Adventures by Disney – Emerald Isle – Part 1

Emerald Isle Day 1 Meeting the Clan

Today I woke up to the now familiar English buzz of the hotel wake up call. It’s time to pack up and head to Heathrow airport to catch our flight to Dublin. Unfortunately ABD was unable to book our London to Dublin flights so we were left to our own devices. I must say I was a little surprised at the lack of direct flights that did not require waking up at the crack of dawn to get to Dublin while meeting the required arrival time… and even more so from Shannon which will be our return point after the adventure ends. Of course there are the usual array of low cost airlines to Dublin which have very heavy restrictions on not only the bags you check, but the bags and weight you carry on as well. More on that in a bit.

Eventually we found a flight on Aer Lingus that would fit the timing needs and had booked it about 8 months before the trip. Word of warning”¦ like many of the low cost airlines, you are nickel and dimed a a few times between buying your ticket and your flight. You pay additional to check bags, select seats, food and even beverages onboard. They also seem to have a love for changing your flight time and numbers and not proactively letting you know, so it’s important to check and double check your itinerary online so you have access to the latest info. The reason I am tossing this out is I went in to our reservation record approx twice a week before we traveled and then 3 days before I noticed our flight number and departure time putting us in Dublin just 30 mins later then ABD requested as the latest arrival. Of course we just needed to notify them by way of the handy dandy emergency in route number and we were assured all was well.

TIP: Be sure to carry the information booklet with you in your hand carried luggage so you have the emergency contact info handy if needed.

The transfer company arrived at our hotel approx 3.5 hours before our flight giving us plenty of time to go through all of the airport red tape that comes with the check in process. We flew out of terminal one which is rumored to be the least busy and on this day it lived up to its reputation We had enough time grab a bite of lunch, stroll through some of the shops, and make our way to our gate. It’s important to note that some of the processes may be a bit different the airports in the states. For example, some airlines will not have an assigned gate until just minutes before boarding however they do give you a range so you know the general area and you keep your eye on one of the many electronic displays to know when was has been posted.

TIP: Pay close attention to your surroundings in an unfamiliar airport before you estmate how much time you have to board your flight

Once we passed through security we entered into a large common area with shops and dining that have hallways that lead off to the different gate locations. These gates may be close, or in our case a 10 minute walk and another passport control check queue stood between us and the next passageway to the gate. Then I experienced the most interesting yet possibly ineffective process ever at an airport in terms of people control. It may be hard to follow without a map, but each gate has a series of sliding glass doors that can be pulled across when a plane lands so the passengers can get off the plane on to their next destination with relative ease since it directly connects to another glass enclosed walkway leading to baggage reclaim. Problem is, it also cuts off those waiting for another plane to move from gate to gate until the plane is empty. I found myself in an interesting dilemma when I was on one side of the walkway and the ladies room was on the other. If you really gotta go, it seems to take forever to unload a medium sized plane. I feel most sorry for those who want to take a quick restroom break just before they board their plane and when they come out, they find they are now cut off by the glass hallway and have that feeling they may not make it back to the gate before their own plane departs. Luckily that didn’t end being me.

Aer Lingus takes the baggage thing very seriously. For checked bags you pay a fee and the bag is expected to be less than 44 pounds. Carry ons are restricted to the normal carry on size limits, but they also require them not to be over 13 pounds. If you carry a laptop and other necessities, you can hit that limit quite quickly.

TIP: Many of the hotels provide generously sized scales in the bathrooms. While many of us cringe at the thought of getting on one, they make handy tools for weighing luggage.

As you queue up to board, there are gates agents who comb the crowd looking for violators of the size and or weight rules and if anything is in question, they quickly grab it from you and ask you to follow then while they tag it and make it ready for the cargo hold. Once you are at that point, there is no discussion”¦ they hand you the tag and you return to your spot in line feeling like a scolded puppy. Again”¦ we managed to escape that fate but it made for interesting people watching while we waited to board.

Bad news part two”¦ Apparently the airline had experienced several delays that day so the plane boarded about 45 minutes late. Once onboard the aircraft, we made our way to our seats in row 13 which luckily were exit row seats offering a little extra legroom. Unlike the US airlines, they would not allow us to put anything under the seat in front of us in this row, so they actually post a flight attendant there to guard the overhead bins for those in the exit row. Once seated, we were settled in for our 1 hour flight to Dublin.

It was a little rough crossing the channel by air, so the fasten seatbelt sign was on most of the way. As we crossed over the coastline we began to see the rolling mountains and green fields of Ireland. We landed approx 1.5 hours later than the original plan and almost two hours after we cleared through passport control and found our way to our bags. We emerged into the main arrival area of the airport and immediately began looking for the familiar Adventures By Disney plaque with our name on it. Sadly”¦ nothing.

We found a place to put everything down and Chris went through checking all the drivers with their signs just in case we had missed each other”¦. But with no result. Having been on several of the AbD trips I knew this was certainly not the norm, so I called the emergency number which reached the call center in the states. They wanted to be sure we were in the right place, but at the time they asked several questions thinking there must be some mistake and we simply had to be in the wrong place. After a few minutes of assuring them we weren’t in the terminal, we weren’t at baggage claim, and we were indeed in the place we should be, they connected us to one of our guides, Jennae, who said she would contact the driver and try to connect us. Quite honestly I am not sure what the problem was”¦ but the original driver left the airport and they sent out a new one at the speed of light to retrieve us.

After an hour wait at the arrivals area, we were united with the transfer coach and on our way to our home for the next two nights”¦ The Westin Dublin.

On day one of an Adventure By Disney they hold a welcome reception and dinner to make introductions and allow the group to get to know their traveling companions for the next few days. The party had already started by the time we arrived to the hotel, but Jennae was waiting at the door to greet us. With room key in hand she instructed bell services to get our bags to our room and offered us a few minutes to freshen up then she would escort us to meet the rest of the clan.

We checked into room 314. The room was small but standard for a European hotel.

It also had an energy savings feature that requires you to slide your key into a slot just inside the door which enables you to turn on lights and activate plugs. The room had a queen sized bed, bathroom with separate shower and tub, nice sized dressing and storage area as well as a comfy desk and sitting area. In-room coffee maker and mini bar was also available and always a plus for those of us who enjoy the convenience when stuck in the room working or if you are me and crave a coffee fix the moment you get out of bed.

We tossed some water on our faces, changed clothes and made our way down the lift to meet the group. We were escorted into a banquet room and introduced to the 22 other faces who would be our companions for the tour. This is an adults only tour, and the age range varied from middle aged couples to moms and daughters traveling together for some mum and kid bonding.

We were seated at one of the rounds of 8 and pointed into the directions of the buffet that had all kinds of selections. Salads, pasta, shrimp, beef, fish and some very yummy mashed potatoes. (we’re in Ireland there HAS to be mashed spuds!) They also featured live entertainment in the form of a lovely lady playing a harp in the corner of the room. Unfortunately we missed the traditional ice breaking games and most of the harp performance due to the airport snag, but we did get “¦dessert! Lots of yummy sweetness to get things started on a sugar high!

From the moment I met them, our guides were everything I have come to expect from a Disney cast member. Happy, smiling, warm and welcoming. Jennae & Francesc made sure everyone had everything they needed and the info we needed to feel right at home. They both have extensive experience at different departments in the Disney family ranging from WDW guest services to DCL to the entertainment group. It’s so wonderful to chat with them both to learn about how their career paths and love for the guest experiences brought them to this wonderful adventure.

After chatting in the lobby for a bit and realizing we all have mutual friends around the wonderful world of Disney, we retired to the room for the night to get settled and prepare for our first full day of exploring Dublin.

Missed an entry? Here’s the link to the entire Emerald Isle Blog to date!

MouseFanTravel President Beci Mahnken is a veteran of 4 Adventures By Disney trips, more then 50 cruises including 18 with Disney and countless Walt Disney World and Disneyland adventures. Read her blog on the London and Paris Adventure by Disney. Here is her blog on the Backstage Magic Adventure!

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