We did this exact trip in 2019 and it was for our 25th Anniversary! We have done tons of vacations on our own, but decided to splurge for our anniversary! We flew in the day of the adventure and ABD picked us up at the airport. We were some of the last people to arrive (around 2pm). Our Adventure Guides took our dinner orders for the two nights of the Escape and checked us into the hotel. We had just enough time to unpack, take a quick shower, enjoy the anniversary treat ABD left in our room (which was gorgeous, btw) and head down for the meet and greet event in a room near the lobby. Then, we boarded a bus for a thrilling, high-speed boat ride on the Thames (complete with James Bond music!) and then on to dinner at an authentic English pub and a visit from Sherlock Holmes! The next morning, we woke up bright and early and had breakfast provided in the hotel. We had our exclusive tour of the Crown Jewels and Tower of London before anyone else was allowed entry to the tower, then we took a tour of Westminster Abbey, walked by Buckingham Palace, enjoyed St. James Park, and saw the horse guards. Then we headed back to the Waldorf Hotel for high tea! It was fantastic and even included a few Disney-themed surprises! We had afternoon time on our own, so we decided to walk across the bridge and see Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. After a few hours of shopping and browsing around this very walkable area, we met the bus and were delighted by an event not previously on the itinerary. We got to witness the Ceremony of the Keys back at the Tower of London. It's an ancient ceremony where they lock the gates of the fortress and it has gone on nightly for centuries. It is incredibly difficult to get tickets to this ceremony and no one is allowed to take pictures or video of it. It was a once in a lifetime, bucket-list moment, and we were thrilled! The night ended with dinner at the officer's quarters (just our ABD group) overlooking the beautiful Tower Bridge. The last day, our bus drove us to the port, and while everyone else opted to board the Magic as soon as possible, our ABD guide hailed us a taxi and we took it to Dover Castle. It was a gorgeous day, and the castle on the cliff overlooking the Disney Magic and the port afforded us beautiful pictures. We ate lunch up at the castle, and then leisurely boarded the ship with no line. Is it expensive? Yes. Could you tour London yourself? of course! But, we loved it! We figured we only get one 25th Wedding Anniversary, so we did it right!
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