The Dubai DO 2013, June 20-23, 2013 DXB
Feb 16, 2013, 10:04 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: UA MM, QF Plat, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott
Posts: 2,563
The Dubai DO 2013, June 20-23, 2013 DXB
I've been talking with eightblack and a few other FTers and will be doing a lot of the organizing for the DXB DO 2013.
The rough schedule is below. The dates are set and it's up to your schedule when you want to go from AUH-DXB which is a 1 hour drive. The daily events are still being planned and I expect the daily scheduled to be done in early May. The central hotel for the DO will be the Park Hyatt and there are SPH, IC, and Marriot options nearby.
Pre-Do in Abu Dhabi
June 19-20: See the post below for details
Come to Dubai Thursday night or Friday morning
Thursday
8:00 PM: Mumtaz Indian Cuisine at Arabian Courtyard Hotel and Spa
Accross from Dubai Museum, Dubai, UAE I have a reservation for 8 people tentatively.
Drinks afterwards: Location TBD
Friday
12:00 PM Brunch at Park Hyatt, attendees are listed in post 2
Champagne Package: AED 670
Sparkling wine package :AED 550
Wine package: AED 495
Non Alcoholic package: AED 425
6:30 PM Burj Khalifa, 125 AED and you will have to purchase a ticket ahead of time I am unsure if I will go at this time, but will post details for a meeting point for this.
9:00 PM: Suite party. I'll announce the location at the brunch or PM me. I ask that people BYOB, since supplies are limited by duty free allowances.
Saturday
Dinner will be at 8pm at Reem Al Bawadi - authentic Arabic food and Sheesha. Frequented by "tv presonality Heraldo Rivera" and other celebs...
on Jumeirah Beach Road
For those at the PH we will meet at the lobby at 7:47.
Sunday
Possible morning event
1:00 PM: Dim Sum at China Club at Radisson Blu Deira Creek
Regarding registration, I'm caving in and will be hosting registration on Eventbrite. Here is the link. When prompted for a name, but enter your FT handle or whatever you feel comfortable with...
http://dubaido2013.eventbrite.com/
For now, the only events listed are the pre-DO and DO, and I will be working out a pretty firm schedule in the next few weeks for the DO and a complete schedule should be posted by March 31.
I'm going to try to keep a list from this site in synch with the one at Eventbrite. For those I already have listed, if possible, please add yourselves to the Eventbrite registration. This whole Eventbrite thins is free and is only being used to simplify registration instead of having a 2,500 field spreadsheet.
The rough schedule is below. The dates are set and it's up to your schedule when you want to go from AUH-DXB which is a 1 hour drive. The daily events are still being planned and I expect the daily scheduled to be done in early May. The central hotel for the DO will be the Park Hyatt and there are SPH, IC, and Marriot options nearby.
Pre-Do in Abu Dhabi
June 19-20: See the post below for details
Come to Dubai Thursday night or Friday morning
Thursday
8:00 PM: Mumtaz Indian Cuisine at Arabian Courtyard Hotel and Spa
Accross from Dubai Museum, Dubai, UAE I have a reservation for 8 people tentatively.
Drinks afterwards: Location TBD
Friday
12:00 PM Brunch at Park Hyatt, attendees are listed in post 2
Champagne Package: AED 670
Sparkling wine package :AED 550
Wine package: AED 495
Non Alcoholic package: AED 425
6:30 PM Burj Khalifa, 125 AED and you will have to purchase a ticket ahead of time I am unsure if I will go at this time, but will post details for a meeting point for this.
9:00 PM: Suite party. I'll announce the location at the brunch or PM me. I ask that people BYOB, since supplies are limited by duty free allowances.
Saturday
Dinner will be at 8pm at Reem Al Bawadi - authentic Arabic food and Sheesha. Frequented by "tv presonality Heraldo Rivera" and other celebs...
on Jumeirah Beach Road
For those at the PH we will meet at the lobby at 7:47.
Sunday
Possible morning event
1:00 PM: Dim Sum at China Club at Radisson Blu Deira Creek
Regarding registration, I'm caving in and will be hosting registration on Eventbrite. Here is the link. When prompted for a name, but enter your FT handle or whatever you feel comfortable with...
http://dubaido2013.eventbrite.com/
For now, the only events listed are the pre-DO and DO, and I will be working out a pretty firm schedule in the next few weeks for the DO and a complete schedule should be posted by March 31.
I'm going to try to keep a list from this site in synch with the one at Eventbrite. For those I already have listed, if possible, please add yourselves to the Eventbrite registration. This whole Eventbrite thins is free and is only being used to simplify registration instead of having a 2,500 field spreadsheet.
Last edited by bschaff1; Jun 21, 2013 at 4:32 pm
Feb 16, 2013, 10:07 pm
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: UA MM, QF Plat, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott
Posts: 2,563
Pre DO Details:
This is the itinerary that FromNYC wrote up and has put together. I will not be attending this portion, so FromNYC is in the know for this portion of the DO.
WEDNESDAY, June 19
The Capital Gate is not far from the Grand Mosque, which is also a pickup & drop off point for the Big Bus double decker hop-on hop-off bus around AUH. You can buy tickets for the Big Bus at the hotel, and get the schedule from them as well. Note - take water with you; there will be places where you can replenish your bottle along the way. Dress comfortably, but also suitably for tea at Emirates Palace hotel later on. Get an early-ish start to the day.
1 - Taxi to Grand Mosque, depending on when services are being held, either take tour or wait for Big Bus there. Note - women will be required to wear a full burkha; there are racks near the entrance points to the mosque where one can be borrowed; be aware that they are fairly heavy. Also note that you will have to take off your shoes before entering any mosque.
2 - Take Big Bus to Sadayat Island, where the Park Hyatt & St. Regis hotels are, along with the cultural area being built with adjuncts to various world-class musuems. It’s rare that we get along the water, actually, during these Do’s, so enjoy a light lunch at one of the hotels after touring the museums and such, and look out over the water. Then get back on Big Bus.
3 - The Bus will stop for a bit at a shopping mall near Sadayat. This is a driver change point. There are some places for a tea or the like at the mall. Get back on the Bus when it’s ready to leave.
4 - The Bus will go through downtown AUH, pass the Emirates Palace, then go along the Corniche. The Corniche has various beaches, including the women only beaches separated and shielded from prying eyes, on one side of the roadway with the hotels and such on the other. If you have time before tea at the Emirates Palace, or its not too hot for you, get off the bus here and have a look around. If you do get off, you might want to take a taxi from here to the Emirates Palace hotel, rather than waiting for the next Big Bus: there’s a very long driveway from the street to the front door of the Emirates Palace hotel, and you’ll be beaten by the sun and heat if you take that walk. I didn’t want to do it last year, so never made it to the hotel.
5 - Have tea at the Emirates Palace hotel. Now, of course, you could do the reverse and have look around the Emirates Palace 1st thing and then go to Sadayat later for tea and such. I just took things in order that you’d pass them by on the Big Bus. If you leave the Emirates Palace till later, you could then stay a while and then have dinner in town (the Capital Gate people can make some recommendations) before coming back to the hotel.
6 - Taxi into downtown to walk around a bit and have dinner. I can also attest that the restaurant at the Capital Gate is good. I had dinner there my 1st night last year. Went into town for a meal at a Persian restaurant, just okay, my 2nd night, and had a good Indian meal in town on the last night.
7 - Taxi back to hotel, or go to Mosque for tour before dinner.
THURSDAY
These activities are all in the direction of the airport from the hotel, which is the way you’d be traveling back to DXB. Up to you whether you bring your goods with you, or come back to the hotel to pick them up before leaving AUH altogether. Check with the hotel which would be safer for your goods. If you want, talk with the hotel folks about having a guided tour of the hotel before you leave for DXB. We did this last year, and it’s pretty fascinating seeing the curves in action from below and from the top floor. You might also get a treat at breakfast if they’re cleaning the windows on that side of the hotel while you’re there.
1 - Start early to get to Yas Island and, if you wish, Ferrari World, right when it opens. Take a taxi. It’s not crowded when it first opens, but gets progressively more so as the day goes on. Some pretty good rides there, almost all of them indoors and air-conditioned, and lots about Ferrari’s. Additionally, or separately, you can go cart racing, or drive a fast car around their track. There’s also a water park. You can figure out what you want to do by checking it all out here - http://www.yasisland.ae/ Don’t have lunch here.
2 - Taxi to Falcon Hospital. Start by having lunch here, which is supposed to be very good. Then, take the tour. http://www.falconhospital.com/conten...1&submenuId=53
3 - Taxi back to hotel for tour, or head straight out to DXB from here.
This is the itinerary that FromNYC wrote up and has put together. I will not be attending this portion, so FromNYC is in the know for this portion of the DO.
WEDNESDAY, June 19
The Capital Gate is not far from the Grand Mosque, which is also a pickup & drop off point for the Big Bus double decker hop-on hop-off bus around AUH. You can buy tickets for the Big Bus at the hotel, and get the schedule from them as well. Note - take water with you; there will be places where you can replenish your bottle along the way. Dress comfortably, but also suitably for tea at Emirates Palace hotel later on. Get an early-ish start to the day.
1 - Taxi to Grand Mosque, depending on when services are being held, either take tour or wait for Big Bus there. Note - women will be required to wear a full burkha; there are racks near the entrance points to the mosque where one can be borrowed; be aware that they are fairly heavy. Also note that you will have to take off your shoes before entering any mosque.
2 - Take Big Bus to Sadayat Island, where the Park Hyatt & St. Regis hotels are, along with the cultural area being built with adjuncts to various world-class musuems. It’s rare that we get along the water, actually, during these Do’s, so enjoy a light lunch at one of the hotels after touring the museums and such, and look out over the water. Then get back on Big Bus.
3 - The Bus will stop for a bit at a shopping mall near Sadayat. This is a driver change point. There are some places for a tea or the like at the mall. Get back on the Bus when it’s ready to leave.
4 - The Bus will go through downtown AUH, pass the Emirates Palace, then go along the Corniche. The Corniche has various beaches, including the women only beaches separated and shielded from prying eyes, on one side of the roadway with the hotels and such on the other. If you have time before tea at the Emirates Palace, or its not too hot for you, get off the bus here and have a look around. If you do get off, you might want to take a taxi from here to the Emirates Palace hotel, rather than waiting for the next Big Bus: there’s a very long driveway from the street to the front door of the Emirates Palace hotel, and you’ll be beaten by the sun and heat if you take that walk. I didn’t want to do it last year, so never made it to the hotel.
5 - Have tea at the Emirates Palace hotel. Now, of course, you could do the reverse and have look around the Emirates Palace 1st thing and then go to Sadayat later for tea and such. I just took things in order that you’d pass them by on the Big Bus. If you leave the Emirates Palace till later, you could then stay a while and then have dinner in town (the Capital Gate people can make some recommendations) before coming back to the hotel.
6 - Taxi into downtown to walk around a bit and have dinner. I can also attest that the restaurant at the Capital Gate is good. I had dinner there my 1st night last year. Went into town for a meal at a Persian restaurant, just okay, my 2nd night, and had a good Indian meal in town on the last night.
7 - Taxi back to hotel, or go to Mosque for tour before dinner.
THURSDAY
These activities are all in the direction of the airport from the hotel, which is the way you’d be traveling back to DXB. Up to you whether you bring your goods with you, or come back to the hotel to pick them up before leaving AUH altogether. Check with the hotel which would be safer for your goods. If you want, talk with the hotel folks about having a guided tour of the hotel before you leave for DXB. We did this last year, and it’s pretty fascinating seeing the curves in action from below and from the top floor. You might also get a treat at breakfast if they’re cleaning the windows on that side of the hotel while you’re there.
1 - Start early to get to Yas Island and, if you wish, Ferrari World, right when it opens. Take a taxi. It’s not crowded when it first opens, but gets progressively more so as the day goes on. Some pretty good rides there, almost all of them indoors and air-conditioned, and lots about Ferrari’s. Additionally, or separately, you can go cart racing, or drive a fast car around their track. There’s also a water park. You can figure out what you want to do by checking it all out here - http://www.yasisland.ae/ Don’t have lunch here.
2 - Taxi to Falcon Hospital. Start by having lunch here, which is supposed to be very good. Then, take the tour. http://www.falconhospital.com/conten...1&submenuId=53
3 - Taxi back to hotel for tour, or head straight out to DXB from here.
Last edited by bschaff1; May 27, 2013 at 5:50 am
Feb 16, 2013, 10:10 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: UA MM, QF Plat, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott
Posts: 2,563
Dubai Portion Attendees
PM Me if you aren't on the list, I currently have 18 listed for brunch.
PM Me if you aren't on the list, I currently have 18 listed for brunch.
Code:
Arrival Flight Hotel Thursday Dinner Brunch Burj KhalifaSat Lunch Sat Dinner Sun Brunch armagebedar Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Au4882 Maybe Yes Yes 18:00 No Maybe ?? bschaff1 UA976 6/20 Hyatt Regency Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes DesertWeasel +1 Yes +1 DYKWIA No Yes No No No No EsquireFlyer UA976 6/20 Park Hyatt Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes FriendlySkies UA976 6/20 Park Hyatt Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes jetstr + 1 Yes +1 Yes +1 Yes 18:00 No Maybe No m3red +1 Local No Yes +1 No No No No ParanoiaTX LH630 6/20 Park Hyatt No Yes Yes 18:00 No Maybe No Peter Silberman LH630 6/19 Yes Yes Yes 18:30 Yes Yes Yes Pinky UA976 6/20 Park Hyatt Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes SvenVDM Yes Tahkuct+1 LH638 6/20 Park Hyatt Maybe Yes +1 Yes No Maybe No wolf539 EY 518 6/18 AUH (18-20), PH afteYes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes yul36 Yes Yes Yes 18:00 Yes Maybe Maybe
Last edited by bschaff1; Jun 19, 2013 at 11:39 am
Feb 19, 2013, 11:37 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: UA MM, QF Plat, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott
Posts: 2,563
The Abu Dhabi pre DO dates will be June 18-June 20. I'm working with a few other FTers to coordinate that portion. The Dubai portion will kick off on Friday with a dinner on Thursday for those that arrive early.
Getting from Abu Dhabi to Dubai can be accomplished a few ways, and is about a 60-90 minute trip.
Getting from Abu Dhabi to Dubai can be accomplished a few ways, and is about a 60-90 minute trip.
Feb 22, 2013, 3:54 pm
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Northeast Kansas | Colorado Native
Programs: Amex Gold/Plat, UA *G, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Gold, NEXUS, TSA Disparager Unobtanium
Posts: 21,603
Definitely in for DXB. Had a great time last summer ^
Depending on availability, I would also be interested in AUH.
Depending on availability, I would also be interested in AUH.
Feb 24, 2013, 9:12 am
#13
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Programs: UA-1k, 1mm, Marriott-LT Platinum, Hertz-Presidents Circle
Posts: 6,355
Although I wasn't consulted the last several years on dates this year could actually work. I hope to make the 1 hour plane ride from KSA.
Feb 24, 2013, 11:24 pm
#15
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: NYC
Programs: CO Plat, Starwood Plat, Hyatt Plat, Hilton Diamond, CO Pres. Plus, Hertz #1 Gold
Posts: 1,213
Here are some of the things we are working on for the Abu Dhabi portion. We are only just getting started, so no guarantees here that all will make it.
1 - Falcon Hospital - http://www.falconhospital.com/
2 - Yaz Island - Ferrari World Indoor Amusement Park, Kart Racing, Drive a Formula 1 car or other high-power car - http://www.yasisland.ae/en/visiting/...to-yas-island/
3 - High Tea at the Emirates Palace Hotel - http://www.kempinski.com/en/abudhabi...lace/overview/
4 - Tour The Grand Mosque - http://www.szgmc.ae/en/plan-your-visit
5 - Sadayat Island - http://www.saadiyat.ae/en/masterplan...-district.html
6 - Perhaps a little airport/airline stuff; Abu Dhabi International Airport is under some new construction - http://www.abudhabiairport.ae/englis...dhabi-airport/
Hotel central is under discussion, but a few of us last year had a great stay at the Hyatt Capital Gate, aka The Leaning Tower of Hyatt - http://abudhabi.capitalgate.hyatt.co...index.jsp?null
We might pull off some other activities, so come join in for a little adventure before DXB! We’ll sort out what’s happening which day over the next 2 months or so.
1 - Falcon Hospital - http://www.falconhospital.com/
2 - Yaz Island - Ferrari World Indoor Amusement Park, Kart Racing, Drive a Formula 1 car or other high-power car - http://www.yasisland.ae/en/visiting/...to-yas-island/
3 - High Tea at the Emirates Palace Hotel - http://www.kempinski.com/en/abudhabi...lace/overview/
4 - Tour The Grand Mosque - http://www.szgmc.ae/en/plan-your-visit
5 - Sadayat Island - http://www.saadiyat.ae/en/masterplan...-district.html
6 - Perhaps a little airport/airline stuff; Abu Dhabi International Airport is under some new construction - http://www.abudhabiairport.ae/englis...dhabi-airport/
Hotel central is under discussion, but a few of us last year had a great stay at the Hyatt Capital Gate, aka The Leaning Tower of Hyatt - http://abudhabi.capitalgate.hyatt.co...index.jsp?null
We might pull off some other activities, so come join in for a little adventure before DXB! We’ll sort out what’s happening which day over the next 2 months or so.