Just looking at the ABD website, and it looks like they have added a 6-night Golden Path to Yosemite trip. It goes San Fran to Yosemite to Tahoe. I haven't looked at it in detail, but it looks very similar to the 7-night Golden Path to Yosemite (just in the opposite direction). Looks like a decent price reduction though. The 6 night ABD is $2699 and the 7 night ABD is $3429. Haven't looked at the differences in detail, but the biggest differences seem to be one less day in Yosemite (and the associated activities) and some of the restaurants are different. Maybe this is a domestic version of a Gateway trip without actually calling it a Gateway trip.
New ABD
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sayhello
Have Camera, Will Travel
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That's interesting. You're right, although why they don't want to call it a Gateway trip is an interesting question. Maybe because it doesn't include more "on your own time", or cheaper hotels, just one less day, a few less activities, like the horseback riding and bike riding in Yosemite. And, as you say, different restaurant/meal options. Oh, but the shorter trip has a photograpy lesson/walk instead of the bicycling. I might actually prefer that.
It appears to be in reverse order, going to San Francisco first, then Yosemite, then Tahoe. Not sure if that makes a big difference. And the trip from Yosemite to Tahoe on the 6-night does not stop at Mono Lake. It's an interesting place, but hardly a deal breaker.
I just wish they'd cut out a day in Tahoe rather than a day in Yosemite. That seems an odd choice.
That's a significant price reduction on a rather pricey trip, though. I wonder what the exact motivation is. Maybe to see if shorter, cheaper trips sell better? ABD is always trying to surprise us, it seems.
Sayhello
Considering the fact that they've already dropped at least one scheduled date for the original 7-night trip and they've lowered the price on the remaining two 7-night trips, I suspect ABD's motivation is that they can't sell that itinerary at the price they were asking. So now they've eliminated most of the wait listed dates from the 7-night trip and added a shorter, cheaper version in it's place. I never understood why the price was so high on this trip in the first place. I agree with sayhello, dropping one of the days at Yosemite doesn't seem like the best choice.
sayhello
Have Camera, Will Travel
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If they had offered something like this in the first place, I might have booked it. But we like the Tauck itinerary better and it's a day longer than this scaled down ABD, so we might have gone with Tauck anyway.
Since ABD is still making changes to their schedule, just in case they are still monitoring the board occasionally, I would like to say that a Gateway trip to Ireland would be a very good offering.
Maybe the week of July 27 where they have wait list date for the regular trip.
Since ABD is still making changes to their schedule, just in case they are still monitoring the board occasionally, I would like to say that a Gateway trip to Ireland would be a very good offering.
Maybe the week of July 27 where they have wait list date for the regular trip.How funny! I was just thinking about posting a new thread to ask you all if you thought ABD might come out with anything else for 2010!
At first I was excited by this, as it brought the price down to a MUCH more reasonable level for this type of trip, and more in line with my vacation budget. I've mentioned before that we're (myself, and my then 10yr old daughter) seriously considering the Tauck tour. But one reason I haven't booked it (besides the fact that there is plenty of space still available on the dates we are looking at), is that I'm concerned we are really going to miss the great ABD guides and the way they facilitate Junior Adventurer bonding (and I'll especially miss Jr. Adventurer night!)
But after looking at the itinerary, I REALLY like the Tauck itinerary SO much better, and of course, it is one day longer (and ALL gratuities included), so a much better deal. Also, I really don't like the drop off at the end of the ABD tour in Reno. I haven't looked into it, but adding the cost of the flight hop or rental car back to SF has got to add at least a couple hundred $ on to the total cost of the trip. Why can't they just add a bus charter back to SFO?
I sure wish someone could assure me that my daughter and I will bond with the Tauck guide (guideS??) like we have on our Germany and Alaska ABD trips! I'm sure they'll be capable and knowledgeable, but will they be FUN like the ABD guides??
At first I was excited by this, as it brought the price down to a MUCH more reasonable level for this type of trip, and more in line with my vacation budget. I've mentioned before that we're (myself, and my then 10yr old daughter) seriously considering the Tauck tour. But one reason I haven't booked it (besides the fact that there is plenty of space still available on the dates we are looking at), is that I'm concerned we are really going to miss the great ABD guides and the way they facilitate Junior Adventurer bonding (and I'll especially miss Jr. Adventurer night!)
But after looking at the itinerary, I REALLY like the Tauck itinerary SO much better, and of course, it is one day longer (and ALL gratuities included), so a much better deal. Also, I really don't like the drop off at the end of the ABD tour in Reno. I haven't looked into it, but adding the cost of the flight hop or rental car back to SF has got to add at least a couple hundred $ on to the total cost of the trip. Why can't they just add a bus charter back to SFO?
I sure wish someone could assure me that my daughter and I will bond with the Tauck guide (guideS??) like we have on our Germany and Alaska ABD trips! I'm sure they'll be capable and knowledgeable, but will they be FUN like the ABD guides??
marcemch, does Southwest fly from your local airport? For me, it's chearper to fly from Reno than from San Francisco. With the Tauck trip I can fly round trip to/from San Francisco, but I was thinking if I decided to stay an extra day or two I might drive to Lake Tahoe for a day and fly home from Reno instead.
Figment1989
Earning My Ears
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Is anyone doing the Adventure By Disney Emerald Ireland trip in 2010? I was told that the tour is different from previous years but I am not sure what has changed? I think they are staying longer in the Dromland hotel and are not going to one of the towns they went to in the past. Did anyone do this before?
Interesting! I guess that would be a reasonable option with the ABD trip - to book 2 one ways using Southwest. Southwest doesn't fly out of our home airport, but does fly from RDU, which is an hour away, so we often fly from there. But I did check, and at least for the time being, there are cheaper/more direct options RT from Greensboro to San Francisco, so if we do the Tauck tour, we'll do that.
Figment1989 - you should probably start a new thread with this question to get the Ireland ABD'ers to notice and respond.
There are several really good, detailed trip reports on the Ireland ABD posted on the trip report thread (the only sticky at the top of the forum page).
If you can wait until the end of June I'll let you know how good the guide is.
I haven't decided whether we're going to add any extra days. I know we're not going to add a post night through Tauck in Monterrey because the price for the room was too high. I left my notes at work, but I think it was $300 per night. If we don't extend the trip, we'll fly roundtrip to SF too. I'm going to wait a month or two to decide on that. I was planning to avoid Orlando this summer, but DS really wants to go to Universal again. The last time we were there he wasn't tall enough to ride Dueling Dragons and Incredible Hulk, but now he is and of course there's Harry Potter's Wizarding World too. So, I have to decided if were going to Orlando or taking any other trips the summer before I make a decision to spend any more money or time on the Northern CA trip.marcemch - you just helped me with other travel. I've been looking at flights from ILM to SF and you really can't get there from here! We have family in Gboro, so it would be easy to fly from that airport. I'll have to look into it....
On that note, we're looking at a trip to SF to visit friends and I've looked into a day or two in Yosemite. It looks fairly easy to arrange for a private guide to pick you up at your SF hotel and do a day of touring, meals included, for a couple hundred dollars a person - less if you're willing to go with a group. Considering how easy SF is to tour on your own, I'd have to really want the ABD perks to pay even the reduced price for this particular trip.
Hope I didn't mislead you - didn't mean to imply you could fly DIRECT from GSO to SFO - just flights with fairly minimal layovers - mainly Delta or Continental.... Looks like around $380 Rt.
I hear you! I'm really struggling with so many aspects of my vacation decision this year! I agree this is an easy one to do on your own - I've traveled alot on my own in Europe and all over US, and wouldn't hesitate for a minute to do this trip on my own. However, that's not really the vacation experience I'm looking for as a single parent.
I'm willing to pay extra for for: 1. Other KIDS! 2. Group camradarie (facilitated by great guides), 3. Doing things you couldn't do on your own (not sure there are any of those things on either ABD or Tauck No. CA tour),
4. Having someone take care of things for you.
Just have to decide if the extra you pay for a guided tour for the above is worth it!
Just looking for other options in general. With as few flts as go out of here, we're looking at 13 or 14 hours of flying time, and two connections. I keep reminding DH that it's easier to get to Europe!
Oh goodness, I have to be thankful that I live near two airports and can usually get a direct fight anywhere I want to go.
I don't think there is anything on the Tauck or ABD tour that you couldn't do on your own. I have the same issues as you, marcemch. Sometime I think we can just do this on our own and not spend so much money. And then I think about how much more I enjoy the trip when I don't have to be responsible for everything and how much more my son enjoys the trip when he has other kids and the fun guides to hang out with. And that's when I decide it's worth it to spend the money, at least until DS is a bit older.
ITA with this and with marcemch. I'm more just thinking we'll do SF on our own and spend the big bucks to do an ABD somewhere a little more difficult to navigate. SF wouldn't be our "main" vacation.
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