Adventures by Disney?

[Mickey's*Chickey]

Today while searching the Disney site, I came across Adventures by Disney(ABD). I was wondering, is there any special forums on here about it, or can we start a new thread about it now? If any of you have done and ABD yet, what were your experiences?? Thanks so much guys!!

 

[Baloo]

I had to look that one up,I didn't know what Adventures by Disney was! There is no special forums for it here at the DIS.

In case anyone else doesn't know what ABD is here's a link.It's a Disney travel company to other places and countries with a touch of Disney Magic...sounds cool!

http://abd.disney.go.com/abd/en_US/index
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[LadyTrampScamp&Angel]

I just got the very nice brochure from Adventures by Disney. The trips look wonderful but they seem expensive to me. I mean much more expensive than booking things yourself. I used to be a TA and I know there are consumers that want preplanned vacations and have the money, etc but still . . .

We're looking at a Yellowstone trip. It'll be interesting when I get the componenets broken out and priced. I haven't gone over the brochure closely yet but at first glance it looked to me like the Yellowstone/Grand Teton trip was about $11,000 for a family of four for a week! Includes most flights, transportation, food, lodging, some excursions I think - still seems high to me

 

[misslissa]

I also got the lovely, huge, atlas-looking book in the mail regarding adventures from disney... it is super duper expensive.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I got that in the mail too. I guess they've been keeping track of my spending in WDW and think I live like that every day

 

[DisneyKevin]

We are taking the Italy trip with Adventures by Disney at the end of September.

We have researched every aspect of their itinerary and find that the hotels we will be staying at are 5 star hotels. The guidebooks list them by dollar signs (referring to price). All of our hotels are $$$$$ hotels. (Consider the price of a deluxe Disney resort.)

We spend 3 nights in Rome, 3 nights in Tuscany and 2 nights in Venice.

As first time travelers to Itally, we made lists of the things that we would like to see and this itinerary covers almost all of our list.

We have also read that there can be super long lines at some of the major sights in Italy and that being part of a tour group allows you access to things (like the Sistine Chapel) much faster as you are bypassing the lines.

We did some research on airfare to see if we could get a better deal on our own. We fly from JFK to Rome and and return to JFK from Venice. The airfare through ABD was the best deal out there based on there being different arrival and departure cities.

Keeping in mind that most of our meals (including gratuities) are included, admission to everything on our itinerary, all hotels, ground transportation and flights for about $9400.00, we feel that this is a good deal.

It's comparable to a "top of the line" Disney vacation and less expensive than a Disney Mediterranean cruise.

We can't wait.

Kevin

 

[LadyTrampScamp&Angel]

DisneyKevin - would love to hear about your trip when you get back. That's the one destination I would consider (as briefly as I looked at the brochure) taking the tour, since I don't speak Italian or know my way around Italy!

Hope you have a wonderful time!

Just curious, how many kids and adults are in your party?

 

[DisneyKevin]

We are so excited about this trip that we can hardly stand it.

There are just two adults on this trip and after breaking down the cost.....we feel like this is a fair price.

And by the way....the "Learn Italian in 7 Days" CD is in the car. Now, instead of listening to the radio....we listen to Italian lessons.

I have learned the most important phrase....."Quanta costa?".....how much is it?

I will write a full report when I return, but right now I am waiting for August 12th. That is the 45 day mark and thats when we receive all of our documentation. WOOHOO!!!!!

 

[LadyTrampScamp&Angel]

Thanks for the info, I hope you have a wonderful time - I'm sure you will. That's an exciting trip!

Bring back pictures !

 

[Mumph39]

We are doing the Italy trip on August 3. We are a family of 5 and are very excited as well. We were lucky enough to do the Wyoming trip last summer. It was awesome. I was hoping that anyone doing the July 6 trip would have posted something by now. I will write up a full report when we get back.

 

[ppiew]

We just returned from the London/Paris ABD and it was great! Yes it is pricey - BUT the hotels are definitely excellent/5 star large rooms and with excellent locations! The Chunnel was also first class travel AND they transported our luggage for us to Paris! I would definitely travel with ABD again. The guides went way out of their way to provide us with anything/everything we could want. Meals were very good (not gourmet - but very nice) also wine was included in some of the dinners.

 

[PrincessCindi]

I have a brochure as well. They all look great ... I am particularly interested in the Wyoming trip. Here is a great review of the trip that I got in an email from passporter

http://www.passporter.com/articles/wyoming.asp

They have also added several new trips for 2007 if you look on the website ... another Italy trip, 2 trips to Spain, Phillidelphia / Washington DC / Williamsburg , Sedona Arizona / Grand Canyon (that one looks great too!!!), Austria, etc
Heres the link
http://abd.disney.go.com/abd/en_US/index

 

[Mickeyistheman]

I think this new Travel thing with Disney sounds great, especially if you are traveling with children and want to experience Europe. Keep in mind that Disney Cruise Lines in the summer tend to be on the expensive side compared to other cruise lines. You are going for the service and experience and I am glad to hear that people like the product. I myself would love to see Italy Disney Style!!

 

[Tazicket]

We were planning a trip to DC/Williamsburg/Richmond next year, and now ABD has a Philadelphia/DC/Williamsburg trip setup... I've requested the 2007 brochure to check it out. We got last years brochure and some of the trips look great. We'd love to do Hawaii or Europe sometime down the road (when we can afford it!) They certainly aren't cheap, but they look like you get your money's worth (or close to it, anyway...)

 

[bctripp]

I briefly looked at the brochure a few weeks ago, and if i'm not mistaken there's a minimum age for the trips for the kids, except the Hawaii one. I think I read somewhere they were expanding their offerings of trips. It seems way too expensive though.

 

[DisneyGirl]

I saw one of these groups walking from the Trevi Fountain when I was in Rome a couple weeks ago. There were about 30-35 people following a cast member (complete with cast member badge just like WDW ... They looked pretty tired to me ... personally, I wouldn't go on this tour for Europe since you only go to some of the bigger sights, and I really like to see as much as possible, but it looks like it can be a ton of fun for people who have never been to Europe, etc. It really looks like it would make a European vacation fun for kids. I saw so many kids who were tired and bored out of their mind (Rome is full of two of kids favorite things: history and church ), but it looks like the adventures by Disney tour really tries to make those fun for everyone!

 

[DisneyKevin]

I did a great deal of research before booking our Italy trip. I have never been and didnt want to miss anything.

I was hesitant at first because I had an idea of what sights I wanted to see. I made a list of the things I didnt want to miss and then compared it to the ABD itinerary. They hit everything on my list with others I hadn't even considered.

I researched hotels in Rome and the internet sites I visited recommended making sure that I asked about a private bath and air conditioning / heat. I found that even the hotels that dont offer these things are expensive. ABD uses only 5 star hotels. I researched the hotels we are staying at and found that they are wildly expensive hotels in the best parts of town.

In my research I also found that the lines to get into some of the major attractions can be hours long, just to purchase tickets. Friends just returned from an RCCL Med cruise that included Rome as a port. There was an hour bus ride from the port to the city and then they spent 4 hours waiting to see the Sistine Chapel. Due to their required return time, they had to leave the lin and return to the ship. There entire time in Rome was spent in line and they saw nothing. When traveling with ABD, you are able to enter as part of group with little or no wait. This is another plus in my book

I did the same kind or research for each of the other places our group would visit and was happy to see the same quality throughout the trip.

I considered a DCL Med cruise and found that a verandah stateroom for the 10 night sailing (without airfare, which would be extra) would run about the same price as the ABD trip with air included. I have been on many cruises and while I love the experience, I find that 7 or 8 hours on a Caribbean island is often enough. Im certain that I will feel differently about spending time in Rome, Tuscany and Venice. I'm not sure 9 days will be enough.

It's been my experience that there is no such thing as a cheap Disney vacation. While a vacation at one of the parks offers ways to economize, this trip seems similarly priced to a luxury 9 day vacation at Walt Disney World. Also, I need to say that I am at a point in my life where this is possible. This has not always been the case.

With the world situation being what it is, I am happy to be seeing part of it with Disney.

Kevin

 

[ppiew]

Yes, it is expensive BUT the accommodations are first class - no Motel 6 on these trips! Think Westin, Hyatt, Marriott and you realize why the high charges. The many meals that were included were very nice and separate childrens menus were provided. Often wine was included also. The excursions included all entry fees and it also included first class transportation on the Chunnell plus baggage transfer. Breakfasts in hotels in Europe have a very common charge of about $25/person for their buffets and these were included in the price - even room service at the Westin! Transportation to and from airports was included as well as gratuities to everyone except the Adventure Guides.
There was a time that the age limit was 8 yrs. old, but it was lifted on some of the tours this year. After going on the London/Paris tour I think the age limit is very appropriate. I can't for the life of me think of how a toddler or very young child could possibly enjoy the sightseeing. There were lots of bus trips, much walking, hiking hundreds of steps up the Notre Dame bell tower, guided tour of the Louvre. These are hardly excursions for the very young. We had one family on our tour that did have a little girl about 4 or 5. Dad had to carry her most of the time. Lucky thing he was built like a linebacker or he would have never survived!!!
Our group had about 18 'children.' Of these, two were very young (abt 4 & 6), about 8 were between 8-13, and the balance were older - teens and 2 early 20's. Great combination though.
One family had a 12? yr old, several teens and 2 early 20's and mom & dad. At the time I thought how wonderful it was for them to all be together with the expanding age groups. It will probably never happen again in their lifetimes, and for that, it was truly worth it. Myself, I am a grandma, and had my daughter and granddaughter with me. What are the chances for 3 generations to experience such a wonderful time together? All of these pluses and Disney attention justified the price for me.

 

[MelanieC]

Someone from work gave me the brochure back in June. I also thought it was a tad expensive, but the tours really do look interesting. There are some fun ones here in the US too.

 

[Disney Parrothead]

We are taking the Italy trip with Adventures by Disney at the end of September.

We have researched every aspect of their itinerary and find that the hotels we will be staying at are 5 star hotels. The guidebooks list them by dollar signs (referring to price). All of our hotels are $$$$$ hotels. (Consider the price of a deluxe Disney resort.)

We spend 3 nights in Rome, 3 nights in Tuscany and 2 nights in Venice.

As first time travelers to Itally, we made lists of the things that we would like to see and this itinerary covers almost all of our list.

We have also read that there can be super long lines at some of the major sights in Italy and that being part of a tour group allows you access to things (like the Sistine Chapel) much faster as you are bypassing the lines.

We did some research on airfare to see if we could get a better deal on our own. We fly from JFK to Rome and and return to JFK from Venice. The airfare through ABD was the best deal out there based on there being different arrival and departure cities.

Keeping in mind that most of our meals (including gratuities) are included, admission to everything on our itinerary, all hotels, ground transportation and flights for about $9400.00, we feel that this is a good deal.

It's comparable to a "top of the line" Disney vacation and less expensive than a Disney Mediterranean cruise.

We can't wait.

Kevin

Hi DisneyKevin,
Just started doing some research on a possible trip to Italy in spring 2007, and saw your post about your trip. I'm dying to hear all the details, so please post your trip report soon! Many Thanks!
Disney Parrothead