Germany Family Vacation - what are the Disney extras?

[mommy_grrl]

We're Chicago transplants living in the UK at the moment and have become pretty good independent travelers abroad.

My MIL suggested that the Germany Family Vacation sounded like a good one to do as a group - but I'm slightly mortified (ok, a lot stunned) by the price - i shouldn't be, as we did a lot of the same excursions on the Med cruise this summer on our own for a lot less than the Disney price.

I've only just started looking into it, but so far I'm finding that a great deal of this I can do on my own.

Now, aside from the benefit of having a guide and not worrying about transport from area to area (countered by the ability to do things at our own pace) - can anyone who has done this trip tell me about the *perks* of doing it with ABD that you couldn't do on your own? Any special tours, etc?

I don't think anyone but my daughter would be fussed about not stuffing a Steiff bear head....

We also found an Alpine Adventure trip that Tauck Bridges does, and again, the prices were comparable, but I have a hard time spending upwards of $12K for four people going to GERMANY. (Macchu Pichu, sure, but to go to Munich?)

I like both itineraries but I'm really struggling with the idea. We went to Vienna over spring break this year, and while we don't speak barely a word or two of German, we got by just fine.

Any input welcomed - thanks!!!!

 

[disneytraveler]

I have traveled thru Germany by group travel and solo. I went on the ABD trip
tooI know from past experience traveling alone i would not have reached the castle hotels myself. Of course when i traveled solo i did it mostly staying along a train route for hotels. The castle hotel was way up on the mountain side . Staying at the caslte hotel was a dream for me.
See my Heidelburg haunts post of the trip. Heidelburg castle and the town were charming.
One of the storybook towns i actually visited many years ago.
Rothenburg and the Night Watchman Tour were great.