Time to start the adventure! We met in the lounge at The Manhattan Club for a provided continental breakfast, to meet our guides and get our welcome gift. We had time to socialize with our fellow travelers and share the excitement. Breakfast was a tad below average, company was way above.
We were then herded downstairs and out to the street for the wildest and most fun tour bus you will ever experience...The Ride. Two highly energetic and fun tour guides accompanied the true star of the event, which was the bus. Not to give away surprises, but be prepared to learn, laugh, sing, and sit dance.
After working up an appetite with all that excitement, we headed off to John's Pizzeria. As usual with Adventures by Disney, we were escorted right in to our tables, given a history of the restaurant and treated to an authentic and delicious New York pizzeria lunch.
Next up was a sobering and meaningful visit to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. Included in our visit was the audio guide narrated by Robert DeNiro. The museum is extremely well done and is built on the footprints of the old towers. We had time to explore alone as well as spending time as a group with our guides filling us in on items of history only an expert would know.
We then boarded our bus and headed toward Battery Park to view the Statue of Liberty from a distance and have some gorgeous photo ops. If I had a complaint about this Adventure, it would be that this is as close as you get to the Statue of Liberty. I spoke with a guide about this and it was shared that that is a common concern. There would be many ways to incorporate a visit to the Statue of Liberty, and perhaps even Ellis Island, in the Adventure and I hope that's considered in the future.
Our evening ended at the Tribeca Grill, a restaurant partially owned by Robert DeNiro and decorated with artwork by his father. We had several delicious choices to make on what to eat, and beer and wine were included with our meal at no charge. We then had a special guest (no, not THAT special guest) who filled us in on history of the area and restaurant. That is one of the great things about Adventures by Disney...you may be able to visit the same locales, but you will not get the history and the feel and the atmosphere provided by the guides and guests. Their insights and stories richen the experience greatly.
Thank heavens for our wonderful bus that took up back to our hotel at the end of the evening! No taxis or subways for us. Style all the way and door to door service.
Next up? Stay tuned.
We were then herded downstairs and out to the street for the wildest and most fun tour bus you will ever experience...The Ride. Two highly energetic and fun tour guides accompanied the true star of the event, which was the bus. Not to give away surprises, but be prepared to learn, laugh, sing, and sit dance.
After working up an appetite with all that excitement, we headed off to John's Pizzeria. As usual with Adventures by Disney, we were escorted right in to our tables, given a history of the restaurant and treated to an authentic and delicious New York pizzeria lunch.
Our evening ended at the Tribeca Grill, a restaurant partially owned by Robert DeNiro and decorated with artwork by his father. We had several delicious choices to make on what to eat, and beer and wine were included with our meal at no charge. We then had a special guest (no, not THAT special guest) who filled us in on history of the area and restaurant. That is one of the great things about Adventures by Disney...you may be able to visit the same locales, but you will not get the history and the feel and the atmosphere provided by the guides and guests. Their insights and stories richen the experience greatly.
Thank heavens for our wonderful bus that took up back to our hotel at the end of the evening! No taxis or subways for us. Style all the way and door to door service.
Next up? Stay tuned.