In case you missed it, for the next few days I’ll be embarked on the Adventures by Disney Danube River Cruise and sharing my experience here. You can find my first dispatch here as we dive into Day 2:
Breakfast
Before we explored Budapest, we had some options for breakfast. There was an Early Risers pastry option in the lounge from 6 to 7. Starting at 7 and running until 9 was the main breakfast in the dining room. There was also a Late Risers pastry option from 9 to 10. We did the main breakfast in the dining room which was a buffet with a selection of server ordered options. The special of the day was chocolate chip Mickey shaped pancakes. The food and service were both excellent. We then were scheduled to meet our Adventure Guides in the lounge at 8:50 for our daily briefing. As we passed by the reception desk, we were given a color-coded card that would be our group. You had the option to bypass the first activity or bypass the whole planned day to do your own thing, but we decided to do what Disney planned for us. Our color-coded card matched one of the guides’ shirts and their paddle of power, so as we entered the briefing, we knew we would be with Joshua from Vienna today.
Budapest Central Market Walking Tour
After disembarking from the ship, we took a brief walk to the market. This venue was restored to its neo-Gothic beauty and is Budapest’s largest indoor market. On the bottom floor are food options, while souvenirs were on the top floor. It was hot, and a bit crowded as our hour there went on, but it was our own chance to bring home an item from Budapest. While there were a few gems to be found, a lot of the booths had the same items. That being said it was a good chance for those who did not have time in Budapest to grab something.
Lazar Equestrian Park
We then took a short walk to our buses to head to the Lazar Equestrian Park. On the way, our local guide pointed out the sights and explained more about Hungarian history, politics, and culture. We transitioned from the city of Budapest to the Hungarian countryside which took about 45-minutes, though I must admit, I did take some of the time to sleep off some of my jetlag.
The Lazar Equestrian Park is a rolling, pastoral, bucolic family estate that is part farm and part entertainment venue. It is operated by the Lazar Brothers who operate a grocery chain in Hungary. We were greeted by beverages and a snack before we could elect to do various activities. There was goulash making, a carriage ride, a small farm area with adorable animals, and some stables you could explore. We had about 45-minutes to roam and participate in activities before it was time for the show. The show features “csikosok,” Hungarian cowboys doing some fun tricks including the famed riding on the back two horses.
Upon conclusion of the show was lunch. We the family style meal started with a plate of salad, meats, and cheese. This was then followed by a huge plate of meat, fish, rice, potatoes, pickles, and more. Dessert was the choice of cheese or walnut-style cakes. There was no menu, so it was hard to tell what we were eating, but it was all very good. As we departed, we could also partake in the goulash our fellow adventurers made. We then made our way back to the AmaLea for our 3:45 all-aboard time. There was lemonade, iced tea, and cold towels to greet us upon our return. After cooling down in the lounge for a bit, I returned to our stateroom for a nap. During this time there was also a Teen “Tiki Pool Social” hour and a Sip & Sail featuring the cocktail of the day: Cosmopolitan.
Dinner
Dinner was at 7 and was themed to a Hungarian feast. I wanted to point out that there is less adventurous fare available every day for those who want, but I decided that “when in Hungary…” My selections were:
Appetizer: : “Hortobagy Husos Palcasinta Paprikas Martassal” A pancake, minced chicken, bell pepper, onion, and pepper sauce
Soup: Chicken Consomme
Main Course: “Langos” Grilled vegetables and garlic sour cream
Dessert: Traditional Somlauer Nockerl
Upon retiring to our room we discovered our pin of the day. Today, Donald is “Hungary for Goulash.” We also got a card that explained pin trading and showed some of the pins available on other adventures. We also received a recipe card for Hungarian Sauerkraut Soup. I went back to the sundeck around 9:15 to see the biggest church in Hungary- the Basilica of Esztergom.
Check back soon for more from my Adventure by Disney Danube River Cruise trip report.