Viva Italia all by our lonesomes?

[cydlei]

Yoo, hoo? Are we the only family on the Viva Italia trip May 8-16th?
Hope not!
Do any of you veteran travelers have any advice on packing for such a trip? Are laundry facilities available? My 19 y.o. DD is absolutely convinced she will need lots of baggage. How about "converters" for electrical/electronic equipment? My DH refuses to take a vacation from his laptop and, of course, DD refuses to travel without haircare appliances!
Ciao!

 

[jackienut]

Yoo, hoo? Are we the only family on the Viva Italia trip May 8-16th?
Hope not
Ciao!

I think my DH and I are the only two on Viva Italia 6/19-6/27 as well. I know this isn't the case; but, had hoped to meet some fellow travelers on this board!

 

[glassslipper2004]

I haven't found anyone else on my trip either (Viva Italia 8/14). I know there have to be people signed up, because there weren't any more early booking discounts (ha, ha).

And I'd like to know the answers to your questions about adapters, etc., too.

 

[cydlei]

"Adapters"!!! That's the noun I was searching for!

 

[glassslipper2004]

Anyone know if there are other Disney chat boards where we might meet people going on our ABD trips? I'll always be a dis fan, but I would like to find someone going when we are.

 

[3pirates]

Hi guys...

I don't know of any other boards, but remember that each group is fairly small. There is a good chance that the other travelers on your trip just aren't "board savvy." for the DIS or anywhere! If they're not posting elsewhere, maybe they'll look for boards when the trip gets closer.:

 

[3pirates]

Also, I remember hearing from DisneyTraveler before he went on his trip that ABD sent a big care package (maybe 45 to 60 days out? after the final payment, for sure) that had books about Italy and all kinds of helpful information. I've decided to assume that will tell all I need to know and wait to panic then when it doesn't.

 

[dingoballs]

Also, I remember hearing from DisneyTraveler before he went on his trip that ABD sent a big care package (maybe 45 to 60 days out? after the final payment, for sure) that had books about Italy and all kinds of helpful information. I've decided to assume that will tell all I need to know and wait to panic then when it doesn't.

That is correct. We went on 2 ABDs last year and about a month before departure, we received the nice backpacks as well as booklets that provide all kinds of helpful information about the trip...

 

[eva]

You might be surprised how many people might pop in as it gets closer to the date. I'm always surprised how many show up on the DCL Meet Board about 3 months out. That's when most are starting to make reservations for excursions and final payments are due. Not everyone is a die hard planner like some of us.

 

[disneytraveler]

Also, I remember hearing from DisneyTraveler before he went on his trip that ABD sent a big care package (maybe 45 to 60 days out? after the final payment, for sure) that had books about Italy and all kinds of helpful information. I've decided to assume that will tell all I need to know and wait to panic then when it doesn't.

Yes its a nice care package to.

 

[glassslipper2004]

The care package sounds great! I was wondering whether to buy guide books or whether the info would be provided. I haven't been able to help buying some books, including a nice little Italian phrase book... just part of the planning excitement and anticipation.

As for people joining the boards later, I do hope that's true. It is very different from last year, when I started planning my Disney cruise 9 months in advance and every day could chat on the dis boards with people going on my cruise. I know, I know, there are about a gazillion more people on the cruise than on the tour!

 

[wdwsos]

The care package sounds great! I was wondering whether to buy guide books or whether the info would be provided. I haven't been able to help buying some books, including a nice little Italian phrase book... just part of the planning excitement and anticipation.

While the package that AbD sends is great, the books provided are small and tour-specific. They're not really guide books at all. You're not wasting your money on the books, trust me! I have a whole collection here, and I kept buying them even after the trip!

Dotti

 

[disneytraveler]

Yes its a good idea to buy guide books. I bought some just to get familiar with the area. The things are ABD provide are tour specific and will give you a good sense of what to expect on the tour.

 

[glassslipper2004]

I'm also having a good time reading books that take place in Italy, including, of course, Under the Tuscan Sun. That book in particular is great for making you really, really want to visit!

 

[ashky71]

Hey there Cydlei. My sis-in-law and I will be on the same Italy trip you are.
I can't wait, I have always wanted to go to Italy. So I guess we will see you in Rome.

 

[MJGirl]

Cydlei ..

When I went on my tour, I only met one family that knew of the DIS, and they were not big posters. However, after the tour, I think a couple more families now know about it

Regarding the questions about adaptors, you will need them. Check your appliances and see if you need a converter or adaptor. I went to circuit city with all my chargers and asked them what I needed. I only needed the adaptor, so that is all I bought. When I got there, turns out I needed a converter for my daughter's DS (this was a godsend for the train from London to Paris, as well as the flights). The battery died and I asked at the hotel if they had a converter I could use to charge the DS. They had one and leant it to me for the length of my stay at that hotel (3 nights in Paris). I also took my laptop for the trip, and it worked great with just the adaptor. The only pain with the laptop is the charge for Internet. It was about 10 euros a night, but don't quote me as that was 7 months ago and the old brain is getting rusty

 

[cydlei]

Hi Ashky! It's nice to hear from a "fellow traveler"! We'll look forward to meeting you in Rome.

Thanks MJ for the tips re: converters and adapters. We'll be relying heavily on our son's DS during "down" times, so we'll certainly have him covered.

 

[kmcrosby]

The converter and adapter were a big issue for us. We took more than one. We used one for recharging digital camera batteries, Ipod and cell phone and had no problems...but, we had nothing but problems with the one for the hair care products.

In Rome, the converter burned out my DD's straightner and DW's curling iron. In fact the converter itself sparked and died the second night we were there. Fortunately we were in the room and disconnected it immediately, or I would hate to think what would have happened. Not sure what the difference in the convertor's were. Maybe it was because these products create so much heat anyway. I would recommend buying an inexpensive curling iron when you get there, use it on the trip and either bring it home even though you can't use it, or leave it there.

 

[carolinadj]

Another tip for your trip to Italy: Take one of the guide books with you. We were misinformed that ABD would provide them on the bus for us to peruse between stops, so we left ours at home. Big mistake! You won't consult it often, but it's nice to have when you see a beautiful building and want to look up its history, or when you need a quick glance at a map.

Choose one to take and read on the plane and leave the others at home to make more room in your suitcase for souvenirs!

 

[redzinner]

I also took my laptop for the trip, and it worked great with just the adaptor. The only pain with the laptop is the charge for Internet. It was about 10 euros a night, but don't quote me as that was 7 months ago and the old brain is getting rusty

Did you need anything special to get internet connection with your laptop? Was it wifi in most places, did they provide cables or did you need to buy any type of card? I read you needed to buy an adapter and pay for connection but what type of connection was it?

I wasn't planning on taking mine but it would be nice to have to download pictures every day to clear the memory card.

Thanks!