One of the most creative family adventures is the "Bardo Museum and Medina for Families" tour in Tunis, Tunisia. The Bardo has one of the world's best collections of Roman mosaics, and a visit to this fascinating museum will appeal to adults who love history and art. However, many children could care less about artwork made of small rocks. So, while the adults are touring the museum with a guide, the kids (along with counselors from the Disney Magic) create their own mosaic to take home. What a great idea, and a great souvenir! This tour also includes a visit to the old city (Medina) of Tunis, which provides a look at life in this very different culture.
Kids can enjoy another artistic activity in Florence, where they have time to mix their own colors and paint a fresco (under the supervision of an art technician and the Disney youth counselors). In the meantime, their parents explore the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.
In some ports of call, the Disney Magic has a family treasure hunt. For example, in Malta, the "Valletta Historical Hunt" is fun and educational for all family members. Each family group is provided a walking map of Valletta and a series of questions to answer. While walking about two miles of the downtown area and seeing the main sites, the family team learns some of the history of Malta while pursuing the answers to the questions and racking up points for the team. What an interesting way to get some exercise and learn something about a small part of the world!
Other ports of call involve hands-on kid's activities. In Naples, families can enjoy the scenic ride to Sorrento where the kids can make pizzas with the Disney youth counselors in a local restaurant while the adults use the time to shop or explore the Italian town. Pizza originated in southern Italy, and this pizza-making activity was so popular that it was expanded to include adults (on another tour).
Rome is a city with something for everyone, and kids will be exposed to the well-known sites such as St. Peter's Basilica, the Colosseum, and the Trevi Fountain on the "Highlights of Rome for Families" Disney port adventure. However, in addition to the touring, kids can enjoy a 45-minute puppet show with the Disney counselors at the Villa Borghese while their parents use the free time to explore the gardens or shop.
Although not all Disney Magic Mediterranean ports of call include special youth shore activities, all do include "family adventures". These serve two purposes. First, family groups can enjoy each other and the tours were designed with families in mind. Second, adults like me seeking to avoid children on tours can choose from the many other Disney port adventures. Families may be on some of these, but the numbers will be limited
Let's now explore the Disney Magic's western Mediterranean ports of call.
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