My 1st ABD

[Quagmire]

My wife and I are seriously consider an ABD. They sound great but before we book, I was wondering if I can get some feedback either positive or negative for booking an ABD trip? By the way, we are looking at booking the Germany trip next year. Thanks.

 

[sayhello]

I have not done the Germany ABD, but I have done 15 ABDs since 2008. What specifically are you looking for feedback on? The booking process? The Germany trip? ABD as a product? I'd be happy to answer any questions you have, as will others on this board! Just give us an idea of what you're wanting!

Sayhello

 

[Quagmire]

I have not done the Germany ABD, but I have done 15 ABDs since 2008. What specifically are you looking for feedback on? The booking process? The Germany trip? ABD as a product? I'd be happy to answer any questions you have, as will others on this board! Just give us an idea of what you're wanting!

Sayhello

I would say ABD as a product. These trips are not cheap but it is Disney and they usually are known for top notch programs. Any info is appreciated.

 

[dismsn]

I haven't taken my first ABD trip yet (it's in September) but my booking advice is purchase your travel insurance on your own - not through ABD. I discovered an issue with the travel insurance in late May and it is still not resolved although both ABD and AON (the insurer) acknowledge the issue and state it will be resolved but have yet to correct their mistake.

Paying the amount we paid for the trip and insurance should mean I don't have to waste my time attempting to correct anything. I've spent at least a few hours documenting the issue, reaching out to ABD & AON and then hounding them for 3 months and still don't have the issue corrected.

So . . . learn from my experience and book your travel

 

[dismsn]

So . . . learn from my experience and book your travel

Whoops . . . purchase your travel insurance separately, not through ABD.

 

[MeDisney]

I love ABD trips for countries with languages that I am not comfortable with, complicated itineraries that span a country and involving flying between cities, where I want a little more personal assistance and extra touches such as Egypt and China, and traveling with younger children. If a location is easy to do or the ABD itinerary does not cover places I want to visit, I book a different tour company or go on my own.

 

[JAM9842]

We have only done 1 and will be doing China next year but our first was so amazing and we would do it again in a heartbeat.

 

[OrangeBirdGirl]

We have traveled all over the world on our own, so we are very comfortable in areas with major language barrier. We have only done one ABD (SoCal) and it was wonderful. Everything was taken care of. We did this one because at the time we went, it got us into Henson Studios and the ABD was the easiest way to get into Henson. It also had some other things that we could not do on our own, such as super early entry to Disneyland (I think it was like 6:30a and we were the only ones in the Park).

Everything was top notch, food, hotels and service and it sure spoiled us. But to continue traveling the amount we do, we can't afford to just do ABD. We have another one booked, to Egypt. The reason we choose ABD is because we didn't want to deal with all the logistics of trying to do a similar trip on our own, additionally they have some exclusive access things.

The other top ABD's on our list which we have not booked are Greece and the Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. Those have alot of hotel changes and one of the issues we have when traveling is it's a pain to tote around our luggage from place to place. Then arrive at our next city, go to hotel, have them stow bags while we head out. We don't have to worry about that with ABD.

I'm a planner and enjoy planning our trips almost as much as taking them. So the only negative I would say is it just felt weird as literally no planning for them. Other than deciding your airfare and if you are coming in a day in advance what you want to do. It wasn't actually a negative that'd ever deter us from booking, it was just a weird feeling I'd say with no planning needed.

Not familiar with the Germany itinerary so I looked it up. If you arrive early, I'd recommend checking out FC Bayern's stadium if you are into soccer, we did a stadium tour there and it was pretty cool. Another option is touring Dachau Concentration Camp. Lastly, I'm not sure where your welcome dinner is that's at a Bavarian restaurant, but Hofbrauhaus is pretty iconic, even if you aren't a big drink (we aren't) it's pretty cool.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

We've done 2 ABD with a third coming up - none to Germany, though. However, we would not hesitate for a moment to recommend ABD. Our first 2 experiences (both in Asia) were amazing. It is absolutely very expensive, but we felt it was worth it for the accommodations, guides, experiences, and food. They got us to places on our trips that other tours don't seem to have access to.

I would agree 100% with comments above about buying your own travel insurance and not doing that through ABD. Our first trip, we didn't know any better (and paid a hefty premium through ABD), but did more research for the additional trips. You can get better overall coverage for less money elsewhere. Do some research.

 

[Marthasor]

We have been on 5 ABDs, but also travel a lot on our own. For me, it really comes down to itinerary and cost. If ABD has put together an itinerary that matches our interests at a price that is comparable or lower than what I can cobble together myself (hotels, tours, transportation, food all factor in) I book ABD. We also started booking ABDs when my son was younger as it was an easier way to travel with a younger child and offered all of us some social opportunities plus Jr. Adventurer options. For example, we did SoCal/DL with ABD as there is absolutely no way to replicate that trip on our own given the backstage access provided. We also did the Arizona/Utah ABD as the itinerary really matched our interests and there was no way I was making that trip drive on my own in a rental car! We just did the Adriatic ABD last week (sad it was the last one) for the same reasons. We, however, did Greece on our own as I was able to find a private, local tour company that customized an itinerary for us as a fraction of ABD costs. If you like the Germany itinerary and the price point works for you, I wouldn't hesitate to book it. Every trip we have been on with ABD has been seamless.

 

[jimmymc]

I'm going to copy and paste my ABD spiel I use when people ask if it's worth it:

I've done several real cost comparisons between Adventures by Disney and doing things on your own. And typically, the ABD price is 30% to 40% higher than booking the same hotels, restaurants, and activities on your own. But there are also some benefits ABD offers that are difficult or impossible to get yourself:

1. Two tour guides who know the area and language. And they aren't just normal tour guides; they are available the whole length of the trip if you have any issues with the hotel, meals, accessibility, or anything else you can think of. This is one area where AbD stands out above other tour groups, who often only have one guide and they are always busy making sure the next activity is ready.
2. Easy transportation between cities and attractions. On some of the more intense trips, this is a huge advantage, as you'd never be able to coordinate all the activities on your own and make the times work without private transportation.
3. Luggage service between hotels. As in you leave it outside your room in the morning, and it arrives in your next room that evening.
4. Planning is done for you, and the guides can help you make the most of your free time. Researching the price comparisons alone took several hours each, and I wasn't booking anything.
5. All tips, fees, and gratuities are included (except your guides)
6. Exclusive access to certain activities, like after hours tours of museums and going past the ropes when touring famous landmarks.
7. Skipping the lines at almost every attraction.

Another note is that it is group travel, so you will experience things with other people. But in my experience, this is more of a pro than a con.

I personally would not do the Germany AbD at this point in my life. I'm very comfortable traveling around Europe using public transit and can plan a trip twice as long for the same price. But I wouldn't rule it out in the future, and I would also use AbD for other locations.