What Is Special About Disney Adventures?

[RJake1]

We've been on DCL about 9 nine times. Did California and Europe. So we're looking for something new. I am intrigued by the Disney land adventures but I'm wondering what makes them "Disney special"? Are there character visits?
Disney themes?

How do they stack up price-wise? DCL is more expensive than other cruises but you get a lot for your money.

Any insight and opinion is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[MJGirl]

We've been on DCL about 9 nine times. Did California and Europe. So we're looking for something new. I am intrigued by the Disney land adventures but I'm wondering what makes them "Disney special"? Are there character visits?
Disney themes?

How do they stack up price-wise? DCL is more expensive than other cruises but you get a lot for your money.

Any insight and opinion is appreciated. Thanks.

Hi ... First I should let you know that ABD is the only organized tour that I have been on, so I don't have anything to compare it too.

I went on the London/Paris vacation last July and had the time of my life. I was met at the airport and taken to my hotel. All meals were taken care of except 3 dinners. All entries to specified museums/churches/shows/etc. were covered, and there was no waiting in long lines to get tickets. Our luggage was handled for us on all transfers as well. It was nice going on the Eurostar without having to lug around suitcases !

There were tons of little Disney touches on the trip, the best being the guides. They were very knowledgable of the area, spoke the language (French in our case) and were very friendly and outgoing. They made everyone in the group feel welcome.

During the tour, you don't get to see any characters, however, I'm sure you will next year on the California and China tours that visit the parks.

The price is steep, but when you add up all you get, plus the treatment you get, I feel it is worth it. I hope this helps!

 

[inkkognito]

I have done 58 Disney cruises, so I am quite a fan of Disney quality. We'd doing the Disneyland adventure (which will be my first ABD) because of all the special experiences listed. You get to see lots of backstage areas that are normally off limits, see Imagineering, the workings of some of the rides, etc. They are also offering "special VIP fastpasses"; don't know exactly what that means, but sounds like minimal wait times to me! I've seen good feedback on the other tours, so I expect this one to be on a par.

 

[LocustPoint]

We've been on DCL about 9 nine times. Did California and Europe. So we're looking for something new. I am intrigued by the Disney land adventures but I'm wondering what makes them "Disney special"? Are there character visits?
Disney themes?

How do they stack up price-wise? DCL is more expensive than other cruises but you get a lot for your money.

Any insight and opinion is appreciated. Thanks.

My husband and I did the Southwest Splendors this past year and are scheduled to do two ABD next year(Coasting the Golden State and Backstage Magic). While on our trip we did not see any characters MJGirl gave you the real answer. It was all the Disney touches that made ABD special; especially the guides. It is having all the details taken care of and when something goes wrong as it did on our adventure Disney and the adventure guides made it right. You probally would not get that from any other tour operator. If you enjoy DCL and are looking for something different look no further than ABD. You won't be disappointed

 

[JulieWent]

We did the London / Paris tour in early June. The little Disney touches -- special gifts, etc., were really nice, but the thing that made it the most worthwhile was the extra bang for our buck that the Disney name gave us. For instance, when we arrived at both Versailles and the Eiffel Tower, the tour group lines were VERY long. In both cases, our group went straight to the front of these very long lines. (I know, many people were glaring at us, but I didn't have time to worry about it.) When we went to see Mary Poppins in the West End in London, our tour guides arranged for us to meet the actor who played Bert during our dinner before the play. After the play, we got to meet (and have pictures taken) with the actors who played both Bert and Mary Poppins. I know this doesn't happen on every London / Paris ABD tour, but I can't imagine such magical things being arranged for us by any other tour group.

Julie

 

[nanaguide]

LocusPoint - I have another question for you. May I ask what went wrong and how did the guides fix it? We went on a Tauck tour to Australia and our plane tickets were messed up and our Tauck guide didn't help us much. We had to go to a Tauck travel agency in Melbourne and fix it ourselves. I'm just curious at how much can the guides help in difficult situations. Thanks for any input you can give me.

 

[LocustPoint]

LocusPoint - I have another question for you. May I ask what went wrong and how did the guides fix it? We went on a Tauck tour to Australia and our plane tickets were messed up and our Tauck guide didn't help us much. We had to go to a Tauck travel agency in Melbourne and fix it ourselves. I'm just curious at how much can the guides help in difficult situations. Thanks for any input you can give me.

Our bus ended up in a ditch in Arches after trying to backup onto another road to turn around. The hike to delicate arch had to be cancelled as they had to transfer our group to the visitors center until a tow truck that could lift the bus could arrive. Once the bus was out of the ditch the guides arranged for lunch in Moab for the group at a great restaurant and the next day in the afternoon when we were to have free time any one who wanted to go back to Arches was taken and we visited some of the Arches that are not usually seen as part of the tour. They handled the situation great and the group has some great stories/memories about the newest attraction in Arches-leaning bus!

Mary

 

[bicker]

We've done another escorted tour previously, with Globus. ABD is almost up to Globus' level. Everything important is taken care of, and it is a good mix of guiding and providing free time. The real advantage of ABD over Globus is that the group was made up primarily of Disney fans, so it is more likely to find people with common tastes and interests.

 

[mary1025]

On our Tuscany tour last May, we left early to spend some time with family in Germany before our tour started in Rome. While we were in Germany, both Alitalia AND the Italian air traffic controllers went on strike the day before we were to fly to Rome. ABD knew we were flying Alitalia and contacted us (via our TA) in Germany. Everything worked out fine, but our tour guides told us later that they were putting together a "plan B" for anyone flying Alitalia. Comforting to know.

Also, we had a pretty serious health concern with one of our fellow travelers while we were in Siena. The guides were fantastic. One ABD stayed with us and the other ABD guide (who spoke Italian) went with the lady to the hospital and stayed until she was no longer needed. ABD arranged for the family to be transported back to the villa (at ABD expense) when they were discharged.

Can't say enough great things about ABD. Seems a bit odd to focus on the misadventures to recommend them, but that speaks volumes.

 

[tiggr33]

Well, I guess I am odd person out. Allthough there were some nice touches with ABD. Overall, I would not reccomend the Imperial Cities as it is now. Maybe next year will be better. I had a good time enjoyed the sites, but it fell short on many items. The guides I had did not keep a good eye on the group. They NEVER split up, most guides will spilt with one in the front and one in the back. They were like high school kids, in a clique, always whispering and giggling. They were unprofessional, and lessened our overall experience.

 

[MJGirl]

Well, I guess I am odd person out. Allthough there were some nice touches with ABD. Overall, I would not reccomend the Imperial Cities as it is now. Maybe next year will be better. I had a good time enjoyed the sites, but it fell short on many items. The guides I had did not keep a good eye on the group. They NEVER split up, most guides will spilt with one in the front and one in the back. They were like high school kids, in a clique, always whispering and giggling. They were unprofessional, and lessened our overall experience.

I'm surprised about the guides. Our guides always had one at the front and one at the end. I especially felt bad as I was the one at the end of the line for the Notre Dame climb. I wasn't going to do it, but the guide convinced me to, and encouraged me all the way. (I'm not exactly the most fit person.) I was extremely happy at the end that I completed the climb, and even happier to hear the fit guide also huffing and puffing a little when we reached the top!