Ahhh….Venice! Honestly, I think it might possibly be the most beautiful place in the world. It’s my third time here, and I’m still in awe of it.
We caught the Eurostar from Florence to Venice yesterday morning. So simple, with Adventures By Disney handling our luggage by bus; our only requirement was to step onboard for the two-hour train ride in first-class comfort.
Just a short walk from the train station we hopped on gondolas for a dreamy ride through the canals of Venice where at the end we met our local tour guide for a walk through the narrow streets and beautiful piazzas that make up this wonderful city. After a stop in an enchanting courtyard where “Marco Polo” was waiting to give the Junior Adventurers a history lesson in his adventures and pass out the daily trading pins (each one cuter than the last), we ended at St. Mark’s Square with the bells ringing out the hour. True magic!
Our hotel in Venice is the lovely Luna Hotel Baglioni in a primo location a 1-minute walk off St. Mark’s Square. On this go-round, our room is palatial with rich red carpeting, Old-World-style furnishings, a roomy bath, and even a stand-up balcony with a side view of the Grand Canal. Heaven! Couldn’t ask for much better (and certainly won’t at this hotel).
Today is the last day of the journey and one that is bitter-sweet. The winter light is phenomenal and the day dawns gorgeous and sunny but with a definite chill in the air. If I hadn’t overslept I would have been treated to Venetian mask-making this morning after a walk led by Courtney and Marco through the Rialto fish and vegetable market. Sorry to have missed one of the highlights of the trip. However, wandering the streets of Venice on our own instead was a pretty good option. Exciting new discoveries around every corner, losing your way by getting lost in the ambiance—that’s what is really wonderful about this city.
I’ve extolled the virtues of an Adventures By Disney vacation, and my overall impression I’ve come away with is a great one. I can’t say enough good things about the Adventure Guides, the care that has been taken to make sure we are all having a fabulous time, the overall quality of the tour. But I do have a few suggestions of how this tour might have been improved:
Number one, lose the Bernini Bristol in Rome. First impressions are important and this hotel doesn’t make a great one. The public areas are a bit frumpy and worn, I felt as if we were in a dormitory with loud doors slamming until well after midnight, and we ended up each evening far away for dinner and closer to the Piazza Navona where the most charming restaurants all seemed to be.
Secondly, plan the group dinners in a local restaurant instead of at the hotel. Why not dinner at a restaurant just a short walking distance away? We are in an exotic, foreign country for goodness sake. Who wants to eat in the hotel?
And last but not least, under no circumstances should ABD accept the minimum, bottom-rung room for their guests. At the very least everyone should be guaranteed a second-tier room. I know for sure that this is the exception and not the norm, but it only takes a night or two in a postage-stamp-size room to develop a bad attitude about the planned accommodations.
Our farewell dinner is tonight. It’s been fun, informative, and quite delightful. I doubt if I’ll ever buy another Groupon, or sign up for group therapy, and certainly never consider the thought of group sports, but this trip has me thinking that another group tour might be somewhere for me in the future. I’m sure it was sheer luck that the group got along so well, but Disney really does that to you sometimes.
Cara Goldsbury is the author of The Luxury Guide to Disney Vacations and President/Founder at Glass Slipper Concierge®, an Earmarked Platinum travel agency specializing in selling luxury Disney vacations. She has been cited numerous times in such notable publications as the New York Times, AFAR, New York Post, Travel Weekly, and Forbes Traveler, as an expert on Disney Destinations, and has appeared on two Travel Channel specials, Disney Splurge! and Disney Royalty. Cara also serves as a continuing member on the Disney EarMarked Travel Advisory Council, made of 25 travel agency owners at the Platinum and Diamond Level representing the voice of Authorized Disney Vacation Planners.
I have enjoyed your blog so very much. I have used the same hotel in which you stayed in Venice for some clients and they really enjoyed the location as well as the old world ambieance. Florence is one of my favorite cities to walk around and enjoy…great food also! I hope one day I might could take my grandchildren on a trip like this. Thank you for writing and sharing your wonderful adventure. I loved the pictures also! Happy New Year! Deb
Hi. You paint a beautiful picture of ABD. I would love to go on one someday. Can you tell me how the Italy trip is for someone who has to use a wheelchair? Maybe not all the time but certainly for the long walks. TIA
-Anne
Hello Anne. Yes, Adventures by Disney vacations are pretty wonderful, and I’m sure you would have a wonderful time. As for wheelchairs, you would need to provide your own and have someone who could push it for you. That said, here is Disney’s official stance on accessibility.
“Certain activities on select itineraries will present challenges that may not be suitable for Guests with special needs. Many adventures involve considerable walking, and depending on the destination, may include walking on uneven sidewalks and streets, narrow passages, and steep stairs and inclines. Adventures by Disney strongly recommends that Guests requiring assistance be accompanied by a companion who is capable of, and totally responsible for, providing assistance. Neither Adventures by Disney nor our Suppliers may physically lift or assist Guests onto transportation vehicles or otherwise. Please contact a Concierge Agent to discuss your specific needs.”
Please let us know at Glass Slipper Concierge if we could be of assistance in planning an Adventures By Disney vacation for you. That way we would be able to tell which itinerary would be most suitable for you, and exactly what days might be an issue.
Posted on Jul 25 by Cara Goldsbury:
Hello Anne. Yes, Adventures by Disney vacations are pretty wonderful, and I’m sure you would have a wonderful time. As for wheelchairs, you would need to provide your own and have someone who could push it for you. That said, here is Disney’s official stance on accessibility.
“Certain activities on select itineraries will present challenges that may not be suitable for Guests with special needs. Many adventures involve considerable walking, and depending on the destination, may include walking on uneven sidewalks and streets, narrow passages, and steep stairs and inclines. Adventures by Disney strongly recommends that Guests requiring assistance be accompanied by a companion who is capable of, and totally responsible for, providing assistance. Neither Adventures by Disney nor our Suppliers may physically lift or assist Guests onto transportation vehicles or otherwise. Please contact a Concierge Agent to discuss your specific needs.”
Visit W3Schools.com!