Adventures by Disney Vacation packages??

[addidisney]

Hey,

I was just wondering if anyone has experienced "Adventures by Disney" vacations??? How is it, is it worth the money??? Also, what is exactly included in the packages??? Any input would greatly be apprecitaed!!!

I am planning to book a vacation for Dec. 2007 for London/Paris trip!!!

thanks!!!

[momx2]

I would love to know also. So, I'll give this a bump. :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc

[mommyintn]

I've not been one yet but I do have the planning DVD and the brochure and it looks awesome. While the parents do one thing they'll have something equally fun and exciting to do for the kids, example in Italy when parents do wine tastings the kids are doing gelato tasting. :) Here's the itinerary on their website for the London/Paris trip might give you more detail http://abd.disney.go.com/abd/en_US/destination?name=LondonParisLandingPage

[Beth76]

I just saw a link for these here yesterday. They look really neat! :thumbsup2 Hopefully someone who's been will see this.

[Magix]

I went on the London/Paris trip this May. It was absolutely fantastic!! Lots of little Disney-style surprises throughout the trip. The hotel accomodations were wonderful (although I understand the Paris hotel will be changing for the 2007 trips, though I assume it will be an even better place). Looking at the 07 itinerary, there are some changes to the trip, but I think it will still be extremely worthwhile. I was a little surprised to read that the Eiffel Tower visit will now be for lunch, instead of dinner and that no visit to Montmarte will be included. Montmarte was one of my favorite parts of the trip. Oh well, I recommend making the visit during your free time.

You will really get a great feel for both cities and will see and experience all of the major landmarks. You will have local guides who are extremely knowledgable about their city and its history. Meals are lovely and you'll experience some very top-of-the-line restaurants. There were only 3 kids on my trip, but they all seemed to have a terrific time and all activities were great for both adults and kids. You can really share the time together and enjoy the cities in ways that will allow everyone to get the best out of the experience.

I really enjoyed the special activities that I would not otherwise have gone through the time or expense to do on my own. As an example, after visiting the inside of Notre Dame, we were given the opportunity to go up to the top of the bell towers to see the views of the city (and the gargoyles!).

Just a great, great trip!! Well worth the price! I'm heading off on one of the new 2007 trips to "La Costa Bella" (Italy - Rome & the Amalfi Coast) next May with some friends I made on the last trip! That's the thing... everyone comes out of the trip feeling like family. I actually cried the final evening, as we all said farewell. The Adventure Guides were so wonderful and made every little thing so special. I still can't believe I went on the trip (it was my first time overseas). What an amazing experience. I wouldn't want to travel with anyone but Disney!

Highly recommended!!!

[bekkiz]

I really want to go on the Costa Rica trip! Unfortunatly, we're going to have to wait a while to raise the funds (got a Disney trip this Dec and then no more says hubs :) ), but the Costa Rica trip is one of the more affordable. I don't know what airfare would be like.

[Magix]

The girls I'll be going to Italy with have also done the Costa Rica trip. They said it was the best ever. Their exact quote was "You HAVE to go!!!" I probably won't ever make it to that one, but it surely sounded great from their description and photos. They loved it!!

[DisneyKevin]

Hi there,

Just recently returned form the Viiva Italia trip with ABD. It was AWESOME!!!!

Cant say enough great things about it. It was worth every penny.

If you'd like information regarding itinerary details, frequently asked question for all 2007 trips or to price a trip of your own, you can follow this link:

http://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/abd/

It will take you to the Dreams Unlimited Travel website dedicated to ABD.

If you'd like help planning your trip, you reach me at ABD@wdwinfo.com.

If you'd like to see photos of our recet trip to Italy, you can follow this link:

http://www.wdwinfo.com/pictures.htm

The photos are divided by city.

This is the trip of a lifetime. We had so much fun and meeting new people was one of the highlights.

I'd love to help you plan your ABD trip.

Thanks
Kevin

[April in Disney]

We are booked for London/Paris next June with the trip extended for Disney Paris. Magix thank you for the great review.

[PrincessMommy2]

I would love to go on one of these trips! But, I think it will have to wait several years because my kids are too young (5,3,1). For those of you who have done this, what is the youngest child you have seen and/or what is the youngest age you would recommend?

[goodfaerie]

I saw something about Adventures by Disney when I entered the YOAMD sweeps, and I am very interested in the Ireland trip--anyone been? Do tell...

Thanks!

:banana:

[ppiew]

We did the London/Paris trip in August. Don't know if you saw this report, but I will copy it for you. Just ignore if you have already seen it. Would I do it again? YOU BET! The price may be high, but the accommodations are second to none and the tour guides were the very best professionally. We also added on two days at Paris Disney and were treated to a ride directly to our hotel from Paris! Now how cool is that?? Add it to the first class chunnel, stage manager meeting after Mary Poppins, orchestra seating at Mary Poppins, lunch at Versailles etc etc etc. Yup - am looking at two different ABD trips for next year.. As long as they maintain the integrity of the trips, keep the top flight accommodations, I will certainly look at them first.

We took the ABD London & Paris last month -grandma (me), daughter age 41, granddaughter age 9 . Here is the 'lowdown.' First of all, a backpack was sent to us prior to departure. We took it with us and used it a LOT. Don't sweat the wardrobe. Everyone dressed in jeans or khakis every day and backpacked a windbreaker type jacket. Two evenings were sort of dressy, but suits for men were not ever required. I did see a few sport coats but that is all. Comfortable shoes are a 'must' as there is a LOT of walking.


Hotel VERY nice (especially by European standards - LARGE room). I would say comparable to a Marriott, Hilton or Hyatt in the US. Room had a 'Welcome" tote from ABD with a water bottle, deck of cards, bandanas, wrist bands (don't know what for as no one ever wore them), journal and pen for kids, umbrellas (used every day! ) There was an ATM and Underground access within a block of the hotel.
Evening reception had chips, pretzels, champagne, wine, and sodas. Guides gave an overview and passed out the lanyards and first of seven daily pins to all.
Dinner was multiple hors d'oeuvres size portions of a multitude of British dishes - pork pies, fish 'n chips, trifle, shepherds pie etc. A duo of singers performed and it was a lot of fun.

DAY 2
Buffet breakfast at hotel each day. Had a lot of stuff. Fresh fruit, yogurt, American dry cereals, scrambled eggs, sausage and cheese, bagels, muffins, etc. For touring, we used a 50 year old antique red double decker bus! Really neat. Had a British Blue Badge professional guide for all sites within London. Visited Westminster (very crowded). Walked past Buckingham Palace but didn't see changing of guard as it was raining and they didn't do it. Went for late lunch/tea at Savoy hotel. It was so so. Kids not too enthralled although there was plenty they could eat, ie. ham and cheese sandwiches, scones,salad, dessert, etc.
At Westminster the kids had their own tour guide. Saw the same things we did but projected in a kid friendly manner.
Night was a really highlight! Saw Mary Poppins (with GREAT seats!!) and were able to walk on the stage and talk to the stage manager afterwards. Everyone loved it!
Before seeing Mary Poppins there was a bag with a CD in it featuring the stage cast! Nice touch! Mickey shaped cookies were in our room at night. Also they gave the kids an alarm clock the first night and a one-eyed monocle to have on the London Eye. Have to admit though, the first day the journal was used and then put away! Too much other stuff going on!

DAY 3
Went to the London Eye. Didn't think I would attempt it because I do not like heights, but it was really great and moved very slowly. Kids got a simple plastic backpack that worked really well. Had a great view of London in every direction. We then took a short cruise on the Thames to Tower of London. Tower/crown jewels was pretty much on our own without a professional guide but it was very easy and waits were minimal. Saw the Crown Jewels, Beefeater Guards, execution locations, etc.

DAY 4
Cruise down Regents Canal in kind of a shabby canal boat, but it was interesting and fun. Donuts/croissants/coffee were served on board and then we went to Camden Market and shopped in and out of all of the funky shops. Then to Waterloo Station and the Eurostar. And this is THE BEST FOR ME!!! They took ALL our luggage from the hotel - brought it to Paris - and it appeared in our rooms within an hour of arrival!!!!
Whoopee!!!!

DAY 5
Paris. Great tour of Notre Dame. The adventurous climbed the bell tower - me I sat in a sidewalk cafe and had cappuccino. Lots of time to wander around the gardens, etc. After ND came my least favorite part of the trip. We went to Montmartre and to Sacre Coeur. Very crowded! Think parade time at the MK on Easter Sunday! We went for lunch and it took 2 hours! Could NOT hurry the waiter AT ALL. Kids ordered French Onion Soup (Appetizer) and some adults orders normal 'adult' entrees. Asked to have the appetizers and entrees delivered to table together and were told 'NO' in no uncertain terms!! It was funny! Food was good though. Wine tasting wasn't much. Only working vineyard in Paris and it is sort of a tourist attraction thing. Artist who drew caricatures of the kids though was really great. Each child got to keep theirs. Lucked out and saw a parade to the church with Priests and parishioners carrying a statue of the Virgin Mary. Sacre Coeur was jammed with people. We took a cog tram to the top as it is VERY steep. We did walk down though. Any deficiencies during the afternoon were made up with our night dinner at the Eiffel Tower - a big WOW on this one! Those who wanted to could climb to the top (not me!) but my daughter and granddaughter did it! It is enormous! Dinner was quite good too.

DAY 6
Louvre day was much much better than I anticipated. For me the Mona Lisa was a let down, but the buildings themselves were awesome! I was totally impressed with I.M. Pei's pyramid both above and below ground. Kids went together with their own guide and filled out a book as 'Art Detectives.' They loved it!! In the PM we had free time. Lunch was at Tuileries Gardens. Some then went on a Seine Cruise and ABD reimbursed them for taxi fare and for tickets as the cruise was not on the agenda anymore. Some others stayed at the Louvre or went shopping. Rest of day was free time.

DAY 7
Versailles complete with tour. Each of us had head phones for the tour. Kids got to 'solve' their Art Detectives question from the Louvre on the previous day. Tour didn't include the Petit Trianon but oh well can't have everything. Rains held off so biking was able to be done. Those who went had a great time. Lots of trails etc. Very nice lunch right on the grounds of Versailles near the gardens and fountain. Night dinner was at a French cafe and we had the entire building! Musician playing and everything! Small bags with 'goodies' were given to all attending. The guides showed a video of all the photos they had taken of everyone during the week - really nice! They said they were mailing one to each of us after the tour.

DAY 8
Here was a surprise for us - as we were going to Disneyland Paris for 2 days they actually had a van to take us (and another couple) directly from the hotel to the resort! Super! Didn't have to haul baggage unto a train or anything! Very nice surprise!

Prices also included all tips except gratuities to the guides, of which there were two. Porters, all baggage handling, meals, entrance fees to attractions, transportation to and from, etc. included tipping.

The guides were very good and had a huge responsibility. Roads (especially in London) have very heavy traffic and it would be easy for someone to get into an accident. We Americans tend to 'follow the crowd' and not pay close attention to changing lights etc. Often the entire group could not cross together so it was important to keep looking out for yourselves as well as the tour group.

The hotels were much better than I expected - London was better than Paris, but both were beautiful, spacious, and quite large by European standards. First Class on the Chunnel is the only way to go! Loved it! None of the meals were Michelin star calibre but all were very good. Guides were extremely attentive to everyone at all times.

Yes, this was an expensive trip _BUT everything was First Class and would do it that way again in a heart beat. There is one group loved it so much their entire 40 people are going on another one together next year!! Guess that is a testament to a quality product. I notice that in 2007, the dinner at the Eiffel Tower is \being replaced by lunch, hotel has been changed to a Hilton and Montmartre is no longer on escorted itinerary. Maybe all this is good - maybe not. Time will tell.

[SplshMtnLvr28]

3 grand for 8 days? I haven't done it, but it seems like a good deal... when I went to Paris with my French class it was 2 grand for 10 days... but our hotel was extremely crappy, and we made our own lunch and stuff like that. :p Of course, it is Disney. :p

I'm doing something similar to this this summer... 19 days in England and France, through this leadership program for high school students. It's a little pricier though, $5,399. :eek:

[JulieWent]

Can't wait for our June 8 trip to London/Paris -- also extending a little at DLP. Hope we'll meet up with DISers traveling, but I guess it will be less likely than on the cruises.

We're trying to learn a little French (since we already know a little English ;) ), but it's not an easy language to just pick up. I'm a teacher, and our French teacher is trying, but she rolls her eyes a lot when she tutors me. :confused3

Can't wait to hear from everyone who's planning or thinking about planning!

Julie

[LadyLion]

Thank you for starting this forum!! I am more a "lurker" than a "poster" but have searched quite a bit for feedback on the Adventures by Disney. I'm thrilled to now have a place to go to share my experiences and gather feedback.

We took our first Adventure in August to Hawaii (don't think they're offering the same trip in the future). It was the BEST vacation we've ever taken ... and we travel several times each year.

It was absolutely top notch in every way. Yes, it was expensive but I'd rather save my pennies and have an awesome experience like Disney provided. The guides were terrific - extremely helpful and knowledgeable about everything we did. They were great with the kids (which meant tears when the trip was over). The resorts, activities, food, and all the magic touches were truly Disney magical.

Disney did a great job in bringing the group together - we were with five families - but there is an opportunity for families to have "alone time" as well. We never opted for that because the guides, children, and adults all enjoyed their new relationships ... and, yes, we are still in touch!

That said, we are HOOKED!

We have now booked Costa Rica for spring break. And we're also trying to convince two other families to take an ABD to Wyoming next summer.

In our opinion, worth every penny!

[disneytraveler]

Thats good to see. I have booked the Viva Italia tour for Septemer 2007.

[LadyLion]

PrincessMommy2, sorry I didn't answer your question about children's ages.

In Hawaii, the youngest child was six years old. (The others were 8 through 16.) The trip was very active - lots of physical activity like hiking, snorkeling, canoeing, surfing.

The 6-year-old was able to try everything, but that is about the youngest I'd recommend for such an active trip. Note, though, that there are always alternatives (not everybody is expected to do everything). There were opportunities to just hang at the pool if that worked out better for the children.

Also, dinners and evening activities were never very late - usually starting about 6:00. There wasn't specific time built into the day for naptime/downtime, but that could be worked out by individual families.

The Costa Rica trip is also very active - hiking, zip lines, whitewater rafting (with a "calm" option), etc.

My first reaction is to say to wait until your children are a little older, but every family tolerates action at a different level so it's hard to say. The guides were just as good with the little ones as with the teens ... always related to them at their own individual level.

Hope that helps.

[Stepht5]

I am so glad to see these trip reports!!!

We really want to go on ABD in 2007 -- Dh wants Costa Rica (he goes deep sea fishing there) and I want one of the Italy tips. Our oldest dd (23) is getting married next fall and I don't how busy I'll be and when I'll be busy..... UGH!!!!

I have the planning DVD and booklet. And everything looks wonderful!!!

[fey_spirit]

Hmm I wonder if those who don't drink for whatever reason would be allowed to do the Gelato tasting instead?


I've not been one yet but I do have the planning DVD and the brochure and it looks awesome. While the parents do one thing they'll have something equally fun and exciting to do for the kids, example in Italy when parents do wine tastings the kids are doing gelato tasting. :) Here's the itinerary on their website for the London/Paris trip might give you more detail http://abd.disney.go.com/abd/en_US/destination?name=LondonParisLandingPage

[DisneyKevin]

It's funny you should ask that question.

I do not drink and asked the same question.

We were offered the opportunity to join the gelato tasting or have some additional free time to wander around the city of Siena. The wine /gelato tasting were the last scheduled event before we were to have a few unscheduled hours.

We chose to do some shopping and bought some beautiful pottery (which we shipped home) and sit in piazza and have a pizza and watch the people.

It was a beautiful afternoon and we watched the moon rise over the city.

Kevin

[Lizardbeth61]

Can't say enough about it and on the DVC board, they're waiting for a trip report. Will post it here when I get caught up.

However, does that fact that we're planning on doing the Wyoming Adventure with our kids (10 & 13) this summer and London/Pairs with just DH this fall tell you anything? I'd be afraid to try another tour company after such a fabulous experience with ABD! I don't think any could compare! It was practically perfect in every possbile way!

[AuntieM03]

WDW4life and I are planning on taking the Spirit of America adventure in 2008 to celebrate turning 40. I am really looking forward to it.

[Magix]

Can't wait for our June 8 trip to London/Paris -- also extending a little at DLP. Hope we'll meet up with DISers traveling, but I guess it will be less likely than on the cruises.

We're trying to learn a little French (since we already know a little English ;) ), but it's not an easy language to just pick up. I'm a teacher, and our French teacher is trying, but she rolls her eyes a lot when she tutors me. :confused3

Can't wait to hear from everyone who's planning or thinking about planning!

Julie

I'd highly recommend picking up a CD called "In Flight French". You can get it at any major bookstore. It's a 60 minute CD of native speakers giving proper pronunciation of different phrases and is accompanied by a booklet of all the phrases that's very convenient to take with you. It's what I used to pick up some traveller's French before the London/Paris trip. I only had 3 months from the time I booked to the time I travelled, so I had to pick it up fast. The CD was great and gave me everything I needed for travelling situations. It even got me through buying stamps at the post office, when the clerk said he did not speak English! Ha ha! I thwarted his evil plan and asked for stamps to send a post card to the United States. He didn't expect me to be able to do that, did he?!? :p

I've already picked up "In Flight Italian" for my trip next year!

[the who #3]

viva italy it was the trip of a life time. all hotels were luxuriious. one not quite as much as the others, but still very nice. i want to experience every abd possible. we were so fortunate to have the disney majic. :goodvibes

[MJGirl]

Magix ... Thanks for the heads up about the books. In Canada we have to take French in school but that was a long time ago!! :rotfl2: I'm also going on the Med cruise, so the Italian will come in handy as well!

I'm actually just got off the phone with the bookstore goes and they are holding for me ... I'll pick them up tomorrow.

Thanks for the tip!!! :thumbsup2

[LisaTex]

JULIE - We will be on the June 8 LOndon/Paris - can't wait!!

We had a greatime on our Hawaii ABD trip this summer - won't give particulars since it's not available this year :confused3 but it was well worth the $$ I did try to compare if we did the exact same things on our own it would have been barelyl less$$ and SOOOOOOOOO much more stressful!!
We would also have missed out on a lot of Disney "perks". Going with ABD again should speak for itself!! :thumbsup2

[JulieWent]

Hey, Lisa! Are you still doing the Med cruise as well? We opted out of it because we kept finding ourselves planning other trips to London, Paris, and other parts of the UK. We thought, "Hey, are we really going to the part of Western Europe that we wanted to go to?"

Cool! A fellow DIS'er and someone from Austin! (We lived there for about five years while my DH went to grad school. Our son is named Austin, so you can guess how we feel about the place!)

Can't wait. We're in Orlando now (at Universal for Halloween Horror Nights), but after this trip, we get to start planning for the summer in earnest. Yeah!

Julie

[DisneyMeMa]

If you haven't listened yet, I want to reccommend the podcast that Kevin and John have here on the DIS. My DH and I did the Italy trip earlier in the year, and had many of the same experiences that John and Kevin reported. While overall I think it is a positive report, it does tell everyone thinking about a ABD vacation to go into it with your "eyes wide open." Thanks to Kevin and John sharing their trip with us, IMO, many of us here on the DIS have an opportunity to have an even better ABD trip. By the way, we are looking forward to doing another ABD trip in 2008.

[DisneyKevin]

Thank you DisneyMeMa! :sunny:

Thats really nice to hear.

Kevin

[disneytraveler]

The Podcast echoes to much to listen to :sad2:

[DisneyKevin]

Hi Disneytraveler,

I'm sorry you are having trouble with the podcast.

I have listened to it on desktop speakers, laptop speakers and downloaded to an Ipod and have not had any trouble. The recording is very clear.

I have forwarded your post to the technical crew to see if there is something that can be done

Thanks,
Kevin.

[MJGirl]

I've been listening to it for a while now (on part 4) and have had no problems! I'm finding it very helpful and am now feeling better about justifying the cost. Thanks to Kevin and John!

PS: DisneyKevin ... I'm assuming you are the Kevin in the podcast, or is that being presumptuous!

[DisneyGirlie]

Wow, all of these adventures sound great. I'd love to do the Italy one.
Unfortunately, for now money has been spent out on vacations.
I'm going to WDW next month and next summer i'm going with my school to England and France, so that costs a pretty penny.
Maybe I'll get to go on an Italy ABD for my graduation present.
Although thats 2 years away... :sad2:
Oh well, I'll just look forward to it and enjoy reading everyone's reviews.

[disneytraveler]

Wow i finally was able to hear the Podcast! :goodvibes
Kevin ,
You trip must have been wonderful! And all the photos are stunning to. The combination of them really makes my choice for Viva Italia great. :cool1:

[DisneyKevin]

Not being presumptious at all.

It is me...or I am he.

:sunny:

[DisneyKevin]

Thanks DisneyTraveler, I'm happy to hear that it's working for you.

And thanks for the compliments regarding the photos. I took them all myself.

You cant go wrong with the Viva Italia trip.

If there is any way I can assist, you can reach me at ABD@wdwinfo.com or Kevin@DreamsUnlimitedTravel.com

Kevin

[disneytraveler]

Thinking about the podcast and cultural differences.
DisneyKevin

Were you charged for asking for butter in Rome or any place. I have traveled
over to Europe about 15 years ago on a tour and before going i knew about
the bread and butter. For example ,in Innsbruck there is charge for asking for butter ,no problem in getting it though. I remember dining with a couple from
New York and they asked for butter, but i tried to warn them. Well when they got the bill, they could not believe there was a charge for it. :rotfl: I was
laughing out loud !

Then while dining solo in Germany, i noticed pretzels were on the tables. :scratchin So i thought i wonder if they charge for eating any, so i did not .When i asked for the bill, the waiter asked me if had any pretzels :rolleyes: . I said no.

But i also traveled and stayed in Romatic hotels that had the best meals
ever!

[DisneyKevin]

Hi DisneyTraveler,

We were aware ahead of time of the additional charges at some restaurants.
We paid the bread and water charges and the service charges without question. I was not charged for butter but was told twice that it wasnt available. When I asked for olive oil (knowing they had that) I was told that dipping your bread in olive oil was not something people in Italy normally do. It's an American custom. While I was provided with oil, I could tell that they thought it was unusual.

I never found the additional charges to be out of line except for Harry's Bar in Venice. There was a service charge, a bread and water charge and an 18% gratuity added to our check.

We had seen on the Travel Channel that Harry's Bar was famous in Venice. Hemingway, Bogart and Bacall etc hung out there. It's also where the Bellini was created. I also understood that they served the "best ham. and cheese sandwich". So we decided to go.

Two very small Bellinis and 4 slices of ham and cheese sandwiche (1 slice = approximately 1/4 of a whole sandwich...so 4 slices was the equivalent of one sandwich) with all additional charges and gratuities was 80 euros or approximately $104.00 US.

While this was OUTRAGEOUS pricing....we were in a very famous tourist location (also very very small) in a very expensive city. We should have known better. At the time I was upset about spending that much on so little, but in hindsight....I'm glad I did it.

I will add that the bread (delicious) came with butter and there was ice in our water

Kevin

[disneytraveler]

I saw Harrys on the Travel and Food channel to. Thats is great !
Thanks again Disney Kevin :cool1:

[Lizardbeth61]

As I've mentioned,we were on the same Adventure as DisneyKevin and have to agree with everything he's said. We missed the Harry's experience, but had one he hasn't mentioned. That same night we (DH & I) met up with Kevin at the Cafe Florian in St. Mark's Square. The moon was almost full and shining over the water and there's a small orchestra that plays every night in front of the cafe. People were sitting at cafe tables listening . . . some were even dancing. We joined Kevin for dessert and tea and listening to the wonderful music. It was one of the highlights of our trip. I bought a CD at the cafe and I think it's my favorite souvenir. I can't stop listening to it.

So glad for the London/Paris adventure. We're going on that with Kevin in October. ABD rocks!

[DisneyKevin]

As Elizabeth said, she and her husband just happened upon us and we had a blast. It's amazing, besides the trip of a lifetime (hopefully, the first in a long line of trips) we made friends that we cherish. They are an integral part of the memories of that trip.

That night was one of those perfect nights that we'll be talking about 20 years from now.

We cant wait for London / Paris 2007.

Kein

[Magix]

It's interesting how many of us have made lasting friends on these AbD trips. I'm heading to Italy next year with two girls from the London/Paris trip. We just got together this weekend to see "Marie Antoinette" and re-live our trip to Versailles!

[disneytraveler]

Great to see that Magix :thumbsup2

[MansionHaunter]

It's great to find out how the ABD stacks up. I have been seriously eyeing the Ireland trip for 2007.

[MJGirl]

It's great to find out how the ABD stacks up. I have been seriously eyeing the Ireland trip for 2007.

You should try to get in before Dec. 2 and maybe get an early booking discount. I saved $1000 on my trip!

[LOLA2]

Why is Hawaii not offered next year? That is the one place I would like to visit!!

[ppiew]

On our London trip, they said Hawaii was eliminated because of lack of interest this year.

[wdwsos]

You should try to get in before Dec. 2 and maybe get an early booking discount. I saved $1000 on my trip!


As of last week (or even earlier), the Viva Italia trip was sold out with the early booking discount. There is still space left on most dates (I booked a client today), but nothing at all with the discount.

Some of the others are filling up, Quest for the West having little (if anything) with the discount remaining. The few dates I checked for the Vienna and the Southern Italy itinerary still had openings with the discount. I need to get moving and book my family trip before I lose out! It's hard to coordinate two adults and three grown children and their availability!

Dotti

[Computer Magic]

As of last week (or even earlier), the Viva Italia trip was sold out with the early booking discount. There is still space left on most dates (I booked a client today), but nothing at all with the discount.

Some of the others are filling up, Quest for the West having little (if anything) with the discount remaining. The few dates I checked for the Vienna and the Southern Italy itinerary still had openings with the discount. I need to get moving and book my family trip before I lose out! It's hard to coordinate two adults and three grown children and their availability!

DottiWhen I called last week for Quest for the West...For Aug and Sept only Aug 24th week had the early discount.

The 24th only had 10 percent openings left. Disney said they take a max of 37.

Now I don't know if this is true or a sales pitch from Disney.

[ronny1]

Yikes, glad I booked my Viva Italia trip....

[DisneyKevin]

I have confirmed that the early booking discount is sold out for the Viva Italia trips.

The Quest for the West and the Southwest Splendors trips are going quickly as well.

Kevin

[disnemimi]

Kevin,
How about availability on the Vienna tours with the discount? I guess we need to get working on this.
Thank you,
Disnemimi

[DisneyKevin]

Hi Disnemimi,

I believe that the early booking discount is still available for the Imperial Cities Adventure. (Vienna, Prague and Salzburg)

Please be aware that all early booking discounts are only available through 12/2/2006.

If there is any way I can assist, please let me know. You can reach me at ABD@wdwinfo.com.

Thanks,
Kevin

[wdwsos]

For the Imperial Cities, I checked all of June for my own trip, and those were still available as of a couple of days ago. I'm not sure of the others, but they didn't indicate that this was one of the itineraries selling out quickly. Our youngest (19) will be studying in Prague in the summer and we're trying to time the trip's end to the start of his summer program. It'd save me a fortune in airfare.

I think that as we get closer to 12/2, people will be pushed into a decision and many dates will start going quickly. I've only booked a few so far, but suddenly I'm getting a lot of inquiries! The thing with these trips is that you really have to have definite plans as the cancellation period begins so quickly after deposit. Even a change in date constitutes a cancellation.

Kevin, just curious -- what have you found the least interest in with the new trips? Are you getting much more interest in international than domestic?

And do you feel that you'd like the Southern Italy trip even though you did Viva Italia? That's my second choice (my first actually, but see airfare above) -- even though we'd repeat one of our days in Rome, everything else is new, and the Amalfi Coast sure sounds wonderful!

Dotti

[MJGirl]

...The thing with these trips is that you really have to have definite plans as the cancellation period begins so quickly after deposit. Even a change in date constitutes a cancellation...


Just wanted to let you know ... I booked the London/Paris trip back in Sept when the 2007 dates were first announced. I got the early booking and paid my deposit. Later, after the 10 day grace period, I wanted to transfer my reservation to my TA. To do this, they had to cancel my reservation and rebook it. Before I did so, they confirmed that I would not lose my Early booking bonus or lose my deposit. When I got the new confirmation, it confirmed that I still had the savings and my deposit was still in effect. I don't know if this was because I didn't change the dates or not?

[DisneyKevin]

I have had inquiries on just about all of the adventures.

I'm finding that the early booking discount is a great incentive. There are still some awesome savings to be had.

With only a handful of days left to reserve your Adventure with an early booking discount, please let me know if there is any way I can assist.

This savings is a GREAT deal.

You can reach me at ABD@wdwinfo.com

Kevin

[wdwsos]

Just wanted to let you know ... I booked the London/Paris trip back in Sept when the 2007 dates were first announced. I got the early booking and paid my deposit. Later, after the 10 day grace period, I wanted to transfer my reservation to my TA. To do this, they had to cancel my reservation and rebook it. Before I did so, they confirmed that I would not lose my Early booking bonus or lose my deposit. When I got the new confirmation, it confirmed that I still had the savings and my deposit was still in effect. I don't know if this was because I didn't change the dates or not?


Probably because it was technically just a transferral?

They have a better system now. There are just two faxes involved -- one from the guest saying he or she is transferring the reservation over to the TA, and one from the TA saying they are taking the reservation. Nothing else changes.

Dotti

[Stepht5]

Just wanted to let you know ... I booked the London/Paris trip back in Sept when the 2007 dates were first announced. I got the early booking and paid my deposit. Later, after the 10 day grace period, I wanted to transfer my reservation to my TA. To do this, they had to cancel my reservation and rebook it. Before I did so, they confirmed that I would not lose my Early booking bonus or lose my deposit. When I got the new confirmation, it confirmed that I still had the savings and my deposit was still in effect. I don't know if this was because I didn't change the dates or not?

Probably because it was before the early booking ended - jmo. I know I would lose if I had to change dates. Which is why I haven't been able to book - yet. I've been working on my 2007 calendar to get just the right date! LOL! Of course I wold prefer a May date (for the Spirit of America trip) but, they don't offer any! :sad2: I'm probably going to end up with an August date which I don't want -- 23dd is getting married in Oct 2007 and I'm going to be BUSY!!! :teeth:
We would be happy with any of the trips overseas (We've already traveled ALOT of the West/Southwest for weeks at a time) but, this year I want the East coast since we are studying American History this year (we homeschool).