Adventures by Disney - Australia

[beachcat]

Hello all in Australia

My wife and I have done two Adventures by Disney. (Knights and Lights; Viva Italia). Really enjoyed them. We are thinking about doing the ABD in Australia then taking the Indian - Pacific train from Sydney to Perth and flying home to Florida from Perth. We were wondering what you all thought of the ABD itinery then doing a 3 day train trip across Australia? Would love to get a local's opinion as this is a huge trip for us.

Thanks for your ideas and opinions.

 

[alicia1506]

hi,

that ABD adventure looks amazing, and if you do it, i am sure you will have a lovely time. it is a snapshot of what this lovely country has to offer, and while personally i feel that ideally it could encompass a little bit more, it seems quite a well thought out itinerary.

the indian-pacific rail trip is lovely and you will see the breathtaking variety of countryside that we have in australia.

please keep in mind that australia is partially desert, and you will see miles and miles and miles of red dirt, dust and scrub, but there will also be some lovely scenery while passing through the blue mountains and you will get to see some great outback scenery, cropland, desert sunsets (great photo opportunities) and the Nullarbor Plain. I would recommend this journey if you're interested in the diversity of the Australian Outback, but if you're more interested in culture, art, history etc you may wish to fly from Sydney to Melbourne and explore Melbourne for several days before flying home..

hope you enjoy your trip

 

[JessNewbs]

I have to agree with Alicia, I think so long as you want to see the "bush" and "desert" part of Australia you should go on the rail journey. I personally am not a big fan of trains (could be because hubby is a train driver) but it really depends on what your thing is. I would rather visit a variety of Australian capitals via plane but I am sure that the rail journey would still be amazing. There are lots of Aussies that love the rail holidays too!

 

[jacs1234]

We know that anything Disney does, it does well, and that sounds like a really fun trip and I think you'd see a great deal by doing that way. My mum LOVES train trips. I have never done one though so can't really comment on that but I think it sounds lovely.

 

[Royal Consort]

Hello all in Australia

My wife and I have done two Adventures by Disney. (Knights and Lights; Viva Italia). Really enjoyed them. We are thinking about doing the ABD in Australia then taking the Indian - Pacific train from Sydney to Perth and flying home to Florida from Perth. We were wondering what you all thought of the ABD itinery then doing a 3 day train trip across Australia? Would love to get a local's opinion as this is a huge trip for us.

Thanks for your ideas and opinions.

I don't think the Adventures tour is too bad really. Like all of the Adventures by Disney it's pretty sanitized so you're going to get a 'commercial' experience rather than see the 'real' Australia and get a true cultural insight. You'd need to do that on your own.

I think the highlight of Disney's tour is the Tasmania portion. Tasmania really is natural beauty left to thrive. After having lived there for several years, I can certainly tell you it's a completely different (and wild) world. I can guarantee you'll have seen nothing like the Australian and Tasmanian landscapes.

It's a pity Disney don't include any of Victoria in the tour but I suppose you can't do everything.

The only thing I'd be concerned about is it's a hell of a flight from Perth back to Florida. If you're up for an eternity in an aircraft that's perfectly ok. It may work out the best option. I'd rather work my way over to the West and then back to the East myself.

Personally (and I know there are many factors involved), I'd plan an Australian trip myself without Disney. You get the freedom and can organise an itinerary to your liking. That can still include the great barrier reef, Sydney, Tassie, Uluru (Ayres Rock), and your trip to Perth. I just think to truly see the place you have to live it. You can't do that with Disney. Otherwise I think overall, the ABD trip is reasonable for what it is.

I don't know if this helped at all but let us all know how your planning goes!

 

[Luisa]

You could always fly over to Perth and take the train back. Then fly down to Melbourne for a few days and go home from there, much nicer and more relaxed than the long flight and several changes if you go home from Perth. Plus you get to see another fabulous city!

 

[mindy32]

I think the trip looks like a good sampler, can't always see everything on one trip! Honestly though (and I may be biased because I grew up there) I wouldn't recommend a trip to an international traveller without a stop in Melbourne! To me it would be like visiting 5 other places in the USA but NOT going to New York. Sure you'll still have an amazing time and may not feel like you missed out on anything but it's such an an awesome place that it would be such a great addition to your trip.

There's so much to see and do, not just in Melbourne itself but in it's surrounds. The Great Ocean Road starting just an hour and a half or so from Melbourne is an amazing section of Coastline. Phillip Island, an hour and a half on the other side of Melbourne has the fairy penguins which come onto the beach at dusk each night, as well as a few animal style parks (Seal Rocks, Koala park, etc). There's three zoos in Melbourne: Melbourne Zoo, Werribee Open Range Zoo & Healesville Sanctuary (about an hour or so from the city and also near the 'hills' with cute little shops and devonshire tea places). Healesville is fantastic for international guests with a huge assortment of native Australian animals. Melbourne city itself has the Yarra River which runs right through it, numerous little restaurants and bars alongside to sit and eat/relax in. We have a variety of sports played in Melb including Aussie Rules football if you're here in the right season and want to catch a game. Numerous museums, indoor iceskating centre, casino, and tonnes of other attractions within the city limits make me think you could easily fill time in Melbourne and enhance your trip. Oh and the shopping can be pretty good too!

Sorry, got a bit carried away there (but if you do want any more info let me know)! There's so many amazing places in Australia you'll have an amazing time regardless.

 

[Sugarglider]

That ABD itinerery looks pretty good. Gets a lot of the big ticket items in. it does move pretty fast though and for almost everything on the tour I would want to stay longer. e.g. you could spend a lot more time on the Barrier Reef than allowed here.
the other benefit is that Disney has organised everything for you. there are a lot of planes, hotels, buses, tours, meals etc in this tour - all organised and you just have to show up! A lot to be said for that. I've stayed at most of those hotels. they are quite good and centrally located for your touring.
As a couple of the others have said, there is nothing in here that you can't do yourselves (if you want to do that organisation!)

re: the desert trip. I would think that such a trip works best when you are able to get out of the mode of transport and stand about in the dust, wildflowers, mountains etc - not just look at it through a window. if you are really interested in the desert (and I must say it is way better than I ever thought it would be) perhaps break up your trip. Get on and off the train at a couple of stops.

Have you thought about the train line from Darwin to Adelaide? The Northern Territory is amazing! One of the best places I've ever seen with Kakadu / Litchfield / katherine in the north, through the desert to Alice and Central Australia / Kings Canyon etc

Easier to connect to the east coast for US flights from Darwin/Alice or Adelaide to Brisbane or Sydney.

anyway - you'll score a million opinions on the best parts of Australia!

 

[zanzibar138]

I like the look of the ABD itinerary - gives a good (although somewhat rushed) coverage of Australia, though I was surprised to see they don't include Melbourne. But I'm thrilled that it includes Tassie as it's such a beautiful part of the world that not many international visitors see.

Personally the Indian Pacific is something that DH and I would LOVE to do one day when we've got the money. I think it would be a fabulous way to cross the continent - so much better than flying! And Perth is a gorgeous little city with lovely scenery, beaches, weather, and locals, and a much more relaxed pace than the east coast cities (but I am slightly biased since that's my home town!).

I do agree that flights from Perth to Orlando would be terribly long and drawn-out though (although it's what my parents are going to have to do when we go to WDW in 2014). Maybe you could spend a few days in Melbourne on the way back since you would have missed that in your ABD itinerary Melbourne is also definitely worth a visit - full of culture and great things to do and see

 

[ky71]

As a frequent visitor to the USA and a PERTH resident, I'm doubting you will get a direct flight from Perth to ANY USA port. You will most likely have to fly back to the East Coast of Australia anyway.
Sooooo if I were you I would do your ABD tour then the Indian Pacific to Perth then fly to Melbourne and see some of Australia's best cultural places and then fly home via Texas or LA.
Sounds like fun...hope you like flying!

 

[beachcat]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions

Melbourne is now on the list. Darwin and the Northern Territory also looks interesting. Luisa the idea of flying to Perth and taking the Indian-Pacific back east is a great idea. Patti and I are scuba divers so diving the Great Barrier Reef is a must. A dive guide in the BVI told me diving on the west coast is also very good. Such a big country. So little time. I think 4 weeks are a minimum.

Enjoy your trips to WDW. We were just there and if you like cars, try the Exotic Driving Experience. We had a blast driving Lamborghinis.

Thank you again and keep those suggestions coming. I am really looking forward to seeing Australia.

 

[Marlea98]

I second everything said about Melbourne. I'm biased, though, I'm a Victorian living in North Qld

Please don't take into mind anything negative things you've heard about the dive industry up here (ie: the people who've been left behind or died etc). The dive industry up here is big and very well regulated. Those cases, while tragic, are extremely rare. As long as you stick with a reputable company and follow all of the safety instructions you will be fine. The reef is utterly amazing but it did take a bit of a hit after Cyclone Yasi which came through early last year. It is such a dynamic thing you will literally be overwhelmed by what you see.

Enjoy your trip; you are seeing more of the Outback than most Australians ever would.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Just thought I'd weigh in with some comments on the Indian Pacific-and to suggest you read some recent passenger reviews first. We did the train in 2006-so 6 years ago which is why it may be different. We drove over to WA and put the car on the train for the return trip. We were disappointed overall with the experience.

Unlike trains in Europe and Canada it is not the smooth trip you expect. We were surprised at the amount of rattling, bumping, jerking and rolling that we experienced. We were travelling with our daughter who had single cabin and we had a double with ensuite. The beds in the double went crossways whilst hers was in line with the train. We found at night we had a job sleeping as we were thrown about so much-almost out of bed on one or two occcasions and it was so noisy. Wearing ear plugs the second night it was a bit better in that regard. I spent a few hours on my daughter's bed one afternoon and found it felt a lot smoother.

The other big gripe I had was the meal seatings. There are 2 sittings, an early and a late. Whilst they ask your preference they started at each end of the train and unfortunately we were in the middle so by the time they reached us we had no choice-the late sitting. As a family we always awake very early and normally don't like dining later than 7.30pm so this seating was very hard. Breakfast was meant to be 9am, lunch at 2pm and dinner at 80m but in practice the first sitting went so over time we were called to breakfast closer to 9.45am and dinner, one night especially, closer to 10pm. The train tends to be full of retired/elderly travellers who of course also prefer the earlier seating times hence they fill up quickly. We were a bit fed up they didn't tighten the meal seatings though so that we weren't kept waiting for so long.

A third minor gripe-we had to chase up the service to have our beds made up instead of it being automatically done for us while at dinner. Also the departure station in Perth had limited seating or food options. Putting the car on the train we had to be there 4 hours prior but there was then nowhere comfortable to wait and you were not allowed to board. This would be less of a problem for walk-on passengers.

The positives-I loved the desert scenery outside and was happy just to sit and watch it go by (my husband who isn't as keen on train trips as I got very bored however). The food was also excellent.

Given the cost of Gold Class on this train overall we did not feel like it compared to overseas experiences. I have since been told that the reason for the noise and rough trip is the heat warping the train rails-no matter how much they maintain them. I think for an overseas visitor it would be a different experience and certainly a view of parts of Australia very different than the lush coastal areas (and we have seen Uluru and it was different to the desert scenery there too) but do be prepared for perhaps a noisier bumpier trip than you might be expecting.

 

[zanzibar138]

There is great diving on the west coast, but I don't think there's much actually in Perth. Western Australia is a massive, massive place, and I'm not sure how long you're planning to spend there. Somewhere like the Ningaloo Reef would take a couple of days driving to get to, or a couple of hours on a plane, but I think there's some diving sites down south just a few hours out of Perth. I'm not a diver, so don't take my word on it, just wanted to give you an idea of how far some of these places are. It sounds like you're being pretty realistic about distances though and the time needed to explore everything you want to, so I think you'll have a great time

 

[Luisa]

There is great diving on the west coast, but I don't think there's much actually in Perth. Western Australia is a massive, massive place, and I'm not sure how long you're planning to spend there. Somewhere like the Ningaloo Reef would take a couple of days driving to get to, or a couple of hours on a plane, but I think there's some diving sites down south just a few hours out of Perth. I'm not a diver, so don't take my word on it, just wanted to give you an idea of how far some of these places are. It sounds like you're being pretty realistic about distances though and the time needed to explore everything you want to, so I think you'll have a great time

Depending on the time of year you can dive with whale sharks at Ningaloo- sounds awesome!

 

[beachcat]

It sounds like the railroad tracks in Australia may be as rough in Australia as they are in the USA. Everyone in the US either drives or flys except in the Northeast where it too congested to drive. We do have a few scenic train trips but not many. The Indian-Pacific sounds like a long long trip but scenic over its 3000 miles. I've got to try it once.

Luisa you are coming to WDW at the best time. Cooler in December and Disney does a great job on the Christmas decorations. We will be doing our Christmas trip December 8-11 before the actual Christmas crowd arrives.

Is anyone from Australia doing the Disney Fantasy cruise October 20-27? We are on that one. I'll buy a beer for anyone from Australia on that cruise so I can hear more about your country.

Thanks again for all the suggestions.