Thinking about booking our first ABD vacation...

[PHamrick]

I've been reading the brochures for years and am super intrigued by an ABD vacation. We are most interested in the Christmas Danube river cruise and the China trip. But, I have a few questions for anyone who has done these trips:

1. How does booking work? Can I book online?
2. Are the trips good for a variety of ages? We have two kids (currently 8 and 10), but my mother (72) might join us for the river trip. Can they accommodate her? Did your kids love the trip?
3. What did you find to be the best part of booking with ABD rather than doing it on your own? It's a fairly hefty investment in a trip and I'm wondering what drew you to ABD rather than plan it on your own.

What would you tell someone who is on the fence for booking an ABD vacation? I'm not sure why I'm hesitating, except for maybe the cost. Any info, experiences, insights you could give this newbie would be much appreciated! (FWIW, we've been to Disney parks in FL, CA and France and have taken 3 Disney cruises with 2 more booked). THANKS!!!

 

[TravelJunkieHubby]

Hello! Our family did our first ABD in 2015 and we haven't looked back (this year we are doing trips #6 and #7 with ABD), so I'm definitely drinking the Kool-Aid. The trips have gotten more crowded over the last few years, creeping above 40 people on some itinteraries, but I think it's worth it if you want the security of group travel abroad, especially with young children. I also like not having to make a ton of decisions on vacation. To answer your questions...

1. You can call the 1-800 number on the ABD website, but if you are a Costco member you can book through Costco travel and receive some cashback. A travel agent may be able to offer something similar.
2. We have met several families travelling with grandparents on these trips and ABD accomodates them well from the best I can tell. Our kids love these trips - the other kids they have met have been really nice. They enjoy the junior adventure nights (one game night/movie night with the kids and ABD guides away from the parents). The age guidelines they give for each trip are generally appropriate.
3. The main things we like are 1) avoiding decision fatigue on vacation 2) efficiency is seeing a lot of tourist attractions if your vacation time is limited/you don't want to stand in line.

 

[lpm23]

My daughters are 7 and 9 and we have done 4 ABDs and are doing our 5th next month. My dad is 69 and has been on most of the trips with us. We find it great for all ages. Depending on the trip there is a bit of walking but as long as your mom is comfortable walking a mile or two a day you should be fine.

The trips are great and my kids make new friends every single time. The guides take care of everything so you can enjoy and not spend your whole time passing out snacks and answering are we there yet etc. It's expensive but we love it!

 

[Networth]

We have only done one so far and will be doing another next year. We tested the water with the SoCal ABD weekend escape due to it being short as well as including many ABD only moments.

We enjoyed the experience enough that we plan to book ABD for a 2020 trip abroad. We enjoyed not having to plan every activity, and will especially enjoy having them build the “to do” list in a foreign country that doesn’t speak predominantly English.

ABD certainly has the “Disney tax” compared to making a similar trip by yourself. However they plan a lot and the guides really are top notch from the few days we had them. We we were walking around Disneyland and saying it was hot. About 3 minutes later a guide shows up with a cart full of Smartwater for the whole group to have.

The previous day I forgot my wallet on the motorcoach when we went shopping at Mickey’s of Glendale. The guide asked me why I didn’t go take a look inside the store, I told her I forgot my wallet. She handed me her CC and just asked me to give her the receipt and pay her back at dinner.

Our flight ran late and I was getting over a cold so we missed the welcome dinner. The guide offered to go get us food when she called me (I declined). However she met us is the lobby upon arrival handing us a gift card to make sure our dinner was still “on the Mouse”. These are just scenarios where I feel they went above what I had expected. They were fantastic overall. Mind you we only had them for 2 full days. We are looking forward to being with ABD for a much longer trip overseas.

 

[tink1970]

I've been on 3 ABDs, with #4 in June and #5 in Oct.

1)To book, you can call or use a travel agency-some travel agencies will give you a percentage back, gift card or other incentive. I've done it on my own and through a TA and they are equally as easy.

2) The river cruise we're taking in June is the Danube and it will be me, DD (18) and DM (68). If your mother can walk a mile or two and has no problem with cobblestones, etc, then she should be fine. The river boats do not accommodate scooters and I don't think the elevator goes to all levels of the ship so if mobility is an issue, that's something to consider.

3) ABD is definitely expensive, but my DD is an only so having other children (well young adults) is worth it for us, as well as the logistical prowess of ABD and the adventure guides. I can and have before planned overseas trips but it's easier to enjoy the trip if I'm not worried about transportation, food, etc.

I really think for a multigenerational trip the river cruise is great-you don't have to participate in every activity, the boat is small but lovely and it is just a wonderful trip (I've done both the Danube and Rhine and back for the second time on the Danube, so it must be pretty good!).