My Disney Adventure at family.com

[figmentfan2009]

Anyone else get the invitation email to
"Help build a new online community where you can share stories, photos and more from your Adventures by Disney vacations."?
Looks like fun and it looks like it will be interesting.
Yes it will be a marketing thing... but... hey...

 

[kjd469]

Nope...didn't get it, even after being ABD veterans of 2 trips. Maybe I was put on the "naughty list" after sending them an email last year voicing my displeasure at the new offerings in August

 

[WeLoveABD]

You'd think with a disboard name like "WeLoveABD" that we would have been a good candidate for something like this! But alas...

 

[figmentfan2009]

So far, with the exception of the trip report I force fed into China group... it is kind of very... ho... hum... and most of the answers are very

<snip>
Teenagers can be a handful, can't they? I suggest that you ask him what he thinks about the trip. If he knows that he has the option of going and enjoying himself or staying home with relatives or whomever would watch him, he might appreciate the chance to give his insight. It might be more attractive to him if he knew that there would be special activities just for teens. The Disney Adventure Guides would undoubtedly provide assistance in ensuring your son has a memorable trip. If you haven't already checked it out, read about the guides and other features at http://abd.disney.go.com/abd/en_US/index?name=AdventureOfALifetimePage
</snip>

I"m SO not sure they are going to get anyone excited with this vanilla company policy response... Oh Boy... yawn... okay... maybe...

come help me get people excited???

http://family.go.com/community/groups/welcome-adventurers-grp

 

[Bobo912]

I'm another 2 trip veteran who didn't get an invitation. I already spend too much time on this board anwya. If I start following another one, my house will never get cleaned. Although we are usually very complimentary, I prefer the Dis where we can be objective and no one will filter our comments if we say something negative.

 

[marcemch]

I received an invitation - it really makes you wonder at the seemingly randomness of who is invited! We too have done two ABDs, but are booked, like Bobo912 on a Tauck Bridges tour this summer.
After a quick look at "My Family Adventure", I decided to take a "wait and see" attitude to see how it evolves. I wasn't sure what it would provide me that I couldn't get more directly and un-filtered from the disboards. So, the link is in my saved email and I'll go back from time to time.
It is interesting the various ways these on-line forums evolve for various groups. While there is tons of info on the disboards for ABD, there is virtually nothing on Facebook. It is the opposite for Tauck - many postings on Facebook (but none of substance really, just saying how great such and such trip was), but very little on their "Ask & Share" area, where people might answer specific questions or post trip reports. I don't think it's just because the disboards is independent - I think it's more a different target market. My perception is that the AbD'ers are a younger group for the most part than the Tauck folks, therefore, more apt to desire information via the internet. Maybe?

 

[figmentfan2009]

OMG... yawn...
not sure they want real... think they want canned...

Someone (plan?) wanted to know on the asia/africa group which trip would be great and how we decided...


<my response>
China was our first trip with ABD. What made us decide? That's easy... if we were going to go anywhere that we knew communication would be extremely difficult and where we would want to see the MOST of a country... it would have to have been china. And We set the bar high on ever going on another trip. I would go back in a heartbeat. AND... if I ever run away from home, it will be to live in Guilin China...

DO NOT be afraid of venturing out on your own. There are parks and temples you can visit on your free time and (if you get one of the "state" run cabs (their license starts with a B in Beijing) you won't get taken by the cabbie... otherwise, you probably will... we did... we paid 65 US dollars for a cab ride BACK to where we were staying and the cab ride TO where we were (Temple of the Sun) was only $30. And it is great to walk to some of the parks to experience the people and the atmosphere.

Don't LOOK at anything people have for sale unless you want to be hounded and NEVER pray the price they ask... haggle. If they are selling... they have a way to communicate... it could be on the cell phone with how much they want you to pay or in broken english or on paper. Know how much you are willing to pay and stick to your guns. You are likely to get it. I got a wicked cool tibetan bowl (you play it with a stick) for $20 US and I can't find it nearly that price on line... really nice and great when I'm stressed...

Yeah... China, and when? Simple... Birthday for daughter...
</my response>


THis is what they ... got out of it...
<snip>
One of the real benefits of the ABD trip is items like security and communication with the locals is really enhanced.
</snip>

I'm sorry... Yes, it was FANTASTIC to be the places and cut the lines and have the local experts... ooooo... and get to get in to hold the pandas...
but...
We had a truly magical time in our down time too...in the <GASP> less security and herd structured times... There is a park in Chengdu and one in Beijing that were wonderful... where LOCAL people hang out and they don't hawk "buy my stuff"... and everything... .

ah well... worth a shot...

 

[Bobo912]

I received an invitation - it really makes you wonder at the seemingly randomness of who is invited! We too have done two ABDs, but are booked, like Bobo912 on a Tauck Bridges tour this summer.
After a quick look at "My Family Adventure", I decided to take a "wait and see" attitude to see how it evolves. I wasn't sure what it would provide me that I couldn't get more directly and un-filtered from the disboards. So, the link is in my saved email and I'll go back from time to time.
It is interesting the various ways these on-line forums evolve for various groups. While there is tons of info on the disboards for ABD, there is virtually nothing on Facebook. It is the opposite for Tauck - many postings on Facebook (but none of substance really, just saying how great such and such trip was), but very little on their "Ask & Share" area, where people might answer specific questions or post trip reports. I don't think it's just because the disboards is independent - I think it's more a different target market. My perception is that the AbD'ers are a younger group for the most part than the Tauck folks, therefore, more apt to desire information via the internet. Maybe?

It will be interesting to see the composition of the Tauck group, although I know there are more kids on our upcoming trip than were on either of our ABD trips. Our last ABD had around 60% of the group over 50. I think you're right though, marcemch, that Tauck, in general targets an older audience, because so much of their business is outside of the Tauck Bridges family trips and ABD is primarily family trips. Maybe this board has been more active because it evolved from the already active Disney Theme Park, Cruise Line and DVC forums. Although in comparison to those we're pretty quiet. It's too bad there isn't a similar resource for some of the other tour companies.

 

[LTFrench]

Our invite referred to having taken an ABD 2009 trip?
Maybe that is how they are starting the process of sending out invites?

 

[Bobo912]

Our invite referred to having taken an ABD 2009 trip?
Maybe that is how they are starting the process of sending out invites?

I went to Alaska with ABD in 2009. But then, I didn't the email about the return guest discount this year either. They must be mad at me.

 

[Tozzie]

I received the invite. There is absolutely no ryhme or reason to the way emails are sent by ABD, I am begining to think someone sits at a computer with a long list of email addresses and goes "eeny meeny miny moe" and send them. I recieved this email however the emails for the incentives or discounted trips I did not receive. Who knows.

 

[marcemch]

It will be interesting to see the composition of the Tauck group, although I know there are more kids on our upcoming trip than were on either of our ABD trips. Our last ABD had around 60% of the group over 50. I think you're right though, marcemch, that Tauck, in general targets an older audience, because so much of their business is outside of the Tauck Bridges family trips and ABD is primarily family trips. Maybe this board has been more active because it evolved from the already active Disney Theme Park, Cruise Line and DVC forums. Although in comparison to those we're pretty quiet. It's too bad there isn't a similar resource for some of the other tour companies.

There was a link on Tauck's Facebook page about Tauck Bridges' trip to Costa Rica. I viewed it and it pretty much focused on grandparents traveling with grandkids. I am assuming that TB evolved from grandparents wishing they could take the Tauck trips with the extended family, including the under 18 grandkids. This is confirmed by photos on the website. So I would expect on our trip this summer with TB to have a mix of 3 generation families, grandparents & grandkids, and parents/kids. Will be interesting to see if my expectations are confirmed. Most the families on the ABDs I've been on have been parents & kids, but each of my trips has included at least one grandparent.

 

[LisaTex]

I feel left out (not really) - we've been on 4 ABDs and no e-mail. Maybe because we are skipping 2010

 

[sayhello]

I got the invite while I was on my Med ABD, so I haven't had a chance to check out the site yet. Based on the comments here, I'm not expecting too much!

Sayhello

 

[figmentfan2009]

Don't expect too much. I did. not a good idea...

I never figured that the moderators or den mothers or goat herders or whatever they are that are "IN charge" of each section would be "company line" elementary school teachers or that the people posting and asking questions (and ANSWERING questions for that matter) would have never actually looked at the itineraries they are talking about.

I keep hoping that in time it will grow to have more meaningful content...

I was a bit miffed Saturday with one china thread where people were telling someone who was asking questions... oh... don't miss Tienanmen Square... oooo don't miss the great wall... oooo don't miss the terra cotta soldiers.

Uh yeah... DON'T miss the stuff that the trip takes you to.... don't want to like stay on the bus in the parking lot for that one... did they actually ever read any of it? I think the person asking might have, but I think it might be a crap shoot who they "invite" and being invited only means that they clue you in that it is there and that you can sign up to post.... nothing more.

If you had ever been to anywhere like here ...... it is a way big let down.

 

[sayhello]

How sad...

Sayhello