Advice!

[kleforce]

Two of my friends and I decided that we want to take a trip with Adventures by Disney in May of 2013, but we aren't sure which one! We are deciding between the England & France Family Vacation, Viva Italia, The Emerald Isle, and Greek Odyssey. We are all girls, and we will all be 20 years old at the time of the trip. We don't really care if there are children there or anything, and we are just looking to have an awesome best friends trip! Has anyone been on any of these trips that can give me a little more insight, or any advice in picking? Thank you!

 

[sayhello]

Hi, kleforce, and Welcome to the DISBoards and the Adventures by Disney Forum!

Hopefully you'll gets lots of opinions & information to help you make your choice! I'll let you know that this is the first year for the Greek trip, so no-one has done it yet. Personally, I think the itinerary looks like a fabulous combination of activities, with a nice mix of historic sites and cultural activities and active excursions. I'm seriously thinking of taking it in 2013.

I've already taken the London & Paris trip, and really loved it. I'm posting a Trip Report (link in my Signature) if you want to see my impressions of the trip.

It might help if you let us know what kind of things you and your friends like to do. All of the first 3 trips you listed are very popular, and I've heard the Greek trip is selling well. I honestly don't think you could do wrong with any of them!

Sayhello

 

[Phil1019]

Hi everyone. I have a question I hope someone may have had the same problem. I am going to Italy( Bella Italia) in July. I want to do a pre-night and have found the same hotel that I will be staying at with ABD at a much cheaper rate of $165 for the one pre-night. Disney is charging over $600 for the one pre-night. I called ABD and asked them if they would still provide transfers since I am still staying at the same hotel. Their answer was NO! I would think that after doing three other adventures and spending thousands of dollars in the past ,loyalty should count for something!

 

[sayhello]

Hi everyone. I have a question I hope someone may have had the same problem. I am going to Italy( Bella Italia) in July. I want to do a pre-night and have found the same hotel that I will be staying at with ABD at a much cheaper rate of $165 for the one pre-night. Disney is charging over $600 for the one pre-night. I called ABD and asked them if they would still provide transfers since I am still staying at the same hotel. Their answer was NO! I would think that after doing three other adventures and spending thousands of dollars in the past ,loyalty should count for something!

I totally agree with you on this one, but ABD has always, in my experience, been very strict about not providing transportation on your arrival if you don't either arrive the first day of the trip or book the pre-days with them. On some trips, they provide transportation if you go back to the airport the first day, and pick up the transportation from there (but in your case, since you're looking to stay at the same hotel, that would be pointless). I've found that when it's the Adventure Guides making the decision (on the last day of the trips) they're usually a bit more flexible (taking people to the airport when they were renting cars, not flying out, or taking them to a train station instead of the airport, etc). But this has always been a big issue with ABD, that they don't really do loyalty perks well.

That said, it will probably be way cheaper for you to arrange your own transfers to the hotel the day before than to pay ABD's rate for the pre-night.

Sayhello

 

[DisneyKevin]

I've found that when it's the Adventure Guides making the decision (on the last day of the trips) they're usually a bit more flexible (taking people to the airport when they were renting cars, not flying out, or taking them to a train station instead of the airport, etc).

ABD's policy has always been that transfers are only included as long as you are under an ABD reservation. Pre and post nights booked through ABD include transfers, taxes and usually breakfast for everyone in the room.

Returning people to the airport at the end of the Adventure is something that would have to be set up ahead of time....as well as transfers from a train station. This is not something Adventure guides usually handle on the fly unless an extenuating circumstance has presented itself.

As for loyalty perks, people who have completed two Adventures will be picked up at their homes and taken to the airport and the picked up at the airport and the returned home.

While there are some limitations on this new perk, I'd say it's a step in the right direction

 

[familygoboston]

Hi everyone. I have a question I hope someone may have had the same problem. I am going to Italy( Bella Italia) in July. I want to do a pre-night and have found the same hotel that I will be staying at with ABD at a much cheaper rate of $165 for the one pre-night. Disney is charging over $600 for the one pre-night. I called ABD and asked them if they would still provide transfers since I am still staying at the same hotel. Their answer was NO! I would think that after doing three other adventures and spending thousands of dollars in the past ,loyalty should count for something!

Wowie Zowie! Are you sure you got those numbers right? We booked our pre and post with ABD in Ecuador and the price was only slightly higher than I could get in the Marriott website, and I think it's because of breakfast and possibly some taxes ( which are always so tricky to sort out!). I notice that ABD has this weird set up of invoicing everything in 2's, and I kne we had 2 invoicing errors already. Make sure it's not a mess up!
If not you should easily be able to get transport on your own for far less than the difference!

OP- sounds like a blast! I haven't done any of those ABDs, but have been to some of those places- If it were me and my pals, I'd do Greece or Italy...both have lots to offer and have more " adult" diversions, such as dining, wining and shopping, as well as touring the culrural sites! Have fun!

 

[beachcat]

Two of my friends and I decided that we want to take a trip with Adventures by Disney in May of 2013, but we aren't sure which one! We are deciding between the England & France Family Vacation, Viva Italia, The Emerald Isle, and Greek Odyssey. We are all girls, and we will all be 20 years old at the time of the trip. We don't really care if there are children there or anything, and we are just looking to have an awesome best friends trip! Has anyone been on any of these trips that can give me a little more insight, or any advice in picking? Thank you!

Hello kleforce:


I have done both Knights and Lights and Viva Italia. While I am sure all 4 trips are very good, I fell in love with London so I would recommend Knights and Lights. I really liked the people, the architecture, the Thames River and just wandering around the city. I would go back to London in a minute. Paris of course is terrific as well. Everyone needs to see Versailles, Notre Dame and the Tower of course. I really enjoyed the Viva Italia trip, but enjoyed Paris and London more so, so that is my recommendation.

Just make sure that whichever trip you choose, arrive several days early and stay several days late. That really made both of my trips. Have fun and good luck on your decision.

beachcat

 

[Phil1019]

Great News! My AAA travel agent e-mailed her boss who emailed adventures by disney - they were gracious ehough to agree to pick me up at the airport even if I book the pre-night on my own at a much cheaper rate of $191.00.

 

[sayhello]

Great News! My AAA travel agent e-mailed her boss who emailed adventures by disney - they were gracious ehough to agree to pick me up at the airport even if I book the pre-night on my own at a much cheaper rate of $191.00.

Excellent!!! Proves it never hurts to ask! And Yay! for your TA!

Sayhello

 

[DisneyKevin]

Great News! My AAA travel agent e-mailed her boss who emailed adventures by disney - they were gracious ehough to agree to pick me up at the airport even if I book the pre-night on my own at a much cheaper rate of $191.00.

There may have been extenuating circumstances that lead to this decision.

Transfers are included with your Adventure when under an ABD reservation.... which includes pre and post nights.

It is not ABD policy to offer transfers when pre or post nights are booked on your own.

 

[WeLoveABD]

There may have been extenuating circumstances that lead to this decision.

Transfers are included with your Adventure when under an ABD reservation.... which includes pre and post nights.

It is not ABD policy to offer transfers when pre or post nights are booked on your own.

We've done both ways--gone with cheaper hotels for pre-nights, and gone through ABD for pre-nights. On the pre-nights NOT at via ABD, we either stayed at a hotel near the airport or shuttled to the airport, where ABD then picked us up as though we had just arrived by plane (since airport to ABD hotel transport at the start of the trip is part of the package). But they were very strict re any other pickup points. (For Italy, one of the nearby airport hotels had a free shuttle into the heart of Rome, so that worked out well for a pre-night, although we had the hassle of moving bags to and from the hotel and back to the airport--like the old days before ABD spoiled me! In London, we did a prenight on our own as the airport was closer to Windsor Castle--back before that became included in the Knights and Lights--so again, we did that on our own and near the airport).

Pre and post nights at the ABD hotel is very convienent--and helps make the trip all the more seemless. So to me it is worth going through them--and securing your transport to that hotel--unless you have plans that make sense to stay elsewhere.

 

[Phil1019]

I am staying at the same hotel that Disney has booked for our adventure!

 

[DisneyKevin]

I am staying at the same hotel that Disney has booked for our adventure!

Again, this is not usual ABD policy.

There may be extenuating circumstances, but this is not usually done.