Arizona & Utah - 5/25-6/1 2 adults are back!

[Chirple]

Hi, my husband and I are considering the Arizona & Utah ABD next May. We are two middle-aged adults who are DVC owners and are nearly platinum DCL cruisers. We do not have children, but we obviously do not shy away from them.

We have a choice of adventures--adult exclusive or the family. The latter is $200 less per person. In general are there significant differences between the two types of trips that would justify the $400 for the adult exclusive ABD?

 

[sayhello]

Generally, the trips are the same. The "Junior Adventurer movie night" doesn't happen on Adults Only trips, but the dinner you'd have at that time still does happen. Other than that, it's really just if you care about traveling with other folks' kids or not. I personally like the dynamics of the Adults Only trips, but it hasn't stopped me from taking 2 family trips when they were all that was offered (the Med Cruise add-on and the upcoming Danube River cruises.)

Sayhello

 

[Chirple]

Thanks, Sayhello!

 

[Chirple]

While I'm asking about this ABD, are any of the activities not good for someone who is afraid of heights in open spaces? For example, my husband has no problem riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad or Expedition Everest in WDW but is terrified of a ferris wheel. He says that as long as he doesn't feel like he's too exposed to the height that he's okay with it. He would be fine looking out from a vantage point but not looking down.

 

[sayhello]

While I'm asking about this ABD, are any of the activities not good for someone who is afraid of heights in open spaces? For example, my husband has no problem riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad or Expedition Everest in WDW but is terrified of a ferris wheel. He says that as long as he doesn't feel like he's too exposed to the height that he's okay with it. He would be fine looking out from a vantage point but not looking down.

The only thing I think he'd probably want to avoid is the last part of the hike to Delicate Arch in Arches National Park. You can get right up to the area where the Arch is, but to get actually *under* the arch, you have to walk along the rim of a bowl-like area. That might bother him. But it's totally worth it to even get up to the area. If you wanted to be really safe, you could take the alternate bus tour of the arches vs. the hike to Delicate Arch. He doesn't have to get close to the edge of the Grand Canyon unless he wants to. You can still see the vista of it from a bit further back!

Sayhello

 

[carpenta]

On our Arizona trip a couple years ago there was a couple just like you. They were on a family trip for the fact that it fell into their schedule. They were great and fit right in with the rest of us. Actually the kids bond as a unit around the second day so it becomes an adult trip with kids in the back of the bus.

 

[Chirple]

Thanks, carpenta! I sent my husband the link to sayhello's trip report, even though some things seem to be a little different 7 years later. I like that the report is photo intensive. He's already said that he'd like to do a side trip to Tombstone so we'll probably arrive two days early, drive there, and then back to the airport to meet up with the ABD guides.

This would be our first ABD. I was trying to sway him towards London/Paris, but he wants to stick to the U.S. next year. If we book this, I'm sure I'll be searching this forum and possibly asking more questions.

 

[lucky1]

Tombstone is a good 200 miles from Phoenix, if you are going to do that I would also recommend you stop in Tucson and see the Saguaro National Park. Old Tucson Movie studio and Pima Air and Space Museum.

 

[Chirple]

Thanks for the tips, lucky1!

 

[Chirple]

Me again. I read through the thread about canceled ABDs and noticed that flight info can be chosen by you and then added by ABD so that it is inclusive with the trip.

Does this also work if you book through Dreams Unlimited? We always purchase airfare with insurance for those just-in-case scenarios. The extra discount offered by DU would help towards airfare. Does ABD work like DCL where your TA owns the reservation so you have no direct contact with ABD during planning? I have been booking without a TA for years.

 

[tgeorge]

Yes it does. I've booked with Kevin at Dreams and I asked him if I could give him my flight info and have ABD book it to ensure everything is done through SBD and he reassured me that it wouldn't be a problem. Not only that, but he said that it is normally his recommendation. So it is something they do all the time.

You just have to pay for the air at the time you actually book the air...just so you know. I like that I can pick the flights want.

 

[Losen]

Go on the adult trip unless you like getting buckets of water thrown on you during the rafting expedition. That is what happened on the kids trip.

 

[Chirple]

Thanks, Losen, I appreciate the insight. We already booked the family adventure. It's fine. I will probably suggest to my husband that he wear his old glasses with a strap for the rafting trip.

 

[carpenta]

...as far a the buckets of water, on our trip it was hovering around 100 degrees and it was very welcome relief for everyone. Most of our group was in the river hanging onto the rafts. You'll have lots of fun.

 

[disneycrazycatlady]

We went on the adults only last May and had a wonderful experience. It was our first ABD so we have not experienced a tour with young children. We were in our late 50's and the ages of the 40 adults ranged from 18 to 80. There were a few families with their adult children and many couples of varying ages in their 40's, 50's 60's , 70's and one couple in their early 80's who were as fit as any of us. The weather in May was so much cooler than in mid summer and was very doable for us. AND- there was so much disney magic on our trip because we all acted like kids sometimes. We did have water fights on the raft trip and it was the most fun on the whole trip. As for heights, I think your husband will be OK- There was a part on the Sedona jeep tour that was pretty steep and bumpy, almost like a ride at WDW- so he shouldn't look down at the point.

 

[Chirple]

Thanks, disneycrazycatlady! We really have no issue traveling with children. We were looking for ways to budget our money and experience ABD. We purchased third party insurance rather than ABD's. We got the small discount from Dreams Unlimited. We will probably purchase our own airfare with insurance in case the trip is canceled, plus I have some mileage credit I can use towards it.

If anyone has any tips or suggestions on this trip or about ABD in general, we would appreciate them all.

 

[disneycrazycatlady]

Thanks, disneycrazycatlady! We really have no issue traveling with children. We were looking for ways to budget our money and experience ABD. We purchased third party insurance rather than ABD's. We got the small discount from Dreams Unlimited. We will probably purchase our own airfare with insurance in case the trip is canceled, plus I have some mileage credit I can use towards it.

If anyone has any tips or suggestions on this trip or about ABD in general, we would appreciate them all.[/Q

I have been told that Arizona and Utah is ABD's most popular adventure so I wouldn't worry about it being canceled. The only advice I can think of right now is not to bring bandannas even though they are on the packing list because the guides supply them on the monuments valley tour. The pictures that guides take all through out the tour are free for you to download but if you want to post them on FB or use them lets say on a movie timeline, they are disney owned so you cant- so my advice is to take a waterproof camera and take your own pictures on the raft adventure in Moab.

 

[Chirple]

After viewing many amazing photos, what type of camera or cameras would you bring for this trip? I saw the waterproof camera suggestion. Right now I have a dSLR and am looking to either get a bridge or smaller point & shoot. I have taken the bigger camera to Europe twice so it's not an issue for me to take it on this trip. If you brought a dSLR camera, was it a pain to take on the tours/hikes?

With regard to luggage and packing, I was thinking of getting one of those backpacks that meets carry-on requirements (size of a 22" suitcase) and checking just one bag between us. I would split our clothes between the two bags. Are there opportunities to do laundry? We usually pack for half a trip and then do wash at least once. If you were able to do laundry, did you bring your own detergent?

 

[Bobo912]

After viewing many amazing photos, what type of camera or cameras would you bring for this trip? I saw the waterproof camera suggestion. Right now I have a dSLR and am looking to either get a bridge or smaller point & shoot. I have taken the bigger camera to Europe twice so it's not an issue for me to take it on this trip. If you brought a dSLR camera, was it a pain to take on the tours/hikes?

With regard to luggage and packing, I was thinking of getting one of those backpacks that meets carry-on requirements (size of a 22" suitcase) and checking just one bag between us. I would split our clothes between the two bags. Are there opportunities to do laundry? We usually pack for half a trip and then do wash at least once. If you were able to do laundry, did you bring your own detergent?

There are washing machines at the Red Cliffs Lodge. It's been a few years since we took this trip, but at that time you could go to the front desk and they would give you laundry detergent. A lot of people on our trip did the ATV tour, including us, and came back covered with dirt. The Monument Valley tour tour is pretty dusty too. So it's good to have the laundry facilities available so you don't have to pack all your filthy close for the trip home.

 

[carpenta]

There are washing machines at the Red Cliffs Lodge. It's been a few years since we took this trip, but at that time you could go to the front desk and they would give you laundry detergent. A lot of people on our trip did the ATV tour, including us, and came back covered with dirt. The Monument Valley tour tour is pretty dusty too. So it's good to have the laundry facilities available so you don't have to pack all your filthy close for the trip home.

......we ended up horse back riding and with 90 degree weather your clothes get quite "aromatic" and nice to use the washer and dryer. Everyplace is very casual and we lived in shorts and T-shirts for the weather was "wicked" hot.