Which ABD is the best to try for first timer?

[meethinx]

I have yet to try any ABD excursions because I did not want to get locked into a group and not have flexibility during my vacation. Also, it requires so many points for a family of four. How would we be able to get around the temporary cap on borrowing points? I would love to hear what others' experiences are/were. TIA

 

[jina]

From what I've heard, using DVC points for anything other than DVC is a poor value so you are better off renting your DVC points and using the cash to book ABD. As someone who regularly rents DVC points, I can tell you there is definitely a market for them and there are services which make it very easy to do. I've used DVC Rental Store and David's Vacation Club to rent and have had great experiences.

We are doing our first ABD this summer with our 12yo -Norway. We've been wanting to do this trip since she was 5 and then when we decided she was old enough to do an overseas trip covid happened. So excited to finally go. Which adventure is best for a first timer depends on what you enjoy in travel. We love being outdoors doing active things and especially love water and mountains so Norway, Alaska, Wyoming, New Zealand and Australia are on our list. I think if this one goes well, New Zealand will be next for us.

 

[meethinx]

From what I've heard, using DVC points for anything other than DVC is a poor value so you are better off renting your DVC points and using the cash to book ABD. As someone who regularly rents DVC points, I can tell you there is definitely a market for them and there are services which make it very easy to do. I've used DVC Rental Store and David's Vacation Club to rent and have had great experiences.

We are doing our first ABD this summer with our 12yo -Norway. We've been wanting to do this trip since she was 5 and then when we decided she was old enough to do an overseas trip covid happened. So excited to finally go. Which adventure is best for a first timer depends on what you enjoy in travel. We love being outdoors doing active things and especially love water and mountains so Norway, Alaska, Wyoming, New Zealand and Australia are on our list. I think if this one goes well, New Zealand will be next for us.

Thank you so much for your input. As I was browsing through different threads I read the same thing about the value of ABD using DVC points. I hope your first trip is an amazing one!

 

[TravelJunkieHubby]

If you’re looking for a good first ABD, my vote would be Costa Rica. I think the price point is lower than most other international ABDs. It also has a good mix of activity, relaxation and culture… being in the same time zone and a short flight were bonus point for us, especially over say Spring Break.

 

[jimmymc]

They are all beginner friendly, it just depends on where you want to go. They will all be pretty fast paced, so even though the activities might not be physically demanding you will probably be waking up at 6 or 7 am each day and out until after dinner.

If you are a big fan of the Disney theme parks and Disney history, the Southern California trip is only 5 nights and cheaper than most of the international ones.

For a less stressful adventure, Alaska or Costa Rica are shorter flights and overall easy places to travel to.

If you'd like to see Europe and haven't travelled there before, the England and France or Italy trips get a lot done in one week. If you frequently travel in Europe on your own, I don't think I would recommend these.

If you have the time and want something different, the China and Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia trips are appealing because you get to see a lot of different areas of the countries in less than 2 weeks. These two are the ones where I think ABD has the most value.

 

[Mathmagicland]

A couple of posts have mentioned Costa Rica. The Disney Parks Blog has a post this morning about the Costa Rica AbD -

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...vida-in-costa-rica-with-adventures-by-disney/

 

[meethinx]

They are all beginner friendly, it just depends on where you want to go. They will all be pretty fast paced, so even though the activities might not be physically demanding you will probably be waking up at 6 or 7 am each day and out until after dinner.

If you are a big fan of the Disney theme parks and Disney history, the Southern California trip is only 5 nights and cheaper than most of the international ones.

For a less stressful adventure, Alaska or Costa Rica are shorter flights and overall easy places to travel to.

If you'd like to see Europe and haven't travelled there before, the England and France or Italy trips get a lot done in one week. If you frequently travel in Europe on your own, I don't think I would recommend these.

If you have the time and want something different, the China and Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia trips are appealing because you get to see a lot of different areas of the countries in less than 2 weeks. These two are the ones where I think ABD has the most value.

Thank you so much. Really appreciate your input. The Alaska and Costa Rica sound great. Always wanted to go to Alaska. We will have to look into it.

 

[lpm23]

For what it's worth we have done 8 ABDs and Costa Rica was our least favorite. The amount of time spent on a bus was a big detractor for us. I would recommend Wyoming or Canadian Rockies. We also love the River Cruises. Just my two cents.

 

[meethinx]

For what it's worth we have done 8 ABDs and Costa Rica was our least favorite. The amount of time spent on a bus was a big detractor for us. I would recommend Wyoming or Canadian Rockies. We also love the River Cruises. Just my two cents.

Thank you for your input. I will keep that in mind as I do more research.

 

[Mathmagicland]

Thank you for your input. I will keep that in mind as I do more research.

Are you looking for something for this summer? If so, you might want to confirm the itinerary with AbD before booking. Many of the trips that have happened since they started up again have had modifications and the modifications are not always on the website. Ie I did Alaska last summer and there were a few changes to the described itinerary, I’m not sure if those changes are still needed this summer.

 

[OKW Lover]

I have yet to try any ABD excursions because I did not want to get locked into a group and not have flexibility during my vacation. Also, it requires so many points for a family of four. How would we be able to get around the temporary cap on borrowing points? I would love to hear what others' experiences are/were. TIA

First, I'll echo what others have said about using DVC points for anything other than DVC itself. Its generally a bad rate of exchange. You can calculate it by estimating the value of your points on the rental market, which is currently at well over $15/point. So figure out how many points your desired ABD would take and multiply that by 15 to get the effective cost of the trip. Then compare that to the actual cost to pay cash.

But, to answer the question in the title of your post: the best one for a first timer? IMHO, the 5-night Backstage Magic (covers Hollywood and DisneyLand) is often the gateway drug. It was for us.

 

[meethinx]

Are you looking for something for this summer? If so, you might want to confirm the itinerary with AbD before booking. Many of the trips that have happened since they started up again have had modifications and the modifications are not always on the website. Ie I did Alaska last summer and there were a few changes to the described itinerary, I’m not sure if those changes are still needed this summer.

I have not decided when to go, I am just starting my research right now. Thank you.

 

[LuvTrvl2]

For what it's worth we have done 8 ABDs and Costa Rica was our least favorite. The amount of time spent on a bus was a big detractor for us. I would recommend Wyoming or Canadian Rockies. We also love the River Cruises. Just my two cents.

Hi, which river cruise did you do? Thinking about booking the Rhine one this summer. Just not sure how crowded they are and if it is worth that much money.

 

[Cruzin’Sisters]

For what it's worth we have done 8 ABDs and Costa Rica was our least favorite. The amount of time spent on a bus was a big detractor for us. I would recommend Wyoming or Canadian Rockies. We also love the River Cruises. Just my two cents.

Also would like more information about River Cruises. Thanks

 

[lpm23]

River cruises are great because you unpack once and stay in same room for the whole trip. There are also plenty of options for people to try different things. You see a lot of different places without spending a ton of time on a bus. It’s great.

 

[sayhello]

Also would like more information about River Cruises. Thanks

What kind of information are you looking for?

Sayhello

 

[jimmymc]

Also would like more information about River Cruises. Thanks

General info or something else?

River cruises are basically a nice hotel on the water and make a stop almost every day. They will have a main restaurant, lounge, possibly a second smaller restaurant, sun deck, and sometimes a small pool or hot tub. With Adventures by Disney specifically, you will have Disney adventure guides leading you on excursions all day in each port, and frequently they have 2 options. All your breakfasts and dinners will be eaten on the ship, and the price includes lunch every day at either a local restaurant or on the ship. Trips normally start and end at larger cities and will stop in small towns along the way.

 

[LuvTrvl2]

General info or something else?

River cruises are basically a nice hotel on the water and make a stop almost every day. They will have a main restaurant, lounge, possibly a second smaller restaurant, sun deck, and sometimes a small pool or hot tub. With Adventures by Disney specifically, you will have Disney adventure guides leading you on excursions all day in each port, and frequently they have 2 options. All your breakfasts and dinners will be eaten on the ship, and the price includes lunch every day at either a local restaurant or on the ship. Trips normally start and end at larger cities and will stop in small towns along the way.

Have you done the Rhine with ABD? If so, what did you like/dislike?

 

[jimmymc]

Have you done the Rhine with ABD? If so, what did you like/dislike?

I haven't done the cruise, but I have been to about half the places it stops at and do recommend visiting all of them.

 

[Cruzin’Sisters]

What kind of information are you looking for?

Sayhello

Are the rooms on the boat nice?