Disney Magic 12 nt. British Isles Cruise 2017

[tink1970]

Did you get your deposits back on the cards? If so, how do you go about it? If we do go back the Oyster Card is something we'll probably need.

When we were there 3 or so years ago I think we went to a real person (several kiosks in Victoria Station) and did the dumb tourist thing "um, I think we're supposed to give these to you, we're leaving tomorrow" and they took our cards and returned the deposit (I think 5 pounds each). This year it just wasn't worth it to find a manned ticket booth and get it back...plus I'm hoping to return in the next couple of years. I don't know if the card can be returned to a machine and deposit refunded-that would be great. Perhaps someone who has done that can chime in

 

[BadPinkTink]

Regarding Oyster Cards, I wouldnt really bother trying to get the deposit back if there is chance you may return in the future. I still have mine, even though I left London in 2011. Ok I got back alot more often then you will, but the cards are still good. Any PAY AS YOU GO money remains on the card. That way when I go back I always have some money on the card. That way you dont loose any more you many have left on it and you dont have to get a new one when you go back

 

[jhoannam]

Can't wait to read about your Stonehenge experience.

 

[85glht]

Thanks so much for this. Your description is very similar to our DCL excursion in Edinburgh. Very crowded. Very busy. Herded like cattle.
btw - did you manage to grab anything to eat at the Stonehenge Visitors center? We didn't have time. It was just opening as we were leaving.

No we did not eat at the visitors center. The tour we did offered us a scone and a few other snacky things. This tied me over till we got back to the ship. Others on our tour have ventured to the eatery and they waited for what seems like forever.... we had to wait for them to return to the bus so we could leave. The tour guide also told us that the crowds seemed a little on the lighter side. If that is the case, I would hate to see what they consider a heavy crowd. They under built the visitor center, (too small) if that is the case.

 

[poison ivy]

When we were there 3 or so years ago I think we went to a real person (several kiosks in Victoria Station) and did the dumb tourist thing "um, I think we're supposed to give these to you, we're leaving tomorrow" and they took our cards and returned the deposit (I think 5 pounds each). This year it just wasn't worth it to find a manned ticket booth and get it back...plus I'm hoping to return in the next couple of years. I don't know if the card can be returned to a machine and deposit refunded-that would be great. Perhaps someone who has done that can chime in

That sounds exactly like how we'd approach the ticket agent. I would have attempted to return the cards somehow but it's another thing to you have to figure out.

Regarding Oyster Cards, I wouldnt really bother trying to get the deposit back if there is chance you may return in the future. I still have mine, even though I left London in 2011. Ok I got back alot more often then you will, but the cards are still good. Any PAY AS YOU GO money remains on the card. That way when I go back I always have some money on the card. That way you dont loose any more you many have left on it and you dont have to get a new one when you go back

You've got a distinct advantage so I can see why you still have your card. We're so far from London, it's impossible to predict when we'd return, if ever. Since we only used the tube for 1 ride back to Heathrow we never bothered to get an oyster card. But I know I would still want to get the deposit back before leaving London. Of course, with my luck, we will go back and the deposit amount will be higher!

Can't wait to read about your Stonehenge experience.

Great! It's coming up next so stay tuned.

No we did not eat at the visitors center. The tour we did offered us a scone and a few other snacky things. This tied me over till we got back to the ship. Others on our tour have ventured to the eatery and they waited for what seems like forever.... we had to wait for them to return to the bus so we could leave. The tour guide also told us that the crowds seemed a little on the lighter side. If that is the case, I would hate to see what they consider a heavy crowd. They under built the visitor center, (too small) if that is the case.

We never got the chance to step foot in the visitors center although it was open by the time we left and I didn't see the eatery. I can believe it was crowded. We ran in to crowds often with trying to shop or grab something to eat on many a tour. This was a common theme you'll see throughout this report.

We did manage to race through the gift shop. That was fun.

I didn't care for the design of the Visitors Center and I know they spent millions on the project. The metal pole overlay is a strange architectural concept.

 

[poison ivy]

Day 2 – London
Sat. July 8, 2017

Tour: Stonehenge at Sunrise; Oxford & Windsor Castle

Some quick points worth noting:

1. The Sofitel added the cost of the private hire to our hotel bill. JQ tipped the driver we think around £10 that morning. (still not clear on when to tip and when not to tip – I’m sure we probably over tipped many times)

2. The phrase “Stonehenge at Sunrise” is a misnomer. With a 5:30am pickup, the sun had risen by the time we arrived at the site.

3. We brought along a few basics:
(and could leave things on the bus since it was assigned for the day)

• Some cash in local currency. Much easier to manage on the fly. We carried about £100.
• A credit card with no foreign transaction fees. (Capital One worked well for us
• waterproof jackets & umbrella (it can rain at will)
• snacks & water (Remember, this was a 9.5 bus tour and the price didn’t include lunch.)
• and of course, rechargeable batteries for the camera

That's it. Now on with the tour

Only the 6 of us are scheduled for pick up at the Millennium. JQ and I were very grateful to a family who shuffled around to free up a pair of seats. Everyone else including Iron Man had exactly 4 single staggered seats to choose from.



We all settle in for a 2+ hr. ride to Stonehenge.



As we start to get close, our guide points out that we are passing the site. Surprise! There was Stonehenge, sitting in the middle of a field that the road literally goes right by.



We're told that this is the most accident prone area by the site, and plans are underway to close it and reroute traffic.


The bus arrives promply at 7:22 am. Gotta love the VIP status as security opens the gate just for you.



Operating hours are from 9-8 so both the visitors center and gift shop were closed.



But the bathrooms are open, to which everyone descends upon at once.



These are the only facilities at the site.



The English Heritage has overseen many changes to protect and preserve this site. Starting with their new visitors center built a mile away on purpose. You cannot see Stonehenge from here, and they strategically manage the foot traffic via free shuttles back and forth to the site.

We were provided a single shuttle bus for our entire group. Only 1 trip up and 1 trip back all together.
(travelling beyond that set of trees in the distance)



Before we exit the shuttle, this gentleman in an authoritative safety jacket steps on to recite the rules for walking among the stones.

1. only half the bus will be permitted into the Inner Circle at a time. You will be given equal time split among 2 groups. (I whisper to JQ – “we need to hustle and try to get in the first group”)
   
2. you cannot touch the stones under any circumstances
   
3. don’t try to get fancy and casually tap one with your foot. We’ll catch you.
   
4. don’t try to be clever and slightly brush next to one with any part of your clothing or person. We’ll catch you.
   
5. If we find anyone in this group touching any stone in any way, you’ll all be removed immediately.
   
6. There will be no exceptions.
   
7. So enjoy your visit but remember we’ll be watching you closely at ALL TIMES.

Well that was enough to scare me straight. There goes my big plan to feel the energy with a few stone taps. (thank goodness Orkney doesn’t have these rules - yet!)

But seriously, what was our day like compared to the general public? IMO there’s no comparison, really.

Here’s a video from English Heritage – imagine us as that first group you see, going in and around the stones. Then imagine the DCL busses as the site opens for the day with everyone roped off away from the inner circle.

continued....................

 

[85glht]

The constant reminder of no touching of the stones reminds me of the movie Stripes....
Francis, aka psycho "if any of you touch my stuff, I'll kill ya"

Honestly, how can one walk amongst the stones and not want to touch them? I'm pretty sure a simple touch would not move those 3 million ton stones. I think I would have risked it and touched them, just saying.

With that said.... did you "do it" ?? Lol.

 

[poison ivy]

The constant reminder of no touching of the stones reminds me of the movie Stripes....
Francis, aka psycho "if any of you touch my stuff, I'll kill ya"

Honestly, how can one walk amongst the stones and not want to touch them? I'm pretty sure a simple touch would not move those 3 million ton stones. I think I would have risked it and touched them, just saying.

With that said.... did you "do it" ?? Lol.

Omg. I'm cracking up. too funny.

It was very tempting but I kept picturing over 45 people hating me if we got ejected!

But I kept it close.....very close.

 

[poison ivy]

Day 2 – London
Sat. July 8, 2017

Tour: Stonehenge at Sunrise; Oxford & Windsor Castle
Continued…………………………………………..

Susan Greaney gives excellent advice in that first video to anyone planning a visit: Get to know the surrounding landscape as well as the Stones of Stonehenge before you arrive.

This is something I should have listened to myself. Regrettably, I can’t go back and change it now. Hopefully, you won't make the same mistakes we did.

The more you learn and understand, the more enhanced your experience will be.

Stonehenge, Wiltshire — 3000-1600 BC (built in phases)

Aerial photos and diagrams are a great way to visualize the various types of stones, and how they were strategically positioned.
They also help to understand exactly where and what you are looking at.


Each stone is numbered, with distinct identifiers:
(sample guide only - for example fallen lentil #156 in front of #56 is not labeled here, nor any outer perimeter stones)




You will hear many names and terms of great significance:

This website extensively showcases and photographs them all - http://www.stonesofstonehenge.org.uk/search/label

Station Stones : (small stone front center of photo - this is 1 of 2 remaining out of 4 originally)
"The short sides of the Station Stone rectangle are aligned to the primary solstitial axis (summer sunrise to winter sunset). The long sides are aligned to the southernmost possible moonrise and northernmost possible moonset during the year of the Major Lunar Standstill, which occurs every 18.61 years."



Heel Stone - "Traditionally, the HeelStone marks the place on the horizon where the summer solstice sunrise appears when viewed from the centre of the stone circle".



Slaughter Stone - (foreground of the photo)
"The name comes from the (incorrect) belief that it was the stone where sacrifices were carried out and that the red colour of the water that collects in the hollows in its upper surface was due to the blood of the victims seeping out.

In fact it is the iron in the stone together with algae that grow on its surface that cause the red colouration of the rainwater. The Slaughter Stone originally stood upright with its northeastern end planted in the ground."



Bluestones

Outer Circle of Sarsens (and Bluestones)



Inner Horseshoe of Sarsen Trilithons (sarsens and lintels upright)/ with Bluestones
(Including my favorite Trilithon (shown here on the right) – stones 154/53&54 – the 2nd tallest of the sarsens but the only Trilithon still standing which has never fallen and never been reinforced. A 10 ton lintel with 50 ton sarsen stones standing over 20 ft tall!




The Great Trilithon and Alter Stone
"The Altar Stone lies at 80° to the main solstitial axis beneath the collapsed upright of the Great Trilithon (Stone 55b) and its lintel (Stone 156), sunk into the grass. The stone itself was broken by the fall of the Great Trilithon's upright and is in two pieces."

Our Pic of The Great Trilithon - (left of JQ)
Tallest Sarsen stone #56 with Protruding Tenon (point on top) / pictured here alongside its partner on the ground - #156 Fallen Lintel with prominent Mortise (slot/hole) showing.

If you look closely, you can barely make out the Alter stone underneath the lintel which landed on it. It's that partially exposed stone in the ground directly below the mortise - bottom left)


Preservation and Restoration:
Stonehenge has undergone a series of major restoration projects which began as early as the 1880’s.

Here's a MUST READ article with incredible photos from the past:
(You’ll see some amazing pics. incl. where the Great Trilithon was leaning over and had to be uprighted)
https://www.silentearth.org/restorations-at-stonehenge-2/

And here's the English Heritage confirming that many stones are reinforced.

a few myths and urban legends:

There are a ton of videos and websites dedicated to Stonehenge and you can draw your own conclusions.

I'll share two:

1. That the Great Trilithon - is inscribed with an alien grey face. (this one’s For you @85glht)

Our picture



Hmmm........IDK..........Is that an alien?!?!

2. that Fallen Sarsen #14 is called the "Friar's Heel" derived from a legend that the Devil threw a stone at a friar, leaving the friar’s heel imprint on it.




Well that concludes our morning. I hope you enjoy Stonehenge as much as we did!

next up: sightseeing, lunch and souvenirs in Oxford.

 

[85glht]

See!!!!!! I told you aliens built it! Lol.

 

[rndmr2]

Found this TR last night and have really enjoyed reading. I am really interested in Northern Europe, British Isles type itineraries so this was right up my alley, LOL

Love all the Stonehenge pics!

Looking forward to more!

 

[poison ivy]

See!!!!!! I told you aliens built it! Lol.

very strange phenomenon that alien grey.

Found this TR last night and have really enjoyed reading. I am really interested in Northern Europe, British Isles type itineraries so this was right up my alley, LOL

Love all the Stonehenge pics!

Looking forward to more!

Thanks and welcome! The British Isles is a great itinerary and I can't wait to share the rest of our trip. Glad to have you along.

 

[poison ivy]

Tough to do an update with the tragic news in London, but I am getting ready to post.

 

[poison ivy]

Day 2 – London pre-cruise
Sat. July 8, 2017
Tour: Stonehenge at Sunrise; Oxford & Windsor Castle

continued.......

Let's check where we are to get a sense of timing:

At 8:40am we left the site. (20 mins. before the general public arrives)



The shuttle dropped us to the back of the Visitors Center.



I don’t know if the café was open. We barely managed to use the facilities and peruse the gift shop.
(which may have been open just for us - easily identified by the blue audio sets)



Our first souvenirs of the trip: Total £43.79 + Vat amount £7.30 (pd to English Heritage Trust Charity)
Cap £12.00 / Pencil £2.75 / Jigsaw £13.00 / Stones game £10.00 / Build your own £5.99



By 9:15am we were back on the road for another 1:15 min. ride.

Next Stop: Oxford

Since we didn't know much about Oxford, here’s a short clip to introduce the place:

But there’s a lot more beyond that brief intro. Countless historical figures, famous writers, actors and scholars have a long history here.

William Penn
JRR Tolkien
CS Lewis
Lewis Carroll
Richard Burton
Albert Einstein
Hugh Grant
To name a few.

Oxford was also the inspiration and filming site for many Harry Potter movies.

Our bus arrived at the Martyr’s Memorial at 10:30 am. http://www.sacred-destinations.com/england/oxford-martyrs-memorial
We would be picked up around noon at this same point.



It took about 15mins to regroup before starting on the walking tour.



Map of the main Evan Evans tour route.



So how was the walking tour of Oxford?

Hard to say really.

Several among the group broke away early to enjoy the sites on their own. We should have done the same.

We were instructed to follow Charlotte's umbrella and listen in on our “personal headsets”.
(crossing Broad Street at the Martyrs' Cross Execution Site - http://www.oxfordhistory.org.uk/broad/buildings/martyrs.html)



This quickly devolved into bad optics and bad audio.

The earbuds were full of static and you could barely see Charlotte let alone hear her voice unless you were within very close range – which was impossible with the size of our group and high crowd levels that day.

(follow the umbrella toward the Sheldonian Theatre - https://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/sheldonian/history/)



The tour did not include tickets to enter any buildings.

We felt very rushed the entire time.

Picture “Speed Zoo” in Clint Eastwood’s movie True Crime. (absent that bad stroller spill in the end)

Charlotte was swiftly moving from place to place – pointing here – pointing there.
As we struggled to keep up, not able to hear much and losing her in a sea of people, whenever stopping for photos.

(Bodleian Library and courtyard including the Tower of the 5 orders with the famous Bridge of Sighs up ahead)



btw - Notice we’re not eating?

More on that in the next post.

 

[Johnny Quest]

Speed zoo is a great comparison. It felt exactly like that but... we were in the stroller.

Oxford is a beautiful town, however you need to travel there from London on your own and spend the day. We missed a majority of the sights and shops. I'm not a big "Potter" fan to start with although the architecture is worth a visit.

 

[Iron Man]

Love this trip report, oxford still zoomed by faster than speed racer on a nascar track.

 

[poison ivy]

Speed zoo is a great comparison. It felt exactly like that but... we were in the stroller.

Oxford is a beautiful town, however you need to travel there from London on your own and spend the day. We missed a majority of the sights and shops. I'm not a big "Potter" fan to start with although the architecture is worth a visit.

Right. I'll add that Oxford is not a must do for me if we ever get back to England. It's a beautiful place and I'd love to have seen the sights but I don't see us managing a side trip here again. Too bad we didn't get to really visit that day.

Love this trip report, oxford still zoomed by faster than speed racer on a nascar track.

Iron Man! I'm so happy you dropped by. You were smart to stay closer to Charlotte. Definitely learned more about Oxford than we did.

 

[JenTen1585]

Reading your report, I realize how much there is to see in London and how you really have to pick and choose at all times, and always choose between getting one indepth tour or 3 surface tours. Your Stonehenge experience looks amazing!
I did the Disney family tour on the day we were in Portland of Stonehenge. The bus was comfortable and the guide was informative on the way over to the site. When we got to the site, the staff had our snacks, headsets, and water waiting for us, which pleasantly surprised our guide, who was used to picking it all up and schlepping it over to the bus. She asked the bus driver why we got the special treatment and he smiled at her and said "Disney."
As we pulled up the sky opened and our guide was so distraught for us, but then, miraculously, as we got off the bus, the rain mostly stopped and it was just a little misty - which for me added to the mystery and atmosphere of the stones.
We got in a line for the shuttle to the stones, and were on the shuttle in less than 10 minutes.
It was busy. It definitely wasn't the intimate experience you had, but I thought the audio tour was fantastic and really helped manage the people as you went from number to number and paused to listen about different elements of the stones. They had different side stories you could pursue - on the druids for example, or alien theories, etc. I pursued a bunch of them which left my family waiting for me to finish. While we only got to walk around the outside, it still gave me a sense of it. My husband would have liked to walk inside, but I understood that you can't have everyone walk inside as the ground is very soft and it could lead to the stones falling. If we go back, we may do a tour more like yours someday. But at least I got to see it! We took the shuttle back to the gift shop, which I went into while my husband and daughter ate their snack in the visitor's center. Our snack was this massive blueberry scone! I mean massive! Along with a chocolate chip cookie, which was also kind of like the scone. And an apple. Strange but interesting. I enjoyed the scone a lot! My daughter did not like it as much.
I got two blue stone necklaces, a t-shirt for my husband and a little lamb for my daughter in the gift shop. But here is the saddest thing of the trip ... and it still haunts me. I left my bag of treasures on the bus and didn't realize it till that evening after the ship had pulled away! I checked the lost and found but it was not turned in. I was so sad!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't think I've actually been anywhere unless I have a treasure to bring home from it! I did see however that you can buy the souvenirs online, which I intend to do for Christmas. I want that blue stone necklace!!!

There was a Disney photographer onsite as we were walking back to the shuttle. You can see in the background the amount of people they let near the site at a time. Not really too crowded in my opinion.

 

[poison ivy]

Reading your report, I realize how much there is to see in London and how you really have to pick and choose at all times, and always choose between getting one indepth tour or 3 surface tours. Your Stonehenge experience looks amazing!
I did the Disney family tour on the day we were in Portland of Stonehenge. The bus was comfortable and the guide was informative on the way over to the site. When we got to the site, the staff had our snacks, headsets, and water waiting for us, which pleasantly surprised our guide, who was used to picking it all up and schlepping it over to the bus. She asked the bus driver why we got the special treatment and he smiled at her and said "Disney."
As we pulled up the sky opened and our guide was so distraught for us, but then, miraculously, as we got off the bus, the rain mostly stopped and it was just a little misty - which for me added to the mystery and atmosphere of the stones.
We got in a line for the shuttle to the stones, and were on the shuttle in less than 10 minutes.
It was busy. It definitely wasn't the intimate experience you had, but I thought the audio tour was fantastic and really helped manage the people as you went from number to number and paused to listen about different elements of the stones. They had different side stories you could pursue - on the druids for example, or alien theories, etc. I pursued a bunch of them which left my family waiting for me to finish. While we only got to walk around the outside, it still gave me a sense of it. My husband would have liked to walk inside, but I understood that you can't have everyone walk inside as the ground is very soft and it could lead to the stones falling. If we go back, we may do a tour more like yours someday. But at least I got to see it! We took the shuttle back to the gift shop, which I went into while my husband and daughter ate their snack in the visitor's center. Our snack was this massive blueberry scone! I mean massive! Along with a chocolate chip cookie, which was also kind of like the scone. And an apple. Strange but interesting. I enjoyed the scone a lot! My daughter did not like it as much.
I got two blue stone necklaces, a t-shirt for my husband and a little lamb for my daughter in the gift shop. But here is the saddest thing of the trip ... and it still haunts me. I left my bag of treasures on the bus and didn't realize it till that evening after the ship had pulled away! I checked the lost and found but it was not turned in. I was so sad!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't think I've actually been anywhere unless I have a treasure to bring home from it! I did see however that you can buy the souvenirs online, which I intend to do for Christmas. I want that blue stone necklace!!!

There was a Disney photographer onsite as we were walking back to the shuttle. You can see in the background the amount of people they let near the site at a time. Not really too crowded in my opinion.

Great post @JenTen1585 and beautiful picture of your family.

Couldn't agree more regarding all the places to pick and choose from when visiting London. We barely scratched the surface and had to give up a lot in exchange for what we finally decided on. Incredibly tough to plan considering we may not get back there. I hope Disney cruises the BI more and more and keeps adding to this itinerary. Who knows? never say never! (still feeling that 2018 b2b pull)

I'm happy to hear DCL guests were given the white glove treatment at Stonehenge. I believe this was one of the first times Disney docked in Portland which makes it even more special. They won't be back until the WBTA - Sept 2018. So it's really great we were able to show both sides of what visiting Stonehenge has to offer.

Really sad about your souvenirs. Best case they were left with the bus company or at the port which is impossible to track down from the US. Love the plan to repurchase as gifts. I know I'd want to do the same.

Your headsets sound a little better than ours. We were given a plastic placemat type handout as a guide. If you look back, you can see I'm holding it the entire time. Somehow the numbered side was synced to our listening device and would play the corresponding recording when you pointed the blue transmitter directly on a particular number.

Evan Evans was very proud of this: (but I didn't learn nearly enough)

 

[JenTen1585]

Oxford looks really interesting as well!!! Beautiful and historic! And I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan, as is my daughter and husband. On our last day in London (after disembarking from the cruise) we went to Harry Potter Studios. It was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So amazing, well organized, beautiful ... and I fan girled all over the place. I really want to go back to London now for at least another week!!!!