ABD Announces Private Adventures for 5 Countries

[CaliKris]

What I read is that if you had, say, the 6-7 person rate for your trip because you had 6 people, and one person cancels, so you now have 5 people, ABD reserves the right to charge you the 4-5 person rate instead of the 6-7 person rate.

The verbiage from the ABD website is:

And I can understand this. If the price per person were locked when you book, someone might get 4 friends to sign up with their family of 4, and they'd get the 8-12 person rate. Then the other 4 could cancel prior to 14 days, and get their deposits back, but the price per person is locked. Since the rate is tied to the number of people (NOT a price for the entire group), I totally understand that ABD would do this. They're just trying to protect themselves.

Personally, before I signed up for anything, I'd ask to get it in writing from ABD how that works. I would never give them carte blanche to charge whatever they want if someone cancels. They need to be more specific as to how that increased price would be derived, and what the limitations on the increase would be.

Sayhello

Thanks so much for the clarification @sayhello. That makes much more sense. I was having trouble finding this information on the ABD website.

 

[sayhello]

Thanks so much for the clarification @sayhello. That makes much more sense. I was having trouble finding this information on the ABD website.

If you go to the Rates & Dates tab for any of the new Private Adventures, it's in the notes section at the bottom of that page, in the paragraph that starts with "AIRFARE TO AND FROM DESTINATION IS NOT INCLUDED IN PRICES."

Like here:

https://www.adventuresbydisney.com/europe/greece-private-adventure/rates-dates/

Sayhello

 

[abdgeek]

I called ABD today to see how the Private Adventures would work. The vacationista was very helpful and did confirm that the price would change if the number of people who originally reserved the trip changed. She also said that the process to book the trips would take time. Once the guest chooses the dates they want for the trip, ABD has to confirm that the ABD local guide is available. There will be a lot of correspondence back and forth. Unlike the regular ABDs that have a US and a local guide, there will only be a local ABD guide on the Private Adventures. I’m super excited that guests will be able to pick the dates they want with these trips. The vacationista said these trips were developed partly due to Covid and partly due to customer suggestions.

 

[sayhello]

I called ABD today to see how the Private Adventures would work. The vacationista was very helpful and did confirm that the price would change if the number of people who originally reserved the trip changed. She also said that the process to book the trips would take time. Once the guest chooses the dates they want for the trip, ABD has to confirm that the ABD local guide is available. There will be a lot of correspondence back and forth. Unlike the regular ABDs that have a US and a local guide, there will only be a local ABD guide on the Private Adventures. I’m super excited that guests will be able to pick the dates they want with these trips. The vacationista said these trips were developed partly due to Covid and partly due to customer suggestions.

Are there going to be any local Guides, or just a local Adventure Guide?

Sayhello

 

[orion2185]

just wondering why no Africa private tip? (not sure if it's logistics, costs or covid releated)
Do you think this is a trip that ABD will offer in the future?

 

[abdgeek]

Are there going to be any local Guides, or just a local Adventure Guide?

Sayhello

I asked the vacationista if they would have the same configuration of ABD guides that the regular ABD trips have. The vacationista said the Private Adventure, depending on group size, would only have an ABD trained local guide, not the US one--not sure if that's the case if there are 12 people. I took that to mean that the local ABD guide that knows the language is the one who will do the Private Adventures. She mentioned that the local guide would be better versed in the language of the country.

Because I know you travel solo also, below are some of the answers to the questions I asked. I specifically asked the vacationista if this was designed for solo travelers and they said yes.

1) Who are the Private Adventures geared toward? The Private Adventures are designed for travelers who want a private tour experience or who only want to travel with their family or close friends in a smaller group.
2) Why are some of the Private Adventure hotels different from the large ABD tour to that destination? Different hotels have different contract requirements. Some hotels require a minimum number of travelers in order for the hotel to be used and would not be feasible for the Private Adventures.
3) Why are some of the Private Adventure itineraries different from the large ABD tour? Private Adventures are designed for travelers who want to maximize the amount of time spent with their family on the tour. Therefore, meals provided and sites visited may vary slightly. That allows families more time on their own to experience the area.
4) Are pre and post nights still available for Private Adventures? Yes. All requests for pre and post nights will be confirmed with the hotel to see if they can accommodate the request.
5) What mode of transportation will be used daily to reach the itinerary activities? The mode of transportation will vary based on the number of guests. Possible modes of transportation include: car, van, taxi, etc.
6) Can the price of the Private Adventure change once it is booked? Yes, the price of the adventure can change if some guests in the party cancel or are added to the reservation. If some of the guests cancel, the remaining guests would need to pay the difference in the per person cost. Unlike the large ABD trips, ABD cannot sell the lost seats on a Private Adventure and there may be cancellation fees that are imposed by the country vendor. That tells me that anyone booking a Private Adventure should be prepared to pay more per person if someone in their party has to cancel.
7) Are there specific dates for the Private Adventures? No. Once the booking window opens, guests will let ABD know which date they are interested in traveling and ABD will confirm if that date is available for that destination. Of course, you can only book Private Adventures from April 21-March 22 for now.

I hope this information helps. Although the price can be more than the large ABD tours, it really seems that ABD has listened to customer feedback with regards to people wanting smaller tour group options. Let's hope they add some of the other destinations soon. I would imagine that they will see how much demand they see for the initial trips before they add more.

 

[CaliKris]

I would also like to see ABD add small group travel as an option with one ABD guide and the same itinerary as the large groups. I took a Tauck trip that could book up to 24 but only ended up having 13 of us. It was so easy to get to know everyone on the trip and we still had large buses (would be easy to social distance). That way for those of us who enjoy meeting new people on tours it would be a safer option. I think the days of having 40 people on a tour are over for quite a while. I went on one short escape ABD with 40 other travelers and it was far too many people for my taste (pre-Covid). I would rather spend more money and have a smaller group which equals a better experience overall.

 

[sayhello]

I would also like to see ABD add small group travel as an option with one ABD guide and the same itinerary as the large groups. I took a Tauck trip that could book up to 24 but only ended up having 13 of us. It was so easy to get to know everyone on the trip and we still had large buses (would be easy to social distance). That way for those of us who enjoy meeting new people on tours it would be a safer option. I think the days of having 40 people on a tour are over for quite a while. I went on one short escape ABD with 40 other travelers and it was far too many people for my taste (pre-Covid). I would rather spend more money and have a smaller group which equals a better experience overall.

I totally agree with this!

Sayhello

 

[CaliKris]

I totally agree with this!

Sayhello

Hopefully, ABD is reading these boards and/or are already considering this option.

 

[AquaDame]

Agreed - Disney's own guides are the draw for me. I can hire guides on my own or through other companies also without paying the premium. We've done that twice now and had no problems and great trips...

 

[aggiedog]

We were slated to do a private G Adventures tour to Japan for this December. There were no meals included, but the rep I was working with said that with private groups it's preferable because you can choose what your family wants - the guide can help with picking restaurants or types of food, but there's more flexibility on where you go. For us, that was a selling point because we're foodies and love to try new things. We're also happy sometimes with a big bowl of ramen and don't always need fancy full sit down meals.

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

I wonder if someone cancels thus forcing the others to absorb the cost whether you can cancel and get your deposits back. For example, you book with a few other families and one family cancels. They presumably loose their deposits. Now is the only choice for the remaining families to absorb the cost or can they now cancel AND get their deposits back?

 

[sayhello]

I wonder if someone cancels thus forcing the others to absorb the cost whether you can cancel and get your deposits back. For example, you book with a few other families and one family cancels. They presumably loose their deposits. Now is the only choice for the remaining families to absorb the cost or can they now cancel AND get their deposits back?

That's a good question, but I would highly doubt you'd get your deposits back. But, depending on why they cancelled, trip insurance *might* cover the increase. I know if you're traveling with someone, and they cancel for a covered reason, and you end up having to pay a Single Supplement, that that is frequently covered.

Sayhello

 

[Sakura1017]

I agree! They love to keep your deposits. Plus if a group cancels, I know it will raise your final costs. But one thing to ask them is that if that family backs out, they lose their deposit. So technically those funds should go towards the final cost as well.

 

[BadPinkTink]

For those of you not liking the limited meals on offer, the hospitality sector in Europe right now is being decimated. Huge numbers of independent restaurants will not reopen in 2021. The large hotel chains will survive, so including breakfasts at the hotels that ABD have block booked makes sense. For the other meals, right now many restaurants that ABD would normally booked are most likely closed. It would not be a good idea to include meals in restaurants for summer 2021 when those restaurants may never reopen.

Italy closes gyms, shuts eateries early to fight COVID-19
https://apnews.com/article/pandemic...-restaurants-9f33d9fdc6a07e466116b35cbd8a0092
Sunday 25 October 2020
Restaurant and bar owners had lobbied hard against the new measures, which orders them to close at 6 p.m. Most restaurants in Italy usually don’t even start to serve dinner before 8 p.m. Cafes and restaurants were allowed in recent months to re-open for outdoor dining or limited indoor seating. But many are struggling to pay their bills and some have already failed after tourists were banned from the United States and many other countries.

Greece Restaurant Restrictions
https://news.gtp.gr/2020/09/08/greek-restaurant-owners-shut-doors-protest-covid-19-curfew/The restrictions, which include a curfew (mandatory closure of restaurants and bars at midnight) and a limit of four people (six if they are family members) at restaurant or café tables, since August have been imposed in the cities of Athens, Thessaloniki and a number of popular Greek destinations such as Heraklion and Chania on Crete, Zakynthos, Lesvos, Halkidiki, Mykonos, Paros and Antiparos.

 

[sayhello]

I agree! They love to keep your deposits. Plus if a group cancels, I know it will raise your final costs. But one thing to ask them is that if that family backs out, they lose their deposit. So technically those funds should go towards the final cost as well.

That is a *really* good point!

Sayhello

 

[Magnum_PI]

Dang, I was pretty keen on switching to a private adventure until I read on here that there is no ABD adventure guide accompanying you on the trip. I've never done an ABD before, but the guides seem like a big part of the experience, no?

 

[sayhello]

Dang, I was pretty keen on switching to a private adventure until I read on here that there is no ABD adventure guide accompanying you on the trip. I've never done an ABD before, but the guides seem like a big part of the experience, no?

There *is* an ABD Adventure Guide accompanying you on the trip. But it will be the Local ABD Guide. Most ABD's, you have an Adventure Guide who's from the US (and generally does ABD's all over the world) and an Adventure Guide who is from the country you are visiting, and just does ABD trips there. Both are trained by ABD. This is not always true, and can be affected by the rules/laws in the country, but it's usually true. What they are saying is that for the Private trips, you'll only get the Adventure Guide who is from the country you are visiting. (When I went to London/Paris, one of our Guides was American, one was from London. When I went to China, one of our Guides was American, the other was Chinese. In Japan, one Guide was American - but grew up in Japan - and the other Guide was Japanese.) Logistically, if you're only going to have one Adventure Guide, it's better to have someone local who knows how things work there & speaks the language fluently (and some countries, like Greece, require that one of the Guides must be Greek. So one American Guide & one Greek Guide when I did that ABD.)

Honestly, it seems like it gives them more ability to keep the non-domestic Guides employed, too.

Sayhello

 

[Magnum_PI]

There *is* an ABD Adventure Guide accompanying you on the trip. But it will be the Local ABD Guide. Most ABD's, you have an Adventure Guide who's from the US (and generally does ABD's all over the world) and an Adventure Guide who is from the country you are visiting, and just does ABD trips there. Both are trained by ABD. This is not always true, and can be affected by the rules/laws in the country, but it's usually true. What they are saying is that for the Private trips, you'll only get the Adventure Guide who is from the country you are visiting. (When I went to London/Paris, one of our Guides was American, one was from London. When I went to China, one of our Guides was American, the other was Chinese. In Japan, one Guide was American - but grew up in Japan - and the other Guide was Japanese.) Logistically, if you're only going to have one Adventure Guide, it's better to have someone local who knows how things work there & speaks the language fluently (and some countries, like Greece, require that one of the Guides must be Greek. So one American Guide & one Greek Guide when I did that ABD.)

Honestly, it seems like it gives them more ability to keep the non-domestic Guides employed, too.

Sayhello

Thanks, @sayhello ! This is helpful. I misunderstood, and had thought the guide was a "local guide", and not necessary an adventure guide working for ABD. I noticed on the Egypt private tour itinerary, there is zero mention of "adventure guide" - it uses the word "Egyptologist" to describe the person accompanying you instead. Maybe I'll call this morning and get some more info!

 

[Magnum_PI]

Update to the above! I did call this morning to ask. Apparently, there will be local ABD adventure guides as @sayhello indicated. Some trips will have one local ABD guide, others may have multiple "depending on availability and the time of year". They will be "ABD trained", and might be an experienced guide or might be someone newly trained who is guiding an ABD for the first time.

One other thing I learned that I did find sort of off-putting is that on Private ABDs, some activities are what they are calling "mix-ins". This means the activity may involve your party mixing in with another ABD group for that activity, or with a different tour group altogether. In my opinion, this defeats the purpose of paying a premium for a private trip if you're going to end up interacting with groups anyway. If you have covid concerns, this may actually end up being riskier in the sense that you'd be potentially interacting with multiple different groups over the course of your trip instead of largely staying with the same ABD group. I'd suggest calling and asking which aspects of your Private ABD of interest are "mix in" activities.

Also, doesn't seem like there is opportunity for customization at all based on my inquiry. Hope others find this useful.