Disney Magic 12 nt. British Isles Cruise 2017

I feel the way about the London bus system! I can navigate the underground fairly competently (as in I love just riding it all day long...who needs museums or castles?) but in the light of day with buses...I'm a mess! Despite it all, sounds like you enjoyed your tour.

Yes. we really loved that tour. Just wish we had more time. We still really miss the whole trip.
After our trip on the tube, I can't even imagine if we attempted the bus.

That was me before I lived in London. I used to visit regularly as my sister used to live there, and I only ever used the tube. When she left and I moved into her flat, that was one of my goals, to figure out the bus system and to know above ground just aswell as underground :)

Yes! someone needs to figure out the bus system and post it on the DIS. I can't think of a better person than you @BadPinkTink. It will be a big help to the 2018 cruisers.
 
Disney Magic
July 9 - 21, 2017

British Isles Cruise Day Prologue


Touring and Transfers.

Final thoughts about our London tour with Evan Evans.

Really felt great to walk the inner circle at Stonehenge.

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.

It was a perfect first stop before visiting the standing stones in Scotland.

Kirkwall, Scotland

Standing Stones of Stenness

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Ring of Brodgar

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Invergordon, Scotland

Clava Cairns
(inspiration for the series Outlander where Claire passes thru time)

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But they pack a lot in with these private tours.
We were constantly on the move.

Want to know what it’s really like to tour Evan Evans by coach?
Check out this video. (My photos simply don’t do it justice)

It shows their day tour to Windsor; Bath & Stonehenge - not the inner circle.
But well worth the watch for a number of reasons:
  1. pickup point is Victoria Station London
  2. exceptional detail of Windsor Castle – including some sneak footage inside St. George’s Chapel
  3. beautifully and thoroughly showcases Bath – for anyone considering a visit.
  4. shows more of what being roped off at Stonehenge is like.
  5. It begins to rain at will after perfect weather, and you’ll see how random and miserable the weather quickly changes to. (hence the need to pack raingear)
  6. you really get a sense of the rushed nature of these multi-stop tours. Refers to it as “an overview” at one point – which is the truth.

Here it is:



DCL Touring and Transfers.


Two of the biggest decisions for this British Isles cruise were “what to tour” and “how to get to the Port of Dover”.
And both had to be decided on ASAP to gain the best advantage.

So book early if cruising next year.

I. What to tour?
Figuring out “what to tour” was a major undertaking. This was a 12 nt. cruise with 8 days docked at various ports – not including Dover.

The possibilities were endless.

4 key elements played a role in whether we’d opt for the DCL excursion vs a Private tour vs venturing on our own:
  • Where to go
  • How to get there
  • Total cost
  • Travel distance from port
The private excursions typically cost less and visited more sites. They also provided better guides who have a vested interest in the overall success of the tour.

But touring this way meant sacrificing a lot of time otherwise spent sightseeing, shopping and enjoying a meal in order to see and do more.

On the flipside: The Disney excursions included fewer sites and provided a lot more free time to spend and enjoy on your own. Unfortunately, you have no control over the guides which can make or break your experience on a long day.

So we balanced our bookings - half thru DCL / half private which gave a little bit of everything.

Busy Bus is an excellent example of a full coach tour - very hands on within a small company.

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2 DCL excursions to compare would be Le Havre, France vs Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace.
Both were full day tours and the guides couldn’t have been more opposite.

Arromanches, France (Normandy) - excellent guide. extremely knowledgeable.

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Holyrood Palace - (Edinburgh) bus parking lot (terrible monotonous ill-prepared guide in red)

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All our excursions will be covered in much more detail to give a well rounded introduction.

Next major area:

II. How to get to the Port of Dover (via DCL)


There were 4 ways to get DCL transfers to the port.
The first three were previously mentioned:
  1. Same day cruise arrivals / departures from Heathrow and Gatwick airports
  2. Anyone staying at the Sofitel London Heathrow or Hilton London Gatwick
  3. Anyone staying at a Disney London hotel if and only if booked directly thru DCL
But there was a 4th option we never knew about.

4. London City Centre pickup in front of the DoubleTree at Hilton London. (Victoria)

Apparently DCL had also run transfer busses with a central pickup from London to Dover.
Anyone could book these. All you had to do was get to the pickup point at the DoubleTree at Hilton London hotel in Victoria.

Official website: http://doubletree3.hilton.com/en/ho...lton-hotel-london-victoria-LONVCDI/index.html

FYI: JQ called the DCL and confirmed this pickup is being offered for 2018 – the cost is $60.00.

There was a question about this on our cruise meet thread.
starts here: https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...uise-from-dover.3515878/page-14#post-57419663

@mickeyfanmom was asking if anyone heard of a Doubletree pickup point? We weren't able to confirm it, and nothing was posted further about it.

Months later the cruise docs arrive and the ground transportation page contains this paragraph titled: PRE-CRUISE TRANSPORTATION PICK-UP INFORMATION
which is talking about scheduled ground transfers from the DoubleTree at Hilton London.

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Again at this point it was so close to our sail date nobody followed up.

Fast Forward to now:

There is a young vlogger who was on our cruise. (sequined mickey ears)
She's been uploading a series of videos to highlight each day of their trip.

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I’ve linked one here for a very important reason. It shows them using the DCL transfers from the Doubletree to Dover for our cruise.

At the 2:17 minute mark on her Embarkation video, you’ll see them getting dropped off via taxi at the Doubletree Hilton London Victoria;
notice there’s a pile of tagged luggage lined up curbside and 2 DCL reps outside checking in guests.


So add these on immediately if you are considering a non DCL hotel in London and would like to use Disney transfers to get to Dover.

Next up: A Disney ride to Dover
 
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The posts about the unplanned Tube adventure were interesting & good info. I had similar “which train” thoughts in NYC until I figured out which station was at the end of each track in the direction I wanted to go,

One thing I’m not quite following, though, is why the train to terminal 1,2,3,4 would not work. I guess I’m thinking of US airports where it is not too difficult to get from one terminal to another. Having not yet been to Heathrow, is it just too big or are there security hurdles that would make that train prohibitive to get to your terminal 5?
 
One thing I’m not quite following, though, is why the train to terminal 1,2,3,4 would not work. I guess I’m thinking of US airports where it is not too difficult to get from one terminal to another. Having not yet been to Heathrow, is it just too big or are there security hurdles that would make that train prohibitive to get to your terminal 5?


The Piccadilly Tube Line existed before the airport was built. When Heathrow first opened, the tube line went direct to Terminals 1, 2 and 3 and then back to central London.

Terminal 4 was opened in 1986. They built a new loop on the tube line for this Terminal. When Terminal 4 opened they put 2 closed loop trains on the system, 1 which went direct to Terminals 1,2 and 3 only and then back to central London and 1 which went to Terminal 4, then Terminals 1,2 and 3 and then back to London.

I remember travelling to Heathrow during this time. If you took the one which went to Terminal 4 and then to Terminal 1,2 and 3, the train waited about 10 minutes on the track before going to Terminal, 3, then 2, then 1 and then back to London. (closed loop)

Terminal 5 at Heathrow is a new build, it was only opened in 2008 and was built west from the other loop of Terminals. Theres about 3 miles distance between the 2. When Terminal 5 was built, the tube line was extended in a straight line out to it. (closed loop)

Terminal 1 closed in 2015, which is why it is not on the Tube map

This means that to go to Terminal 5 you need to get the train which says Terminal 2, 3 and 5.

The 2 lines split after Hatton Cross, and there are plenty of announcements warning you of this and reminding you which closed loop train you are currently on.

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The best airport in the world is Atlantic City. Pull up curbside, unload and park in the lot that's 500ft. away. Too bad they only have Spirit Airlines to Florida. It's worth it when you get $56.00 one way fares.

Sounds just like HPN White Plains, NY
Out of the car and you are standing at TSA, and JetBlue to boot.
 
Wow! Never knew about that double tree transfer! Probably would have taken that option! Even though we found the Dover Express from St. Pancras Station to Dover Station to be easy and efficient.
 
The posts about the unplanned Tube adventure were interesting & good info. I had similar “which train” thoughts in NYC until I figured out which station was at the end of each track in the direction I wanted to go,

One thing I’m not quite following, though, is why the train to terminal 1,2,3,4 would not work. I guess I’m thinking of US airports where it is not too difficult to get from one terminal to another. Having not yet been to Heathrow, is it just too big or are there security hurdles that would make that train prohibitive to get to your terminal 5?

LG if you figured out NYC you will easily figure out the Tube . Our problem was me. It was late afternoon and we'd been touring all day and I was in too much of a hurry to take a minute to get our bearings like JQ wanted. It's pretty simple to follow with the big signage everywhere. We just happened to be on a line that branches off not once - but twice. And both times we got on the wrong train. Too funny. But now we're pros!

For the LHR Underground: There are only 3 stations: Terminal 5 / Terminal 4 / Central 123 (together)

Logically, I was thinking same as you. Even if the trains didn't connect between T4 & T5 it shouldn't be that difficult to get from the one terminal to the other.
Worst case we could always walk or there would be a free bus or shuttle somehow.

Wrong. It doesn't work that way at London Heathrow. The Terminal 4 and Terminal 5 buildings are not connected to one another at all except via Perimeter Road. You can't walk between them. You can only walk between the Central terminals 2 & 3 but you can't go any further than that without taking some form of public transport.

And these terminals are pretty far from each other. (the tube map makes them seem so close but T5 to T3 takes about 5 mins. by rail)


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The problem with the Underground rail lines at Heathrow is exactly what @BadPinkTink is describing. When they added T4, they used a separate closed loop line to get to it and kept operating their original closed loop to terminals 1,2,3 as well. So this has been standard operating procedure with the 2 different rail stops running to that airport for decades.

Then with the expansion of T5, they simply extended the one closed loop line for the central terminals 1,2,3 to now include T5. But that T4 line never got extended. It stayed exactly the same and continues to loop back toward London after you're dropped off. It's a strange set up but must have something to do with the engineering of the rail lines.

The Piccadilly Tube Line existed before the airport was built. When Heathrow first opened, the tube line went direct to Terminals 1, 2 and 3 and then back to central London.

Terminal 4 was opened in 1986. They built a new loop on the tube line for this Terminal. When Terminal 4 opened they put 2 closed loop trains on the system, 1 which went direct to Terminals 1,2 and 3 only and then back to central London and 1 which went to Terminal 4, then Terminals 1,2 and 3 and then back to London.

I remember travelling to Heathrow during this time. If you took the one which went to Terminal 4 and then to Terminal 1,2 and 3, the train waited about 10 minutes on the track before going to Terminal, 3, then 2, then 1 and then back to London. (closed loop)

Terminal 5 at Heathrow is a new build, it was only opened in 2008 and was built west from the other loop of Terminals. Theres about 3 miles distance between the 2. When Terminal 5 was built, the tube line was extended in a straight line out to it. (closed loop)

Terminal 1 closed in 2015, which is why it is not on the Tube map

This means that to go to Terminal 5 you need to get the train which says Terminal 2, 3 and 5.

The 2 lines split after Hatton Cross, and there are plenty of announcements warning you of this and reminding you which closed loop train you are currently on.

View attachment 275869

Great post. Yes plenty of announcements warning us over and over that we were on the Piccadilly Line to Heathrow terminals 4 and 123. It doesn't start mentioning you need to change trains if you're travelling to T5 until you get closer to the airport.

Funny how they still mention Terminal 1 in the announcements and signage. It must be used for something.
 


Sounds just like HPN White Plains, NY
Out of the car and you are standing at TSA, and JetBlue to boot.

HPN does sound just like it. We love ACY to Orlando for the same reason. So quick and hassle free to park, check in and get thru TSA. But you have JetBlue which is great! We only have Delta and Spirit servicing Atlantic City right now. Hopefully that will change.

Wow! Never knew about that double tree transfer! Probably would have taken that option! Even though we found the Dover Express from St. Pancras Station to Dover Station to be easy and efficient.

Right. no idea about that DoubleTree at Hilton pickup either. I don't know how much they charged for 2017. But it may not have been that much of an upcharge to have them handle the luggage etc... compared to the Dover Express

I could swear JQ called and inquired about transfers right after @mickeyfanmom posted that question on the meet thread. I remember him doing this because we were considering moving to a hotel in London for the Evan Evans tour and being told everything thru the DCL was sold out. But that may have only been in answer to a specific question regarding booking one of the London Disney Hotels.

I don't know if the DCL transfers have a limit on capacity or booking deadlines that coincide with the PIF dates.

No DCL rep ever mentioned this 4th option to us. I'll update my earlier post about the various transfers on this trip report and include a link to that hotel.
So hopefully others will benefit.
 
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We are going on the BI cruise next year, someone on our FB group said that you could book transfers from Doubletree so we added them. We were going to take the train, but this will be so much easier and we had already planned to stay in a hotel about block away so it will work perfectly. Thanks for including the video of the transfers.
 
We are going on the BI cruise next year, someone on our FB group said that you could book transfers from Doubletree so we added them. We were going to take the train, but this will be so much easier and we had already planned to stay in a hotel about block away so it will work perfectly. Thanks for including the video of the transfers.

That's great to hear. Was the charge $60.00? Had we known about this last year, it would have been a big help with planning for our cruise.
The pickup point is centrally located at Victoria and should be very easy to get to. I hope more cruisers take advantage of this if they need to get to Dover from London.

Glad you found that video helpful. It's good to have a visual. Looked like their family had no problems using the transfers from the Doubletree. I'm happy they posted that footage. .
 
That's great to hear. Was the charge $60.00? Had we known about this last year, it would have been a big help with planning for our cruise.
The pickup point is centrally located at Victoria and should be very easy to get to. I hope more cruisers take advantage of this if they need to get to Dover from London.
.

It is $60 to the port one way. I added it to my cruise for next year awhile back. I'm wondering if it would be wise to stay at the Doubletree that Disney is picking us up at or if there is a better area/hotel to stay at? I'm planning this trip for myself, DH, Aunt and Uncle. I hoping everything runs smoothly especially since I'm in charge. :scared: This will be a first time trip to London and British Isles cruise for all of us. I cannot express how thankful I am to find this thread. You are a gem to share with us. :thanks:
 
It is $60 to the port one way. I added it to my cruise for next year awhile back. I'm wondering if it would be wise to stay at the Doubletree that Disney is picking us up at or if there is a better area/hotel to stay at? I'm planning this trip for myself, DH, Aunt and Uncle. I hoping everything runs smoothly especially since I'm in charge. :scared: This will be a first time trip to London and British Isles cruise for all of us. I cannot express how thankful I am to find this thread. You are a gem to share with us. :thanks:
I am looking at the Premier Inn Victoria, it is cheaper than the Doubletree. We are planning on spending a week in London before the cruise and the WBTA, so a cheaper hotel will make that possible :)
 
It is $60 to the port one way. I added it to my cruise for next year awhile back. I'm wondering if it would be wise to stay at the Doubletree that Disney is picking us up at or if there is a better area/hotel to stay at? I'm planning this trip for myself, DH, Aunt and Uncle. I hoping everything runs smoothly especially since I'm in charge. :scared: This will be a first time trip to London and British Isles cruise for all of us. I cannot express how thankful I am to find this thread. You are a gem to share with us. :thanks:

Thanks for that confirmation on the price and I'm so glad this report is proving helpful.

We travel with extended family a lot and the needs of the group have always prioritized the hotel decision making. So I can relate to the added burden of being in charge.

I'd personally have to research every single Victoria area hotel including where @gilsan is looking at before settling on where we stay.

But I would strongly be considering that DoubleTree at Hilton London Victoria if it's a decent hotel. You don't have to pay for the cab ride to get to the DCL bus; you can just walk downstairs and check-in for the transfers when it's time; and bell services is on hand to assist with your luggage. Plus it's right next door to Victoria Station with a ton of quick eating establishments for any budget. Can't get more convenient than that.

If you noticed in the video, DCL was using one of the conference rooms as a holding area inside the hotel. They handed out colored character slips at the luggage drop to designate a particular bus assignment (looked to be purple for that group). This is the same system used at the Sofitel.


I am looking at the Premier Inn Victoria, it is cheaper than the Doubletree. We are planning on spending a week in London before the cruise and the WBTA, so a cheaper hotel will make that possible :)

The Victoria area would be my first choice for where to stay as well. I regret the short amount of time we had in London. A week sounds perfect.
And I know I sound like a broken record but I do envy you b2b cruisers. Good luck with your planning! You guys are really doing this right
 
Disney Magic
July 9 - 21, 2017

British Isles Cruise Day
(weather – blue skies; sunny high 78 °F / 26 °C)


Dover Hits

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Confused? Stay tuned.



Cruise Day is Here!

JQ reveals the secret contents of that mystery envelope from the DCL rep:

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And we seasoned Disneyites carry out the instructions with such diligence and anticipation.


Leave luggage tagged for transfer by the door

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Pack a day bag

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Keep the following with you at all times:

a. Proof of citizenship / Photo ID (= passport)

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b. Cruise Documentation: (2 items)​

Mailed DCL Booklet
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Printed Online Signature page

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Meet in the lobby no later than 10:45am

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Upon arrival at the cruise terminal: √√
  1. be prepared to pass through a security checkpoint before proceeding to the check-in area

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  1. you will need to present cruise docs/proof of citizenship/photo ID & form of payment to DCL rep at check-in

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next: Are we there yet?
 
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The Victoria area would be my first choice for where to stay as well. I regret the short amount of time we had in London. A week sounds perfect

DD and I spent 6 days in the Victoria Area on her first trip to London. We stayed at the Lime Tree Hotel, which was basic but had a wonderful location (duh, in Victoria) as well a proximity to a Tesco or Sainsbury's (grocery), a pub and an Italian restaurant...everything she needed! I so wished we had booked there (instead of the JW Marriott Grosvenor House) this year. Had I known about the DoubleTree Hilton transfer I would have taken advantage of it since the Lime Tree is approx .5 km from the DoubleTree. Oh well, live and learn...
 
I really enjoyed the Sofitel, however "next time" I want to stay in London to get the "feel" of the city...guess I had better start planning...is Disney running any B2B's with the British Isles and maybe a transatlantic? Now THAT would be a great time!
 
I really enjoyed the Sofitel, however "next time" I want to stay in London to get the "feel" of the city...guess I had better start planning...is Disney running any B2B's with the British Isles and maybe a transatlantic? Now THAT would be a great time!
Yes DCL is running a British Isles cruise next September with a Transatlantic to follow. You should look into it on their website. I think some cabin categories are now in GTY status.
 
Yeah! We are reliving the cruise again!

I really enjoyed leaving out of Dover. It was really picturesque with the white cliffs and all. I would post pics but I'm not on the main computer..... maybe later.
 
DD and I spent 6 days in the Victoria Area on her first trip to London. We stayed at the Lime Tree Hotel, which was basic but had a wonderful location (duh, in Victoria) as well a proximity to a Tesco or Sainsbury's (grocery), a pub and an Italian restaurant...everything she needed! I so wished we had booked there (instead of the JW Marriott Grosvenor House) this year. Had I known about the DoubleTree Hilton transfer I would have taken advantage of it since the Lime Tree is approx .5 km from the DoubleTree. Oh well, live and learn...

Those 2 locations must have been like night and day. Especially since everything you were acquainted with was in the Victoria area.
It really looks like a great hub to branch out from. I would have missed it too.

So for both our 12 nt. BI cruise and your 7 nt. Western Europe cruise that immediately followed this DoubleTree transfer was not well known. Not good. Hopefully word is getting out for next year.

BTW - that young vlogger also posted a video on her London arrival which reminded me of you. Their taxi driver dropped them at the wrong Marriott - the Grosvenor House (13:22 mark) - which looks incredible inside from what she posted! They then had to hail a 2nd cab to get to their correct hotel.


They ride the Heathrow Express to Paddington station. (at the 11:22 mark).
And you can see a London Pedicab go by all lit up (12:58 mark) might be similar to what @JenTen1585 rode


I really enjoyed the Sofitel, however "next time" I want to stay in London to get the "feel" of the city...guess I had better start planning...is Disney running any B2B's with the British Isles and maybe a transatlantic? Now THAT would be a great time!

yeah. yeah. promises. promises.

Yes DCL is running a British Isles cruise next September with a Transatlantic to follow. You should look into it on their website. I think some cabin categories are now in GTY status.

That's great @tlynk. Maybe we can both twist JQ's arm. Are they really in GTY status already? Probably for our new favorite cabins - Cat 9B on Deck 2.


Yeah! We are reliving the cruise again!

I really enjoyed leaving out of Dover. It was really picturesque with the white cliffs and all. I would post pics but I'm not on the main computer..... maybe later.

I can still picture us sailing away as the White Cliffs of Dover fade in the background. The British Isles was such a romantic cruise. Yes! Post pics! It's so sad to not be cruising. The photos are helping the blues.
 
For those following along who are on the 2018 cruise, Victoria area is my go to area when I stay in London. I am going to London for a few days in December and I have booked Comfort Inn Buckingham Palace Road, which is between Victoria train station and Victoria coach station and beside the coach pick up point for Golden Tours Harry Potter Studios Tour. There are 2 Comfort Inns in the Victoria area, I stay at the smaller one , which is a bit cheaper. I will be doing a London trip report when I get home :)
 

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