I'll be writing up our Adventures by Disney-Ireland trip report in this thread. I'll write it day by day, hopefully posting a new day every day.

Day 1.

It starts on Friday, May 29. We left around 8 am for the drive to Orlando Internation airport. Our flight was scheduled for 11:55am. We got to the airport and checked in with a minimal delay. Our passports wouldnt scan so we had to go to another check-in computer, which of course had a broken printer. Once the printer was fixed the agent got us all checked in and ready to go. Headed to the terminal to wait for our flight. We met a really nice family there that had been to Ireland already and they gave us some tips. Our plane we were going to take was late coming in so we left around 12:30 pm. Uneventful flight to JFK airport in NYC.

JFK is now at the bottom of my list of favorite airports. We had to change terminals for our connecting flight. We went to Information to find out how to go and the lady just told us, "See those people walking? Follow them!" In a very short, curt voice. Ok. After what seemed like walking for miles we got to the next terminal. We had a 5 hour layover but it seemed to go pretty fast. We explored the terminal, all the shops and restaurants and saw where the other flights were going. We noticed that customer service was NOT a strong point here. The barristas at the Starbucks were messing up orders, forgetting orders and seemed to be more interested in calling out to other workers walking past then in doing thier jobs. Then there were the workers at Wendys. They started calling out orders by numbers, but they didnt' tell us when we ordered our food that they would do that so everyone is looking around wondering what the numbers mean and who has what number. The girl was calling out "28", number "28". So I asked her "what's 28?" meaning, what food came with that order. She looked at me and in all seriousness said, "That's a 2, and an 8." And she made the numbers with her finger in the air. I said, "No, What food comes with that?" Then she looked in the bag and started calling out the order. It belonged to some guy way in the back waiting. Finally, we all got our food, ate, and made it to the plane.

Once on the plane we pulled away from the gate and started to taxi, and taxi, and taxi. We seemed to be taxing forever when the pilot came on and said that we had been switched to anther runway and would be moving to the other side of the airport. We got over there and found we'd be first to leave. Yea! But then the pilot came back on and said due to weather we'd been grounded and he didnt know how long it'd be so we could get up and move around, use the bathroom, phones, etc. Well no sooner had he said that then a few minutes later he came back and said we'd been given a 5 mintue clearance to take off and if we did't take it we'd be there forever, so, for everyone to sit down, turn off electronic devices, and get ready for take-off, we were going for it! lol. Everyone came hurrying back to their seats, people were turning their devices off and we were rolling down the runway! Fast! We made it. 35 minutes after leaving the gate we were finally in the air, on the way to Dublin. Woo-hoo!

Our flight took us up the coast, over Canada, below Iceland, and over to Dublin. We were on a 757 so we were 3x3. I was really hoping for a wide bodied jet, but no. On Delta we had individual screens on the backs of the seat ahead of us. We could watch free movies, TV show, play games, and watch our flight's progress. Going over everyone seemed to be watching The Wrestler. Also, on Delta Internation, 1st alcoholic drink is free in Coach. We got a drink, meal, another drink, then breakfast snack and drink. it was all okay. Many people tried to sleep, I could not. I was sitting aisle seat and I just couldnt fall asleep. The plane was noisy, my seat didn't recline more than an inch, I just wasn't comfortable. But, after almost 6 hours I think, we finally landed in Dublin. We had arrived at 7:45 am Dublin time Saturday morning, May 30.

We arrived in Dublin at around 7:40 am Saturday morning. We looked out the window as we were flying in and we kept waiting for the big, developed area you usually find around airports, at least in the States and we never saw anything! Just a road with a few cars on it. A few buildings here and there but nothing major. I looked out the windows on the other side of the plane and saw a bit more development but still, nothing like flying into Tampa,Orlando, DC, Detroit, Baltimore, etc.

We got off the plane and quickly made our way to customs. It was a very easy airport to navigate. You could really only go in one direction anyway. We gave the man our passports, he stamped them and Boom! We were in Ireland! Made our way to baggage claim, got our bags and then exited the area to the main airport area. Our Adventure by Disney Guide was right there and came over to us. He regonized us by the yellow tags on our luggage and the AbD backpacks Tina and I had brought. His name was Eddie and he introduced us to our driver who would be taking us to the hotel. 2 more Adventures were also on our plane--a Mom and daughter from NYC (Long Island). All 5 of us were taken to the private car and driven to the hotel. Dublin airport is about 20 minutes from downtown Dublin. I looked out the window but have no idea where or how we went. The driving was all Greek to me. I do know at one point we took a tunnel to get to downtown Dublin faster. That was cool. We drove by the River Liffey and our driver told us a little bit about Dublin. One of the first things I noticed was all the campaign posters up. An election for the European Union was going on and the signs were everywhere! We soon made our way to out hotel, where we met our other Guide--Adam. Our rooms were ready so we went straight to our room, and our luggage came soon after, as did a roll away Mom had requested. The room had 2 full size beds. Our room overlooked the front of the hotel, which was a really nice view. We could look out and see what was going on. The bathroom was also really nice--a whirlpool type tub, glass shower, and a big sink area. We had to figure out how to use the lights. They wouldn't turn on. When our luggage came we asked the porter and he told us we had to put our room key into the slot. There's a slot by the door for your room key card. Put the card in, and then the lights come on. Take the card out, the lights go off. it's to save energy. So, after briefly freshening up we took off to explore Dublin.

We took off for Grafton Street first, as I'd read that was where all the shopping and dining were. It turned out to be just a short walk from our hotel. Our hotel was right across the street from Trinity College. I have to say, crossing the streets was kind of scary. First, everyone drives on the wrong side , and then they just go whizzing by.......... BUT, the drivers do actually stop on red. Something they dont' do in Florida. Oh, and the roads were mainly full of taxis and tour buses.

We made our way down and saw the Molly Malone statue, without even really looking for it. It was just there. Then, we hit Grafton Street. Grafton is a pedistrian mall. Delivery trucks are still allowed, but regular cars aren't. Grafton is full of all kinds of stores: Marks and Spencer, Burger King, bookstores, Channel, HMV, pubs. It's a little of everything. Lots of street performers, lots of tourists. Oh, and the most amazing flower stands. My Mom was in heaven. She found out most of the flowers came from Holland. We made our way all the way down the street, which isn't far, and crossed over to Stephen's Green, which is sort of like Central Park. It's a big oasis of green in Dublin. Because of the beautiful weather people were out and about in the park, sunbathing, walking their dogs, and just hanging out. We didn't really explore it, but I"d like to go walking more in it. Next time. (and there WILL be a next time!)

We were getting hungry so we decided to try Temple Bar for lunch. Temple Bar also started right from across our hotel. We walked down the street and some places weren't open yet, it not being 12 noon. We noticed that all the pubs had the menus posted in thier windows, like at WDW. I like that because that way you know what you're getting before you go in. American restaurants should do that too. Anyway, we were fairly hungry by that point and we stopped at Elephant and Castle because it was open, looked clean and nice, and had fairly cheap food. Apparently there's a chain of them across America, but this one has supposedly been in Dublin for awhile. I had a caesar salad, Mom had a brunch/egg platter, and Tina had a chicken club sandwich. It was all good. Mom thought her portion size was a little small but everything tasted good. We were all feeling side effects of jet lag by now so we headed back to the hotel and took naps.

Disney sent us more gifts: a duffle bag that zippered onto itself, 3 bottles of hand sanitizer (I figured for swine flu panic), a pair of mini binoculars, and 3 nylon passport/money holders. Cool stuff.

At 5:30 pm we met down in the lobby with the rest of our tour. We were led upstairs to a private dining room and sat down at dining tables. We started off with a scavenger hunt to answer questions such as: Who has a birthday this month? (I was the only one), Who speaks Irish? Who knows the colors of the Irish flag? Who has seen a leprechaun? It was designed to get us talking and introduce ourselves to our fellow Adventurers. It was fun. Then, our guides introduced themselves. Adam had worked at the Rose and Crown pub at Epcot and this was his 3rd with Disney, 2nd during the Irish tour. Eddie had done 2 years doing the London/Paris tour, and this was his first doing the Irish tour. They were both really great and true Disney CM's, exactly like what you expect.

After that we had dinner, which was a buffet: medallions of beef, salmon, chicken, potatoes, side salads, rolls, desserts, etc. All of it excellent. The food was labeled adn color coded for the food allergies and diets (lactose intolerance, peanut allergy, vegetarian) Just like what Disney tries to do at their restaurants here. A girl played the harp while we ate and talked. The tables all had white linens, it was all very nice, but the nice thing was we didnt have to dress up. There was no dress code so you came as you were. Most people were business casual.

After eating we were talking to Eddie about Britain's Got Talent and Susan Boyle. We asked him what time the final was on and he told us it was on right now and if we wanted we could go up and watch as the main festivities were over, so we did. We got back to our room just in time to watch Susan Boyle perform. The neat thing about BGT is that the final show announcing the winner comes on just an hour later THE SAME NIGHT! And it's only a HALF HOUR! No 3 hour bloated finale here. Of course, Susan did not win, but we did see the dance troupe that did win and they were very good and very deserving.

By this time it was 10 pm Dublin time and we were pretty beat so we turned in for bed. We did notice that the sun was still up! The sun sets later adn it doesnt get dark til closer til 10:30 pm, something very strange for us Floridians.

It was a great 1st day in Ireland.

When we were going back to our hotel room after lunch, we came across gypsy women begging for money. That was interesting.

And we also really felt the difference with the US dollar/Euro exchange rate.

And it was fun seeing the buskers in the street. It made me think of the movie "Once." A brilliant first day in Ireland. I was already falling in love with the country.

And I took note of the street signs pointing to Belfast.

only 2 hours away!

Great Report. Can't wait for more. We have an Elephant and Castle restaurant in Winnipeg.

Day 2, May 31, Life on the Liffey

The Westin Dublin has the "Heavenly" beds and boy, were they soft. Ahhhhh. Woke up feeling pretty good. It was also my birthday!

Breakfast was served starting at 7 am in the hotel and Mom, being Mom, wanted to be there at 7. Apparently all the food would be gone by 7:15 or something like that, which meant, that she had us getting up at 6 am every morning. You walked down to the restaurant,told the man your room number and then he checked you off the list. Breakfast was an included meal so no worries there. You sat at a very nice table, white linens again, and could have the breakfast buffet or order off the menu, but who would want to? The Buffet included a full Irish breakfast: eggs, omeletts, white and black pudding, sausages, Irish bacon (more like our ham) roasted tomatoes (delicious!) hot mushrooms. then, there were about 4 or 5 different kinds of cereal/muselix, blueberry/banana yogurt smoothie, freshly squeezed orange juice, fresh fruit, cheeses, scones, croissants, belgian waffles with honey and dark chocolate syrup, fresh yogurt, cold cuts. I'm probably still leaving some foods out. It was simply wonderful. There was something there for everyone.

At 8:50 am we all met in the lobby. We got on our special coach/bus and our local tour guide: Georgiana. Our driver was George. lol. We drove past the Liffey and Ha'penny bridge, and the hotel that Bono owns. We also went past The Brazen Head, said to be the oldest pub in Ireland. We went to Dublinia, which is a display dedicated to life in mediveal Dublin, and the Vikings arrival. Oh, on the bus the guides introduced us to the last family to join the tour. Their flight was delayed the day before and they didn't arrive until Sunday morning. They came straight from the airport to the tour. Then, the guides had everyone sing Happy Birthday to me and presented me with a Happy Birthday pin.

Ok, so, Dublinia was very cool and interesting. Disney gets to go in a half hour before the general public and we had our own tour guide through the building. Then, we saw some of Christ Church Cathedral. Sunday services were going on so we couldn't go in, but we heard the bells ringing. Next, we walked a short distance to Dublin Castle,which was the seat of power in Dublin for 600 years or so. Also, some movies have been shot there. We had another private tour there too. Also very cool.

After the castle we had some free time so we briefly stopped at St. Patrick's Cathedral to take pictures. Then, over to the Guinness Storehouse for lunch. We had lunch in a private dining room. Once again, food allergies/diet were taken care of. You had a choice of beef/chicken/salmon, side salads, and dessert. For desser I got a chocolate mousse shaped like a pint of Guinness. For drinks, you could order anything you wanted to drink, including Guinness.

After lunch we started our own private tour here too. We all had headphones on so we could hear our tour guide. It was funny as at the beginning people kept trying to join our tour and asking where they could get the headphones. lol. The guide led us through the Storehouse and we learned all about Guinness. I also learned that the man who drew a lot of the ads for Guinness in the 40's and 50's was recruited by Walt Disney. Walt wanted him to come work for him in Ca. The artist said No. He was happy with Guinness. At the end of the tour you can go to the Gravity Bar and get a free drink. Most people choose Guinness, but since we only had 15 minutes, and it took us that long to get there, Tina and I chose Cokes instead. By the time Mom got hers it was time to go. The bar is seriously busy! THere is no downtime there. I did try Guinness earlier, tho, on the tour when we went into the tasting portion of the tour. It was good.

After that we headed back to the hotel. Some of us went on an optional tour when we got back to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells. We walked across the street to the college. We were given tickets to get in and then were on our own. The Book was really neat, and then we saw the library. Wow! The library is amazing! Just absolutely amazing. Definitely a must see when in Dublin.

Next, we headed back to the hotel, cleaned up, and went out for dinner. We ended up at O'Neil's. A pub I found in my Rick Steves travel book. lol. It was very good tho. We had sandwiches from the carvery and Cokes from the bar. An all around delicious dinner.

Back to the hotel where we turned in for the night. And packed too. We had to leave the next morning to drive to Killarney!

Our hotel www.thewestindublin.com/

Here's the linkk to pictures of our arrival day and first day of the tour.

www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action..._-view_photos_button

wow..you guys are having a fabulous time!! belated happy birthday to you, Sue


i tried the photo link but it told me "The page you're looking for is not available."

Hm, the link works when I click on it, Tink. Worked for Tina too. Anyone else having problems with it?

Day 3, June 1, Celtic Kingdoms

I think I forgot to mention before that we got a pin each day of the trip. At the welcome dinner we were given pin lanyards with an Adventures by Disney pin, and then that night and every night after we were given a pin with that days theme. And for my birthday I was given a special Happy Birthday pin.

So, this morning started out with another yummy breakfast. I tried the Belgian waffles with chocolate syrup this morning. They were delicious! Our bags were picked up at our room and packed onto the bus. We boarded the bus about 9 am and were off to the Rock of Cashel. We went through the "Mad Cow" roundabout, which our guides told us is quite well known in the Dublin area. Apparently it's always under construction or causing them traffic troubles. We also drove by the National Stud Farm. We stopped halfway at Abbyleix Inn for bathroom break and hot chocolate. Of course, it was so hot most of us got Cokes and scones. Then, onto Cashel.

The Rock was really cool. This is where St.Patrick performed his first baptism in Ireland. The building dates way back to the 11th century, I think. Normally it's raining and cold and windy, but today was sunny, hot and beautiful. Once again we had a private tour through the ruins. It was worth the stop.

Lunch in the town of Cashel. We went to a small sandwich shop. We were on our own for lunch. I had a ham and cheese sandwich. the Irish difference is when you ask for cheese on your sandwiche, instead of getting sliced cheese, it's shredded--like what we put on tacos. It was just different, but still good! After lunch we walked around and saw Zyrtek for sale, but spelled Zirtek. We saw another allergy drug too, maybe Clariton? for sale, but spelled slightly different. lol. Back to the bus.

On the bus our guides put Enchantment on for us to watch. It was perfect because just as the movie was getting over we made it to Killarney. Apparently Killarney is very popular with the tourists. It's definitely a tourist town, but still nice and quaint. (by Florida standards anyway, lol) Along the way we went through many small towns and villages, saw people outside sunbathing and eating ice cream, enjoying the sunny weather and Bank Holiday. Saw lots of cows, sheep, horses and very narrow country roads! The mountains and hills also got bigger and bigger. We were also treated to bottled water and snacks.

Arrived in Killarney about quarter after 4 pm. The hotel manager came on the bus and explained how the lights worked (same thing with the room key again) and about the hotel spa. Inside the hotel the Town Crier officially welcomed us and gave us our Pin of the Day. Today was also another adventurers' birthday. He got the birthday pin and song too.

Our room was nice and we had a great view of Killarney National Park across the street. That afternoon we took a brief walk down Killarney. Our hotel sits at the end of the main tourist drag. A street filled with pubs, shops, and restaurants. The older part of town. THere was also a movie theater down the street, and another hotel with nighttime entertainment. Our hotel was really situated well for all that Killarney had to offer.

Our dinner was at 7:30 pm in the hotel's Menton's restaurant. The kids on the tour had thier own private dinner and movie night. THey watched Rattatouie, (sp). We had our own private dining room again. There was a choice of starters, entres, and dessert. We started with wine again and finished with coffee and tea afterwards. The food was delicious, as always. The food really wowed us this trip. We were't expecting much but it was all very fresh and delicious. Big portion sizes too. One Adventurer said it was like being on a cruise, what with all the food we were getting.

After dinner several of us took a stroll down the streets of Killarney. We could hear Irish music in the pubs. Some of them had standing room only. Also, all the pubs are smoke free now. That was nice.

www.killarneyplaza.com/
www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action..._-view_photos_button

We had such a gorgeous view of the mountains from our hotel room in Killarney. I would just sit and gaze out the window. I really loved Killarney.

the links worked okay this time...you guys had gorgeous weather!

cant wait to hear more. your notes are bringing back lots of great memories

Day 4 June 2, 2009 Cycle of the Kings and Queens

Today was Tina's birthday! So that makes 3 birthdays in a row we were celebrating. Breakfast, again, was at 7 am. Just can't get Mom to sleep in a bit. lol. Like the Westin, a full Irish breakfast with eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, sausages, porridge, various cereals, fresh fruit, pancakes, waffles (but not as good as the Westin's) and breads. Honestly, there was something there for everyone.

We met in the lobby at 8:50 to walk across the street to take a jaunting cart ride to Muckross House. It was so much fun! We sat about 7 to a cart, and our driver, with a very thick accent regaled us with tales of the area. lol. The sceneary was beautiful. And we actually went for a portion right on the streets of Killarney before getting off onto a sidewalk/path. You just can't expect to drive fast in Killarney.

Muckross House was amazing! It was built in the 1830's and sits on a lake at the foot of some very beautiful mountains. I could have just stayed there forever. It's so gorgeous! Once again we had a private tour through the house. No photography is allowed inside but it's everything you'd expect a Victorian Manor House to be. Afterwards, those who wanted took a short bike ride up to Torc waterfalls on the estate. You bike ride for about 2 miles, then a very short hike to the falls. For those who didn't feel like biking, they wandered around and took in the grounds and did shopping. Along the way, one Adventurer's bike wheel just blew out completely. One of the guides gave the girl his bike, he took the bike wit the blown out wheel back to the bike barn, got on another bike, and caught up to us. Whew! He was out of breath, but he made it. then, on the way back, I pulled off the path to let a horse and cart go by and when I tried to get back on the path by bike wheel hit a gap between the path and grass and I spun out. My chain came off and he stopped to put the chain back on and rode with me the rest of the way back. We joked that after our tour the Guides would never want to put tourists on bikes again. Oh, and another adventurer's bike wouldnt change gears properly. lol. We were jinxed!

After that, we all had lunch on Disney. We ate at the cafeteria and could order anything we wanted. A special area in the dining room had been set aside for us. this wa the only place where our Cokes came from the fountain. then, we had a bit of time to shop or see the gardens.

We boarded the bus and went to Ross Castle. This is a castle that wad destroyed by Oliver Cromwell way back when. It also sits on the same lake at the foot of the mountains. very breathtaking.

Back at the hotel we were on our own. Mom shopped, Tina and I walked the town, ate ice cream at Murphy's Ice Cream, shopped and picked up dinner to go from a deli.

When we got back to our room we found an envelope with photos of us from the trip turned into postcards. So neat! Eddie and Adam had been taking pictures of us the whole trip. They were always availabe to answer questions, provide guidance, and give any help needed. They took great care of us.

At this hotel we got free Internet access for about 30 minutes. The weather was once again great. sunny and hot! No rain.

www.muckross-house.ie/house.htm
www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action..._-view_photos_button

I gotta admit that bicycling by a mountain lake made for the best birthday ever! This was probably my most favorite day of the trip and not just because it was my birthday.

And the chocolate whiskey ice cream I had later in the day was heavenly!

a belated Happy Birthday to you, Tina! how nice that you guys got to celebrate in such a wonderful place!

one of these days im going to be at WDW or DL for my birthday, but that wont be till i move there since my birthday is during our deer hunting season, which my husband refuses to miss, so i cant really plan a trip then, but one of these days!!....

June 3, Day 5 Ring Around the Kenmare

Breakfast at 7, then down to the lobby at 8:30 for the optional morning walk through Killarney National Park. Very pretty and scenic. Then, on the bus for an hour's drive to Kenmare. About 17 of us went on the morning walk. At Kenmare we boarded a boat and took a tour of Kenmare Bay (River). We saw seals swimming in the water. Back to Kenmare for another optional walk to a Stone Circle. The Circle dates back to the Bronze Age. Lunch on our own at the Coachman Inn. I had an Irish beefburger with a sald garnish, onion rings and fries. It was very good. I also had freshly made iced tea. The lady asked me what I wanted to drink and I said, "Well, what do you have?" and she said, "What would you like?" So I said an unsweetened iced tea and she said she'd make me one. That usually doesnt' happen in the States. At least, not at chain restaurants anyway. It was very nice of her.

After lunch we shopped in town and I bought a nice Irish sweater coat and scarf. Kenmare was very pretty. There was a farmer's market going on in the streets selling homemade cheese, olives, pestos, ducks, chickens, everything!

We got back on the bus and took a drive around the Ring of Kerry. It was very beautiful, but the roads are very narrow and when you have to pass another car or bus it can be very tight. As in, open your windown and tough the passing bus. I didn't actually do that, but if I wanted I know I could have. lol. The views, tho, were very spectacular. It's definitely a must do for the tourist.

Later that afternoon, back at the hotel, we had a wine and cheese tasting. There were about 8 different cheeses from different farms in Ireland. You could also get white or red wine to drink with it. Or water. There was also grapes and fresh fruit available. My favorite cheeses were the Vintage cheddar and the Smoked cheese.

Right after that we were given an Irish stepdancing presentation. The teacher and about 4 or 5 girls came to dance for us. Just like Riverdance. lol. then, it was our turn to get up and dance. IT was a lot of FUN! we were all trying our best, but also cracking up laughing. It was also very tiring. Man, those step dancers have to be in really good shape. Afterwards, the evening was on our own. tina and I walked into Killarney again and had more ice cream--kahlua coffee. Yummmm. We ran into other adventures getting ice cream too. BAck to the hotel to pack for tomorrow we'd be leaving for Dromoland Castle.

www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action..._-view_photos_button

WOW...nice write-up. I found myself taking some notes for my trip this month (June 23-28).

Happy Belated Birthday Sue!

And I had to laugh about JFK and your flight experience. JFK is the armpit of the northeast, with Laguadia second in line. They are crowded, flights are always delayed, crowded, rude, crowded, dirty, and did I say crowded?

Oh and sorry to read that you had to substitute Cokes for the pints. I personally would have made the "effort" to "force" myself to have the pint. You would have then seen me stumbling home one morning from your hotel.

Great pictures by the way!! You represent the USA (and Disney fans the world over) very well if I may say so.

LOL. I love your description of JFK Animator. I totally agree.

June 4, Day 6 Limericks and Leprechauns

Another great breakfast. There was a group of men there, all ready for that day's round of golf. Going over we met 2 guys who were flying to Ireland to visit the one guy's son in college, and then go golfing.

Suitcases had to be out in the hallway, or just inside the door by 8:30 am. The bellhops came by and picked everything up for us. Once we got our bags from baggage claim at the airport we never had to handle them again. The coach left at 9:30 am. We drove to Inch Beach, which was really spectacular. Amazing views. This is on Ireland's west coast. While our driver was waiting to park the coach he had to wait for a German tour group to get out of the way. I heard him say the Germans had, "Lost 2 World Wars and 2 World Cups." Or something to that effect. From there we drove to Adare, where we had lunch. Eddie and Adam suggested The Arches and I think most of the bus stopped in there. We were the second group from the bus to arrive and over the next few minutes everyone else seemed to trickle in. Even Adam and Eddie were surprised so many of us had taken there suggestion. I had a delicious chicken salad. I took a picture of it, it looked so pretty. Next up was a drive to Dromoland castle. About an hour. On the way from Inch Beach to Adare we watched Darby O'Gill and the Little People.

Dromoland Castle is AMAZING! It's definitely 5 star. Just beautiful. We explored the walled garden before dinner. One of the families was lucky enough to actually get a suite.

Dinner was folklife night at Bunratty Castle, home of Bunratty Meade. Upon arrival we were given a choice of meade or an Irish cream alcoholic drink. I can't remember right now. Then, we sat at long tables and faced a stage. Most of the tables were filled with other tour groups. Once the show started we realized that our servers were also the entertainers! They would take our orders, serve the food,and then get on stage and perform. The entertainment consisted of singing, dancing, story telling. the music was violin, accordian, guitar and the bodhran. step dancing and singing. And I even recognized one of the songs from Celtic Woman. it was a very fun evening.

After arriving back at the castle, around 10 pm, we took the jaunting cart ride around the castle grounds. The sun had just set and the moon was almost full. Perfect. Our driver told us lots of tales. Not sure how many to believe.

Dromonland Castle was the site of the EU summit back in 2004, I think? Or earlier maybe. But one of the George Bushes stayed there. Presidents, Heads of State, and celebrities. I was looking for Angelina and Brad and kids to show up.

The next day would be the Cliffs of Moher.

www.dromoland.ie/
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I forgot! When we arrived at Dromoland Castle the staff came out and lined up to greet us. Just like in the movies! We entered and the staff served us drinks(Cokes) and welcomed us to the castle. Like at all the other hotels we didn't have to formally check in. Our room keyes were waiting for us with our name on the envelope. We just picked up the room key and made it to the room. Our room was in the modern part of the castle. No air conditioning in the rooms but that's because they rarely need it. Of course, we were there during Ireland's heat wave, as Podge can attest. lol. The bellhops once again brought the suitcases to the room. All the tips are already taken care of by Disney. The only time we had to tip was when we dined by ourselves.

Happy belated birthday to both of you. Great report. I hope A by D is still around 5 years from now when my kids are old enough to go.

Animator13 wrote:
And I had to laugh about JFK and your flight experience. JFK is the armpit of the northeast, with Laguadia second in line. They are crowded, flights are always delayed, crowded, rude, crowded, dirty, and did I say crowded?


JFK is definitely my least favorite airport. By contrast, I've had some good experiences at Chicago's O'Hare and Pittsburgh's airport.

And Northern, hopefully A by D will still be around. I wanna do their London/Paris tour. Also, they really do have fun activiites for the kids to do. ( I thought the kids got the cuter backpacks. )

^ yeah, Pittsburgh has a good airport, even tho i didnt really like it at first, didnt want to let go of the old one. i had a lot of fun memories of it. i remember when i was a kid and we drove out there just to see a 747 "in person"...

as for the new terminal, its very easy to get around IMO, not extremely busy but big. in the days when Rachel and i first started going to WDW every year, our gate was always the very last one at the end of the breezeway, but in recent years it has been the first or second one...yay!