What is Adventures By Disney?
You’ve had fun over the years in the Disney theme parks. There’s a good chance your first cruise was on one of the Disney ships. You may have even stayed at Disney’s fabulous Hawaii resort – Aulani. But most Disney fans we talk to have never experienced an Adventures by Disney (ABD) vacation. I recently met with Linda from Disney to learn more about ABD.
What is Adventures by Disney?
· On an Adventures by Disney guided group vacation, You’re a traveler & an adventurer, not a tourist. You and your family members of all ages become active participants in incredible stories, experiences and cultures through immersive activities, while your 2 Disney Adventure Guides take care of all the details. There’s truly something for everyone on this adventures! Including, activities just for our ‘Junior Adventurers’!
What’s unique to Adventures by Disney? You know, those ‘Disney Differences’?
· There are quite a few, but key Disney Differences are: Our 2 Disney Adventure Guides; we provide Family Fun; Authenticity; and Insider Access
Where do they take guests?
· We take guests to every continent around the world, except Antarctica, and also offer several domestic trips right here in the U.S., including Utah & Arizona; Wyoming; Montana; and long weekend trips such as Nashville; NYC; SFO & and Napa Valley; and Hollywood, CA! Some of our more popular adventurous trips are Costa Rica, Peru, and The Galapagos Islands! If you’re looking for history & culture, you might try England/France, Ireland, Germany or Greece, or one of our Italy trips! Some of our more exotic trips include China and Vietnam.
What Adventures by Disney experience is your favorite, based on the trips you’ve taken?
· My all-time favorite was our Viva Italia ‘Italy’ trip! That was the first of the five trips I’ve experienced with Adventures by Disney. What’s not to love about Italy? The food, the wine, the culture, the people, the history, the architecture, need I say more? They are such a family-oriented people, and so alive with culture and history! We visited Rome, to Tuscany, to Florence, to Venice! Venice was by far, my favorite Italian city visited! So ‘Magical’ in every way! From the canals with our singing Gondolier, to our ‘mask-making experience’ with a Venetian artisan; to visiting the spectacular ‘Doges Palace’. However, a close ‘second’ was our private pasta-making class in a castle in Tuscany with a private chef!
What did your son like most?
· We took our son at 11 years old on the Italy trip, and I think his favorite memory was some of the unique entertainment that was planned exclusively for our group! Our travel group had 28 people, and in Rome, we had a private dinner at the oldest restaurant in Rome, with exclusive entertainment that included ‘Gladiators’! Our son, along with the other junior adventurers on the trip got to dress up as gladiators and battle each other. And on our final night of the tour, we had an exclusive dinner with additional live entertainment that included a ride on a pirate ship out to see off the coast of Venice (a sunset cruise) with dinner on board, and real ‘pirates’. It was nothing short of magical! And there were so many more magical touches throughout the trip too! And many special ‘surprises’ along the way. Adventures by Disney truly has something for everyone and every family member!
What did you appreciate most about your Adventures by Disney trip(s)?
· We liked the fact that ‘every detail’ along the way was taken care of for us! Everything from transfers upon arrival, and those upon departure; to luggage handling; ALL transportation throughout the trip, including a train ride on the Eurostar with breakfast in first class from Florence to Venice. Also, tips to all of our step on expert guides throughout the trip; tips all planned meals and to all hotel staff; and a feeling or sense of ‘safety’ while traveling with our family in a foreign country, where we did not speak the language or know the local customs.
Thanks Linda. I have similar feelings about Adventures by Disney based on my one ABD trip to Southeast Asia (read my report on that trip here), and the comments from happy clients after they returned from ABD adventures I had booked for them.
Contact me if you would like to explore an Adventures by Disney vacation in 2016. Are you a Disney Vacation Club (DVC) member? I can still book you at DVC member rates (as long as you are not using DVC points).