhere except for some unmanned kiosks like at a train station in Paris that you mentioned. I also read that sometimes it will work at an unmanned kiosk if you enter the pin assigned for cash advances but it still shows up on your statement as a purchase not cash advance. Also, read entering 0000 sometimes works. I doubt I will be going anywhere that a chip/sig card wouldn't work. None the less, I will probably pick up a PenFed Platinum card before leaving just to cover my bases. No annual fee, no FTF, chip and pin plus earn 5 points per dollar on gas. Not bad! 

Here is the Google doc spreadsheet *CLICKY HERE* from Flyer Talk with the list of chip and pin and chip and signature cards.  I like that it shows which cards have no FTF's and what the annual fees are if any


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

calypso726 said:


> Here is the Google doc spreadsheet *CLICKY HERE* from Flyer Talk with the list of chip and pin and chip and signature cards.  I like that it shows which cards have no FTF's and what the annual fees are if any



That's the link I was looking for! Thanks for saving me digging through my bookmark list, LOL. I'd seen the British Air maneuver when I was googling for Virgin. I've had some bad flights on BA and absolutely LOVE Virgin, but I might have to switch because I can't stomach burning all those miles and then paying taxes on top of it!


----------



## calypso726

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> That's the link I was looking for! Thanks for saving me digging through my bookmark list, LOL. I'd seen the British Air maneuver when I was googling for Virgin. I've had some bad flights on BA and absolutely LOVE Virgin, but I might have to switch because I can't stomach burning all those miles and then paying taxes on top of it!



You're welcome!  I haven't flown BA before each of my last few trips to the UK have been on other airlines. This will be another first. I wasn't too happy with the taxes and fees either but it was still less than an economy round trip flight to get to fly in first  Hopefully it will be a good experience on BA for us!


----------



## Jenc581

Hi guyshope you all have a wonderful vacation here in Scotland... Remember we can get all four seasons in one day so pack well!


----------



## wld

perfect just like michigan!


----------



## Groovee

Just found this part of DIS today.  I'm from Edinburgh and have extensively travelled over the UK, so should anyone want any help feel free to ask.  

I worked in Upstate New York quite a few years back and the one thing I really missed was seeing Edinburgh Castle.  It still takes my breath away even though I have lived here all my life.


----------



## sayhello

Groovee said:


> Just found this part of DIS today.  I'm from Edinburgh and have extensively travelled over the UK, so should anyone want any help feel free to ask.
> 
> I worked in Upstate New York quite a few years back and the one thing I really missed was seeing Edinburgh Castle.  It still takes my breath away even though I have lived here all my life.


Welcome to the ABD Forum, Groovee.  (Love the name!)  I remember the first time I saw Edinburgh Castle.  Quite impressive.  I do need to go back!

Sayhello


----------



## calypso726

Jenc581 said:


> Hi guyshope you all have a wonderful vacation here in Scotland... Remember we can get all four seasons in one day so pack well!





Groovee said:


> Just found this part of DIS today.  I'm from Edinburgh and have extensively travelled over the UK, so should anyone want any help feel free to ask.
> 
> I worked in Upstate New York quite a few years back and the one thing I really missed was seeing Edinburgh Castle.  It still takes my breath away even though I have lived here all my life.



I am looking forward to seeing Edinburgh Castle in person! 

I am from South Florida and we don't get 4 seasons in on year  We get hot and humid, not so hot and humid, I get to wear long sleeves this morning and don't worry it will stop raining in 20 minutes. I'd really like to know about what temperatures those of us going in August can expect? Thanks!


----------



## Jenc581

calypso726 said:


> I am looking forward to seeing Edinburgh Castle in person!
> 
> I am from South Florida and we don't get 4 seasons in on year  We get hot and humid, not so hot and humid, I get to wear long sleeves this morning and don't worry it will stop raining in 20 minutes. I'd really like to know about what temperatures those of us going in August can expect? Thanks!



Well nothing above 22 degrees Celsius!  Which I think is about 70 Fahrenheit ?one day it coul be 70 then the next 50! We have had terrible weather so far this year. I love florida rain because it only lasts 20 mins  we have rain that can last a week! So what you really want is fair weather when your here


----------



## MissKip

Jenc581 said:


> Well nothing above 22 degrees Celsius!  Which I think is about 70 Fahrenheit ?one day it coul be 70 then the next 50! We have had terrible weather so far this year. I love florida rain because it only lasts 20 mins  we have rain that can last a week! So what you really want is fair weather when your here



hello fellow Scot  given the weather of late and the summer we had last year 22 degrees is very optimistic of you!! we can only hope huh? 

Pack for all eventualities people, you never know what you are going to get here!


----------



## calypso726

Jenc581 said:


> Well nothing above 22 degrees Celsius!  Which I think is about 70 Fahrenheit ?one day it coul be 70 then the next 50! We have had terrible weather so far this year. I love florida rain because it only lasts 20 mins  we have rain that can last a week! So what you really want is fair weather when your here





MissKip said:


> hello fellow Scot  given the weather of late and the summer we had last year 22 degrees is very optimistic of you!! we can only hope huh?
> 
> Pack for all eventualities people, you never know what you are going to get here!



Thanks Jenc and MissKip. So we're are looking at 50º F - 70º F Ok, for me that is "winter" clothes


----------



## Groovee

calypso726 said:


> I am looking forward to seeing Edinburgh Castle in person!
> 
> I am from South Florida and we don't get 4 seasons in on year  We get hot and humid, not so hot and humid, I get to wear long sleeves this morning and don't worry it will stop raining in 20 minutes. I'd really like to know about what temperatures those of us going in August can expect? Thanks!



Personally I'd bring all the winter clothes you can find or buy some over here.  Rain wear is a must .  The weather was awful last summer and we're expecting snow again in May!


----------



## 2BNDisney

Yes, can I please put in an order for NO RAIN during June    Looking forward to Edinburgh but especially the Highlands.  And for those in Scotland, are these 'midge' things I have been reading about bothersome in June?


----------



## Groovee

Midges are lethal!  Bit like Mozzies.  When my daughter went to school camp, we recommended Avon So soft spray

Had a look on the US version and you seem to be able to get something similar.  It definitely stopped her getting any bites.  Will need to order some for my son in the Summer when he goes.


----------



## MissKip

Yes midges are very annoying little creatures! As previously mentioned Avon skin so soft works great for keeping them away


----------



## 2BNDisney

Groovee said:


> Midges are lethal!  Bit like Mozzies.  When my daughter went to school camp, we recommended Avon So soft spray
> 
> Had a look on the US version and you seem to be able to get something similar.  It definitely stopped her getting any bites.  Will need to order some for my son in the Summer when he goes.



Thanks!  I will look for some.


----------



## Calfan

Can't believe we are almost at the 3-month mark for the Aug. 4 departure.  I booked a private tour of St. Andrews and the fishing villages of Fife for one of our pre-days.  Getting so excited.


----------



## calypso726

Calfan said:


> Can't believe we are almost at the 3-month mark for the Aug. 4 departure.  I booked a private tour of St. Andrews and the fishing villages of Fife for one of our pre-days.  Getting so excited.



We started doing the happy dance once we hit double digits to departure  Oooh! That sounds pretty cool! I'm looking forward to hearing about your pre trip tour since we are on the same departure date.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

I knew it was close when I received my final payment reminder email--ugh. Once I get over the pain of "d-day," I'm sure my excitement will start ramping up, LOL. We also booked a private tour of Fife/St. Andrews/Scone, but for after the tour.


----------



## SleepingPrincess

Can I ask who you guys are doing the private tours with? We are on the fence about just renting a car to go out there or finding a tour for a day trip to the area.


----------



## Calfan

SleepingPrincess said:


> Can I ask who you guys are doing the private tours with? We are on the fence about just renting a car to go out there or finding a tour for a day trip to the area.



We are using Rabbie's.


----------



## jjharts

Our tour starts one month from today!!!! Getting really excited   Just have a few post-tour details to finish up, then it's time to start thinking about what to pack!!!


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

jjharts said:


> Our tour starts one month from today!!!! Getting really excited   Just have a few post-tour details to finish up, then it's time to start thinking about what to pack!!!



You are so lucky! You have to promise to report back here ASAP, LOL. I haven't seen any trip reports so far, and I'm *dying*!


----------



## calypso726

jjharts said:


> Our tour starts one month from today!!!! Getting really excited   Just have a few post-tour details to finish up, then it's time to start thinking about what to pack!!!



So excited for you! Please don't forget to post here and tell the rest of us impatiently waiting all about your trip!


----------



## jjharts

I'll try to post some thoughts during the tour and do a trip report afterwards.  We are going to Ireland for a week after Scotland so I won't be able to do a report right away but as soon as we get back I will get it done


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

jjharts said:


> I'll try to post some thoughts during the tour and do a trip report afterwards.  We are going to Ireland for a week after Scotland so I won't be able to do a report right away but as soon as we get back I will get it done



Wonderful! Can't wait to hear all about it. Thanks


----------



## Calfan

jjharts said:


> I'll try to post some thoughts during the tour and do a trip report afterwards.  We are going to Ireland for a week after Scotland so I won't be able to do a report right away but as soon as we get back I will get it done



Would also love to know what you think of Ireland.  We are seriously contemplating an Ireland trip in the next couple of years.


----------



## jjharts

The big brown truck just dropped off our box!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## klangkat

Hi everyone, I'm another Scot so I thought I'd just pop in and say that if anyone has Q's etc I'm more than happy to help. I live on the West Coast of Scotland now, but am originally from the East Coast


----------



## SleepingPrincess

Has anyone else received the package yet? I'm looking at our guide and noticed the change of Stirling Castle instead of Edinburgh Castle for certain dates in July and August in the details of the itinerary. Our tour is in June but its still listed as Stirling castle of the itinerary. I was curious if it was just a typo on mine....


----------



## jjharts

Mine says the same thing too.  I was excited to see Stirling Castle but I think from the dates listed we will probably have our farewell dinner at Edinburgh Castle.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

klangkat said:


> Hi everyone, I'm another Scot so I thought I'd just pop in and say that if anyone has Q's etc I'm more than happy to help. I live on the West Coast of Scotland now, but am originally from the East Coast



Thanks! 



SleepingPrincess said:


> Has anyone else received the package yet? I'm looking at our guide and noticed the change of Stirling Castle instead of Edinburgh Castle for certain dates in July and August in the details of the itinerary. Our tour is in June but its still listed as Stirling castle of the itinerary. I was curious if it was just a typo on mine....



I'm a little confused by the changes in the itinerary--we are on the August 4th tour. Could you give a little more info about what the guide says?


----------



## SleepingPrincess

jjharts said:


> Mine says the same thing too.  I was excited to see Stirling Castle but I think from the dates listed we will probably have our farewell dinner at Edinburgh Castle.



My preference would be to have the after-hours tour and dinner at Edinburgh Castle, so I hope it's that!



CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> I'm a little confused by the changes in the itinerary--we are on the August 4th tour. Could you give a little more info about what the guide says?



I don't have my scanner nearby to send you an image, but basically on Day 8 it provides the Daily Event and Locations. It lists an After-Hours Private Tour of Stirling Castle With your Adventure Guides and Farewell Dinner at Stirling Castle.

The back of that page that provides more information says "After-Hours Private Tour at Edinburgh Castle" and "Farewell Reception and Dinner at Edinburgh Castle." There is a note on the bottom of the page that says "Due to Edinburgh's annual Military Tattoo event, late July and August departures will enjoy the Farewell Reception and Dinner at Stirling Castle."


----------



## SleepingPrincess

Calfan said:


> We are using Rabbie's.



I meant to reply to this earlier, but I used Rabbies before on a 3-day trip to the Highlands. I really enjoyed them. They are actually who we are debating using for 2 day trips versus renting a car. Which we are *still* undecided on. Sigh.


----------



## Calfan

SleepingPrincess said:


> I meant to reply to this earlier, but I used Rabbies before on a 3-day trip to the Highlands. I really enjoyed them. They are actually who we are debating using for 2 day trips versus renting a car. Which we are *still* undecided on. Sigh.



Great to know.  Thanks for posting.  They seemed to get good reviews on TripAdvisor.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

SleepingPrincess said:


> I don't have my scanner nearby to send you an image, but basically on Day 8 it provides the Daily Event and Locations. It lists an After-Hours Private Tour of Stirling Castle With your Adventure Guides and Farewell Dinner at Stirling Castle.
> 
> The back of that page that provides more information says "After-Hours Private Tour at Edinburgh Castle" and "Farewell Reception and Dinner at Edinburgh Castle." There is a note on the bottom of the page that says "Due to Edinburgh's annual Military Tattoo event, late July and August departures will enjoy the Farewell Reception and Dinner at Stirling Castle."



Thank you so much for the info--it sounds like our tour will definitely be affected. I guess it makes sense--given the tattoo--but it would have been nice to have a head's up from Disney  I've been to both castles so many times, it isn't a big deal to me, but I maybe others will be disappointed?


----------



## Calfan

SleepingPrincess said:


> My preference would be to have the after-hours tour and dinner at Edinburgh Castle, so I hope it's that!
> 
> 
> 
> I don't have my scanner nearby to send you an image, but basically on Day 8 it provides the Daily Event and Locations. It lists an After-Hours Private Tour of Stirling Castle With your Adventure Guides and Farewell Dinner at Stirling Castle.
> 
> The back of that page that provides more information says "After-Hours Private Tour at Edinburgh Castle" and "Farewell Reception and Dinner at Edinburgh Castle." There is a note on the bottom of the page that says "Due to Edinburgh's annual Military Tattoo event, late July and August departures will enjoy the Farewell Reception and Dinner at Stirling Castle."



That is actually fine with me, since my family was debating using some of our pre-trip time to see Stirling.  Now we will just stay in Edinburgh and make sure we hit Edinburgh Castle on our own and enjoy the private tour and farewell dinner at Stirling Castle with ABD instead.  We also have tickets to the Military Tattoo, so it's all good.


----------



## calypso726

Calfan said:


> That is actually fine with me, since my family was debating using some of our pre-trip time to see Stirling.  Now we will just stay in Edinburgh and make sure we hit Edinburgh Castle on our own and enjoy the private tour and farewell dinner at Stirling Castle with ABD instead.  We also have tickets to the Military Tattoo, so it's all good.



It looks like we wil be doing the same thing 

On another note, with the trip just around the corner I started a re-read of the Outlander series. Just want to be sure I am in the right frame of mind upon arrival


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

calypso726 said:


> On another note, with the trip just around the corner I started a re-read of the Outlander series. Just want to be sure I am in the right frame of mind upon arrival



That will be perfect! I think I read through book 4--or book 5.


----------



## lkkinghorn

calypso726 said:


> It looks like we wil be doing the same thing
> 
> On another note, with the trip just around the corner I started a re-read of the Outlander series. Just want to be sure I am in the right frame of mind upon arrival



Anyone else need to update passports?  We had to renew our DD12 passport.   Travel dates Need to be done within 6 month before expiration date.  Hers was going to expire in November.   Waiting for new passport...  I am glad Disney told me to update it!


----------



## Calfan

[QUOTEOn another note, with the trip just around the corner I started a re-read of the Outlander series. Just want to be sure I am in the right frame of mind upon arrival [/QUOTE]

I am almost done re-listening to Dragonfly in Amber (Book 2).  Much of the latter part of the book takes place in Edinburgh, and there are lots of references to Holyrood House, the Royal Mile (with its winds and closes) and Edinburgh Castle.  It has been a great lead-up to the trip.


----------



## Calfan

lkkinghorn said:


> Anyone else need to update passports?  We had to renew our DD12 passport.   Travel dates Need to be done within 6 month before expiration date.  Hers was going to expire in November.   Waiting for new passport...  I am glad Disney told me to update it!



Did someone at ABD tell you this?  Both of my kids have passports that expire in Dec. of this year. However, I had researched this a few months ago, and it does not appear that the U.K. is a jurisdiction that requires at least 6 months remaining on the passports.  Now I am concerned...Anyone else have experience with this?


----------



## DisneyKevin

Calfan said:


> Did someone at ABD tell you this?  Both of my kids have passports that expire in Dec. of this year. However, I had researched this a few months ago, and it does not appear that the U.K. is a jurisdiction that requires at least 6 months remaining on the passports.  Now I am concerned...Anyone else have experience with this?



ABD suggests that everyones passport be good for 6 months after arrival.

They do this because there are Adventures that carry that requirement.

Scotland is not one of those Adventures. As long as your passport is good for the duration of your Adventure, you are fine.


----------



## calypso726

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> That will be perfect! I think I read through book 4--or book 5.



Book 8 comes out later this year. I convinced DH to listen to the series. By the end of book 7, which ends on some cliff hangers, he ran up to me said, "OMG when is the next book coming out???!!!"



Calfan said:


> I am almost done re-listening to Dragonfly in Amber (Book 2).  Much of the latter part of the book takes place in Edinburgh, and there are lots of references to Holyrood House, the Royal Mile (with its winds and closes) and Edinburgh Castle.  It has been a great lead-up to the trip.



Oh that's right! I forgot about that. My re-read is actually a re-listen. I can't seem to find the time to read like I used to. Since my job requires a lot of driving I now listen to all of my books. I should be in or past Dragonfly by the time we leave if I timed things right. I just love Davina Porter narrating! She is perfect!!!!


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

Calfan said:


> and there are lots of references to Holyrood House, the Royal Mile (with its winds and closes) and Edinburgh Castle.



One of the closes' is actually my son's first name. I took a great pic of it a few years back and made very cool notecards for him


----------



## lkkinghorn

Calfan said:


> Did someone at ABD tell you this?  Both of my kids have passports that expire in Dec. of this year. However, I had researched this a few months ago, and it does not appear that the U.K. is a jurisdiction that requires at least 6 months remaining on the passports.  Now I am concerned...Anyone else have experience with this?



Yes, someone at ABD contacted us and had us renew her passport.  Our DD's passport was to expire this November.


----------



## Calfan

calypso726 said:


> Oh that's right! I forgot about that. My re-read is actually a re-listen. I can't seem to find the time to read like I used to. Since my job requires a lot of driving I now listen to all of my books. I should be in or past Dragonfly by the time we leave if I timed things right. I just love Davina Porter narrating! She is perfect!!!!



I got into the habit of listening to books when I had a really long commute a number of years ago (65 miles each way).  Now my commute is shorter, but I still listen to books.  It is much more entertaining than the radio and, like you, I have a hard time finding the time to read an actual book unless I am on vacation.  You are right about Davina Porter.  She is a great narrator.  I have a disc and a half left of Dragonfly.  Hoping to make it through at least book 3 before the trip.


----------



## Calfan

Finished Dragonfly in Amber. Starting Voyager!


----------



## calypso726

Calfan said:


> Finished Dragonfly in Amber. Starting Voyager!



That was fast! Still on Outlander. I will probably hit Dragonfly in Amber by the end of the week. 

Can't believe our Adventure is 75 days away. Je Suis Prest


----------



## disneydeb8

I just need to announce to all that I just booked my family's 
dream vacation of a lifetime!!  

Scotland - Aug 2014!!

There is so much to be excited about, and this has been a long time coming for my family.  But I am so overwhelmed at the idea, Im actually numb.  Can anyone relate??


----------



## calypso726

disneydeb8 said:


> I just need to announce to all that I just booked my family's
> dream vacation of a lifetime!!
> 
> Scotland - Aug 2014!!
> 
> There is so much to be excited about, and this has been a long time coming for my family.  But I am so overwhelmed at the idea, Im actually numb.  Can anyone relate??



Congratulations and  to the DISboards! Yes, I can totaly relate. That is exactly how I felt last year when booking this trip  I am looking forward to trip reports from those who are traveling before we do this August. I will post a trip report on our adventure when we return.


----------



## disneydeb8

Thanks for the warm welcome, Terrie.

I have to say this thread has quite exceptional planners -- I am most impressed with the details of pre-trip tours, getting the absolute most out of this incredible experience!

I have been to Scotland many times as both my parents were born and raised there.  This trip however, is a first for my family.  My husband and i toured almost this very itinerary with my parents on our "second honeymoon" 24 years ago.  Now we will finally get to retrace those steps with our 4 kids.


----------



## calypso726

disneydeb8 said:


> Thanks for the warm welcome, Terrie.
> 
> I have to say this thread has quite exceptional planners -- I am most impressed with the details of pre-trip tours, getting the absolute most out of this incredible experience!
> 
> I have been to Scotland many times as both my parents were born and raised there.  This trip however, is a first for my family.  My husband and i toured almost this very itinerary with my parents on our "second honeymoon" 24 years ago.  Now we will finally get to retrace those steps with our 4 kids.



Disneydeb that is wonderful to be able to share that special memory with your children   Scotland is a first for both DH and I and of course we are trying to make the most of it. Honestly, I have to credit the DISboards when it comes to planning to make the most of an experience. Several years of reading the trip reports of others on these forums showed me the way


----------



## disneydeb8

I have to say Terrie you have done your homework on all things Scotland --
do you mind if i ask you what inspired Scotland to be your ABD destination choice??

For us, it's obvious.  Infact when we first purchased our DVC membership in 2008, our kids were more excited seeing Scotland on the dvc world map as a destination possibilty than owning BLT!

So our Scotland trip has been a longtime in the making --  we had planned to use our points for an RCI exchange in 2011 but that didn't work out --- just as well since we would have been forced to cancel.

When Disney sent the announcement invitation last May, and the sounds of bagpipes played as the highlands were perfectly pictured, I can only tell you how thrilled we were.


----------



## calypso726

disneydeb8 said:


> I have to say Terrie you have done your homework on all things Scotland --
> do you mind if i ask you what inspired Scotland to be your ABD destination choice??
> 
> For us, it's obvious.  Infact when we first purchased our DVC membership in 2008, our kids were more excited seeing Scotland on the dvc world map as a destination possibilty than owning BLT!
> 
> So our Scotland trip has been a longtime in the making --  we had planned to use our points for an RCI exchange in 2011 but that didn't work out --- just as well since we would have been forced to cancel.
> 
> When Disney sent the announcement invitation last May, and the sounds of bagpipes played as the highlands were perfectly pictured, I can only tell you how thrilled we were.



Don't mind at all. We've always wanted to do ABD but did not think it would be anytime soon. Scotland wasn't even on my radar until I discovered, read and became madly obsessed with author, Diana Gabaldon's, Outlander series. Although I am an avid reader, I resisted reading this series for over 20 years, despite the glowing recommendations. It simply did not sound like something I would like. 

A friend I met here on the DIS in the cruise meets thread finally convinced me to read it as we had the exact same tastes in just about everything. She literally said, "You will thank me later." Then she actually gave me a copy of the first book as a gift in our "fish extender" exchange (that's a Disney Cruise thing). Suffice it to say, it is the best series I have ever read or listened to. I am listening to it again on Audible. The story takes place in Scotland. The author has an amazing talent for placing you "right there." After reading the books I felt like I had already been to Scotland in my mind and simpy just had to see it in person. 

By the time the new ABD Scotland trip was announced last year I already had my husband hooked on the series and he wanted to visit Scotland as well. However, we had not budgeted for this type of trip and he adamantly refused to just slap it on a credit card and figure it out later. I was determined to make it happen and flat out said I will find a way. Several days of creative financial finagling to figure out how to pay for this and I came up with a plan and here we are 

My mother is now hooked on the series and we are booked for ABD London/Paris trip next year with my parents. I promised her we would start our trip early just so she could visit Scotland beforehand. I already have us scheduled to do a "Diana Gabaldon Outlander" day tour in Inverness next year too LOL 

Add to all of this the fact the Princess Merida from Brave is my favorite princess of them all. So basically, this Scotland trip is in large part due to my very non-fictional feelings for fictional characters


----------



## Jack'sGirl5

Hi!
Frequent WDW and DL visitor and sometimes cruiser -- just booked our first ever ABD trips, so excited!  Also just posted on Ireland board.

It will be me and my DD15. I used to travel internationally for business and have been to much of Europe but it will be my first trip for fun -- for her it is the very first European trip ever.

We are going to London for a few days first -- big Dr Who and Harry Potter fans so must do appropriate tours and then also want to see a couple of plays. Then train to Edinburgh and the Scotland ABD starting June 21, 2014. We have an extra day in Scotland and then fly to Ireland for an extra day in Dublin before joining our Ireland ABD on July 1st.

So much wonderful information on this thread; I'm really looking forward to reading some of your trip reports!


----------



## Calfan

Jack'sGirl5 said:


> Hi!
> Frequent WDW and DL visitor and sometimes cruiser -- just booked our first ever ABD trips, so excited!  Also just posted on Ireland board.
> 
> It will be me and my DD15. I used to travel internationally for business and have been to much of Europe but it will be my first trip for fun -- for her it is the very first European trip ever.
> 
> We are going to London for a few days first -- big Dr Who and Harry Potter fans so must do appropriate tours and then also want to see a couple of plays. Then train to Edinburgh and the Scotland ABD starting June 21, 2014. We have an extra day in Scotland and then fly to Ireland for an extra day in Dublin before joining our Ireland ABD on July 1st.
> 
> So much wonderful information on this thread; I'm really looking forward to reading some of your trip reports!



That sounds awesome!  So much fun for you and your DD.  If I had more vacation time from work, I would LOVE to do what you are doing and combine the Scotland and Ireland ABDs.  Ireland is definitely on my nearer-term to do list.  But I surprised myself by falling in love with the new Central Europe itinerary that ABD just released for 2014.  We ended up booking that one as our second ABD.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

Jack'sGirl5 said:


> We are going to London for a few days first -- big Dr Who and Harry Potter fans so must do appropriate tours and then also want to see a couple of plays. Then train to Edinburgh and the Scotland ABD starting June 21, 2014. We have an extra day in Scotland and then fly to Ireland for an extra day in Dublin before joining our Ireland ABD on July 1st.



What a wonderful trip! Our first ABD was in 2007 in Ireland and we are doing Scotland in August. We visited the HP studio in London last November and it was awesome--you will love it.


----------



## Jack'sGirl5

Calfan said:


> That sounds awesome!  So much fun for you and your DD.  If I had more vacation time from work, I would LOVE to do what you are doing and combine the Scotland and Ireland ABDs.  Ireland is definitely on my nearer-term to do list.  But I surprised myself by falling in love with the new Central Europe itinerary that ABD just released for 2014.  We ended up booking that one as our second ABD.



Thanks so much!  This will definitely be the longest vacation I have ever taken but I have convinced myself that nothing will explode while I am away.  Crosses fingers and toes.

I did have a really difficult time deciding which trips to go with -- they all sound so wonderful.  The Central Europe itinerary almost derailed my plans too!   That sounds like an awesome trip.  I was thinking of trying to pair Italy and Switzerland with something in 2015 and that may be it -- would love to hear how you liked it when you return.

Oh dear, I think I have opened the ABD floodgates for us and created a monster -- I can see us now, planning out our ABD trips for the next ten years . . .


----------



## Jack'sGirl5

By the way Calfan, looks like you were on the Wonder to Alaska the week before we were --- totally LOVED that cruise!


----------



## Jack'sGirl5

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> What a wonderful trip! Our first ABD was in 2007 in Ireland and we are doing Scotland in August. We visited the HP studio in London last November and it was awesome--you will love it.



It sounds like we are on the same vacation wavelength!  Would love to hear about Scotland when you return.  Are you doing any pre or post days?  I think that we are going to take a trip to Stirling castle on our post day.  Believe it or not that castle is in our genealogy -- the oldest child in our family gets Stirling for a middle name as far back as I can remember.  Thought I'd pick up a souvenir.

So glad to hear that you liked the Harry Potter studio, you are the first I've run into that has gone.  DD grew up with that series and going to the studio is very high on the list.  It is high on my London list too, along with seeing "Billy Elliott".  

Now we have a whole year to plan -- love that.


----------



## calypso726

Jack'sGirl5 said:


> Hi!
> Frequent WDW and DL visitor and sometimes cruiser -- just booked our first ever ABD trips, so excited!  Also just posted on Ireland board.
> 
> It will be me and my DD15. I used to travel internationally for business and have been to much of Europe but it will be my first trip for fun -- for her it is the very first European trip ever.
> 
> We are going to London for a few days first -- big Dr Who and Harry Potter fans so must do appropriate tours and then also want to see a couple of plays. Then train to Edinburgh and the Scotland ABD starting June 21, 2014. We have an extra day in Scotland and then fly to Ireland for an extra day in Dublin before joining our Ireland ABD on July 1st.
> 
> So much wonderful information on this thread; I'm really looking forward to reading some of your trip reports!



That sounds like an exciting vacation plan! We booked for the ABD London/Paris for next year and are planning to fly in a few days early. First stop in Inverness for a tour then London for HP tours. We also plan to stay an extra couple of days at the end to visit the Disneyland Paris parks. I will definitely post a trip report when we get back from Scotland in August.



CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> What a wonderful trip! Our first ABD was in 2007 in Ireland and we are doing Scotland in August. We visited the HP studio in London last November and it was awesome--you will love it.



I've heard great reviews on the HP studio. I am looking forward to seeing it next year!



Jack'sGirl5 said:


> By the way Calfan, looks like you were on the Wonder to Alaska the week before we were --- totally LOVED that cruise!



We are also booked for Alaska next year on the Wonder. I am happy to hear that so many have loved it. We weren't sure if we should go on DCL or try a different cruise line for Alaska. In the end we decided to stick with DCL.


----------



## Calfan

Jack'sGirl5 said:


> By the way Calfan, looks like you were on the Wonder to Alaska the week before we were --- totally LOVED that cruise!



Yes, Alaska was fantastic.  We actually did that cruise with CaliforniaGirl09 and her family, and we are also doing the Scotland ABD together.  I would love to go back to Alaska, either a repeat of the cruise or, more likely, a land-based tour (or maybe a combination of the two!).  Such stunning scenery, especially the glaciers.


----------



## carpenta

Calfan said:


> Yes, Alaska was fantastic.  We actually did that cruise with CaliforniaGirl09 and her family, and we are also doing the Scotland ABD together.  I would love to go back to Alaska, either a repeat of the cruise or, more likely, a land-based tour (or maybe a combination of the two!).  Such stunning scenery, especially the glaciers.



We did the ABD tour in2010 and it was fantastic. If you want to see the real Alaska go....life is much different than on the coast.:


----------



## Calfan

carpenta said:


> We did the ABD tour in2010 and it was fantastic. If you want to see the real Alaska go....life is much different than on the coast.:



Good to know about the Alaska ABD. It is on our list.


----------



## calypso726

Calfan said:


> Good to know about the Alaska ABD. It is on our list.



Is the Alaska ABD still being offered as a cruise add on???


----------



## Calfan

calypso726 said:


> Is the Alaska ABD still being offered as a cruise add on???



It does not look like it.  I think they were cancelled before the 2013 Alaska season.


----------



## lkkinghorn

We received our DD's new passport in the mail.   Hurray!  Anyone been on the trip yet?  How was it?  High and low please tell us.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

lkkinghorn said:


> Anyone been on the trip yet?  How was it?  High and low please tell us.



I'm dying to hear from the early travelers as well. Hopefully a DISer will chime in soon.


----------



## 2BNDisney

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> I'm dying to hear from the early travelers as well. Hopefully a DISer will chime in soon.



Leaving soon


----------



## SleepingPrincess

So excited! We leave next Friday!


----------



## tufbuf

Exciting!!! We are going next year and our travel date is $1000 more already than the original price!!!


----------



## sayhello

2BNDisney said:


> Leaving soon





SleepingPrincess said:


> So excited! We leave next Friday!


You two have a great trip, and be sure to come back and tell us all about it!



tufbuf said:


> Exciting!!! We are going next year and our travel date is $1000 more already than the original price!!!


  I hope you're already booked!

Sayhello


----------



## jjharts

We are leaving at the end of the week also!!  Starting to get very excited!!!  I have talked to ABD several times this week - they have called about various things, but mostly about our train number (we are flying into London  the day before for a little sightseeing and a show, then taking a train up to Edinburgh).  Apparently East Coast Rail doesn't assign numbers on their routes and Disney can't seem to wrap their heads around that, lol!!


----------



## JLoane

I'm also eagerly awaiting trip reports since I just booked my family for the August 3rd, 2014 adventure!!  SO excited!  It will be my husband, myself, our 2 sons (then 20 and 17) and our daughter (16).  

We went on the Enchanted China adventure three years ago, and it was an AMAZING trip.  I'm sure Scotland will be just as great!  I get chills every time I read the itinerary!

Also, I booked through Dreams Unlimited and can't say enough about their service already.  

Jen


----------



## Calfan

JLoane said:


> I'm also eagerly awaiting trip reports since I just booked my family for the August 3rd, 2014 adventure!!  SO excited!  It will be my husband, myself, our 2 sons (then 20 and 17) and our daughter (16).
> 
> We went on the Enchanted China adventure three years ago, and it was an AMAZING trip.  I'm sure Scotland will be just as great!  I get chills every time I read the itinerary!
> 
> Also, I booked through Dreams Unlimited and can't say enough about their service already.
> 
> Jen



Enchanted China is pretty high on our ABD "to do" list. Glad to see you enjoyed it. So excited for our Scotland Adventure. We take off for Edinburgh two months from today for the Aug 4 trip.


----------



## Dahly

jjharts said:


> We are leaving at the end of the week also!!  Starting to get very excited!!!  I have talked to ABD several times this week - they have called about various things, but mostly about our train number (we are flying into London  the day before for a little sightseeing and a show, then taking a train up to Edinburgh).  Apparently East Coast Rail doesn't assign numbers on their routes and Disney can't seem to wrap their heads around that, lol!!



I would love to hear the logistics of your train trip from London to Edinburgh. We are thinking of doing the same next year. have a great time!!

Dahly


----------



## Callymum

I had stumbled on this Thread and because it said Scotland I was intrigued. I just want to say that I am so Proud that you are all looking forward to coming to my wee Country of Scotland. I hope that you all have the Trip of a lifetime.

Have a Braw time.
Fàilte.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

Callymum said:


> I had stumbled on this Thread and because it said Scotland I was intrigued. I just want to say that I am so Proud that you are all looking forward to coming to my wee Country of Scotland. I hope that you all have the Trip of a lifetime.
> 
> Have a Braw time.
> Fàilte.



We can't wait! Thanks for stopping by


----------



## calypso726

2BNDisney said:


> Leaving soon





SleepingPrincess said:


> So excited! We leave next Friday!





jjharts said:


> We are leaving at the end of the week also!!  Starting to get very excited!!!  I have talked to ABD several times this week - they have called about various things, but mostly about our train number (we are flying into London  the day before for a little sightseeing and a show, then taking a train up to Edinburgh).  Apparently East Coast Rail doesn't assign numbers on their routes and Disney can't seem to wrap their heads around that, lol!!



Have fun everybody! I know the rest of us are looking forward to hearing all about the trip! 57 more days before we go!



JLoane said:


> I'm also eagerly awaiting trip reports since I just booked my family for the August 3rd, 2014 adventure!!  SO excited!  It will be my husband, myself, our 2 sons (then 20 and 17) and our daughter (16).
> 
> We went on the Enchanted China adventure three years ago, and it was an AMAZING trip.  I'm sure Scotland will be just as great!  I get chills every time I read the itinerary!
> 
> Also, I booked through Dreams Unlimited and can't say enough about their service already.
> 
> Jen



We booked for London/Paris next year. Enchanted China is also on the list for us down the line!



Callymum said:


> I had stumbled on this Thread and because it said Scotland I was intrigued. I just want to say that I am so Proud that you are all looking forward to coming to my wee Country of Scotland. I hope that you all have the Trip of a lifetime.
> 
> Have a Braw time.
> Fàilte.



Thank you  I am sure we will!!!!


----------



## lkkinghorn

Received our ABD package yesterday!  Have a great trip those of you leaving tomorrow.  We have 3 more weeks before we leave for Scotland.  My DH just booked an automatic car for last few days.  Hard to find anything but stick shift.   I started reading the Outlander series.  Thanks for the idea!   Enjoying m


----------



## lkkinghorn

calypso726 said:


> Don't mind at all. We've always wanted to do ABD but did not think it would be anytime soon. Scotland wasn't even on my radar until I discovered, read and became madly obsessed with author, Diana Gabaldon's, Outlander series. Although I am an avid reader, I resisted reading this series for over 20 years, despite the glowing recommendations. It simply did not sound like something I would like.
> 
> A friend I met here on the DIS in the cruise meets thread finally convinced me to read it as we had the exact same tastes in just about everything. She literally said, "You will thank me later." Then she actually gave me a copy of the first book as a gift in our "fish extender" exchange (that's a Disney Cruise thing). Suffice it to say, it is the best series I have ever read or listened to. I am listening to it again on Audible. The story takes place in Scotland. The author has an amazing talent for placing you "right there." After reading the books I felt like I had already been to Scotland in my mind and simpy just had to see it in person.
> 
> By the time the new ABD Scotland trip was announced last year I already had my husband hooked on the series and he wanted to visit Scotland as well. However, we had not budgeted for this type of trip and he adamantly refused to just slap it on a credit card and figure it out later. I was determined to make it happen and flat out said I will find a way. Several days of creative financial finagling to figure out how to pay for this and I came up with a plan and here we are
> 
> My mother is now hooked on the series and we are booked for ABD London/Paris trip next year with my parents. I promised her we would start our trip early just so she could visit Scotland beforehand. I already have us scheduled to do a "Diana Gabaldon Outlander" day tour in Inverness next year too LOL
> 
> Add to all of this the fact the Princess Merida from Brave is my favorite princess of them all. So basically, this Scotland trip is in large part due to my very non-fictional feelings for fictional characters



Thanks for the tip to read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.


----------



## sayhello

disneydeb8 said:


> I just need to announce to all that I just booked my family's
> dream vacation of a lifetime!!
> 
> Scotland - Aug 2014!!
> 
> There is so much to be excited about, and this has been a long time coming for my family.  But I am so overwhelmed at the idea, Im actually numb.  Can anyone relate??


Congrats!   If you let me know what date in August, and who is in your travel party, I'll add you to the Roll Call in the first post.

Sayhello


----------



## calypso726

lkkinghorn said:


> Thanks for the tip to read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.



You are welcome! It's a slow start but then becomes a roller coaster ride.



sayhello said:


> Congrats!   If you let me know what date in August, and who is in your travel party, I'll add you to the Roll Call in the first post.
> 
> Sayhello



I was going to ask about the ABD meet threads for the 2014 trips and if we should just use the existing stickies. We are on the London/Paris ABD for next year. I will head over to that thread and post to get added onto the sticky. Thank you!


----------



## 2BNDisney

Edinburgh Film Festival begins June 19 if I read right. Monsters U will premiere in UK then like Brave did last year. Also read Emma Watson will be in town for a film she is in. Not sure if ABD will be in town then or not. Tour begins tomorrow but weather has been great past two days in Edinburgh


----------



## Groovee

It's been glorious weather in Edinburgh for the past few days.  We're tanning nicely in time for our visit to Orlando in 19 days.  All we're missing is a nice refreshing pool.


----------



## sayhello

Looking forward to hearing about this trip from you all!  Have a great time!

Sayhello


----------



## 2BNDisney

Tip - when leaving Edinburgh on day 3, the left side of the bus seems to have the better view. It is a fairly long day of riding but there are 3 stops. We had plenty of seats and I went back and forth. We had two people get car sick so if you do, bring some medicine and take beforehand. A light rain moved in today so weather not as good as in days past.


----------



## SingingMom

2BNDisney said:


> Tip - when leaving Edinburgh on day 3, the left side of the bus seems to have the better view. It is a fairly long day of riding but there are 3 stops. We had plenty of seats and I went back and forth. We had two people get car sick so if you do, bring some medicine and take beforehand. A light rain moved in today so weather not as good as in days past.



How do the guides/driver deal with carsick travelers?  Is there a restroom on the bus?  Will the driver stop on the side of the road if someone is ill?

I am one of those people that gets queasy if someone else gets sick.    It is one of the things that concerns me with a large traveling group....

"SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards


----------



## sayhello

2BNDisney said:


> Tip - when leaving Edinburgh on day 3, the left side of the bus seems to have the better view. It is a fairly long day of riding but there are 3 stops. We had plenty of seats and I went back and forth. We had two people get car sick so if you do, bring some medicine and take beforehand. A light rain moved in today so weather not as good as in days past.


Yay!  You're on the trip!  I can hardly wait to hear about it and see your beautiful photos!  

Sayhello


----------



## tufbuf

SingingMom said:


> How do the guides/driver deal with carsick travelers?  Is there a restroom on the bus?  Will the driver stop on the side of the road if someone is ill?
> 
> I am one of those people that gets queasy if someone else gets sick.    It is one of the things that concerns me with a large traveling group....
> 
> "SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards



They usually have you move and sit in front. They also have some chewing candy which helps with motion sickness. The driver will not stop. The guides will have a bag ready for you.


----------



## sayhello

tufbuf said:


> They usually have you move and sit in front. They also have some chewing candy which helps with motion sickness. The driver will not stop. The guides will have a bag ready for you.


The bus driver did stop when we had an older kid who got carsick on Corsica on the way up the mountain.   He stopped for several minutes, we all got out & got some fresh air, and walked around.  The kid got sick anyways at our first stop, but the bus driver did try to help.  So maybe it depends on the bus driver.

Sayhello


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

Bus sickness was something we had a problem with on the Ireland trip as well. DD threw up almost every day--sometimes more than once  Even at 13 she *still* gets horribly carsick. I guess she'll be staking out those front seats on the bus. Thanks for the tips and can't wait to hear all the details about the trip!


----------



## tufbuf

sayhello said:


> The bus driver did stop when we had an older kid who got carsick on Corsica on the way up the mountain.   He stopped for several minutes, we all got out & got some fresh air, and walked around.  The kid got sick anyways at our first stop, but the bus driver did try to help.  So maybe it depends on the bus driver.
> 
> Sayhello



We were near the villa in Artimino which required a drive up a winding road. One child threw up all of lunch and snack and the driver had to do a major cleaning after. Someone always get car sick in our group (in all ABDs, minus Alpine Magic)  but that was our worst case scenario.


----------



## SingingMom

tufbuf said:


> We were near the villa in Artimino which required a drive up a winding road. One child threw up all of lunch and snack and the driver had to do a major cleaning after. Someone always get car sick in our group (in all ABDs, minus Alpine Magic)  but that was our worst case scenario.



Oh geez...   We didn't have anything like that happen on our Knights & Lights tour!    That would put me over the edge!  Lol. The joke among my students is that I can handle blood, but I "don't do vomit"!!!!  Lol

"SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards


----------



## 2BNDisney

About car sickness - they really do not want to stop as there is a schedule but they did stop a very short time for one man. There is a bathroom onboard. And the other one who felt sick took some medicine and felt better. So you may want to take medicine before traveling and sit in the front. We did not get to do Holyrood in Edinburgh as the Royals were in town. I was kidding that the headline should have been Duchess Disses Disney. One of those things Disney just has no control over. First bad day of weather and it drizzles or had light rain all day


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

I'm really bummed. Just received a note from abd that our substitute dinner is not being held at Stirling castle, but at the signet library. This doesn't sound like an on par substitute for Edinburgh Castle. I may call tomorrow. Anyone else disappointed?


----------



## calypso726

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> I'm really bummed. Just received a note from abd that our substitute dinner is not being held at Stirling castle, but at the signet library. This doesn't sound like an on par substitute for Edinburgh Castle. I may call tomorrow. Anyone else disappointed?



We didn't get a note from them and we are on the same trip you are  If this is the case, I will be extremely disappointed. Dining in a library that was built in the 1800's simply doesn't compare to dining in a castle that has been around since the 12th century. It doesn't even come close.


----------



## tufbuf

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> I'm really bummed. Just received a note from abd that our substitute dinner is not being held at Stirling castle, but at the signet library. This doesn't sound like an on par substitute for Edinburgh Castle. I may call tomorrow. Anyone else disappointed?



That is disappointing! I sure hope they straighten it for next year. That's one of the events I look forward to.


----------



## Calfan

calypso726 said:


> We didn't get a note from them and we are on the same trip you are  If this is the case, I will be extremely disappointed. Dining in a library that was built in the 1800's simply doesn't compare to dining in a castle that has been around since the 12th century. It doesn't even come close.



I just got the same letter from ABD in today's mail, so yours will probably arrive soon. I am also disappointed. I was fine with the change to Stirling Castle but agree that the Signet Library does not sound comparable. Maybe we will be pleasantly surprised. I wonder if there is also something going on at Stirling Castle then that is conflicting us out.


----------



## Calfan

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> I'm really bummed. Just received a note from abd that our substitute dinner is not being held at Stirling castle, but at the signet library. This doesn't sound like an on par substitute for Edinburgh Castle. I may call tomorrow. Anyone else disappointed?



If you call, let us know what you find out.  If there isn't some kind of conflict at Stirling, I am curious what the explanation will be.


----------



## Calfan

The Upper Library does look like a beautiful venue. Still, not a historic castle.


----------



## Dahly

For anyone going this year, did you happen to price the pre/post night through ABD? working on my budget for next year, and wondering how much to add for that. I don't remember how far in advance I booked our pre-night when we went to Ecuador and I'm not sure if they would have that info available for 2014 Scotland yet. 



thanks!

Dahly

PS. thanks to those of you who recommended the Outlander series  - I am picking up the first two books from my library today.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

calypso726 said:


> We didn't get a note from them and we are on the same trip you are  If this is the case, I will be extremely disappointed. Dining in a library that was built in the 1800's simply doesn't compare to dining in a castle that has been around since the 12th century. It doesn't even come close.



We have two reservations and only received the note for one of them--I suspect we'll get the other today. I completely agree about the 1800s v. 12th C.  No matter how nice, it's not the same at all. 



Calfan said:


> If you call, let us know what you find out.  If there isn't some kind of conflict at Stirling, I am curious what the explanation will be.



I will. I'm curious, too.


----------



## Calfan

Dahly said:


> For anyone going this year, did you happen to price the pre/post night through ABD? working on my budget for next year, and wondering how much to add for that. I don't remember how far in advance I booked our pre-night when we went to Ecuador and I'm not sure if they would have that info available for 2014 Scotland yet.
> 
> 
> 
> thanks!
> 
> Dahly
> 
> PS. thanks to those of you who recommended the Outlander series  - I am picking up the first two books from my library today.



We were quoted $1,000 per night per room for the pre-nights at the Balmoral, and the Balmoral was not able to make a quad room available, so we would have needed 2 rooms for our pre-nights.  $2,000 per night for each pre-night being a little steep for us, we opted to spend our pre-nights at another hotel and move over to the Balmoral on the day our adventure starts.  We booked the Central Europe ABD for July 2014 and have already booked our Prague pre-nights through ABD, so you might very well be able to book your Scotland pre-nights now if you opt for the Balmoral versus a less expensive option.


----------



## Calfan

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> We have two reservations and only received the note for one of them--I suspect we'll get the other today. I completely agree about the 1800s v. 12th C.  No matter how nice, it's not the same at all.
> 
> 
> 
> I will. I'm curious, too.



We also have two reservations but received both letters yesterday.  Go figure with the U.S. mail!  

If you aren't given some reasonable explanation when you call and think it would help for others to call and complain, just let us know


----------



## sayhello

Calfan said:


> We were quoted $1,000 per night per room for the pre-nights at the Balmoral, and the Balmoral was not able to make a quad room available, so we would have needed 2 rooms for our pre-nights.  $2,000 per night for each pre-night being a little steep for us, we opted to spend our pre-nights at another hotel and move over to the Balmoral on the day our adventure starts.  We booked the Central Europe ABD for July 2014 and have already booked our Prague pre-nights through ABD, so you might very well be able to book your Scotland pre-nights now if you opt for the Balmoral versus a less expensive option.


Do you mind my asking how much ABD is asking for the Prague pre-nights?

Thanks!
Sayhello


----------



## Dahly

Calfan said:


> We were quoted $1,000 per night per room for the pre-nights at the Balmoral, and the Balmoral was not able to make a quad room available, so we would have needed 2 rooms for our pre-nights.  $2,000 per night for each pre-night being a little steep for us, we opted to spend our pre-nights at another hotel and move over to the Balmoral on the day our adventure starts.  We booked the Central Europe ABD for July 2014 and have already booked our Prague pre-nights through ABD, so you might very well be able to book your Scotland pre-nights now if you opt for the Balmoral versus a less expensive option.





Wow, I knew it would be up there, based on the regular booking info on the Balmoral website, but I wasn't expecting quite that! I guess will be using some our our Hilton or Marriott points and then making our way over to the Balmoral on ABD Day 1. 

thank you for the info! 

Dahly


----------



## Calfan

sayhello said:


> Do you mind my asking how much ABD is asking for the Prague pre-nights?
> 
> Thanks!
> Sayhello



Not at all.  $379 per room, which includes breakfast.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

I just called ABD and spoke to one of the agents. She said she is going to have a supervisor contact me. I basically said I was extremely disappointed about the change, that the library (which I've never heard of and I've been to Edinburgh 5 or 6 times), is not on par with Edinburgh Castle or Stirling Castle. She tried to say it was a last minute change, but I called her on that. The military tattoo is *not* in the category of a surprise. ABD would have known about that when they first booked Edinburgh Castle or did ANY research into it at all, and that when you travel with ABD you count on them doing their homework and making comparable alternative arrangements. The change in the itinerary for the tattoo is not in the realm of "unexpected." I also said that this was one of the advertised highlights of the trip (and indeed something different and special that a frequent traveler to Scotland like me was counting on) and that I would have chosen a different date had I known ahead of time. We'll see what the supervisor says.


----------



## Groovee

?When you are talking about the Balmoral, do you mean the hotel?  There are some beautiful hotels in Edinburgh which I would recommend over here.  I spent my wedding night in a beautiful suite in the Balmoral but it was a one off for me.  I certainly wouldn't pay $1000 a night to stay there.


----------



## Calfan

Groovee said:


> ?When you are talking about the Balmoral, do you mean the hotel?  There are some beautiful hotels in Edinburgh which I would recommend over here.  I spent my wedding night in a beautiful suite in the Balmoral but it was a one off for me.  I certainly wouldn't pay $1000 a night to stay there.



Yes, the Balmoral hotel.  Given that we would have needed two rooms 
($2,000 a night!), we decided to stay elsewhere for our pre-days and to enjoy the Balmoral when the ABD starts.


----------



## paddles

Hi - I booked a pre-night for our family....we booked our vacation as 2 doubles instead of a quad. But we're only paying $1000 total for 2 doubles (so $500/each with breakfast) at the Balmoral. 

I wonder if they ran out of the cheaper rooms when they quoted you $1000/room....that seems awfully high.

So excited - we leave for our trip in 2 weeks!!


----------



## Calfan

paddles said:


> Hi - I booked a pre-night for our family....we booked our vacation as 2 doubles instead of a quad. But we're only paying $1000 total for 2 doubles (so $500/each with breakfast) at the Balmoral.
> 
> I wonder if they ran out of the cheaper rooms when they quoted you $1000/room....that seems awfully high.
> 
> So excited - we leave for our trip in 2 weeks!!



Ok.  I went back and checked my notes, and you are right.  They were quoting me $511 per night at the Balmoral, but we would have needed 2 rooms, so that would have been $1,022 per night, and we are doing 3 nights before the ABD starts.  Not sure how I mixed that up, but we were still unwilling to pay that much per night.  We are sub $500 per night for a family room that accomodates 4 at our alternate hotel.  Apologies for the misinformation!


----------



## calypso726

Calfan said:


> I just got the same letter from ABD in today's mail, so yours will probably arrive soon. I am also disappointed. I was fine with the change to Stirling Castle but agree that the Signet Library does not sound comparable. Maybe we will be pleasantly surprised. I wonder if there is also something going on at Stirling Castle then that is conflicting us out.



Still nothing from ABD in the mail as of today.



CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> I just called ABD and spoke to one of the agents. She said she is going to have a supervisor contact me. I basically said I was extremely disappointed about the change, that the library (which I've never heard of and I've been to Edinburgh 5 or 6 times), is not on par with Edinburgh Castle or Stirling Castle. She tried to say it was a last minute change, but I called her on that. The military tattoo is *not* in the category of a surprise. ABD would have known about that when they first booked Edinburgh Castle or did ANY research into it at all, and that when you travel with ABD you count on them doing their homework and making comparable alternative arrangements. The change in the itinerary for the tattoo is not in the realm of "unexpected." I also said that this was one of the advertised highlights of the trip (and indeed something different and special that a frequent traveler to Scotland like me was counting on) and that I would have chosen a different date had I known ahead of time. We'll see what the supervisor says.



I also called today and spoke with someone. He had to call me back to verify what exactly was happening. He basically told me that it was a last minute change to which I replied the same thing you did. The Military Tattoo takes place every year in August. I also told him that a switch from a 12th century castle to a library that was just over 200 years old simply does not compare. He told me that it was decided the experience for the group would be better in the library. I disagreed and said I could find 200 year old buildings here at home so it wasn't anything to look forward to. I will be sending them an e-mail as well since I was not given the opportunity to speak to a supervisor.


----------



## Bobo912

calypso726 said:


> Still nothing from ABD in the mail as of today.
> 
> 
> 
> I also called today and spoke with someone. He had to call me back to verify what exactly was happening. He basically told me that it was a last minute change to which I replied the same thing you did. The Military Tattoo takes place every year in August. I also told him that a switch from a 12th century castle to a library that was just over 200 years old simply does not compare. He told me that it was decided the experience for the group would be better in the library. I disagreed and said I could find 200 year old buildings here at home so it wasn't anything to look forward to. I will be sending them an e-mail as well since I was not given the opportunity to speak to a supervisor.



I hope you get a response.  After the issues I had on our most recent trip, I filled out the survey and gave my number so they could contact me, sent an email to ABD guest services, and another email to the new VP.  I never got a response from anyone.  Not that they could have done anything at that point, but some acknowledgment that they hadn't provided the promised services and some assurance that they would strive to do better in the future would have been nice.


----------



## calypso726

Bobo912 said:


> I hope you get a response.  After the issues I had on our most recent trip, I filled out the survey and gave my number so they could contact me, sent an email to ABD guest services, and another email to the new VP.  I never got a response from anyone.  Not that they could have done anything at that point, but some acknowledgment that they hadn't provided the promised services and some assurance that they would strive to do better in the future would have been nice.



What happened on your trip? If you mind my asking. 

I sent an e-mail to the general "contact us" e-mail for ABD. I also messaged them on Facebook and I e-mailed the Senior Vice President of Adventures by Disney. 

Hopefully, I will get a response.


----------



## Bobo912

calypso726 said:


> What happened on your trip? If you mind my asking.
> 
> I sent an e-mail to the general "contact us" e-mail for ABD. I also messaged them on Facebook and I e-mailed the Senior Vice President of Adventures by Disney.
> 
> Hopefully, I will get a response.



It's in my Peru trip report.  A few things weren't quite up to par, but the main thing was that there was no one at the airport to pick us up when we arrived.  It was past midnight and after nearly 2 hours at the airport, and a stressful taxi ride through some scary neighborhoods, we finally reached the hotel around 2:30AM and no one at ABD even knew that the driver left us stranded at the airport.


----------



## calypso726

Bobo912 said:


> It's in my Peru trip report.  A few things weren't quite up to par, but the main thing was that there was no one at the airport to pick us up when we arrived.  It was past midnight and after nearly 2 hours at the airport, and a stressful taxi ride through some scary neighborhoods, we finally reached the hotel around 2:30AM and no one at ABD even knew that the driver left us stranded at the airport.



OMG  That would have wigged me out a bit. Wow, you would think they would at least acknowledge the "dropped ball" there and offer an apology


----------



## Calfan

calypso726 said:


> What happened on your trip? If you mind my asking.
> 
> I sent an e-mail to the general "contact us" e-mail for ABD. I also messaged them on Facebook and I e-mailed the Senior Vice President of Adventures by Disney.
> 
> Hopefully, I will get a response.



If you PM or email me the email address for the ABD SVP, I will send an email as well.


----------



## calypso726

Calfan said:


> If you PM or email me the email address for the ABD SVP, I will send an email as well.



Sent you a PM


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

calypso726 said:


> Still nothing from ABD in the mail as of today.
> 
> 
> 
> I also called today and spoke with someone. He had to call me back to verify what exactly was happening. He basically told me that it was a last minute change to which I replied the same thing you did. The Military Tattoo takes place every year in August. I also told him that a switch from a 12th century castle to a library that was just over 200 years old simply does not compare. He told me that it was decided the experience for the group would be better in the library. I disagreed and said I could find 200 year old buildings here at home so it wasn't anything to look forward to. I will be sending them an e-mail as well since I was not given the opportunity to speak to a supervisor.



So glad you called, too. The guide book supposedly has Stirling Castle as the alternative (page 15 of this thread), so this "we didn't know about it" is BS. I would be fine with Stirling, but the library isn't the same. If someone doesn't call me back by Monday I will call again. I think emails and phone calls from everyone will help. I'm not happy at all. As I said, I would have done another date if I'd known, and they had to know it was going to be an issue. I'm sure Edinburgh Castle wouldn't have booked them for those dates.


----------



## calypso726

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> So glad you called, too. The guide book supposedly has Stirling Castle as the alternative (page 15 of this thread), so this "we didn't know about it" is BS. I would be fine with Stirling, but the library isn't the same. If someone doesn't call me back by Monday I will call again. I think emails and phone calls from everyone will help. I'm not happy at all. As I said, I would have done another date if I'd known, and they had to know it was going to be an issue. I'm sure Edinburgh Castle wouldn't have booked them for those dates.



I also e-mailed the Senior VP of ABD  and part of my letter included the following:

_The guided after hours tour of Edinburgh Castle with dinner was the crowning highlight of this trip. Had I known it was going to be taken off the itinerary and replaced with something that makes no sense whatsoever in terms of "Brave" or even highlights of Scotland, I would have simply chosen another date to go. Now, it is much too late to do that.  Edinburgh Castle comes up as the #1 attraction for Scotland on Trip Advisor. The Signet Library isn't even listed as something to do. Under restaurants, the Pommery at the Signet Library is ranked at #894 out of 1370. How ABD can find this as a comparable substitution is beyond me. How ABD was unable to foresee that the #1 attraction in Scotland would not be available to the guests in August is simply unbelievable. I would like to suggest that some of that Disney magic be put to good use and PLEASE rectify this situation. I am not the only one unhappy about this change. There are several other travelers on the Disboards that share my sentiments._


----------



## sayhello

Calfan said:


> Not at all.  $379 per room, which includes breakfast.


Thanks!  That's pretty on par with a lot of the other pre-days...



CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> So glad you called, too. The guide book supposedly has Stirling Castle as the alternative (page 15 of this thread), so this "we didn't know about it" is BS. I would be fine with Stirling, but the library isn't the same. If someone doesn't call me back by Monday I will call again. I think emails and phone calls from everyone will help. I'm not happy at all. As I said, I would have done another date if I'd known, and they had to know it was going to be an issue. I'm sure Edinburgh Castle wouldn't have booked them for those dates.


I wonder if the "last minute change" was the fact that Stirling Castle fell through, not that Edinburgh Castle was not available?  I hope you guys get results!

Sayhello


----------



## tufbuf

This is what was indicated in the Scotland itinerary:


*From late July through August, the world-famous Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo takes place at Edinburgh Castle. During this time, we will host your farewell dinner reception at the historic Signet Library in Edinburgh.


----------



## Dahly

Calfan said:


> Ok.  I went back and checked my notes, and you are right.  They were quoting me $511 per night at the Balmoral, but we would have needed 2 rooms, so that would have been $1,022 per night, and we are doing 3 nights before the ABD starts.  Not sure how I mixed that up, but we were still unwilling to pay that much per night.  We are sub $500 per night for a family room that accomodates 4 at our alternate hotel.  Apologies for the misinformation!




thank-you for clarifying the rates.  now to decide if we want to spend $500 for one night or not or use hotel points we already have. 

Dahly


----------



## calypso726

tufbuf said:


> This is what was indicated in the Scotland itinerary:
> 
> 
> *From late July through August, the world-famous Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo takes place at Edinburgh Castle. During this time, we will host your farewell dinner reception at the historic Signet Library in Edinburgh.



That may be what is says now. That was not what it said when we booked the trip in May of 2012. Prior to this change it said Stirling Castle. Prior to the Stirling Castle change there was no mention of an itinerary change. Personally, I would not have booked the trip for early August if I knew Edinburgh Castle would be out. I would have either booked late July or early September and then have a post or pre stay to see the Military Tattoo.


----------



## Bobo912

calypso726 said:


> That may be what is says now. That was not what it said when we booked the trip in May of 2012. Prior to this change it said Stirling Castle. Prior to the Stirling Castle change there was no mention of an itinerary change. Personally, I would not have booked the trip for early August if I knew Edinburgh Castle would be out. I would have either booked late July or early September and then have a post or pre stay to see the Military Tattoo.



They must have updated the website recently.  The PDF version of the itinerary (the link between "View Video" and "Itinerary") still says:

_*From late July through August, the world-famous Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo takes place at Edinburgh Castle. During this time, we will
host your farewell dinner reception at Stirling Castle, just outside Edinburgh._


----------



## paddles

I agree the pre-nights are expensive at Balmoral, but the price is in-line with what it would cost to book the hotel directly.

For one night, I didn't want to bother having to change hotels (esp. when we're all jet-lagged). Otherwise, I'm all for saving some $$ when booking!


----------



## sayhello

paddles said:


> For one night, I didn't want to bother having to change hotels (esp. when we're all jet-lagged). Otherwise, I'm all for saving some $$ when booking!


That's pretty much how I feel about pre-nights.  When I had several pre-nights in London for Knights & Lights, I ended up booking a hotel myself (and got a fabulous deal!)  And for the Med cruise add-on, I was going to have to change hotels to the ship no matter where I stayed, and DCL's pre-nights were *ridiculous*!  Alaska, for one night, Athens for 2 nights, it was just easier to do it through ABD.  (And it was NOWHERE near $500 a night!)

Sayhello


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

calypso726 said:


> That may be what is says now. That was not what it said when we booked the trip in May of 2012. Prior to this change it said Stirling Castle. Prior to the Stirling Castle change there was no mention of an itinerary change. Personally, I would not have booked the trip for early August if I knew Edinburgh Castle would be out. I would have either booked late July or early September and then have a post or pre stay to see the Military Tattoo.



Ditto from me! I was going to point out about it being listed as Stirling before, too. Great note. I'll be sending one to ABD as well. 



Bobo912 said:


> They must have updated the website recently.  The PDF version of the itinerary (the link between "View Video" and "Itinerary") still says:
> 
> _*From late July through August, the world-famous Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo takes place at Edinburgh Castle. During this time, we will
> host your farewell dinner reception at Stirling Castle, just outside Edinburgh._



Thank you for the link. I knew it was also printed in the early guides some travelers received (someone had posted it on this thread)


----------



## Calfan

Bobo912 said:


> They must have updated the website recently.  The PDF version of the itinerary (the link between "View Video" and "Itinerary") still says:
> 
> _*From late July through August, the world-famous Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo takes place at Edinburgh Castle. During this time, we will
> host your farewell dinner reception at Stirling Castle, just outside Edinburgh._



They have now updated the PDF version as well to refer to the Signet Library.  Writing my email to Ken Potrock now...


----------



## calypso726

Calfan said:


> They have now updated the PDF version as well to refer to the Signet Library.  Writing my email to Ken Potrock now...



I have the other version with Stirling Castle saved on my desk top. I wish I would have thought to save the first one when we booked last year.


----------



## wld

so waited too long to get a prenight at the balmoral.  wonder if any of our scotland friends have suggestions for a don't break the bank hotels for one night.  also looking at airfare.  How far out can you pick your seats?  i am used to flying 
to florida and pick my seat before i buy!  thanks


----------



## Calfan

wld said:


> so waited too long to get a prenight at the balmoral.  wonder if any of our scotland friends have suggestions for a don't break the bank hotels for one night.  also looking at airfare.  How far out can you pick your seats?  i am used to flying
> to florida and pick my seat before i buy!  thanks



Just sent you a PM with the info for the hotel we are staying at for our pre-nights.


----------



## calypso726

wld said:


> so waited too long to get a prenight at the balmoral.  wonder if any of our scotland friends have suggestions for a don't break the bank hotels for one night.  also looking at airfare.  How far out can you pick your seats?  i am used to flying
> to florida and pick my seat before i buy!  thanks



We initially planned on arriving 2 nights before and booked a stay at Witchery by the Castle as a special treat. A few months later we decided to arrive 3 nights before and a 3rd night at WbtC was not in the budget. We used hotel points to book our arrival night at the Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa. So they extra night isn't costing money out of pocket. If you have hotel points or airline miles (you can convert them to hotel points) you would be able to do the same. When we fly home we have an overnight stay as we are arriving late. We are using a free night at the Marriott that is part of the benefits offered with their credit card. If you have a hotel branded credit card it may offer a free night each year.

With regards to flights, I guess that depends on the airline. We booked using airline miles several months ago and got our seats upon booking.


----------



## calypso726

I was just wondering what type of shoes we should be packing for this trip. Suggestions???


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

I'd recommend something like these: http://www.sierratradingpost.com/ne...&utm_campaign=PCGOOGLEP3&codes-processed=true for countryside trekking--especially on the Isles and around castles. I always wear some type of waterproof walking shoe. They come in handy in the rain as well. 

I'd add a pair of comfortable flats for night that can be dressier if need be and maybe another comfortable pair of pseudo tennis shoes (not white "trainers" as they call them over there). In other words tennis shoes that don't scream tennis shoes.  I call them "quiet" tennis shoes  Something like these: http://www.onlineshoes.com/womens-b...8?adtrack=pgr&term=Women's+Born+Ilisha&offer= or http://www.zappos.com/adidas-originals-dragon-mars-red-originals-nude-mars-red or http://www.zappos.com/saucony-originals-bullet-black-silver~2


----------



## Stitchie74

wld said:


> so waited too long to get a prenight at the balmoral.  wonder if any of our scotland friends have suggestions for a don't break the bank hotels for one night.  also looking at airfare.  How far out can you pick your seats?  i am used to flying
> to florida and pick my seat before i buy!  thanks



Can't really beat the location of Radisson Blu Edinburgh (Won't let me post a link due to being a new member)

It's slap bang in the middle of the Royal Mile.


----------



## Calfan

Stitchie74 said:


> Can't really beat the location of Radisson Blu Edinburgh (Won't let me post a link due to being a new member)
> 
> It's slap bang in the middle of the Royal Mile.



That is where we are staying!


----------



## Calfan

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> I'd recommend something like these: http://www.sierratradingpost.com/ne...&utm_campaign=PCGOOGLEP3&codes-processed=true for countryside trekking--especially on the Isles and around castles. I always wear some type of waterproof walking shoe. They come in handy in the rain as well.
> 
> I'd add a pair of comfortable flats for night that can be dressier if need be and maybe another comfortable pair of pseudo tennis shoes (not white "trainers" as they call them over there). In other words tennis shoes that don't scream tennis shoes.  I call them "quiet" tennis shoes  Something like these: http://www.onlineshoes.com/womens-b...8?adtrack=pgr&term=Women's+Born+Ilisha&offer= or http://www.zappos.com/adidas-originals-dragon-mars-red-originals-nude-mars-red or http://www.zappos.com/saucony-originals-bullet-black-silver~2



You KNOW how easy it is to twist my arm into shopping   I just bought the New Balance waterproof mid-hikers because I was struggling with whether to bring rain boots in addition to my walking shoes.  Now maybe I will just bring these.  I also ordered the Adidas trainers so I don't commit a faux pas with my white workout "trainers".  The Bjorn ones were out in my size, but I might get those if they come in soon enough.


----------



## sayhello

Calfan said:


> You KNOW how easy it is to twist my arm into shopping   I just bought the New Balance waterproof mid-hikers because I was struggling with whether to bring rain boots in addition to my walking shoes.  Now maybe I will just bring these.  I also ordered the Adidas trainers so I don't commit a faux pas with my white workout "trainers".  The Bjorn ones were out in my size, but I might get those if they come in soon enough.


You know, I've worn my white tennis shoes all over Europe, and I've seen tons of Europeans wearing them, too.  I've never felt out of place wearing them, and they are super comfortable.  Besides, you'll be walking behind an Adventure Guide holding a wooden paddle that says "Adventures by Disney", so blending in won't really be an option anyways.  

Sayhello


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

Calfan said:


> You KNOW how easy it is to twist my arm into shopping   I just bought the New Balance waterproof mid-hikers because I was struggling with whether to bring rain boots in addition to my walking shoes.  Now maybe I will just bring these.  I also ordered the Adidas trainers so I don't commit a faux pas with my white workout "trainers".  The Bjorn ones were out in my size, but I might get those if they come in soon enough.



LOL! I basically live in my NB hikers over there. I wouldn't bother with rain boots but that's me. The friend I travel with usually wears her Hunters, but I like breathability


----------



## SingingMom

Calfan said:


> You KNOW how easy it is to twist my arm into shopping   I just bought the New Balance waterproof mid-hikers because I was struggling with whether to bring rain boots in addition to my walking shoes.  Now maybe I will just bring these.  I also ordered the Adidas trainers so I don't commit a faux pas with my white workout "trainers".  The Bjorn ones were out in my size, but I might get those if they come in soon enough.



"Faux pas with my white workout trainers..."   

Really?  Do they really care what shoes/clothes we wear ;-)  ?  I didn't notice anything like that in London & Paris last year. Hope Germany doesn't mind my sundresses! LOLOLOL  ;-).

"SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards


----------



## Calfan

For those on the Aug. 4 trip, I called ABD today because I needed to provide updated passport info for our kids.  (We bit the bullet and got new passorts for them even though I still think we would have been fine with their old passports that would have expired in Dec. of this year -- I decided it would be supremely stupid (not to mention so disappointing) to get turned away from the airport over the 6-month rule.)  Anyway, I also asked about the private tour of Edinburgh Castle to make sure that is still a go with our trip.  The rep confirmed that is the case.  It is only the farewell dinner that is being moved to the Signet Library.  I expressed my disappointment with that venue and was told that ABD is aware of the sentiment.  She also told me that Stirling Castle is not available on our date and maybe one of the other 2013 dates.  I will be curious to see if any of us gets a response to our emails, etc.  I do feel a bit better that we are still getting our private tour of Edinburgh Castle.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

Calfan said:


> I will be curious to see if any of us gets a response to our emails, etc.  I do feel a bit better that we are still getting our private tour of Edinburgh Castle.



They are definitely getting the emails. I sent my letter this morning and they accidentally cc'd me on the forward to the ABD group with something along the lines of "Here's another one." I'm sure the woman who sent it is mortified. But at least we know the letters are being read


----------



## 2BNDisney

What a fantastic tour I thought that was!!  Though I am worn out as I just got back and need some Zzzzz's.   But I will throw in a couple of other things.  It only rained on us once during that time, but we did take a hike in that slight rain.  Someone was wearing tennis shoes and they got soaked.  I had my waterproof mid-ankle boots on and never felt it.  There are quite a few times when you are hiking through grass so I would not wear white on those days, especially if expecting rain. And you never know when the rain could pop up.   And it is so strange there as it gets dark about 10:30 pm and light again around 4:30 am. 
As far as hotels, I had a discount rate at the Apex Waterloo which is extremely close to the Balmoral so I just walked my one piece of luggage over there on check-in day.  And it was much cheaper.  I also saw a Travelodge near the Apex.  I took the bus in to the hotel from the airport rather than taxi, and I believe it was only 3.50 pounds.  They have a place to store luggage on the bus and if you are not carrying a lot, I found this rather convenient and less costly than a cab (of course if you are staying at the Balmoral or coming in the day of the tour, Disney handles all this transportation for you).  The bus driver was very helpful, and I got off at the last stop (Waverly Station).  I would say the walk to the hotel was 5-10 minutes.   Plus it was not raining.


----------



## sayhello

2BNDisney said:


> What a fantastic tour I thought that was!!  Though I am worn out as I just got back and need some Zzzzz's.   But I will throw in a couple of other things.  It only rained on us once during that time, but we did take a hike in that slight rain.  Someone was wearing tennis shoes and they got soaked.  I had my waterproof mid-ankle boots on and never felt it.  There are quite a few times when you are hiking through grass so I would not wear white on those days, especially if expecting rain. And you never know when the rain could pop up.   And it is so strange there as it gets dark about 10:30 pm and light again around 4:30 am.
> As far as hotels, I had a discount rate at the Apex Waterloo which is extremely close to the Balmoral so I just walked my one piece of luggage over there on check-in day.  And it was much cheaper.  I also saw a Travelodge near the Apex.  I took the bus in to the hotel from the airport rather than taxi, and I believe it was only 3.50 pounds.  They have a place to store luggage on the bus and if you are not carrying a lot, I found this rather convenient and less costly than a cab (of course if you are staying at the Balmoral or coming in the day of the tour, Disney handles all this transportation for you).  The bus driver was very helpful, and I got off at the last stop (Waverly Station).  I would say the walk to the hotel was 5-10 minutes.   Plus it was not raining.


Welcome back, Blake!  Thanks for the note, and looking forward to seeing your fabulous photos!

Sayhello


----------



## calypso726

I did receive a very nice e-mail in response to my e-mail and am expecting a follow up phone call this afternoon. It was nice to see that the letter was very thoughtful and considerate and not some canned response. I did get confirmation that we will still be getting the private tour if Edinburgh castle.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

2BNDisney said:


> What a fantastic tour I thought that was!



So great to hear! I can't wait to get all the details. Catch up on the z's fast and report back, LOL.



calypso726 said:


> I did receive a very nice e-mail in response to my e-mail and am expecting a follow up phone call this afternoon. It was nice to see that the letter was very thoughtful and considerate and not some canned response. I did get confirmation that we will still be getting the private tour if Edinburgh castle.



That's good. I'll be interested to hear what they had to say. Hard to believe this wasn't a case of hide the ball though. They had to know when they set the tour up that some of the dates were going to be affected by the Tattoo. We should have been made aware at the outset to choose our dates accordingly.


----------



## calypso726

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> That's good. I'll be interested to hear what they had to say. Hard to believe this wasn't a case of hide the ball though. They had to know when they set the tour up that some of the dates were going to be affected by the Tattoo. We should have been made aware at the outset to choose our dates accordingly.



I did receive a call from Bruce at ABD and we discussed the itinerary change. I asked for permission to share his e-mail with the DISboards and he said I could. We had a very pleasant conversation and it was quite apparent he truly cares that each guest has an amazing experience and wanted to address all concerns. He plans to call/write each person who expressed disappointment over the change. Per our phone conversation, he did say that an * was indicated for a few dates that coincided with the Military Tattoo with a change to Stirling Castle for the farewell dinner. It was realized recently though, that Stirling Castle would not be a good choice logistically for a farewell dinner on day 8. We leave Inverness early that day and spend a good amount of time on coach to get to Glamis Castle and then back to Edinburgh. By the time we arrive at The Balmoral, we'd be looking at another hour and a half each way to go have dinner at Stirling Castle. Below is Bruce's e-mail.

*Dear Terrie,

Greetings from sunny Burbank, California! My name is Bruce and I'm the Regional Manager for Adventures by Disney's trips in Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. One of my other claims to fame is that since ABD's inception in 2005 I've had the privilege to be the trip developer for many of our trips worldwide, including Scotland. Scotland is near and dear to my heart , as I had spent time visiting the sights in Edinburgh and the fabled Highlands with my family when I was a teenager (I have Scottish heritage through my father's mother, the Drummonds of Perthshire!). A number of years later as a young man I had quite an adventure riding my bicycle around the country for several weeks. That trip happened to coincide with Heather Season. You might've heard this but there's no more stunningly beautiful place on the planet than Scotland on a sunny day with the landscape carpeted from one horizon to the other in blooming purple heather. That's when I truly became captivated by all things Scottish, it's history, people and culture as well as the unforgettable landscapes. 

And that's why it was all the more exciting for me in early 2012 when I and a few others on the ABD team became engaged in the development of our new trip in Scotland. That process was initiated when we caught wind that Pixar's Brave was nearing completion and would have it's theatrical release in late June, 2012. We had one of those "Wow" moments  a Pixar film themed around the life of a young woman in ancient Scotland. How cool was that? And how amazing would it be to build a trip around that concept? Well, one of the many thrills for me in bringing our trip to life was flying up to Emeryville in the Bay Area, to Pixar's headquarters, and interviewing the amazing Mark Andrews, Brave's director with his room-busting outsize personality, to get his take on all the best places to visit in Scotland, and how we could build an itinerary that would fulfill the dual goals of assuring our guests would see the classic sights of Scotland and deliver a magical experience that connected our trip in significant ways to the stories, images, fun and drama of Brave. Oh  we also had to deliver ABD's fabled quality of experience from start to finish, that was critical too. Never before in ABD'S history did we have an opportunity to design an itinerary around the story lines in a movie, in fact a movie which in itself was a work of true creative genius. So this was one very fun, challenging and extraordinary experience for us. And such will it be for the fortunate guests who join us for the adventure.

In any event, because of my involvement with our Scotland trip, and also because of my role as Regional Manager, your email was forwarded to me, and, well, I will confess, it broke my heart a little bit. Mostly because I understood how upset you were, and that I was the reason behind that (I'll explain why in a minute), but also because the essential feeling expressed was one of complete disappointment with ABD, rather than expressing, well, maybe intrigue or curiosity over the choice of venue we had made for our farewell banquet. Obviously, your heartfelt concerns have grabbed my attention, and I am absolutely committed to addressing them as best as I can. 

Probably the most important thing I need to mention - and this is the reason why I'm the one responsible for your being upset  is  that I wrote the letter you recently received that discussed the change of venue for the farewell event. I clearly see now  in reaction to your concerns, and the same concerns now coming to us from other guests as well  that the letter wasn't clear or specific on the vital question as to why we abandoned Stirling Castle  the original venue we had selected to replace Edinburgh Castle during the period of the Tattoo  and why we would instead be featuring a "library" in Edinburgh. Which  fair enough  at first glance doesn't sound like the least bit of an even swap. So that lack of clarity, that lack of my telling a complete and compelling story, was decidedly a critical "miss" on my part. I apologize for that. 

With that said, I want to reassure you that our commitment to our guests' experiences on our adventures is without question a world class commitment. It's one that I believe we deliver almost without fail in destinations across the globe. First of all, we are part of the Walt Disney Company, with its brand promise of heritage, traditions, safety, fun, family values and Magical Moments. At ABD we have an inherent commitment to delivering on everything TWDC stands for, and we are very clear what that is. But even beyond that, we are Adventures by Disney, which has since our very beginning, when we only operated two trips, in Hawaii and Wyoming, garnered the highest accolades from our tens of thousands of guests, many of whom have enjoyed a host of other Disney experiences against which they compare our "product" - and consistently find us to be the Best, and their Favorite Disney experience of all. I trust you will believe me when I say that ABD's unwavering goal is to always exceed our guests already high expectations. This is not an idle boast, it's not an easy plateau to reach, and I'm not saying we do this 100% without fail, but I will say we are pretty doggone good at it. 

All of which is to say that we would not ever consciously take away something wonderful  for example, a gala dinner in a real castle in Scotland - and offer a pathetic substitute that is woefully inadequate compared to the original promise of an extraordinary experience. This commitment to "always exceeding our guests expectations" also applies to the case of the Military Tattoo, the Castles and the Signet Library. 

I would be delighted to have an opportunity to discuss all this with you further if you would care to do so. I would love to share the story behind our choice of the Signet, and describe for you why the Signet is in fact a wonderful, an amazing, a perfectly suitable choice for our farewell banquet. Let me put it this way: there are "libraries" and then there is  The Signet Library. This is without question a Disney-suitable, ABD-sanctioned, first class venue, and one that's fully worthy of the promise of ABD's Scotland trip in all regards. 

Please let me know a good time to reach you.

Thanks Terrie, and I'm looking forward to discussing ABD's Scotland: a Brave Adventure with you!

PS  Before we chat, please imagine having dinner in this rather exclusive, magical setting. There is somebody quite famous who had a posh luncheon there with 80 or so of her closest friends and family not so long agao. Her name is Elizabeth II, Queen of England. She hosts this luncheon in the Signet Library every year, as she spends the first two weeks of June in Edinburgh every season - staying at her home there, Holyroodhouse Palace, which we will be taking you to see along with other sights in Edinburgh. Among many other interesting things, we'll be sharing the engaging story of the Order of the Thistle, and what that means for Scottish history, and for the noble and royal families of Scotland. And the role played in this by the Signet Library as the venue for the Royal Gathering of the Order of the Thistle. We (ABD) have engaged the same chef and catering service for our event. I assure you this is quite exclusive and, well  maybe even on a par with dining in a castle (our dining venue in Edinburgh Castle, while sumptuous, is not nearly so posh as this, although it is, admittedly, in a castle). *






*And here is Elizabeth, all Pomp & Circumstance, exiting the Signet Library on her way into St. Giles Cathedral (13th century Gothic masterpiece, which stands next to the Signet Library, which is connected to Scotland's original Parliament building, so it's all terribly dripping with Scottish history in the most prime spot on Edinburgh's fabled Royal Mile to attend a ceremony commemorating the ancient Order of the Thistle, in the company of her husband Prince Phillip, her grandson Prince William and sister Princess Anne. You too will be walking in this very spot. I love the plumed hats! And note the astroturf style Red Carpet, well done!
*









*A final observation: we will be taking you to see Edinburgh Castle on a privately guided tour, in the afternoon of Day 2 of the ABD trip, following our activity at Dovecot Studios. 

Cheers, -Bruce*


----------



## calypso726

2BNDisney said:


> What a fantastic tour I thought that was!!  Though I am worn out as I just got back and need some Zzzzz's.   But I will throw in a couple of other things.  It only rained on us once during that time, but we did take a hike in that slight rain.  Someone was wearing tennis shoes and they got soaked.  I had my waterproof mid-ankle boots on and never felt it.  There are quite a few times when you are hiking through grass so I would not wear white on those days, especially if expecting rain. And you never know when the rain could pop up.   And it is so strange there as it gets dark about 10:30 pm and light again around 4:30 am.
> As far as hotels, I had a discount rate at the Apex Waterloo which is extremely close to the Balmoral so I just walked my one piece of luggage over there on check-in day.  And it was much cheaper.  I also saw a Travelodge near the Apex.  I took the bus in to the hotel from the airport rather than taxi, and I believe it was only 3.50 pounds.  They have a place to store luggage on the bus and if you are not carrying a lot, I found this rather convenient and less costly than a cab (of course if you are staying at the Balmoral or coming in the day of the tour, Disney handles all this transportation for you).  The bus driver was very helpful, and I got off at the last stop (Waverly Station).  I would say the walk to the hotel was 5-10 minutes.   Plus it was not raining.



So glad you are back! I can't wait to hear all about it. I know that there is supposed to be a surprise on the final night and that the surprise is still on the itinerary, even for those of us that have the itinerary change. I for one, do NOT want to know what that surprise is  I love surprises so please, please, please keep it a secret, at least from me. My inner child thanks you  

I did buy some waterproof shoes as CaliforniaGirl suggested. I'm glad to see they will definitely be coming in handy so thanks to you both for the feedback!


----------



## Calfan

calypso726 said:


> I did receive a call from Bruce at ABD and we discussed the itinerary change. I asked for permission to share his e-mail with the DISboards and he said I could. We had a very pleasant conversation and it was quite apparent he truly cares that each guest has an amazing experience and wanted to address all concerns. He plans to call/write each person who expressed disappointment over the change. Per our phone conversation, he did say that an * was indicated for a few dates that coincided with the Military Tattoo with a change to Stirling Castle for the farewell dinner. It was realized recently though, that Stirling Castle would not be a good choice logistically for a farewell dinner on day 8. We leave Inverness early that day and spend a good amount of time on coach to get to Glamis Castle and then back to Edinburgh. By the time we arrive at The Balmoral, we'd be looking at another hour and a half each way to go have dinner at Stirling Castle. Below is Bruce's e-mail.
> 
> *Dear Terrie,
> 
> Greetings from sunny Burbank, California! My name is Bruce and I'm the Regional Manager for Adventures by Disney's trips in Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. One of my other claims to fame is that since ABD's inception in 2005 I've had the privilege to be the trip developer for many of our trips worldwide, including Scotland. Scotland is near and dear to my heart , as I had spent time visiting the sights in Edinburgh and the fabled Highlands with my family when I was a teenager (I have Scottish heritage through my father's mother, the Drummonds of Perthshire!). A number of years later as a young man I had quite an adventure riding my bicycle around the country for several weeks. That trip happened to coincide with Heather Season. You might've heard this but there's no more stunningly beautiful place on the planet than Scotland on a sunny day with the landscape carpeted from one horizon to the other in blooming purple heather. That's when I truly became captivated by all things Scottish, it's history, people and culture as well as the unforgettable landscapes.
> 
> And that's why it was all the more exciting for me in early 2012 when I and a few others on the ABD team became engaged in the development of our new trip in Scotland. That process was initiated when we caught wind that Pixar's Brave was nearing completion and would have it's theatrical release in late June, 2012. We had one of those "Wow" moments  a Pixar film themed around the life of a young woman in ancient Scotland. How cool was that? And how amazing would it be to build a trip around that concept? Well, one of the many thrills for me in bringing our trip to life was flying up to Emeryville in the Bay Area, to Pixar's headquarters, and interviewing the amazing Mark Andrews, Brave's director with his room-busting outsize personality, to get his take on all the best places to visit in Scotland, and how we could build an itinerary that would fulfill the dual goals of assuring our guests would see the classic sights of Scotland and deliver a magical experience that connected our trip in significant ways to the stories, images, fun and drama of Brave. Oh  we also had to deliver ABD's fabled quality of experience from start to finish, that was critical too. Never before in ABD'S history did we have an opportunity to design an itinerary around the story lines in a movie, in fact a movie which in itself was a work of true creative genius. So this was one very fun, challenging and extraordinary experience for us. And such will it be for the fortunate guests who join us for the adventure.
> 
> In any event, because of my involvement with our Scotland trip, and also because of my role as Regional Manager, your email was forwarded to me, and, well, I will confess, it broke my heart a little bit. Mostly because I understood how upset you were, and that I was the reason behind that (I'll explain why in a minute), but also because the essential feeling expressed was one of complete disappointment with ABD, rather than expressing, well, maybe intrigue or curiosity over the choice of venue we had made for our farewell banquet. Obviously, your heartfelt concerns have grabbed my attention, and I am absolutely committed to addressing them as best as I can.
> 
> Probably the most important thing I need to mention - and this is the reason why I'm the one responsible for your being upset  is  that I wrote the letter you recently received that discussed the change of venue for the farewell event. I clearly see now  in reaction to your concerns, and the same concerns now coming to us from other guests as well  that the letter wasn't clear or specific on the vital question as to why we abandoned Stirling Castle  the original venue we had selected to replace Edinburgh Castle during the period of the Tattoo  and why we would instead be featuring a "library" in Edinburgh. Which  fair enough  at first glance doesn't sound like the least bit of an even swap. So that lack of clarity, that lack of my telling a complete and compelling story, was decidedly a critical "miss" on my part. I apologize for that.
> 
> With that said, I want to reassure you that our commitment to our guests' experiences on our adventures is without question a world class commitment. It's one that I believe we deliver almost without fail in destinations across the globe. First of all, we are part of the Walt Disney Company, with its brand promise of heritage, traditions, safety, fun, family values and Magical Moments. At ABD we have an inherent commitment to delivering on everything TWDC stands for, and we are very clear what that is. But even beyond that, we are Adventures by Disney, which has since our very beginning, when we only operated two trips, in Hawaii and Wyoming, garnered the highest accolades from our tens of thousands of guests, many of whom have enjoyed a host of other Disney experiences against which they compare our "product" - and consistently find us to be the Best, and their Favorite Disney experience of all. I trust you will believe me when I say that ABD's unwavering goal is to always exceed our guests already high expectations. This is not an idle boast, it's not an easy plateau to reach, and I'm not saying we do this 100% without fail, but I will say we are pretty doggone good at it.
> 
> All of which is to say that we would not ever consciously take away something wonderful  for example, a gala dinner in a real castle in Scotland - and offer a pathetic substitute that is woefully inadequate compared to the original promise of an extraordinary experience. This commitment to "always exceeding our guests expectations" also applies to the case of the Military Tattoo, the Castles and the Signet Library.
> 
> I would be delighted to have an opportunity to discuss all this with you further if you would care to do so. I would love to share the story behind our choice of the Signet, and describe for you why the Signet is in fact a wonderful, an amazing, a perfectly suitable choice for our farewell banquet. Let me put it this way: there are "libraries" and then there is  The Signet Library. This is without question a Disney-suitable, ABD-sanctioned, first class venue, and one that's fully worthy of the promise of ABD's Scotland trip in all regards.
> 
> Please let me know a good time to reach you.
> 
> Thanks Terrie, and I'm looking forward to discussing ABD's Scotland: a Brave Adventure with you!
> 
> PS  Before we chat, please imagine having dinner in this rather exclusive, magical setting. There is somebody quite famous who had a posh luncheon there with 80 or so of her closest friends and family not so long agao. Her name is Elizabeth II, Queen of England. She hosts this luncheon in the Signet Library every year, as she spends the first two weeks of June in Edinburgh every season - staying at her home there, Holyroodhouse Palace, which we will be taking you to see along with other sights in Edinburgh. Among many other interesting things, we'll be sharing the engaging story of the Order of the Thistle, and what that means for Scottish history, and for the noble and royal families of Scotland. And the role played in this by the Signet Library as the venue for the Royal Gathering of the Order of the Thistle. We (ABD) have engaged the same chef and catering service for our event. I assure you this is quite exclusive and, well  maybe even on a par with dining in a castle (our dining venue in Edinburgh Castle, while sumptuous, is not nearly so posh as this, although it is, admittedly, in a castle). *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *And here is Elizabeth, all Pomp & Circumstance, exiting the Signet Library on her way into St. Giles Cathedral (13th century Gothic masterpiece, which stands next to the Signet Library, which is connected to Scotland's original Parliament building, so it's all terribly dripping with Scottish history in the most prime spot on Edinburgh's fabled Royal Mile to attend a ceremony commemorating the ancient Order of the Thistle, in the company of her husband Prince Phillip, her grandson Prince William and sister Princess Anne. You too will be walking in this very spot. I love the plumed hats! And note the astroturf style Red Carpet, well done!
> *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *A final observation: we will be taking you to see Edinburgh Castle on a privately guided tour, in the afternoon of Day 2 of the ABD trip, following our activity at Dovecot Studios.
> 
> Cheers, -Bruce*



I, for one, am very impressed with Bruce's email:  both the thoughtfulness and his clear passion for ABD and the traveler experience.


----------



## TexasMousEars

calypso726 said:


> Sure! Why not  Without the travel hacking blogs and forums we would have never had enough miles either. But, then again that was part of the strategic plan to get DH to agree to this trip when we hadn't budgeted for it. We'll probably be in "steerage" for our flight to the DCL Alaska cruise in 2014.



I'm relatively new to the DisBoards and just stumbled across the email thread.  Would it be possible for you to send me those websites / links as well?  We are planning on doing the DCL Westbound Transatlantic cruise next September and since it is a one way airfare, miles seems to be the only way to get there without it costing a TON.

Thanks very much!  Cristi


----------



## calypso726

Calfan said:


> I, for one, am very impressed with Bruce's email:  both the thoughtfulness and his clear passion for ABD and the traveler experience.



I was too! He was no less passionate or concerned over the phone. He really felt bad about not making it clear in the letter we all received, that the private tour of Edinburgh Castle would still take place and the back whole story of why The Signet Library was chosen over Stirling Castle. I was upset over the thought of not having the Edinburgh Castle tour on the itinerary. However, the Stirling Castle replacement I found acceptable. By the time I heard about the change to the Signet Library I was beyond upset and simply fuming. My initial letter to ABD was not what one would label as "polite concern"  His courteous and eloquent response toned me down a few notches right off the bat  Once we spoke and he explained everything I was perfectly ok. I thanked him very much for the time he took to write such a nice e-mail and follow up with a phone call. To me, that goes a long way. 



TexasMousEars said:


> I'm relatively new to the DisBoards and just stumbled across the email thread.  Would it be possible for you to send me those websites / links as well?  We are planning on doing the DCL Westbound Transatlantic cruise next September and since it is a one way airfare, miles seems to be the only way to get there without it costing a TON.
> 
> Thanks very much!  Cristi



PM sent to you!


----------



## Bobo912

Calfan said:


> I, for one, am very impressed with Bruce's email:  both the thoughtfulness and his clear passion for ABD and the traveler experience.



I'm very impressed too.  But I must be chopped liver, because I can't get a response from ABD unless I write to compliment them on something.  I've taken 4 ABDs and have the 5th booked and I am totally ignored.  Makes me sorry that I booked the 2014 trip.  It will probably be my last.


----------



## calypso726

Bobo912 said:


> I'm very impressed too.  But I must be chopped liver, because I can't get a response from ABD unless I write to compliment them on something.  I've taken 4 ABDs and have the 5th booked and I am totally ignored.  Makes me sorry that I booked the 2014 trip.  It will probably be my last.



Sorry to hear that  To be fair, I know I am not the only one who expressed disappointment. They have received calls and e-mails from others about the same issue so that may be a factor. I initially called and spoke with someone who did not really address the issue other than to confirm there was a change and did not really seem to care much about my concerns. When I asked if I could be referred to someone else to express my concerns I was told that they would pass on the message. Naturally, I found that unacceptable and sent out an e-mail to ABD, messaged their FB page and then e-mailed the Senior VP. Regardless, I agree that someone at ABD should have responded to you at least in the name of courtesy.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

I just received pretty much the exact same reply, which isn't quite as personalized when copied in full, LOL. I am going to take him up on his offer to talk to him though. He doesn't address why we weren't made aware of it from the outset, nor does the explanation for the choice of the library address my fundamental complaint that they are not on par experiences. As lovely as a building as it might be, Signet is *not* a castle. I for one would much rather have a quick stop at the hotel and go to Stirling rather than a few hours at the hotel to go to Signet. I'm also confused because I thought some of the affected dates were doing Stirling.


----------



## calypso726

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> I just received pretty much the exact same reply, which isn't quite as personalized when copied in full, LOL. I am going to take him up on his offer to talk to him though. He doesn't address why we weren't made aware of it from the outset, nor does the explanation for the choice of the library address my fundamental complaint that they are not on par experiences. As lovely as a building as it might be, Signet is *not* a castle. I for one would much rather have a quick stop at the hotel and go to Stirling rather than a few hours at the hotel to go to Signet. I'm also confused because I thought some of the affected dates were doing Stirling.



Please let us know what he says. He told me that the * was there or supposed to be there from the outset with the Stirling Castle swap for Edinburgh Castle for certain dates in late July and most of August. I told him I never saw the * for Stirling until well after we had booked and we booked the first week it was announced. 

With regards to the Stirling swap and subsequent Signet Library swap: The Scotland Brave Adventure trip was put together based on the movie which was new for the ABD team and also with much less time than they normally take to put together a new adventure. The Pixar Brave team was consulted for their feedback as they had already been to Scotland in order to scout out scenes for the movie. In addition to consulting the Pixar team for the itinerary ABD also consulted with the Historic Scotland agency. They were the ones who suggested Stirling Castle as an alternative to Edinburgh Castle during the Military Tattoo dates. Once ABD realized that Stirling Castle would incur much more driving logistically and possibly make tour guests not too happy with all time spent in a coach they went back to the Historic Scotland agency for advice. It was the Historic Scotland Agency that suggested The Signet Library as beautiful venue that is of historical and cultural significance.

Personally, I am in agreement with you. I don't mind an extra 3 or so hours in a coach to have dinner in a castle given the choice. Maybe you can ask Bruce if we are allowed to have a vote.  Between my family, your family and Calfan's family that is 10 of us voting for Stirling Castle


----------



## Bonnie151

I'm going to stick my nose in and say that you guys could also suggest one of the private castles as an alternative to the Signet Library. Dundas Castle, for example, is just along the road in South Queensferry and is lovely: http://www.dundascastle.co.uk/  There are a number of privately owned castles close to Edinburgh that hire out for private events. They aren't as grand as Edinburgh or Stirling, but if it's a castle that you're after rather than a library (however distinguished), there are other options. I know it's too late for this year, but maybe they'd look into it for next summer.


----------



## sayhello

Bobo912 said:


> I'm very impressed too.  But I must be chopped liver, because I can't get a response from ABD unless I write to compliment them on something.  I've taken 4 ABDs and have the 5th booked and I am totally ignored.  Makes me sorry that I booked the 2014 trip.  It will probably be my last.


This makes me tremendously sad.  Who did you send your letters to?

Sayhello


----------



## Bobo912

sayhello said:


> This makes me tremendously sad.  Who did you send your letters to?
> 
> Sayhello



A couple just through Contact Us and one to the Senior VP.  Latest was with regards to the photo CD and the possibility of getting access to all of the missing photos, since there were so many activities and even complete days where there were none on the CD.  Maybe they can't do it, but they could at least reply and say so.  Honestly, I thought I would get a call back just from my survey responses.  I'm okay going to Europe with ABD (at least one more time), but I wouldn't take another trip to a less developed country with ABD again.  They left me in a situation where I feared for my life and the life of my child and apparently they think that's okay.


----------



## DisFan10

Bobo912 said:


> I'm very impressed too.  But I must be chopped liver, because I can't get a response from ABD unless I write to compliment them on something.  I've taken 4 ABDs and have the 5th booked and I am totally ignored.  Makes me sorry that I booked the 2014 trip.  It will probably be my last.



I feel your pain, Bobo.  It's a love-hate relationship for us.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

calypso726 said:


> Please let us know what he says. He told me that the * was there or supposed to be there from the outset with the Stirling Castle swap for Edinburgh Castle for certain dates in late July and most of August. I told him I never saw the * for Stirling until well after we had booked and we booked the first week it was announced.
> 
> With regards to the Stirling swap and subsequent Signet Library swap: The Scotland Brave Adventure trip was put together based on the movie which was new for the ABD team and also with much less time than they normally take to put together a new adventure. The Pixar Brave team was consulted for their feedback as they had already been to Scotland in order to scout out scenes for the movie. In addition to consulting the Pixar team for the itinerary ABD also consulted with the Historic Scotland agency. They were the ones who suggested Stirling Castle as an alternative to Edinburgh Castle during the Military Tattoo dates. Once ABD realized that Stirling Castle would incur much more driving logistically and possibly make tour guests not too happy with all time spent in a coach they went back to the Historic Scotland agency for advice. It was the Historic Scotland Agency that suggested The Signet Library as beautiful venue that is of historical and cultural significance.
> 
> Personally, I am in agreement with you. I don't mind an extra 3 or so hours in a coach to have dinner in a castle given the choice. Maybe you can ask Bruce if we are allowed to have a vote.  Between my family, your family and Calfan's family that is 10 of us voting for Stirling Castle



I will definitely keep you guys posted, and thanks for the extra info. I will bring up the vote, LOL--it's actually more than 10, my sister is brining two of her kids so that makes 13 



Bonnie151 said:


> I'm going to stick my nose in and say that you guys could also suggest one of the private castles as an alternative to the Signet Library. Dundas Castle, for example, is just along the road in South Queensferry and is lovely: http://www.dundascastle.co.uk/  There are a number of privately owned castles close to Edinburgh that hire out for private events. They aren't as grand as Edinburgh or Stirling, but if it's a castle that you're after rather than a library (however distinguished), there are other options. I know it's too late for this year, but maybe they'd look into it for next summer.



Stick away, LOL! Yes, exactly. There are so many other interesting places they might have chosen. I will definitely mention it. Thank you!



sayhello said:


> This makes me tremendously sad.



Me, too. That is not good--especially when you are paying such a premium for service.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

There really is no comparison: http://www.stirlingcastle.gov.uk/palace-dinner.pdf


----------



## SingingMom

Bobo912 said:


> A couple just through Contact Us and one to the Senior VP.  Latest was with regards to the photo CD and the possibility of getting access to all of the missing photos, since there were so many activities and even complete days where there were none on the CD.  Maybe they can't do it, but they could at least reply and say so.  Honestly, I thought I would get a call back just from my survey responses.  I'm okay going to Europe with ABD (at least one more time), but I wouldn't take another trip to a less developed country with ABD again.  They left me in a situation where I feared for my life and the life of my child and apparently they think that's okay.



I think it is unacceptable that a mother and child were left stranded at the airport in Peru and there wasn't a personal apology made to you when you returned home. It is so unlike what we expect from ABD. I feel terrible about your experience. 

"SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards


----------



## calypso726

Bonnie151 said:


> I'm going to stick my nose in and say that you guys could also suggest one of the private castles as an alternative to the Signet Library. Dundas Castle, for example, is just along the road in South Queensferry and is lovely: http://www.dundascastle.co.uk/  There are a number of privately owned castles close to Edinburgh that hire out for private events. They aren't as grand as Edinburgh or Stirling, but if it's a castle that you're after rather than a library (however distinguished), there are other options. I know it's too late for this year, but maybe they'd look into it for next summer.



Great suggestion! I wouldn't mind that at all. It is a lovely castle!!!! Personally, I have a lot of faith in the power of "Disney magic" *when* Disney decides to try and make something happen. If they are willing, I am sure a castle somewhere could be found even at this date.



Bobo912 said:


> A couple just through Contact Us and one to the Senior VP.  Latest was with regards to the photo CD and the possibility of getting access to all of the missing photos, since there were so many activities and even complete days where there were none on the CD.  Maybe they can't do it, but they could at least reply and say so.  Honestly, I thought I would get a call back just from my survey responses.  I'm okay going to Europe with ABD (at least one more time), but I wouldn't take another trip to a less developed country with ABD again.  They left me in a situation where I feared for my life and the life of my child and apparently they think that's okay.



I am stunned that would they even allowed something like that to happen. To not apologize for it though and make personal contact is simply inexcusable. 



CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> I will definitely keep you guys posted, and thanks for the extra info. I will bring up the vote, LOL--it's actually more than 10, my sister is brining two of her kids so that makes 13



Oh 13! Even better! You are welcome and I do hope you are able to convince them that we should get a vote 



CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> There really is no comparison: http://www.stirlingcastle.gov.uk/palace-dinner.pdf



Oh, that is SO much better than a librabry! I don't care how far it is!



SingingMom said:


> I think it is unacceptable that a mother and child were left stranded at the airport in Peru and there wasn't a personal apology made to you when you returned home. It is so unlike what we expect from ABD. I feel terrible about your experience.



I totally agree!


----------



## Bobo912

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> There really is no comparison: http://www.stirlingcastle.gov.uk/palace-dinner.pdf



That looks fantastic.  Did ABD give you any indication of whether you would have similar entertainment in the new venue?  I had to look up what samphire is, but what the heck does "tea, coffee and tablet" mean?


----------



## calypso726

Bobo912 said:


> That looks fantastic.  Did ABD give you any indication of whether you would have similar entertainment in the new venue?  I had to look up what samphire is, but what the heck does "tea, coffee and tablet" mean?



He did not mention that to me when we spoke so I don't know. 

I was wondering the same thing! On our Military Tattoo package is states that we will have _Drinks and canapé reception in the courtyard of the Queen Anne room Three course set dinner with wine followed by coffee and tablet_ I have no idea what a "tablet" means  To me, a tablet is something used to write on or something like an iPad  Since neither of those are edible I've been calling it "coffee and surprise."


----------



## Bobo912

calypso726 said:


> He did not mention that to me when we spoke so I don't know.
> 
> I was wondering the same thing! On our Military Tattoo package is states that we will have _Drinks and canapé reception in the courtyard of the Queen Anne room Three course set dinner with wine followed by coffee and tablet_ I have no idea what a "tablet" means  To me, a tablet is something used to write on or something like an iPad  Since neither of those are edible I've been calling it "coffee and surprise."



Google never fails me.  I searched for "tea, coffee, and table" and after sifting through some images of people drinking coffee while using an iPad I came across a photo of something that looks like peanut butter fudge and this description:

_Tablet is very, very sweet and you can only eat a wee bit at a time. It comes in a variety of flavours, but the most common is vanilla. It is loaded with calories, but still worth a wee taste! You can usually buy this at local shops and it'll probably be sold at any Highland Games you might attend._


----------



## calypso726

Bobo912 said:


> Google never fails me.  I searched for "tea, coffee, and table" and after sifting through some images of people drinking coffee while using an iPad I came across a photo of something that looks like peanut butter fudge and this description:
> 
> _Tablet is very, very sweet and you can only eat a wee bit at a time. It comes in a variety of flavours, but the most common is vanilla. It is loaded with calories, but still worth a wee taste! You can usually buy this at local shops and it'll probably be sold at any Highland Games you might attend._



Normally, I consider Google as a BFF for the unknown! However, since I'm an adventurous eater, I wasn't really bothered by not knowing what it was. I'm willing to try Haggis and I know what THAT is  Thanks for sharing, it sounds tasty!


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

Just wanted to give you guys an update on the itinerary change saga. I had a chance to speak with Bruce yesterday from ABD--*really* nice guy BTW--and he gave me a little more insight into how the recent change from Stirling to the library had come about (pretty much what Calypso had reported back). The bottom line is that with the long day and the extra driving time to Stirling (that ABD hadn't fully appreciated until recently), he felt that a dinner at Stirling would make an already long day too long. Although some of us wouldn't mind, he had to make the decision with all travelers in mind. In other words, we don't get to vote, LOL. I appreciated that although he was adamant that the library was wonderful and a gorgeous venue in its own right, he didn't try to debate the fact that it's "the same" as the castles. The focus really was more on the fact that the drive to Stirling made it impractical. I disagreed and told him I would make sure to report back at the end of the trip and let him know whether I changed my mind. I'm always happy to offer my opinion  

Bottom line: the decision has been made for now and until the library trips later this summer return with feedback, it's not going to change. Am I happy about it? No--I really wanted the after hours castle dining experience. But I definitely feel better after talking to him and learning the reasons for the decision. The conversation did much to alleviate the other concern I had about the timing of the change as well. The decision to move away from Stirling was recently made, and it doesn't feel like they were consciously trying to hide the ball. I still wish I'd been better informed of the tattoo/Edinburgh Castle issue at the onset, but I guess that's one of the risks with signing up on the first day for a new itinerary. 

BTW, they do read these boards so are voices are definitely being heard.


----------



## 2BNDisney

Not sure about which place is better for dinner for you all on the last night, but I can chime in and say there is quite a bit of time on the bus for your last full day.  If I remember correctly, it was around 3 hours to first stop and then after we finished with the last stop, it was about an hour and a half back to Edinburgh. I am thinking we ended up back in Edinburgh around 4:30 - 5 pm and we left for dinner around 6:15 for a quick visit to the castle before dinner.  I think we were all ready to get back to Edinburgh as I wanted to finish up some last minute souvenir shopping. 
Hope wherever you all end up that you have a great time


----------



## 2BNDisney

calypso726 said:


> He did not mention that to me when we spoke so I don't know.
> 
> I was wondering the same thing! On our Military Tattoo package is states that we will have _Drinks and canapé reception in the courtyard of the Queen Anne room Three course set dinner with wine followed by coffee and tablet_ I have no idea what a "tablet" means  To me, a tablet is something used to write on or something like an iPad  Since neither of those are edible I've been calling it "coffee and surprise."



Yes, I did a tour with Hairy Coo before the Disney tour and we stopped in a town called Aberfoyle.  There was a tablet shop and I stopped in and asked - it is a fudge that is a little more firm than I am used to.  It was good and sweet though.  And yes, there will be opportunities along the way to try blood pudding (I think that was at the Balmoral breakfast) and haggis (Inverness hotel dinner).  Let me say blood pudding was NOT my favorite - lol


----------



## paddles

I need to get my act together - we leave for Scotland this Fri afternoon for the tour that starts next Sunday!

It gives us only 1 day to get over jet-lag, but my kids did great last year when we went to Paris and then onto the ABD Bella Italia trip.  My husband asked me not to plan anything for the first day we're in Edinburgh so we could gauge how we feel and just walk around.  I'd really like to do a ghost tour or a small tour of Mary King's Close, and just enjoy the city a bit.

I've been so busy at work, I just haven't had time to put more time for planning or packing....so that's my goal this weekend!!

We're all excited and soooo ready for vacation!!


----------



## Groovee

paddles said:


> I need to get my act together - we leave for Scotland this Fri afternoon for the tour that starts next Sunday!
> 
> It gives us only 1 day to get over jet-lag, but my kids did great last year when we went to Paris and then onto the ABD Bella Italia trip.  My husband asked me not to plan anything for the first day we're in Edinburgh so we could gauge how we feel and just walk around.  I'd really like to do a ghost tour or a small tour of Mary King's Close, and just enjoy the city a bit.
> 
> I've been so busy at work, I just haven't had time to put more time for planning or packing....so that's my goal this weekend!!
> 
> We're all excited and soooo ready for vacation!!



Enjoy, we leave Edinburgh on Friday to fly to Orlando. The weather has been warm but the rain has started. The Edinburgh schools finish on Friday so Saturday may be busy in town.


----------



## calypso726

2BNDisney said:


> Yes, I did a tour with Hairy Coo before the Disney tour and we stopped in a town called Aberfoyle.  There was a tablet shop and I stopped in and asked - it is a fudge that is a little more firm than I am used to.  It was good and sweet though.  And yes, there will be opportunities along the way to try blood pudding (I think that was at the Balmoral breakfast) and haggis (Inverness hotel dinner).  Let me say blood pudding was NOT my favorite - lol



How was the Hairy Coo??? We are booked for it as well. I was looking forward to trying haggis and blood pudding. I'm glad to know that they will be available during the meals on our tour so I will try out other things during our "on your own" time.



paddles said:


> I need to get my act together - we leave for Scotland this Fri afternoon for the tour that starts next Sunday!
> 
> It gives us only 1 day to get over jet-lag, but my kids did great last year when we went to Paris and then onto the ABD Bella Italia trip.  My husband asked me not to plan anything for the first day we're in Edinburgh so we could gauge how we feel and just walk around.  I'd really like to do a ghost tour or a small tour of Mary King's Close, and just enjoy the city a bit.
> 
> I've been so busy at work, I just haven't had time to put more time for planning or packing....so that's my goal this weekend!!
> 
> We're all excited and soooo ready for vacation!!



We did did not plan anything for our pre-trip arrival day either and will play things by ear depending on how we feel. Hopefully we will not be too jet lagged to walk around and explore. Have fun on the trip! 



Groovee said:


> Enjoy, we leave Edinburgh on Friday to fly to Orlando. The weather has been warm but the rain has started. The Edinburgh schools finish on Friday so Saturday may be busy in town.



Safe travels and have fun!!!!


----------



## 2BNDisney

calypso726 said:


> How was the Hairy Coo??? We are booked for it as well. I was looking forward to trying haggis and blood pudding. I'm glad to know that they will be available during the meals on our tour so I will try out other things during our "on your own" time.



I really liked the Hairy Coo tour and had a great sunny day for it.  I knew I had wanted to go to the Wallace Monument and was glad I went.  A bit of a hike up to it - you can go inside if you want but none of our group did.  I believe the bus was full and it is one of the shorter buses.  The seats are a bit cramped/tight on the bus, and I would say that was the only part that could have been better.  Got to see the Forth Bridge and again, I enjoyed the little town we stopped in for lunch.  Also stopped at two lochs (lakes), got to stop and photograph Stirling castle, stopped at Doune Castle (again, you can pay extra and go in though no one in our group did) ..... and then there was a stop to see the Hairy Coo.  Even got to feed one.  The guide Nic was great and was both informative and entertaining.  I personally was glad I went as it was nice to go someplace that the Disney tour was not going, and Scotland has such beautiful country.

Back in Edinburgh I did the Mary Close tour and enjoyed that also.  Incredible how people lived back then.  Also found after talking to at least 4 locals that many of the souvenir shops up and down the Royal Mile are not owned by Scots.... apparently only a very very few are.  Two of the ones I went in that supposedly were owned by locals were Luckenbooth and Neanie Scott.  I remember Neanie was in the Canongate section of the Royal Mile.  In that section (or maybe down the hill a bit) there was a nice tea room and also a shop that sold shortbread and all sorts of Scottish desserts, foods etc.  I found most of the shops there do NOT stay open late in the evening like the US.  

I know there were 4 different guides when we were in Scotland as Disney had two different tours running with one group a few days ahead of us.  Not sure if anyone will have the same as I, but if you have Zoe and Steve, you are in good hands.  Two excellent guides that took great care of us. 

As far as the hotels, the one in Portree seemed to be everyone's personal favorite.  The hotel was very quaint, had an excellent view and the staff was very friendly.  And whenever you get to a new town, the guides will hand you out restaurant suggestions in the town for the dinner on your own night.


----------



## paddles

The Hairy Coo tour looks amazing...but they won't let kids under 12 on  

Do you have any other recos for a day tour that hits sites that Disney doesn't in Edinburgh?


----------



## 2BNDisney

paddles said:


> The Hairy Coo tour looks amazing...but they won't let kids under 12 on
> 
> Do you have any other recos for a day tour that hits sites that Disney doesn't in Edinburgh?



I saw an office on the Royal Mile for Haggis Adventures and believe I saw a tour van called Rabbie's but I know nothing about them.  And there are always the double decker buses that drive around town though I did not do those. If you come in early or interested for later, I would highly suggest stopping by the Tourist Information office.  If you head out the Balmoral Hotel front doors, go left down that sidewalk and it will be just down the street on the left down some stairs (not the escalator stairs but the stairs just past that)


----------



## Calfan

paddles said:


> The Hairy Coo tour looks amazing...but they won't let kids under 12 on
> 
> Do you have any other recos for a day tour that hits sites that Disney doesn't in Edinburgh?



We also have the issue of the kids under age 12, so we opted for a Rabbie's tour to St. Andrews.  I believe it hits some of the highlights outside Edinburgh on the way, but it isn't focused on Edinburgh.  Rabbie's has a website you can look at to see their other tour options.  They get pretty good reviews on TripAdvisor.


----------



## paddles

thanks - I'll check out these tour groups.

does anyone know what time the ABD reception dinner starts the first night?


----------



## jjharts

So we made it back from our British Isle adventure.  The bags are unpacked, the laundry  is done, and I am recovering from a nasty cough!!  We had a great time, both on the abd Scotland tour and touring Ireland on our own.  It was a lot to pack in to a little bit of time but so well worth it!!  The scenery was spectacular and the people very friendly.   

Also, haggis is tasty and every breakfast should come with mushrooms and grilled tomatoes!!


----------



## sayhello

jjharts said:


> So we made it back from our British Isle adventure.  The bags are unpacked, the laundry  is done, and I am recovering from a nasty cough!!  We had a great time, both on the abd Scotland tour and touring Ireland on our own.  It was a lot to pack in to a little bit of time but so well worth it!!  The scenery was spectacular and the people very friendly.
> 
> Also, haggis is tasty and every breakfast should come with mushrooms and grilled tomatoes!!


Welcome back!!!!  Are you going to post a more detailed report??? 

Sayhello


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

sayhello said:


> Welcome back!!!!  Are you going to post a more detailed report???
> 
> Sayhello



Ditto from me! I would love to hear more. Did it meet expectations? How was the weather? Hotels? Food? What was your favorite part of the trip (least favorite?)? I'm scrounging for any scraps


----------



## 2BNDisney

paddles said:


> thanks - I'll check out these tour groups.
> 
> does anyone know what time the ABD reception dinner starts the first night?


 I remember we met on the LAST night AT 6:15.  I "think" the FIRST night was round about the same time.  It is in the hotel so you don't have to leave to go anywhere else.  It is in your own private little area and not in the restaurant which was nice.  And I won't reveal anything as that is when the surprises start.


----------



## 2BNDisney

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Ditto from me! I would love to hear more. Did it meet expectations? How was the weather? Hotels? Food? What was your favorite part of the trip (least favorite?)? I'm scrounging for any scraps



I know my favorite was on Day 6 when we flew over to the Isle of Lewis - just an isolated area without the tourist crowds and it was a really beautiful day, especially at the Callanish Standing Stones (a couple even got engaged here).  I wonder if the weather had not been as good if it would still have been my favorite.  My favorite castle was on Day 8 at Dunnottar Castle (one of the castles they drew their inspiration from for Brave).  Just wish we had been able to stay a little longer there.   Also had a blast with archery that day and would love to do that again.  I believe it only rained for 1 1/2 days and one of those days (day 3) we were on the bus for quite a bit of it.  Day 4 was the most rain (nothing too hard) and that was the day we did the hiking in the morning before lunch.  But I wish each of you as rain-free a trip as possible.  And the fellow guests like jjharts family who I got to sit near made the trip all the better along with the 2 super guides.  I thought it was funny that when we all boarded the bus on day 3, that was pretty much where everyone stayed for the rest of the trip on the bus whenever we went anywhere.


----------



## Bobo912

2BNDisney said:


> I know my favorite was on Day 6 when we flew over to the Isle of Lewis - just an isolated area without the tourist crowds and it was a really beautiful day, especially at the Callanish Standing Stones (a couple even got engaged here).  I wonder if the weather had not been as good if it would still have been my favorite.  My favorite castle was on Day 8 at Dunnottar Castle (one of the castles they drew their inspiration from for Brave).  Just wish we had been able to stay a little longer there.   Also had a blast with archery that day and would love to do that again.  I believe it only rained for 1 1/2 days and one of those days (day 3) we were on the bus for quite a bit of it.  Day 4 was the most rain (nothing too hard) and that was the day we did the hiking in the morning before lunch.  But I wish each of you as rain-free a trip as possible.  And the fellow guests like jjharts family who I got to sit near made the trip all the better along with the 2 super guides.  I thought it was funny that when we all boarded the bus on day 3, that was pretty much where everyone stayed for the rest of the trip on the bus whenever we went anywhere.



It's funny you say that about the bus.  On our recent trip, we sat in the second row the first couple of days and on the third day I told DS to move back a little and let somebody else sit in those seats, where they would get a chance to talk with the guides who sit in the front most of the time.  We were one of the first families on the bus, but nobody sat in the second row seats that we had left for them.  Those seats remained empty for the entire ride.  I guess everyone had already settled in their chosen seats.  We probably upset somebody by sitting in their seats.    Next day I just let DS sit in the front again.


----------



## sayhello

Bobo912 said:


> It's funny you say that about the bus.  On our recent trip, we sat in the second row the first couple of days and on the third day I told DS to move back a little and let somebody else sit in those seats, where they would get a chance to talk with the guides who sit in the front most of the time.  We were one of the first families on the bus, but nobody sat in the second row seats that we had left for them.  Those seats remained empty for the entire ride.  I guess everyone had already settled in their chosen seats.  We probably upset somebody by sitting in their seats.    Next day I just let DS sit in the front again.


It is funny how people just settle into places and stay there.  I tried sitting farther back this time than I normally do, but I really needed to move up when we hit the twisty-turny roads.  And just sort of ended up staying there.  

Sayhello


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

2BNDisney said:


> I know my favorite was on Day 6 when we flew over to the Isle of Lewis - just an isolated area without the tourist crowds and it was a really beautiful day, especially at the Callanish Standing Stones (a couple even got engaged here).  I wonder if the weather had not been as good if it would still have been my favorite.  My favorite castle was on Day 8 at Dunnottar Castle (one of the castles they drew their inspiration from for Brave).  Just wish we had been able to stay a little longer there.   Also had a blast with archery that day and would love to do that again.  I believe it only rained for 1 1/2 days and one of those days (day 3) we were on the bus for quite a bit of it.  Day 4 was the most rain (nothing too hard) and that was the day we did the hiking in the morning before lunch.  But I wish each of you as rain-free a trip as possible.  And the fellow guests like jjharts family who I got to sit near made the trip all the better along with the 2 super guides.  I thought it was funny that when we all boarded the bus on day 3, that was pretty much where everyone stayed for the rest of the trip on the bus whenever we went anywhere.



Thank you so much for the comments, I'm eating it up! Lewis and Dunnottar are both great--I've been to both, but I'm looking forward to showing the family. I, too, am crossing my fingers on the weather  It's such a crapshoot!


----------



## calypso726

2BNDisney said:


> I really liked the Hairy Coo tour and had a great sunny day for it.  I knew I had wanted to go to the Wallace Monument and was glad I went.  A bit of a hike up to it - you can go inside if you want but none of our group did.  I believe the bus was full and it is one of the shorter buses.  The seats are a bit cramped/tight on the bus, and I would say that was the only part that could have been better.  Got to see the Forth Bridge and again, I enjoyed the little town we stopped in for lunch.  Also stopped at two lochs (lakes), got to stop and photograph Stirling castle, stopped at Doune Castle (again, you can pay extra and go in though no one in our group did) ..... and then there was a stop to see the Hairy Coo.  Even got to feed one.  The guide Nic was great and was both informative and entertaining.  I personally was glad I went as it was nice to go someplace that the Disney tour was not going, and Scotland has such beautiful country.
> 
> Back in Edinburgh I did the Mary Close tour and enjoyed that also.  Incredible how people lived back then.  Also found after talking to at least 4 locals that many of the souvenir shops up and down the Royal Mile are not owned by Scots.... apparently only a very very few are.  Two of the ones I went in that supposedly were owned by locals were Luckenbooth and Neanie Scott.  I remember Neanie was in the Canongate section of the Royal Mile.  In that section (or maybe down the hill a bit) there was a nice tea room and also a shop that sold shortbread and all sorts of Scottish desserts, foods etc.  I found most of the shops there do NOT stay open late in the evening like the US.
> 
> I know there were 4 different guides when we were in Scotland as Disney had two different tours running with one group a few days ahead of us.  Not sure if anyone will have the same as I, but if you have Zoe and Steve, you are in good hands.  Two excellent guides that took great care of us. Tell them Blake said hello
> 
> As far as the hotels, the one in Portree seemed to be everyone's personal favorite.  The hotel was very quaint, had an excellent view and the staff was very friendly.  And whenever you get to a new town, the guides will hand you out restaurant suggestions in the town for the dinner on your own night.





2BNDisney said:


> I know my favorite was on Day 6 when we flew over to the Isle of Lewis - just an isolated area without the tourist crowds and it was a really beautiful day, especially at the Callanish Standing Stones (a couple even got engaged here).  I wonder if the weather had not been as good if it would still have been my favorite.  My favorite castle was on Day 8 at Dunnottar Castle (one of the castles they drew their inspiration from for Brave).  Just wish we had been able to stay a little longer there.   Also had a blast with archery that day and would love to do that again.  I believe it only rained for 1 1/2 days and one of those days (day 3) we were on the bus for quite a bit of it.  Day 4 was the most rain (nothing too hard) and that was the day we did the hiking in the morning before lunch.  But I wish each of you as rain-free a trip as possible.  And the fellow guests like jjharts family who I got to sit near made the trip all the better along with the 2 super guides.  I thought it was funny that when we all boarded the bus on day 3, that was pretty much where everyone stayed for the rest of the trip on the bus whenever we went anywhere.



Thank you Blake for all the feedback! We are also booked for the Real Mary King's Close tour. Wow, I am surprised to learn that most of the souvenir shops along the Royal Mile are not owned by locals. I will be sure to jot down the names of the ones you gave for a visit!  We are SO looking forward to this!


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## jjharts

sayhello said:


> Welcome back!!!!  Are you going to post a more detailed report???
> 
> Sayhello



I will try to piece a quick report together this weekend


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## jjharts

2BNDisney said:


> I know my favorite was on Day 6 when we flew over to the Isle of Lewis - just an isolated area without the tourist crowds and it was a really beautiful day, especially at the Callanish Standing Stones (a couple even got engaged here).  I wonder if the weather had not been as good if it would still have been my favorite.  My favorite castle was on Day 8 at Dunnottar Castle (one of the castles they drew their inspiration from for Brave).  Just wish we had been able to stay a little longer there.   Also had a blast with archery that day and would love to do that again.  I believe it only rained for 1 1/2 days and one of those days (day 3) we were on the bus for quite a bit of it.  Day 4 was the most rain (nothing too hard) and that was the day we did the hiking in the morning before lunch.  But I wish each of you as rain-free a trip as possible.  And the fellow guests like jjharts family who I got to sit near made the trip all the better along with the 2 super guides.  I thought it was funny that when we all boarded the bus on day 3, that was pretty much where everyone stayed for the rest of the trip on the bus whenever we went anywhere.




It was both an honor and pleasure getting to know you and sharing the back half of the bus with you   I hope you take up archery as a hobby, you are a natural!! We were lucky enough to have a private session at Adare Manor when we went to Ireland and even got to shoot at moving targets (they used a skeet type launch with foam discs - hard to hit but lots of fun).
I liked Dunnottar too and wish we would have had more time to explore.  The Isle of Lewis was definitely a highlight!!


----------



## calypso726

jjharts said:


> I will try to piece a quick report together this weekend



Looking forward to your trip report!

Does anyone know if we should tip our guides in USD or in GBP? Thanks!!!


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## 2BNDisney

calypso726 said:


> Looking forward to your trip report!
> 
> Does anyone know if we should tip our guides in USD or in GBP? Thanks!!!



I did not ask the guides which they prefer, but the handbook they send says the guides will accept local currency and US dollars.  It suggests currency equal to $54-$81 USD per guide, per guest for the trip.  So a family of four would be $216-$324 USD per guide.  Or $432-$648 USD for two guides for a family of four.  This will be in the handbook you receive.


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## lkkinghorn

2BNDisney said:


> Tip - when leaving Edinburgh on day 3, the left side of the bus seems to have the better view. It is a fairly long day of riding but there are 3 stops. We had plenty of seats and I went back and forth. We had two people get car sick so if you do, bring some medicine and take beforehand. A light rain moved in today so weather not as good as in days past.



Thank you for the tips. We are at the luxurious Balmoral hotel this morning eating breakfast before our day 3 bus ride.  We all took our Dramamine.  The pool last night was a relaxing way to end our day.  My 12 year old liked learning how to weave and make her own bobbin wrapped with colorful threads. 
Our flight arrived on June 29.  We attended the spectacular jousting match in linlithgow our first day. , Springfield, Linlithgow EH49 7LR It is a fun event for the under 10 year old set.  We stayed at the reasonably priced Grosvenor Hilton by the Haymarket Train Station the first two nights.  the hotel is perfectly clean and comfortable and conveniently located near the train.  We had two rooms across from each other in the apartments across the street from the main building.  after four nights, I am still recovering from the flight and time change and am looking forward to napping on the bus.


----------



## calypso726

For those who have already gone on the trip or are currently there: 

Do each of the hotels have the following in the rooms we will be staying in?

1. A coffee maker
2. Hairdryer 
3. Toiletries (shampoo/conditioner)

Is WIFI access included at each of the accommodations or is there a separate fee?

Thanks!!!!


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## edinburghlass

Bobo912 said:


> That looks fantastic.  Did ABD give you any indication of whether you would have similar entertainment in the new venue?  I had to look up what samphire is, but what the heck does "tea, coffee and tablet" mean?



Tablet is basically pure sugar on a plate  recipe here..

http://www.rampantscotland.com/recipes/blrecipe_tablet.htm

or a microwave method

http://www.scotlands-enchanting-kingdom.com/microwave-tablet.html

Instead of pouring into a baking try I usually pour into individual paper cake cases.  Also look out for Edinburgh Rock, you'll find it in all the tourist shops and despite being called rock its actually quite crumbly.  I took some with me to Disney in May for the CM's at the Rose and Crown, Epcot.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edinburgh_rock

Ashamed to say I still haven't seen Brave although I just bought the DVD and look forward to watching it this weekend.  I did enjoy meeting Merida on this trip at MK, she was lovely.


----------



## Groovee

Tablet is like a fudge but not as chewy and tends to melt in the mouth.  I love it but am useless at making it.  My local Garden Centre sells it for £1.20($1.80) a piece so I buy that instead!  Definitely worth a try but if you do not have a sweet tooth, you may find it too sweet.


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## 2BNDisney

calypso726 said:


> For those who have already gone on the trip or are currently there:
> 
> Do each of the hotels have the following in the rooms we will be staying in?
> 
> 1. A coffee maker
> 2. Hairdryer
> 3. Toiletries (shampoo/conditioner)
> 
> Is WIFI access included at each of the accommodations or is there a separate fee?
> 
> Thanks!!!!



I don't drink coffee so can't say I really remember much about this one - sorry.  But I do remember there being one at the Isle of Skye hotel as I also noticed a pack of hot chocolate was out.
There were toiletries and hairdryers in all.   I found the hairdryers did not put out much air so if anyone has a full head of hair, they may want to consider purchasing one over there, or just spend more time than normal drying. 
As far as WiFi, you could purchase at the Balmoral or go to this little room beside the front desk and use THEIR computer (there were 2) for free with a code they would give you.  Isle of Skye was free WiFi throughout.  Inverness had free WiFi with your own device if you went across the drive to their lobby (you actually stay in the newer annex), but I found this incredibly slow and hard to often get connected.  I can't remember if you could pay here for in room service but I would assume you could.


----------



## Miss SD

2BNDisney said:


> I don't drink coffee so can't say I really remember much about this one - sorry.  But I do remember there being one at the Isle of Skye hotel as I also noticed a pack of hot chocolate was out.
> There were toiletries and hairdryers in all.   I found the hairdryers did not put out much air so if anyone has a full head of hair, they may want to consider purchasing one over there, or just spend more time than normal drying.
> As far as WiFi, you could purchase at the Balmoral or go to this little room beside the front desk and use THEIR computer (there were 2) for free with a code they would give you.  Isle of Skye was free WiFi throughout.  Inverness had free WiFi with your own device if you went across the drive to their lobby (you actually stay in the newer annex), but I found this incredibly slow and hard to often get connected.  I can't remember if you could pay here for in room service but I would assume you could.



We're in Inverness now and, yes, you can pay for wifi. I think DH said it was 2.5 pounds for an hour.


----------



## lkkinghorn

calypso726 said:


> Hi!  Welcome to the Disboards. This is our first ABD too. We don't leave until August so please feel free to share your trip with those of us still waiting to go report when you get back


 

We are staying a few extra days to see friends in Glasgow and drive up the coast to St. Andrews.  We plan on stopping along the way at Stirling Castle.  Our ABD leaders, Claudia and Hanneka lead the almost 40 of us through Scotland with style and grace.   It was packed with sites and activities.  We loved horseback riding, eating, the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, Castles, archery, weaving, painting, baking and hiking in the highlands.  Almost half of our trip members won it which seemed unusual. We had three people with disabilities that seemed to manage okay.  It is an active trip.   We loved it!


----------



## Calfan

lkkinghorn said:


> We are staying a few extra days to see friends in Glasgow and drive up the coast to St. Andrews.  We plan on stopping along the way at Stirling Castle.  Our ABD leaders, Claudia and Hanneka lead the almost 40 of us through Scotland with style and grace.   It was packed with sites and activities.  We loved horseback riding, eating, the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, Castles, archery, weaving, painting, baking and hiking in the highlands.  Almost half of our trip members won it which seemed unusual. We had three people with disabilities that seemed to manage okay.  It is an active trip.   We loved it!



So glad to hear the positive feedback!  I am so excited for this trip.  We leave for Edinburgh in a little over 3 weeks.


----------



## calypso726

lkkinghorn said:


> We are staying a few extra days to see friends in Glasgow and drive up the coast to St. Andrews.  We plan on stopping along the way at Stirling Castle.  Our ABD leaders, Claudia and Hanneka lead the almost 40 of us through Scotland with style and grace.   It was packed with sites and activities.  We loved horseback riding, eating, the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, Castles, archery, weaving, painting, baking and hiking in the highlands.  Almost half of our trip members won it which seemed unusual. We had three people with disabilities that seemed to manage okay.  It is an active trip.   We loved it!



Sounds like a fabulous time! Can't wait to go!!! I entered several sweepstakes to win this trip but was not one of the lucky ones that did.


----------



## calypso726

2BNDisney said:


> I don't drink coffee so can't say I really remember much about this one - sorry.  But I do remember there being one at the Isle of Skye hotel as I also noticed a pack of hot chocolate was out.
> There were toiletries and hairdryers in all.   I found the hairdryers did not put out much air so if anyone has a full head of hair, they may want to consider purchasing one over there, or just spend more time than normal drying.
> As far as WiFi, you could purchase at the Balmoral or go to this little room beside the front desk and use THEIR computer (there were 2) for free with a code they would give you.  Isle of Skye was free WiFi throughout.  Inverness had free WiFi with your own device if you went across the drive to their lobby (you actually stay in the newer annex), but I found this incredibly slow and hard to often get connected.  I can't remember if you could pay here for in room service but I would assume you could.





Miss SD said:


> We're in Inverness now and, yes, you can pay for wifi. I think DH said it was 2.5 pounds for an hour.



Thank you for the feedback 2BNDisney and Miss SD!


----------



## EpcotKilterFan

lkkinghorn said:


> We are staying a few extra days to see friends in Glasgow and drive up the coast to St. Andrews.  We plan on stopping along the way at Stirling Castle.  Our ABD leaders, Claudia and Hanneka lead the almost 40 of us through Scotland with style and grace.   It was packed with sites and activities.  We loved horseback riding, eating, the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, Castles, archery, weaving, painting, baking and hiking in the highlands.  Almost half of our trip members won it which seemed unusual. We had three people with disabilities that seemed to manage okay.  It is an active trip.   We loved it!



Thank you for posting this.  I am considering this trip, but my mom would not be able to do some of the hiking/biking activities.  She does not want to hold anyone back and would hate to have any attention made because of it.  Glad to see you posted that people with disabilities seemed to manage.

Glad to hear you had a wonderful time!

Debbie


----------



## Calfan

calypso726 said:


> Sounds like a fabulous time! Can't wait to go!!! I entered several sweepstakes to win this trip but was not one of the lucky ones that did.



So did I, with no luck. So we are doing it the old fashioned way -- by paying for it


----------



## dizneekrazee

calypso726 said:


> Sounds like a fabulous time! Can't wait to go!!! I entered several sweepstakes to win this trip but was not one of the lucky ones that did.



May I ask what sort of sweepstakes?


----------



## calypso726

dizneekrazee said:


> May I ask what sort of sweepstakes?



There was one that was hosted directly by the Disney company. Then there was another hosted by one of the Scotland tourism info sites, Visit Scotland I think.  Kohls hosted one too. The grand prize was an ABD Scotland trip including air travel.


----------



## Miss SD

Just returned home from the June 30 tour. We (DH, DD14 and I) thought the scenery was spectacular! Scotland is a beautiful country! 

Overall, our trip was good. We think ABD is working out the kinks in what is a pretty extensive tour of the country. Our travels included the capital city and the far-off Isle of Lewis, so we covered a lot of ground. Our guides did their best, I think, but they seemed distracted at times. 

I have a few observations about our tour. I don't know if my opinions will apply to all scheduled tours. Just wanted to get this information out there since I haven't found much specific tour-related details on the boards.

First, this definitely is a "Brave" adventure. If you're looking for a historical tour of Scotland, this isn't it. (As someone else pointed out during the trip, this is the "Brave" adventure, not the "Braveheart" tour.) 

Next, as some of you already found out, your schedule in Edinburgh is determined by what or who is in town. We weren't able to go to Holyroodhouse because the Queen was in town. My family was disappointed, but, hey, it's her house, right? We were taken to St. Giles' Cathedral instead. The church is beautiful and full of history. Our local guide gave us a brief tour of the Thistle Chapel, and we were on our own for the rest of our visit there. We received a free guide book, which was a wonderful souvenir. 

Speaking of itinerary changes, this tour had several of them. I assume most were done for convenience or to save time. To be honest, though, I didn't realize most of the changes had been made until after the fact.

For instance, if we wanted to see everything at Edinburgh Castle, we had to go on our own. The guides told us on the first day that the last day of the tour included a visit only to the Scottish Crown Jewels, which are housed at the castle. We were lucky that we arrived a few hours before our welcome dinner so we could see the rest of the castle. 

The Adventure Handbook we received from ABD before our trip said the Junior Adventurer dinner (at Portree on Skye) was going to include "mini-highland" games with events such as Wellie Boot Toss and Ring Toss. DD said that no such games were held. (She didn't mention this until we were in London on the way home.)

We didn't stroll on the Staffin Beach on Skye as was promised, and we didn't "line up for some Ceilidh dancing" (thank God). We did, however, see a group of cute and talented girls perform! 

Other changes to the schedule, which were not mentioned or explained by the guides, included a switch of restaurants from Callanish Standing Stones Cafe to the Digby Chick restaurant in Stornoway, and an indoor restaurant meal at Glamis Castle instead of a picnic lunch.  I didn't realize revisions had been made because I didn't refer to the handbook those days.

I did read the handbook the day our group went to Rothiemurchus Estate. I wanted to find out what alternate activity was offered for those who didn't want to bike or go horseback riding (I don't bike), and read that we could expect to "join a guide for a casual hike on the gentle forest trails."  Unfortunately, a group of 10 or so of us were left behind, sitting on the grass as the guides took off with bikers/horse riders, making no mention of a guided hike. Another adventurer tracked down an Adventure Guide to ask if there was anything else we could do in the meantime. We were then given maps and shown where to go on our own. (Most of the 10 eventually ended up taking a tour of the grounds by Range Rover, which they enjoyed.)

The inconsistencies didn't ruin our trip, but I think those on future adventures should know that the schedule is fluid, and you may not be told in advance that it is changing. 

So I don't come across as too whiny, I should add that the Farewell Dinner was awesome! Being the only people in the castle was unbelievable, especially since we were fighting the crowds there a week before!

Despite the schedule changes, the tour showed us a lot of Scotland in eight days. We regret not scheduling an extra day in Edinburgh. It's a beautiful city with a fascinating history!


----------



## sayhello

Thanks for the report, MissSD.  Sorry your trip was such a mixed bag, but it sounds like you had a good time overall!

Sayhello


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## tufbuf

Hopefully they iron it all out by next year. Sounds like a lot of kinks in the itinerary.


----------



## Miss SD

sayhello said:


> Thanks for the report, MissSD.  Sorry your trip was such a mixed bag, but it sounds like you had a good time overall!
> 
> Sayhello



We did have fun. I think we were spoiled by our Germany trip. Granted, that itinerary has been around for years so our tour ran like clockwork. Could be first-year jitters or maybe they should change the handbooks to reflect what will really happen.


----------



## paddles

Hi All!  We were also on the June 30th trip with MissSD, and I would say our feedback is very similar.

Scotland is a beautiful country, and the people are incredibly friendly!! The itinerary is really great and you get to see a lot of Scotland.

Some thoughts/tips for the trip:

- This tour is very light on history...and at times, I think the guides missed really good opportunities to include some commentary on areas we were visiting or places we passed along on our bus rides. I highly encourage you to spend at least 1-2 extra days in Edinburgh to really get more history & see the sites. The tour is focused on 'Brave', so key sites like Stirling Castle and Wallace monument are skipped. We hired a private driver/car for one day, and I'm so glad we did!  That said, I really wish we had had one additional day in Edinburgh because it really is an amazing city.

- it would have been great to have one Scottish guide. On all other tours, there's typically one American and one local country ABD guide. I think it would have added to the authenticity of the experience and afford the ability to ask questions/get additional insights into the country.  Not sure why ABD didn't do this for Scotland....  

- At Rothiemurchus estate, I encourage you to skip either the biking or horseback riding to participate in the jeep tour (that's alternative to those activities).  We skipped the biking and really enjoyed the jeep tour with a local guide who took us to a deer farm and showed us around the beautiful estate.

- pack lots of layers.  We had some nice days in Inverness, but Skye and Isle of Lewis were pretty cold (at least to us Texans....)

- only other thing to comment is that over 60% of our group were contest winners and that sort of changed the dynamic/personality of the tour (especially when there were a few folks who didn't look very excited to be there....).  I hope Disney doesn't do that again - they should stagger the winners on different tours.

Overall, it was a great trip and i'm glad we went. For those who have booked the trip, you'll really enjoy it - ABD does a great job of adding amazing extras/exclusive activities. And if you're a big fan of 'Braveheart' or 'Outlander', make sure you add extra days to see additional sites and get more of the history if that's what you're looking for.  

We're booked on the Central europe trip for next summer, so I'll make sure to add several extra days this time since I'm a big history buff


----------



## Miss SD

paddles said:


> only other thing to comment is that over 60% of our group were contest winners and that sort of changed the dynamic/personality of the tour (especially when there were a few folks who didn't look very excited to be there....).  I hope Disney doesn't do that again - they should stagger the winners on different tours.



Hi, paddles! That was strange, wasn't it? Some of them looked like they weren't sure what they'd gotten themselves into. Group travel like this isn't for everyone. I think some of them didn't realize this until they were on the bus with three dozen strangers.


----------



## calypso726

Thanks for the feedback Miss SD and Paddles. I am surprised to hear there is no local guide for the tour. I thought that was standard practice for ABD in order to provide cultural authenticity. I am also shocked to hear that not much opportunity for learning the historical content of the places visited is provided either. 

I take it no explanation was given regarding throwing out the stroll on Staffin Beach and the other changes besides Holyrood Palace. That would upset me. I would want an explanation. I understand a change from Holyrood Palace if the Queen is in residence. That isn't something that is within ABD's control. 

Fortunately, we are arriving a few days early. However, based on your feedback I will be making changes to our pre-arrival itinerary. Our group doesn't get dinner in the castle due to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo taking place. We were told we still get a tour on day 3. However, if it is to be as brief as what you experienced and not include the whole castle then I will make other arrangements. I have cancelled our scheduled Hairy Coo tour and plan to go explore the entire castle instead plus walk around the city.

Thanks for the heads up as well about Rothiemurchus estate alternatives. As much as I would enjoy horseback riding or bike riding I would rather spend time with a local guide if that is the only opportunity to do so. 

I am cracking up about the comment of contest winners who weren't excited to be there. Did someone force them to enter a contest they didn't want to win or accept the grand prize  I am envisioning the proverbial _"gun to the head"_ of these contest winners with an authoritative figure shouting,* "YOU WILL GO ON VACATION TO A BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY FOR FREE OR ELSE!!!"*


----------



## carpenta

With regards to the Junior Adventure night I too as our daughter was disappointed with the evening she had on our recent tour to Az. The kids were gathered in a room and shown a movie. Plus the night was scheduled on the last leg of the trip. In my opinion they should place it in the beginning so the kids can get to know each other better earlier.Other tours with ABD they did have different games and events planned. If I wanted our child to watch videos we could have stayed home.


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## sayhello

Miss SD said:


> Hi, paddles! That was strange, wasn't it? Some of them looked like they weren't sure what they'd gotten themselves into. Group travel like this isn't for everyone. I think some of them didn't realize this until they were on the bus with three dozen strangers.


A lot of people enter sweepstakes without knowing exactly what they are entering for.  So many people hear "Adventures by Disney" and say "Yes!  I'd love to go to Disney World!"  (Seriously.  Check out ABD's Facebook page.  It's kinda sad.)  Generally, because of the cost, most folks on ABDs have really thought it through, and really want to be there.  Being on a tour with a lot of folks not familiar with what ABD is, and not knowing what to expect, and maybe not being the type of family that travels that way well -- I never really thought about it!  I know someone on this board reported that they had the family of a "celebrity" on their ABD (I think it may have been a Disney bigwig) and that made for a strange dynamic on their tour, too).



calypso726 said:


> I am cracking up about the comment of contest winners who weren't excited to be there. Did someone force them to enter a contest they didn't want to win or accept the grand prize  I am envisioning the proverbial _"gun to the head"_ of these contest winners with an authoritative figure shouting,* "YOU WILL GO ON VACATION TO A BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY FOR FREE OR ELSE!!!"*




Seriously, if someone in the family won the trip, the whole family is likely to go on the trip even if it's not their idea of fun or a good vacation.  They wouldn't want to "waste" the trip.  I imagine when entering a contest like this, they likely aren't as careful to check if it's really a trip their family would want to go on, or that suits their kids' personalities or interests.  All they see is "Disney" and "free trip"! 

Sayhello


----------



## Miss SD

sayhello said:


> A lot of people enter sweepstakes without knowing exactly what they are entering for.  So many people hear "Adventures by Disney" and say "Yes!  I'd love to go to Disney World!"  (Seriously.  Check out ABD's Facebook page.  It's kinda sad.)  Generally, because of the cost, most folks on ABDs have really thought it through, and really want to be there.  Being on a tour with a lot of folks not familiar with what ABD is, and not knowing what to expect, and maybe not being the type of family that travels that way well -- I never really thought about it!  I know someone on this board reported that they had the family of a "celebrity" on their ABD (I think it may have been a Disney bigwig) and that made for a strange dynamic on their tour, too).
> 
> 
> 
> Seriously, if someone in the family won the trip, the whole family is likely to go on the trip even if it's not their idea of fun or a good vacation.  They wouldn't want to "waste" the trip.  I imagine when entering a contest like this, they likely aren't as careful to check if it's really a trip their family would want to go on, or that suits their kids' personalities or interests.  All they see is "Disney" and "free trip"!
> 
> Sayhello



The winners were taxed on the value of the trip so they knew what we paying customers shelled out for the tour. Several of them told me they didn't think the trip was worth the "list price." Made me feel like a sucker!


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## edinburghlass

Too late now but it seems that perhaps the company didn't do enough research as the Queen visits Scotland at the same time very year resulting in the closure of the Palace and the Tattoo is on for the same three/four weeks each year.  So those particular changes were within the company's control and instead of having the same itinerary for all of the trips if they do the vacation again next year hopefully they will take these things into account.

Those that do get to see the Tattoo I'm sure you will enjoy enormously and of course your days in Edinburgh.


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## sayhello

Miss SD said:


> The winners were taxed on the value of the trip so they knew what we paying customers shelled out for the tour. Several of them told me they didn't think the trip was worth the "list price." Made me feel like a sucker!


Just because they don't understand or appreciate the value of the trip does not make you a "sucker".  _Plenty_ of people don't think ABD's are worth the money, and they just don't take the trips.  I think there is a particular type of traveler that ABDs are meant for, and appeal to, and those of us in that category appreciate that the trips are expensive, but worth it.  

Honestly, what did they get, if they took a trip they didn't like?

Sayhello


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## sayhello

edinburghlass said:


> Too late now but it seems that perhaps the company didn't do enough research as the Queen visits Scotland at the same time very year resulting in the closure of the Palace and the Tattoo is on for the same three/four weeks each year.  So those particular changes were within the company's control and instead of having the same itinerary for all of the trips if they do the vacation again next year hopefully they will take these things into account.
> 
> Those that do get to see the Tattoo I'm sure you will enjoy enormously and of course your days in Edinburgh.


I tend to agree with you, and it surprises me, because normally ABD is all about the in-depth research.  But these issues they have had with this itinerary couldn't have been surprises, because, as you say, they are normal events that happen every year at the same time.

Sayhello


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## Miss SD

sayhello said:


> Just because they don't understand or appreciate the value of the trip does not make you a "sucker".  _Plenty_ of people don't think ABD's are worth the money, and they just don't take the trips.  I think there is a particular type of traveler that ABDs are meant for, and appeal to, and those of us in that category appreciate that the trips are expensive, but worth it.
> 
> Honestly, what did they get, if they took a trip they didn't like?
> 
> Sayhello



In fairness, the three groups I'm thinking of had legitimate reasons (well, two of the three) for souring on the trip. One group included a disabled family member. Getting him off the bus took a while, and they often found the rest of us were nowhere to be seen once they were off the coach. They felt the guides ditched them. The other family included an active boy who was frequently yelled at by a guide. A particularly nasty scene occurred in a castle gift shop. Thankfully, a fellow adventurer vouched for the kid, saying he didn't do anything wrong. 

I don't think these people started out with a chip on their shoulders.


----------



## Calfan

paddles said:


> The tour is focused on 'Brave', so key sites like Stirling Castle and Wallace monument are skipped. We hired a private driver/car for one day, and I'm so glad we did!
> 
> We're booked on the Central europe trip for next summer, so I'll make sure to add several extra days this time since I'm a big history buff



Who did you use for your private car/driver for your visit to Stirling?  We are contemplating using one of our pre-days to visit Stirling.  

We are also booked on the Central Europe ABD for next summer.  We plan to spend 3 or 4 days in Prague before the ABD begins.


----------



## paddles

Just to clarify my post, there are local guides/experts at the places we visited to explain things. However, there was a lot of travel time with just the 2 American ABD guides when little to no commentary was provided (and on day 3,we were on the bus for nearly 6 hours).  And some key historical sites were skipped since this was a 'Brave' focused tour (like Culloden battlefield in Inverness). 

That said, the itinerary was great but I encourage ABD to add more of the historical aspects to this trip since most who booked did so due to a love of seeing Scotland vs. 'Brave'.  

I'm providing this detail since this is a new itinerary and I wish I had some of this info before planning my trip. I hope I don't sound negative because my family had a great time and I think a few tweaks would make this just incredible (especially since ABD is charging nearly $1000 more next summer with essentially no changes to the itinerary).


----------



## paddles

Calfan said:


> Who did you use for your private car/driver for your visit to Stirling?  We are contemplating using one of our pre-days to visit Stirling.
> 
> We are also booked on the Central Europe ABD for next summer.  We plan to spend 3 or 4 days in Prague before the ABD begins.



We asked the concierge at Balmoral hotel to book it for us.  Our driver's name was David and he was great.  They charged approx. 50 pounds per hour and it was worth every penny. Stirling castle is fantastic and they have interesting free tours there.  Wallace monument is a must see if you love Braveheart.


----------



## jjharts

We were on the June 9th tour and experienced a lot of the same things that the are being brought up.  More than half the people on our trip were also "winners" of the trip.  I agree that this did change the dynamics of our trip.  I think that Disney should have put all the "winners" on one trip together.

Also, we did not go to Holyrood (we were told that a royal was in town), did not stroll Staffin Beach (we were told that it was too slippery out on the rocks), no highland games on Jr Adventurer night, did not learn Ceilidh dancing (but those kids were adorable), lunch at Digby Chicks, ate inside at Glamis (we also didn't get much archery time - I only shot 2 sets of arrows), and were rushed thru Edinburgh Castle to see Crown Jewels.

On the positive side, we totally enjoyed that it was a "Brave" adventure - that was the main reason I booked this particular itinerary.  There were some neat surprises along the way and the country is beautiful.  At Rothiemurchus my husband was able to do skeet shooting while we went pony riding.  We offered to pay extra for this but were not charged.  

A couple of other things - 

I was contacted three times by Disney the week before we left. We were arriving by train from London and they wanted to know our train number and also our weights.  Three times I explained to them that our train did not have a number and that we would meet our guides in the lobby of the Balmoral at 4pm as the train station was right next door, and each time they made note of this.  I also gave them our weights - my husband is a large man - 6'2"  and weighs in at 300 lbs.  They said he wouldn't be able to ride the horses (he was more than okay with this as he grew up around horses and rode them enough as a child!!).  Upon arriving at the Balmoral at 4:00 there was no guide to greet us - after waiting for 20 minutes the bell man felt sorry for us and rounded up our guide.  We also found out that my dh couldn't do the canoeing at Loch Ness because of weight (no mention of this from Disney).  

Neither of our guides were from Scotland.  I had planned my tips assuming that one would be a local so at the end of the tour I had to flip a coin to see which on ended up with gbp instead of usd.  Oh well 

All in all, it was a good trip.  I hope Disney does more destinations bases around movies (maybe one for Frozen when it comes out!!!)


----------



## sayhello

Miss SD said:


> In fairness, the three groups I'm thinking of had legitimate reasons (well, two of the three) for souring on the trip. One group included a disabled family member. Getting him off the bus took a while, and they often found the rest of us were nowhere to be seen once they were off the coach. They felt the guides ditched them. The other family included an active boy who was frequently yelled at by a guide. A particularly nasty scene occurred in a castle gift shop. Thankfully, a fellow adventurer vouched for the kid, saying he didn't do anything wrong.
> 
> I don't think these people started out with a chip on their shoulders.


Wow.  Both of these items seem to be issues with your Guides!  I can't imagine both Guides taking off until everyone was off the bus.  One of the best things about having 2 Guides is that one can stay behind with anyone who needs them while the other takes care of the rest.  Yes, the Guides are not allowed to physically help with someone with a disability, but I'm shocked that one of them did not wait with the bus until that family was off.   And, granted, I've only taken one Family ABD (the rest were Adults Only), but I've *NEVER* heard an Adventure Guide yell at anyone, and certainly not *frequently* yelling at them.  Was an Adventure Guide involved in the "scene" at the Gift Shop?  I'd be disappointed/soured on the trip under both of those conditions, too...  Man, this just so doesn't fit with the amazing Adventure Guides I've experienced on my trips.  I wonder what happened?

Sayhello


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

Miss SD said:


> First, this definitely is a "Brave" adventure. If you're looking for a historical tour of Scotland, this isn't it. (As someone else pointed out during the trip, this is the "Brave" adventure, not the "Braveheart" tour.)
> 
> For instance, if we wanted to see everything at Edinburgh Castle, we had to go on our own. The guides told us on the first day that the last day of the tour included a visit only to the Scottish Crown Jewels, which are housed at the castle. We were lucky that we arrived a few hours before our welcome dinner so we could see the rest of the castle.
> 
> We didn't stroll on the Staffin Beach on Skye as was promised, and we didn't "line up for some Ceilidh dancing" (thank God). We did, however, see a group of cute and talented girls perform!
> 
> So I don't come across as too whiny, I should add that the Farewell Dinner was awesome! Being the only people in the castle was unbelievable, especially since we were fighting the crowds there a week before!



Thanks to you (and Paddles) for the feedback. I'm trying not to feel disappointed by the reports, but on top of the Edinburgh Castle disappointment (we are on one of the tours that is missing the castle dinner--you can read back through the threads to see what happened--and from your comments it sounds like it was as special as I thought it would be) the "fluidity" of the itinerary is beginning to sound like poor planning. I would be very disappointed to miss the stroll on the beach as that is the one part of the Skye itinerary I have not done (I've been to Skye a couple times). I hope by August they will figure out a way to make it work. I am also disappointed by the lack of history. Now granted, I am a Scottish history buff and probably biased, but IMO one of the most special things about Scotland IS the history. I love the Brave aspect, and I'm sure the kids will as well, but you would think they could find a way of blending. Not seeing Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle or Holyrood Castle is a huge miss--ABD absolutely SHOULD have been aware of the Tattoo and royal visits and made alternative plans if certain tours were impacted (i.e. if you couldn't visit Holyrood, why didn't they have you do a bigger tour of Edinburgh Castle or, alternatively, Stirling?)



paddles said:


> - This tour is very light on history...and at times, I think the guides missed really good opportunities to include some commentary on areas we were visiting or places we passed along on our bus rides.
> - it would have been great to have one Scottish guide. On all other tours, there's typically one American and one local country ABD guide. I think it would have added to the authenticity of the experience and afford the ability to ask questions/get additional insights into the country.  Not sure why ABD didn't do this for Scotland....



I'm very confused by this as well. I hope ABD reads this and addresses ASAP--especially for those long bus rides. Scotland is so rich with history, it's a shame that they missed the opportunity to take advantage of it with a knowledgeable guide. 



calypso726 said:


> I take it no explanation was given regarding throwing out the stroll on Staffin Beach and the other changes besides Holyrood Palace. That would upset me. I would want an explanation. I understand a change from Holyrood Palace if the Queen is in residence. That isn't something that is within ABD's control.



Ditto! Unexplained itinerary changes *really* upset me. When you pay so much for a trip, every piece matters. 



edinburghlass said:


> Too late now but it seems that perhaps the company didn't do enough research as the Queen visits Scotland at the same time very year resulting in the closure of the Palace and the Tattoo is on for the same three/four weeks each year.  So those particular changes were within the company's control and instead of having the same itinerary for all of the trips if they do the vacation again next year hopefully they will take these things into account.



Exactly! This kind of thing is how I justify paying the premium for the ABD product. They are supposed to do their homework!


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

sayhello said:


> Wow.  Both of these items seem to be issues with your Guides!  I can't imagine both Guides taking off until everyone was off the bus.  One of the best things about having 2 Guides is that one can stay behind with anyone who needs them while the other takes care of the rest.  Yes, the Guides are not allowed to physically help with someone with a disability, but I'm shocked that one of them did not wait with the bus until that family was off.   And, granted, I've only taken one Family ABD (the rest were Adults Only), but I've *NEVER* heard an Adventure Guide yell at anyone, and certainly not *frequently* yelling at them.  Was an Adventure Guide involved in the "scene" at the Gift Shop?  I'd be disappointed/soured on the trip under both of those conditions, too...  Man, this just so doesn't fit with the amazing Adventure Guides I've experienced on my trips.  I wonder what happened?
> Sayhello



Double wow from me. I've only been on one ABD, but I can't imagine one of the guides yelling at someone (especially a child). The Adventure guides are always one of the most ingredients to making ABD special, and from some of these reports it sounds like something is lacking--are they new? Untrained? Isn't ABD running concurrent trips for Scotland...could that be the issue? Again, I hope ABD will address these issues immediately.


----------



## Miss SD

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Double wow from me. I've only been on one ABD, but I can't imagine one of the guides yelling at someone (especially a child). The Adventure guides are always one of the most ingredients to making ABD special, and from some of these reports it sounds like something is lacking--are they new? Untrained? Isn't ABD running concurrent trips for Scotland...could that be the issue? Again, I hope ABD will address these issues immediately.



I don't know what the story was. I think they said they had led many trips in the spring, so I think they considered themselves experienced. After I asked why we weren't going to Holyroodhouse (no group announcement was made; I approached them), I decided to keep a low profile. Since I had already mentioned that I didn't receive my Insider pin, I didn't want to be seen as the complainer of the group. 

But, as I mentioned to paddles during our trip, the guides seemed to lack the gravitas (the only word I can think of) of our Germany guides. Daniel and Nadine were the consummate professionals. I can't imagine one of them reprimanding a grown man for trying to grab a snack as he got off the bus.


----------



## sayhello

Miss SD said:


> I don't know what the story was. I think they said they had led many trips in the spring, so I think they considered themselves experienced. After I asked why we weren't going to Holyroodhouse (no group announcement was made; I approached them), I decided to keep a low profile. Since I had already mentioned that I didn't receive my Insider pin, I didn't want to be seen as the complainer of the group.
> 
> But, as I mentioned to paddles during our trip, the guides seemed to lack the gravitas (the only word I can think of) of our Germany guides. Daniel and Nadine were the consummate professionals. *I can't imagine one of them reprimanding a grown man for trying to grab a snack as he got off the bus.*


_*   Seriously????*_   OMG, that is so unprofessional and so petty.  The Guides I've had would have asked him if he maybe wanted two snacks instead of just one!  I'm sorry, but I am SO GLAD I was not on this trip.  The Adventure Guides really make the trips for me, and according to what you've described, these guys just did not live up to the title of ABD Adventure Guide.

Sayhello


----------



## calypso726

Miss SD and Paddles may I ask what were the names of your guides???? Feel free to PM me if you'd rather not their post names.

I was disconcerted to hear they seemed distracted at times. I am utterly shocked that they would ditch disabled passengers. I am stunned to hear one would yell at a child! But to reprimand an adult for taking a snack off the bus??? 
Whiskey.  Tango.  Foxtrot.


----------



## Calfan

Calypso726 and CaliforniaGirl09, do you think it is worth either or both of you calling your friend Bruce to make sure he/ABD is aware of these issues (instead of hoping that they are reading the boards and this thread)?  I would volunteer, but I never received any kind of response to the email I sent regarding the farewell dinner, so I don't have the "relationship" each of you has established with Bruce.  Just a thought.


----------



## calypso726

Calfan said:


> Calypso726 and CaliforniaGirl09, do you think it is worth either or both of you calling your friend Bruce to make sure he/ABD is aware of these issues (instead of hoping that they are reading the boards and this thread)?  I would volunteer, but I never received any kind of response to the email I sent regarding the farewell dinner, so I don't have the "relationship" each of you has established with Bruce.  Just a thought.



You read my mind.


----------



## Miss SD

calypso726 said:


> Miss SD a d Paddles may I ask what were the names of your guides???? Feel free to PM me if you'd rather not their post names.
> 
> I was disconcerted to hear they seemed distracted at times. I am utterly shocked that they would ditch disabled passengers. I am stunned to hear one would yell at a child! But to reprimand an adult for taking a snack off the bus???
> Whiskey.  Tango.  Foxtrot.



PM sent


----------



## Calfan

calypso726 said:


> You read my mind.



If you speak with him, I will be eagerly awaiting your report on the conversation!


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

Calfan said:


> Calypso726 and CaliforniaGirl09, do you think it is worth either or both of you calling your friend Bruce to make sure he/ABD is aware of these issues (instead of hoping that they are reading the boards and this thread)?  I would volunteer, but I never received any kind of response to the email I sent regarding the farewell dinner, so I don't have the "relationship" each of you has established with Bruce.  Just a thought.





calypso726 said:


> You read my mind.



Let me know if you don't hear anything back, Calypso. Part of me suspects we are the last people he wants to hear from, LOL.


----------



## calypso726

Calfan said:


> If you speak with him, I will be eagerly awaiting your report on the conversation!



Will do!



CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Let me know if you don't hear anything back, Calypso. Part of me suspects we are the last people he wants to hear from, LOL.



I will keep you posted. I will try to reach out to him later today.


----------



## calypso726

edinburghlass said:


> Too late now but it seems that perhaps the company didn't do enough research as the Queen visits Scotland at the same time very year resulting in the closure of the Palace and the Tattoo is on for the same three/four weeks each year.  So those particular changes were within the company's control and instead of having the same itinerary for all of the trips if they do the vacation again next year hopefully they will take these things into account.
> 
> Those that do get to see the Tattoo I'm sure you will enjoy enormously and of course your days in Edinburgh.



Hi Edinburghlass! I agree that they should have known about the Tattoo as that is a yearly event. I did not know that the Queen visits at the same time each year. Can you share with us the dates she tends to be visiting every year? I am wondering if we will also not get to visit Holyrood Palace in addition to not having our farewell dinner in Edinburgh Castle.

We will be attending the Tattoo on opening night!!! So excited!!!


----------



## Didgets

I was on the June 28th trip and I am one of the contest "winners" I didn't even know ABD even existed until I won the trip.  I may not be a pro at ABD tours, but I don't see how having less experienced people on tour with you changed the environment.  I think you should give every one a chance.  We don't know the details on why some people seemed "upset" during the tour. 

I think the trip was amazing and enjoyed every bit of it.  Even when I busted my butt getting off a pony.   Nick and I loved taking pictures of pretty much everything we passed.  However, I completely agree with Paddles.  I think more history should have been incorporated into the tour.  I was very surprised after learning of Culloden battlefield in Inverness from Paddles, that it wasn't even mentioned in the tour.

Nick and I are already planning our next ABD tour for next year.


----------



## Miss SD

Didgets said:


> I was on the June 28th trip and I am one of the contest "winners" I didn't even know ABD even existed until I won the trip.  I may not be a pro at ABD tours, but I don't see how having less experienced people on tour with you changed the environment.  I think you should give every one a chance.  We don't know the details on why some people seemed "upset" during the tour.
> 
> I think the trip was amazing and enjoyed every bit of it.  Even when I busted my butt getting off a pony.   Nick and I loved taking pictures of pretty much everything we passed.  However, I completely agree with Paddles.  I think more history should have been incorporated into the tour.  I was very surprised after learning of Culloden battlefield in Inverness from Paddles, that it wasn't even mentioned in the tour.
> 
> Nick and I are already planning our next ABD tour for next year.



Glad you enjoyed the tour. It was fun getting to know everyone.

Have to disagree with you, though, about not knowing the details about why people were upset. The ones I mentioned told me what they were unhappy about. This is not conjecture.


----------



## Didgets

Miss SD said:


> Glad you enjoyed the tour. It was fun getting to know everyone.
> 
> Have to disagree with you, though, about not knowing the details about why people were upset. The ones I mentioned told me what they were unhappy about. This is not conjecture.




I wasn't just implying on the 3 you mentioned.


----------



## edinburghlass

calypso726 said:


> Hi Edinburghlass! I agree that they should have known about the Tattoo as that is a yearly event. I did not know that the Queen visits at the same time each year. Can you share with us the dates she tends to be visiting every year? I am wondering if we will also not get to visit Holyrood Palace in addition to not having our farewell dinner in Edinburgh Castle.
> 
> We will be attending the Tattoo on opening night!!! So excited!!!



End of June beginning of July, the Queen was in residence last week, so you will be okay in August.  I didn't realise until today the trip even has a name!

http://www.royal.gov.uk/RoyalEventsandCeremonies/HolyroodWeek/HolyroodWeek.aspx

Thats not to say that another member of the Royal Family may visit at other times but this is an annual event.  There are occasional concerts on the Esplanade at Edinburgh Castle in July once all the stands are erected for the Tattoo, I can only see three events for July, 17th, 20th and 21st. I saw Rod Stewart at the Castle a number of years ago, the best stage setting ever.


----------



## Bobo912

sayhello said:


> Wow.  Both of these items seem to be issues with your Guides!  I can't imagine both Guides taking off until everyone was off the bus.  One of the best things about having 2 Guides is that one can stay behind with anyone who needs them while the other takes care of the rest.  Yes, the Guides are not allowed to physically help with someone with a disability, but I'm shocked that one of them did not wait with the bus until that family was off.   And, granted, I've only taken one Family ABD (the rest were Adults Only), but I've *NEVER* heard an Adventure Guide yell at anyone, and certainly not *frequently* yelling at them.  Was an Adventure Guide involved in the "scene" at the Gift Shop?  I'd be disappointed/soured on the trip under both of those conditions, too...  Man, this just so doesn't fit with the amazing Adventure Guides I've experienced on my trips.  I wonder what happened?
> 
> Sayhello



On our first ABD, the guide yelled at my child, who was 8 at the time.  He was so attached to the guides, it really hurt his feelings and cried over it.


----------



## calypso726

edinburghlass said:


> End of June beginning of July, the Queen was in residence last week, so you will be okay in August.  I didn't realise until today the trip even has a name!
> 
> http://www.royal.gov.uk/RoyalEventsandCeremonies/HolyroodWeek/HolyroodWeek.aspx
> 
> Thats not to say that another member of the Royal Family may visit at other times but this is an annual event.  There are occasional concerts on the Esplanade at Edinburgh Castle in July once all the stands are erected for the Tattoo, I can only see three events for July, 17th, 20th and 21st. I saw Rod Stewart at the Castle a number of years ago, the best stage setting ever.



Thanks for letting us know Edinburghlass. At least now I have some hope of seeing Holyrood Castle.


----------



## sayhello

Bobo912 said:


> On our first ABD, the guide yelled at my child, who was 8 at the time.  He was so attached to the guides, it really hurt his feelings and cried over it.


Wow.  Was it a one-time outburst, or did the Guide do it a lot?  I mean, I guess we're all human, but that's a little disappointing to hear.

Sayhello


----------



## Bobo912

sayhello said:


> Wow.  Was it a one-time outburst, or did the Guide do it a lot?  I mean, I guess we're all human, but that's a little disappointing to hear.
> 
> Sayhello



My son didn't really do anything to deserve being yelled at, but it was just once.  I didn't say anything at the time and it didn't warrant any bad feedback on the guide.  Just wanted to point out that it does happen sometimes.  If the Scotland guide was yelling a lot, he/she is probably in the wrong line of work.


----------



## Bobo912

tufbuf said:


> Hopefully they iron it all out by next year. Sounds like a lot of kinks in the itinerary.



When you pay $5000 or more per person for a trip, the kinks should already be worked out.  Sometimes there are unexpected and unavoidable issues, but that doesn't seem to be the case here.  I don't know what has happened to ABD this year, but they need to get their act together.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

Bobo912 said:


> When you pay $5000 or more per person for a trip, the kinks should already be worked out.  Sometimes there are unexpected and unavoidable issues, but that doesn't seem to be the case here.  I don't know what has happened to ABD this year, but they need to get their act together.



I completely agree. For our family of 4 this is trip is over $25k--that's a pretty penny as they say.


----------



## calypso726

Bobo912 said:


> When you pay $5000 or more per person for a trip, the kinks should already be worked out.  Sometimes there are unexpected and unavoidable issues, but that doesn't seem to be the case here.  I don't know what has happened to ABD this year, but they need to get their act together.





CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> I completely agree. For our family of 4 this is trip is over $25k--that's a pretty penny as they say.



I totally agree!

I called Bruce but got his voice mail so I left him a message. I e-mailed him as well. I am rather upset that yet even more of the itinerary has been changed and without any notice or explanation  

The lack of professionalism that has been detailed both publicly here and privately in PMs from various travelers is shocking to say the least. I find it reprehensible that the guides would show such callous disregard to disabled passengers and simply leave them behind. That and quite a number of other details have left me beyond stunned! SMH


----------



## calypso726

On a more pleasant note, our box arrived!


----------



## SingingMom

Wow. I am really surprised about the reports regarding this trip!  I feel terribly for the people that had less than a perfectly magical trip!  

Our experience last year was beyond amazing, which made it very easy to decide to take another adventure this year. We leave tomorrow for Germany.  We had considered Scotland, but decided on Germany.  I hope we enjoy it as much as London and Paris last year.

I am sorry to hear some of the guides were not up to par with guests' expectations. We adored our guides, including the two that were "in training" and keep in touch with all four of them.  

I hope future Scotland trips go more smoothly for all traveling soon!

"SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards


----------



## tufbuf

Bobo912 said:


> When you pay $5000 or more per person for a trip, the kinks should already be worked out.  Sometimes there are unexpected and unavoidable issues, but that doesn't seem to be the case here.  I don't know what has happened to ABD this year, but they need to get their act together.



Could it be the change in management? They have a new VP earlier this year, I wonder?....


----------



## Calfan

calypso726 said:


> On a more pleasant note, our box arrived!



Exciting!  We did not get ours. Maybe tomorrow.


----------



## calypso726

Are there any whisky aficionados here? I'd like to bring back a couple of bottles of whisky made in Scotland that cannot be obtained here in the US as a souvenir for my dad and brother. Any recommendations on brands that would fill the bill?


----------



## Miss SD

calypso726 said:


> Are there any whisky aficionados here? I'd like to bring back a couple of bottles of whisky made in Scotland that cannot be obtained here in the US as a souvenir for my dad and brother. Any recommendations on brands that would fill the bill?



Hi, calypso,

I'm not a whisky drinker, but my husband is and he enjoyed the whisky tasting at the hotel in Portree. The man who conducted the tasting would probably be able to offer up some suggestions. Ask you dad and brother which type of whisky they prefer (peaty vs. lightly smoked, etc.), and I think he'd be able to help you.


----------



## Roo's Kanga

Hello, for those of you who have been on this trip already, can you please tell me how the day at Loch Ness went? I am taking my son on this trip in June 2014 (he will be 7). I have already called and talked to ABD about his age and I know that he will be too young to go canoeing on Loch Ness (kids have to be 8). We will have to take the boat tour instead (which is fine because I'm not into canoes all that much). Did any of you take the boat tour? And how was lunch and the visitor's center? Was there a good view of the Loch from Urquhart Castle? My son is completely fascinated with finding the Loch Ness monster. 

Also, on how many occasions did you get to see any type of animal? He loves all furry critters, great and small. Sheep dogs, horses, etc.

Thanks!


----------



## calypso726

Update: 

Bruce returned my call today and had also read the e-mail I sent. He is just the nicest man and so passionate about ABD that I really hated being the bearer of concerns on such negative feedback. I was so hoping my next communication to him would be, This trip was AWESOME! Suffice it to say he addressed my concerns regarding the feedback here and once again I am looking forward to the trip of a lifetime. I will share some of what we discussed here, going by memory as I generally dont take notes when chatting on the phone 

Apparently not every international trip has an ABD guide from that country as one of the two ABD guides. I did not know this. However, our local guides are from the areas we will be visiting and include a blue badge guide which is the cream of the crop, an expert on Lochness and Nessie, guides who were born and raised on the isles we will be visiting, etc. The local guides are great story tellers and happy to answer questions or discuss history, local stories etc. Bruce told me a bit about each of the local guides we will get to meet and while I dont remember which detail goes with which guide I was most enchanted throughout the telling and hearing about them and am quite excited to meet them. I must say Bruce is quite gifted when it comes to painting a picture for you with his words. I apologize that I lack the same talent.

One of the ABD guides on our August 4th trip is also Disneyland VIP guide to the high profile celebrities when they bring their families. The other I have seen mentioned as an excellent ABD guide here on the DIS. I am assured that both are committed to excellence we have all come to expect regarding the overall amazing reputation that ABD guides as a general rule have earned for themselves.

During one of the previous ABD trips a guest slipped during the Staffin Beach stroll. Due to the tide moving in and out at times some of the rocks one is walking upon may be covered in slippery slime since those rock are normally submerged and now are exposed. It was decided not to be very safe. I noticed it was removed from next years itinerary. The stroll was swapped for a much nicer area and view that we will get to experience. I forgot exactly where but the view sounds breathtaking.

Changes made on the itinerary with regards to lunch in various locations were for a much better in terms of quality and comfort experience. What was on the itinerary was laid for me in detail and compared to the new change. Part of it had me LOL but I am glad to know the change was made and it sounds truly for the better. 

Those of us who do not get to have our farewell dinner in Edinburgh castle will be getting a 90 minute tour of Edinburgh castle, during the late afternoon of day 2. If memory serves correctly that tour will be with a blue badge guide but dont hold me to that I may be remembering that part wrong. The guide not the length of the tour. So, now I dont have to go book a separate private tour for Edinburgh Castle on my pre-trip. I already cancelled the Hairy Coo tour I had planned but maybe I will go to Stirling Castle instead.

That is most of what I remember from our conversation. I can tell you with absolute honesty that I am no longer freaking out wondering if booking this might have been a mistake. I am once again super excited to go on this trip and I know we will have an amazing time!


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

Thank you so much for posting, Calypso! That is so so great to hear. I'm bummed about the beach stroll, but hopefully the other place will be just as scenic. Glad to hear that the tour of Edinburgh Castle is 1.5 hours and presumably beyond just the jewels for those of us not having our Farewell dinner there. Great news about the guides as well. I'm crossing my fingers that this trip is everything I hoped it would be when I booked. Still no box here for us, but I'm watching the door  We used a travel agent (dreams) so maybe it will be later . . .


----------



## JLoane

Wow! Count me among the disheartened to hear about the less-than-magical adventure that some have encountered.  Our Enchanted China trip three years ago ran like clockwork and our guides were unbelievably warm, friendly, and incredibly professional. I completely agree that for the cost of an adventure, everyone has the right to expect that kind of service on every trip.  That's why we book with Adventures by Disney!  I feel horrible for those who experienced the issues mentioned in earlier posts, and sincerely hope that future Brave Adventures get back to ABD standards!

Edit--I just read Calypso's latest post and it seems that the concerns expressed are being addressed.  Thank goodness!!


----------



## Calfan

calypso726 said:


> Update:
> 
> Bruce returned my call today and had also read the e-mail I sent. He is just the nicest man and so passionate about ABD that I really hated being the bearer of concerns on such negative feedback. I was so hoping my next communication to him would be, This trip was AWESOME! Suffice it to say he addressed my concerns regarding the feedback here and once again I am looking forward to the trip of a lifetime. I will share some of what we discussed here, going by memory as I generally dont take notes when chatting on the phone
> 
> Apparently not every international trip has an ABD guide from that country as one of the two ABD guides. I did not know this. However, our local guides are from the areas we will be visiting and include a blue badge guide which is the cream of the crop, an expert on Lochness and Nessie, guides who were born and raised on the isles we will be visiting, etc. The local guides are great story tellers and happy to answer questions or discuss history, local stories etc. Bruce told me a bit about each of the local guides we will get to meet and while I dont remember which detail goes with which guide I was most enchanted throughout the telling and hearing about them and am quite excited to meet them. I must say Bruce is quite gifted when it comes to painting a picture for you with his words. I apologize that I lack the same talent.
> 
> One of the ABD guides on our August 4th trip is also Disneyland VIP guide to the high profile celebrities when they bring their families. The other I have seen mentioned as an excellent ABD guide here on the DIS. I am assured that both are committed to excellence we have all come to expect regarding the overall amazing reputation that ABD guides as a general rule have earned for themselves.
> 
> During one of the previous ABD trips a guest slipped during the Staffin Beach stroll. Due to the tide moving in and out at times some of the rocks one is walking upon may be covered in slippery slime since those rock are normally submerged and now are exposed. It was decided not to be very safe. I noticed it was removed from next years itinerary. The stroll was swapped for a much nicer area and view that we will get to experience. I forgot exactly where but the view sounds breathtaking.
> 
> Changes made on the itinerary with regards to lunch in various locations were for a much better in terms of quality and comfort experience. What was on the itinerary was laid for me in detail and compared to the new change. Part of it had me LOL but I am glad to know the change was made and it sounds truly for the better.
> 
> Those of us who do not get to have our farewell dinner in Edinburgh castle will be getting a 90 minute tour of Edinburgh castle, during the late afternoon of day 2. If memory serves correctly that tour will be with a blue badge guide but dont hold me to that I may be remembering that part wrong. The guide not the length of the tour. So, now I dont have to go book a separate private tour for Edinburgh Castle on my pre-trip. I already cancelled the Hairy Coo tour I had planned but maybe I will go to Stirling Castle instead.
> 
> That is most of what I remember from our conversation. I can tell you with absolute honesty that I am no longer freaking out wondering if booking this might have been a mistake. I am once again super excited to go on this trip and I know we will have an amazing time!



Thank you so much for reaching out to Bruce and for this feedback.  Since I have gotten the sense that your standards are pretty high (in a good way, LOL), I am very comforted by the fact that you were reassured by your conversation and are back to full excitement mode for this trip.  It also sounds like our guides will be top-notch (and I'm assuming not the same as those that received the less-than-stellar feedback from previous travelers), so that is also reassuring.  I also appreciate the info about the length of our Day 2 tour of Edinburgh Castle, since I was also wondering if we needed to try to do a more fulsome tour of the castle during one of our pre-days. Sounds like we don't need to worry about that.  Now just hoping my box arrives today


----------



## Calfan

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Thank you so much for posting, Calypso! That is so so great to hear. I'm bummed about the beach stroll, but hopefully the other place will be just as scenic. Glad to hear that the tour of Edinburgh Castle is 1.5 hours and presumably beyond just the jewels for those of us not having our Farewell dinner there. Great news about the guides as well. I'm crossing my fingers that this trip is everything I hoped it would be when I booked. Still no box here for us, but I'm watching the door  We used a travel agent (dreams) so maybe it will be later . . .



Good point about Dreams and the boxes.  Wonder if they go Dreams first and then to us?  I'm still hoping we get it today or tomorrow.  Might call on Monday (or check with Kevin at Dreams) if we don't get it by then.


----------



## Miss SD

Roo's Kanga said:


> Hello, for those of you who have been on this trip already, can you please tell me how the day at Loch Ness went? I am taking my son on this trip in June 2014 (he will be 7). I have already called and talked to ABD about his age and I know that he will be too young to go canoeing on Loch Ness (kids have to be 8). We will have to take the boat tour instead (which is fine because I'm not into canoes all that much). Did any of you take the boat tour? And how was lunch and the visitor's center? Was there a good view of the Loch from Urquhart Castle? My son is completely fascinated with finding the Loch Ness monster.
> 
> Also, on how many occasions did you get to see any type of animal? He loves all furry critters, great and small. Sheep dogs, horses, etc.
> 
> Thanks!



The day at Loch Ness was a lot of fun and the food at the cafe was delicious. In general, the food on this tour was excellent. I think I have to up my swimming regime to lose the pounds I gained.

We canoed, but we heard the boat tour was wonderful! We heard the boat captain kept everyone entertained with stories. The castle is on the loch, so you'll have a fine view.

FYI, the founder of the museum we visited (attached to the cafe) had lunch with us. This gentleman explored the loch and he also has stories to tell. A fellow adventurer had seen this man in a documentary about Loch Ness in the 1970s!  Your son will love it!


----------



## calypso726

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Thank you so much for posting, Calypso! That is so so great to hear. I'm bummed about the beach stroll, but hopefully the other place will be just as scenic. Glad to hear that the tour of Edinburgh Castle is 1.5 hours and presumably beyond just the jewels for those of us not having our Farewell dinner there. Great news about the guides as well. I'm crossing my fingers that this trip is everything I hoped it would be when I booked. Still no box here for us, but I'm watching the door  We used a travel agent (dreams) so maybe it will be later . . .



Yes. Bruce specifically said I do not have to book a separate pre-tour to see all of Edinburgh Castle as we will get to explore every nook and cranny 

We used Dreams too. I imagine your box should get there soon. The return address is Orlando, Florida and we live in Florida? So that is probably why we got it already.



JLoane said:


> Wow! Count me among the disheartened to hear about the less-than-magical adventure that some have encountered.  Our Enchanted China trip three years ago ran like clockwork and our guides were unbelievably warm, friendly, and incredibly professional. I completely agree that for the cost of an adventure, everyone has the right to expect that kind of service on every trip.  That's why we book with Adventures by Disney!  I feel horrible for those who experienced the issues mentioned in earlier posts, and sincerely hope that future Brave Adventures get back to ABD standards!
> 
> Edit--I just read Calypso's latest post and it seems that the concerns expressed are being addressed.  Thank goodness!!



I expect our trip will be very much like the one you experienced. We booked with ABD for the same reason. 



Calfan said:


> Thank you so much for reaching out to Bruce and for this feedback.  Since I have gotten the sense that your standards are pretty high (in a good way, LOL), I am very comforted by the fact that you were reassured by your conversation and are back to full excitement mode for this trip.  It also sounds like our guides will be top-notch (and I'm assuming not the same as those that received the less-than-stellar feedback from previous travelers), so that is also reassuring.  I also appreciate the info about the length of our Day 2 tour of Edinburgh Castle, since I was also wondering if we needed to try to do a more fulsome tour of the castle during one of our pre-days. Sounds like we don't need to worry about that.  Now just hoping my box arrives today



LOL Well I'm no stranger to slumming it either. I recall a week during Mardi Gras in my early 20's and our sleeping accommodations were the rented Dodge Caravan we drove in from Florida, parked in a hotel parking garage  I am really excited about the 90 minute tour of the castle.


----------



## Roo's Kanga

Thanks for the info, Miss SD!

I am picturing that older gentlemen in "The Waterhorse" telling the tale over lunch.


----------



## Tozzie

I have been trying very hard not to read this thread because I didn't want to hear anything before my trip and after reading the posts recently at the God awful ABD guides and the itinerary changes  I was not a happy camper.  

I have been aprehensive about this trip since shortly after booking it and now even after what calypso posted i am not looking forward to this trip at all.  I have gotten very used to basic lip service from ABD and I do not believe a word of any executive of the company.    What bothers me more than anything is the guides that you get on the August 4th trip may not be the guides I get on my tour in September and if I get the guides that yell  well for the first time in my life I am dreading a trip instead of looking forward to it and this will be my 4th ABD.


----------



## Bobo912

Tozzie said:


> I have been trying very hard not to read this thread because I didn't want to hear anything before my trip and after reading the posts recently at the God awful ABD guides and the itinerary changes  I was not a happy camper.
> 
> I have been aprehensive about this trip since shortly after booking it and now even after what calypso posted i am not looking forward to this trip at all.  I have gotten very used to basic lip service from ABD and I do not believe a word of any executive of the company.    What bothers me more than anything is the guides that you get on the August 4th trip may not be the guides I get on my tour in September and if I get the guides that yell  well for the first time in my life I am dreading a trip instead of looking forward to it and this will be my 4th ABD.



I am so angry about my recent experience with ABD, I would cancel the 2014 trip I've booked if I could get my money back.  Once that trip is over, I don't plan to travel with them again.


----------



## 2BNDisney

Tozzie said:


> I have been trying very hard not to read this thread because I didn't want to hear anything before my trip and after reading the posts recently at the God awful ABD guides and the itinerary changes  I was not a happy camper.
> 
> I have been aprehensive about this trip since shortly after booking it and now even after what calypso posted i am not looking forward to this trip at all.  I have gotten very used to basic lip service from ABD and I do not believe a word of any executive of the company.    What bothers me more than anything is the guides that you get on the August 4th trip may not be the guides I get on my tour in September and if I get the guides that yell  well for the first time in my life I am dreading a trip instead of looking forward to it and this will be my 4th ABD.



Just wanted to say I had a super time on my very first ABD trip to Scotland and would do it all over again if there were not so many other places I wanted to visit.  Hope you have a great time too and anyone else traveling here soon.


----------



## Miss SD

Roo's Kanga said:


> Thanks for the info, Miss SD!
> 
> I am picturing that older gentlemen in "The Waterhorse" telling the tale over lunch.



Here is a link showing the founder of the center who spoke with us (and answered questions!)
http://www.lochnessproject.org/USA LECTURE/adrian_shine_lectures 2013 .html


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## calypso726

Tozzie said:


> I have been trying very hard not to read this thread because I didn't want to hear anything before my trip and after reading the posts recently at the God awful ABD guides and the itinerary changes  I was not a happy camper.
> 
> I have been aprehensive about this trip since shortly after booking it and now even after what calypso posted i am not looking forward to this trip at all.  I have gotten very used to basic lip service from ABD and I do not believe a word of any executive of the company.    What bothers me more than anything is the guides that you get on the August 4th trip may not be the guides I get on my tour in September and if I get the guides that yell  well for the first time in my life I am dreading a trip instead of looking forward to it and this will be my 4th ABD.



Tozzie, I would probably feel the same way you do right now had I not spoken to Bruce. Generally speaking I am skeptical when talking to any company executive and my motto is I'll believe it when I see it so put your money where your mouth is.  As a rule I am not very easily placated with patronizing lip service, platitudes and bull spit. I have a background in sales and can smell it a mile away. I am the antithesis of non-confrontational and will happily argue the color of the sky if the whim strikes. I honestly believe Bruce's commitment to guest satisfaction. Each of my concerns was addressed.

I copied every negative comment on here regarding itinerary changes, ABD guide behavior, etc. and so forth leaving out any identifying information of the  OP and e-mailed it to him as a list of my concerns. I can only imagine how he must have felt receiving that list  Nonetheless despite the fact that I was completely freaked and a flat out told him I am seriously wondering if I made a huge mistake booking this trip he did not patronize me in the least. I would bet my last dime that everything I wrote was also shared with the guides whether or not I had reached out to him. As has been written many times before, ABD does read this forum. I hope this helps


----------



## Tozzie

calypso726 said:


> Tozzie, I would probably feel the same way you do right now had I not spoken to Bruce. Generally speaking I am skeptical when talking to any company executive and my motto is I'll believe it when I see it so put your money where your mouth is.  As a rule I am not very easily placated with patronizing lip service, platitudes and bull spit. I have a background in sales and can smell it a mile away. I am the antithesis of non-confrontational and will happily argue the color of the sky if the whim strikes. I honestly believe Bruce's commitment to guest satisfaction. Each of my concerns was addressed.
> 
> I copied every negative comment on here regarding itinerary changes, ABD guide behavior, etc. and so forth leaving out any identifying information of the  OP and e-mailed it to him as a list of my concerns. I can only imagine how he must have felt receiving that list  Nonetheless despite the fact that I was completely freaked and a flat out told him I am seriously wondering if I made a huge mistake booking this trip he did not patronize me in the least. I would bet my last dime that everything I wrote was also shared with the guides whether or not I had reached out to him. As has been written many times before, ABD does read this forum. I hope this helps




Thank you,  I know that I have to go with a positive attitude otherwise I will see fault if there is none and I appreciate you taking the time not only to address my post but to address the concerns of everyone.  I have 2 months to get past this and I admittidly have been having a rotten week and that may also be contributing to my feelings.  I also think they may have sent the Disneyland guide over  there to straighten things out because maybe they did take the feedback to heart.  I will work on getting past these feelings and have a positive attitude for the trip.


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## calypso726

A couple more things:

The Staffin Beach stroll is replaced by a hike to the beach at Flodigarry House Hotel (Flora McDonald's Lodge). The views are supposed to be amazing.

The original "line up for Ceilidh dancing" was contracted with a different group. The leader of that group wound up moving out of the country and the group dismantled. ABD then approached the local Skye kids who are in a dancing school. There they study Gaelic cultural dances including Ceilidh and Hornpipe dancing. Until ABD asked, the kids had never performed in public. The kids perform for the ABD groups in their traditional costumes. 

Highland games for the kids: Midsummer on Skye involves Midges!! The outdoors in the evening hours are simply unbearable due the prevalence of these biting insects. The Mini Games are replaced with an indoors version, that for obvious reasons doesn't involve the Wellie Boot or Caber tossing.


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## calypso726

Tozzie said:


> Thank you,  I know that I have to go with a positive attitude otherwise I will see fault if there is none and I appreciate you taking the time not only to address my post but to address the concerns of everyone.  I have 2 months to get past this and I admittidly have been having a rotten week and that may also be contributing to my feelings.  I also think they may have sent the Disneyland guide over  there to straighten things out because maybe they did take the feedback to heart.  I will work on getting past these feelings and have a positive attitude for the trip.



You are very welcome. If it helps, I will be posting a trip report when I get back. I expect to have an amazing trip and will be happy to share my experience here. I promise not to spoil any surprises though


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## sayhello

Bobo912 said:


> My son didn't really do anything to deserve being yelled at, but it was just once.  I didn't say anything at the time and it didn't warrant any bad feedback on the guide.  Just wanted to point out that it does happen sometimes. * If the Scotland guide was yelling a lot, he/she is probably in the wrong line of work.*


That's a good point.  I have mostly been on Adults Only trips, so I probably am less likely to see even the occasional scream...



Bobo912 said:


> I am so angry about my recent experience with ABD, I would cancel the 2014 trip I've booked if I could get my money back.  Once that trip is over, I don't plan to travel with them again.


This still makes me very sad... 

Sayhello


----------



## sayhello

2BNDisney said:


> Just wanted to say I had a super time on my very first ABD trip to Scotland and would do it all over again if there were not so many other places I wanted to visit.  Hope you have a great time too and anyone else traveling here soon.


I'm so glad you had such a great time on your Scotland ABD!  Maybe MissSD's trip was an anomaly.  I sure hope so!

Sayhello


----------



## calypso726

Bobo912 said:


> I am so angry about my recent experience with ABD, I would cancel the 2014 trip I've booked if I could get my money back.  Once that trip is over, I don't plan to travel with them again.



Do you mean the Peru trip where they didn't pick you up at the airport, couldn't reach an ABD guide by phone at the hotel, followed by the scary cab ride? I would have been freaked out over that too and I speak the language! Or do you mean a different trip?


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## Bobo912

calypso726 said:


> Do you mean the Peru trip where they didn't pick you up at the airport, couldn't reach an ABD guide by phone at the hotel, followed by the scary cab ride? I would have been freaked out over that too and I speak the language! Or do you mean a different trip?



No, I mean the lack of response when I have complained.  A simple email or phone call indicating that a mistake was made, some reassurance that they will make every effort to prevent this sort of thing from happening in the future and maybe an apology would have been enough.  After four months of attempting to elicit a response from them, that's not enough any longer.  Sometimes things go wrong, and I understand that, but how a company handles the situation after the fact shows their true colors.  

I'm glad your getting a response from them, but it just looks like marketing to me.  They don't want negative comments and reviews for their new trip that has had so much hype.  But whatever the reason, at least your concerns are being addressed and you feel better about it, so that's something.


----------



## calypso726

Bobo912 said:


> No, I mean the lack of response when I have complained.  A simple email or phone call indicating that a mistake was made, some reassurance that they will make every effort to prevent this sort of thing from happening in the future and maybe an apology would have been enough.  After four months of attempting to elicit a response from them, that's not enough any longer.  Sometimes things go wrong, and I understand that, but how a company handles the situation after the fact shows their true colors.
> 
> I'm glad your getting a response from them, but it just looks like marketing to me.  They don't want negative comments and reviews for their new trip that has had so much hype.  But whatever the reason, at least your concerns are being addressed and you feel better about it, so that's something.



Oh I see. Yeah that is quite unprofessional. It appears that different managers handle different regions. For example, Bruce, is the regional operations manager for Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. My initial e-mails were never sent to him directly. I spoke with someone at ABD who said they would pass along my concerns, I then left a message on the ABD "contact us" website, I messaged the ABD Facebook page and I e-mailed the VP of ABD. I do not know which of those messages was forwarded to Bruce.

I imagine whoever received your communications either just didn't send them higher up the chain. Then again, I recall you also emailed the VP of ABD. Perhaps the regional operations manager for Peru doesn't share the same commitment to guest satisfaction that Bruce does. Either way, no follow communication to you shows poor business practice on their part regardless. I am sorry you have not even received so much as a courtesy response. I would be quite upset too. 

It's too bad there isn't a sub-forum for ABD on Trip Advisor. Since the comments and feedback are public, I have noticed that many companies respond back to negative feedback left by the users. Sometimes it is a "he said she said" matter of perspective and you see both sides of the issue. Sometimes upper management was not aware of a situation and they reach out to the guest publicly to make up for something that went wrong.


----------



## jjharts

Roo's Kanga said:


> Hello, for those of you who have been on this trip already, can you please tell me how the day at Loch Ness went? I am taking my son on this trip in June 2014 (he will be 7). I have already called and talked to ABD about his age and I know that he will be too young to go canoeing on Loch Ness (kids have to be 8). We will have to take the boat tour instead (which is fine because I'm not into canoes all that much). Did any of you take the boat tour? And how was lunch and the visitor's center? Was there a good view of the Loch from Urquhart Castle? My son is completely fascinated with finding the Loch Ness monster.
> 
> Also, on how many occasions did you get to see any type of animal? He loves all furry critters, great and small. Sheep dogs, horses, etc.
> 
> Thanks!




I thought the Loch Ness day was enjoyable.  We arrived around lunch time and Mr. Adrian Shine talked to us about his research of Nessie.  We ate and then headed to the boat launch.  Our captain was a very charming fellow.  He had helped with Mr. Shine's research and showed us a video that he had made.  It was entertaining and the ride on the lake was relaxing.  We rode by Urquhart Castle and got some fabulous pictures of it and of our fellow abd'ers that were canoeing.  Our captain then introduced us to some of the local ducks (they literally came flying when he called to them!!) and they rode back to the dock with us.  We boarded our van and rode to Urquhart Castle for some exploring.  After that we went to the museum that Mr. Shine had built (it was nicely done - kind of wish we had done this before his talk so we could have asked him some questions).

As for other critters, we saw lots and lots of sheep, a few deer, some highland cows, and of course ponies at Rothiemurchus Estate.  Some of the folks that took the Range Rover tour at the estate said that they got to feed some deer.


----------



## jjharts

Tozzie said:


> I have been trying very hard not to read this thread because I didn't want to hear anything before my trip and after reading the posts recently at the God awful ABD guides and the itinerary changes  I was not a happy camper.
> 
> I have been aprehensive about this trip since shortly after booking it and now even after what calypso posted i am not looking forward to this trip at all.  I have gotten very used to basic lip service from ABD and I do not believe a word of any executive of the company.    What bothers me more than anything is the guides that you get on the August 4th trip may not be the guides I get on my tour in September and if I get the guides that yell  well for the first time in my life I am dreading a trip instead of looking forward to it and this will be my 4th ABD.



Our guides did a good job.  One of them was kind enough to help us out with a hotel reservation dilemma after we mentioned it to her (it was not related to abd but she helped anyway )  and our other guide knew a lot of Disney trivia which made my dd very happy    Although parts of this trip did not live up to my expectations, other areas far exceeded them.  Will I do another ABD again?? Hmm...   not sure, but I am glad we did this one.


----------



## janecamillacharlton

I'm joining to connect with others on the 8/4-8/13 ABD Scotland trip.  I am Jane (janecamillacharlton), and will be traveling with DH Paul and DD12.  We will be in London for several days before the tour begins to see Wicked and Matilda and to go to the WB Studios Harry Potter Tour.  Really looking forward to this trip and am glad to hear that some of the concerns expressed about it have now been resolved.  Rather glad I didn't read this until they were or I would have been worried, too!

This will be our third ABD trip.  We really enjoyed Germany and Costa Rica.


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## carpenta

janecamillacharlton said:


> I'm joining to connect with others on the 8/4-8/13 ABD Scotland trip.  I am Jane (janecamillacharlton), and will be traveling with DH Paul and DD13.  We will be in London for several days before the tour begins to see Wicked and Matilda and to go to the WB Studios Harry Potter Tour.  Really looking forward to this trip and am glad to hear that some of the concerns expressed about it have now been resolved.  Rather glad I didn't read this until they were or I would have been worried, too!
> 
> This will be our third ABD trip.  We really enjoyed Germany and Costa Rica.



Just a note. We saw Wicked in NYC with the original cast and it is a wonderful play. You'll love it I'm sure. We are also seeing Matilda in NYC this Nov. Great minds think alike......... Hope you have a great trip.


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## CaliforniaGirl09

janecamillacharlton said:


> I'm joining to connect with others on the 8/4-8/13 ABD Scotland trip.  I am Jane (janecamillacharlton), and will be traveling with DH Paul and DD13.  We will be in London for several days before the tour begins to see Wicked and Matilda and to go to the WB Studios Harry Potter Tour.  Really looking forward to this trip and am glad to hear that some of the concerns expressed about it have now been resolved.  Rather glad I didn't read this until they were or I would have been worried, too!
> 
> This will be our third ABD trip.  We really enjoyed Germany and Costa Rica.





carpenta said:


> Just a note. We saw Wicked in NYC with the original cast and it is a wonderful play. You'll love it I'm sure. We are also seeing Matilda in NYC this Nov. Great minds think alike......... Hope you have a great trip.



Great minds indeed! We are on the August 4th trip with DD13 (she'll be 14 a few days after we get back). We saw Mathilda when it opened in Stratford-upon-avon in Nov. 2010 and absolutely loved it. We've also seen the London production of Wicked  And finally . . . we did the HP tour in London last November (which you will love). How's that for some overlap? Pretty funny!


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## Calfan

janecamillacharlton said:


> I'm joining to connect with others on the 8/4-8/13 ABD Scotland trip.  I am Jane (janecamillacharlton), and will be traveling with DH Paul and DD13.  We will be in London for several days before the tour begins to see Wicked and Matilda and to go to the WB Studios Harry Potter Tour.  Really looking forward to this trip and am glad to hear that some of the concerns expressed about it have now been resolved.  Rather glad I didn't read this until they were or I would have been worried, too!
> 
> This will be our third ABD trip.  We really enjoyed Germany and Costa Rica.



Welcome from a fellow 8/4 adventurer!  Wicked is one of my favorite musicals. I've seen it twice in San Francisco and once in New York and would see it again . The Harry Potter tour is on our must do sometime list. My kids and I are making our way through the books for the third time now, I think. My DD will be turning 11 on the trip. Looking forward to meeting you in a few weeks. 

calfan (Laura)


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## calypso726

janecamillacharlton said:


> I'm joining to connect with others on the 8/4-8/13 ABD Scotland trip.  I am Jane (janecamillacharlton), and will be traveling with DH Paul and DD13.  We will be in London for several days before the tour begins to see Wicked and Matilda and to go to the WB Studios Harry Potter Tour.  Really looking forward to this trip and am glad to hear that some of the concerns expressed about it have now been resolved.  Rather glad I didn't read this until they were or I would have been worried, too!
> 
> This will be our third ABD trip.  We really enjoyed Germany and Costa Rica.



Hi Jane!  We are also on your 8/4 trip. I'm Terrie and will be traveling with DH Wally. This is our first ABD. We've seen Wicked twice it was wonderful! We are also planning to do the Harry Potter Studios tour next year before our London/Paris ABD trip. Looking forward to meting you soon


----------



## calypso726

Miss SD said:


> Hi, calypso,
> 
> I'm not a whisky drinker, but my husband is and he enjoyed the whisky tasting at the hotel in Portree. The man who conducted the tasting would probably be able to offer up some suggestions. Ask you dad and brother which type of whisky they prefer (peaty vs. lightly smoked, etc.), and I think he'd be able to help you.



Thank you for the advice Miss SD!


----------



## Calfan

Received our boxes today. Very exciting. Also ordered some GBP from the bank, so feels like lots of progress toward the actual trip now. One question for those who have already taken this trip:  the spiral booklet does not indicate what time the welcome events start at the Balmoral on day 1. Does anyone remember what time they met the group and where?  Thanks in advance!


----------



## paddles

Calfan said:


> Received our boxes today. Very exciting. Also ordered some GBP from the bank, so feels like lots of progress toward the actual trip now. One question for those who have already taken this trip:  the spiral booklet does not indicate what time the welcome events start at the Balmoral on day 1. Does anyone remember what time they met the group and where?  Thanks in advance!



The first night starts at 6:30pm on a second floor suite in the Balmoral.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

Calfan said:


> Received our boxes today. Very exciting. Also ordered some GBP from the bank, so feels like lots of progress toward the actual trip now. One question for those who have already taken this trip:  the spiral booklet does not indicate what time the welcome events start at the Balmoral on day 1. Does anyone remember what time they met the group and where?  Thanks in advance!



Got ours too! I guess there are no more choices on items as we received four backpacks (rather than the different things we requested).


----------



## calypso726

Calfan said:


> Received our boxes today. Very exciting. Also ordered some GBP from the bank, so feels like lots of progress toward the actual trip now. One question for those who have already taken this trip:  the spiral booklet does not indicate what time the welcome events start at the Balmoral on day 1. Does anyone remember what time they met the group and where?  Thanks in advance!



Woo Hoo ABD boxes! Ah, thanks for the reminder. Ordering GBP on our list.



CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Got ours too! I guess there are no more choices on items as we received four backpacks (rather than the different things we requested).



We didn't even know there was an option to choose anything else. 



paddles said:


> The first night starts at 6:30pm on a second floor suite in the Balmoral.



Oh good to know! Thanks!


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

calypso726 said:


> We didn't even know there was an option to choose anything else.



Yep, there was a packable travel blanket and a messenger bag option. We picked one of the messenger bags and one of the blankets along with two backpacks for the four of us, but only four backpacks arrived. I'd seen something about the change in one of the earlier threads, but someone had said that if you had been given the option to choose you would get the different things. I guess they ran out.


----------



## carpenta

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Yep, there was a packable travel blanket and a messenger bag option. We picked one of the messenger bags and one of the blankets along with two backpacks for the four of us, but only four backpacks arrived. I'd seen something about the change in one of the earlier threads, but someone had said that if you had been given the option to choose you would get the different things. I guess they ran out.



I was told that the green backpack would be the one and only "gift" to be given out for what's its' worth....


----------



## janecamillacharlton

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Yep, there was a packable travel blanket and a messenger bag option. We picked one of the messenger bags and one of the blankets along with two backpacks for the four of us, but only four backpacks arrived. I'd seen something about the change in one of the earlier threads, but someone had said that if you had been given the option to choose you would get the different things. I guess they ran out.



We also requested more of a variety I think, but received 3 backpacks.  I am OK with that since we rather liked our old backpacks and they have worn out.


----------



## Bobo912

Return guests who booked prior to Jan 2014 were given a choice of gifts.  If you meet that criteria, you should get whatever you selected.  If ABD didn't order enough that is ridiculously poor planning.  Since all the selections would have been in by end of Dec 2012 or early Jan 2013, at the latest, they've known for months how many they needed of each item.

ETA:  Of course, I really meant prior to Jan 2013, since prior to Jan 2014 would be everybody, now wouldn't it?


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

Bobo912 said:


> Return guests who booked prior to Jan 2014 were given a choice of gifts.  If you meet that criteria, you should get whatever you selected.  If ABD didn't order enough that is ridiculously poor planning.  Since all the selections would have been in by end of Dec 2012 or early Jan 2013, at the latest, they've known for months how many they needed of each item.



That's what I thought, too, but I booked on the insider day (day before it went on sale) in May 2013 or so, and I am a return traveler. I guess it's the ridiculously poor planning option


----------



## sayhello

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> That's what I thought, too, but I booked on the insider day (day before it went on sale) in May 2013 or so, and I am a return traveler. I guess it's the ridiculously poor planning option


I don't know if it's ridiculously poor planning as much as thinking the new backpacks were so great that everyone would want one.  (And yes, I realize they should have asked if you did or not, but given how things were going at the start of the season, I think that was just one too many things for them.)  I heard that Josh D'Amaro thought these backpacks were just the best thing since sliced bread!   

Sayhello


----------



## Calfan

For those who are not staying at the Balmoral for their pre-nights, Kevin at Dreams Unlimited contacted ABD and came back with the following:


ABD requests that you meet the group in the lobby at your first hotel
(Balmoral) no later than 4:30pm.

Your Welcome events will begin shortly after, so you should be checked in
and ready to go by 4:30pm.


----------



## calypso726

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Yep, there was a packable travel blanket and a messenger bag option. We picked one of the messenger bags and one of the blankets along with two backpacks for the four of us, but only four backpacks arrived. I'd seen something about the change in one of the earlier threads, but someone had said that if you had been given the option to choose you would get the different things. I guess they ran out.



That sounds like a nice selection. Sorry you didn't get what you requested.



Bobo912 said:


> Return guests who booked prior to Jan 2014 were given a choice of gifts.  If you meet that criteria, you should get whatever you selected.  If ABD didn't order enough that is ridiculously poor planning.  Since all the selections would have been in by end of Dec 2012 or early Jan 2013, at the latest, they've known for months how many they needed of each item.



Oh that makes sense. This is our first ABD so that is probably why we were not offered a selection.



sayhello said:


> I heard that Josh D'Amaro thought these backpacks were just the best thing since sliced bread!
> 
> Sayhello



Seriously?  It's not that we booked ABD for the free gift or anything  but we have seen pics of previous ABD gifts and the "backpack" doesn't quite compare upon first glance  Either way we will bring one on the trip and "field test" it to see how it holds up. Perhaps it is sturdier than it looks.



Calfan said:


> For those who are not staying at the Balmoral for their pre-nights, Kevin at Dreams Unlimited contacted ABD and came back with the following:
> 
> 
> ABD requests that you meet the group in the lobby at your first hotel
> (Balmoral) no later than 4:30pm.
> 
> Your Welcome events will begin shortly after, so you should be checked in
> and ready to go by 4:30pm.



Wow! I am glad you posted that. We did not receive any such communication yet from Kevin. I was thinking we had until closer to 6. Changing our pre-trip Saturday plans for the third time now  Well, they say third time is a charm, hopefully so


----------



## wld

Getting closer!!! Quick question for you more experienced travelers.  When do you exchange money?  or do you find a bank and bring it with you?  thanks


----------



## sayhello

wld said:


> Getting closer!!! Quick question for you more experienced travelers.  When do you exchange money?  or do you find a bank and bring it with you?  thanks


Personally, I always go to my bank so that I can arrive at least with some of the local currency.  Don't exchange money at the airport; the rate is usually awful.  ATM's are usually your best bet to get more cash if you need it, but be sure & verify ahead of time where you will & won't have access to an ATM.

I use my credit card if I can.  Capital One cards do not charge you a foreign transaction fee.

Sayhello


----------



## Tozzie

wld said:


> Getting closer!!! Quick question for you more experienced travelers.  When do you exchange money?  or do you find a bank and bring it with you?  thanks



I also  get some money in local currency through my bank before I go and then usn e the credit card and ATM if  I need more cash.  

The only warning about atm cards is that the machines in Europe wont accept PIN numbers that begin with zero.


----------



## calypso726

wld said:


> Getting closer!!! Quick question for you more experienced travelers.  When do you exchange money?  or do you find a bank and bring it with you?  thanks



We will order some GBP from our bank and bring a nominal amount as a back up for anything that cannot be paid with a credit card. All purchases that can be, will be paid with a credit card that carries no foreign transaction fees and has a chip and signature feature. We are also bringing one that is chip and pin just in case we run into a need to pay for something at an unmanned kiosk   I gotta keep accumulating those airline miles for next year's ABD so we will use as little cash as possible


----------



## paddles

There are ATMs everywhere, so there's no need to bring cash from home anymore.  There are typically ATMs at the airport, and if you're staying at the Balmoral hotel in Edinburgh, there's a small mall right next door (part of Waverly station) that has a couple of Barclay's ATMs (if you have a BofA account, you won't get double-charged on ATM fees if you use Barclay's in the UK).

there's also a Starbucks in that mall with free Wi-Fi


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

paddles said:


> There are ATMs everywhere, so there's no need to bring cash from home anymore.  There are typically ATMs at the airport, and if you're staying at the Balmoral hotel in Edinburgh, there's a small mall right next door (part of Waverly station) that has a couple of Barclay's ATMs (if you have a BofA account, you won't get double-charged on ATM fees if you use Barclay's in the UK).
> 
> there's also a Starbucks in that mall with free Wi-Fi



I was just going to chime in about Barclays and B of A. That's what we always do. We order a little bit of cash (basically enough for cabs) and then supplement with the ATM if we need extra cash. The no foreign transaction fee credit card is huge and if you can come by a chip and pin (which are difficult to find), those are the best. We have a chip and signature but not a chip and pin--the first is pretty much useless at the unmanned kiosks. When I was ordering it, they told me it was chip and pin. Sigh. HINT: If you have a foreign transaction fee free card, do *not* accept if a retailer offers to have the transaction charged in dollars. The exchange rate is usually horrible (Harrods I'm looking at you!) and never as good as the credit card companies get (which for my capital one credit card is always close to the spot rate).


----------



## Calfan

calypso726 said:


> I gotta keep accumulating those airline miles for next year's ABD so we will use as little cash as possible



Ditto!


----------



## wld

wow glad i asked!  I have only been to Canada once, Mexico once with my daughters spanish club and Guatemala 4 times.  the guatemala trips are medical missions so don't need many Q's but is a cash based economy for the most part.  I don't even get the whole"chip and pin" thing.  i'm going to have to reread your answers again!
Any other big things this not so worldly traveler should know?
(have you guessed i also don't know how to do the quote thing?)


----------



## wld

oh and thanks for the zero tip!


----------



## calypso726

wld said:


> wow glad i asked!  I have only been to Canada once, Mexico once with my daughters spanish club and Guatemala 4 times.  the guatemala trips are medical missions so don't need many Q's but is a cash based economy for the most part.  I don't even get the whole"chip and pin" thing.  i'm going to have to reread your answers again!
> Any other big things this not so worldly traveler should know?
> (have you guessed i also don't know how to do the quote thing?)



In Europe credit cards aren't swipe and sign like they are here. They have EMV cards also known as chip and pin or chip and sign. See pic below. The chip is above the first 4 numbers. It acts like our magnetic swipe. Here, our card readers read the swipe and we sign. Card readers across the pond read the chip and the person enters their pin # for chip and pin cards. There aren't many chip and pin cards in the USA. We did pick up a Penfed chip and pin card that gives 5% back on all gas purchases with no cap, no annual fee and no FTF   We are only using it as a back up in case we come across a chip and pin only kiosk. There are decent selection of chip and signature cards. So for those, the card reader reads the chip and then we sign. 

You can call your credit card company and find out if they do carry chip and signature cards. If so, they will send you one. We did that with all of our credit cards that do not charge foreign transaction fees we plan on taking. Earlier in this thread I believe I might have posted a list of credit cards that do not carry foreign transaction fees. 

To quote one post, click on the bottom right part of the post on the word "quote." A reply box will pop up with the post you are quoting at the top. To reply to multiple quotes, click on the box with quotation marks on the bottom right of each post you would like to quote. They will highlight as you click them but the reply box will not pop up. Once you have clicked the quotation marks of all of the posts you would like to respond to then click on the "Post Reply" box located on the bottom left side of the entire page.

I hope this helps.


----------



## calypso726

We are going to Stirling on our pre-trip  I just got confirmation from the Balmoral that David (Paddles' driver) will be able to take us to visit Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument  Thank you Paddles for recommendation.


----------



## tufbuf

calypso726 said:


> We are going to Stirling on our pre-trip  I just got confirmation from the Balmoral that David (Paddles' driver) will be able to take us to visit Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument  Thank you Paddles for recommendation.



How do you hire David?

Were you the first to mention the Outlander series in this forum? Man, I am hooked!!! I'm reading the fourth book already in less than two months, slowed down by 2-1/2 weeks when we were on the cruise.  So, thank you!!


----------



## calypso726

tufbuf said:


> How do you hire David?
> 
> Were you the first to mention the Outlander series in this forum? Man, I am hooked!!! I'm reading the fourth book already in less than two months, slowed down by 2-1/2 weeks when we were on the cruise.  So, thank you!!



Contact the Balmoral *CLICKY HERE* through their contact us e-mail. Email your request and they will forward it to concierge. 

Yes, that was me on the very first post after Sayhello's roll call post   I am listening to the series for the third time and am on book 6. You are very welcome  If you ever get the chance to listen to the series it is actually better than reading it and I LOVE to read. The narrator is the best I have ever heard. I am waiting on pins and needles for book 8 to come out in March


----------



## Calfan

As another fan of the Outlander series (I am almost finished listening to Voyager) and a history buff, I am wondering about the possibility of visiting Culloden while we are in Inverness.  To those who have already done the Scotland ABD, did anyone do this?  Was there some down time in Inverness to make this feasible?


----------



## paddles

calypso726 said:


> We are going to Stirling on our pre-trip  I just got confirmation from the Balmoral that David (Paddles' driver) will be able to take us to visit Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument  Thank you Paddles for recommendation.



Make sure you watch "Braveheart" again before your trip to feel inspired for that outing!  

I really liked David - he was super nice and had lots of good information. Even though he's not an official tour guide, he knew plenty enough of the locales. And at Stirling castle and Wallace Monument, there are tours/talks you can take for free (after paying entrance).

If you leave early enough in the day, you can also go to the Trossachs to enjoy the views....we didn't have enough time and my kiddos were tired.  David was nice enough to stop us by a McDonald's after Stirling castle so my kids could get lunch


----------



## paddles

Calfan said:


> As another fan of the Outlander series (I am almost finished listening to Voyager) and a history buff, I am wondering about the possibility of visiting Culloden while we are in Inverness.  To those who have already done the Scotland ABD, did anyone do this?  Was there some down time in Inverness to make this feasible?



My biggest inspiration for booking the Scotland trip was "Outlander", and I think I was incredibly interested in the history due to the series.  My husband is lucky I didn't make him wear a kilt on the trip and call me "Sassenach"  

In the Isle of Lewis, you visit a "broch" and I kept thinking of Jamie's "broch tuarach" and that it must be something similar.

At Inverness, I asked the guides if the bus driver could stop at Culloden to let a few of us off after Rothiemurchus estate (since that evening was time on our own) and they did. It was very interesting and I wish we had more time there. We arrived around 4:30 in the afternoon and it closed at 6pm, so we had to power-walk through the exhibit and grounds a bit.  But it was very eerie and sad being there, and I definitely think its worth a visit.


----------



## calypso726

paddles said:


> Make sure you watch "Braveheart" again before your trip to feel inspired for that outing!
> 
> I really liked David - he was super nice and had lots of good information. Even though he's not an official tour guide, he knew plenty enough of the locales. And at Stirling castle and Wallace Monument, there are tours/talks you can take for free (after paying entrance).
> 
> If you leave early enough in the day, you can also go to the Trossachs to enjoy the views....we didn't have enough time and my kiddos were tired.  David was nice enough to stop us by a McDonald's after Stirling castle so my kids could get lunch



We are leaving at 8:30 am and depending on how long we take to tour the castle and the monument may indeed stop at Trossachs. We will play it by ear. I am pretty sure I can squueze in a viewing of Braveheart   somewhere between the packing, planning and crossing off the to do list before we leave 



paddles said:


> My biggest inspiration for booking the Scotland trip was "Outlander", and I think I was incredibly interested in the history due to the series.  My husband is lucky I didn't make him wear a kilt on the trip and call me "Sassenach"
> 
> In the Isle of Lewis, you visit a "broch" and I kept thinking of Jamie's "broch tuarach" and that it must be something similar.
> 
> At Inverness, I asked the guides if the bus driver could stop at Culloden to let a few of us off after Rothiemurchus estate (since that evening was time on our own) and they did. It was very interesting and I wish we had more time there. We arrived around 4:30 in the afternoon and it closed at 6pm, so we had to power-walk through the exhibit and grounds a bit.  But it was very eerie and sad being there, and I definitely think its worth a visit.



   My DH is Vietnamese.  So even if I managed to convince him to wear a kilt *"I dinna think he will make a verra convincing Scotsman for by"* <said in Jamie's voice> Last month Diana Gabaldon was attending a historical novel society conference here in Florida. She held an impromptu hour long book signing for the fans at a local book store. About 300 people showed up. I saw 3 women wearing matching shirts that said "Call me Sassenach"  Your comment made me think of that 

There is a day long Outlander tour in Inverness that takes you to a place the resembles the description of "Lallybroch" I am looking forward to doing that next year. It also takes you to Culloden, but if we have a bit of free time and the bus driver is willing I would love to go Culloden on this trip. That would be an unexpected bonus


----------



## Calfan

paddles said:


> At Inverness, I asked the guides if the bus driver could stop at Culloden to let a few of us off after Rothiemurchus estate (since that evening was time on our own) and they did. It was very interesting and I wish we had more time there. We arrived around 4:30 in the afternoon and it closed at 6pm, so we had to power-walk through the exhibit and grounds a bit.  But it was very eerie and sad being there, and I definitely think its worth a visit.



Great to know.  Thanks!  If our timing is the same, I will definitely ask the bus driver to drop us off at Culloden.  

I am not sure if we will make it to Stirling on one of our Edinburgh pre-days, but I still plan to watch Braveheart before the trip.  It is currently at the top of the Netflix list!


----------



## tufbuf

This makes Scotland all the more exciting! I have better appreciation of the kilt after reading Outlander. With Jamir Fraser in it, who wouldn't?  anyway, in our recent Med cruise, I saw two Scots wearing their kilt in full regalia during formal night. It looked fabulous! I didn't realize sporrans are huge! And they are varied just like women's purses. 

Funny, I was just looking at a Braveheart DVD yesterday. The movie iis too depressing for me to watch all over again. The brutality those days, I cannot fathom.


----------



## sayhello

tufbuf said:


> This makes Scotland all the more exciting! I have better appreciation of the kilt after reading Outlander. With Jamir Fraser in it, who wouldn't?  anyway, in our recent Med cruise, I saw two Scots wearing their kilt in full regalia during formal night. It looked fabulous! I didn't realize sporrans are huge! And they are varied just like women's purses.


I wonder if they were wearing their kilts in the traditional manner... 

Sayhello


----------



## tufbuf

sayhello said:


> I wonder if they were wearing their kilts in the traditional manner...
> 
> Sayhello



I shock my DD by telling her how they were worn in the olden days...


----------



## sayhello

tufbuf said:


> I shock my DD by telling her how they were worn in the olden days...




Sayhello


----------



## klangkat

tufbuf said:


> I shock my DD by telling her how they were worn in the olden days...



What makes you think that was just in the olden days?  

Also, Braveheart is pretty inaccurate as a film and Mel Gibson's accent is not great. It may be a good watch, but it is not truly indicative of Scottish history or culture; it's a fictional film based, rather loosely, on historical events!


----------



## tufbuf

klangkat said:


> What makes you think that was just in the olden days?
> 
> Also, Braveheart is pretty inaccurate as a film and Mel Gibson's accent is not great. It may be a good watch, but it is not truly indicative of Scottish history or culture; it's a fictional film based, rather loosely, on historical events!



Ok, I did wonder about that too.... But know not who to ask...

That's what I heard about Braveheart too but you have to make it look good on film even if its a tad inaccurate, I guess.


----------



## Roo's Kanga

Even better than Braveheart - watch The Waterhorse !!!


----------



## Calfan

Roo's Kanga said:


> Even better than Braveheart - watch The Waterhorse !!!



I really liked that one.  That is a good suggestion for a movie I can watch with the kids before the trip. Definitely can't watch Braveheart with them!


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

Starting to think about packing and wondering whether previous travelers needed anything more dressy than cords or colored denim? I'd rather not take slacks or a dress if I don't need to LOL.


----------



## brett24

Wow...514 posts later...I almost feel like I read an Outlander book (ordered them for my DW to read on the flight over..."I think" thank you all who mentioned the series)...

We leave on Thursday for London for a week before heading into Edinburgh to meet up with the group. 

Myself, Brett (brett24), my DW, Julia and our DS14 and DD10 (turning 11 during the trip so we shall have at least two birthday celebrations).

This will be our first ABD and our first trip to Scotland.

I will make my effort to report back as every contribution here (good/bad/etc) has helped me adjust my planning and expectations (good/bad/etc)...I will say I'm glad I waited until right before the trip to dig a littler deeper...and knowing that this particular Adventure was/is a work-in-progress also allows me to keep some perspective. I think it is interesting that pictures were referenced/linked so infrequently in our "visual" age. It's fascinating to me how experienced some of our travelers are with the Disney brand and how the corporate response and interplay of the system(s) is changed so dynamically by this forum...by this medium...(I have a little marketing background)...

I do have one day pre-trip and two days post-trip cushion in Edinburgh and we'll have had a week to adjust to the time shift from Texas so the kids won't be as "shocked" as they could have been...I've learned my lesson traveling with a teen and tween into foreign lands (even if they do speak a variant of our English)...

I look very much forward to sharing a great adventure and meeting Terrie(calypso726), Wally, Monica(californiagirl09), Dave, Laura(calfan), Rob, Jane(janecamillacharlton), Paul and their family(ies) in person.


----------



## Calfan

brett24 said:


> Myself, Brett (brett24), my DW, Julia and our DS14 and DD10 (turning 11 during the trip so we shall have at least two birthday celebrations).



Two girls turning 11 on the trip.  Very cool!  I know my daugther will look forward to meeting yours.  Looking forward to meeting you and your family and sharing this adventure.  Hope your wife enjoys the Outlander books.  Enjoy your time in London, and see you in Edinburgh.


----------



## janecamillacharlton

brett24 said:


> I look very much forward to sharing a great adventure and meeting Terrie(calypso726), Wally, Monica(californiagirl09), Dave, Laura(calfan), Rob, Jane(janecamillacharlton), Paul and their family(ies) in person.



Eager to know of another member of the early August group!  That is about half of our group known to us now it seems.  My DD(12) is glad to hear of four other early teen and late tween girls in the party (already).

I'm also trying to go through the Outlander books.  I listened to the first a few years ago, and really liked it but needed a refresher.  I don't think I'm going to manage to get too far since there is a great deal of work I need to try to finish before leaving for London on Monday. (We'll also be in London before the trip.)

Also, eager to hear the answer about whether people are bringing dresses/skirts for dinners.  Last ABD tours I was on some people did seem to dress up a bit, but I don't mind either way.  On the one travel review I saw it seemed that most guests were wearing kilts by the end of the trip!


----------



## klangkat

tufbuf said:


> Ok, I did wonder about that too.... But know not who to ask...
> 
> That's what I heard about Braveheart too but you have to make it look good on film even if its a tad inaccurate, I guess.



I understand that things are often dramatised for films; otherwise they'd be a lot longer and slower moving... and less glamorous! 
However, a lot of people feel that Braveheart still gives a 'feel' for Scotland.. but it doesn't. Main character isn't Scottish and the majority of the filming wasn't done in Scotland (it was done in Ireland). VERY little Scottish about it!


----------



## calypso726

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Starting to think about packing and wondering whether previous travelers needed anything more dressy than cords or colored denim? I'd rather not take slacks or a dress if I don't need to LOL.



I was just about to ask this same question as I was wondering the same thing too  I'm the person that doesn't think twice about packing 10 or more bags for 2 people on a week long cruise since we just drive to the port. The idea of narrowing it down  to one checked bag, one carry-on bag and one personal is daunting to say the least 

I know for sure I will not be bringing a dress though. I'd be quite happy to just have to pack jeans or cords.



brett24 said:


> Wow...514 posts later...I almost feel like I read an Outlander book (ordered them for my DW to read on the flight over..."I think" thank you all who mentioned the series)...
> 
> We leave on Thursday for London for a week before heading into Edinburgh to meet up with the group.
> 
> Myself, Brett (brett24), my DW, Julia and our DS14 and DD10 (turning 11 during the trip so we shall have at least two birthday celebrations).
> 
> This will be our first ABD and our first trip to Scotland.
> 
> I will make my effort to report back as every contribution here (good/bad/etc) has helped me adjust my planning and expectations (good/bad/etc)...I will say I'm glad I waited until right before the trip to dig a littler deeper...and knowing that this particular Adventure was/is a work-in-progress also allows me to keep some perspective. I think it is interesting that pictures were referenced/linked so infrequently in our "visual" age. It's fascinating to me how experienced some of our travelers are with the Disney brand and how the corporate response and interplay of the system(s) is changed so dynamically by this forum...by this medium...(I have a little marketing background)...
> 
> I do have one day pre-trip and two days post-trip cushion in Edinburgh and we'll have had a week to adjust to the time shift from Texas so the kids won't be as "shocked" as they could have been...I've learned my lesson traveling with a teen and tween into foreign lands (even if they do speak a variant of our English)...
> 
> I look very much forward to sharing a great adventure and meeting Terrie(calypso726), Wally, Monica(californiagirl09), Dave, Laura(calfan), Rob, Jane(janecamillacharlton), Paul and their family(ies) in person.



 to the DISboards  We are looking forward to meeting your family and everyone here as well. I think it is pretty awesome that most of our group is on the Disboards. I hope your wife receives as much entertainment and enjoyment from the Outlander series as we have 



janecamillacharlton said:


> Eager to know of another member of the early August group!  That is about half of our group known to us now it seems.  My DD(12) is glad to hear of four other early teen and late tween girls in the party (already).
> 
> I'm also trying to go through the Outlander books.  I listened to the first a few years ago, and really liked it but needed a refresher.  I don't think I'm going to manage to get too far since there is a great deal of work I need to try to finish before leaving for London on Monday. (We'll also be in London before the trip.)
> 
> Also, eager to hear the answer about whether people are bringing dresses/skirts for dinners.  Last ABD tours I was on some people did seem to dress up a bit, but I don't mind either way.  On the one travel review I saw it seemed that most guests were wearing kilts by the end of the trip!



No dresses or skirts here. Slacks if I must, but would rather not, given the choice. If there is are some (CaliforniaGirl?) besides myself, that would prefer to stick to jeans and cords but does not want to be the only one, I will happily vow to wear jeans/cords to dinner the whole trip so you won't be alone  

Where did you find the review with people wearing kilts? I would love to check it out!


----------



## janecamillacharlton

calypso726 said:


> Where did you find the review with people wearing kilts? I would love to check it out!



Sorry I can't put a link - apparently I am not an experienced enough user to be allowed!  But it is travelsavvymom and Scotland ABD and you should be able to find it.  Picture 24 in the series of 25.

Just the kids in this picture but I would imagine some adults might participate as well.  I know that many of the ladies got German dresses on our German ABD (though I did not).  My DH has been told by his mother that he needs the Stewart clan kilt so I guess that applies for DD as well...


----------



## jjharts

I packed a dress for our theatre night pre-abd in London and I think I wore it one more time during our abd.  None of the restaurants are overly dressy - a nice pair of slacks
 will probably get you by.


----------



## Calfan

calypso726 said:


> No dresses or skirts here. Slacks if I must, but would rather not, given the choice. If there is are some (CaliforniaGirl?) besides myself, that would prefer to stick to jeans and cords but does not want to be the only one, I will happily vow to wear jeans/cords to dinner the whole trip so you won't be alone QUOTE]
> 
> You read my mind.  I actually did most of my packing last night (still have to do the kids), and the dressiest items I have packed for dinners are a pair of white jeans and a couple of cords (that I plan to wear with sweaters or a blouse).  I would definitely like to stick with that, so I am all for the vow of solidarity on that point.


----------



## calypso726

Calfan said:


> You read my mind.  I actually did most of my packing last night (still have to do the kids), and the dressiest items I have packed for dinners are a pair of white jeans and a couple of cords (that I plan to wear with sweaters or a blouse).  I would definitely like to stick with that, so I am all for the vow of solidarity on that point.



Consider it done. You will not be alone, jeans or cords it is  I am getting started on the packing tonight.


----------



## W@LL-E

Hello Everyone.

Terrie  (my better half) had mentioned that we have a few people from our group posting on the DIS and wanted to  by and say hello. I can't wait to meet you all in Scotland on our Brave 08.04.13 adventure.

I'm all in for jeans for dinner 
...and breakfast 
...and lunch 
...and mid-morning snack 
...and late afternoon snack 
...and after dinner snack 
did I forget a meal ???

Only *8* more sleeps until Scotland


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

calypso726 said:


> Consider it done. You will not be alone, jeans or cords it is  I am getting started on the packing tonight.



Count me in as well! I know my sister is on-board as well, so we will definitely have strength in numbers 



W@LL-E said:


> Hello Everyone.
> 
> Terrie  (my better half) had mentioned that we have a few people from our group posting on the DIS and wanted to  by and say hello. I can't wait to meet you all in Scotland on our Brave 08.04.13 adventure.
> 
> I'm all in for jeans for dinner
> ...and breakfast
> ...and lunch
> ...and mid-morning snack
> ...and late afternoon snack
> ...and after dinner snack
> did I forget a meal ???



LOL, jeans it is! Really looking forward to meeting you and Terrie as well. I feel as if I know you guys after over a year of planning and waiting. Will be so fun to meet you both in person finally!


----------



## Calfan

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Really looking forward to meeting you and Terrie as well. I feel as if I know you guys after over a year of planning and waiting. Will be so fun to meet you both in person finally!



Same here!


----------



## tufbuf

To those who are leaving for their tour (and those who have been), could anyone find out or know about laundry services at the Balmoral? Thanks.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

I'd be interested in laundry info, too, but I was also wondering what kind of coats previous travelers have ended up wearing? Trying to decide whether to bring a raincoat, a rain poncho (do they provide the plastic ones like they do on other trips?), or a north face type shell with fleece insert. Any thoughts?


----------



## brett24

We arrived in London yesterday to a sunny 81° day and everyone was panicked that they were "getting burnt" and how "abnormally hot it was" and "we all look like tourists but we're breaking out the shorts"...but it should rain tomorrow. That being said, and being from Texas, we almost made it in four suitcases...we ended up with five and nested a smaller one into the fifth so we'll have six...since we arrive a day "pre" and depart two days "post" I called ahead and the Balmoral said that they might assist us with the kindness to store a suitcase while we are on the Adventure...obviously they didn't make a blanket statement that they have unlimited storage, but since we leave and come back it should give us a little elbow room for the "week of London clothes" and any souvenirs (at least four people asked us "sincerely" to bring back some small commemorative item of the royal newborn...) and I have a funny feeling we'll need a few more items to commemorate the Adventure.


----------



## Calfan

For those who have already done this adventure, did you receive ABD duffles upon arrival?  I think (hope) we are going to make it into 4 suitcases, but it will be a tight fit that won't really leave any room for purchases while in Scotland. If we do get duffles, that could solve the "how to get it all home problem."


----------



## sayhello

Calfan said:


> For those who have already done this adventure, did you receive ABD duffles upon arrival?  I think (hope) we are going to make it into 4 suitcases, but it will be a tight fit that won't really leave any room for purchases while in Scotland. If we do get duffles, that could solve the "how to get it all home problem."


You get duffles on all ABD's.  

Sayhello


----------



## tufbuf

sayhello said:


> You get duffles on all ABD's.
> 
> Sayhello



Did you get the gray bag with orange zippers? I thought that's a nice color combo.


----------



## SingingMom

tufbuf said:


> Did you get the gray bag with orange zippers? I thought that's a nice color combo.



That's the one we got last  week in Germany. 

"SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards


----------



## jjharts

Calfan said:


> For those who have already done this adventure, did you receive ABD duffles upon arrival?  I think (hope) we are going to make it into 4 suitcases, but it will be a tight fit that won't really leave any room for purchases while in Scotland. If we do get duffles, that could solve the "how to get it all home problem."



Yes, we received our duffle when we checked in with our guides on the first evening.  They are a nice size and came in handy for souvenirs.


----------



## jjharts

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> I'd be interested in laundry info, too, but I was also wondering what kind of coats previous travelers have ended up wearing? Trying to decide whether to bring a raincoat, a rain poncho (do they provide the plastic ones like they do on other trips?), or a north face type shell with fleece insert. Any thoughts?



I don't know about the laundry service, but I packed a nice, dressy trench coat and a waterproof jacket that folded into its own pocket (stored great in my daypack).  They did have the plastic rain ponchos.  I mostly wore a fleece hoodie.  I would think the North Face jacket would get you by just fine.


----------



## sayhello

tufbuf said:


> Did you get the gray bag with orange zippers? I thought that's a nice color combo.


Yep.  That's what I got.  I do think it's a nice update to the duffles. 

Sayhello


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

jjharts said:


> I don't know about the laundry service, but I packed a nice, dressy trench coat and a waterproof jacket that folded into its own pocket (stored great in my daypack).  They did have the plastic rain ponchos.  I mostly wore a fleece hoodie.  I would think the North Face jacket would get you by just fine.



This is awesome info--thank you so much! I will adjust packing accordingly


----------



## Calfan

sayhello said:


> You get duffles on all ABD's.
> 
> Sayhello





jjharts said:


> Yes, we received our duffle when we checked in with our guides on the first evening.  They are a nice size and came in handy for souvenirs.



Thanks so much for the confirmation.  Still an ABD newbie here (although not for long, LOL).  Those sound like they will work perfectly.


----------



## calypso726

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Count me in as well! I know my sister is on-board as well, so we will definitely have strength in numbers
> 
> LOL, jeans it is! Really looking forward to meeting you and Terrie as well. I feel as if I know you guys after over a year of planning and waiting. Will be so fun to meet you both in person finally!





Calfan said:


> Same here!



YAY for strength in numbers and YAY for whoever discovered denim   I totally agree! We are looking forward to meeting everyone,  Monica, Dave, Laura, Rob, Jane, Paul, Brett and Julia too 




brett24 said:


> We arrived in London yesterday to a sunny 81° day and everyone was panicked that they were "getting burnt" and how "abnormally hot it was" and "we all look like tourists but we're breaking out the shorts"...but it should rain tomorrow. That being said, and being from Texas, we almost made it in four suitcases...we ended up with five and nested a smaller one into the fifth so we'll have six...since we arrive a day "pre" and depart two days "post" I called ahead and the Balmoral said that they might assist us with the kindness to store a suitcase while we are on the Adventure...obviously they didn't make a blanket statement that they have unlimited storage, but since we leave and come back it should give us a little elbow room for the "week of London clothes" and any souvenirs (at least four people asked us "sincerely" to bring back some small commemorative item of the royal newborn...) and I have a funny feeling we'll need a few more items to commemorate the Adventure.



Wow that sounds nice and warm. After checking out the weather forecast it doesn't look like we will be so lucky. Highs are in the 60's and lows in the 50's. We are from Florida and that is COLD! We are also trying to pack lighter than what we are used to. Gotta have room for souvenirs. Packing cubes are a life saver!



sayhello said:


> You get duffles on all ABD's.
> Sayhello



Ooh! What an unexpected surprise. That should come in handy! 



jjharts said:


> Yes, we received our duffle when we checked in with our guides on the first evening.  They are a nice size and came in handy for souvenirs.



Perfect! Good to know thanks!


----------



## Calfan

Since Wednesday, I have watched Braveheart, Brave and The Waterhorse (the latter two with the kids). We are officially ready for Scotland!


----------



## jjharts

Calfan said:


> Since Wednesday, I have watched Braveheart, Brave and The Waterhorse (the latter two with the kids). We are officially ready for Scotland!



Throw in a little Rob Roy and you are all set (wouldn't watch it with the kids though )


----------



## jjharts

My dd says to have a blast!!


----------



## Calfan

jjharts said:


> Throw in a little Rob Roy and you are all set (wouldn't watch it with the kids though )



I think I am out of time.  But I did see Rob Roy in the theater when it came out, so I am counting it!


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

jjharts said:


> My dd says to have a blast!!



OMG, I love this picture! Reminds me of so many of my previous trips. I can't wait. On the three day countdown!


----------



## calypso726

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> OMG, I love this picture! Reminds me of so many of my previous trips. I can't wait. On the three day countdown!



JJharts that's a Great pic!!! Please tell your DD I am sure we will. It looks like she was having a great time 

2 more sleeps  and we are off to Scotland!!!


----------



## Calfan

calypso726 said:


> 2 more sleeps  and we are off to Scotland!!!



Same with us!!!


----------



## 2BNDisney

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> OMG, I love this picture! Reminds me of so many of my previous trips. I can't wait. On the three day countdown!



Awww - brings back great memories 
Well I responded to the wrong post but I meant the one with jjharts daughter - lol


----------



## 2BNDisney

calypso726 said:


> JJharts that's a Great pic!!! Please tell your DD I am sure we will. It looks like she was having a great time
> 
> 2 more sleeps  and we are off to Scotland!!!



Hope your group has as much fun as ours did.... and little to no rain for you all


----------



## edinburghlass

Not long now and Edinburgh is putting out the flags for you! Mainly because its the Edinburgh Festival and Fringe time where the city will have a huge influx of visitors along with thousands of people bringing shows to the capital.

Some preview shows start from Wednesday (tomorrow) and on Thursday will be the first showing of the Tattoo which is filmed for DVD and TV. I have tickets for this night, they are half normal price due to the cameramen following the performers. Don't get in the way of a marching pipe band as they keep going no matter who is in front of them.

There will be street performers all across the city so plenty to watch for free but do allow plenty of time to get wherever you are going.

Weather has been fantastic for the past few weeks but the last week its been thunder, lightening and rain followed by sunshine, I'm praying for a dry night on Thursday for the Tattoo.

Hope you all enjoy your visit to Scotland and in particular Edinburgh.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

edinburghlass said:


> Weather has been fantastic for the past few weeks but the last week its been thunder, lightening and rain followed by sunshine, I'm praying for a dry night on Thursday for the Tattoo.
> 
> Hope you all enjoy your visit to Scotland and in particular Edinburgh.



Thanks so much for the weather update. I've been watching the forecasts, and it looks like it might be a clear weekend, which would be great since we arrive on Friday, and I'm hoping to climb Arthur's seat on Saturday or Sunday.


----------



## 2BNDisney

edinburghlass said:


> Not long now and Edinburgh is putting out the flags for you! Mainly because its the Edinburgh Festival and Fringe time where the city will have a huge influx of visitors along with thousands of people bringing shows to the capital.
> 
> Some preview shows start from Wednesday (tomorrow) and on Thursday will be the first showing of the Tattoo which is filmed for DVD and TV. I have tickets for this night, they are half normal price due to the cameramen following the performers. Don't get in the way of a marching pipe band as they keep going no matter who is in front of them.
> 
> There will be street performers all across the city so plenty to watch for free but do allow plenty of time to get wherever you are going.
> 
> Weather has been fantastic for the past few weeks but the last week its been thunder, lightening and rain followed by sunshine, I'm praying for a dry night on Thursday for the Tattoo.
> 
> Hope you all enjoy your visit to Scotland and in particular Edinburgh.



I am just curious .... how bad does the weather have to be for them to cancel one of the performances?


----------



## Calfan

2BNDisney said:


> I am just curious .... how bad does the weather have to be for them to cancel one of the performances?



Curious about that too since we have tickets for Saturday night.


----------



## calypso726

edinburghlass said:


> Not long now and Edinburgh is putting out the flags for you! Mainly because its the Edinburgh Festival and Fringe time where the city will have a huge influx of visitors along with thousands of people bringing shows to the capital.
> 
> Some preview shows start from Wednesday (tomorrow) and on Thursday will be the first showing of the Tattoo which is filmed for DVD and TV. I have tickets for this night, they are half normal price due to the cameramen following the performers. Don't get in the way of a marching pipe band as they keep going no matter who is in front of them.
> 
> There will be street performers all across the city so plenty to watch for free but do allow plenty of time to get wherever you are going.
> 
> Weather has been fantastic for the past few weeks but the last week its been thunder, lightening and rain followed by sunshine, I'm praying for a dry night on Thursday for the Tattoo.
> 
> Hope you all enjoy your visit to Scotland and in particular Edinburgh.



Oh we are so looking forward to that! We leave in the morning. Our Tattoo tickets are for Friday. I am hoping for good weather too but happy that we are in the covered seats section in case the weather isn't cooperative. 



CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Thanks so much for the weather update. I've been watching the forecasts, and it looks like it might be a clear weekend, which would be great since we arrive on Friday, and I'm hoping to climb Arthur's seat on Saturday or Sunday.



We are shooting for an Arthur's seat hike on Sunday if we can manage squeezing it in that day. If we aren't too tired and DH is up for it maybe we can do it on Thursday when we arrive. That is probably wishful thinking though LOL


----------



## sayhello

Safe travels, and have a wonderful time to all you leaving in the next few days!

Sayhello


----------



## edinburghlass

2BNDisney said:


> I am just curious .... how bad does the weather have to be for them to cancel one of the performances?



It has never been cancelled due to bad weather!


----------



## Calfan

edinburghlass said:


> It has never been cancelled due to bad weather!



Awesome!  We are leaving for the airport soon. Safe travels to all on the Aug 4 trip. See you all in Edinburgh!


----------



## calypso726

I have started a trip report for anyone interested.

www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=49133537#post49133537


----------



## disneydeb8

Here's wishing all you ABDers set for the Aug 4th Scotland trip a bon voyage and safe journey!

We will be in your shoes this time next year!

cheerio!


----------



## disneydeb8

calypso726 said:


> Sure! Why not  Without the travel hacking blogs and forums we would have never had enough miles either. But, then again that was part of the strategic plan to get DH to agree to this trip when we hadn't budgeted for it. We'll probably be in "steerage" for our flight to the DCL Alaska cruise in 2014.



Can someone please share with me how to get started with "travel hacking"? 

 We are at the 12 month mark for our ABD to Scotland and need airfare for 6 of us!  I need MAJOR creative financing to actually pull this dream vacation for my family off ---  any and all advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

Thank you in advance --- and for those departing soon, please be sure to return to this forum with your trip reports and wisdom to pass on to us!!!


----------



## calypso726

disneydeb8 said:


> Can someone please share with me how to get started with "travel hacking"?
> 
> We are at the 12 month mark for our ABD to Scotland and need airfare for 6 of us!  I need MAJOR creative financing to actually pull this dream vacation for my family off ---  any and all advice would be greatly appreciated!!!
> 
> Thank you in advance --- and for those departing soon, please be sure to return to this forum with your trip reports and wisdom to pass on to us!!!



PM on travel hacking sent. I have a trip report started. We are still on our pre-trip portion. Our Brave adventure begins on Sunday. The link to the trip report is a few posts above on post number 557.

With regards to creative financing ... we had not budgeted for this trip so I came up with ideas to creatively finance it. I asked myself, what would I do if I lost my job and the only other job I could find paid less. The answer was suck it up and deal with it so I gave myself a paycut and directed said paycut into a separate checking account that I opened up with Chase. I found an offer code to open up a new checking account and get $200 free for doing so. That was te jump start of the Scotland fund. I put any extra money I got from boarding and grooming dogs (the part time job in addition to my full time job) into the same checking account. Garage sales, Craigslist and Ebay are nice to get some extra $$$ for stuff you don't want or need into the fund. I also put all my effort into learning how to travel hack to fly either free or in style for cost of less than an economy ticket.


----------



## edinburghlass

For those going to the Edinburgh Tattoo, it's amazing!! Best one I have ever seen and very warm, well for us anyway, I was in shirt sleeves all night so I hope the weather is kind to you all.


----------



## rebeccam31

Hi!  Could you add us to the roll call?  We are booked for the trip departing July 21, 2014.  In my party there is myself, my husband, and our then-12 year old daughter.  I am ridiculously excited about this (I'm of Scot heritage, though a lowlander  )!


----------



## sayhello

rebeccam31 said:


> Hi!  Could you add us to the roll call?  We are booked for the trip departing July 21, 2014.  In my party there is myself, my husband, and our then-12 year old daughter.  I am ridiculously excited about this (I'm of Scot heritage, though a lowlander  )!


Done!  This looks like a great itinerary.  Congrats!

Sayhello


----------



## rebeccam31

Thanks so much!  I don't want to wish a year away, but....


----------



## sayhello

rebeccam31 said:


> Thanks so much!  I don't want to wish a year away, but....


If you'd like to get really excited, you might want to check out the Live Trip Report that calypso726 is posting right now from this very ABD!  Beautiful photos!  She's trying not to spoil any surprises.  

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3150065

Sayhello


----------



## calypso726

sayhello said:


> If you'd like to get really excited, you might want to check out the Live Trip Report that calypso726 is posting right now from this very ABD!  Beautiful photos!  She's trying not to spoil any surprises.
> 
> http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3150065
> 
> Sayhello



Thanks! Glad you are enjoying the trip report! There have been surprises each day and I have not reported any of them  If it is not specifically mentioned in the itinerary then I won't post about it.


----------



## Tozzie

calypso726 said:


> Thanks! Glad you are enjoying the trip report! There have been surprises each day and I have not reported any of them  If it is not specifically mentioned in the itinerary then I won't post about it.



Thank you ,  I stopped reading your live report after the ABD started cause I didn't want to ruin the surprises, now I can go back to reading   I am really looking at your restaurants.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

We are on the tour with Calypso and having an absolute blast--I'll post a short TR when we get back but so far it's exceeded my expectations. The adventures guides on our trip are fantastic.


----------



## rebeccam31

I found that right after I posted! SO gorgeous.  It just looks like it can't even be real.  I can't wait to prove to myself that it is.


----------



## Calfan

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> We are on the tour with Calypso and having an absolute blast--I'll post a short TR when we get back but so far it's exceeded my expectations. The adventures guides on our trip are fantastic.



Also having a fantastic time. The full day on Skye is absolutely phenomenal. Of course, it helped that we had postcard-perfect weather for the hike (which is not to be missed). I also want to second how great our guides have been. Hanneke has been so good with DS 9. We just had to take video of them at dinner to tonight playing tug of war by blowing water drops across a line on a plate and balancing spoons on their noses. She also took him in her canoe on Loch Ness yesterday.


----------



## disneydeb8

Welcome Rebeccam.  

We are booked for  next summer as well.  Being Scottish myself this is the first time my entire 'clan' will tour Scotland extensively.  My DH and I planned to hold off on this trip until our children were all of a good age to really appreciate the history and our heritage and here we are!  They have quite a list of places to see we will need a private tour in addition to ABD!

I agree that I don't want to wish the year away but my heart strings are being pulled with calypso trip report photos.


----------



## sayhello

disneydeb8 said:


> Welcome Rebeccam.
> 
> We are booked for  next summer as well.  Being Scottish myself this is the first time my entire 'clan' will tour Scotland extensively.  My DH and I planned to hold off on this trip until our children were all of a good age to really appreciate the history and our heritage and here we are!  They have quite a list of places to see we will need a private tour in addition to ABD!
> 
> I agree that I don't want to wish the year away but my heart strings are being pulled with calypso trip report photos.


disneydeb8, would you like to be added to the Roll Call in the first post?  If so, let me know which departure you're going on, and who's in your party!

Sayhello


----------



## rebeccam31

That's fantastic! I don't know much about my heritage as my family has all passed, but my maiden name was "Renfrew" and I do know that that was where we were from.  We may add on some time at the end to go down to Paisley and Renfrew.


----------



## disneydeb8

rebeccam31 said:


> That's fantastic! I don't know much about my heritage as my family has all passed, but my maiden name was "Renfrew" and I do know that that was where we were from.  We may add on some time at the end to go down to Paisley and Renfrew.



My Dad is  from Paisley and I know we have distant family in Renfrew as well!  We will be touring his birthplace and monuments before the ABD tour.  Paisley had a huge air strike that my grandfather was killed in that has been memorialized in recent years so it will be a first for even me.

 I'm first generation American and on both my mom and dads side all my family is in Sccotland. No roots here in the  states.... But dual citizenship is pretty cool.

If you want to really explore your heritage you can go on some ancestry sites to get started.  I am sorry to hear of your loss.  This may be a way to connect with your lineage.  Scottish heritage is HUGE.  It's hard to describe but my parents had such an influence, all their son in-laws consider themselves Scottish!  

I had a book on all things Scottish I received as a gift and it referenced Scotland as being a  country no bigger than the state of California but with a presence known the world over.  That's pretty cool


----------



## disneydeb8

sayhello said:


> disneydeb8, would you like to be added to the Roll Call in the first post?  If so, let me know which departure you're going on, and who's in your party!
> 
> Sayhello



Thanks....

I'm not sure if I sent it correctly  but I pm'd you the info.   Let me know if you didn't receive it.


----------



## sayhello

disneydeb8 said:


> Thanks....
> 
> I'm not sure if I sent it correctly  but I pm'd you the info.   Let me know if you didn't receive it.


Received & done!

Sayhello


----------



## calypso726

For those who have followed this thread from the beginning you will know that there were some concerns over itinerary changes for those traveling in late July/August. There were also concerns regarding feedback on earlier trips. Since I was one of the people who was quite vocal regarding these topics I thought I should share my impressions regarding my experience since we have completed our trip.

Let me start with the itinerary. There is simply no way we would have been able to do this type of a trip on our own. The logistics alone of getting from point a to point b would have been beyond daunting. I don't think this is something we appreciated until we were actually on the trip! Some of the most amazing things we experienced would have never been on our radar. What I thought would have been the biggest highlight of our trip surprisingly was not. Our biggest highlight was something we nearly skipped because it held no interest for us.

Our guides, Hanneke and Zoe were absolutely amazing! We don't have kids but from my vantage point they were wonderful with the kids. They seemed to spend time with everyone on the trip equally, including the adults. They did their level best to make sure every person was having a great experience. They took pictures with each family's camera so that the entire family would be in the pictures they took home. If you needed reservations for a restaurant on your own, a cab to go wherever or to find out where to buy a "insert random souvenir request" they took care of it for you. They were fun to be around and made the trip incredibly enjoyable.  Their chemistry together is amazing and they really helped all of us come together as a group.

Itinerary changes for the people going during the Tattoo: Many people, myself especially, were extremely disappointed over not having a private dinner at Edinburgh Castle. I thought that would be the highlight of my trip and one of the things I was most looking forward to experiencing. When this was switched to Stirling Castle it was still ok because it was a castle. Then when it got switched to the Signet Library I was really disappointed. A library doesn't sound as cool as a castle no matter how you describe it. The extra hour it would have taken to get there and back seemed like a small sacrifice and worth the experience. 

Here are my thoughts now. The private dinner at Edinburgh Castle is in the same room where we had our VIP Military Tattoo dinner on our pre-trip. So, suffice it to say, we did have a private dinner at Edinburgh Castle, just not with ABD. We also toured Stirling Castle on our pre-trip, so we've seen it and are well aware of the distance from the Balmoral. We just had our farewell dinner at the Signet Library this evening. Driving to Stirling is a lot, especially considering all the time on the coach today. If I were given the choice of the three venues today, I would choose the Signet Library hands down. I never thought I'd say that, but there you have it. 

This is by far the best trip we have ever taken. I never thought that anything could top 3 weeks in Australia but this did! I am almost afraid to go on our next ABD in 2014. The bar has been set so high I can't imagine anything else will come close.


----------



## sayhello

So good to hear your perspective on all of this, Terrie.  I'm beyond glad that it all worked out in the end.  The pictures you posted from the Signet Library look amazing!  ALL your pictures look amazing.  I thought I'd decided which trip I was doing next year, but now I'm starting to question my decision.  You just paint such an amazing picture of this trip and of Scotland!

Thanks!
Sayhello


----------



## rebeccam31

Off topic but we saw Matilda just a few weeks ago.  It was delightful in every way.  Those kids are off-the-charts talented!


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## calypso726

sayhello said:


> So good to hear your perspective on all of this, Terrie.  I'm beyond glad that it all worked out in the end.  The pictures you posted from the Signet Library look amazing!  ALL your pictures look amazing.  I thought I'd decided which trip I was doing next year, but now I'm starting to question my decision.  You just paint such an amazing picture of this trip and of Scotland!
> 
> Thanks!
> Sayhello



Thank you. I know some people were a bit nervous about the previous comments, including me, which is why I chose to add a trip report and share my views. I was beyond impressed with the trip. Like I said in another thread, our guides could have been animatrons and I still would have thought the trip was amazing. Fortunately they were fantastic guides! ABD has a lot of nice trips available but you sure couldn't go wrong doing this one. From what I have read here on the boards, I know over time some trips get tweaked. This is another reason we chose to do this trip as soon as it was announced. I didn't want to miss out on any of the original itinerary.


----------



## Coty's Dads

I have been meaning to add that my partner and I will be on the Sept 15 Scotland trip with Deb from Allears.  Can't believe that it is less than 30 days away.  We have been planning this trip for over a year.  Looking forward to meeting the others also on the trip.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

calypso726 said:


> Here are my thoughts now. The private dinner at Edinburgh Castle is in the same room where we had our VIP Military Tattoo dinner on our pre-trip. So, suffice it to say, we did have a private dinner at Edinburgh Castle, just not with ABD. We also toured Stirling Castle on our pre-trip, so we've seen it and are well aware of the distance from the Balmoral. We just had our farewell dinner at the Signet Library this evening. Driving to Stirling is a lot, especially considering all the time on the coach today. If I were given the choice of the three venues today, I would choose the Signet Library hands down. I never thought I'd say that, but there you have it.



I, too, was vocal in my disappointment of the change in venue from Edinburgh/Stirling to the Signet library. Although I thought the Signet library was lovely, it still wasn't an par with a Stirling or Edinburgh experience for me personally. Not that is was a disappointment precisely--just not the same. We didn't do the VIP dinner for the tattoo, if we had, maybe I would have felt the same as Calypso. I absolutely loved the tour, and it exceeded my expectations with the exception of that one thing. I only bring it up in case any prospective 2014 travelers are looking at this--if you have the choice, I'd pick on of the pre-Tattoo itineraries to take advantage of the Edinburgh Castle site for the farewell dinner. if you don't have a choice, have already booked, etc., it's not a deal breaker, the trip is fantastic and you won't be disappointed. 

Like others on this thread, I was a little worried after reading some of the early feedback, but it really was a fantastic trip. Hanneke and Zoe were *amazing*. I can't praise them highly enough. There were also many Disney-add/mouse magic moments that I won't ruin, but really added to the overall experience. The integration with Brave was surprisingly cool as well. I really hope they take advantage of other movies in locations (i.e Ice) to do something similar. I'm surprised how much I liked that part of it. As Calypso mentioned on this thread or on her trip report thread, it would be almost impossible to do this kind of itinerary on your own--ABD really put together an amazing itinerary. Waving to Calypso and Wall-e--had so much fun with you guys


----------



## JLoane

disneydeb8 said:


> Can someone please share with me how to get started with "travel hacking"?
> 
> We are at the 12 month mark for our ABD to Scotland and need airfare for 6 of us!  I need MAJOR creative financing to actually pull this dream vacation for my family off ---  any and all advice would be greatly appreciated!!!
> 
> Thank you in advance --- and for those departing soon, please be sure to return to this forum with your trip reports and wisdom to pass on to us!!!



I'd also appreciate any info on "travel hacking."  My family will be traveling in August of 2014 so we are just under a year away from our travel date.

Also, for those of you just returning, what were some of the great souvenirs that you bought and where did you find them?   I've become a huge Outlander fan so I'm definitely looking for the "Je suis prest" mug that was mentioned earlier!  It's probably not a good thing that I have over 11 months til my trip and I'm already making a shopping list.  Ha!


----------



## Calfan

Now that we are home from Scotland, I have unpacked and I am mostly caught up at work, I wanted to offer up some thoughts about our recent Brave Adventure.  I truly appreciate the feedback and input of those who took this trip before us and would like to pass on the favor to those yet to go in 2013 or eagerly awaiting their 2014 trips.

The overarching message I would like to communicate is that this was a phenomenal trip.  I would not hesitate to recommend it to others and also would not hesitate to do it again myself if there werent so many other places still on my must see list. 

Our Adventure Guides for the Aug. 4 trip (Hanneke and Zoe) were terrific.  Their handling of all of the logistics was amazing, and they never failed to do it with enthusiasm and a fantastic attitude.  They also did a great job at interacting with all of the adventurers, checking in regularly to make sure we were doing ok and whether we needed anything.   Since this was my first ABD, I have no basis for comparison, but they also seemed to go above and beyond in offering to pick up hard to find souvenirs for people, for example.  And their interaction with the kids was outstanding.  

There are too many highlights on this itinerary to name them all, but my favorite day is still our full day on Skye, as mentioned in a previous post.  It was a jam-packed day, and from start to finish, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the activities (the visit to Kilt Rock, the hike, lunch, scone making, Ceilidh dancing).  The highlight of the day, though, was absolutely the hike.  The scenery is just so breathtaking and it is so invigorating to be out there experiencing it.  The day on Lewis is also outstanding (as are pretty much all of the other days, in my opinion).  The Highland pony ride through the heather on the Rothiemurcus estate was amazing, canoeing on Loch Ness was a fabulous experience, the visits to Dunnotar and Glamis castles; just all of it.

Since this was our first ABD and first guided travel trip in over 10 years, I am still processing the pluses and minuses to this type of travel.  I do feel confident, however, in saying that for this trip, the pluses far outweighed the minuses.  

Probably the biggest plus in my mind was the way this itinerary (and I suspect most, if not all, ABDs) integrate fun/cultural/physical activities into the trip to supplement the sightseeing.  While I might have been able to replicate much of this itinerary (but I suspect probably not all; certainly not within a 9-day timeframe) on my own, it would almost certainly have taken the form of a forced march sightseeing trip through Scotland, which would not have been nearly as enjoyable for our family, especially DD 11 and DS 9 (or, frankly, for myself).  I am not sure I would have had the knowledge or wherewithal to plan activities such as scone making, whisky tasting, tapestry weaving, mountain bike riding, Highland pony riding, Ceilidh dancing, etc. on my own, and they were truly an invaluable add to the overall experience.  I have to laugh at myself because, looking at the itinerary before we left, I was not particularly excited about the stop at the Dovecot Studios for tapestry weaving on our Edinburgh day.  And while I enjoyed all of our activities in Edinburgh (our local guide, Davey, was terrific, and the private tour of Holyroodhouse was a definite highlight), my favorite activity of the day turned out to be the tapestry weaving.  The other huge plus was the ground we covered on this itinerary and the hassle free way in which it was covered.  Then of course there are the special Disney pluses, like special access to venues (launching our canoes from Urquhart Castle, anyone?) and the ABD surprises (which as others have said, I will not spoil by revealing here).

The minuses are just inherent to this type of travel, I think, and are not specific to this itinerary.  The one exception might be the time spent on the coach on this itinerary.  I really dont think it could be avoided with the wide scope of this itinerary, but I will admit I was not sorry to leave the coach behind after our final day.  (I was, however, very sad to see the whole trip come to an end; I could have kept going for at least another week or two!)   Other minuses would be that I did feel a little rushed at a couple of the castles, where I would have liked more time for further exploration and a leisurely pass through the gift shop (versus speed shopping).  And a little more down/on our own time would have been welcome for time to explore Portree or Inverness, for example, or to go to the seat of Clan MacDonald on Skye (our last name is Donald), but Im not sure it can really be accommodated on this itinerary without sacrificing some of the sights and activities, none of which I would want to give up.  

I also want to address some of the concerns expressed previously about this being a Brave and not a Braveheart trip through Scotland.  I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed the tie-ins to the Brave movie and the special surprises on this theme, and I did not feel short-changed in the history department.  I thought both our Adventure Guides and our local guides shared quite a bit of information about historical events, local facts and customs, etc.  It might have helped that I came in with a bit of a base of knowledge of Scottish history through reading books, etc., but I did not feel that this was lacking on the trip.  We also took advantage of the opportunity to be dropped off at Culloden after our day at Rothiemurcus, so we added a little history to the itinerary that way.  

For anyone adding on time in Scotland either before or after the trip, I also wanted to mention a couple of other non-ABD highlights. The first is the Military Tattoo, which we attended on one of our Edinburgh pre-nights.  This is a fantastic show, and I highly recommend it for anyone taking one of the August trips.  The setting is dramatic and majestic, the performances are entertaining and colorful, the fireworks were an unexpected bonus, and the lone bagpiper playing on the parapet of Edinburgh Castle at the end is truly moving.  Another highlight was hiking up Arthurs Seat.  It is another invigorating hike with the reward of panoramic views of Edinburgh from the top.  I would also recommend our day trip to St. Andrews and the fishing villages of Fife through Rabbies Trail Burners.  We had a top-notch guide for this tour who also imparted a fair bit of Scottish history, as well as political commentary, into the tour.

I will stop here, but I am happy to answer any questions fellow DISers might have.


----------



## wld

my box came today!!!!


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## Coty's Dads

Came home to find our box on our front steps!


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## disneydeb8

Calfan---- I pm'd you a question about your trip


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## Calfan

disneydeb8 said:


> Calfan---- I pm'd you a question about your trip



Sent you a PM back. Hope it is helpful.


----------



## Calfan

Anyone else on the Aug. 4 trip get this email from ABD? Since Scotland was my first ABD, I'm not sure if this is standard ABD operating procedure.  Going to fill out the survey now.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Laura,

Thank you for traveling with Adventures by Disney®.

In the spirit of continuous improvement, we invite you to provide feedback about your recent trip, considering all the points of view of your immediate traveling companions (such as your household). Your responses are confidential and will be used to monitor quality and understand performance.

To launch the survey, please click here.

Your feedback is very important to us for we genuinely want to provide our Guests with the ultimate vacation experience.

Best Regards,
Your friends at Adventures by Disney


----------



## Tozzie

Calfan said:


> Anyone else on the Aug. 4 trip get this email from ABD? Since Scotland was my first ABD, I'm not sure if this is standard ABD operating procedure.  Going to fill out the survey now.
> 
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Dear Laura,
> 
> Thank you for traveling with Adventures by Disney®.
> 
> In the spirit of continuous improvement, we invite you to provide feedback about your recent trip, considering all the points of view of your immediate traveling companions (such as your household). Your responses are confidential and will be used to monitor quality and understand performance.
> 
> To launch the survey, please click here.
> 
> Your feedback is very important to us for we genuinely want to provide our Guests with the ultimate vacation experience.
> 
> Best Regards,
> Your friends at Adventures by Disney



Yes,  I have gotten surveys after my previous trips.


----------



## sayhello

Calfan said:


> Anyone else on the Aug. 4 trip get this email from ABD? Since Scotland was my first ABD, I'm not sure if this is standard ABD operating procedure.  Going to fill out the survey now.
> 
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Dear Laura,
> 
> Thank you for traveling with Adventures by Disney®.
> 
> In the spirit of continuous improvement, we invite you to provide feedback about your recent trip, considering all the points of view of your immediate traveling companions (such as your household). Your responses are confidential and will be used to monitor quality and understand performance.
> 
> To launch the survey, please click here.
> 
> Your feedback is very important to us for we genuinely want to provide our Guests with the ultimate vacation experience.
> 
> Best Regards,
> Your friends at Adventures by Disney


I'm pretty sure everyone who takes an ABD gets the survey after their trip, unless they check "Do not send me emails" when they sign up for any Disney sites (they are, unfortunately, all tied together).

Sayhello


----------



## W@LL-E

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Waving to Calypso and Wall-e--had so much fun with you guys


 
Hi Monica  it was great meeting you and the family; it definitely was a blast.


----------



## W@LL-E

Calfan said:


> Anyone else on the Aug. 4 trip get this email from ABD? Since Scotland was my first ABD, I'm not sure if this is standard ABD operating procedure. Going to fill out the survey now.
> 
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Dear Laura,
> 
> Thank you for traveling with Adventures by Disney®.
> 
> In the spirit of continuous improvement, we invite you to provide feedback about your recent trip, considering all the points of view of your immediate traveling companions (such as your household). Your responses are confidential and will be used to monitor quality and understand performance.
> 
> To launch the survey, please click here.
> 
> Your feedback is very important to us for we genuinely want to provide our Guests with the ultimate vacation experience.
> 
> Best Regards,
> Your friends at Adventures by Disney


 
Hi Laura . I just filled mine out earlier this morning.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

Calfan said:


> The overarching message I would like to communicate is that this was a phenomenal trip.  I would not hesitate to recommend it to others and also would not hesitate to do it again myself if there werent so many other places still on my must see list.



Well said, Calfan! I didn't want a huge quote so I just did this part but ditto from me on everything. 



Calfan said:


> Anyone else on the Aug. 4 trip get this email from ABD? Since Scotland was my first ABD, I'm not sure if this is standard ABD operating procedure.  Going to fill out the survey now.



I received one too. Haven't done it yet, but plan to. Always happy to offer my opinion, LOL.



W@LL-E said:


> it definitely was a blast.


It certainly was--I think all my friends and family are tired hearing about it


----------



## calypso726

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Waving to Calypso and Wall-e--had so much fun with you guys



Hi Monica!  We had a blast too! We enjoyed meeting you and the family as well


----------



## calypso726

JLoane said:


> I'd also appreciate any info on "travel hacking."  My family will be traveling in August of 2014 so we are just under a year away from our travel date.
> 
> Also, for those of you just returning, what were some of the great souvenirs that you bought and where did you find them?   I've become a huge Outlander fan so I'm definitely looking for the "Je suis prest" mug that was mentioned earlier!  It's probably not a good thing that I have over 11 months til my trip and I'm already making a shopping list.  Ha!



PM Sent on travel hacking.

I have 2 favorite souvenirs. The first is a handcrafted silver bracelet. I found this while walking around Edinburgh on our pre-trip. It was a street market with different vendors. The other was a cape with Celtic designs. This I found at the Highland House of Fraser in Inverness. I wish I would have seen the mug. I would have picked one up for sure!


----------



## Calfan

calypso726 said:


> I have 2 favorite souvenirs. The first is a handcrafted silver bracelet. I found this while walking around Edinburgh on our pre-trip. It was a street market with different vendors. The other was a cape with Celtic designs. This I found at the Highland House of Fraser in Inverness. I wish I would have seen the mug. I would have picked one up for sure!



We did not skimp on the souvenirs, LOL.  DS (who is a shopper like his late grandpa on his dad's side, and like me) decided on pre-day #1 in Edinburgh that he wanted a bagpipe.  We ended up getting him a smaller version (that does play).  On the final day, we bought him a kilt to go with his bagpipe, and he wore it to the farewell dinner.  He also bought several smaller items like coins and seals.  As a family, we bought a blanket in one of the MacDonald tartans (since our last name is Donald).  We were looking for one for quite some time and finally found one in Inverness at the Highland House of Fraser.  Many folks on our trip ended up buying things at this shop.  We also had good shopping experiences on Lewis.  I wanted something in Harris Tweed and found a Harris Tweed door stopper with Fáilte ("welcome" in Gaelic) on it at a gift shop in Lewis (almost directly behind the Harris Tweed shop where you meet the bus to head back to the airport).  We should have realized this would be too enticing for our 5-month old kittens, so our door stopper is now displayed on a bookshelf in our office!  I also bought a coat at the Harris Tweed shop, a short, double-breasted belted jacket in a red plaid pattern.  Christmas ornaments were another souvenir purchase.  I think we bought 3.  One I bought at the gift shop at Stirling Castle (which we did on our own pre-ABD) that is shaped like a crown done in tartan with Scotland on it, one that is in the shape of a shield with the lion rampart on it (can't remember where we got that one) and another that is metal and has a thistle on it (that we got at a gift shop in Portree).  We also bought assorted pins and patches and my DH, who collects bottle openers, bought one with the Scottish flag on it.  No end of souvenirs to be had


----------



## Calfan

Calfan said:


> We did not skimp on the souvenirs, LOL.  DS (who is a shopper like his late grandpa on his dad's side, and like me) decided on pre-day #1 in Edinburgh that he wanted a bagpipe.  We ended up getting him a smaller version (that does play).  On the final day, we bought him a kilt to go with his bagpipe, and he wore it to the farewell dinner.  He also bought several smaller items like coins and seals.  As a family, we bought a blanket in one of the MacDonald tartans (since our last name is Donald).  We were looking for one for quite some time and finally found one in Inverness at the Highland House of Fraser.  Many folks on our trip ended up buying things at this shop.  We also had good shopping experiences on Lewis.  I wanted something in Harris Tweed and found a Harris Tweed door stopper with Fáilte ("welcome" in Gaelic) on it at a gift shop in Lewis (almost directly behind the Harris Tweed shop where you meet the bus to head back to the airport).  We should have realized this would be too enticing for our 5-month old kittens, so our door stopper is now displayed on a bookshelf in our office!  I also bought a coat at the Harris Tweed shop, a short, double-breasted belted jacket in a red plaid pattern.  Christmas ornaments were another souvenir purchase.  I think we bought 3.  One I bought at the gift shop at Stirling Castle (which we did on our own pre-ABD) that is shaped like a crown done in tartan with Scotland on it, one that is in the shape of a shield with the lion rampart on it (can't remember where we got that one) and another that is metal and has a thistle on it (that we got at a gift shop in Portree).  We also bought assorted pins and patches and my DH, who collects bottle openers, bought one with the Scottish flag on it.  No end of souvenirs to be had



I forgot to mention that there is a very nice crafts shop above the Isle of Skye Bakery where you do the scone making. They had hand-made sweaters and Harris Tweed goods among others. I got a Fair Isle sweater there.


----------



## sayhello

OK, it's official now!  I just sent in my reservation for this trip!  I've signed up for the Adults Only trip Aug 31 - Sep 8, 2014!  I don't know how I'll last that long!  

Sayhello


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## calypso726

sayhello said:


> OK, it's official now!  I just sent in my reservation for this trip!  I've signed up for the Adults Only trip Aug 1 - Sep 8, 2014!  I don't know how I'll last that long!
> 
> Sayhello



WooHoo!!! I am sure you are going to love it! I am really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this one compared to the others you have experienced.


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## rebeccam31

You'll be coming as we're going.   Have a fabulous time planning/dreaming!


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## SingingMom

sayhello said:


> OK, it's official now!  I just sent in my reservation for this trip!  I've signed up for the Adults Only trip Aug 1 - Sep 8, 2014!  I don't know how I'll last that long!
> 
> Sayhello



Ha!!  So much for "not flying internationally" next vacation!!  ;-). Have a great time planning!

"SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards


----------



## sayhello

SingingMom said:


> Ha!!  So much for "not flying internationally" next vacation!!  ;-). Have a great time planning!
> 
> "SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards


  I kinda knew I wouldn't stick to that!  I hate, hate, hate the flying, but I so love being there.  I want to do it while I can still afford it and tolerate the travel!

Sayhello


----------



## SingingMom

sayhello said:


> I kinda knew I wouldn't stick to that!  I hate, hate, hate the flying, but I so love being there.  I want to do it while I can still afford it and tolerate the travel!
> 
> Sayhello



I hear ya!  ABD has opened up an entire world to me!

"SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards


----------



## sayhello

rebeccam31 said:


> You'll be coming as we're going.   Have a fabulous time planning/dreaming!


Thanks!  Be sure and leave it in good shape for me!  

Sayhello


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## sayhello

calypso726 said:


> WooHoo!!! I am sure you are going to love it! I am really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this one compared to the others you have experienced.


Thanks!  It's your and 2BNDisney's (Blake) and the others' reports that tipped the scales.  Your photos were just amazing.  I had no idea Scotland looked like that!  

Sayhello


----------



## sayhello

SingingMom said:


> I hear ya!  ABD has opened up an entire world to me!
> 
> "SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards


Me, too!  

Sayhello


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## CaliforniaGirl09

sayhello said:


> OK, it's official now!  I just sent in my reservation for this trip!  I've signed up for the Adults Only trip Aug 31 - Sep 8, 2014!  I don't know how I'll last that long!
> 
> Sayhello



Wonderful! I'm so excited for you. You are going to have a blast. It really was such an amazing trip, we are all still talking about it (and will probably do more so tonight when we see Calfan and my sister tonight for dinner). I will be particularly interested to see where this one ranks for you. I bet it will be your new #1


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## sayhello

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Wonderful! I'm so excited for you. You are going to have a blast. It really was such an amazing trip, we are all still talking about it (and will probably do more so tonight when we see Calfan and my sister tonight for dinner). I will be particularly interested to see where this one ranks for you. I bet it will be your new #1


Thanks!  Greece is going to be a hard one to top, but I'm willing to give Scotland a go!  

Sayhello


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## calypso726

sayhello said:


> Thanks!  It's your and 2BNDisney's (Blake) and the others' reports that tipped the scales.  Your photos were just amazing.  I had no idea Scotland looked like that!
> 
> Sayhello



Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed my trip report and pictures  Neither did I, which is why I know we will definitely go back one day. I wish ABD would come up with an alternate Scotland itinerary like they have for the Italy trips. I would love to travel with ABD again to Scotland but see different places.



CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Wonderful! I'm so excited for you. You are going to have a blast. It really was such an amazing trip, we are all still talking about it (and will probably do more so tonight when we see Calfan and my sister tonight for dinner). I will be particularly interested to see where this one ranks for you. I bet it will be your new #1



I am with you there curious to see what Sayhello thinks about this trip and thinking this one should rank high if not #1. We are still going on about it too. I took over 2500 pictures and it wasn't nearly enough. I am going to have to pt a scrapbook or something together just so I could relive the trip again


----------



## Calfan

calypso726 said:


> I am with you there curious to see what Sayhello thinks about this trip and thinking this one should rank high if not #1. We are still going on about it too. I took over 2500 pictures and it wasn't nearly enough. I am going to have to pt a scrapbook or something together just so I could relive the trip again



Congrats, Sayhello on booking this trip. I am sure you are going to love it. We also took so many photos (almost 3,000), and I am just putting the finishing touches on our photo book (which is over 90 pages, LOL). I had so much fun looking through all of our pictures while putting the book together.  My DD 11 keeps talking about how she wants to live in Scotland for a year after she finishes college. Our whole family was so taken by Scotland.  I am curious to see how Central Europe compares for us. Scotland is going to be hard to top!


----------



## Sarabi's Cubs

sayhello said:


> OK, it's official now!  I just sent in my reservation for this trip!  I've signed up for the Adults Only trip Aug 31 - Sep 8, 2014!  I don't know how I'll last that long!
> 
> Sayhello



Congrats Tobi!  But I thought you were eyeing Central Europe?

Laurie


----------



## sayhello

calypso726 said:


> Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed my trip report and pictures   Neither did I, which is why I know we will definitely go back one day. I  wish ABD would come up with an alternate Scotland itinerary like they  have for the Italy trips. I would love to travel with ABD again to  Scotland but see different places.[\quote]There's always a chance they might do another itinerary.  It depends on the demand.  They had multiple Galapagos trips for a bit.
> 
> 
> 
> I am with you there curious to see what Sayhello thinks about this trip  and thinking this one should rank high if not #1. We are still going on  about it too. I took over 2500 pictures and it wasn't nearly enough. I  am going to have to pt a scrapbook or something together just so I could  relive the trip again
> 
> 
> 
> We shall see!  I never thought anything would beat Southwest Splendors, but I think the Greece trip was a total winner!  I'll *definitely* let you know what I think of this one!
> 
> 
> 
> Calfan said:
> 
> 
> 
> Congrats, Sayhello on booking this trip. I am sure you are going to love it. We also took so many photos (almost 3,000), and I am just putting the finishing touches on our photo book (which is over 90 pages, LOL). I had so much fun looking through all of our pictures while putting the book together.  My DD 11 keeps talking about how she wants to live in Scotland for a year after she finishes college. Our whole family was so taken by Scotland.  I am curious to see how Central Europe compares for us. Scotland is going to be hard to top!
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Thanks, Calfan.  One of the best things about photos, besides sharing them with everyone, is looking through them to re-live my vacations.  I'll be interested to see what you think of the Central Europe trip.  That's on my radar for 2015.
> 
> 
> 
> Sarabi's Cubs said:
> 
> 
> 
> Congrats Tobi!  But I thought you were eyeing Central Europe?
> 
> Laurie
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Thanks, Laurie.  I was eyeing it, but I think I'm going to give them a year to work the kinks out, and look at it for 2015.
> 
> Sayhello
Click to expand...


----------



## 2BNDisney

calypso726 said:


> Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed my trip report and pictures  Neither did I, which is why I know we will definitely go back one day. I wish ABD would come up with an alternate Scotland itinerary like they have for the Italy trips. I would love to travel with ABD again to Scotland but see different places.
> 
> 
> 
> I am with you there curious to see what Sayhello thinks about this trip and thinking this one should rank high if not #1. We are still going on about it too. I took over 2500 pictures and it wasn't nearly enough. I am going to have to pt a scrapbook or something together just so I could relive the trip again



I agree:   an alternate Scotland and I would consider going back - or England/Scotland.


----------



## 2BNDisney

sayhello said:


> Thanks!  It's your and 2BNDisney's (Blake) and the others' reports that tipped the scales.  Your photos were just amazing.  I had no idea Scotland looked like that!
> 
> Sayhello



The Brave tie-in I thought was great Sayhello! Scotland itself was of course just INCREDIBLE!!  Wish they would do more of that type tie-in.  I suggested a new ABD to our guide - a 5 day that started and ended in San Fran that toured the city, the Walt Disney Museum AND an exclusive visit to Pixar Studio


----------



## sayhello

2BNDisney said:


> The Brave tie-in I thought was great Sayhello! Scotland itself was of course just INCREDIBLE!!  Wish they would do more of that type tie-in.  I suggested a new ABD to our guide - a 5 day that started and ended in San Fran that toured the city, the Walt Disney Museum AND an exclusive visit to Pixar Studio


I guess there's a bit of a "Sound of Music" tie-in to the Central Europe trip.  It would be an interesting twist to some of the other trips...

And I like your San Francisco trip idea.  Sort of like the DVC NYC trip (which I hope they make available to the general public!)  

Sayhello


----------



## calypso726

2BNDisney said:


> The Brave tie-in I thought was great Sayhello! Scotland itself was of course just INCREDIBLE!!  Wish they would do more of that type tie-in.  I suggested a new ABD to our guide - a 5 day that started and ended in San Fran that toured the city, the Walt Disney Museum AND an exclusive visit to Pixar Studio



I'd be all over that too!


----------



## SingingMom

sayhello said:


> I guess there's a bit of a "Sound of Music" tie-in to the Central Europe trip.  It would be an interesting twist to some of the other trips...
> 
> And I like your San Francisco trip idea.  Sort of like the DVC NYC trip (which I hope they make available to the general public!)
> 
> Sayhello



I live 40 minutes away and I would even love the NYC ABD!  Even just to see how they pull it off!  

We haven't decided yet on next year. - maybe Central Europe . I am heading to London to visit DD and we will revisit some of the things we did on Knights & Lights last year.  Won't be the same without our special guides, but we'll make the best of it! ;-)

"SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards


----------



## Calfan

2BNDisney said:


> The Brave tie-in I thought was great Sayhello! Scotland itself was of course just INCREDIBLE!!  Wish they would do more of that type tie-in.  I suggested a new ABD to our guide - a 5 day that started and ended in San Fran that toured the city, the Walt Disney Museum AND an exclusive visit to Pixar Studio



Looks like we got the next tie-in with the Frozen/Norway Facebook teaser!


----------



## sayhello

OK, a couple of questions.  It's just about getting time where airfare for my return flight will be out, so I'll be stalking airfare.  What kind of airfare did you folks get for US to Edinburgh?  What airline did you fly?  Any good alternatives to the US airlines?

Also, folks who did pre- or post-nights on your own, what hotel(s) did you stay at?  Looking for options, because as nice as the Balmoral sounds, it's *way* outside my budget!

Thanks!  
Sayhello


----------



## Calfan

sayhello said:


> OK, a couple of questions.  It's just about getting time where airfare for my return flight will be out, so I'll be stalking airfare.  What kind of airfare did you folks get for US to Edinburgh?  What airline did you fly?  Any good alternatives to the US airlines?
> 
> Also, folks who did pre- or post-nights on your own, what hotel(s) did you stay at?  Looking for options, because as nice as the Balmoral sounds, it's *way* outside my budget!
> 
> Thanks!
> Sayhello



We used miles for 3 of us, so I can't really comment on price, but United has a good route to Edinburgh flying through Newark. The flight from Newark is non-stop to Edinburgh and gets in in the morning.


----------



## richflour

You can get a better rate on the balmoral on hotels.com
Flight from atlanta rt was about $1200
British air. My wife said it was terrible.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

I fly frequently back and forth to Scotland (and London), mostly on the UK airlines. I don't like BA, but I am a huge fan of Virgin Atlantic, and since they now fly into Edinburgh you can take them the whole way. I think in summer I'd jump on $1300 and non-peak times I'd jump on $1100, but $100 or so more isn't a bad deal. If you are inclined to spend a little more, VAs premium economy is great (and much better than BAs). For that think in the $1600-1700 range. On our ABD trip to Scotland we experimented with Air France and their premium economy seats. I want to say we paid in the $1700-1800 range. I would NOT recommend Air France, for a number of reasons, but the biggest was the horrible connection on the way back: had to take a bus and then a train to get to our connector. We barely made it. 

A couple of differences to keep in mind. If you are connecting through London from the US you will have to go through immigration so leave PLENTY of time at Heathrow--3 hour range is good. I almost missed a connection to Dublin once with a three hour window. Heathrow is a great airport, so if you end up with extra time you can pick up a sandwich at Pret or a coffee at Starbucks or shop at the Harrods shop, LOL. 

If you connect through London from EDI on the way back, however, you do not need nearly as much time (I've done it with as little as 1 hour between, but 1.5 is better) because no immigration from UK to UK airport. 

Keep in mind that if you use one of the US airlines and connect on the way back through the states, you have to claim your luggage and go through customs in the connection city, which is a big pain. I've had bad experiences at both JFK and Chicago, and I usually try to avoid this--although a good deal changes my mind


----------



## JLoane

sayhello said:


> OK, a couple of questions.  It's just about getting time where airfare for my return flight will be out, so I'll be stalking airfare.  What kind of airfare did you folks get for US to Edinburgh?  What airline did you fly?  Any good alternatives to the US airlines?  Also, folks who did pre- or post-nights on your own, what hotel(s) did you stay at?  Looking for options, because as nice as the Balmoral sounds, it's *way* outside my budget!  Thanks! Sayhello



My family will be on the Aug 3rd trip next year and I just booked on United at around $1500, direct Newark to Edinburgh. There are 5 of us so I was afraid to wait.   Although now, I'll be kicking myself if prices drop! But we get in around 745 am and that gives us a bit of time to explore before the welcome dinner.


----------



## Calfan

While I do generally prefer to connect through a European city, we had no issue with needing to reclaim our baggage and clear customs in Newark before continuing on to SFO. We had a 3-hour layover (maybe a little less) and it didn't take much time at all to deal with the baggage and customs. Left us time to grab a bite before our next flight.


----------



## sayhello

Calfan said:


> We used miles for 3 of us, so I can't really comment on price, but United has a good route to Edinburgh flying through Newark. The flight from Newark is non-stop to Edinburgh and gets in in the morning.


Was it a good flight?  I can get to Newark from Columbus...

Sayhello


----------



## sayhello

richflour said:


> You can get a better rate on the balmoral on hotels.com
> Flight from atlanta rt was about $1200
> British air. My wife said it was terrible.


I'll check hotels.com, but it's gonna have to be a serious discount!  
I've not heard much good about British Airlines in a long time.  The idea of not being able to select my seat until just before the flight scares me for international...

Sayhello


----------



## sayhello

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> I fly frequently back and forth to Scotland (and London), mostly on the UK airlines. I don't like BA, but I am a huge fan of Virgin Atlantic, and since they now fly into Edinburgh you can take them the whole way. I think in summer I'd jump on $1300 and non-peak times I'd jump on $1100, but $100 or so more isn't a bad deal. If you are inclined to spend a little more, VAs premium economy is great (and much better than BAs). For that think in the $1600-1700 range. On our ABD trip to Scotland we experimented with Air France and their premium economy seats. I want to say we paid in the $1700-1800 range. I would NOT recommend Air France, for a number of reasons, but the biggest was the horrible connection on the way back: had to take a bus and then a train to get to our connector. We barely made it.
> 
> A couple of differences to keep in mind. If you are connecting through London from the US you will have to go through immigration so leave PLENTY of time at Heathrow--3 hour range is good. I almost missed a connection to Dublin once with a three hour window. Heathrow is a great airport, so if you end up with extra time you can pick up a sandwich at Pret or a coffee at Starbucks or shop at the Harrods shop, LOL.
> 
> If you connect through London from EDI on the way back, however, you do not need nearly as much time (I've done it with as little as 1 hour between, but 1.5 is better) because no immigration from UK to UK airport.
> 
> Keep in mind that if you use one of the US airlines and connect on the way back through the states, you have to claim your luggage and go through customs in the connection city, which is a big pain. I've had bad experiences at both JFK and Chicago, and I usually try to avoid this--although a good deal changes my mind


Thank you so much!  This is all such great info!  I checked out Virgin Atlantic, and in order to fly to Edinburgh from Columbus, I'm going to have to call them.  The website won't let me select Edinburgh with a start point of Columbus... We shall see! 

Sayhello


----------



## sayhello

JLoane said:


> My family will be on the Aug 3rd trip next year and I just booked on United at around $1500, direct Newark to Edinburgh. There are 5 of us so I was afraid to wait.   Although now, I'll be kicking myself if prices drop! But we get in around 745 am and that gives us a bit of time to explore before the welcome dinner.


I'll tell you, I've flown to Europe 3 summers out of the last 4 years, and not one of those times has the airfare gone down after I purchased my ticket by more then like $35.  It's worth it to get the flights you want.

Sayhello


----------



## sayhello

Calfan said:


> While I do generally prefer to connect through a European city, we had no issue with needing to reclaim our baggage and clear customs in Newark before continuing on to SFO. We had a 3-hour layover (maybe a little less) and it didn't take much time at all to deal with the baggage and customs. Left us time to grab a bite before our next flight.


Cool.  The only time I've had issues connecting in the US was flying from Charles de Gaulle to Dulles, and going through customs in Dulles.  AWFUL, and we missed our flight by like 10 minutes.  

Sayhello


----------



## Calfan

sayhello said:


> Was it a good flight?  I can get to Newark from Columbus...
> 
> Sayhello



It was a very good flight   On time. Also, the EDI flight was just a couple of gates down from where our SFO flight landed, so no scrambling to make our connection.


----------



## Tozzie

sayhello said:


> Thank you so much!  This is all such great info!  I checked out Virgin Atlantic, and in order to fly to Edinburgh from Columbus, I'm going to have to call them.  The website won't let me select Edinburgh with a start point of Columbus... We shall see!
> 
> Sayhello



You don't have to call them,  when you go to search for flghts click on flight connector, it will bring you to another page then click on the link for flight connector and you will be able to search using columbus to edi

i flew Virgin Atlantic for Scotland and I loved it .


----------



## sayhello

Tozzie said:


> You don't have to call them,  when you go to search for flghts click on flight connector, it will bring you to another page then click on the link for flight connector and you will be able to search using columbus to edi
> 
> i flew Virgin Atlantic for Scotland and I loved it .


Oooo, thanks for the tip, Tozzie!  I'll definitely check that out!  

Sayhello


----------



## 2BNDisney

sayhello said:


> OK, a couple of questions.  It's just about getting time where airfare for my return flight will be out, so I'll be stalking airfare.  What kind of airfare did you folks get for US to Edinburgh?  What airline did you fly?  Any good alternatives to the US airlines?
> 
> Also, folks who did pre- or post-nights on your own, what hotel(s) did you stay at?  Looking for options, because as nice as the Balmoral sounds, it's *way* outside my budget!
> 
> Thanks!
> Sayhello



Used United as I did not want more than one layover and had no problem.  

As far as hotels, I had a discount rate at the Apex Waterloo which is extremely close to the Balmoral so I just walked my one piece of luggage over there on check-in day to the Balmoral. And it was much cheaper. I also saw a Travelodge near the Apex. I took the bus in to the hotel from the airport rather than taxi, and I believe it was only 3.50 pounds. They have a place to store luggage on the bus and if you are not carrying a lot, I found this rather convenient and less costly than a cab (of course if you are staying at the Balmoral or coming in the day of the tour, Disney handles all this transportation for you).


----------



## calypso726

sayhello said:


> OK, a couple of questions.  It's just about getting time where airfare for my return flight will be out, so I'll be stalking airfare.  What kind of airfare did you folks get for US to Edinburgh?  What airline did you fly?  Any good alternatives to the US airlines?
> 
> Also, folks who did pre- or post-nights on your own, what hotel(s) did you stay at?  Looking for options, because as nice as the Balmoral sounds, it's *way* outside my budget!
> 
> Thanks!
> Sayhello



We flew on British Airways in first class on miles so it was a great experience. Collecting miles and travel hacking has become a worthwhile hobby with the rising costs of air fare and hotel stays. We just booked our flight to Vancouver for our upcoming Alaska cruise on the Wonder using miles and managed to snag first class seats to boot!

We did a 3 night pre stay. We stayed one night at the Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa in Edinburgh on points (12K). It was a very nice and comfortable and we enjoyed the one night stay very much. Our room was not a whole lot different from the Balmoral to be honest and if paying cash would have been over $100 less per night. Applying for a Starwood Preferred Guest Amex would get you 25K SPG points if you spend $5K within 6 months of applying for the card. 25K SPG points is 2 nights at the Sheraton Grand with 1K in points to spare.

We also did a couple of nights in the Witchery by the Castle suites. Now *that* was an experience all on its own and still cost less per night than what it does to stay a night at the Balmoral. They don't have a reward program so we couldn't pay for it with points or miles. Instead we used a credit card with no foreign transaction fees that earns double miles on hotels, travel and dining


----------



## Bobo912

2BNDisney said:


> Used United as I did not want more than one layover and had no problem.
> 
> As far as hotels, I had a discount rate at the Apex Waterloo which is extremely close to the Balmoral so I just walked my one piece of luggage over there on check-in day to the Balmoral. And it was much cheaper. I also saw a Travelodge near the Apex. I took the bus in to the hotel from the airport rather than taxi, and I believe it was only 3.50 pounds. They have a place to store luggage on the bus and if you are not carrying a lot, I found this rather convenient and less costly than a cab (of course if you are staying at the Balmoral or coming in the day of the tour, Disney handles all this transportation for you).



We're spending a few days in Edinburgh prior to the Ireland ABD next summer  I was planning to stay at the Apex Waterloo  The rates I've seen are not too bad.  Would you mind sharing where you found the best rates?


----------



## 2BNDisney

Bobo912 said:


> We're spending a few days in Edinburgh prior to the Ireland ABD next summer  I was planning to stay at the Apex Waterloo  The rates I've seen are not too bad.  Would you mind sharing where you found the best rates?


 
I believe I saw something pop up on either Orbitz or Expedia.  It has been a while so I am not sure which.  If I happen to find my receipt I will repost.  I found it was within easy walking distance of the Royal Mile and Princes Street Gardens.


----------



## edinburghlass

For anyone who has been or going to Edinburgh you might like to watch the film Sunshine on Leith.  

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/10353573/Sunshine-on-Leith-review.html

Billed as a feel good film and this years answer to Mamma Mia a lot of it was filmed in Edinburgh and the views of Edinburgh are certainly the stars of the film.  I loved it but then I'm maybe biased


----------



## sayhello

edinburghlass said:


> For anyone who has been or going to Edinburgh you might like to watch the film Sunshine on Leith.
> 
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/10353573/Sunshine-on-Leith-review.html
> 
> Billed as a feel good film and this years answer to Mamma Mia a lot of it was filmed in Edinburgh and the views of Edinburgh are certainly the stars of the film.  I loved it but then I'm maybe biased


Oooo!  And it *is* to do with the Proclaimers!    I do love them.  I'll definitely have to check it out!  

Thanks,
Sayhello


----------



## edinburghlass

sayhello said:


> Oooo!  And it *is* to do with the Proclaimers!    I do love them.  I'll definitely have to check it out!
> 
> Thanks,
> Sayhello



I wasn't sure if The Proclaimers would mean anything but yes all the music is by them and they have a cameo role at the start of the film. I came home and downloaded the sound track and put 500 Miles as my ring tone on my phone 

The afternoon I went we met some Americans outside and suggested the film to them. Spoke to them on the way out and they loved it although they knew nothing about the film before speaking to us. We were able to tell them were to go to see some of where it was filmed. 

ps, best take a hankie, quite sad in places


----------



## JLoane

For anyone traveling next August, tickets for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo went on sale this morning.  I've been trying to order mine all morning and haven't been able to as of yet, (trying since 5:00 EST) but I haven't given up.  It looks like an amazing show!


----------



## Calfan

JLoane said:


> For anyone traveling next August, tickets for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo went on sale this morning.  I've been trying to order mine all morning and haven't been able to as of yet, (trying since 5:00 EST) but I haven't given up.  It looks like an amazing show!



Keep trying!!  It really is an amazing show and a fabulous experience.


----------



## sayhello

JLoane said:


> For anyone traveling next August, tickets for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo went on sale this morning.  I've been trying to order mine all morning and haven't been able to as of yet, (trying since 5:00 EST) but I haven't given up.  It looks like an amazing show!


Thanks for the heads' up!  Unfortunately, I arrive in Scotland a week after the Tatoo is over.  But I'm sure there are others who will be able to make it!

Sayhello


----------



## tufbuf

No sale on July 2014?


----------



## sayhello

tufbuf said:


> No sale on July 2014?


Are you talking about the Military Tatoo?  The dates for that are Aug 1 - 23 for 2014.

Sayhello


----------



## tufbuf

sayhello said:


> Are you talking about the Military Tatoo?  The dates for that are Aug 1 - 23 for 2014.  Sayhello



Yeah, looks like there won't be any shows in July.


----------



## sayhello

tufbuf said:


> Yeah, looks like there won't be any shows in July.


Yes, I'm afraid it's only the 1st 3 weeks in August.  

Sayhello


----------



## rebeccam31

Just booked my airfare. Ouch! But I must say it's starting to feel a bit more real...


----------



## sayhello

rebeccam31 said:


> Just booked my airfare. Ouch! But I must say it's starting to feel a bit more real...


I haven't taken the plunge yet.  Who are you flying with?  I'm toying with United, but I'm still so undecided.

Sayhello


----------



## rebeccam31

sayhello said:


> I haven't taken the plunge yet.  Who are you flying with?  I'm toying with United, but I'm still so undecided.
> 
> Sayhello



We went with US Airways because it gives us the most direct route/shortest travel time. Pittsburgh to Philadelphia to Edinburgh. I've been watching a while, and prices have been sadly static.


----------



## sayhello

rebeccam31 said:


> We went with US Airways because it gives us the most direct route/shortest travel time. Pittsburgh to Philadelphia to Edinburgh. I've been watching a while, and prices have been sadly static.


I know. They really haven't gone up *or* down.  I keep hoping they'll go down after the holidays, but I'm not counting on it.  I'll probably buy them soon.  United has direct flights for me through Newark.  We'll see.  I keep changing my mind.

Sayhello


----------



## Princess Leia

sayhello said:


> I know. They really haven't gone up *or* down.  I keep hoping they'll go down after the holidays, but I'm not counting on it.  I'll probably buy them soon.  United has direct flights for me through Newark.  We'll see.  I keep changing my mind.
> 
> Sayhello



It's also worth considering flying into or out of Glasgow. This might give you more flight options. The train from the centre of Glasgow is an hour to Edinburgh. At both airports you will need transport to get to the city centre. Taxis are by far the easiest option. I would recommend spending some time in Glasgow - there is so much to see and do.


----------



## calypso726

We decided to do a pre-trip stop in Edinburgh on the way to our London/Paris ABD with my parents this year. We are flying on British Airways using American Airlines miles. Direct flight from Miami to LHR and then on to Edinburgh.  Thanks to the travel hacking we got 4 first class tickets


----------



## sayhello

Princess Leia said:


> It's also worth considering flying into or out of Glasgow. This might give you more flight options. The train from the centre of Glasgow is an hour to Edinburgh. At both airports you will need transport to get to the city centre. Taxis are by far the easiest option. I would recommend spending some time in Glasgow - there is so much to see and do.


Thanks for the suggestion! But, actually, I already have plans to spend a few days in London before the ABD, then take the train up to Edinburgh.  So Glasgow airport won't work for that.  And ABD will take me to Edinburgh airport at the end of the tour to fly home.  I'd have to get to Glasgow on my own.  But again, thanks for the information.  Perhaps someone else taking this trip can use that!

Sayhello


----------



## Princess Leia

sayhello said:


> Thanks for the suggestion! But, actually, I already have plans to spend a few days in London before the ABD, then take the train up to Edinburgh.  So Glasgow airport won't work for that.  And ABD will take me to Edinburgh airport at the end of the tour to fly home.  I'd have to get to Glasgow on my own.  But again, thanks for the information.  Perhaps someone else taking this trip can use that!
> 
> Sayhello



That's good you are getting to spend some time in London. It's always worth weighing up different options and taking the opportunity to visit other places when you have travelled so far. Enjoy your trip.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

sayhello said:


> I know. They really haven't gone up *or* down.  I keep hoping they'll go down after the holidays, but I'm not counting on it.  I'll probably buy them soon.  United has direct flights for me through Newark.  We'll see.  I keep changing my mind.
> 
> Sayhello



I'm not sure if any of their gateway cities are good for you, but check out Scandinavian Airlines (they don't show up on a lot of the search engines like JetBlue and Southwest). They have amazing deals right now, and they fly into both EDI and Gatwick. If I could travel at the end of May instead of June I could go for about $800 from California. My dates have been holding at an ugly 1460ish forever.


----------



## sayhello

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> I'm not sure if any of their gateway cities are good for you, but check out Scandinavian Airlines (they don't show up on a lot of the search engines like JetBlue and Southwest). They have amazing deals right now, and they fly into both EDI and Gatwick. If I could travel at the end of May instead of June I could go for about $800 from California. My dates have been holding at an ugly 1460ish forever.


Wow.  Thank you, but that totally didn't work for me.    I went to their site, and tried going from Columbus to London, then Edinburgh to Columbus.  It totally would not recognize Edinburgh as an option.  So I tried round trip to London, and the cheapest price was $3,573.90!!!!   I may play around with the site some more, but it totally does not look like a good option for me!  But thanks for the suggestion!

Sayhello


----------



## calypso726

sayhello said:


> Thanks for the suggestion! But, actually, I already have plans to spend a few days in London before the ABD, then take the train up to Edinburgh.  So Glasgow airport won't work for that.  And ABD will take me to Edinburgh airport at the end of the tour to fly home.  I'd have to get to Glasgow on my own.  But again, thanks for the information.  Perhaps someone else taking this trip can use that!
> 
> Sayhello



Some airlines allow stopovers on the same ticket but the rules are different for each one. If memory serves correctly BA does so you could fly CMH - LHR stop over a few days then continue on LHR-EDI if you didn't want to take the train. I checked a few flights going into EDI and LHR from CMH around your time frame and the lowest I saw were in the $1172 range on Air Canada. 

The travel hackers say the best day to search for flights you plan to pay out of pocket for are on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I will say that when we booked our DVC New York Dreams ABD we decided not to use miles for the flight and I searched for our flights on a Wednesday. We got two round trip direct flights for Memorial weekend for a very reasonable amount on the airline we wanted.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

sayhello said:


> Wow.  Thank you, but that totally didn't work for me.    I went to their site, and tried going from Columbus to London, then Edinburgh to Columbus.  It totally would not recognize Edinburgh as an option.  So I tried round trip to London, and the cheapest price was $3,573.90!!!!   I may play around with the site some more, but it totally does not look like a good option for me!  But thanks for the suggestion!
> 
> Sayhello



Ack! Really sorry about that. I meant Norwegian Airlines. I just went back to look and I don't think it will help you. It looks like they only fly out of a couple US cities right now. They have very cheap promo pricing right now to Oslo/Copenhagen from Oakland with a little extra cost to or from London or EDI. They don't fly to all the cities every day though. For example Oakland to London on May 6th is $355 (they do one way fares, which I love)! Edinburgh back to Oakland is only $431.50 on May 20th. Really wish I could take advantage. Can you tell I was trying to figure out how to make the ABD norway trip work? LOL


----------



## sayhello

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Ack! Really sorry about that. I meant Norwegian Airlines. I just went back to look and I don't think it will help you. It looks like they only fly out of a couple US cities right now. They have very cheap promo pricing right now to Oslo/Copenhagen from Oakland with a little extra cost to or from London or EDI. They don't fly to all the cities every day though. For example Oakland to London on May 6th is $355 (they do one way fares, which I love)! Edinburgh back to Oakland is only $431.50 on May 20th. Really wish I could take advantage. Can you tell I was trying to figure out how to make the ABD norway trip work? LOL


Wow!  That really is a wonderful price.  I'll go check them out, but you're right, it doesn't sound like I'd be able to make it work.  The other thing that would concern me is if I missed the connection, and they don't fly every day, it would be a problem getting there.  But once again, thanks for the suggestion!  You never know what will work.  And perhaps someone else reading here *can* benefit from it!

Maybe you could post this info over on the Norway trip Meets thread?

Sayhello


----------



## sayhello

calypso726 said:


> Some airlines allow stopovers on the same ticket but the rules are different for each one. If memory serves correctly BA does so you could fly CMH - LHR stop over a few days then continue on LHR-EDI if you didn't want to take the train. I checked a few flights going into EDI and LHR from CMH around your time frame and the lowest I saw were in the $1172 range on Air Canada.
> 
> The travel hackers say the best day to search for flights you plan to pay out of pocket for are on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I will say that when we booked our DVC New York Dreams ABD we decided not to use miles for the flight and I searched for our flights on a Wednesday. We got two round trip direct flights for Memorial weekend for a very reasonable amount on the airline we wanted.


Thanks, calypso726.  I had thought about that, but, honestly between having to get from central London to Heathrow, wait time at the airport, the flight, getting from EDI to my hotel in Edinburgh, it's a wash with taking the train.  And the cost of taking the train is pretty low in the UK.  It's only about 4.5 hours by train, and the train station is like 5 minutes from where I'm staying in London, and also very close to where I'm staying in Edinburgh.  And I actually really like taking the train.  So it's all good!  And leaving out the London to EDI leg does not make the price any higher, which is unusual.

The price for the ticket I'm looking at (Columbus->London & EDI->CMH) hasn't changed more than a few dollars over the past 5 months.  It doesn't matter what day of the week I look; it's always the same.  But I'll keep that in mind for domestic flights!  I think those are way more variable.

Thanks,
Sayhello


----------



## kristilew

SayHello, when DH was dividing his time between London and Edinburgh, he found that the train was a time saver in a big way, especially with airport security lines these days.

Calypso726, what is "travel hackers?"  Is this a website with travel tips or something?  I saw you mention it with regard to a BA flight you got.  Very curious about it....


----------



## sayhello

kristilew said:


> SayHello, when DH was dividing his time between London and Edinburgh, he found that the train was a time saver in a big way, especially with airport security lines these days.


Thanks, kristilew.  I suspected as much, but it's nice to have it confirmed!    Has he ever had issues shlepping luggage on the train?  Are there different train companies, or just different places to buy the tickets?  Any he recommends?  

Sayhello


----------



## calypso726

kristilew said:


> Calypso726, what is "travel hackers?"  Is this a website with travel tips or something?  I saw you mention it with regard to a BA flight you got.  Very curious about it....



Hi Kristilew. Not exactly. Travel hackers are people who utilize all means available to rack up airline miles and hotel points in order to travel free or nearly free. Some are frequent travelers and some like DH and I earn our miles through credit card sign up bonuses, online airline  shopping portals and bonus categories on certain credit cards. 

A little creativity goes a long way. For example, our annual DVC dues are coming up and I could use one card that earns 1 mile per $ on purchases or 2 miles per $ on travel which for some reason the dues are categorized that way. Or, I could use a different card that earns 5 miles per $ at office supply stores and go buy Disney gift cards at the office supply store and pay my dues with the Disney gift cards. A little more work but worth it to me. There are many blogs and a couple of forums run by other travel hackers that I studied to learn his hobby and how best to work the system. We have each earned well over a million miles and our credit scores have gone up too  

We both started doing this after booking the Brave Adventure in order to try to get enough miles to fly first class. We did and will also be flying 1st class for our DCl Alaska cruise and London/Paris ABD with a Scotland pre trip  Our pre trip 3 night stay at the Radisson Blu in Edinburgh will also be on points. DH is willing to travel more as long as I am able to figure out how to make it cost less


----------



## Princess Leia

sayhello said:


> Thanks, kristilew.  I suspected as much, but it's nice to have it confirmed!    Has he ever had issues shlepping luggage on the train?  Are their different train companies, or just different places to buy the tickets?  Any he recommends?
> 
> Sayhello



East Coast Trains run between London and Edinburgh. It takes about 4 hours 22 min. You will get best deals booking online at their website www.eastcoast.co.uk
You can book about 3 months ahead. Prices are much cheaper the further out you are from travel. it is also worth checking the best deal as ticket prices varying greatly for different times of day. The great thing with train is that you are in the city centre. When you factor in check-in times for airport and travel from airports to city centre the train is a great option. It is set up for travelling with cases. We have gone as a family of 4 by train to London and love it.


----------



## disneydeb8

I'm so impressed with the creative ways to score mileage threw travel hacking.  I haven't been as successful for this trip, but maybe for next one!

Ok.... So I'm getting cold feet BIG time!   As I have previously posted, this trip is a huge ' trip of a life time' for my family.  We have been holding off taking this trip when we felt our 4 kids were old enough to truly appreciate their heritage and the history.  My parents (whom immigrated from Scotlland) were a great influence on them and instilled such a sense of pride. 

I'm wondering if the itinerary will cover all that I need them to see in the highlands.   I'm disappointed there is not time for the Jacobite express! or a walk threw Glencoe, and I would like to know from ABDers before us, if they felt they missed out on anything in particular.  Was there too much back tracking on the bus and would you amend the hotel locations, or add another stop?  I know this is a Disneys brave, and not a braveheart or Scotland the brave tour, but any regrets?   I mean we chose ABD because DIsney has never disappointed us.  We bought DVC,  done 2 DCl cruises, at least 10 trips to WDW, have traveled quite a bit and have pretty high expectations....Disney gets it done and I'm thrilled with the brand.   I just am afraid I might need something more than even disney can deliver.

we will be arriving a week before the tour starts to visit with family and see the Military Tattoo, tour Glasgow and my parents home towns so I have a bit of time to add other must dos.   So far that includes Stirling Castle, St Andrews, and maybe a day trip to the borders to visit Alnwic castle    Any others?


----------



## kristilew

Sayhello, what Princess Leia said. Can't remember which station DH left from in London but the website should be helpful. You are going to have so much fun!


----------



## calypso726

disneydeb8 said:


> I'm so impressed with the creative ways to score mileage threw travel hacking.  I haven't been as successful for this trip, but maybe for next one!
> 
> Ok.... So I'm getting cold feet BIG time!   As I have previously posted, this trip is a huge ' trip of a life time' for my family.  We have been holding off taking this trip when we felt our 4 kids were old enough to truly appreciate their heritage and the history.  My parents (whom immigrated from Scotlland) were a great influence on them and instilled such a sense of pride.
> 
> I'm wondering if the itinerary will cover all that I need them to see in the highlands.   I'm disappointed there is not time for the Jacobite express! or a walk threw Glencoe, and I would like to know from ABDers before us, if they felt they missed out on anything in particular.  Was there too much back tracking on the bus and would you amend the hotel locations, or add another stop?  I know this is a Disneys brave, and not a braveheart or Scotland the brave tour, but any regrets?   I mean we chose ABD because DIsney has never disappointed us.  We bought DVC,  done 2 DCl cruises, at least 10 trips to WDW, have traveled quite a bit and have pretty high expectations....Disney gets it done and I'm thrilled with the brand.   I just am afraid I might need something more than even disney can deliver.
> 
> we will be arriving a week before the tour starts to visit with family and see the Military Tattoo, tour Glasgow and my parents home towns so I have a bit of time to add other must dos.   So far that includes Stirling Castle, St Andrews, and maybe a day trip to the borders to visit Alnwic castle    Any others?



No regrets but I am glad we came a few days early to enjoy Edinburgh during the Fringe Festival and got to see the Military Tatto. That was a highlight! I would love to go back again and stay in Edinburgh for a week and enjoy some of the shows during the festival. I am glad we chose to get dropped off at Culloden after one of our days in Inverness. Personally, I would have liked to stop at Glencoe and take pictures. I am glad we also took the time beforehand to see Stirling Castle and The Wallace Monument. I also really enjoyed doing the Real Mary King's Close tour. When we go back this September with my parents we will be taking the tour again. If you get a chance to hike up to the top of Arthur's Seat you should. We will be doing that again in September too.


----------



## disneydeb8

calypso726 said:


> No regrets but I am glad we came a few days early to enjoy Edinburgh during the Fringe Festival and got to see the Military Tatto. That was a highlight! I would love to go back again and stay in Edinburgh for a week and enjoy some of the shows during the festival. I am glad we chose to get dropped off at Culloden after one of our days in Inverness. Personally, I would have liked to stop at Glencoe and take pictures. I am glad we also took the time beforehand to see Stirling Castle and The Wallace Monument. I also really enjoyed doing the Real Mary King's Close tour. When we go back this September with my parents we will be taking the tour again. If you get a chance to hike up to the top of Arthur's Seat you should. We will be doing that again in September too.



I almost forgot to add Arthur's seat hike!  Thank you.  Culloden battlefield is a must do so I was thrilled they gave you the option.  Glencoe is hard to let go  and wondering if any possible way to visit during the tour.  Do you feel Lewis was a must see?  I know the standing stones has the outlander tie in so I'm guessing your answer is yes


----------



## calypso726

disneydeb8 said:


> I almost forgot to add Arthur's seat hike!  Thank you.  Culloden battlefield is a must do so I was thrilled they gave you the option.  Glencoe is hard to let go  and wondering if any possible way to visit during the tour.  Do you feel Lewis was a must see?  I know the standing stones has the outlander tie in so I'm guessing your answer is yes



Definitely YES! Even if I wasn't a huge Outlander fan I'd say definitely yes. Being able to walk up to and touch the stones is awesome. I am already mentally preparing myself for the fact that you don't get to go up to and touch the stones at Stonehenge  I really enjoyed seeing the Arnol Blackhouse and loved the peat fire. Stornoway is pretty amazing simply because of the remote feeling it invokes.  My best advice is to stay open minded. There were several things on the itinerary that I didn't think I'd care for too much or could probably skip. I wound up being quite surprised. Some of the things I thought I could have done without wound up being the best parts of the trip. If there was one thing I could have done that we didn't do, it would be to see the fairy pools in the Isle of Skye. I will one day though.


----------



## sayhello

Princess Leia said:


> East Coast Trains run between London and Edinburgh. It takes about 4 hours 22 min. You will get best deals booking online at their website www.eastcoast.co.uk
> You can book about 3 months ahead. Prices are much cheaper the further out you are from travel. it is also worth checking the best deal as ticket prices varying greatly for different times of day. The great thing with train is that you are in the city centre. When you factor in check-in times for airport and travel from airports to city centre the train is a great option. It is set up for travelling with cases. We have gone as a family of 4 by train to London and love it.


Thanks so much, Princess Leia!    This is just what I needed.  I'll definitely book ahead of time.  Thanks!



kristilew said:


> Sayhello, what Princess Leia said. Can't remember which station DH left from in London but the website should be helpful. You are going to have so much fun!


That website is great.  It looks like I can catch the train at King's Cross (not too far from my London Hotel) and take it to Edinburgh Waverly, which is walking distance to my Edinburgh hotel!  I am really getting excited, but it still seems a bit far away!

Thanks!
Sayhello


----------



## RSM

calypso726 said:


> . Being able to walk up to and touch the stones is awesome. I am already mentally preparing myself for the fact that you don't get to go up to and touch the stones at Stonehenge .



There are tours of Stonehenge in the early morning prior to opening and in the evening after closing that allow you to go inside the structure of Stonehenge and get very close to the stones.  You can't touch them, but you are within inches.  For most tours of Stonehenge you are outside a roped area around the perimeter.  Not sure of what access ABD has, but if you really wanted to get close to the stones and had time you could check out Premium Tours VIP tour of Stonehenge.


----------



## calypso726

RSM said:


> There are tours of Stonehenge in the early morning prior to opening and in the evening after closing that allow you to go inside the structure of Stonehenge and get very close to the stones.  You can't touch them, but you are within inches.  For most tours of Stonehenge you are outside a roped area around the perimeter.  Not sure of what access ABD has, but if you really wanted to get close to the stones and had time you could check out Premium Tours VIP tour of Stonehenge.



Good to know. Thank you for sharing that. I'll have to back and peruse some of the London/Paris ABD trip reports and see if Disney gets to go beyond the ropes. That would be awesome. If they don't perhaps I will look into an after hours option if the itinerary allows. Thanks for sharing!


----------



## SingingMom

calypso726 said:


> Good to know. Thank you for sharing that. I'll have to back and peruse some of the London/Paris ABD trip reports and see if Disney gets to go beyond the ropes. That would be awesome. If they don't perhaps I will look into an after hours option if the itinerary allows. Thanks for sharing!



You are outside the ropes at Stonehenge with ABD.

"SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards


----------



## calypso726

SingingMom said:


> You are outside the ropes at Stonehenge with ABD.
> 
> "SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards




Boo!  What happened to the Power of Da Mouse


----------



## disneydeb8

calypso726 said:


> Boo!  What happened to the Power of Da Mouse



Funny, I was thinking the same thought!

Look is like we may add a pre-tour stop over in London!  DH says we might as well and the kids will be thrilled,  they are huge Potter fans and dr who so will have to indulge them with this surprise 

So I need to call on those experienced with London and traveling up to glasgow.

First I can fly into Heathrow or Gatwick so is there a preference.  Also, London hotels and area...any suggestions.  I plan staying 3 nights than heading to glasgow via rail! stay there for 3-4 nights before heading to Edinburgh for tattoo and ABD.  Thanks for any wisdom you may share


----------



## sayhello

disneydeb8 said:


> Funny, I was thinking the same thought!
> 
> Look is like we may add a pre-tour stop over in London!  DH says we might as well and the kids will be thrilled,  they are huge Potter fans and dr who so will have to indulge them with this surprise
> 
> So I need to call on those experienced with London and traveling up to glasgow.
> 
> First I can fly into Heathrow or Gatwick so is there a preference.  Also, London hotels and area...any suggestions.  I plan staying 3 nights than heading to glasgow via rail! stay there for 3-4 nights before heading to Edinburgh for tattoo and ABD.  Thanks for any wisdom you may share


I've only ever flown into Heathrow, so I can't comment on which is better.

If your kids are really Harry Potter fans, then you'll want to take them to the Harry Potter studios tour just outside of London.  

http://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/?gclid=CMHCpc2j_rsCFUpnOgodWUoA6A

There's a train that goes there from Euston train station.  I just looked, and the train to Glasgow also leaves from Euston station.  So I'd recommend staying in that area (I am in August).  The Marylebone area is right there.  That's where I'm staying (off Baker Street).  Oxford street is nearby, as is Madame Tussauds' and the British Museum.  And King's Cross station is the next tube stop up, and there's a Platform 9 3/4 set up there with a cart that looks like it's passing through the wall (great Harry Potter Photo op).  

There's also an express train from Heathrow to Paddington station, which is not terribly far away from Marylebone either.  There's a train from Gatwick to Marylebone, but it's not an express, so it takes an hour & 15 minutes vs. the Express which takes 15 minutes.  

There's a company called London Walks http://www.walks.com/ that has a Harry Potter tour, which I took when I was there in 2011.  Really excellent tour that hits places relating to Harry Potter, JK Rowling, or used during filming of the movies.

I'm also looking at a company called Muggle Tours http://www.muggletours.co.uk/ which is highly rated on TripAdvisor.com.  

That's what I can think of off the top of my head (I'm doing 4 pre-days in London, then taking the train up to Edinburgh, so I'm already looking into this.)

Let me know if you have any more questions!

Sayhello


----------



## disneydeb8

thanks Sayhello!  

This is great information to get me started planning a pre-pre-trip!  

It's pretty overwhelming and I have never researched London so I have a bit of work to do.  Im trying to keep this a surprise since the kids will not expect this -- my 16 year old will absolutley freak!  She could not grasp why "wouldn't we" tour London when we were so close???


so thank you again!


----------



## RSM

Hi DisneyDeb8,

We spent 9 days in London this summer.  We used London as a home base and did a few day trips outside of the city.  our 11 y/o son is a huge Harry Potter fan, so virtually every day had some Harry Potter theme to it.  I would absolutely second SayHello's recommendation on the Warner Bros tour.  For any HP fan, it is a must see.  Thousands of props and most of the inside and external sets are still intact.  You can take a train to Watford or book a tour (includes entrance tickets and coach ride).  The tour is more convenient, the downside is that you don't have as much time in the studio.  Another, HP related thing (if you have time) is to take a trip to Oxford.  There are coach tours that will take you there and give you a tour of the University, highlighting scenes from the movies that were shot there, and pointing out the inspiration for other parts of the movie.  We did a tour of HP sites in London with a company called Brit Movie Tours.  They were very good, however, there are a bunch of companies that do this type of tour, so you can choose whatever is most convenient.  Platform 9 3/4 is at Kings Cross station.  Just a heads up, the lines can get pretty long for that photo op.  If you get there early, the lines tend to be much shorter.  They have a pretty good system set up with people there to put a scarf around you and take a picture.  We waited about 20-30 mins, but I heard some complaining about waiting over an hour for the photo op.

If you are going to be there 3 days, I'd recommend getting an oyster card to ride the tube.  Huge cost savings and very convenient.  The tube/underground in London is super easy, and you will figure it out within one or two trips.  There are also lots of workers to help at every stop.  Another recommendation is to get a 2 or 3 day London Pass.  It allows you entrance into many of the museums/attractions in London, and you get to skip the entrance line at many of the more popular attractions (e.g., London Tower).  Just google London Pass and take a look.

There is so much to do, you will have a blast.  Hopes this helps at least a little bit.  Feel free to ask any questions.


----------



## Princess Leia

disneydeb8 said:


> Funny, I was thinking the same thought!
> 
> Look is like we may add a pre-tour stop over in London!  DH says we might as well and the kids will be thrilled,  they are huge Potter fans and dr who so will have to indulge them with this surprise
> 
> So I need to call on those experienced with London and traveling up to glasgow.
> 
> First I can fly into Heathrow or Gatwick so is there a preference.  Also, London hotels and area...any suggestions.  I plan staying 3 nights than heading to glasgow via rail! stay there for 3-4 nights before heading to Edinburgh for tattoo and ABD.  Thanks for any wisdom you may share



Just wanted to share our experience on visiting London. I will try and answer some of your questions. In terms of hotels what is most important is that you are near to a tube station. We stayed at Premier Inn London Southwark (Tate Modern). It turned out to be ideal. You will get best prices the further out you are. A friend also recommended the Premier Inn County Hall which is beside the London Eye. 

My daughter loves Harry Potter. We booked on the Big Bus Tour which means you can use the hop-on hop off-buses. As part of this tour you can go on walking tours. We went on the Royal London Walk and the Harry Potter Film Locations walk. We really enjoyed this tour. You will see the exterior of the Ministry of Magic (Whitehall), the entrance to Diagon Alley and Leicester square. It is worth purchasing the book 'Harry Potter on Location' prior to your visit to London? We also went to the Warner Bros studio tour. Again if you are the fan of the films it really is worthwhile. We got the train from Euston to Watford Junction. Just make sure that you get one of the express ones. You can get a shuttle bus to the studios. You can check train times online at national rail enquiries. 

Virgin Trains leave from London Euston to Glasgow Central. You can book online. If you book early you can book a table for no extra cost. You could also travel via Edinburgh to Glasgow. Let me know if you need any info on Glasgow.  It's great fun planning surprises for the children.


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## disneydeb8

This is great info to start the planning--- so BIG thanks to everyone!  Keeping this a secret is not so easy, as the kids would love to be part of the planning process.  I'm determined though since we've been planning Scotland for their entire lives! 


I am curious about the airport to hotel transfers ---- I see this is quite an ordeal.  I was expecting a hotel shuttle or perhaps a taxi but now not so sure...
First, do the big London taxis seat 6 with luggage?  If so, what is the cost.  Did I read correctly one way from Heathrow for six passenger  is close to GBP 200 on the train?? Yikes!!


----------



## sayhello

disneydeb8 said:


> I am curious about the airport to hotel transfers ---- I see this is quite an ordeal.  I was expecting a hotel shuttle or perhaps a taxi but now not so sure...
> First, do the big London taxis seat 6 with luggage?  If so, what is the cost.  Did I read correctly one way from Heathrow for six passenger  is close to GBP 200 on the train?? Yikes!!


A friend of mine recently went to London & took a taxi from Heathrow to Marylebone.  It was about £99 each way.  I think that's probably for the taxi, not per person, but I don't know for sure.  So it might end up cheaper than the train, depending on how many cabs you needed.  If you buy the tickets online, the Express train is £21 for adults and £10.50 for children (unless you want to splurge on Business First).  I don't know if your kids qualify as children or not, but at most it would be £126 for 6 of you for one way.  (Your plans sound like you're not going back to Heathrow).  But then you'd probably need a taxi from Paddington to your hotel, so you need to count that in, also.

Sayhello


----------



## disneydeb8

WOW!  That's great to know --- I will purchase online for certain.

Yep, just one way from Heathrow than we head to Glasgow by train. Learning about the rail cards/oyster cards and discounts if well planned  has been en eye-opener.  I can't say how uninformed I was before this post --- and how broke I would be unnecessarily if I hadn't gotten these tips


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## RSM

In terms of transport from the airport to central London.  We booked a private car service (we used Hummingbird Cars) from Heathrow to the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington.  One way trip was 44 pounds.  Much cheaper than a taxi, and they picked us up in a Mercedes SUV.  This was a great option as the request form asks things like the number of people, number of bags, etc, so you don't have to stress about finding a taxi large enough.


----------



## kristilew

I second car service.  Much more flexible than taxis.  Can't remember who we use, as DH always handles it, but you should be able to find reviews of several on trip advisor.

As for touring London, don't forget to leave time for nonHP things as well!  We loved the Globe Theater tour, and many museums.  The Museum of London was a great way to start, as it takes you in order from ancient times to the present and gives a really good picture of how the city developed and came to be.  It really gives perspective to anything else you do.

My DD16 was fascinated by the little Florence Nightingale museum that is located just by the Westminster bridge.  Really well done, and if your DD is at all into women in history, maybe worth an hour or so of your time.  

And of course the biggies like Tower of London and Westminster Abbey.  You are going to have so much fun!  We can't wait to go back!


----------



## WeLoveABD

Our end of June trip at 38-what a great adventure ahead! ABD rep said there may be something new for ABD itinerary  (no details if whole new trip or 2015 schedule or what) announced end of April or early May...


----------



## sayhello

WeLoveABD said:


> Our end of June trip at 38-what a great adventure ahead! ABD rep said there may be something new for ABD itinerary  (no details if whole new trip or 2015 schedule or what) announced end of April or early May...


You reminded me to call.    At the moment, there are 19 signed up for my Adults Only trip, so as long as no-one cancels, I should be good to go (3 out of 4 of my Adults-Only trips went with less than 19).  Fingers & toes crossed!

Did the rep say it was new for ABD or new for the Scotland ABD?

Sayhello


----------



## calypso726

WeLoveABD said:


> Our end of June trip at 38-what a great adventure ahead! ABD rep said there may be something new for ABD itinerary  (no details if whole new trip or 2015 schedule or what) announced end of April or early May...



Fingers & toes crossed for a whole new Scotland itinerary!


----------



## WeLoveABD

sayhello said:


> You reminded me to call.    At the moment, there are 19 signed up for my Adults Only trip, so as long as no-one cancels, I should be good to go (3 out of 4 of my Adults-Only trips went with less than 19).  Fingers & toes crossed!
> 
> Did the rep say it was new for ABD or new for the Scotland ABD?
> 
> Sayhello



I took him to mean a new ABD trip (or trips)-perhaps tweaking Scotland itinerary as well.


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## rebeccam31

My daughter has an opportunity to participate in a regional theater production this summer, so we have changed our trip dates to the August 3-11 trip. If you could change it on the first page, I'd be appreciative.


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## sayhello

rebeccam31 said:


> My daughter has an opportunity to participate in a regional theater production this summer, so we have changed our trip dates to the August 3-11 trip. If you could change it on the first page, I'd be appreciative.


Done!  You are now on the same departure as JLoane & family!

Sayhello


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## sayhello

Anyone who hasn't purchased your airfare to Scotland yet, I just got notification from Kayak that American Airlines has the route from Columbus to Edinburgh for $824 right now, which is $400 less than the airfare has been for months and months (there's been *no* movement in the price up until now).  I have no idea how long it might last, or if it's good for other routes, but I just thought I'd mention it.  

Why I keep monitoring the airfare when I've already purchased my airfare is a mystery to me.  

Sayhello


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## SingingMom

sayhello said:


> Anyone who hasn't purchased your airfare to Scotland yet, I just got notification from Kayak that American Airlines has the route from Columbus to Edinburgh for $824 right now, which is $400 less than the airfare has been for months and months (there's been *no* movement in the price up until now).  I have no idea how long it might last, or if it's good for other routes, but I just thought I'd mention it.  Why I keep monitoring the airfare when I've already purchased my airfare is a mystery to me.    Sayhello



JetBlue gives credits if the rate drops - did you call American?   

"SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards


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## CaliforniaGirl09

sayhello said:


> Anyone who hasn't purchased your airfare to Scotland yet, I just got notification from Kayak that American Airlines has the route from Columbus to Edinburgh for $824 right now, which is $400 less than the airfare has been for months and months (there's been *no* movement in the price up until now).  I have no idea how long it might last, or if it's good for other routes, but I just thought I'd mention it.
> 
> Why I keep monitoring the airfare when I've already purchased my airfare is a mystery to me.
> 
> Sayhello



Too funny, Sayhello! I've pretty much decided not to go on the 9-nt Med I have signed up for this year and hope for the BTB Norway/Baltic cruise that everyone is speculating on in 2015. I've been monitoring airfare from SFO to Venice for over a year daily on kayak. It's been $1700ish for an entire year--with little to no movement--and then all of the sudden last week for a couple days it dropped $400! Wasn't sure to be happy or sad that I still had that Kayak alert. Had the fares dropped that much a few months ago, we probably would have pulled the trigger. So for those following european airfare drops, in my case it was about 4 1/2 months out that the fares dropped, but if you didn't have a kayak alert you would have missed them.


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## sayhello

SingingMom said:


> JetBlue gives credits if the rate drops - did you call American?
> 
> "SingingMom"


I booked with United.  Their fares haven't changed.  So I doubt American will give me a refund!  



CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Too funny, Sayhello! I've pretty much decided not to go on the 9-nt Med I have signed up for this year and hope for the BTB Norway/Baltic cruise that everyone is speculating on in 2015. I've been monitoring airfare from SFO to Venice for over a year daily on kayak. It's been $1700ish for an entire year--with little to no movement--and then all of the sudden last week for a couple days it dropped $400! Wasn't sure to be happy or sad that I still had that Kayak alert. Had the fares dropped that much a few months ago, we probably would have pulled the trigger. So for those following european airfare drops, in my case it was about 4 1/2 months out that the fares dropped, but if you didn't have a kayak alert you would have missed them.


It's about 6 months out for me.  I've been watching it for probably 5 to 6 months, and it's not moved at all until today.  Like you, I probably would never have known if not for the Kayak alert.

Sayhello


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## Bobo912

sayhello said:


> Anyone who hasn't purchased your airfare to Scotland yet, I just got notification from Kayak that American Airlines has the route from Columbus to Edinburgh for $824 right now, which is $400 less than the airfare has been for months and months (there's been *no* movement in the price up until now).  I have no idea how long it might last, or if it's good for other routes, but I just thought I'd mention it.
> 
> Why I keep monitoring the airfare when I've already purchased my airfare is a mystery to me.
> 
> Sayhello



I'm so glad you posted this.  I foolishly went to the Delta website to see if the airfare had gone down since I purchased our flights, even though there is nothing I can do about it if it has, other than possibly suffer regret.  But I discovered that, for the second time since I booked, there had been a flight change and I would miss my connection.  I didn't get a notification or anything, although I'm signed up for their email notifications.  I called Delta and got it all straightened out and I like the flight we're on now better than the what we had.  But if I hadn't checked, who knows what we would have ended up with.  I get alot of emails from them, including flight changes that don't require any action on my part.  But this is the third time in the last couple of years (and twice for this trip) that they have failed to notify me when there was a change that required me to rebook.    Other than this issue, I like Delta.  I guess I need to put a weekly reminder on my calendar to check my reservation for changes, just in case.  Good news, I guess, is that the price has gone up by $200 over what I paid.  So no regrets about the price.


----------



## sayhello

Bobo912 said:


> I'm so glad you posted this.  I foolishly went to the Delta website to see if the airfare had gone down since I purchased our flights, even though there is nothing I can do about it if it has, other than possibly suffer regret.  But I discovered that, for the second time since I booked, there had been a flight change and I would miss my connection.  I didn't get a notification or anything, although I'm signed up for their email notifications.  I called Delta and got it all straightened out and I like the flight we're on now better than the what we had.  But if I hadn't checked, who knows what we would have ended up with.  I get alot of emails from them, including flight changes that don't require any action on my part.  But this is the third time in the last couple of years (and twice for this trip) that they have failed to notify me when there was a change that required me to rebook.    Other than this issue, I like Delta.  I guess I need to put a weekly reminder on my calendar to check my reservation for changes, just in case.  Good news, I guess, is that the price has gone up by $200 over what I paid.  So no regrets about the price.


So glad you caught this!  Unfortunately, it's my biggest beef with Delta.  Every flight I've booked with them for the last 5 years at least has been changed over and over again.  Either messing up the connections or making me lose my seat selection and have to re-select seats.  (One time, they changed the type of plane I was booked on, and re-assigned me a seat that did not exist on the new plane!)  When I fly Delta I do feel like I have to constantly re-check my reservation because Delta is always messing with it.  And I don't get any emails about it, either, even though I signed up for them.

Sayhello


----------



## calypso726

Bobo912 said:


> I'm so glad you posted this.  I foolishly went to the Delta website to see if the airfare had gone down since I purchased our flights, even though there is nothing I can do about it if it has, other than possibly suffer regret.  But I discovered that, for the second time since I booked, there had been a flight change and I would miss my connection.  I didn't get a notification or anything, although I'm signed up for their email notifications.  I called Delta and got it all straightened out and I like the flight we're on now better than the what we had.  But if I hadn't checked, who knows what we would have ended up with.  I get alot of emails from them, including flight changes that don't require any action on my part.  But this is the third time in the last couple of years (and twice for this trip) that they have failed to notify me when there was a change that required me to rebook.    Other than this issue, I like Delta.  I guess I need to put a weekly reminder on my calendar to check my reservation for changes, just in case.  Good news, I guess, is that the price has gone up by $200 over what I paid.  So no regrets about the price.





sayhello said:


> So glad you caught this!  Unfortunately, it's my biggest beef with Delta.  Every flight I've booked with them for the last 5 years at least has been changed over and over again.  Either messing up the connections or making me lose my seat selection and have to re-select seats.  (One time, they changed the type of plane I was booked on, and re-assigned me a seat that did not exist on the new plane!)  When I fly Delta I do feel like I have to constantly re-check my reservation because Delta is always messing with it.  And I don't get any emails about it, either, even though I signed up for them.
> 
> Sayhello



These are just a couple of the reasons that Delta is the only major airline I don't bother to try to earn miles on through travel hacking


----------



## knewton64

have a direct flight booked outta DFW late August -
booked it months ago when the airfare rates were = 


Ah well - gives me more time to watch some of my dvds -
1) "The Boys" = story behind the Sherman brothers (never seen it)
(got a few more to watch but this is the one I really am looking forward to)


and read the book, "Mary Poppins She Wrote" a biography on P.L. Travers






T.T.F.N.
&
Cheers Y'all


----------



## OhanaCuz

calypso726 said:


> These are just a couple of the reasons that Delta is the only major airline I don't bother to try to earn miles on through travel hacking



It would be even harder to now. I think I've read that they are one of the airlines that is switching their frequent-flier miles to be based off of your trip price, and not the number of miles in the trip.


----------



## Bobo912

OhanaCuz said:


> It would be even harder to now. I think I've read that they are one of the airlines that is switching their frequent-flier miles to be based off of your trip price, and not the number of miles in the trip.



You are correct.  That change takes effect in 2015.  Delta has a tool on their website to compare the old vs new rewards.  I put in my upcoming flight for comparison and with the current program I receive 10,670 miles, but with the new program I would only get 9,590.  One improvement is no blackout dates, but I've never really had a problem booking rewards flights anyway.  Delta has a lot of flights out of Nashville and often they have the best price, so I got a Delta Amex to try to maximize my rewards, and it's worked out pretty well so far.  But with this change, I'm going to be doing some research over the next year and see if I want to shift my business elsewhere.  

As far as the email notifications go, I seem to get a lot of those for small changes, like when the departure time changes by 5 minutes or the plane we're flying on changes, but when it's something major, somehow those emails aren't delivered.  Maybe I just happen to catch those on my own before the emails were sent.  I noticed that my return flight from Shannon to JFK has changed this morning.  It's arriving in NY one minute earlier than originally scheduled.  I haven't gotten an email yet.  This time I know exactly when the changed happened, so it will be interesting to see how long it will be before the email arrives, if it ever does.


----------



## Bobo912

2BNDisney said:


> I believe I saw something pop up on either Orbitz or Expedia.  It has been a while so I am not sure which.  If I happen to find my receipt I will repost.  I found it was within easy walking distance of the Royal Mile and Princes Street Gardens.



2BNDisney, do you remember what type of room you booked?  I need two beds and, from reading the descriptions, even the suites seem to have just one king bed.  On the hotel website there is a Superior Double/Twin room where the description says one king or two single beds.  If I book from the Delta website, the price is the same and I get FF miles, but that type of room is the only one that isn't listed.


----------



## calypso726

OhanaCuz said:


> It would be even harder to now. I think I've read that they are one of the airlines that is switching their frequent-flier miles to be based off of your trip price, and not the number of miles in the trip.



I don't fly often enough to earn significant "butt in seat" miles  I utilize credit card sign up bonus and have learned to work the system of each card to earn miles. Between DH and I we are near 2 million in miles  However, with this newest devaluation of Delta's Sky Miles er Pesos there is no chance I will fly them on the off chance I decide to pay for a flight someday.



Bobo912 said:


> 2BNDisney, do you remember what type of room you booked?  I need two beds and, from reading the descriptions, even the suites seem to have just one king bed.  On the hotel website there is a Superior Double/Twin room where the description says one king or two single beds.  If I book from the Delta website, the price is the same and I get FF miles, but that type of room is the only one that isn't listed.



We are also staying in Edinburgh for 3 nights prior to our London/Paris ABD. We chose the Radisson Blu on the Royal Mile on High Street. I am not sure what the available room configurations are though so I don't know if there are 2 beds in a room. 

Sharing the following in case it helps out anyone else doing a pre/post stay and wants to cut down costs. We are staying at the Edinburgh Radisson Blu for free   I applied for the Club Carlson Signature Visa. Once you meet the bonus requirements you have enough points to stay a few nights since the card gives you gold status which means when you book 2 or more nights on points your last night is free. Nice perk! Right now they are running a extend your weekend stay 4 nights for 2 promotion for gold level members in hotels in Europe. 

Lastly, we have also figured out how to stay at a Bed & Breakfast for free. Barclay's Arrival card will give you 40K points ($440) after meeting the requirements which you can redeem on travel purchases. If the B&B merchant charges and codes the transaction as travel and you pay with the Arrival card (no foreign transaction fees) you can then pay for the charge using your points in a statement credit. 

Hope this helps fellow DISers.


----------



## Bobo912

calypso726 said:


> I don't fly often enough to earn significant "butt in seat" miles  I utilize credit card sign up bonus and have learned to work the system of each card to earn miles. Between DH and I we are near 2 million in miles  However, with this newest devaluation of Delta's Sky Miles er Pesos there is no chance I will fly them on the off chance I decide to pay for a flight someday.
> 
> 
> 
> We are also staying in Edinburgh for 3 nights prior to our London/Paris ABD. We chose the Radisson Blu on the Royal Mile on High Street. I am not sure what the available room configurations are though so I don't know if there are 2 beds in a room.
> 
> Sharing the following in case it helps out anyone else doing a pre/post stay and wants to cut down costs. We are staying at the Edinburgh Radisson Blu for free   I applied for the Club Carlson Signature Visa. Once you meet the bonus requirements you have enough points to stay a few nights since the card gives you gold status which means when you book 2 or more nights on points your last night is free. Nice perk! Right now they are running a extend your weekend stay 4 nights for 2 promotion for gold level members in hotels in Europe.
> 
> Lastly, we have also figured out how to stay at a Bed & Breakfast for free. Barclay's Arrival card will give you 40K points ($440) after meeting the requirements which you can redeem on travel purchases. If the B&B merchant charges and codes the transaction as travel and you pay with the Arrival card (no foreign transaction fees) you can then pay for the charge using your points in a statement credit.
> 
> Hope this helps fellow DISers.



Thanks for the info.  I went ahead and entered a question about the rooms on the Apex "Contact Us" page.  I got an answer within 5 minutes.  That was pretty impressive!


----------



## calypso726

Bobo912 said:


> Thanks for the info.  I went ahead and entered a question about the rooms on the Apex "Contact Us" page.  I got an answer within 5 minutes.  That was pretty impressive!



You are welcome. Wow! That IS impressive.


----------



## sayhello

Bobo912 said:


> Thanks for the info.  I went ahead and entered a question about the rooms on the Apex "Contact Us" page.  I got an answer within 5 minutes.  That was pretty impressive!


Mind my asking what the question/answer were? 

Sayhello


----------



## Bobo912

sayhello said:


> Mind my asking what the question/answer were?
> 
> Sayhello



Since a lot of the rooms configurations seemed to have a single king bed, I just asked which room was the best choice to accommodate a mom and a 13-year-old boy.  The answer was the superior room with twin beds.  She also said that the sofas in the suites are sleepers, so that is also an option.


----------



## 2BNDisney

Bobo912 said:


> 2BNDisney, do you remember what type of room you booked?  I need two beds and, from reading the descriptions, even the suites seem to have just one king bed.  On the hotel website there is a Superior Double/Twin room where the description says one king or two single beds.  If I book from the Delta website, the price is the same and I get FF miles, but that type of room is the only one that isn't listed.



Well it sounds like you may have already had your answer.  I went back and looked at my room picture of the Apex and it was 2 beds - one looked to be a twin and the other a full.  One of the ABD guides was also staying there til everyone moved to the Balmoral


----------



## Bobo912

2BNDisney said:


> Well it sounds like you may have already had your answer.  I went back and looked at my room picture of the Apex and it was 2 beds - one looked to be a twin and the other a full.  One of the ABD guides was also staying there til everyone moved to the Balmoral



Thanks!  I booked our room.  It looks like a good location for seeing the sights of Edinburgh.  And I wanted to do one day tour and the meeting place is right outside the hotel, which couldn't be more convenient!


----------



## 2BNDisney

Bobo912 said:


> Thanks!  I booked our room.  It looks like a good location for seeing the sights of Edinburgh.  And I wanted to do one day tour and the meeting place is right outside the hotel, which couldn't be more convenient!



I was very pleased with this one. Was there for 2 nights.


----------



## calypso726

Bobo912 said:


> Thanks!  I booked our room.  It looks like a good location for seeing the sights of Edinburgh.  And I wanted to do one day tour and the meeting place is right outside the hotel, which couldn't be more convenient!



Are you doing a self guided tour? Or, are you using a tour company? We are there for a couple of days and I am in the process of trying to put together an itinerary for our family so ideas are welcome. Thanks!


----------



## sayhello

Bobo912 said:


> Thanks!  I booked our room.  It looks like a good location for seeing the sights of Edinburgh.  And I wanted to do one day tour and the meeting place is right outside the hotel, which couldn't be more convenient!


Yes!  I agree with calypso726.  Who are you using for your one day tour?  I'd be interested for my pre-days.

Sayhello


----------



## Bobo912

calypso726 said:


> Are you doing a self guided tour? Or, are you using a tour company? We are there for a couple of days and I am in the process of trying to put together an itinerary for our family so ideas are welcome. Thanks!





> Yes! I agree with calypso726. Who are you using for your one day tour? I'd be interested for my pre-days.
> 
> Sayhello



I am considering Heart of Scotland Day Tours.  They have good reviews on Trip Advisor and offer group and private tours.  Unless I come up with something specific that isn't part of one of the tours, we'll probably do a group tour.  I think DS and I would both enjoy being with other people.  We'll be in Edinburgh at the end of June.  I'll let you know how it goes.


----------



## sayhello

Bobo912 said:


> I am considering Heart of Scotland Day Tours.  They have good reviews on Trip Advisor and offer group and private tours.  Unless I come up with something specific that isn't part of one of the tours, we'll probably do a group tour.  I think DS and I would both enjoy being with other people.  We'll be in Edinburgh at the end of June.  I'll let you know how it goes.


Thanks!  I look forward to your report!  

Sayhello


----------



## calypso726

Bobo912 said:


> I am considering Heart of Scotland Day Tours.  They have good reviews on Trip Advisor and offer group and private tours.  Unless I come up with something specific that isn't part of one of the tours, we'll probably do a group tour.  I think DS and I would both enjoy being with other people.  We'll be in Edinburgh at the end of June.  I'll let you know how it goes.





sayhello said:


> Thanks!  I look forward to your report!
> 
> Sayhello



Thanks! Me too!


----------



## 2BNDisney

Check out the reviews for the Hairy Coo tour and see if that interests you.  The highlight for me was the Wallace Monument and the little town we stopped in for lunch.  Not to mention getting up close with the Hairy Coo.  The meet up was down on the Royal Mile so I just walked down from the hotel.


----------



## sayhello

2BNDisney said:


> Check out the reviews for the Hairy Coo tour and see if that interests you.  The highlight for me was the Wallace Monument and the little town we stopped in for lunch.  Not to mention getting up close with the Hairy Coo.  The meet up was down on the Royal Mile so I just walked down from the hotel.


Right!  You did mention that before.  I'll check that out, too! 

Sayhello


----------



## Bobo912

2BNDisney said:


> Check out the reviews for the Hairy Coo tour and see if that interests you.  The highlight for me was the Wallace Monument and the little town we stopped in for lunch.  Not to mention getting up close with the Hairy Coo.  The meet up was down on the Royal Mile so I just walked down from the hotel.



I'll have to look into that one too.  Thanks for the info!


----------



## WeLoveABD

Paul (tigger fan) said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> Have a fab time when you arrive here in Scotland, any questions I'll endeavour to answer.
> 
> Ps bring a sweater ha ha
> 
> Paul



Hi Paul! So do the odds look good for the new tram to be up and running from the airport into Edinburgh by this June? (Our June 29 ABD fast approaches and I am working on pre-tour details!)


----------



## sayhello

2BNDisney said:


> Check out the reviews for the Hairy Coo tour and see if that interests you.  The highlight for me was the Wallace Monument and the little town we stopped in for lunch.  Not to mention getting up close with the Hairy Coo.  The meet up was down on the Royal Mile so I just walked down from the hotel.


I signed up for the Harry Coo tour for one of my pre-days!  It looks really fun.  Thanks for the suggestion.  Do you remember how much you "tipped" for the tour?  Since there's no price, I'd like to make sure I have enough cash to cover what the "going rate" is.  I really have no clue at this point! 



Bobo912 said:


> I am considering Heart of Scotland Day Tours.   They have good reviews on Trip Advisor and offer group and private  tours.  Unless I come up with something specific that isn't part of one  of the tours, we'll probably do a group tour.  I think DS and I would  both enjoy being with other people.  We'll be in Edinburgh at the end of  June.  I'll let you know how it goes.


I think I may do Heart of Scotland's Evening Ghost and Ghouls tour.  It also looks like fun!  

Any other pre-day suggestions?  How long does it take to climb to Arthur's Seat?  How far is it from the Royal Mile?  

Thanks!
Sayhello


----------



## edinburghlass

WeLoveABD said:


> Hi Paul! So do the odds look good for the new tram to be up and running from the airport into Edinburgh by this June? (Our June 29 ABD fast approaches and I am working on pre-tour details!)



Plenty of testing of the trams at the moment and I believe they anticipate they will be running with passengers sometime in May. I am flying out to Florida in May so I will let you know on our return if they are indeed up and running from the airport.

Regards tours for others, I can highly recommend The Witchery Tours for a fun evening ghost tour.

http://www.witcherytours.com/

and The Real Mary King's Close tour which takes you underground of the city to see where and how people lived.

http://www.realmarykingsclose.com/

Both located in the High Street/Royal Mile.


----------



## sayhello

edinburghlass said:


> Plenty of testing of the trams at the moment and I believe they anticipate they will be running with passengers sometime in May. I am flying out to Florida in May so I will let you know on our return if they are indeed up and running from the airport.
> 
> Regards tours for others, I can highly recommend The Witchery Tours for a fun evening ghost tour.
> 
> http://www.witcherytours.com/
> 
> and The Real Mary King's Close tour which takes you underground of the city to see where and how people lived.
> 
> http://www.realmarykingsclose.com/
> 
> Both located in the High Street/Royal Mile.


Thanks for the info!  The Witchery Tours look really fun!  And I was planning on doing the Real Mary King's Close, too.  My hotel is right next to there (Fraser Suites). 

Sayhello


----------



## 2BNDisney

As far as Hairy Coo, I think the site or somewhere said comparable tours ran 30 or 40 pounds.  I cannot remember for sure but I think I gave somewhere close to one of those.  You are gone a long time and the guide did quite a great job. It was very well worth what I paid in my opinion.
-
Arthur's Seat is quite the hike.   I would think 1.5 - 2 hours from the Royal Mile  back and forth (or a little closer from Holyrood) ... unless you are an expert hiker and waste no time.  But it is a great view of the city and surrounding water up there.  Calton Hill also gives you a much smaller view of the city if you are not feeling as energetic. 

Loved Mary King's Close - amazing how people lived back then.

And don't forget to try Scotland's soda ..... Irn Bru


----------



## sayhello

2BNDisney said:


> As far as Hairy Coo, I think the site or somewhere said comparable tours ran 30 or 40 pounds.  I cannot remember for sure but I think I gave somewhere close to one of those.  You are gone a long time and the guide did quite a great job. It was very well worth what I paid in my opinion.
> -
> Arthur's Seat is quite the hike.   I would think 1.5 - 2 hours from the Royal Mile  back and forth (or a little closer from Holyrood) ... unless you are an expert hiker and waste no time.  But it is a great view of the city and surrounding water up there.  Calton Hill also gives you a much smaller view of the city if you are not feeling as energetic.
> 
> Loved Mary King's Close - amazing how people lived back then.
> 
> And don't forget to try Scotland's soda ..... Irn Bru


Thanks!  That at least gives me a ballpark figure.  I'll bring 40 pounds and see what I feel like giving them.   It sounds like a great tour.

I am no expert hiker, and even when I was in better shape, I was a dawdler.    We'll see how adventurous I feel.  Calton Hill is good to know about as an alternative!

I'll try to remember the Irn Bru.    When in Scotland...

Do you feel like you had enough time in Edinburgh Castle on the trip?  Should I check it out on my pre-days, or leave it for the ABD?  I'll be there after the Military Tattoo, so we'll have the normal itinerary with the farewell dinner there.

Thanks!
Sayhello


----------



## 2BNDisney

sayhello said:


> Thanks!  That at least gives me a ballpark figure.  I'll bring 40 pounds and see what I feel like giving them.   It sounds like a great tour.
> 
> I am no expert hiker, and even when I was in better shape, I was a dawdler.    We'll see how adventurous I feel.  Calton Hill is good to know about as an alternative!
> 
> I'll try to remember the Irn Bru.    When in Scotland...
> 
> Do you feel like you had enough time in Edinburgh Castle on the trip?  Should I check it out on my pre-days, or leave it for the ABD?  I'll be there after the Military Tattoo, so we'll have the normal itinerary with the farewell dinner there.
> 
> Thanks!
> Sayhello



I did not feel I had enough time as we had to get on to dinner, and it was all a bit rushed on the walk through.  Wish I had visited there on my own beforehand.  Guess it just depends on how bad you want to see what is inside.


----------



## MinaEskobar

Oh, I'm a native Scot so if anyone wants any questions answered, feel free and I'll do my best to help!!


----------



## sayhello

2BNDisney said:
			
		

> I did not feel I had enough time as we had to get on to dinner, and it was all a bit rushed on the walk through.  Wish I had visited there on my own beforehand.  Guess it just depends on how bad you want to see what is inside.


Thanks!  That's what I wanted to know!  Guess I'll check it out during my pre-days!

Sayhello


----------



## sayhello

MinaEskobar said:
			
		

> Oh, I'm a native Scot so if anyone wants any questions answered, feel free and I'll do my best to help!!


Thanks!  I definitely will!

Sayhello


----------



## Bobo912

Does anybody have any restaurant suggestions for Edinburgh?


----------



## paddles

I don't have a restaurant suggestion, but I do have a drink suggestion  

At the Balmoral hotel (where ABD stays in Edinburgh), they make the most incredible whiskey sour!  I was blown away. I know what a normal whiskey sour is supposed to taste like (and what ingredients are in it) - but they made theirs slightly differently and it was like a slightly frothy orange Julius with whiskey. YUM!


----------



## calypso726

Witchery by the Castle was a cool dining experience. For pub food we enjoyed The World's End Pub and also Whiski Bar & Restaurant.


----------



## Bobo912

Thanks, paddles and calypso!  I'll be very near the Balmoral, so I'll have to pop in and try the whisky sour.   Whiski Bar & Restaurant was one of the places I noticed as I was doing my research.  Did you have any haggis during your travels?  I think I can't visit Scotland without at least trying it.  Maybe I won't tell DS what it's made of.


----------



## paddles

You'll get to try haggis one night during a Disney dinner. My husband tried it and he thought it was ok - but not a favorite (I didn't partake since I'm vegetarian).


----------



## Bobo912

We're not on the Scotland ABD.  I booked the Ireland trip.  We're just spending a few days in Edinburgh before flying to Dublin for the tour.


----------



## calypso726

Bobo912 said:


> Thanks, paddles and calypso!  I'll be very near the Balmoral, so I'll have to pop in and try the whisky sour.   Whiski Bar & Restaurant was one of the places I noticed as I was doing my research.  Did you have any haggis during your travels?  I think I can't visit Scotland without at least trying it.  Maybe I won't tell DS what it's made of.



You're welcome. I did have haggis and absolutely loved it! When we go back to Edinburgh this September I will be sure to order some again.


----------



## bamagoofy

Hi everyone I am booked on the August 31, 2014 trip.  I'm wondering the best way to visit Stirling Castle.  Calypso you had a driver, can I ask how much?  The train looks like another option.  I have also glanced at the group tours but they return late and I'm not sure what time the welcome dinner is that night. 

Thanks


----------



## Calfan

bamagoofy said:


> Hi everyone I am booked on the August 31, 2014 trip.  I'm wondering the best way to visit Stirling Castle.  Calypso you had a driver, can I ask how much?  The train looks like another option.  I have also glanced at the group tours but they return late and I'm not sure what time the welcome dinner is that night.
> 
> Thanks



We visited Stirling Castle on the day our ABD started last year.  Taking the train from Edinburgh is super easy, and the train station is right next door to the Balmoral.  I can't remember which exact train we took, but we bought rountrip tickets from a live station agent who advised us.  The train tickets were very reasonable in price.  We left at around 10:00 in the morning and made it back around 4:00 or 4:30 in the afternoon. Friends we were with made it back an hour or so before us, but we chose to stay a little longer.  The castle is a bit of a walk (15 or 20 minutes) from the station in Stirling, but you get to see a little of Stirling that way.


----------



## nifferearly

Calfan said:


> We visited Stirling Castle on the day our ABD started last year.  Taking the train from Edinburgh is super easy, and the train station is right next door to the Balmoral.  I can't remember which exact train we took, but we bought rountrip tickets from a live station agent who advised us.  The train tickets were very reasonable in price.  We left at around 10:00 in the morning and made it back around 4:00 or 4:30 in the afternoon. Friends we were with made it back an hour or so before us, but we chose to stay a little longer.  The castle is a bit of a walk (15 or 20 minutes) from the station in Stirling, but you get to see a little of Stirling that way.



There are also reasonably priced tours from Edinburgh (and Glasgow) to Stirling Castle.  Our most recent one was with Rabbies - they did a fantastic job!  That tour was for most of the day and it was very reasonable - I'm pretty sure it was $50 or less.  I enjoyed hearing the history from our guide.


----------



## Calfan

nifferearly said:


> There are also reasonably priced tours from Edinburgh (and Glasgow) to Stirling Castle.  Our most recent one was with Rabbies - they did a fantastic job!  That tour was for most of the day and it was very reasonable - I'm pretty sure it was $50 or less.  I enjoyed hearing the history from our guide.



While we did not use Rabbie's for Stirling Castle, we did use Rabbie's for a day trip to St. Andrews and the fishing villages of Fife. Would definitely recommend Rabbie's.


----------



## sayhello

bamagoofy said:


> Hi everyone I am booked on the August 31, 2014 trip.  I'm wondering the best way to visit Stirling Castle.  Calypso you had a driver, can I ask how much?  The train looks like another option.  I have also glanced at the group tours but they return late and I'm not sure what time the welcome dinner is that night.
> 
> Thanks


Hi, bamagoofy!  I'm on the same trip as you! (As is DISer Kat6783).  Are you traveling alone?  When do you arrive in Edinburgh?  Depending on what you're doing, maybe we could meet up prior to the start of the ABD.  I've added you to the Roll Call on the Meets thread for this trip.



Calfan said:


> While we did not use Rabbie's for Stirling Castle, we did use Rabbie's for a day trip to St. Andrews and the fishing villages of Fife. Would definitely recommend Rabbie's.


I'll have to check out Rabbie's.  I still wish I could find a good day trip of Edinburgh.  I don't think the ABD actually spends much time there.

Sayhello


----------



## bamagoofy

Thanks everyone for the recommendation for Rabbie's. I just finished booking for the Stirling Castle and Loch Lomond. 

Sayhello I arrive on the 30th around 430pm.  I have been to Edinburgh before on a cruise so just spent the day there.  I think you will find it is easy to walk around on your own if you decide to stay in the city.  I love castles so I had to try and see Stirling.

I'm really looking forward to this trip. Glad to see I won't be the only solo traveler.


----------



## calypso726

bamagoofy said:


> Hi everyone I am booked on the August 31, 2014 trip.  I'm wondering the best way to visit Stirling Castle.  Calypso you had a driver, can I ask how much?  The train looks like another option.  I have also glanced at the group tours but they return late and I'm not sure what time the welcome dinner is that night.
> 
> Thanks



You are going to have so much fun! Yes, he was £50.00 per hour. Paddles had the same driver and we chose him based on her recommendation. As you see there are less expensive ways to get to Stirling Castle. However, I would do it the same way again. We stopped at a few other locations prior to Stirling as well as the William Wallace monument afterwards he was an awesome story teller. 

We are going back to Edinburgh in September prior to our London/Paris ABD trip and spending a few days there, then heading to Inverness for a day tour. I thought about taking the train to get there until I saw that our tour operator also does private tours from Edinburgh to Inverness. So, now we have 2 day tours  While it is more expensive than taking the train, I chose that route based on the wonderful experience I had with our driver from the Balmoral last year.


----------



## disney6005

WeLoveABD said:


> Hi Paul! So do the odds look good for the new tram to be up and running from the airport into Edinburgh by this June? (Our June 29 ABD fast approaches and I am working on pre-tour details!)



Hi

We're going on the June 29 trip too!! There will be 12 of us all together. My Parents, Myself and my 14 year-old son, my sisters, their husbands and kids (ages 13, 11, 11 ans 9) We are so very excited! This will be our 4th ABD and we always meet the nicest folks. Can't wait to mee you!


----------



## disney6005

2BNDisney said:


> And don't forget to try Scotland's soda ..... Irn Bru



My son absolutely LOVES Irn Bru!!! I buy it on Amazon for holidays like guy fawkes day or St Andrews Day as a treat! Can't wait to get to Scotland and have it there!


----------



## disney6005

Anyone on the June 29, 2014 trip? My whole family is going and we're so excited!! 12 of us in all!! This is our 4th ABD and we've heard guides for this particular trip are the absolute best (which is hard to believe, because we've had some spectacular guides already!) Can't wait to meet you!


----------



## WeLoveABD

disney6005 said:


> Hi
> 
> We're going on the June 29 trip too!! There will be 12 of us all together. My Parents, Myself and my 14 year-old son, my sisters, their husbands and kids (ages 13, 11, 11 ans 9) We are so very excited! This will be our 4th ABD and we always meet the nicest folks. Can't wait to mee you!



Great! This will be a fantastic trip and we look forward to meeting you all! We will have 4-me, DW, DS (20) and DD (13). We are meeting up with two other families we met on a prior ABD and now close friends. Guess this trip will be one of large clans!


----------



## knewton64

calypso726 said:


> Witchery by the Castle was a cool dining experience. For pub food we enjoyed The World's End Pub and also Whiski Bar & Restaurant.




So - what kind of Ciders do they have over in Scotland??
Would love to check out the local drinks and pair them up with local foods & such = YUM!!




Thanks 4 the above suggestion -



*P.S*. Just heard on a tv travel show the other day that the Scots are famous for inventing........THE RAINCOAT.
(something like it was invented in 1838 in Scotland) -






T.T.F.N.
&
Cheers


----------



## calypso726

knewton64 said:


> So - what kind of Ciders do they have over in Scotland??
> Would love to check out the local drinks and pair them up with local foods & such = YUM!!



We had Strongbow Cider which I have also had at Epcot. We also had Thistly Cross Cider, which was my favorite. DH tried Kopparberg Pear Cider and he loved that one. I wish I could find the Thistly Cross cider here in the states.


----------



## edinburghlass

WeLoveABD said:


> Hi Paul! So do the odds look good for the new tram to be up and running from the airport into Edinburgh by this June? (Our June 29 ABD fast approaches and I am working on pre-tour details!)



The trams will officially start taking passengers on 31 May so you will be able to get a tram from the airport to the city centre.


----------



## WeLoveABD

edinburghlass said:


> The trams will officially start taking passengers on 31 May so you will be able to get a tram from the airport to the city centre.



Excellent!


----------



## tufbuf

As a side note, Yahoo just announced that they will be showing the Outlander series on Starz this summer. The trailer looks promising. What do you think calypso726? You got me to read the whole series! I wonder how much of the book they will show on TV. They would have major rating issues there.


----------



## calypso726

tufbuf said:


> As a side note, Yahoo just announced that they will be showing the Outlander series on Starz this summer. The trailer looks promising. What do you think calypso726? You got me to read the whole series! I wonder how much of the book they will show on TV. They would have major rating issues there.



I've been following this since they announced it would be coming to TV. Ron D. Moore, the producer, has promised to stay true to the books. He also includes Diana Gabaldon, the author, on developments. He has told the fans that he is not allowed to screw up his wife's favorite book series  We have been told nothing is being left out or cut with regards to the parts in the book that aren't suitable for all audiences which is why it has to be on cable. The fans were told that the only thing not in the books that will be on the show is a little more back story on Claire and Frank's relationship so the audience can understand why she loves her husband and wants to get back to him. 

So glad to hear you read the series! I am waiting on pins and needles for book 8 to be released in June!


----------



## DCPhotoGal

Hello All!

Our family is signed up for the August 17-25, 2014 Scotland trip.  It is me, DH, DD (10) and DD (9).  I haven't been on the boards since our last cruise but I thought I would check in and say hello and see if I can find some other families who will traveling with us


----------



## sayhello

DCPhotoGal said:


> Hello All!
> 
> Our family is signed up for the August 17-25, 2014 Scotland trip.  It is me, DH, DD (10) and DD (9).  I haven't been on the boards since our last cruise but I thought I would check in and say hello and see if I can find some other families who will traveling with us


Hey, there, DCPhotoGal!  I've added you to the Roll Call on the first post of this Thread.  It looks like you will be on the same departure as DISer disneydeb8 & her family!  And I'll be on the trip right after yours.  

Sayhello


----------



## JLoane

Has anyone started the new Outlander novel? I'm planning to save it for the plane ride to Scotland. So excited for this trip!


----------



## tufbuf

JLoane said:


> Has anyone started the new Outlander novel? I'm planning to save it for the plane ride to Scotland. So excited for this trip!



Good thing you reminded me! It's released today and I'm going to download it now.


----------



## calypso726

JLoane said:


> Has anyone started the new Outlander novel? I'm planning to save it for the plane ride to Scotland. So excited for this trip!



Yes! I pre-ordered it on Audible and downloaded it on my phone. I started listening to it today. I missed my "Outlander family."


----------



## Calfan

calypso726 said:


> Yes! I pre-ordered it on Audible and downloaded it on my phone. I started listening to it today. I missed my "Outlander family."



Is Davina Porter still the narrator?  I am listening to An Echo in the Bone right now.


----------



## calypso726

Calfan said:


> Is Davina Porter still the narrator?  I am listening to An Echo in the Bone right now.



Yes, she is. She is awesome. You'll appreciate the new release. The end of Echo leaves you with some serious cliffhangers! Enjoy!


----------



## Bobo912

Has anybody used the new trams from the Edinburgh airport yet?


----------



## Astro269

Hello my wife Diane and I (Lance) will be on the 8/31 Scotland/Brave Adventure.  This is our first ABD trip and we're really looking forward to it!

Astro269


----------



## sayhello

Astro269 said:


> Hello my wife Diane and I (Lance) will be on the 8/31 Scotland/Brave Adventure.  This is our first ABD trip and we're really looking forward to it!
> 
> Astro269


Welcome, Astro269, to the DISBoards and the ABD Forum!  I've added you to the Roll Call for this trip on the first post of this thread!  I *should* actually say, I've added you to the Roll call for *_our_* trip, because I will be on that departure with you, along with DISers Kat6783 and bamagoofy!  I'm thinking of starting a Facebook group for us, so look for a Private Message from me!  

Sayhello


----------



## edinburghlass

Bobo912 said:


> Has anybody used the new trams from the Edinburgh airport yet?



You can have a virtual trip from this link, hope it works for you.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-27610252

I haven't been on one yet but the main niggle is there is no air conditioning and no windows to open!


----------



## sayhello

edinburghlass said:


> You can have a virtual trip from this link, hope it works for you.
> 
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-27610252
> 
> I haven't been on one yet but the main niggle is there is no air conditioning and no windows to open!


Thanks!  That's very cool.  (Well, except for the lack of A/C isn't cool  )

Sayhello


----------



## Bobo912

edinburghlass said:


> You can have a virtual trip from this link, hope it works for you.
> 
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-27610252
> 
> I haven't been on one yet but the main niggle is there is no air conditioning and no windows to open!



That is very cool!  Thanks for posting.  It's in the 90's in Nashville and the forecasted high in Edinburgh on our day of arrival is 66, so I think we'll be okay without the A/C.    But I can imagine that it might get a little warm and stuffy if it's crowded.


----------



## rebeccam31

Box arrived yesterday.


----------



## sayhello

rebeccam31 said:


> Box arrived yesterday.




Sayhello


----------



## tufbuf

We will be heading to Edinburgh in 6 days! We are in Dublin right now and weather has been sunny since we arrived. They haven't had rain for almost two weeks now and Edinburgh looks the same. Hopefully this will continue on!!


----------



## sayhello

tufbuf said:


> We will be heading to Edinburgh in 6 days! We are in Dublin right now and weather has been sunny since we arrived. They haven't had rain for almost two weeks now and Edinburgh looks the same. Hopefully this will continue on!!


Fingers & toes crossed for you!  I hope it's like that in August/September!!!

Sayhello


----------



## WeLoveABD

tufbuf said:


> We will be heading to Edinburgh in 6 days! We are in Dublin right now and weather has been sunny since we arrived. They haven't had rain for almost two weeks now and Edinburgh looks the same. Hopefully this will continue on!!



See you guys there!


----------



## funkydelia

I live near St Andrews and am thrilled that you guys are so excited to come to Scotland!! It's really a fabulous place at an exciting time!
Edinburgh and Glasgow both wonderful cities, Stirling Castle and the new Bannockburn centre great places to visit. 
I'm biased but Fife fishing villages are lovely. 

Happy to answer any more specific questions if I can x


----------



## sayhello

YAY!!  I am officially past the 70 day mark, so my trip will not be cancelled now!     So looking forward to this trip!  

Next step is getting my box... 

Sayhello


----------



## bamagoofy

Sayhello,

Glad to hear we have reached the point that the trip will not be cancelled! I am getting more excited if that is possible.


----------



## sayhello

bamagoofy said:


> Sayhello,
> 
> Glad to hear we have reached the point that the trip will not be cancelled! I am getting more excited if that is possible.


Me, too!  So when are you arriving?  What are you doing prior to the ABD?

I'm doing 4 days in London, then taking the train up to Edinburgh 2 days before the ABD starts.  I'm doing a "Murder & Mystery" tour of Edinburgh Friday evening, the "Hairy Coo" tour on Saturday, and planning on checking out Edinburgh in the rest of the time.  I'm staying at the Frasier Suites hotel right off Princes street for my pre-days ($700 a night at the Balmoral just wasn't in the budget!    )

Sayhello


----------



## bamagoofy

I'm just arriving on Saturday because I'm meeting friends on a transatlantic Princess cruise after the adventure.  I've booked a tour to Stirling Castle on Sunday. I thought is would be easier to just stay at the same hotel and had it rolled into the price so I didn't think about too much.  I've never spent that much on a hotel but I don't arrive to Edinburgh until 4pm that the day before after a layover in Heathrow.  I usually do ok with jet lag but I didn't want to push the issue either.


----------



## sayhello

bamagoofy said:


> I'm just arriving on Saturday because I'm meeting friends on a transatlantic Princess cruise after the adventure.  I've booked a tour to Stirling Castle on Sunday. I thought is would be easier to just stay at the same hotel and had it rolled into the price so I didn't think about too much.  I've never spent that much on a hotel but I don't arrive to Edinburgh until 4pm that the day before after a layover in Heathrow.  I usually do ok with jet lag but I didn't want to push the issue either.


That totally makes sense to me!  I'd probably do the same, given your itinerary.

So this tour of Stirling Castle...  How long is it?  Is it a group tour?  If private, are you interested in sharing? Or being joined on a group tour?  I don't have firm plans for Sunday, and it would be nice to meet up before the ABD starts.  Totally up to you!  Answer me by PM if you don't want to answer here. 

*ETA: *OK, duh!  I looked back at the thread, and see that you signed up through Rabbie's.  

Sayhello


----------



## funkydelia

The children's tours of the castle are brilliant (and free)!!


----------



## sayhello

funkydelia said:


> The children's tours of the castle are brilliant (and free)!!


What are the children's tours of the castle, and can adults take them?    I'm traveling solo, and definitely want to do some extra time at the Castle.

Sayhello


----------



## ABDGurl

Say Hello...could you please add me to the meet up roster for the Scotland adventure that starts on August 17th?  I switched my trip from Greece to Scotland. 

Thanks!


----------



## sayhello

ABDGurl said:


> Say Hello...could you please add me to the meet up roster for the Scotland adventure that starts on August 17th?  I switched my trip from Greece to Scotland.
> 
> Thanks!


Done!  

Sayhello


----------



## funkydelia

They put out a sign to say 'meet on the lawn at 2pm' and the guide takes the children all around the castle explaining things on their level and getting them to do things like find lion statues, dress up in costumes etc. Its a really nice way to hear about the castle.


----------



## ABDGurl

sayhello said:


> Done!
> 
> Sayhello



Thank you so much...can't wait to go!!!!


----------



## tufbuf

We will be starting our Scotland ABD shortly. Edinburgh is beautiful!!! The pictures don't justify the majesty and grandeur of the  Royal Mile. Well, the queen is visiting so we won't be going to Holyroodhouse which is a bummer! It's amazing to see Edinburgh Castle high above the city. It's simply wonderful!!


----------



## calypso726

tufbuf said:


> We will be starting our Scotland ABD shortly. Edinburgh is beautiful!!! The pictures don't justify the majesty and grandeur of the  Royal Mile. Well, the queen is visiting so we won't be going to Holyroodhouse which is a bummer! It's amazing to see Edinburgh Castle high above the city. It's simply wonderful!!



I know you are going to have an amazing time! I kept trying to explain how words and pictures do not justify the experience in any way. Wait until you do the hike! Please post pics I'm sure some of us would like to re-live our trips vicariously. Enjoy!


----------



## sayhello

tufbuf said:


> We will be starting our Scotland ABD shortly. Edinburgh is beautiful!!! The pictures don't justify the majesty and grandeur of the  Royal Mile. Well, the queen is visiting so we won't be going to Holyroodhouse which is a bummer! It's amazing to see Edinburgh Castle high above the city. It's simply wonderful!!


Enjoy, enjoy!    I'm getting so excited for my trip, I still have almost 2 months to go.  Let me know who your Guides are!  



calypso726 said:


> I know you are going to have an amazing time! I kept trying to explain how words and pictures do not justify the experience in any way. Wait until you do the hike! Please post pics I'm sure some of us would like to re-live our trips vicariously. Enjoy!


And some of us are seriously anticipating!  

Sayhello


----------



## JLoane

Yes, please post pics if you can! Counting down to Aug 3rd! Will I sound a bit compulsive if I admit I've already started a packing list?


----------



## tufbuf

sayhello said:


> Enjoy, enjoy!    I'm getting so excited for my trip, I still have almost 2 months to go.  Let me know who your Guides are!    And some of us are seriously anticipating!    Sayhello



We have Lenora who did SWS last year. This is her second season; and Michael who is the more senior of the two. I'll post photos once I get home.


----------



## Bobo912

tufbuf said:


> We have Lenora who did SWS last year. This is her second season; and Michael who is the more senior of the two. I'll post photos once I get home.



Which Michael?


----------



## Bobo912

Bobo912 said:


> Has anybody used the new trams from the Edinburgh airport yet?



I have now used the tram and it was very convenient.  One bit of info-the kiosks only accept chip and pin credit cards so, unless you have one, bring some pounds.


----------



## sayhello

Bobo912 said:


> I have now used the tram and it was very convenient.  One bit of info-the kiosks only accept chip and pin credit cards so, unless you have one, bring some pounds.


Thanks for the info, Bobo912!  Very good to know!

Sayhello


----------



## tufbuf

Bobo912 said:


> Which Michael?



Rodriguez


----------



## Bobo912

tufbuf said:


> Rodriguez



Michael was our guide on our very first ABD.  We've had 3 Michaels ((or Mikes) - all awesome!


----------



## rebeccam31

JLoane said:


> Yes, please post pics if you can! Counting down to Aug 3rd! Will I sound a bit compulsive if I admit I've already started a packing list?



You are ahead of me! My daughter is in a regional theater  production and it's eating up all our time. I had a dream the other night that we showed up in Scotland and didn't bring any bags! Can you bring enough stuff for us, too?


----------



## Princess Leia

rebeccam31 said:


> You are ahead of me! My daughter is in a regional theater  production and it's eating up all our time. I had a dream the other night that we showed up in Scotland and didn't bring any bags! Can you bring enough stuff for us, too?



Don't worry - you'd be able to get everything you need over here. I sometimes wonder when I'm going to the USA why I bother packing when I could just get things over there. One year my son was short of t-shirts so I just let him choose more when we were out there. Just remember to dress in layers - t-shirts are fine but I always have a fleece or a cardigan to hand. This morning was warm and sunny but it has clouded over this afternoon. A rain jacket or brolly is a must - you can get one here as a souvenir of your time in Scotland. Saying that I had much more rain in Florida last summer.


----------



## rebeccam31

Princess Leia said:


> Don't worry - you'd be able to get everything you need over here. I sometimes wonder when I'm going to the USA why I bother packing when I could just get things over there. One year my son was short of t-shirts so I just let him choose more when we were out there. Just remember to dress in layers - t-shirts are fine but I always have a fleece or a cardigan to hand. This morning was warm and sunny but it has clouded over this afternoon. A rain jacket or brolly is a must - you can get one here as a souvenir of your time in Scotland. Saying that I had much more rain in Florida last summer.



Thank you for the reassurance and the tips!  I think that getting a rain jacket there is BRILLIANT suggestion.


----------



## Princess Leia

rebeccam31 said:


> Thank you for the reassurance and the tips!  I think that getting a rain jacket there is BRILLIANT suggestion.



Just make sure you purchase before leaving Edinburgh as you may have less choice and pay a lot more in some of the smaller places. Edinburgh has a Trespass shop which will have waterproof jackets and fleeces.


----------



## sayhello

Princess Leia said:


> Just make sure you purchase before leaving Edinburgh as you may have less choice and pay a lot more in some of the smaller places. Edinburgh has a Trespass shop which will have waterproof jackets and fleeces.


Good to know!    Thanks!

Sayhello


----------



## knewton64

Edinburgh, UK
Monday 10:00 AM
Scattered Clouds
undefined
60°F | °C
Precipitation: 10%
Humidity: 68%
Wind: 3 mph

Temps seem nice for this time of year.



Beats the high of 96 degrees here in Dallas, Tx.







T.T.F.N.
&
Cheers Y'all


----------



## tufbuf

We have been very fortunate with the weather while in Scotland. We are now spending an extra day in beautiful Edinburgh and flying back home tomorrow. The next ABD won't be till the 21st so hopefully those folks would have a wee bit of good weather too.


----------



## WeLoveABD

Other than a few moments of rain, the weather for the June 29-July 7 trip to Scotland was great. The tram from the airport to downtown Edinburgh was easy, and we got off just a couple of blocks from our pre-ABD hotel (Apex Waterloo--excellent hotel/location, just a few blocks away from the Balmoral,and  directly across the street from a specially marked bus stop for other tours--including the Heart of Scotland tour group).  

More later in a trip report.  Guides were Michael and Lenora--both American guides (not the usual mix of one American and one from the country being toured).


----------



## amymeadors

I'm very interested to hear how this one was.  I've always wanted to go to scotland!


----------



## sayhello

WeLoveABD said:


> Other than a few moments of rain, the weather for the June 29-July 7 trip to Scotland was great. The tram from the airport to downtown Edinburgh was easy, and we got off just a couple of blocks from our pre-ABD hotel (Apex Waterloo--excellent hotel/location, just a few blocks away from the Balmoral,and  directly across the street from a specially marked bus stop for other tours--including the Heart of Scotland tour group).
> 
> More later in a trip report.  Guides were Michael and Lenora--both American guides (not the usual mix of one American and one from the country being toured).


Looking forward to your report!  I've only got 7 weeks of planning to go!  

Sayhello


----------



## Callymum

rebeccam31 said:


> Thank you for the reassurance and the tips!  I think that getting a rain jacket there is BRILLIANT suggestion.



If you are buying a Rain jacket in Edinburgh make sure the shops not on the Royal Mile, everything is dearer for the Tourists. Pop into an Asda or Marks and spencer.


----------



## rebeccam31

Callymum said:


> If you are buying a Rain jacket in Edinburgh make sure the shops not on the Royal Mile, everything is dearer for the Tourists. Pop into an Asda or Marks and spencer.



Thanks so much!


----------



## Princess Leia

Callymum said:


> If you are buying a Rain jacket in Edinburgh make sure the shops not on the Royal Mile, everything is dearer for the Tourists. Pop into an Asda or Marks and spencer.



If you look online you will see details of where stores are located. I would recommend getting a proper waterproof jacket (just in case) so look at going to an outdoor shop such as Trespass or Cotswold.


----------



## CarrianneB

WeLoveABD said:


> Other than a few moments of rain, the weather for the June 29-July 7 trip to Scotland was great. The tram from the airport to downtown Edinburgh was easy, and we got off just a couple of blocks from our pre-ABD hotel (Apex Waterloo--excellent hotel/location, just a few blocks away from the Balmoral,and  directly across the street from a specially marked bus stop for other tours--including the Heart of Scotland tour group).
> 
> More later in a trip report.  Guides were Michael and Lenora--both American guides (not the usual mix of one American and one from the country being toured).



We loved Michael in Peru!  He found out on our trip that he was going to be doing the Scotland tours starting in the spring.


----------



## WeLoveABD

Callymum said:


> If you are buying a Rain jacket in Edinburgh make sure the shops not on the Royal Mile, everything is dearer for the Tourists. Pop into an Asda or Marks and spencer.



agree!  Wait to shop until after leaving Edinburgh--OR, there is a mall a couple of blocks away from the Balmoral (and a large dept store--Marks I think--across the street).  I think it is better to spend free time in Edinburgh seeing sights--Carton Hill is close, or climb the Scott Monument (or walk the nearby Princess Street garden--formally a loch), or walk the Royal Mile toward Holyrood House and check out the interesting parliament building and then continue on to hike up the hill to Arthur's Seat (what a beautiful view from the top!).  We also took a bus to the harbor to tour the Royal Yacht which was great (the bus leaves right in front of the Balmoral and returns you there--bus 22 I think). I failed in my quest to get into the Writer's Museum (kept missing the open hours--it is a free museum and Rick Steves featured it)--so that is one of the things left undone for another trip!


----------



## sayhello

So any suggestions of places to eat on this trip?  Edinburgh for my pre-days?  Anything else for the on-your-own times?  I'm trying to stay away from the Trip Reports.    I read them all when they were posted, but being old  I've forgotten some of the details, and I want to keep it that way until after I go.  2BNDisney already recommended Patisserie Valerie to me - looks excellent.  The more suggestions, the better!  

Shouldn't I be getting my box soon????  

Thanks!
Sayhello


----------



## tufbuf

sayhello said:


> So any suggestions of places to eat on this trip?  Edinburgh for my pre-days?  Anything else for the on-your-own times?  I'm trying to stay away from the Trip Reports.    I read them all when they were posted, but being old  I've forgotten some of the details, and I want to keep it that way until after I go.  2BNDisney already recommended Patisserie Valerie to me - looks excellent.  The more suggestions, the better!    Shouldn't I be getting my box soon????    Thanks! Sayhello



If you are into pasta (DD is), Prezzo and Mantone are excellent choices. Both are very near the Balmoral, the former across the North Bridge and the latter across the hotel. Mantone also serves sumptuous gelato and tiramisu. The meal prices are expensive! For a family of three, we easily spend £40-60 per meal which is about $70-100!! I highly recommend eating at the Witchery. The lamb Wellington, which calypso showed in her trip report is an excellent choice. It's good for two though.

If you have a chance, visit the Britannia. Their high tea menu is excellent as well!

It's great not to know the details of the trip. I went day by day and it's nice to be awed by the sights!! I read calypso's report several months back and forgot about the details too. I read it again yesterday and she mentioned some things there that were not in the itinerary, kinda like a surprise. Since I forgot about it, it was a nice surprise!!  

The hotel in Inverness is a 15-minute walk to town. We ate in a restaurant called The Taste of Joy. It sounded Chinese to me but their food was great! And no, they don't serve Chinese food. Their cheese soufflé was yummy and I enjoyed my fish dish. Again soups here are puréed so they are thick. One of the common starters is called Cullin skink soup, I still haven't found out what a skink is but it's pretty good.


----------



## sayhello

tufbuf said:


> If you are into pasta (DD is), Prezzo and Mantone are excellent choices. Both are very near the Balmoral, the former across the North Bridge and the latter across the hotel. Mantone also serves sumptuous gelato and tiramisu. The meal prices are expensive! For a family of three, we easily spend £40-60 per meal which is about $70-100!! I highly recommend eating at the Witchery. The lamb Wellington, which calypso showed in her trip report is an excellent choice. It's good for two though.
> 
> If you have a chance, visit the Britannia. Their high tea menu is excellent as well!
> 
> It's great not to know the details of the trip. I went day by day and it's nice to be awed by the sights!! I read calypso's report several months back and forgot about the details too. I read it again yesterday and she mentioned some things there that were not in the itinerary, kinda like a surprise. Since I forgot about it, it was a nice surprise!!
> 
> The hotel in Inverness is a 15-minute walk to town. We ate in a restaurant called The Taste of Joy. It sounded Chinese to me but their food was great! And no, they don't serve Chinese food. Their cheese soufflé was yummy and I enjoyed my fish dish. Again soups here are puréed so they are thick. One of the common starters is called Cullin skink soup, I still haven't found out what a skink is but it's pretty good.


Ooo!  Thanks, tufbuf!  I don't eat a lot of pasta (diabetic) but the others sound great!  I remember calypso mentioning the Witchery.  Lamb *anything* sounds great to me!  

And I'm a huge fan of thick soups.  I spent a semester as a foreign exchange student in England, and the only decent food in the dorms were the soups (which were *fabulous*) and you could have as much soup as you wanted!  I became a huge fan of soup during that semester.  Do you know if they had scotch broth?  It was one of my favorites, and you just don't find it around here.... 

No idea what a skink is, either!

Where is the Britannia?  I *am* looking to do at least one high tea, or at least an afternoon tea.

Sayhello


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## Bobo912

Martone was next to our hotel and we stopped there twice for ice cream.  I didn't have any, but DS loved it.  They have some interesting flavors.  We also had lunch there one day and it was good.  Sayhello, if you happen to go there can you find out what brand of lemonade they have?  DS and I both ordered the lemonade, and it's not regular lemonade, but sparkling lemonade from a can and very good.  I saw our waiter pouring it from a blue can, but I couldn't see the brand and didn't think to ask until it was too late.  We spent the rest of the trip in Edinburgh and Ireland looking in stores for the blue can or trying to find one as good, but we failed.  

We also had a meal at Whiski Bar and Restaurant and it was good.  We tried the haggis appetizer there (since we had to try haggis, right?) and it was quite good.  Overall, if was good pub food and our server was just great.


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## sayhello

Bobo912 said:


> Martone was next to our hotel and we stopped there twice for ice cream.  I didn't have any, but DS loved it.  They have some interesting flavors.  We also had lunch there one day and it was good.  Sayhello, if you happen to go there can you find out what brand of lemonade they have?  DS and I both ordered the lemonade, and it's not regular lemonade, but sparkling lemonade from a can and very good.  I saw our waiter pouring it from a blue can, but I couldn't see the brand and didn't think to ask until it was too late.  We spent the rest of the trip in Edinburgh and Ireland looking in stores for the blue can or trying to find one as good, but we failed.
> 
> We also had a meal at Whiski Bar and Restaurant and it was good.  We tried the haggis appetizer there (since we had to try haggis, right?) and it was quite good.  Overall, if was good pub food and our server was just great.


You stayed at the Apex Waterloo, right?  I've ended up staying there, also.  So this Martone is next to the Apex Waterloo?  That could be dangerous!    I'll be happy to find out about the lemonade.  I just hope I remember!    I'm old, you know!

Whiski Bar and Restaurant.  Check.  Good pub food is nice from time to time, too!

Thanks!

Sayhello


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## Bobo912

sayhello said:


> You stayed at the Apex Waterloo, right?  I've ended up staying there, also.  So this Martone is next to the Apex Waterloo?  That could be dangerous!    I'll be happy to find out about the lemonade.  I just hope I remember!    I'm old, you know!
> 
> Whiski Bar and Restaurant.  Check.  Good pub food is nice from time to time, too!
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Sayhello



Thanks!  We did stay at the Apex Waterloo.  Room was nice (good size bedroom and bathroom) and the wifi was decent and free.  There is a "hidden" cabinet behind one of the mirrors in the bathroom and that is where they keep the wash cloths and extra roll of toilet paper.  I didn't discover that for a couple of days and I was a little annoyed about the absence of wash cloths and I kept telling DS not to use up all the TP.    I wouldn't recommend the restaurant at the hotel.  We took a tour to Loch Ness one day and when we got back we were just too tired to go out, so we had dinner there.  It was about $100 for the two of us and the food was just okay.  I had one glass of wine and DS just had water.  We both had dessert.  The waiter who brought out the food for us and the other guests looked like he was terrified that he was going to drop it.  That was kind of entertaining.    There is a little store next to the hotel where you can get some snacks or drinks, if you need something before you join up with the group.


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## tufbuf

Oh, I forgot about the haggis! One of our friends say it tastes like meatball Parmesan. At the Kingsmills Hotel, it's served during breakfast every morning! Yum!!! They also have them canned in stores.


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## 2BNDisney

sayhello said:


> So any suggestions of places to eat on this trip?  Edinburgh for my pre-days?  Anything else for the on-your-own times?  I'm trying to stay away from the Trip Reports.    I read them all when they were posted, but being old  I've forgotten some of the details, and I want to keep it that way until after I go.  2BNDisney already recommended Patisserie Valerie to me - looks excellent.  The more suggestions, the better!
> 
> Shouldn't I be getting my box soon????
> 
> Thanks!
> Sayhello



My friend who lives in Edinburgh also suggested Deacon Brodie's and then Angels with Bagpipes as places to eat.  Unfortunately I did not have time to do all the places she gave me.  Both of these are on the Royal Mile.  Be sure and get fish and chips somewhere if you like that.   As far as shopping, Neanie Scott on the Royal Mile was a good shop as this was one of the few Scottish owned tourist shops on the Mile from what she told me.  The employees were very nice and gave me lots of info about the other Scottish shops and about the area around there.  If I remember right, it was on the left (closer to Holyrood end of the Mile as you walk that way).  And there was a tea room right down from there named Clarinda's.


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## 2BNDisney

sayhello said:


> So any suggestions of places to eat on this trip?  Edinburgh for my pre-days?  Anything else for the on-your-own times?  I'm trying to stay away from the Trip Reports.    I read them all when they were posted, but being old  I've forgotten some of the details, and I want to keep it that way until after I go.  2BNDisney already recommended Patisserie Valerie to me - looks excellent.  The more suggestions, the better!
> 
> Shouldn't I be getting my box soon????
> 
> Thanks!
> Sayhello




Oh, and don't forget to try Scotland's national soda, Irn Bru, so you can say you have tried it.


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## sayhello

Bobo912 said:


> Thanks!  We did stay at the Apex Waterloo.  Room was nice (good size bedroom and bathroom) and the wifi was decent and free.  There is a "hidden" cabinet behind one of the mirrors in the bathroom and that is where they keep the wash cloths and extra roll of toilet paper.  I didn't discover that for a couple of days and I was a little annoyed about the absence of wash cloths and I kept telling DS not to use up all the TP.    I wouldn't recommend the restaurant at the hotel.  We took a tour to Loch Ness one day and when we got back we were just too tired to go out, so we had dinner there.  It was about $100 for the two of us and the food was just okay.  I had one glass of wine and DS just had water.  We both had dessert.  The waiter who brought out the food for us and the other guests looked like he was terrified that he was going to drop it.  That was kind of entertaining.    There is a little store next to the hotel where you can get some snacks or drinks, if you need something before you join up with the group.


Thanks, Bobo912!  I'm hoping not to eat at the hotel.    But I totally get the "too tired to go *anywhere*" thing.  You pay for the convenience.



tufbuf said:


> Oh, I forgot about the haggis! One of our friends say it tastes like meatball Parmesan. At the Kingsmills Hotel, it's served during breakfast every morning! Yum!!! They also have them canned in stores.


I've already had haggis.   I did like it, and will probably try it again.  Good to know it will be at breakfast at the last hotel.   I won't have to go look for it!  

Sayhello


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## Calfan

2BNDisney said:


> My friend who lives in Edinburgh also suggested Deacon Brodie's and then Angels with Bagpipes as places to eat.  Unfortunately I did not have time to do all the places she gave me.  Both of these are on the Royal Mile.  Be sure and get fish and chips somewhere if you like that.   As far as shopping, Neanie Scott on the Royal Mile was a good shop as this was one of the few Scottish owned tourist shops on the Mile from what she told me.  The employees were very nice and gave me lots of info about the other Scottish shops and about the area around there.  If I remember right, it was on the left (closer to Holyrood end of the Mile as you walk that way).  And there was a tea room right down from there named Clarinda's.



We had lunch at Deacon Brodies's the day we arrived in Edinburgh and enjoyed it a lot. I think I had the fish and chips.


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## sayhello

2BNDisney said:


> My friend who lives in Edinburgh also suggested Deacon Brodie's and then Angels with Bagpipes as places to eat.  Unfortunately I did not have time to do all the places she gave me.  Both of these are on the Royal Mile.  Be sure and get fish and chips somewhere if you like that.   As far as shopping, Neanie Scott on the Royal Mile was a good shop as this was one of the few Scottish owned tourist shops on the Mile from what she told me.  The employees were very nice and gave me lots of info about the other Scottish shops and about the area around there.  If I remember right, it was on the left (closer to Holyrood end of the Mile as you walk that way).  And there was a tea room right down from there named Clarinda's.


Cool, Blake, thanks!  I'm writing those down, too!  And I much prefer to go to shops run by locals!



2BNDisney said:


> Oh, and don't forget to try Scotland's national soda, Irn Bru, so you can say you have tried it.


Irn Bru.  Gotcha!



Calfan said:


> We had lunch at Deacon Brodies's the day we arrived in Edinburgh and enjoyed it a lot. I think I had the fish and chips.


I do love a good fish and chips.  I'll keep this one in mind!

Thanks!
Sayhello


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## edinburghlass

Up by the Apex Waterloo you will find Howies, I've eaten there its good and not too expensive for that "too tired to go far meal".

http://www.howies.uk.com/

Also agree with Deacon Brodies but be aware you will probably have to wait for a table as its very busy. We elected to share with a lovely Canadian couple we met in the queue which meant we both got a table quicker. I had taken a visitor on the on/off bus tour of the city which stopped outside and the driver recommended it.

http://www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/deaconbrodiestavernroyalmileedinburgh/

You have me wondering about lemonade in a tin now, I'm off to browse the shelves in Tesco online groceries


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## edinburghlass

and now I've googled Martone, I'm drooling over their ice creams, let me know if you want company to visit there 

http://martone-edinburgh.co.uk/index.php


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## sayhello

edinburghlass said:


> Up by the Apex Waterloo you will find Howies, I've eaten there its good and not too expensive for that "too tired to go far meal".
> 
> http://www.howies.uk.com/


Ooo, yum!  Looks god.  Thanks!    *adds to the list*.



> Also agree with Deacon Brodies but be aware you will probably have to wait for a table as its very busy. We elected to share with a lovely Canadian couple we met in the queue which meant we both got a table quicker. I had taken a visitor on the on/off bus tour of the city which stopped outside and the driver recommended it.
> 
> http://www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/deaconbrodiestavernroyalmileedinburgh/
> 
> You have me wondering about lemonade in a tin now, I'm off to browse the shelves in Tesco online groceries


Thanks for the warning for Deacon Brodies.  I tend to expect to wait, and then I'm pleasantly surprised if I don't have to!  

Let me know if you figure out about the lemonade!



edinburghlass said:


> and now I've googled Martone, I'm drooling over their ice creams, let me know if you want company to visit there
> 
> http://martone-edinburgh.co.uk/index.php


Well, I'd love to meet you there and have some ice cream & conversation!  I'll PM you what my schedule looks like!  That would be fun!

Sayhello


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## sayhello

YAY!  I got my box today!  Light draw-string laundry bag, tote bag, leather luggage tags, tablet-sized carrying bag, paper luggage tags and Adventure Handbook!  I may eventually actually go on this trip!  

Sayhello


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## WeLoveABD

sayhello said:


> YAY!  I got my box today!  Light draw-string laundry bag, tote bag, leather luggage tags, tablet-sized carrying bag, paper luggage tags and Adventure Handbook!  I may eventually actually go on this trip!
> 
> Sayhello



It'll be great!  I have finished a trip report (no photos--haven't figured that out yet, but tufbuf may supplement it with photos).  Should get it on the disboard shortly...


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## sayhello

WeLoveABD said:


> It'll be great!  I have finished a trip report (no photos--haven't figured that out yet, but tufbuf may supplement it with photos).  Should get it on the disboard shortly...


  Just to warn you, I *may* not read it in depth until after I get back.  I've forgotten a lot of the details from last years' reports, and I kind of want to keep it that way for more surprises.  But I *will* read it eventually!  

Sayhello


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## tufbuf

sayhello said:


> Just to warn you, I *may* not read it in depth until after I get back.  I've forgotten a lot of the details from last years' reports, and I kind of want to keep it that way for more surprises.  But I *will* read it eventually!
> 
> Sayhello



You should! It's an awesome trip report without giving much away (in terms of surprises). I will work on getting the photos incorporated on the text when I get home from work lunch time.


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## sayhello

tufbuf said:


> You should! It's an awesome trip report without giving much away (in terms of surprises). I will work on getting the photos incorporated on the text when I get home from work lunch time.


Hmmmm....   We shall see!  

Sayhello


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## Astro269

sayhello said:


> YAY!  I got my box today!  Light draw-string laundry bag, tote bag, leather luggage tags, tablet-sized carrying bag, paper luggage tags and Adventure Handbook!  I may eventually actually go on this trip!    Sayhello



We got our ABD box today. We are really looking forward to our trip to Scotland.


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## sayhello

Astro269 said:


> We got our ABD box today. We are really looking forward to our trip to Scotland.


YAY!  

I sent you a message on fb!  

Sayhello


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## WeLoveABD

tufbuf said:


> You should! It's an awesome trip report without giving much away (in terms of surprises). I will work on getting the photos incorporated on the text when I get home from work lunch time.



It is in the trip reports--8 links, filled with your great photos tufbuf!


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## WeLoveABD

My attempt to meld great tufbuf photos with my text failed--for now.  I'll get it figured out and hopefully there will be an accessible trip report soon.  In the meantime--sorry about this--here is my loooooong (but complete) text trip report

ABD Scotland Trip Report (June 29-July 7, 2014)

We like to have a few pre-days before an ABD trip, especially where there is a significant time difference (8 hours, for this trip).  Plus we want to give additional time on the front end in case we have to deal with lost luggage or delayed flights.  

This time around, we went to Northern Ireland (Belfast), flying on United from San Diego to Newark, then Newark to Belfast.  We left on Monday (23rd) and arrived in Belfast late morning on Tuesday.  There are buses (with luggage racks) that leave from just outside the baggage terminal that go to the bus station in downtown Belfastwhich is on the back side of the Europa Hotel, where we stayed for three nights.  Excellent hotel, very central locationmuch of what we wanted to see was walkable from this hotel.  

Tips:  Rick Steves book on Northern Ireland was an excellent guide.  Northern Ireland and England share the same coins but NI has its own bills (same value as the British Pound)but it will be difficult to use the NI bills outside of NI, so be sure to either spend them or exchange them before you leave.  Merchants DO accept British Pound notes.  We decided to get pounds before leaving the states (from Travelex)enough to avoid their standard fees, although the exchange rate wasnt great.  However, we had sufficient currency for the entire trip to avoid relying upon ATMs; we also found a credit card (with chip) that did not charge a transaction fee for each use overseas.  (We brought backup cardsalso all with chipsjust in case).   (For guide tips, we brought them in envelopes and stored them away in hotel safesall in US currency; it was also our emergency backup cash should we have needed itand if we had British pounds left at the end of the trip, we could put that into the tip envelopes and take out some of the US currency to take back home with us).

We did all we could to stay awake on Tuesday until evening, to fight through jet lag.  We mostly walked the inner cityas it happens, the Queen was in Belfast and her motorcade passed us by as we walked to City Hall.  Highly recommend taking the free tour of City Hall (you need to reserve a time), and seeing the Linen Library (also free)it has interesting posters on the walls relating to the Troubles.  Large modern mall is nearby (Victoria Square) with a great view of the city from its central tower.  An old saloon is across from the Eurpoa (called the Crown Liquor Store)worth a look inside, and the food is very good. 

Belfast Attractions Tour

We booked in advance an all day tour with a private driver/car (for 4) to see the Giants Causeway, Dunluce castle ruins, the Titanic shipyard and the area murals (for both sidesProtestant and Catholic, or Royal and Independent).  Our guide was greatcould not have gotten a more detailed review of the political turmoil that has rocked Belfast over the decades.  We also stopped for lunch (with food our guide broughthomemade sandwiches!), and saw various locations used for Game of Thrones (the main studio is near the shipyard/Titanic Museum, and we strolled the Dark Hedges which is used in the series).  

By the time Thursday rolled around, we were all in the correct time zone.  We walked to the Queens Museum and spent a good deal of time enjoying the Botanical Gardens (and Palm House green house) next to the University.  On the other end of the gardens was the Ulster Museum, which had a terrific art exhibit on the Troublesvery moving, especially after our tour the day before.  Lunch at a Steves recommended place called Maggie Mays (very good), and then later a walk to City Hall for our tour and then over to St. Annes Cathedral for a self-tour.  Place across from the hotel called Jazz Pizza was great.  That evening, DW and I went to a play (WWI-era setting, called Birdsong) at the opera house next door to the Europa.  

Onward to Edinburgh

Spent off our Belfast bucks at the airport (on a breakfast sandwich called bops), then flew Easyjet for a short flight to Edinburgh.  The tram (with baggage racks) from the airport to city center was clean, efficient and much cheaper than cabs.  (While the tram is easy, it has interrupted the flow of vehicle traffic in and out of Edinburgh). We walked a few blocks from the tram stop to our pre-ABD hotel, Apex Waterloo (much less than the Balmoral, but only a few blocks away).  The Apex had lots of nice amenities, including free snacks, coupons for use in the restaurant and bar, small gym and pool/sauna.  It was also a 5 minute walk to the Carton Hill area, which has fantastic views of the city.  (There was a student-run art/music show in the old observatory in Carton Hill).

We had a late lunch reservation at The Witchery (in the Secret Garden)reservations can be made on line and it is recommended.  It was expensive.  And while it is a must do stop, I was not wowd by the interiorthe garden room area is not as lush as I had imagined.  We followed our 3 pm reservation with a 5 pm Real Mary Kings Close tour, which was cheesy fun.  

Tip:  most credit cards are put into a hand-held machine; needs to stay in the machine until it gets properly read (at a store I put the card in and pulled it right outmessed everything up and a manager had to be called).  Alsoif you are leaving a tip (usually 10 percent), let the waiter know as otherwise the card will only be charged for the pre-tip amount and then youll need cash for the tip (or run).

It was light out past 10 pm, so while the kids enjoyed the hotel pool/TV, DW and I walked the areamostly the Royal Mile and Princess Street.  If you have time, stroll the park along Princes Street (behind the Scott Memorial)it was once a lake (loch), and is below street level.  

Outward from Edinburgh

Another great thing about the Apex Waterloo was its convenient location to the tour bus stop, right across the street.  We had booked in advance a tour with the highly recommended Heart of Scotland tour company.  We spent our Saturday on this tour, going through the Borders to Rosslyn Chapel (featured in Da Vinci Code and in the movie), a stop in the town of Melrose (where we went from market to market to put together a great picnic lunch), through the lowlands into England and Hadrians Wall (to a section where we could walk on the wall).  Cool weather, but no rain when we were out and about.  We returned around 7:30 and went to an Italian restaurant next to the Apex called Martone (excellent foodand we thought it was reasonably priced; we were, however, too full for gelato).

Just About ABD Time

Sunday morning we had bfast in our room with food we got the night before at a nearby Tesco supermarket (there are refrigerators in the rooms).  Walked a couple of blocks with our bags to the Balmoral.  We met up with our friends (two families we met on the Greece ABD) and took Bus 22 (right out front of the Balmoral) to its endthe harbor area, where the Royal Yacht Britannia was located.  Had a wonderful lunch on board (with tea, desserts), then took the tour.  The ship is aside a mall, so everyone walked the mall a bit after the tour, before busing back to the Balmoral.  The hotel has a fantastic gymlarge indoor pool, sauna, steam room and four rooms of exercise equipment.  

Tip:  there are no coffee makers in the room; however, coffee is made in the gym (which opens up at 6:30)and newspapers are available there as well.  (And tea, and fruit).  

We met the group (40 total, including a family group of 12) and our guides, Michael and Lenora.  Dinner in the hotel.

ABD Starts!

The one thing different on this ABD trip was having two American guides, rather than one from the US and one from Scotland.  Both guides were greatefficient, funny, friendly.  But there is an added bonus when there is a native on board who can discuss growing up in that country.  The other notable difference was the absence of the back of the bus kid crowdand there is quite a bit of bus time on this trip.  In large part I think it was due to the fact that we had a large multi-unit family group who stuck together, so the kids all stayed up in the front half of the bus where these families situated themselves.  

The Queen was coming to town, so we could not go to the Palace of Holyroodhousedisappointing (and now on our must do list for a future visit), and compounded by its replacement being St. Giles Cathedral, which we had visited on our own. (ABD did send a letter about this change, but we had left for Northern Ireland before it arrived).  On the up side, our guide for this day was a 74-year-old Scotsman named David who sang and joked and provided a good overview of Edinburgh (he is a Blue Badge Guide).  He did not get into detail because he was concerned about the attention span of the kids on boardbut for a tour around town, maybe it was sufficient.  We had a great time at the National Museum of Scotlandbut Id recommend selecting a few highlights on the history side (such as the Lewis chess pieces) and then go to the art and science side (which includes the stuffed sheep Dollythe first cloned animal).  Lunch at the museum was excellent and the storyteller who came in held us all captivated.  We next visited Dovecot Studios for family weaving activities (it was funthese things are always more fun than they sound!)but we were divided into two groups (for two different activities)and in some of the down time it would have been nice to have our guide David around to talk to.  (However, there is some sort of time limitation so he could not hang out at the museum under his current contract).  The day was capped with a tour of Edinburgh Castle (partially with David, partially on our own)we say the soldiers lining up by the cannons in preparation for the 21-gun salute for the Queens arrival (and saw the guns go off as we walked across Waverley Bridge).  

Tip:  with long days, this was the right time to head down the Royal Mile for dinner at one of the pubs then onward to see the quirky new Parliament building, Holyrood and then walk up to the top of Arthurs Seat (takes about 30 minutes to walk up the pathsometimes steep, frequently unevenbut man! What a view!).  We had toyed with buying provisions and picnicking at the topbut that would have been a long haul.  

Isle of Skye

Our lucky streak of beautiful weather held out, and our bus (half asleep) wandered by gorgeous green hills, lochs and mountains into the Highlands, through Glencoe (Bonnie Prince Charlie territory) to our lunch stop at Ft. Williams.  Rick Steves recommendation was to drive on by, but he was wronga lovely little town and a variety of eateries (once again, Fish and Chips for me), a young female bagpipe player in the town square and plenty of shops.  I bought a shirt that said Malt Whisky in the Disney font, with whisky bottles forming the shape of a castleperfect for the whisky tasting that evening!  From Ft. Williams we went to the Eilean Donan Castleused in Brave, and also the castle you see in the ABD ads with the parents and kids running up a stone bridge.  Guides were on site for an overview, and then you roamed. The castle is less than 100 years old (rebuilt in the early 1900s using existing ruins and drawings dated from a 1714 surveythe Brits drew it then destroyed it).

  From this stop we went on to the Isle of Skye to the Cuillin Hills Hotel in Portree.  Most of the town closes for the winter, but Cuillin Hills Hotel is one of the few year-round hotels.  This was Junior Adventure nightwhile they were off, the adults who were interested went to the whisky tasting followed by an ABD-provided dinner at the hotels restaurant.  

By the way, the Balmoral and the Kingsmill (Inverness) both had room safesthe Cuillin Hills Hotel did not, but if you wanted to have the front desk put your valuables in a hotel safe they would do so.  All hotels had wifi (good free wifi reception in Balmoral rooms, we had reception in our room in Cuillin Hillsmay have been due to our location on the first floor, and Kingsmill had free wifi in lobby but a paid plan for rooms),  all hotels had hairdryers  and plenty of outlets. The towel racks at the Balmoral and Cuillin were heatedthe Cuillin were VERY warm to hot, so beware!  Excellent pool at Balmoral, decent gym and pool at Invernessno gym or pool at Cuillin.  However, the lawn area overlooking the Portree harbor was stunningtry to find some time to sit there if you can.  One other thing:  little biting bugs (like mini-mosquitos) can become a problem; if so, bug spray is not very effective but the guides have spray on hand that should do the trick.  We some a few of the midges but they were not a problem on this trip.  

Our wildest weather day was July 2 (Wed), which we spent on Skye on its Trotternish Peninsula.  The wind howled and whipped us about as we visited a few cliff-side areas (walking down some pathways, stopping at Kilt Rocks area).  From there we went to the Quirainga popular destination for hikers; we hiked up into the hills and as we went further and further in, the clouds grew darker and the winds more intense.  It was very dramatic, and breathtaking in many ways.  On the return hike, some rain.  My DW had purchased plastic pants to go over her clothingand we brought lightweight rain jackets with hoodsall of which came in handy for the hike (but not really used again on the trip).  Since the weather is so unpredictable, it is worth the small investment to bring these with you.

After the hike, we stopped at the Uig Hotel for a decent buffet lunch (nothing spectacular), then back to Portree for shopping time before a scone-making activity at a local bakery (be sure to check out the art studio in the bakery, on the second floor).  Back at the hotel, an area dance studio (youth) provided a variety of music and dance performances; after that, we left for Portree (on foot, 15 minute walk) for a great fresh seafood dinner at the Rosedale Hotel on the harbor.   

Wherefore art thou Nessie?

Thursday, July 3.  Daylight.  We are on the search for a reported serpent beast.  Name of Nessie.  

Now this was a Scottish day.  We traveled along the Loch Ness (one of three lochs that essentially create a west to east channel across the Highlands); the loch is deeper than the North Sea.  We toured a very interesting museum at the Loch Ness Center, followed by lunch and a talk by the curator of the museum (and foremost Loch Ness Monster researcher), Adrian Shine.  After lunch we split into three groups, with one group taking canoes out into the loch, one riding a boat (with sonar and a glass bottom) around the loch and the third touring the ruins of nearby Urquhart Castle.  We toured and then canoed (switching with the group that canoed first, then toured)because of the weather/high wind, our canoes were tethered to a long rope, but that was OK.  During the middle of the canoeing the sun broke out from behind the clouds and we all laid down our oars and sunbathed on the Loch Ness.  From there, to our hotel in Inverness (the Kingsmill).  Time enough to unwind, take in the pool and exercise room and then meet up with the group again for dinner at the hotel.  The highlight: the presentation of the Haggis, with a reading from the works of Robert Burns (Burns Address to a Haggis recited by a wonderful local poet).  I swore Id never have Haggis, but I tried itfreshly cut open, steamingand it was good!

Friday July 4

Sick all day in bed.  Damn Haggis.

Friday July 4, Actually

Just kidding!  The Haggis WAS very goodspicy, like a crumbly meatloaf, sort of.  Best not to think too much about it.

On this date we flew to the Isle of Lewis (ABD chartered planemuch better treatment and snacks than any domestic Delta flight).    The weather held, although it seemed like it could storm at any moment.

Our local tour guide was very goodgave us a lot of background on Lewis (the mass is actually two islandsLewis and Harris, of Harris Tweed fame).  We visited a Blackhouse Village (thatched roof, peet burning inside)these were used as models for the witchs house in Braveand nearby was the Carloway Broch (a tribal home designed for defense, over 2000 years old).  Beautiful setting.  It is so hard to capture some of these settings on camerause panorama on your cameras if you have it.

The highlight was visiting the Callanish standing stonesthese upright flat rocks are up to 6 feet underground, and rise above ground 10 feet or more.  We had plenty of time to roam around the stones.  There was a small shop nearby and a cool solo artist show in a room below where the shop was located.  

Lunch was in a restaurant along the main drag of Stornoway (with many good shopsgreat place to get Harris Tweed).  As we sat there talking, we realized it was the 4th of July and that there was nothing particularly planned, so a few of us started singing the Star Spangled Bannerit ended with the whole room of ABDers standing and singing.  It was a pretty cool moment.  You have time after lunch to roam the town, or head across the river to see the Lewis Castle (I did thatit was being renovated, but the park surrounding it made for a really great walk.  Most of Lewis is flat, tree-lessso this walk offered a nice small forest so different from the rest of the island).  We flew back, had some time (not much) at the hotel, before catching our bus for dinner at the Mustard Seed (one of the Steves-recommended restaurants in Inverness; it was an old church).  We opted to walk the town after dinner (again, light until after 10)about 20 minutes from the hotel on foot, and we walked through some nice neighborhoods, adding flavor and character to our view of the town.

Estate Planning

This day offers what many on this trip have said was the best dayvisiting a local estate (20,000 acres, with forest, lochs, mountains, farming).  The Rothiemurchus Estate.  We would never have been able to do all that we did had we tried to plan this trip on our ownit is the sort of experience that keeps us coming back to ABD.

While the Jr. Adventurers went out on a horseback ride, the adults toured the grounds by vanto scenic spots to try to take in the whole of the estate, to a field full of deer (to feed), to seeing hairy coos (er, cows) up closewe all met up for a really good lunch in a tent outside (including venison sausages, which my DS noted after that we fed the deer and then they fed us).  (Sorry). In the afternoon we broke into two groupsone started on a nice long bike ride (ending at a loch) while the other did archery, then switched.  Frankly, after all of the history and castles and scenery, the kids were ready for some play time (adults too!).

We had dinner on our own, so our group of 10 walked to Inverness to a guide-recommended restaurant called Taste of Joymix of food, good value, nice atmosphere.  

And So The End is Near

A 6:30 AM departure back to Edinburgh.  A sleepy group on the busbut when we stopped at a Burger King in the coastal town of Aberdeen, everyone gave coffee/hot chocolate orders and then headed to the nearby beach to take a foot dip (or more) into the North Sea.  From there, a relatively short drive to Dunnottar Castle, which has an interesting history (including being the hiding place of the Crown jewelsfrom Cromwell).  The Castle ruins overlook the North Seathe weather was fantastic, the air crisp and the cliff/ocean views breathtaking.  We departed for Glamis Castle, the ancestral home of the late Queen Mother.  Parts of the castle were over 600 years oldand it is said Shakespeare used the old parts as the setting for Macbeth.  King Macbeth pre-dated the castle.)  We had lunch here, with a little bit of time after to walk about or check out the gift shop.  It started to rain as we were leaving, but cleared by the time we got back to Edinburgh.  The ride back was entertaining, and fulfilled what many had hoped for.  Just sayin. 

That evening was our farewell dinner.  Our guides were in full kilt, and many of the older teens were dressed in kilts (either bought along the way, or brought with them).  Everyone was encouraged to wear something Scottish, and most did (scarves, hats etc.).  We took the bus over to Edinburgh Castle, which was now only open to ABD, walked the grounds, went to see the Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny (with a private guide telling us about all of it)then to a beautifully set room for dinner.  (This is the time to give your guides their tips).  

In Conclusion

Happily our flight didnt leave until 12:30, so we had the morning to relax at the hotelhave a leisurely breakfast, use the sauna/gym, walk Princes Street Park.  Part of our group left the next day, and went back to see the Palace of Holyroodhouse (which had reopened after the Queens departure).  We are always on the fence about post-days, as our kids are anxious to get back.   We always do pre-days, and always willbest way to get adjusted to the time difference before the ABD trip gets underway, and to buy extra time if needed due to travel delays.  I have read elsewhere that the departure city is usually given less attention on an ABD trip, and that seems to be generally sowe loved having the opportunity to do a lot of things on our own before meeting the group (especially the Royal Yacht, and the day trip down to Hadrians Wall).  

A good, solid ABD trip, excellent itinerary and lots to learn if you take the extra effort.  I am now about three weeks post-trip, and have to say it is holding up very well and gets better and better upon reflection.


----------



## sayhello

So what all do any of you suggest as "must haves" to take on this trip?  I know to bring a couple of pair of sneakers (or hiking shoes if I have them) because it may be muddy/rainy.  I'm also bringing a couple of different weights of water-proof jacket, both of which could be layered over a fleece if necessary.  

Any other suggestions?  How many "nice" meals did you have (ie, bring something a little special to wear).  ANY idea what the weather may be like in September?  I know everyplace has been having the most bizarre weather this year, so it's hard to know, but any guesses?

Oh, my!  I can't believe I'm starting to think about what to pack!  

Sayhello


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## tufbuf

sayhello said:


> So what all do any of you suggest as "must haves" to take on this trip?  I know to bring a couple of pair of sneakers (or hiking shoes if I have them) because it may be muddy/rainy.  I'm also bringing a couple of different weights of water-proof jacket, both of which could be layered over a fleece if necessary.  Any other suggestions?  How many "nice" meals did you have (ie, bring something a little special to wear).  ANY idea what the weather may be like in September?  I know everyplace has been having the most bizarre weather this year, so it's hard to know, but any guesses?  Oh, my!  I can't believe I'm starting to think about what to pack!    Sayhello



I suggest packing for all kinds of weather. Not sure about Sept. But when we went, there were days when shorts and sandals worked. You can dress up for the dinner at the Cuillin Hills Hotel plus the farewell dinner. You can dress up as well in the Mustard Seed restaurant but make sure you have comfy shoes in case you decide to walk back. Make sure you have waterproof shoes as well.


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## sayhello

tufbuf said:


> I suggest packing for all kinds of weather. Not sure about Sept. But when we went, there were days when shorts and sandals worked. You can dress up for the dinner at the Cuillin Hills Hotel plus the farewell dinner. You can dress up as well in the Mustard Seed restaurant but make sure you have comfy shoes in case you decide to walk back. Make sure you have waterproof shoes as well.


Waterproof?  Uh-oh.  Don't think I have any of those.  I'll have to check that out.  (Except I have Keens.  Would Keens work?  Which part do I need waterproof shoes for?)

Thanks, tufbuf!

Sayhello


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## calypso726

We went in August and were advised to pack for all 4 seasons as you can experience them all in one day. I would say that was an accurate assessment. So, pack to dress in layers. Pack a pair of waterproof hiking shoes/sneakers. Some folks dressed up a bit for dinner. Our group here on the meet thread agreed to not wear anything fancier than jeans or cords to dinner to avoid packing more stuff and that way no one would feel out of place.


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## tufbuf

sayhello said:


> Waterproof?  Uh-oh.  Don't think I have any of those.  I'll have to check that out.  (Except I have Keens.  Would Keens work?  Which part do I need waterproof shoes for?)  Thanks, tufbuf!  Sayhello



The weather is very unpredictable. I would think around Sept., rain might be more frequent. We really lucked out on the weather. Keens should be fine. When we hiked the Quiraing, it started raining on the descent and walking on grass could really soak your shoes. The rain wasn't that bad but I didn't have to worry about wet feet. I guess if you don't have waterproof shoes, just make sure you have an alternate pair, just in case.


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## WeLoveABD

Bring a small umbrella (the travel kind that are very compact and lightweight)--and I brought Sanuk shoes which dry out fast and were comfortable and very lightweight.  We did get some lightweight waterproof clothing at Sports Authority--and REI has a lot more.  Balmoral does have umbrellas to borrow (next to the front door)--but can't say that is the case with the rest of the hotels on the trip.   I did bring a sports coat/slacks/dress shoes and shirt on the trip--came in handy for a pre-night in Belfast (theater)--but wasn't really needed in Scotland.  Buy a nice scarf or other clothing accessory along the way to wear at the farewell dinner, and you'll be good!


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## ABDGurl

sayhello said:


> YAY!  I got my box today!  Light draw-string laundry bag, tote bag, leather luggage tags, tablet-sized carrying bag, paper luggage tags and Adventure Handbook!  I may eventually actually go on this trip!
> 
> Sayhello



Sayhello...the "tablet-sized carrying bag" you received in your box...is it more of a documents case, like for your passport, etc., or for an iPad kind of thing?  Reason I ask is my friend, who is currently on the Australia ABD, received a leather-like document case,which looked cool.  I'm actually leaving for the Scotland trip in 2 1/2 weeks and still haven't received my box. :-(  I signed up late, so it's supposed to be here this weekend, fingers crossed.


----------



## sayhello

WeLoveABD said:


> Bring a small umbrella (the travel kind that are very compact and lightweight)--and I brought Sanuk shoes which dry out fast and were comfortable and very lightweight.  We did get some lightweight waterproof clothing at Sports Authority--and REI has a lot more.  Balmoral does have umbrellas to borrow (next to the front door)--but can't say that is the case with the rest of the hotels on the trip.   I did bring a sports coat/slacks/dress shoes and shirt on the trip--came in handy for a pre-night in Belfast (theater)--but wasn't really needed in Scotland.  Buy a nice scarf or other clothing accessory along the way to wear at the farewell dinner, and you'll be good!


Thanks, WeLoveABD!  That all sounds good!  



ABDGurl said:


> Sayhello...the "tablet-sized carrying bag" you received in your box...is it more of a documents case, like for your passport, etc., or for an iPad kind of thing?  Reason I ask is my friend, who is currently on the Australia ABD, received a leather-like document case,which looked cool.  I'm actually leaving for the Scotland trip in 2 1/2 weeks and still haven't received my box. :-(  I signed up late, so it's supposed to be here this weekend, fingers crossed.


I'm posting a picture of it with my original iPad in it (which is larger than my Samsung Galaxy Tab  Pro, which is what I've been carrying in it.  It's an original iPad, so it's fairly large).  It's definitely not what I'd call a document case, but maybe it is for you. 











Hope that helps!

Sayhello


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## JLoane

I just talked to ABD, and the guides for the 8/3 Adventure will be Lenore (didn't get a last name) and Michael Rodriguez. I know all the guides are excellent, but has anyone had any personal experiences with either Lenore or Michael? My entire family is so excited for our adventure to begin!! Thanks for all the tips!


----------



## Bobo912

JLoane said:


> I just talked to ABD, and the guides for the 8/3 Adventure will be Lenore (didn't get a last name) and Michael Rodriguez. I know all the guides are excellent, but has anyone had any personal experiences with either Lenore or Michael? My entire family is so excited for our adventure to begin!! Thanks for all the tips!



Michael is one of the most senior ABD guides.  He's done many Southern CA, Peru, and Costa Rica trips, so I'm sure many people on the forum have experience with him.  He was our guide on our first ABD.  He's great!  Most memorable moment - Michael, who had a broken arm at the time,  and our bus driver lifted a car that was blocking the road and moved it out of the way so the bus could pass. I haven't done the Scotland ABD but I ran into him a couple of times in Edinburgh a few weeks ago and he introduced us to Lenora.  Don't have any experience with her, but she seemed very nice.  I'm sure some of the folks who have done the Scotland trip this summer can comment on her.


----------



## WeLoveABD

JLoane said:


> I just talked to ABD, and the guides for the 8/3 Adventure will be Lenore (didn't get a last name) and Michael Rodriguez. I know all the guides are excellent, but has anyone had any personal experiences with either Lenore or Michael? My entire family is so excited for our adventure to begin!! Thanks for all the tips!



It was our first experience with both--and we liked them.  The difference this time was that both were American, rather than one being from the US and the other being local.  Lenore just spent the last couple of weeks bopping around Scotland to learn more about the country--so it will be interesting to hear about her experiences!  Both are great with guests--very attentive; I would say of the two Lenore is more detail and Michael more whimsical--both good with the kids, too.  No toner time...but they have lots of snacks and other surprises!


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## JLoane

WeLoveABD said:


> It was our first experience with both--and we liked them.  The difference this time was that both were American, rather than one being from the US and the other being local.  Lenore just spent the last couple of weeks bopping around Scotland to learn more about the country--so it will be interesting to hear about her experiences!  Both are great with guests--very attentive; I would say of the two Lenore is more detail and Michael more whimsical--both good with the kids, too.  No toner time...but they have lots of snacks and other surprises!



I'm beyond excited to meet both Michael and Lenora, but I agree that having one guide from the country you're visiting is a real plus.  On our ABD trip to China, my daughter, who was adopted from China as a baby, really bonded with our wonderful Chinese guide.  (And granted the dynamics there were a bit different than most.)  They exchanged email addresses, and Huan was wonderful about emailing with my daughter for several years.  

One more question about the Scotland trip...did anyone buy a quaich?  And if so, where did you find it?  That's one souvenir that I'd really like to get.  Along those lines, if previous travelers can recommend shops for souvenirs of any sort, that would be great!


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## CarrianneB

Michael was our guide in Peru and we thought he was great!  He's been a guide for a long time and is really good with all the adults and kids.


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## tufbuf

JLoane said:


> One more question about the Scotland trip...did anyone buy a quaich?  And if so, where did you find it?  That's one souvenir that I'd really like to get.  Along those lines, if previous travelers can recommend shops for souvenirs of any sort, that would be great!



I didn't see a quaich but it isn't something I looked for. Some souvenirs you might want to get - kilts, kilts and more kilts. They are everywhere! Anything tartan for sure, lambs wool products and cashmere. There is a nice store right at the entrance of Edinburgh Castle (I can give you the name of the store later if you wish) who I think has a good collection of cashmere products. Price is also decent.

You might find a quaich in Fort William where you stop for lunch. They have Scottish crystal in the store so a quaich may be available too. Harry Tweed products are another souvenir suggestion. DD and I are big Cumberbatch.... er... Sherlock fans so she got a deer hat. There are nice wool coats (Stornoway in Isle of Lewis) but just too heavy for packing.

Hope that helped.  Enjoy your trip!!


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## JLoane

tufbuf said:


> I didn't see a quaich but it isn't something I looked for. Some souvenirs you might want to get - kilts, kilts and more kilts. They are everywhere! Anything tartan for sure, lambs wool products and cashmere. There is a nice store right at the entrance of Edinburgh Castle (I can give you the name of the store later if you wish) who I think has a good collection of cashmere products. Price is also decent.
> 
> You might find a quaich in Fort William where you stop for lunch. They have Scottish crystal in the store so a quaich may be available too. Harry Tweed products are another souvenir suggestion. DD and I are big Cumberbatch.... er... Sherlock fans so she got a deer hat. There are nice wool coats (Stornoway in Isle of Lewis) but just too heavy for packing.
> 
> Hope that helped.  Enjoy your trip!!



Thanks for the suggestions!  We're off to Scotland shortly!


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## sayhello

JLoane said:


> Thanks for the suggestions!  We're off to Scotland shortly!


ENJOY!!!!  Looking forward to hear what you have to say about it, my tour is in 4 weeks!  

Sayhello


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## tufbuf

And I just remembered, other things you might want to consider is jewelry. They have a number of Celtic designs which you can find on the Royal Mile, Portree or in the Isle of Lewis. There is a Hebridean jewelry store near the restaurant where you will have lunch which you can check out. In Portree, you can also look for jewelry made with Skye marble which they claim to be millions of years old.


----------



## Princess Leia

JLoane said:


> I'm beyond excited to meet both Michael and Lenora, but I agree that having one guide from the country you're visiting is a real plus.  On our ABD trip to China, my daughter, who was adopted from China as a baby, really bonded with our wonderful Chinese guide.  (And granted the dynamics there were a bit different than most.)  They exchanged email addresses, and Huan was wonderful about emailing with my daughter for several years.
> 
> One more question about the Scotland trip...did anyone buy a quaich?  And if so, where did you find it?  That's one souvenir that I'd really like to get.  Along those lines, if previous travelers can recommend shops for souvenirs of any sort, that would be great!



I have always been able to buy quaichs at local jewellers. Perhaps some locals could recommend some good jewellers. Jewellers should also have some nice Celtic and Mackintosh designs.


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## ABDGurl

sayhello said:


> Thanks, WeLoveABD!  That all sounds good!
> 
> I'm posting a picture of it with my original iPad in it (which is larger than my Samsung Galaxy Tab  Pro, which is what I've been carrying in it.  It's an original iPad, so it's fairly large).  It's definitely not what I'd call a document case, but maybe it is for you.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hope that helps!
> 
> 
> 
> Sayhello




Thanks so much, Sayhello.  So kind of you to post the pictures.  I finally got my box this past Friday (2 weeks prior to departure...I think that's the latest I've ever received a box from ABD...lol).  Love all of the new stuff!!!!  I agree with you...not really a document case per se, but given the challenge, I can turn it into one.   Thank you again.  Getting so excited.  Have loved reading others trip reports and also packing suggestions.  Very helpful.


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## sayhello

So, for those who have been to Scotland or are from there, one of the things I'm interested in getting as a souvenir would be a sweater or some other sort of knitted apparel.  Any suggestions as to where the best shopping for something like that would be?

Thanks!
Sayhello


----------



## Calfan

sayhello said:


> So, for those who have been to Scotland or are from there, one of the things I'm interested in getting as a souvenir would be a sweater or some other sort of knitted apparel.  Any suggestions as to where the best shopping for something like that would be?
> 
> Thanks!
> Sayhello



I got a great Fair Isle sweater at the gift shop above the Isle of Skye Bakery where you do the scone making.


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## tufbuf

sayhello said:


> So, for those who have been to Scotland or are from there, one of the things I'm interested in getting as a souvenir would be a sweater or some other sort of knitted apparel.  Any suggestions as to where the best shopping for something like that would be?
> 
> Thanks!
> Sayhello



There are many knitted products in the stores along the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. That is probably your best place to shop. The other shops along the way are either small or just no time to completely browse (like the stop you will make on the way to Portree). I didn't really look for lamb's wool knits (which I assume you are asking about) since wool makes me really itchy. Just remember, their wool sweaters are bulky and heavy so you might want to allow some room in your luggage. I am more partial to cashmere since they are lighter and not itchy at all. Again, there are a number of stores along the Royal Mile who sells cashmere products. They are more pricey though. The shop I mentioned earlier that is right at the entrance of Edinburgh Castle has a good collection of cashmere sweaters and some mixed with wool. Their cashmere also feels of better quality. Other stores sell cashmere for less but if you feel the texture, it's not of good quality. 

Oh, I just remember, you might have time to shop in Inverness. There are lots of shops there too but didn't have the time to browse.

Happy shopping!


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## jjharts

I bought a cute little neck/head scarf at Dun Carloway Broch (there is a tiny gift store).  They said it was knitted by a lady that lived over the hill.  I thought. "well, you can't get anymore authentic than that!!"   And it was easy to pack!


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## sayhello

Calfan said:


> I got a great Fair Isle sweater at the gift shop above the Isle of Skye Bakery where you do the scone making.


Ooo, a Fair Isle sweater!  I'll keep that in mind.  Thanks, Calfan!



tufbuf said:


> There are many knitted products in the stores along the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. That is probably your best place to shop. The other shops along the way are either small or just no time to completely browse (like the stop you will make on the way to Portree). I didn't really look for lamb's wool knits (which I assume you are asking about) since wool makes me really itchy. Just remember, their wool sweaters are bulky and heavy so you might want to allow some room in your luggage. I am more partial to cashmere since they are lighter and not itchy at all. Again, there are a number of stores along the Royal Mile who sells cashmere products. They are more pricey though. The shop I mentioned earlier that is right at the entrance of Edinburgh Castle has a good collection of cashmere sweaters and some mixed with wool. Their cashmere also feels of better quality. Other stores sell cashmere for less but if you feel the texture, it's not of good quality.
> 
> Oh, I just remember, you might have time to shop in Inverness. There are lots of shops there too but didn't have the time to browse.
> 
> Happy shopping!


Thanks, tufbuf.  For me, it really depends on the wool.  So I'll have to check them out (I *love* Merino wool!)  And I'm willing to pay more for quality cashmere, so I'll at least *consider* those.    Thanks for the hints!



jjharts said:


> I bought a cute little neck/head scarf at Dun Carloway Broch (there is a tiny gift store).  They said it was knitted by a lady that lived over the hill.  I thought. "well, you can't get anymore authentic than that!!"   And it was easy to pack!


"Lives over the Hill" is definitely a good sign!    I'll keep that in mind, too!  Thanks, jjharts!

Scotland *and* retail therapy!  Yay!

Sayhello


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## WeLoveABD

sayhello said:


> Ooo, a Fair Isle sweater!  I'll keep that in mind.  Thanks, Calfan!
> 
> Thanks, tufbuf.  For me, it really depends on the wool.  So I'll have to check them out (I *love* Merino wool!)  And I'm willing to pay more for quality cashmere, so I'll at least *consider* those.    Thanks for the hints!
> 
> "Lives over the Hill" is definitely a good sign!    I'll keep that in mind, too!  Thanks, jjharts!
> 
> Scotland *and* retail therapy!  Yay!
> 
> Sayhello


Or shop on isle of Lewis and get Harris Tweed-sufficient time to shop there after lunch


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## Calfan

WeLoveABD said:


> Or shop on isle of Lewis and get Harris Twead-sufficient time to shop there after lunch



Yes!  I got a beautiful Harris tweed coat (subtle red tartan pattern) at the Harris tweed shop in Stornoway on Lewis.


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## tufbuf

WeLoveABD said:


> Or shop on isle of Lewis and get Harris Twead-sufficient time to shop there after lunch



Yes! Just make sure you make room! Those coats are heavy!


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## sayhello

WeLoveABD said:


> Or shop on isle of Lewis and get Harris Twead-sufficient time to shop there after lunch





Calfan said:


> Yes!  I got a beautiful Harris tweed coat (subtle red tartan pattern) at the Harris tweed shop in Stornoway on Lewis.





tufbuf said:


> Yes! Just make sure you make room! Those coats are heavy!


So many options!!  

Thanks!

Sayhello


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## 2BNDisney

sayhello said:


> So, for those who have been to Scotland or are from there, one of the things I'm interested in getting as a souvenir would be a sweater or some other sort of knitted apparel.  Any suggestions as to where the best shopping for something like that would be?
> 
> Thanks!
> Sayhello



I got my clan scarf on the Royal Mile. Scarfs are everywhere - lol.  And then it seemed like the place where we made Scones had a local gift shop upstairs and several people bought some things there.  I did not find out about it until the end so never made it up there.  There is also a small gift shop at the Callanish Stones site.  These are in addition to what everyone else has mentioned.


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## sayhello

2BNDisney said:


> I got my clan scarf on the Royal Mile. Scarfs are everywhere - lol.  And then it seemed like the place where we made Scones had a local gift shop upstairs and several people bought some things there.  I did not find out about it until the end so never made it up there.  There is also a small gift shop at the Callanish Stones site.  These are in addition to what everyone else has mentioned.


Thanks, Blake!  I can't believe I didn't think of scarfs!    Everything noted down!  



Sayhello


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## sayhello

So, I'm spending a couple of pre-days in Edinburgh on my own before heading to the Balmoral for the first day of the ABD.  I need to check out of my hotel and get me and my luggage to the Balmoral.   Does anyone recall what time the Guides were available at the Balmoral that first day?

Thanks!
Sayhello


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## CaliforniaGirl09

sayhello said:


> So, I'm spending a couple of pre-days in Edinburgh on my own before heading to the Balmoral for the first day of the ABD.  I need to check out of my hotel and get me and my luggage to the Balmoral.   Does anyone recall what time the Guides were available at the Balmoral that first day?
> 
> Thanks!
> Sayhello



I don't remember exactly, but they were there in the midmorning when we switched hotels--so estimate about 11 or noon. We had a chance to meet them before we caught our train to Stirling for the day. This was August 2013.


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## sayhello

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> I don't remember exactly, but they were there in the midmorning when we switched hotels--so estimate about 11 or noon. We had a chance to meet them before we caught our train to Stirling for the day. This was August 2013.


Cool, thanks!  That sounds like it will work out great.

Sayhello


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## WeLoveABD

sayhello said:


> So, I'm spending a couple of pre-days in Edinburgh on my own before heading to the Balmoral for the first day of the ABD.  I need to check out of my hotel and get me and my luggage to the Balmoral.   Does anyone recall what time the Guides were available at the Balmoral that first day?
> 
> Thanks!
> Sayhello



I believe they were there around 11 (we were at the Apex Waterloo just two blocks away-great hotel btw)


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## sayhello

WeLoveABD said:


> I believe they were there around 11 (we were at the Apex Waterloo just two blocks away-great hotel btw)


Thanks, WeLoveABD.   You guys convinced me, and I'm staying at the Apex Waterloo for my pre-days, too.  I've been told it's very walkable to get me and my luggage from there to the Balmoral?

Sayhello


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## WeLoveABD

sayhello said:


> Thanks, WeLoveABD.   You guys convinced me, and I'm staying at the Apex Waterloo for my pre-days, too.  I've been told it's very walkable to get me and my luggage from there to the Balmoral?
> 
> Sayhello



Very! Across the street and two blocks up-use the ramp entrance which is before you get to the main doors. Carton Hill is just a block the other way and the Royal Mile about a 10 minute walk (head down the side of Balmoral and over the bridge and there you are just a block more ahead). Other side of Balmoral is Prince's Park and the high Scott Monument (and past that a couple of museums-free-on the mound...so called as loch dried up for park and museums on mound of dirt from that project).  Carton Hill has great city views and interesting monuments. So much to do and so little time-it will be great! Have a wonderful adventure!


----------



## sayhello

WeLoveABD said:


> Very! Across the street and two blocks up-use the ramp entrance which is before you get to the main doors. Carton Hill is just a block the other way and the Royal Mile about a 10 minute walk (head down the side of Balmoral and over the bridge and there you are just a block more ahead). Other side of Balmoral is Prince's Park and the high Scott Monument (and past that a couple of museums-free-on the mound...so called as loch dried up for park and museums on mound of dirt from that project).  Carton Hill has great city views and interesting monuments. So much to do and so little time-it will be great! Have a wonderful adventure!


Thanks, WeLoveABD!!!   I leave in TWO WEEKS!!!  

Sayhello


----------



## DCPhotoGal

I'm so excited, we leave on Saturday for our trip!  Just a few quick questions.  Is it worthwhile to pick up a Scotland travel guide book for the trip, or will we not have enough free time to make use of it?  I thought it would be good to have the maps and maybe information for dining on our own.

And my other question is about some time we are adding on after our trip.  We are stopping off in Dublin on our way home.  We have two days there and my husband will be working so it is just me and my two kids (9 and 10 years old).  Any recommendations on a tour that would take us outside of the city for one of those days?


----------



## Princess Leia

DCPhotoGal said:


> I'm so excited, we leave on Saturday for our trip!  Just a few quick questions.  Is it worthwhile to pick up a Scotland travel guide book for the trip, or will we not have enough free time to make use of it?  I thought it would be good to have the maps and maybe information for dining on our own.
> 
> And my other question is about some time we are adding on after our trip.  We are stopping off in Dublin on our way home.  We have two days there and my husband will be working so it is just me and my two kids (9 and 10 years old).  Any recommendations on a tour that would take us outside of the city for one of those days?



Dublin Bus Tours gets good reviews. They have a number of one day trips and better still 2 kids go free with a fare paying adult. You can look at reviews on Trip Advisor. The website address is www.dublinsightseeing.ie


----------



## sayhello

DCPhotoGal said:


> I'm so excited, we leave on Saturday for our trip!  Just a few quick questions.  Is it worthwhile to pick up a Scotland travel guide book for the trip, or will we not have enough free time to make use of it?  I thought it would be good to have the maps and maybe information for dining on our own.
> 
> And my other question is about some time we are adding on after our trip.  We are stopping off in Dublin on our way home.  We have two days there and my husband will be working so it is just me and my two kids (9 and 10 years old).  Any recommendations on a tour that would take us outside of the city for one of those days?


Safe travels and ENJOY!!!  Make sure the weather is good for me at the end of the month!  

Sayhello


----------



## Princess Leia

sayhello said:


> Safe travels and ENJOY!!!  Make sure the weather is good for me at the end of the month!
> 
> Sayhello



Hopefully the weather will improve. Today has been very wet and quite chilly this evening. It was bucketing when I left work this evening. The east coast is usually drier if cooler than the west coast. Whatever the weather we look forward to welcoming you to Scotland.


----------



## Calfan

DCPhotoGal said:


> I'm so excited, we leave on Saturday for our trip!  Just a few quick questions.  Is it worthwhile to pick up a Scotland travel guide book for the trip, or will we not have enough free time to make use of it?  I thought it would be good to have the maps and maybe information for dining on our own.
> 
> And my other question is about some time we are adding on after our trip.  We are stopping off in Dublin on our way home.  We have two days there and my husband will be working so it is just me and my two kids (9 and 10 years old).  Any recommendations on a tour that would take us outside of the city for one of those days?



We did this ABD in August of 2013, and we had minimal on-your-own/downtime. I never felt the need for a guidebook to figure out what to do during those limited times. As far as restaurants go, the guides will give you suggestions and help make reservations.


----------



## sayhello

Princess Leia said:


> Hopefully the weather will improve. Today has been very wet and quite chilly this evening. It was bucketing when I left work this evening. The east coast is usually drier if cooler than the west coast. Whatever the weather we look forward to welcoming you to Scotland.


Oh, pleasepleasepleaseplease let it clear up by then!  

How chilly is "quite chilly"? 

Sayhello


----------



## 2BNDisney

DCPhotoGal said:


> I'm so excited, we leave on Saturday for our trip!  Just a few quick questions.  Is it worthwhile to pick up a Scotland travel guide book for the trip, or will we not have enough free time to make use of it?  I thought it would be good to have the maps and maybe information for dining on our own.
> 
> And my other question is about some time we are adding on after our trip.  We are stopping off in Dublin on our way home.  We have two days there and my husband will be working so it is just me and my two kids (9 and 10 years old).  Any recommendations on a tour that would take us outside of the city for one of those days?



I would agree with Calfan that a guidebook is not really needed.  I did buy one and it was a good intro but I did not find myself using it a lot.  If you need some info once in Edinburgh and about that city, the visitor's center is located just to the right of the Balmoral if you were looking right at it.


----------



## WeLoveABD

We had a Steves Scotland book which provided great background info during the whole trip and a top 10 Edinburgh book which proved informative and useful during our pre days and during the city tour. The books had great tips re restaurants and small gems like the writer's museum and good maps.


----------



## tufbuf

DCPhotoGal said:


> We are stopping off in Dublin on our way home.  We have two days there and my husband will be working so it is just me and my two kids (9 and 10 years old).  Any recommendations on a tour that would take us outside of the city for one of those days?



On O'Connell St., after the bridge on your right, there are a couple of offices there which offers tours. It is right across the bookstore. Several people offer hop off hop on bus tours there as well. Some places you can check out on your own - Dublin Castle and the Leprechaun Museum. You can also check out Christ Church Museum. Outside the city, that would be Blarney Castle.


----------



## sayhello

WeLoveABD said:


> We had a Steves Scotland book which provided great background info during the whole trip and a top 10 Edinburgh book which proved informative and useful during our pre days and during the city tour. The books had great tips re restaurants and small gems like the writer's museum and good maps.


Rick Steves also has an app with podcasts that discuss various areas of Scotland (including Edinburgh) and includes a walking tour of The Royal Mile in Edinburgh.  I'm planning on using the walking tour during one of my pre-days.

Sayhello


----------



## ABDGurl

DCPhotoGal said:


> I'm so excited, we leave on Saturday for our trip!  Just a few quick questions.  Is it worthwhile to pick up a Scotland travel guide book for the trip, or will we not have enough free time to make use of it?  I thought it would be good to have the maps and maybe information for dining on our own.
> 
> And my other question is about some time we are adding on after our trip.  We are stopping off in Dublin on our way home.  We have two days there and my husband will be working so it is just me and my two kids (9 and 10 years old).  Any recommendations on a tour that would take us outside of the city for one of those days?



DCPhotoGal...my husband and I will be on the same trip (no children with us), so will have to try and figure out who each other is.


----------



## Princess Leia

sayhello said:


> Oh, pleasepleasepleaseplease let it clear up by then!
> 
> How chilly is "quite chilly"?
> 
> Sayhello



I think it went down to 12°C (think that's about 53°F). Scotland can get a lot cooler than this but it's still supposed to be summer. Another very wet day here. You may get lucky and it just be cloudy. Nobody comes to Scotland for the sunny climate but the scenery, history and hopefully the warmth of the people should make up for that.


----------



## sayhello

Princess Leia said:


> I think it went down to 12°C (think that's about 53°F). Scotland can get a lot cooler than this but it's still supposed to be summer. Another very wet day here. You may get lucky and it just be cloudy. Nobody comes to Scotland for the sunny climate but the scenery, history and hopefully the warmth of the people should make up for that.




Sayhello


----------



## ABDGurl

Princess Leia said:


> I think it went down to 12°C (think that's about 53°F). Scotland can get a lot cooler than this but it's still supposed to be summer. Another very wet day here. You may get lucky and it just be cloudy. Nobody comes to Scotland for the sunny climate but the scenery, history and hopefully the warmth of the people should make up for that.



Princess Leia...love what you say about Scotland in your response to SayHello.  I've been to Edinburgh once and that's exactly what I remember...beautiful surroundings and kind people.  I'm looking forward to arriving on Sunday for the start of my Disney Adventure and seeing more of your beautiful country.


----------



## knewton64

Just saw the Tattoo last night.....LUVED IT!!


and the weather?? IMHO, not bad.

Temps range from highs in the low 70's to lows in the low 50's.....

best part of the Tattoo???
NO RAIN


ENJOY ALL & TAKE PLENTY OF PICS





T.T.F.N.
&
CHEERS Y"all


----------



## DCPhotoGal

knewton64 said:


> Just saw the Tattoo last night.....LUVED IT!!



We got tickets to the Tattoo for Monday night.  I'm excited to go!  

Thanks everyone for the the advice.  I'm busy packing and getting ready to go.  Trying to prepare for any type of weather.


----------



## sayhello

DCPhotoGal said:


> We got tickets to the Tattoo for Monday night.  I'm excited to go!
> 
> Thanks everyone for the the advice.  I'm busy packing and getting ready to go.  Trying to prepare for any type of weather.


The Tattoo ends before I get there.  Enjoy!

The weather is my biggest concern.  It's hard to pack for *anything*!  (I guess it probably won't snow, but anything else is fair game!)  

Sayhello


----------



## knewton64

sayhello said:


> The Tattoo ends before I get there.  Enjoy!
> 
> The weather is my biggest concern.  It's hard to pack for *anything*!  (I guess it probably won't snow, but anything else is fair game!)
> 
> Sayhello





Surprisingly the weather overall has cooperated quite nicely. Can be a little windy at times but overall - not bad.

No to very little rain has been the biggest surprise for me.


ANYWHO -
have fun & take plenty of video & pics





T.T.F.N.
&
CHEERS Y'ALL


----------



## Princess Leia

DCPhotoGal said:


> I'm busy packing and getting ready to go.  Trying to prepare for any type of weather.





sayhello said:


> The weather is my biggest concern.  It's hard to pack for *anything*!  (I guess it probably won't snow, but anything else is fair game!)
> 
> Sayhello



I think it will be safe to leave your shorts and bikini behind! Don't fret about getting rain jackets and brollies before you come - Edinburgh has plenty of non-tourist shops where you can purchase these. Today is another dreich day. Temperatures in Edinburgh today are a high of 15 Celcius (59F) and low of 12 Celcius (54F). 




ABDGurl said:


> Princess Leia...love what you say about Scotland in your response to SayHello.  I've been to Edinburgh once and that's exactly what I remember...beautiful surroundings and kind people.  I'm looking forward to arriving on Sunday for the start of my Disney Adventure and seeing more of your beautiful country.



It's definitely feeling more autumnal now. At our recent Commonwealth games the slogan was People Make Glasgow. Anyway if anyone is spending more time in Edinburgh they should consider taking the hour train journey to Glasgow. Hope you enjoy your trip.


----------



## edinburghlass

sayhello said:


> Ooo, yum!  Looks god.  Thanks!    *adds to the list*.
> 
> Thanks for the warning for Deacon Brodies.  I tend to expect to wait, and then I'm pleasantly surprised if I don't have to!
> 
> Let me know if you figure out about the lemonade!
> 
> Well, I'd love to meet you there and have some ice cream & conversation!  I'll PM you what my schedule looks like!  That would be fun!
> 
> Sayhello



Met up with Sayhello yesterday after she arrived in Edinburgh and we did indeed head for a delicious ice cream and plenty of conversation. I was so disappointed in the weather as on Thursday afternoon it had been gloriously sunny and hot then Friday we got the rain.  It didn't dampen our spirits though I and so enjoyed meeting Sayhello despite the dreich weather.

For those on the same trip you will thoroughly enjoy her company and I was pleased to see the sun out today and hope it continues for the rest of your tour of Scotland.

For those who were at the Tattoo and for those who missed it here is a quick overview in 3.5 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu5sheUAkhY&list=UUhGDi6d3B3yAY3GRQjokQZA


----------



## sayhello

edinburghlass said:


> Met up with Sayhello yesterday after she arrived in Edinburgh and we did indeed head for a delicious ice cream and plenty of conversation. I was so disappointed in the weather as on Thursday afternoon it had been gloriously sunny and hot then Friday we got the rain.  It didn't dampen our spirits though I and so enjoyed meeting Sayhello despite the dreich weather.
> 
> For those on the same trip you will thoroughly enjoy her company and I was pleased to see the sun out today and hope it continues for the rest of your tour of Scotland.
> 
> For those who were at the Tattoo and for those who missed it here is a quick overview in 3.5 minutes.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu5sheUAkhY&list=UUhGDi6d3B3yAY3GRQjokQZA


It was such a pleasure meeing you, edinburghlass!  And today's weather was glorious!!!

ABD BEGINS TOMORROW!!!


----------



## calypso726

sayhello said:


> ABD BEGINS TOMORROW!!!



You have Zoe and Hanni as your guides, we adore them and miss them! Have an amazing trip. We will be in Edinburgh in 2 weeks! I can't wait to read your trip report!


----------



## sayhello

calypso726 said:


> You have Zoe and Hanni as your guides, we adore them and miss them! Have an amazing trip. We will be in Edinburgh in 2 weeks! I can't wait to read your trip report!


Yes,we have Zoe & Hanni for our Guides, and they are wonderful!!!! Tomorrow is hiking the Quiraing.  Really looking forward to it and sharing it  all with you guy as soon as I can! 

Sayhello


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

sayhello said:


> Yes,we have Zoe & Hanni for our Guides, and they are wonderful!!!! Tomorrow is hiking the Quiraing.  Really looking forward to it and sharing it  all with you guy as soon as I can!
> 
> Sayhello



I am so excited for you! We had them last year, and they are AWESOME!!!! Hope you are having a blast and say "hi" from us


----------



## sayhello

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> I am so excited for you! We had them last year, and they are AWESOME!!!! Hope you are having a blast and say "hi" from us


I'll pass on your Hellos.  They've read you guys' trip reports.  

Sayhello


----------



## sayhello

Watching  today's Scottish Independence vote with great interest.  While I was in  Scotland last week, most people I talked to who were voting "No" were  doing it because they thought there were too many unanswered questions,  not because they opposed the idea of independence.  What currency will  they use?  (They say the British Pound, the UK says "Um, no.") What  about pensioners getting their pensions from the UK?  What about folks  working & living in the UK under Scottish passports?  What about  folks working & living in Scotland under UK passports?  (I talked to  one man who is Polish, working in Scotland under a UK passport for  YEARS.  He and his wife and kids.  He was uncertain what would happen to  them.)  But a lot of folks said they were voting Yes anyways.  A bit of  history occurring today.


I really hope someone from this week's Scotland trip checks in here.  It will be amazing to hear from someone there during the vote.  I'm emailing Hanneke, who is one of the Guides this week.  Hopefully I'll at least hear from her!


Sayhello


----------



## Princess Leia

sayhello said:


> Watching  today's Scottish Independence vote with great interest.  While I was in  Scotland last week, most people I talked to who were voting "No" were  doing it because they thought there were too many unanswered questions,  not because they opposed the idea of independence.  What currency will  they use?  (They say the British Pound, the UK says "Um, no.") What  about pensioners getting their pensions from the UK?  What about folks  working & living in the UK under Scottish passports?  What about  folks working & living in Scotland under UK passports?  (I talked to  one man who is Polish, working in Scotland under a UK passport for  YEARS.  He and his wife and kids.  He was uncertain what would happen to  them.)  But a lot of folks said they were voting Yes anyways.  A bit of  history occurring today.
> 
> 
> I really hope someone from this week's Scotland trip checks in here.  It will be amazing to hear from someone there during the vote.  I'm emailing Hanneke, who is one of the Guides this week.  Hopefully I'll at least hear from her!
> 
> 
> Sayhello



I have just been to cast my vote.The Yes campaign has very much focussed on Scots being ruled by Westminster. They have failed to mention we already have our own Scottish parliament and that health and education are already devolved matters. It's back to the old "Here's tae us; wha's like us?" Far too much anti-English sentiment has been stirred up which is divisive. Others look on with interest while many Scots fearfully wait the result.


----------



## calypso726

I am currently in Inverness, Scotland right now. I have spoken with locals on the yes and the no side. Very compelling arguments in each side. I am pretty excited to be here while history is in the making! My best wishes to Scotland!


----------



## disneydeb8

Hi Terry!

Great meeting you in person!  What a small world.

we stayed in Scotland an extra day to experience the referendum and support our beloved Scotland during this historic opportunity.  Hearts were definitely heavy in Edinburgh today as a result.....we wish the country all the best for both sides as they move forward.

scotland is still the brave and a very special land indeed!


----------



## calypso726

disneydeb8 said:


> Hi Terry!
> 
> Great meeting you in person!  What a small world.
> 
> we stayed in Scotland an extra day to experience the referendum and support our beloved Scotland during this historic opportunity.  Hearts were definitely heavy in Edinburgh today as a result.....we wish the country all the best for both sides as they move forward.
> 
> scotland is still the brave and a very special land indeed!



Hi Deb! It was great meeting you in person too  I just started the trip report for our ABD and have our picture in the first post. Funny how we both mentioned the bit about the small world


----------



## edinburghlass

I remember Outlanders being mentioned a few times on this thread and as it has, at last, hit UK shores thought I would share this tour just started in Edinburgh.

http://edinburgh.stv.tv/articles/31...ours-in-edinburgh-based-on-bestselling-books/


----------



## SeaPic

We decided our second ABD will be Scotland! DD will be 15 late July so we were going to book that trip. I saw this caveat about the farewell dinner. 

"Edinburgh Castle may be closed on some dates in late July and August due to performances of the Military Tattoo. In the event the castle is unavailable, the dinner will take place at the historic Signet Library, home to the prestigious Society of Writers to Her Majesty's Signet"​
Should we book an earlier trip? 

Thanks!


----------



## calypso726

SeaPic said:


> We decided our second ABD will be Scotland! DD will be 15 late July so we were going to book that trip. I saw this caveat about the farewell dinner.
> 
> "Edinburgh Castle may be closed on some dates in late July and August due to performances of the Military Tattoo. In the event the castle is unavailable, the dinner will take place at the historic Signet Library, home to the prestigious Society of Writers to Her Majesty's Signet"​
> Should we book an earlier trip?
> 
> Thanks!



We went in August which is when the Royal Military Edinburgh Tattoo takes place. Our farewell dinner was at the Signet library. As it happens, DH and I came in a few days early in order to see the Royal Military Edinburgh Tattoo in Edinburgh Castle and we purchased a VIP package which included dinner at the castle in the same room (Queen Anne's room) where ABD does their farewell dinner. Therefore, I have had both experiences. The Signet Library is by far a better experience! Mind you, I complained about the change before we went since we were not made aware there would be a change initially  as we went the first year the Scotland trips was offered which was 2013. Here is my trip report and I believe there are pictures of both for you to compare and get an idea.
http://www.disboards.com/threads/our-scotland-brave-adventure.3150065

I would highly recommend going in August and seeing the Royal Military Edinburgh Tattoo if you can get in a couple of days earlier or stay a little later or time it that way.

http://www.edintattoo.co.uk

I think one of the families in our group were able to swing seeing the Tattoo during the evening on your own in Edniburgh though. I also recommend going when the farewell dinner will be at the Signet Library. Dinner at the castle sounds amazing. The reality was most underwhelming. I'd happily go back and see the RMET again and I would book VIP tix again but not for the castle dinner. I'd do it just for the seats. Hope this helps.


----------



## DCPhotoGal

SeaPic said:


> We decided our second ABD will be Scotland! DD will be 15 late July so we were going to book that trip. I saw this caveat about the farewell dinner.
> 
> "Edinburgh Castle may be closed on some dates in late July and August due to performances of the Military Tattoo. In the event the castle is unavailable, the dinner will take place at the historic Signet Library, home to the prestigious Society of Writers to Her Majesty's Signet"​
> Should we book an earlier trip?
> 
> Thanks!


We went on the ABD in late August and were able to take advantage of both (see the Tattoo and dinner at the Castle).  The trip starts in Edinburgh, and one of the first nights was a free night, so we got tickets to the Tattoo in advance (online) and were able to go.  It was a great show.  August is also the month when there are a ton of festivals going on in the city and it was so fun to see modern Edinburgh.  The fridge festival was really cool, and would be especially fun for a teenager.  The literary festival was interesting as well, since a lot of famous authors come.  By the end of our ABD tour we were back in Edinburgh and the Tattoo was over and had the dinner at the castle.  The dinner at the Castle was a cool idea, but it was our second visit there (the tour also goes there during the day), and I don't think I would change my dates over it.  I would consider trying to go during the festival time to take advantage of those, though.


----------



## Princess Leia

A Happy New Year to One and All. I hope you had a really good Christmas. I had just posted on my trip report about a break I had in Scotland a few months ago. I thought those who are planning to come to Scotland may be interested to have a small taste of Scotland and for those who have been 'haste ye back'. 

*Interlude: September Weekend in Scotland*


----------



## SeaPic

Checking in for the July 21 - 28 2016 Trip. It will be me, DH, DD (turning 15 during trip) and DS12. originally I was going to try to stop in London ahead of time but LHR taxes are ridiculous! Now planning on a few days ahead in Edinburgh. Any advice on sights to see that won't duplicate the trip would be greatly appreciated!


----------



## calypso726

SeaPic said:


> Checking in for the July 21 - 28 2016 Trip. It will be me, DH, DD (turning 15 during trip) and DS12. originally I was going to try to stop in London ahead of time but LHR taxes are ridiculous! Now planning on a few days ahead in Edinburgh. Any advice on sights to see that won't duplicate the trip would be greatly appreciated!



I would say to take the time to hike Arthur's Seat. Get tickets to see and tour The Real Mary King's Close. Visit St. Giles Cathedral. You can check out my trip report from 2013 which includes stops and things we did that were not on the ABD itinerary. I hope this helps. http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3150065


----------



## sayhello

SeaPic said:


> Checking in for the July 21 - 28 2016 Trip. It will be me, DH, DD (turning 15 during trip) and DS12. originally I was going to try to stop in London ahead of time but LHR taxes are ridiculous! Now planning on a few days ahead in Edinburgh. Any advice on sights to see that won't duplicate the trip would be greatly appreciated!


I can highly recommend the Hairy Coo tour, which takes you to some places not too far outside of Edinburgh that you won't see on the tour, like the Wallace Memorial, the Bridge over the Firth of Forth, Dounne Castle and Loch Katrine.  Fun, fun tour!  They pick up & drop off from a shop on the Royal Mile.  Plus you get to see some Hairy Coos!!

http://www.thehairycoo.com/

I also recommend climbing to the top of the Scott Memorial.  Almost 300 steps up an ever-shrinking spiral staircase, but the views are SO worth it!!






I also just recommend wandering around Edinburgh at twilight.  It's a gorgeous city!






Sayhello


----------



## Princess Leia

SeaPic said:


> Checking in for the July 21 - 28 2016 Trip. It will be me, DH, DD (turning 15 during trip) and DS12. originally I was going to try to stop in London ahead of time but LHR taxes are ridiculous! Now planning on a few days ahead in Edinburgh. Any advice on sights to see that won't duplicate the trip would be greatly appreciated!



Your children are similar ages to mine. My DD will turn 15 soon. I would also recommend walking up Arthur's seat. It is a very short walk from the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Scottish Parliament. The views over Edinburgh are lovely.









DH and DS really enjoyed their visit to the Edinburgh Dungeon. This experience takes you through a 1000 years of Scotland's horrible history. The actors are really good although I think it is a bit gruesome in places.

You could always go to Edinburgh Zoo. If you would like to see the giant pandas, Tian Tian and Yang Guang, you are best booking a time slot in advance. There is also a Penguin Parade.  Participation for the penguins is now voluntary so it varies how many choose to go for a walk.





If you have a few days before your tour starts I would take the opportunity to visit another part of Scotland. Sayhello has recommended the hairycoo tours. You can book a free tour. Heart of Scotland tours seem to get good reviews on Trip Advisor. They do a day tour to St Andrews and the Fishing Villages of Fife. Fife is a lovely area of Scotland.





It is also worth remembering that Glasgow (Scotland's largest city) is only an hour away by train.

Between 21st-23rd July 'Oliver' is playing at the Edinburgh Playhouse. It is a great musical.

That's good you will get a chance to tour the Palace of Holyroodhouse and Edinburgh Castle. I noticed in the itinerary it referred to Holyroodhouse as being the Queen of England's residence in Edinburgh. We would never refer to Her Majesty II as 'the Queen of England' as she is Queen of the United Kingdom. Scots can be a bit touchy about people calling the United Kingdom 'England'. Much in the same way as Canadians don't like being called American.

Hope you have a great trip!


----------



## SeaPic

My husband is devastated there is not any whisky activity on the itinerary. We will be in Edinburgh two days before the trip. Is there anything I can placate him with? In Edinburgh, close to Edinburgh or during any of our on your own time in Portree or Inverness?


----------



## Calfan

SeaPic said:


> My husband is devastated there is not any whisky activity on the itinerary. We will be in Edinburgh two days before the trip. Is there anything I can placate him with? In Edinburgh, close to Edinburgh or during any of our on your own time in Portree or Inverness?



We did the Scotland ABD in 2013, and there was a whisky tasting included for the adults during our time on the Isle of Skye.  It was held at the hotel.  Has that been eliminated from the itinerary?


----------



## sayhello

SeaPic said:


> My husband is devastated there is not any whisky activity on the itinerary. We will be in Edinburgh two days before the trip. Is there anything I can placate him with? In Edinburgh, close to Edinburgh or during any of our on your own time in Portree or Inverness?





Calfan said:


> We did the Scotland ABD in 2013, and there was a whisky tasting included for the adults during our time on the Isle of Skye.  It was held at the hotel.  Has that been eliminated from the itinerary?


It's in Inverness now, on Day 5.



> *Private Dinner and Entertainment at Bogbain Farm*
> Discover a Scottish farm that's unlike any other! Dine and enjoy some interesting surprises, and while you are there see traditional Ceilidh dancing, *take part in whiskey tasting* and there's even Highland-themed games for the Junior Adventurers.



That said, this also sounds kind of cool, for your pre-days in Edinburgh - 

http://www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk/events/admirals-whisky-tasting/

Sayhello


----------



## SeaPic

Calfan said:


> We did the Scotland ABD in 2013, and there was a whisky tasting included for the adults during our time on the Isle of Skye.  It was held at the hotel.  Has that been eliminated from the itinerary?





sayhello said:


> It's in Inverness now, on Day 5.
> 
> That said, this also sounds kind of cool, for your pre-days in Edinburgh -
> 
> http://www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk/events/admirals-whisky-tasting/
> 
> Sayhello



Thanks! I don't know how I missed that! He will be very happy! I like your idea sayhello. We could do something in Edinburgh to start the trip!


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## bsusanmb

We booked the August 3 2016 and added 2 days to the end.  Husband has been to Scotland twice, but I have never been.  Just began reading trip reports and advice.  So excited!


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## Rapunzellover

I'm doing the august 3rd too! Look forward to meeting you and the husband!


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## Alice-in-wonder

Hi how much was the Scotland trip per adult if you booked as soon as it came out? Over 5,000 now. Just curious for next time


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## SeaPic

Alice-in-wonder said:


> Hi how much was the Scotland trip per adult if you booked as soon as it came out? Over 5,000 now. Just curious for next time


I was checking out the early discount for Italy 2017 when, because I like to torture myself, I looked at the Scotland price. Even the early discount dates were not under 5k.


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## tcconway

DW, DD(9) and I are on the Aug 21 ABD Scotland trip. Anyone else here?

We just got tix to the Witchery Tour for the pre-night and am really hoping we have time to hike up to Arthur's Seat. Looks stunning.


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## monkeyknuckler

Rapunzellover said:


> I'm doing the august 3rd too! Look forward to meeting you and the husband!



See you both next week! Bob, DW and DD.


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## Woodview

Note to those going to Edinburgh   ...... & to Arthurs Seat.

         ........  and if you do not feel like hiking  to Arthurs  Seat  take

a trip into The  Exhibition   Of Life  (? )  it is where the coach bus  stops.

 Do take a trip on the " Hop on  Hop off "   bus + take the earphones provided  .. Channel  0  for English.

 I liked Edinburgh   even in the  rain.


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## Woodview

Another point .

  To get a good view  of the Castle      ....... Go to the  Scott  Monument  on Princes Street.......

  Face the Castle ....  Move    LEFT    ..... onto the Platform   facing the Tourist Office   .... The  big Blue

  Trapeze Ball will be  Beside you .      And

There is a  HUGE  Shopping  Mall   underneath  your feet   & the railway station.

  By the Scott Monument   there is a great garden  and rest area.

  Note      Scotland   is not cheap  for food .


 We did our own  14 day tour , ( Hired a car & did 1,000  Miles )   of  Scotland    28th June  to 12th July  2016

 2 nights Edinburgh , 2 nights Dundee ,  1 night Aberdeen,  4  nights   near Inverness &  The Isle of Skye  , 2 nights  near Glasgow

& last night  near  Edinburgh   .


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## Jess_S

We are booked on the June 17, 2018 trip. My husband loves British Isles history, so this seems like the perfect trip to celebrate his 40th.  Our almost 6 year old son is coming too.


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## vtumilty

Jess_S said:


> We are booked on the June 17, 2018 trip. My husband loves British Isles history, so this seems like the perfect trip to celebrate his 40th.  Our almost 6 year old son is coming too.


We are set for June 2017.  We leave in a few weeks.  Cannot wait!


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## Jess_S

I hope you have an amazing trip!


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## Princess Leia

vtumilty said:


> We are set for June 2017.  We leave in a few weeks.  Cannot wait!



June is usually a good month to visit. Our weather is faboulous at the moment which is unusual for a holiday weekend.I looked out some summer clothes today. We had a lovely walk by the canal this afternoon. It is 7:30 pm just now and it is still 27.5C (or 81F).


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## aggiemomx3

My family is booked for the June 7th 2018 all adults trip. It will be the second time for my oldest daughter and I to visit Scotland. We were with the last group that went to the Isle Lewis. We are looking forward to seeing the new things on this trip and taking my other two children with us who have never been.  I have been on 5 ABD trips and this has been my favorite.


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## CWdreamer

Last night I book my mom and I on the June 7, 2018 adults only trip and this is our first ABD trip.  We are very excited!


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## sayhello

CWdreamer said:


> Last night I book my mom and I on the June 7, 2018 adults only trip and this is our first ABD trip.  We are very excited!


Looking forward to hearing about how the new itinerary is!

Sayhello


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## aggiemomx3

CWdreamer said:


> Last night I book my mom and I on the June 7, 2018 adults only trip and this is our first ABD trip.  We are very excited!


That is the one that me and my adult children will be on too. Looking forward to meeting you!  We are excited. My oldest daughter too me on this trip a couple of years ago. We had so much fun that my other two children were quite jealous. With the change in itinerary, we are all going.  We will take a few post days to go to the Isle of Skye since Disney has taken that part out.


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## CWdreamer

aggiemomx3 said:


> That is the one that me and my adult children will be on too. Looking forward to meeting you!  We are excited. My oldest daughter too me on this trip a couple of years ago. We had so much fun that my other two children were quite jealous. With the change in itinerary, we are all going.  We will take a few post days to go to the Isle of Skye since Disney has taken that part out.


We will definitely be glad to meet you too!  This is something that we have talked about doing since I was a little girl.  We are trying to decide if we want to tack on a few days in London after the tour.


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## sayhello

CWdreamer said:


> We will definitely be glad to meet you too!  This is something that we have talked about doing since I was a little girl.  We are trying to decide if we want to tack on a few days in London after the tour.


I suggest doing London prior to the ABD.  I've found that I'm so spoiled by the Adventure Guides and "tinkerbell" that it's rough going back to doing everything myself afterwards.  It's much easier before you get spoiled.   

It's *really* simple to take the train from London to Edinburgh, also!  (Although the new hotel is much further from the train station than the Balmoral was).

Sayhello


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## SingingMom

sayhello said:


> I suggest doing London prior to the ABD.  I've found that I'm so spoiled by the Adventure Guides and "tinkerbell" that it's rough going back to doing everything myself afterwards.  It's much easier before you get spoiled.
> 
> It's *really* simple to take the train from London to Edinburgh, also!  (Although the new hotel is much further from the train station than the Balmoral was).
> 
> Sayhello


Off topic, but I had to chuckle about being spoiled by "Tinker Belle" and ABD!  After our Spain ABD, we spent two extra days in Madrid.  Taxi strike caused us to take the Metro to the airport - with a train transfer, lugging twelve days of luggage, to the airport!   We kept looking for some pixie dust!


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## Jess_S

Last I checked, the early booking discount was still available for the June 17 trip (My week) for those thinking about this trip.


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## Jess_S

Rather than starting a new Scotland related thread, I thought I'd post my questions here. I've started looking into what we're going to do during our on-your-own time during our June 2018 trip.


For those who have done Real Mary King's Close, how boring would it be for a 6 year old? My husband and I are very interested, but I'm wondering if I will spend the whole time keeping my son from whining rather than enjoying the tour.
The price for this ABD for our week has jumped quite a bit since we booked.  Does this mean that the tour is filling up?
On our return flight, we are connecting through Amsterdam.  What was originally a several hour layover is now a 21 hour layover. I'm not sure how the airline gets away with charging us if we cancel, when they can move our flight by 18 hours and act like it's no big deal. But I digress. We decided to make the best of it and get a hotel room for the night. Does anyone know how the bag check will work for this?  Do our bags get checked through to the US? Or do we claim them? 
Any thoughts on what to do in Amsterdam for an afternoon with a 6 year old? (Haven't been since college).  We probably won't be getting there until 3 once you take into account whatever customs stuff we need to do at the airport, getting into town, etc.


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## DCPhotoGal

Jess_S said:


> The price for this ABD for our week has jumped quite a bit since we booked.  Does this mean that the tour is filling up?
> On our return flight, we are connecting through Amsterdam.  What was originally a several hour layover is now a 21 hour layover. I'm not sure how the airline gets away with charging us if we cancel, when they can move our flight by 18 hours and act like it's no big deal. But I digress. We decided to make the best of it and get a hotel room for the night. Does anyone know how the bag check will work for this?  Do our bags get checked through to the US? Or do we claim them?
> Any thoughts on what to do in Amsterdam for an afternoon with a 6 year old? (Haven't been since college).  We probably won't be getting there until 3 once you take into account whatever customs stuff we need to do at the airport, getting into town, etc.



I would guess the price going up means the tour is more full than others, so they raise the price to encourage folks to sign up for the other dates.  If you call they will give you the current numbers, and the kids' ages if that is of interest to you.  My kids are always asking, so I call several times before each trip for updates. 

I've had annoying schedule changes--although never that bad.  Did you try calling the airline for other options?  When I called United about a recent schedule change, I believe they said that if it didn't work for me they would change my flights for free.  I would guess you will need to go through customs/immigration so you will need to claim your bags.  You probably would have to anyway because the first flight will be intra-EU?  I always forget if the UK is part of the EU from that perspective, and not sure how all of the recent voting may have changed that either.


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## Jess_S

My first thought was to call the airline and argue that they should change our flight. Then the wait time to speak to someone was an hour and I chose the callback option.  During that time, I thought it over and decided it could be a fun bonus adventure. The airline just called me back and they said our checked bag would go all the way through to the US without our having to claim it. I never 100% trust customer service folks because they could be based anywhere with or without having actually used the service they are selling. So if anyone has had a different experience with a layover in the EU after visiting the UK, I would love to hear about it.

I am going to call ABD as you suggested. I'm very curious about whether any other kids are booked.

ETA: I called and we have 6 other kids on our trip -- all in the 12-17 range. I'm hoping some younger kids book because I would love for my son to have company. But I'm very excited that we have other kids on our trip, even if they're older kids. (Plus I found out that we have 17 already booked on our trip, so it sounds like it's very likely to run as scheduled).


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## Bobo912

Jess_S said:


> My first thought was to call the airline and argue that they should change our flight. Then the wait time to speak to someone was an hour and I chose the callback option.  During that time, I thought it over and decided it could be a fun bonus adventure. The airline just called me back and they said our checked bag would go all the way through to the US without our having to claim it. I never 100% trust customer service folks because they could be based anywhere with or without having actually used the service they are selling. So if anyone has had a different experience with a layover in the EU after visiting the UK, I would love to hear about it.
> 
> I am going to call ABD as you suggested. I'm very curious about whether any other kids are booked.



I've gone the reverse route - US to Edinburgh with a layover in Amsterdam - and our checked bags went straight through.


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## Princess Leia

DCPhotoGal said:


> I always forget if the UK is part of the EU from that perspective, and not sure how all of the recent voting may have changed that either.



We are currently still part of the EU. 'Brexit' is proving to be a long, messy business. 



Jess_S said:


> What was originally a several hour layover is now a 21 hour layover.



 I would be contacting the airline to see what can be done.


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## Jess_S

We just did our final payment for our June 17 trip, so I thought I would bump this thread to see if any other Dis-ers are on the same trip. I confess that I kind of miss the planning part of vacation. With airfare and our pre-stay hotel booked, there's nothing for me to do but wait.


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## Jess_S

Less than one month until we leave for our first ABD! I am getting ridiculously excited.


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## aggiemomx3

Jess_S said:


> Less than one month until we leave for our first ABD! I am getting ridiculously excited.


Just a few more weeks for us too!!  I am excited to spend the time with all of my children.


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## CWdreamer

aggiemomx3 said:


> Just a few more weeks for us too!!  I am excited to spend the time with all of my children.



My mom and I are leaving two weeks from today arriving the morning of 6/6.  This way we can get acclimated before the tour starts.  Travel safe and see you there!


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## AquaDame

One of the guides from Backstage Magic this week is headed to Scotland Monday! Say hello to Michael for me - he is seriously an AMAZING guide and you’re all lucky to have him. Ask him about the enchiladas he’s had there.


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## tgeorge

AquaDame said:


> One of the guides from Backstage Magic this week is headed to Scotland Monday! Say hello to Michael for me - he is seriously an AMAZING guide and you’re all lucky to have him. Ask him about the enchiladas he’s had there.



He was one of my guides on out BSM trip. I agree, he’s awesome! I hope that I’m lucky enough to be on a trip with him again in the future


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## aggiemomx3

I was so excited to hear about Michael as one of our guides. He was on my last trip to Scotland. He is fantastic!!!  We are also having Claire. I haven’t had her yet but I’m sure she has to be good too!!


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