Adventures By Disney Review: Italy & Switzerland | Day 7 – Mount Titlis
Tuesday, September 6th, 2022 –
Alright everyone brace yourselves… we are heading all the way up Mount Titlis today!
Today is the last day of the Adventure! HOW can it be!? Not only did the trip fly by, but this trip report did as well! I just want to thank you all so much for being here and I hope you enjoyed the journey as much as I loved sharing it with you. π
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here! There’s still a bunch of adventuring to be had and today was honestly one of the best days of the trip because we were going to Mount Titlis!
The Journey to Mount Titlis
We woke up at the Hotel Schweizerhof Luzern, which we just arrived to yesterday, and got ready for the day ahead! We had breakfast at the buffet, and then got ready to head on the bus out to Mount Titlis!
Reflecting back now, I can confidently say that this was the coolest excursion day we had. (no pun intended)
On the original Adventures By Disney Itinerary, it says today is the day we would have originally gone snow tubing. (which would have been insane!) However, we were sadly informed at the beginning of the trip that there was not enough snow for us to go because it just did not stay cold enough. Again, it is such an ominous feeling to travel to places that are heavily affected by global warming already. My heart just goes out to the earth and motivates me to want to do more for our planet.
Anyways. Although this was a bummer, this excursion was still amazing beyond words.
Mount Titlis was only about a 30-45 minute ride from Lucerne but the views were gorgeous, as usual.
Cable Cars up to Mount Titlis… and Cows!
We arrived at our first stop and took a cable car up one level. Mom was VERY scared of heights, but to get to Mount Titlis we had to somehow get up the mountain. Cable cars are not her preferred vehicle of choice, but after she said a few prayers and we enjoyed the beautiful views, we were there. We got some cool pictures and survived with no problem!
Before going all the way up to the top of the mountain, we did a little 30-45 minute hike to get acclimated to the climbing altitude. There were some amazing photo opportunities along the way, like this beautiful waterfall!
The best part, though, was this whole row of COWS just gorgeously sitting in the countryside. How surreal! They were the cutest things ever, this just absolutely made my day!
Flying Through the Clouds to Mount Titlis
After our hike, we took the cable car up to the next level so we could officially get to Mount Titlis. We were literally flying through clouds, it was so high up. The tallest point we were at was 10,000 feet!
Mount Titlis Glacier Caves
The first thing we did up on the mountain was walk through a glacier! It was very cold and dark, but there were fun colors lit up inside of it like turquoise, blue, purple, or pink! The colorful lights reflected beautifully on the ice. I was shimmying my feet instead of walking to make sure I stayed upright
After the glacier, we had a very nice lunch consisting of delicious potato soup (perfect for a cold day), Turkey, and chocolate mousse! This also included a stunning view overlooking the mountain!
We sat with Amy and Craig for lunch. Amy had such a fun energy and was super enthusiastic about learning about the digital nomad lifestyle. It really is a special feeling when people are interested in hearing about what you do, especially when it’s so unordinary! She was my fellow “take pictures and videos of absolutely everything on the trip” person, which I really appreciated.π€£
Mount Titlis Suspension Bridge & Snow Flyer
After lunch, we had a bit of time to do some exploring and take advantage of the activities! We went on the Suspension Bridge, which was a little wobbly but very cool. Mom did not go on that, which is fair because that bridge is truly… suspended. In thin air. Those views were pretty spectacular, though, and it was worth facing our fears!
You can’t tell me this isn’t one of the prettiest places you’ve ever seen in your LIFE!!
We browsed through the gift shop after that, and then we saw Anthony and the New England crew all hyped up. They told us we really should go do the Snow Flyer! We had JUST enough time to do it, so Dad, Jon, and I booked it and went on.
I cannot believe we almost missed this – it was my favorite thing we did all day!! It was like Soarinβ in real life – totally peaceful, complete stillness, and gorgeous views of the glacier. If snow tubing was open, that wouldβve been the way we wouldβve taken to get down there.
Down the Mountain, We Go
The ride ended and ran to meet up with the rest of the group right on time! It was worth the rush!
We took a big standing spinning cable car down the mountain and then got into the other smaller one.
From up above, down near where the hike was this morning, we saw Dadβs highlighter yellow shirt allll the way down there near the waterfall. He left it behind. LOL. We felt so bad but were laughing that we could see it from up in the sky. π€£
We rode the cable car down with Eve and Seth, who were both doctors. The funny thing about them is that they did the same Adventures By Disney China Trip with Shawn and Rob years ago, and now they all ended up on this same trip together again! What a small world.
Cheese Tasting in Engelberg
Once we got back to the bus, our next stop was to Engelberg where we got to visit a Cheese Factory! We got a little cheese demonstration from this pure little Swiss man who was running the business. He was like 28 years old and he won 3rd place in a cheese contest against Wisconsin! This is some pretty serious stuff!
This was actually a huge moment for me because this was the first time I have ever eaten straight cheese without a cracker or anything in my entire 29 years of living. I’ve always had a cheese taste/texture issue… but this was pretty good! I probably wouldnβt be able to do a lot of it, but I was so proud of myself for trying!
We bought a few things to take with us, like cheese balls and a fudge-type snack… but both ended up being terrible LOL. However, I did get a blueberry yogurt and that was pretty good.
We wandered around the beautiful grounds outside for a few moments, it was so peaceful here as well! We grabbed a group picture with our New England friends since this was our last real outing!
Then it was time to go back onto the bus and head to the hotel.
Shopping Around Lucerne
We had a few hours to shop and get ready for dinner! I went to my favorite stores of all time Jack & Jones / Vero Moda and got SO MANY beautiful things! It is an absolute sin that we do not have these shops in the States. It’s like a cross between H&M and Zara, normally priced, and great quality. I got gorgeous evergreen and plum-colored cardigans, and also a periwinkle sweater. Fall is on the way!
We also found a Mueller, which is the same drug store that we lived near during our time in Croatia! We even found a Dunkin’ Donuts! Lucerne truly has it all.
The Authentic Swiss Experience
We went back to the hotel, changed quickly, and then headed off to our farewell dinner! Can you even believe it!? Miki was wearing her beautiful authentic Swiss getup (it was Christmas colored!) when she met us in the lobby. We had about a 15-minute walk and then arrived at the restaurant where Alica was also in her beautiful Swiss getup, which we learned is called a dirndl!
Alica was accompanied by 3 musicians who were playing the authentic Swiss Alphorn right in the square! So amazing and beautiful!
They allowed anyone who wanted to play the horn, but that got a lot of mixed reviews from the group because… you know… COVID. π However, from what I know everyone was fine. Some people were really good at the horn! Others, not so much. It seemed like the people who played trumpets in their school bands knew the correct technique.
Farewell Dinner
Then we went into the restaurant and had our farewell dinner! We were in this beautiful room and the musicians accompanied us! They played instruments and sang us a fantastic collection of authentically Swiss music! The woman in the group was INCREDIBLE! Her voice transcended to another dimension, it was amazing.
This was such a heartfelt and warm experience. It was so authentic, showcasing the culture. And everyone was into it, we were all having so much fun. Disney even paid for us to each have 2 glasses of wine each so Miki and Alice did a beautiful toast, and it was party time!
We had a little table of 4 in the middle, the perfect size for our family, and then the California crew sat right next to us.
For dinner, they served a soup, I got the veal and mushroom sauce which was THE best, and then finished off with strawberry sorbet.
Music, Photos, and Reminiscing!
The musicians stayed with us through the first course and even had people come up to help them play the instruments. Dad got called up to play some cool instrument that I donβt know the name of, but he did great! The whole room was full of such special happy energy!
Kelly kept having the guy pronounce “yodel” in his accent and I can still hear it in my head LOL. I think it’s burned into the long-term memory.
After our meal, our guides took a moment to show us a little slideshow of all of the photos from our trip! It was SO MAGICAL to relive everything and everyone was cheering and awwβing at the pictures.
Wade definitely was having a party for himself and was yelling out commentary the whole time from the back of the restaurant. βTHATβS MY BEST FRIEND!!!!β is one weβll always remember in his southern twang π€£
Lots of Wine & Hotel Lobby Chats
Once everyone was all in their feels, (and full of 3+ glasses of wine) we packed it up and went back to the hotel. I walked with Erica and Wade (and it had started to rain) and got back to the lobby.
I sat down and talked with Shawn, and someone brought over another glass of wine. Shawn and I just talked about how phenomenal the Adventures By Disney experience was and how it really came down to the guides and the service. We both have that former VIP Tour Guide mind, so it was really awesome to be able to connect with someone who understands that perspective. We both agree that Adventures By Disney and Disney Cruise Line are Disneyβs best vacation products, by far and away!
And, I’m biased, but I can’t imagine having better guides than these two! Seriously, Alica and Miki thank you so much for making this trip so special for all of us. You are the definition of true magic makers!
Good Night, Adventures By Disney!
We all hung out in the lobby of the hotel until about 12 or 1 am! We didnβt want to leave. But it was the perfect way to end the trip!
Thankfully all we had to do from there was walk upstairs, but we said goodbye to everyone since a lot of people had early departures! What an amazing, magical, and wonderful experience that was.
Wednesday, September 7th, 2022 –
I woke up around 9:30 and missed saying goodbye to everyone but I needed to take it slow this morning. π We had a lot of wine but it was worth it.
I took a shower, went down for breakfast and had a little breakfast sandwich and mint tea, and then went upstairs and had to pack up!! We had bags out at 11 and a car at 11:30. Disney transported us back to the ZΓΌrich Airport from Lucerne, which was really nice.
Miki was there to send us off and it was just the most emotional and sweet little 20 minutes before we left. She told us how one of the guests gave her her brotherβs rosary, which just shows how much this trip meant to people. We just talked about how special our adventure was and how thankful we were for the experience! Miki was all teary eyed. It really was the most magical trip and she and Alica made it extra special.
We loaded up into our car and Miki pulled out her Mickey gloves to sent us off! It was so sweet π Iβm gonna miss this trip, it was a dream come true!!
Quick Recap of ZΓΌrich!
After the Adventure concluded, we went into ZΓΌrich but didn’t leave immediately. We stayed 2 additional nights so we could see a little bit more of Switzerland!
Some of the best things we did in ZΓΌrich were:
- Italian Dinner at Santa Lucia
- Went to Burkliplatz ZΓΌrich to catch a 1.5 hour boat ride around the lake
- More shopping at Jack & Jones and Vero Moda
- Zeughauskeller for the BEST Swiss meal ever! (I would say this was my favorite thing we did in the whole city!) The Alpine Macaroni, Apple Sauce, and Apple Strudel were to die for)
And for a little full circle moment – Our pals Rob and Shawn from the Adventures By Disney Trip were also staying in ZΓΌrich for a few nights, so we got dinner with them for one last hurrah! We went to a very elegant and historic restaurant named Kronenhalle and it was absolutely lovely.
That’s All, Folks!
Alright, everybody, that concludes our Adventures By Disney Trip Report! Once again, thank you so much for being here and for reliving the magic. It was a true joy to share this story with you and I can’t wait to see where the road takes us next!
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