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Adventures by Disney type of vacations


eskiemomo
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this is not a cruise question but knowing may year cruise with DCL I would like to know if anyone here has tried Adventures by Disney land vacations?

 

they look fantastic excep for the price tag :eek:

 

are there similar type of kid-friendly vacation tour packages anyone can recommend?

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There are many companies that do similar vacations, some family oriented. We haven't done any of the family ones as mine are older now. You are right that ABD is great except for the price....and they also have some "adult only" ABDs. The thing with ABD is that they are full service (which I like), but they also stay at 5* hotels, which typically cost $500+ per night to book on your own--no idea what Disney pays for them. What shocked me was the price of the ones that are cruise "add ons." These are primarily in Europe. They arrange all land days with top of the line excursions and do parties, character meets, etc. on sea days. And they cost $2500+ on top of the cruise--so minimal food and no hotel!

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We are platinum castaway members. We've only done 2 ABDs - one land Czech Republic and the latest Rhine River Cruise through the AmaWaterays. We loved both of them. The Disney experience is definitely there. The guides literally go out of their ways to make things right. We had a family who was scheduled to attend a wedding in London after the Rhine river cruise and the wife suddenly received an email that their AirBNB cancelled their stay. When one of the guides found out about this, he contacted an individual to assist this family in finding a room in London. I was very much impressed.

The program is definitely geared toward the family. I never got to see my 11-year old when we were on board the ship. She entirely enjoyed the companionship with acquaintances and guides.

 

I would schedule another ABD river cruise if they offered the Normandy excursion.

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We've done 7 ABD land vacations. Despite the price tag, we've found them to be really outstanding experiences.

hey Jeff, disneyholic_family here (on the dis)..

which RCI alaska cruise were you on?

we did the radiance southbound 2 years ago and i'm thinking we'll do the radiance again this coming june....

i'll be in the states for my 45th high school reunion (from june 7th to 11th)....

DH will fly to the states to meet me after that..

haven't decided if he should meet me in orlando or alaska :o

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OP, I totally understand. We actually have a deposit for an ABD, but it's been moved to two different trips and is currently sitting waiting to be put somewhere. We love to travel as a family, but with 6 of us, pulling that ABD trigger has proven to be near impossible for me.

 

On the ABD forum on disboards there is a thread titled "Other Options" that discusses many other companies. Since we love to travel, I've been looking at these companies for years, off and on. The issue is that most are pricy, particularly if you want the kid focused groups. Tauck is one of the main family tour companies. Abercrombie, Nat Geo, Kensington all do high end tours. Rick Steves has more moderately priced tours, as does Gate 1. There are several bare bones companies, but I'm not willing to go that cheap at my age. :) Road Scholar, which caters to the 50+ crowd actually has "intergenerational" options that can include adult kids and their kids. We've done an adult only RS trip (dh just barely qualifies at 50) and it was run very well and was very reasonably priced. I'd not hesitate to try a family trip, but the options are limited.

 

The RS trip was the first group travel I've ever done, and I can see the appeal. It was heavenly to not have to be in charge of where we're going, where we're eating, finding guides, etc, etc, etc. Our guide was a delight. ABD, and the others, do that and add luxury as well. Consequently, you pay for that.

 

We did a trip to France this summer and used "France Just for You." They made all the hotel, travel, and local guide arrangements. The only difference was there was not a full time guide with us. It was priced very reasonably and allowed me to not stress over the details. It was a great trip and our week in France went off without a hitch. I'm sure there are other services similar for other countries. There wasn't the group to travel with, but with 4 kids, grandparents, dh and I, we don't really need others to keep us entertained. :)

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OP, I totally understand. We actually have a deposit for an ABD, but it's been moved to two different trips and is currently sitting waiting to be put somewhere. We love to travel as a family, but with 6 of us, pulling that ABD trigger has proven to be near impossible for me.

 

On the ABD forum on disboards there is a thread titled "Other Options" that discusses many other companies. Since we love to travel, I've been looking at these companies for years, off and on. The issue is that most are pricy, particularly if you want the kid focused groups. Tauck is one of the main family tour companies. Abercrombie, Nat Geo, Kensington all do high end tours. Rick Steves has more moderately priced tours, as does Gate 1. There are several bare bones companies, but I'm not willing to go that cheap at my age. :) Road Scholar, which caters to the 50+ crowd actually has "intergenerational" options that can include adult kids and their kids. We've done an adult only RS trip (dh just barely qualifies at 50) and it was run very well and was very reasonably priced. I'd not hesitate to try a family trip, but the options are limited.

 

The RS trip was the first group travel I've ever done, and I can see the appeal. It was heavenly to not have to be in charge of where we're going, where we're eating, finding guides, etc, etc, etc. Our guide was a delight. ABD, and the others, do that and add luxury as well. Consequently, you pay for that.

 

We did a trip to France this summer and used "France Just for You." They made all the hotel, travel, and local guide arrangements. The only difference was there was not a full time guide with us. It was priced very reasonably and allowed me to not stress over the details. It was a great trip and our week in France went off without a hitch. I'm sure there are other services similar for other countries. There wasn't the group to travel with, but with 4 kids, grandparents, dh and I, we don't really need others to keep us entertained. :)

 

thanks for that summary!!

 

i very much want to take the entire family to alaska and Japan (not on the same trip of course)...

and while we always travel DIY, i was thinking that perhaps a group tour that especially catered to children might be the way to go for our large group.

Or perhaps a private group tour (where someone else does the planning, organizing, guiding,etc for our family group).

 

I've looked at ABD over the years, but sticker shock doesn't come close to my reaction to their pricing.

Of course, when i look at the itinerary and see hotels like the peninsula i see how they arrive at their figures.

 

And while, i certainly enjoy the luxurious comforts of the peninsula, it's not in my budget for trips that include at least 7 adults and many children (the number continuing to increase).

 

DIY is probably cheaper, but in my old age i'm wondering if it wouldn't be nice to have someone else handling all the logistics and entertainment.

Though with my control freak nature, perhaps i'm not geared for that?

 

.

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Ok, since you mentioned Japan: https://www.insidejapantours.com

 

We seriously considered this as well, but decided I could do the Med for much cheaper. Japan is expensive no matter who you do it with, unless you're willing to stay in capsule hotels and eat ramen the whole time. With two kids going off to college, that becomes important! I had spoken with them several times and they seem to have a trip for everyone - full on ABD style to cheap-o DIY.

 

I have friends that do an ABD every year with their two teens. They both work long hours, have a fear of overseas travel/planning, and want a guide around. They LOVE ABD. They pick a trip, pay some every month, pack and go on vacation without having to do much else.

 

I enjoy the planning, don't need a full time guide, and don't mind a bit of the adventure that comes with figuring out just what I need to do in whatever country I'm in - with the exception that I don't want to do it with the herd of cats that is my 8 member family (6 of us and two grandparents) all trailing behind me. Including diva DH who likes nice hotels and hates uncertainty. So THAT is the appeal of an ABD to me - though so far not enough to actually pull the trigger!

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i spent all morning looking at various itineraries of a number of different tour companies.

 

In the end i concluded that we'll have to go DIY.

 

For me the fun of traveling is the nitty gritty of finding one's way around, as difficult and confusing as it sometimes is.

 

we've traveled all over the world that way, and i guess we'll just have to keep doing that.

 

some of our most fond memories are of trying to figure out where we are, where we need to go and how to get there in countries where very few people speak english. Things didn't always go smoothly and that turned out to be part of the fun!!

.

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I’ve often looked at ABD in the past as my experience with the parks and a Disney cruise, is that Disney is a very professional product. I’m sure ABD would be no exception. However, I just can’t work out how they come to their prices.

 

I am doing a 12 night Costa Rica tour with Gate 1 next Xmas and researched many companies, including Disney before booking. As a comparison, a 6 night ABD will work out at over US$1800 p/n for my family of 2 adults and 1 child. My 12 night is costing approx $350 p/n for the 3 of us.

 

There are differences between the tours (a few extra activities per week on ABD, an extra meal each day, an included internal flight, and accommodation that is 0.5-1 star higher on average), plus ABD will presumably be more family friendly.

I completely understand that value is in the eye of the beholder and don’t judge anyone else for spending their hard-earned dollars how they see fit. However, we are talking 5x the daily cost here and, for me personally, the numbers just don’t add up.

Edited by oskarNZ
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DIY is probably cheaper, but in my old age i'm wondering if it wouldn't be nice to have someone else handling all the logistics and entertainment.

Though with my control freak nature, perhaps i'm not geared for that?

 

Lol. You sound like me. I struggle to hand over control with my vacations also, and most of my trips are DIY also. There is something nice about not being herded onto a bus like cattle and being able to stop when and where you please.

 

We have done only 2 organised group tours in the past. One which took away any worry about a big language barrier and terrifying road rules, and another which took away concerns about driving through snow-laden landscape.

There are definitely pros to this style of travel, but it’s not something I could do all the time.

 

For this Costa Rica tour, we just want a relaxing Xmas/New Year we don’t need to think. Time will tell if we made the right choice. :)

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We've done 2 Disney - the service is exceptional and so is the price...

 

I've found 2 pluses besides those - one, they tend to include some places you might not thing of (like Schloss Waldeck in Germany) and they seem to be very good at finding the absolute best local guides and getting access to things individuals and other groups can't which offer some unique experience.

 

That said, it IS an organized tour with a set schedule, which is not for everyone, and as noted, its pricey. So it really depends on the experience you want and budget...

 

Now, if you are a Disney fan, there is no other option than ABD's Backstage Magic Southern Cal. Because of who they are you get into places that are simply not possible at all unless you know someone who works there (Backstage at Disney Studios, Imagineering, Radiator Springs Racer's control room, etc, JIM HENSON STUDIOS! among many others). That's a trip you cannot DYI or find an alternate.

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Lol. You sound like me. I struggle to hand over control with my vacations also, and most of my trips are DIY also. There is something nice about not being herded onto a bus like cattle and being able to stop when and where you please.

 

We have done only 2 organised group tours in the past. One which took away any worry about a big language barrier and terrifying road rules, and another which took away concerns about driving through snow-laden landscape.

There are definitely pros to this style of travel, but it’s not something I could do all the time.

 

For this Costa Rica tour, we just want a relaxing Xmas/New Year we don’t need to think. Time will tell if we made the right choice. :)

 

one thing i've never done and probably would never do is drive in a foreign country - i drive when i'm in the states of course (but i'm an american ex-pat so no problem there), but i always am amazed by friends who drive their way around all sorts of strange places.

i'd be too tense to do that.

we get around on foot, by bus, subways, train, taxis, etc.

and even that adds an element of adventure - try to figure out how to get somewhere when not a soul around you speaks a word of english - or any of the languages we speak.

 

.

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We've done 2 Disney - the service is exceptional and so is the price...

 

I've found 2 pluses besides those - one, they tend to include some places you might not thing of (like Schloss Waldeck in Germany) and they seem to be very good at finding the absolute best local guides and getting access to things individuals and other groups can't which offer some unique experience.

 

That said, it IS an organized tour with a set schedule, which is not for everyone, and as noted, its pricey. So it really depends on the experience you want and budget...

 

Now, if you are a Disney fan, there is no other option than ABD's Backstage Magic Southern Cal. Because of who they are you get into places that are simply not possible at all unless you know someone who works there (Backstage at Disney Studios, Imagineering, Radiator Springs Racer's control room, etc, JIM HENSON STUDIOS! among many others). That's a trip you cannot DYI or find an alternate.

 

 

that's the one ABD tour that i've always wanted to do...

perhaps someday if we find ourselves headed to california we can somehow combine it

we're total geeks, so i know it would be perfect for us.

 

.

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If you are into Disney, hands down one of the best trips we've ever done and that includes using a VIP guide at WDW ...

 

Pictures from the trip below (we did a day before in LA and a day after at Disney then one at WB studio in case you were wondering...)

 

 

The tour itself starts at the Hollywood sign in row 2 and goes through World of Color from a distance.... After that is on our own.

 

that's the one ABD tour that i've always wanted to do...

perhaps someday if we find ourselves headed to california we can somehow combine it

we're total geeks, so i know it would be perfect for us.

 

.

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If you are into Disney, hands down one of the best trips we've ever done and that includes using a VIP guide at WDW ...

 

Pictures from the trip below (we did a day before in LA and a day after at Disney then one at WB studio in case you were wondering...)

 

 

The tour itself starts at the Hollywood sign in row 2 and goes through World of Color from a distance.... After that is on our own.

 

thanks for sharing the pictures!!! it looks great!!

 

there are a few pictures that i think are from before the ABD tour that i'm really curious about.

after the sabre toothed tiger or whatever that is, there are two pictures that look like excavations...where are those taken?

 

and then right after those two pictures, there are two pictures of great halls of some kind (with a gooey cone in between).

where are those halls located?

 

and one more picture...it's a very elaborate ceiling - the pictures before and after are of kermit the frog..

 

how many days is the backstage magic tour?

 

.

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Somehow the pictures got out of order, I fixed them now (Smugmug added some new settings)

 

The pictures with the pits are the LaBrea tar pits, about a 15 min uber or less from the Hotel disney uses...

 

The pictures before and after the cone (now after) are from the Roosevelt hotel, which is the hotel the Tower of terror is/was based on and also the site of the first Academy awards in that ballroom shown (we stopped there on the way back from the pits) - the fraggle rock display is also there from an earlier partnership. Super cool building

 

The ceiling is inside the Chinese Theater, one of the first full stops on the tour..

 

The tour is 5 nights, 6 days.

 

Day 1 - Meet the guides and Dinner

Day 2 - Hollywood and Disney history

Day 3 - Disney Studios and the ride to DL

Day 4 - Disneyland

Day 5 - California Adventure

Day 6 - Breakfast - They did provide park tickets for those who wanted to stay the full day and you can leave any time that day with private transport, but there are no activities or special access.

 

There are also several activities that are NOT on the itinerary, these may vary based on guide and availability. For example, we were there in October so we had the Halloween Party included (with a special activity I won't spoil) and in LA had reserved seats to see Hocus Pocus at El Capitan plus snacks one nite (which was way more fun that I thought it would be). This tour has the most 'bonus' activities of any of the ABDs.

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