Adventures by Disney or another tour outfit (Trafalgar/ Collette)

[Ladyhawke10]

Hello!

I was planning on a european trip and called today for early booking, but found out that even though I am over the 120 day early booking time frame, the rate is sold out because there are also only a limited amount of spaces for that rate. So basically, the cost is over a thousand more (for two of us, between my son and I) for the trip. I guess when I called five months ago for info, they didn't have the info that the early discount is also dependent on number of bookings, not just time frame (120 days in advance) which had been my impression (unfortunately). Since I didn't realize this and haven't really budgeted for the price increase, I am considering another tour group since tour outfits like Trafalgar and Collette look less expensive and also have good reviews, from what I've heard. I am hoping if I go with Tralfalgar instead that it might be comparable. I know my eight year old would rather go with Disney but the price is a great deal higher than I had planned and I'm not sure I can swing it. What do you think--will it be too painful to pay so much extra for the same tour? Or will we deeply regret not using Disney for our european tour? This would have been my son's first trip to Europe. Thanks for help. I have no idea what to choose. Thanks :wizard:

[MJGirl]

Which tour were you looking at? Also, are you flexible with your dates? U did the London/Paris tour and it was fantastic. I have nothing to compare it too, but I can say that any other tour I take will have a lot to live up to!!

[Lovin' Lorne]

We've taken Trafalger many times and have always enjoyed it. Personally I think a lot of the difference in $$$ is because of the name Disney, not because they offer that much more.

[Ladyhawke10]

From my research into other outfits so far, I've become a little worried about spending too much time on the motorcoach with a primarily older crowd (not that my eight-year-old is unruly, but still, he enjoys other kids) and only a night in many locations because that might not get you the feel of the place, it would seem. Basically, I originally liked Disney's because it seemed more active. I've found a trip with Trafalgar that's deemed "leisurely" with two to three nights in most places that might work well- is in the same destination as the Disney trip was, and is actually a few days longer than the Disney trip and the cost is about the same as the Disney advanced booking rate. I might go with it, however, my son is still really disappointed about potentially not going with Disney. He wanted to see other kids and have the junior adventure guide. Thanks for the responses!! :goodvibes

[Lovin' Lorne]

I've found a trip with Trafalgar that's deemed "leisurely" with two to three nights in most places that might work well- is in the same destination as the Disney trip was, and is actually a few days longer than the Disney trip and the cost is about the same as the Disney advanced booking rate. I might go with it, however, my son is still really disappointed about potentially not going with Disney. He wanted to see other kids and have the junior adventure guide. Thanks for the responses!! :goodvibes

There's always the possibility that other kids will be on the Trafalgar tour. Every trip I've taken with them has had at least three or four kids on it. It's not all old people! Although it's no wonder people think that from their brochures! :rotfl2:

[CT4Explorers]

You may also want to look at Tauck Bridges and Globus as they both have tours specifically for families outside of their main tours.

Hope this helps!

[PrincessFi]

That's funny, I had posted on Trip Advisor that I was taking the ABD tour and everybody there jumped all over my post and said I was CRAZY!!!!! That I should be taking a Tauck or CIE tour and that they offer so much more on their tours than Disney does. So why am I taking this tour again?????????:confused3

[KLondon]

A few perspectives here.... We did Knights&Lights last July. We did a ton of research because the ABD cost is high - much higher than other tour companies. As well, I did a non-ABD tour of Europe many years ago - so there was something I could compare.

Anyways, my conclusions:

- if you break the costs down as if you were going to do the same stuff on your own (i.e. same tourist sites, meals, some hotels, etc.), the ABD costs are actually a bargain. That said, we likely would have cut corners on accomodations and meals (for example) had we put together our own 'tour'. In essence, ABD is well-priced for those people who appreciate going 'first-class'.

- following on to the first point... If we had tried to do-and-see all of the things we saw-and-did on the ABD tour, we would have run out of time. Plain and simple, we saw more on the ABD tour than we could have managed on our own. And obviously there was less hassle involved since we were 'taken care of'.

- We looked at other tour companies besides ABD for 'family friendly' tours. For us that meant *not* spending half the day on a bus, *not* being dragged through 'gift shop stops', keeping active, etc. We just did not find anything that we considered family friendly. That doesn't mean other tours don't exist - we just did not find them.

- the Disney name - to us - means exceptional service, etc. We're willing to pay a premium for this. As well, the fact that ABD has low tourist/guide ratios was a big plus.

Anyways, some of this is pretty subjective, I know. As someone who was *very* skeptical of the premium price for the ABD tour, I came away a believer. It really was worth the cost - so much so that we've booked ABD Costa Rica for later this year.

[dingoballs]

A few perspectives here.... We did Knights&Lights last July. We did a ton of research because the ABD cost is high - much higher than other tour companies. As well, I did a non-ABD tour of Europe many years ago - so there was something I could compare.

Anyways, my conclusions:

- if you break the costs down as if you were going to do the same stuff on your own (i.e. same tourist sites, meals, some hotels, etc.), the ABD costs are actually a bargain. That said, we likely would have cut corners on accomodations and meals (for example) had we put together our own 'tour'. In essence, ABD is well-priced for those people who appreciate going 'first-class'.

- following on to the first point... If we had tried to do-and-see all of the things we saw-and-did on the ABD tour, we would have run out of time. Plain and simple, we saw more on the ABD tour than we could have managed on our own. And obviously there was less hassle involved since we were 'taken care of'.

- We looked at other tour companies besides ABD for 'family friendly' tours. For us that meant *not* spending half the day on a bus, *not* being dragged through 'gift shop stops', keeping active, etc. We just did not find anything that we considered family friendly. That doesn't mean other tours don't exist - we just did not find them.

- the Disney name - to us - means exceptional service, etc. We're willing to pay a premium for this. As well, the fact that ABD has low tourist/guide ratios was a big plus.

Anyways, some of this is pretty subjective, I know. As someone who was *very* skeptical of the premium price for the ABD tour, I came away a believer. It really was worth the cost - so much so that we've booked ABD Costa Rica for later this year.


Well said! I couldn't have described it any better. :thumbsup2

[PrincessFi]

KLondon.......that's exactly what I wanted to hear and what I was figuring that the Disney experience was going to give me. Thank You:cool1:

[KLondon]

KLondon.......that's exactly what I wanted to hear and what I was figuring that the Disney experience was going to give me. Thank You:cool1:

My pleasure PrincessFi! One point I neglected to mention was that there were some activities (at least on Knights&Lights) that we would *not* have been able to do on our own. That is, they were experiences not available to the general public. I won't spoil any surprises for anyone contemplating the same trip, but they were very cool. I'm guessing this theme probably plays out on other ABD tours, as well.

[Lovin' Lorne]

KLondon, I took a look at your trip report and must say one of my biggest fears going in, aside from the $$$, seems to have been dispelled. I was so afraid that I'd be touring the countryside sitting next to Cinderella or Pooh. :rotfl:

I mean, sure, I like Disney as much as the next guy, but I have no desire to spend my entire vacation with the "gang". Good to know that was NOT a problem.:thumbsup2


Also, keep an eye out for a PM. I have no problem being "spoiled" for any surprises, and I want to know EXACTLY what my hard earned $$$ is going to get me. :)

[Ladyhawke10]

KLondon, I took a look at your trip report and must say one of my biggest fears going in, aside from the $$$, seems to have been dispelled. I was so afraid that I'd be touring the countryside sitting next to Cinderella or Pooh. :rotfl:

:)

:rotfl2:

[CT4Explorers]

PrincessFi - I think you will find alot of people are fanatics for one group or another. This year will be our first ABD experience since my daughter only thinks about Disney at this point. Last year, we went on a Tauck Bridges trip so we look forward to see how this trip with ABD will be similar in design or how different.

No desire to Cinderella and Pooh on the trip but Hannah Montana would make my daughter's dream come true.

[mwebsite]

CT4Explorers,
Please let us know how your ABD trip compares to the Tauck Bridges. These are the two quality family tours that I've looked into. We don't want to see Mickey in Italy, either, just want a comprehensive quality family tour. I'm especially interested if you are doing an Italy trip.
Thanks,
Monica

[ppiew]

In two ABD trips we NEVER saw a Disney character ( or any other) at all! What we DID have was excellent guides. an itinerary that addressed the young and the rest of us; excellent (large) rooms in first class hotels; transportation that could not be duplicated on other tours. The only downside I experienced was the meals were generally mediocre - but that is just my perspective.

[MJGirl]

The only Disney character we saw was Mary Poppins, and she was on stage in London's West End entertaining us and a few hundred other people. :laughing:

[Lovin' Lorne]

The only Disney character we saw was Mary Poppins, and she was on stage in London's West End entertaining us and a few hundred other people. :laughing:


Hey there! I followed the link to your blog as well! You sure tore it up, didn't you?! England, France, a 10 day cruise and two days at DLP??? It sounds like you and your DD had a grand old time. :thumbsup2

[carebear95]

Has anyone been on a Rick Steves family tour? He has a 14 day European family tour that seems pretty diverse. You start in Rome and end in Paris. I started out all gung ho for ABD but now I'm starting to question myself.

[MJGirl]

Hey there! I followed the link to your blog as well! You sure tore it up, didn't you?! England, France, a 10 day cruise and two days at DLP??? It sounds like you and your DD had a grand old time. :thumbsup2

Thanks ... It was an amazing trip, something we don't do often, trust me! We had a really great time, and we're still talking after spending 3 weeks together!!! :rotfl:

[whayes]

Has anyone been on a Rick Steves family tour? He has a 14 day European family tour that seems pretty diverse. You start in Rome and end in Paris. I started out all gung ho for ABD but now I'm starting to question myself.

I have not been on one of his tours, but being from the area where he resides, I know a little about his programs. I am also a fan of his guidebooks. His philosophy is to see Europe through the "Back Door". He wants his guests/readers to see the large sights and the small sights. He also wants his guests/readers to get down and dirty with the locals.

I have not been on my ABD tour yet, but by what I have read, they are all about the Disney experience. You are pampered. You have a lot of fun and go on a lot of adventures.

I guess you should only question yourself if you want to experience your vacation in a more down to earth way. I am sure you will enjoy either one.

Hope that helps a little.

[KLondon]

whayes.... You make some really good points about 'down and dirty' versus the ABD tour approach. I, too, am a big fan of Rick Steves' books, etc.

I think both kinds of vacation approaches are valid, but there a few factors one must weigh. Just one example - if you have young(er) kids traveling with you, the ABD approach can make sense insofar as everything is taken care of for you and the tour is geared to family fun. In that scenario, the 'down and dirty' approach *can* be stressful and exhausting.

When my family (with kids 14 and 11) did Knights&Lights last Summer, we elected to do a sort of hybrid. We spent 5 days roaming Southern England in a rented car prior to hooking up with ABD. While those 5 days were a heck of a lot of fun, the planning and execution to keep things interesting and 'easy' with the kids in tow took a lot of effort sometimes. My kids are great travelers, but we tend not to leave much to chance when traveling to someplace we've never been. Examples: we made sure we had B&B's booked so we never had to worry about where we were staying and we had a pretty good itinerary mapped out. Had we been without the kids, we certainly would have spent more time winging it, perhaps been more aggressive with how far afield we'd venture, etc.

When we dropped off the car and the ABD folks took over, there was a certain sense of relief (likely not the right word) that we were going to enter a different phase of our vacation where we didn't have to worry so much about logistics, etc.

Just one perspective :)

[Lovin' Lorne]

I "down and dirtied" it with a friend on my first trip abroad. We spent two weeks in the UK staying at Youth Hostels, dragging our backpacks through train stations and tube stations; up hills and back down them again. I was 23, my friend was 24 and we were in very good shape. I had been planning the trip for over three years, so I knew exactly how to get us where we wanted to go. We saw a lot of sights and met a lot of people. We had a blast.

We also swore then and there that we would never, EVER do that again. There can be a lot of stress going through those backdoors. I've been to europe four more times since then, all on tours. You still have plenty of chances to see the small stuff and hobnob with the locals. You also have a nice place to sleep and someone to fall back on when your limited Italian runs out! "Due cappucchino, per favore" only gets you so far! :rotfl:

[knelson]

I am wondering if you recommend this as a Christmas trip?

[knelson]

I am wondering if you recommend this as a Christmas trip?