What is the value for you in ABD trips?

[Mathmagicland]

Unfortunately, this means you are totally dependent on a tour company. I think it is sad when someone returns from a long tour and says that they would love to go back to X but have no idea how to get there without another tour.

I prefer investing in years of travel skills so that I freely travel internationally almost as easy as traveling in the US.


-Paul

I like to think I have years of travel skills, research and experience. I’ve done both group and independent international travel - researching locations, sites, websites, setting up spreadsheets, books, etc. I choose Disney because in many instances itney make it so much easier and a better trip for me. But I’ve done my research as to what they offer in each location, and whether the trip includes what I want to see & how easy it might be to see & do some things before I book. It’s not just picking a destination without any insight into that destination. And, I admit I really miss the Disney advantages when I’m planning and traveling without them! The research is always fun, the actual travel execution without them maybe not so much at times.

 

[mathgeek]

Many of the other responses have already made my main points. But for me as a Disney fan, ABD was a way to start international travel as a solo traveler when I wasn't comfortable with doing it myself. I started with London/Paris and have done several others since then. Now having been to cities like London, Paris, Sydney, and even Cape Town, I wouldn't hesitate to travel there again on my own. But having the logistics planned out is worth it for me, plus I also know that I'm going to be safe traveling with Disney. I wouldn't have done Egypt or South Africa any other way.

The ABD guides also bring so much to these trips. The extra pixie dust they provide is amazing.

However, I would not use ABD for domestic travel, other than SoCal - the access you get to Imagineering and backstage is worth it.

 

[AquaDame]

I prefer investing in years of travel skills so that I freely travel internationally almost as easy as traveling in the US.


-Paul

Every country is different - you can spend years getting used to travel and still be woefully unprepared to visit certain regions. Of the 38 countries we've been to only 3 trips to date have been on guided tours; one trip was a country we'd already been to on our own, and the one in Feb is to a country I've been to on my own four times already. Even then I still see the value in ABD and tours in general. Consistently suggesting folk should always travel independently is just as disingenuous as if someone came to this board insisting you HAVE to travel on tours.

 

[jimmymc]

Thanks for all the responses! I hadn’t looked at the SoCal trip at all but I see what folks have said about the special extras. Maybe if I ever do one with her I’ll plan for that. I think I may not be the audience for a lot of the trips - I’m well traveled and the only times I did tours were overland camping in Africa and through Egypt and Jordan (I’ve been to Japan, but not Disney in Japan, but went with an American friend who was fluent in Japanese, which made the language barrier easier). I’ve lived in several large cities with mass transit and have been to Europe previously (though last time in Paris was as a teen) so I think the better option for my budget is to plan on my own because I’m comfortable doing that for European cities and with Paris in particular I know enough French to get by. I do appreciate the input (and happy to hear more!). I think if we do save for one of these in the future, it would be SoCal. She does want to see Disneyland eventually (we’re east coasters and thus WDW people).

The Southern California trip is a spectacular way to see Disneyland, and if you were already planning to spend 5 days on property anyway, it's a great way to take a week long Disneyland trip.

There's an argument of if you should see Disneyland on your own at least once before doing the trip or not, and I kind of agree that you should, but you can also do it as a few pre-nights to the trip if you don't want to plan a separate one.

 

[pjacobi]

The research is always fun, the actual travel execution without them maybe not so much at times.

Travel skills are not just research and spreadsheets, but "fixing" problems during your trip. What if the planned venue is suddenly closed? What if the trains are on strike? What if you need medical help? How do you communicate in your non-native language? These are the most challenging of problems!

I find it exciting to accept the challenge to solve these and other travel problems! I can understand that others may prefer to delegate these responsibilities to the tour group.


-Paul

 

[calypso726]

Travel skills are not just research and spreadsheets, but "fixing" problems during your trip. What if the planned venue is suddenly closed? What if the trains are on strike? What if you need medical help? How do you communicate in your non-native language? These are the most challenging of problems!

I find it exciting to accept the challenge to solve these and other travel problems! I can understand that others may prefer to delegate these responsibilities to the tour group.


-Paul

I travel quite often on my own and not always with a tour group. I am more than comfortable doing that and we do a couple of international trips on our own each year. I also happen to like ABD trips as well. With that said, when you are in China and suddenly begin to experience stroke symptoms like facial drooping and you understand that if you are in fact having a stroke that there is a clock ticking and you now have about a 3 hour window to begin the correct medical treatment. If you don’t, the outcome is paralysis or death. There is nothing even remotely exciting about the challenge of finding the right medical care when your life is on the line and you don’t speak the language and have heard horror stories about Chinese hospitals. It happened to me in 2018 and I have never been so glad that I just happened to be on an ABD trip and they took care of everything. I got lucky and the facial drooping wound up being BP and not a stroke. But there was no way to know that until I got medical care.

 

[TravelJunkieHubby]

I agree with all of the comments above... I think being able to enjoy international travel with young kids without stress was a big benefit when our kids were younger. We were also able to get connecting rooms at almost every hotel we have stayed with on an ABD (again a plus with younger kids).

ABD also partners with local security companies in certain locations when appropriate. We had a guard with us in Quito, Ecuador as part of the old Ecuador/Galapagos itinerary.

 

[Jess_S]

We've travelled pretty extensively overseas as a family, and we usually travel independently. After our first ABD, I decided that we would only use ABD if:
1. The itinerary matches what we are interested in seeing in a destination. (As an example, I am planning a trip to Australia next year. Our primary interest is wildlife and the outdoors; the ABD Australia itinerary is not a good fit for us).
2. There is some reason why I don't feel like planning the trip and handling logistics myself. As a result, I am willing to give up the flexibility of independent travel.

If those criteria are met, then the value for me is:
1. The guides are great. When we use non-ABD tour guides on trips I plan, I sometimes have to remind myself not to judge them by ABD standards.
2. The itineraries are well thought out. There's a good mix of sightseeing and hands on activities and ABD finds some real gems that I would not find on my own. Or they are able to get some type of priority access to an attraction that I would have a hard time getting on my own.
3. Someone else does all the unpleasant mom stuff for me. If something goes wrong, I don't need to fix it. If someone is not feeling well, one of the guides will notice and provide help. If someone is hangry, snacks are on offer.

 

[aggiedog]

That mom factor is a big one. Not being the only one in charge of predicting or handling every single problem is huge, and not having to herd the cats yourself.

 

[limabeanmom2003]

We went on our first family ABD trip this summer to Italy (Rome, Florence, Venice). I was surprised when my husband brought up the idea of doing an ABD. It's pricey. This was my first time in Europe and our sons' first time in Europe (young adults) but my husband has traveled extensively through Europe on his own and through work. This was a special trip for us as we were celebrating several milestones and decided to go with ABD because we know the product we are getting with Disney will be top notch. Disney did not disappoint. From the moment we landed in Rome to the moment we departed Venice, Disney took incredible care of us. My husband can get stressed out on vacation when dealing with planning and implementing plans, along with making sure everyone is having a good time. He did not worry once on this vacation. I could visibly see a difference in him. All four of us agreed that this was the best trip we have ever taken. We talk about it often. I'm already planning our next ABD. Is it pricey? Yes. Is it worth it? For me, yes. We met people on our trip who have been on over 20 ABD trips, but the majority of people on our trip were on their first or second ABD.

Here are some of the reasons:


1) Incredible guides - both disney and local. The people running the tour are top notch and there to make sure you are well cared for. They know their stuff and keep everything running smoothly. We were in Rome during the heat wave, but our guides always knew the shady spots to take us to and the heat never bothered us. They also prearrange with stores so that we can access bathrooms.
2) Access - Disney gets special access to tourist sites. We were inside the Vatican/Sistine Chapel alone before it opened to any other group.
3)Exceptional Experiences - Sara's Farm - This was an amazing experience and often mentioned as a favorite by many of the people who go on the Italy trip. Upclose, personal experiences make you feel like family.
4)Luxury Hotels - Would we spend the money and book at deluxe resorsts if we were planning this on our own? Maybe, maybe not. But with Disney I din't have to worry if the pictures and reviews online were accurate. Disney took care of us.
5)I never worried about safety. We were in a group and our guides were always watching. They know who the pick pockets are at every tourist site and tell us to be careful as you go by this place, or that person. Ironically, we went to Paris on our own after our ABD and were victims of a pick pocket on our first day.
6)Good balance of group time/on your own time. When we had free time, our guides were always available to recommend activities and restaurants.
7)It's Disney, but it's not. You won't see characters, but the Disney touches are there.

 

[soniam]

I would love to do the Backstage Magic tour, but only ABD can provide that. My friends rave about the one they did. My husband and friends are seriously considering the Egypt one in 2025. Egypt, parts of the Middle East, some of Africa, and China are the places for us where a tour makes sense. We have done Europe, Chile, and Argentina on our own with our son starting when he was 3 years old. We are doing Japan this summer and London again later in the summer on our own. I definitely think there is value, but it does come at a cost.

 

[OrangeBirdGirl]

We have only been on one ABD, the SoCal one. We did that solely for access to Henson Studios. We loved the ease of everything. A huge benefit was luggage handling. We run into issues traveling on our own and toting around luggage. We have looked at other ABD trips and will likely do another. However, only in countries where we think ABD would benefit. Such as Egypt and private access to some sites. We often look at ABD and mirror similar itineraries (knowing we won’t have VIP access).

Since we are comfortable traveling most places on own own, we can’t justify cost for most. Plus when we trip plan, we’re often finding sites ABD doesn’t hit that we’d want to see (and not enough free time to do on our own).

 

[holden]

We've only done one ABD (Italy) and had a wonderful experience. For me the value came not only in the big things (like transferring the luggage when we changed hotels) to the little things (like showing us the "nicest" public toilets, giving us the coins to pay for them and providing extra tissue because the attendant only gave one square to each person).

We also did so many things we would not have done on our own - like going out on a boat to swim in the Mediterranean at Capri, making pizza on a farm where the chef had to motorbike out to the field to get more fresh basil, and biking around the walls of Lucca.

Our guides were so friendly and kind. One was from America and was from Italy. They worked so well together and took great care of us.

We never waiting in line for anything, never had to think about brining drinks or snacks on the bus, never worried about our safety and never had to plan a thing! I'm normally the vacation planner, so giving that up to someone else had me concerned, but in the end it made for an incredibly relaxing vacation. All we had to do was enjoy ourselves and leave our cares behind.

We haven't been able to do another ABD yet, but I'm sure we will at some point!

 

[Jason Martin]

We've only done one ABD (Italy) and had a wonderful experience. For me the value came not only in the big things (like transferring the luggage when we changed hotels) to the little things (like showing us the "nicest" public toilets, giving us the coins to pay for them and providing extra tissue because the attendant only gave one square to each person).

We also did so many things we would not have done on our own - like going out on a boat to swim in the Mediterranean at Capri, making pizza on a farm where the chef had to motorbike out to the field to get more fresh basil, and biking around the walls of Lucca.

Our guides were so friendly and kind. One was from America and was from Italy. They worked so well together and took great care of us.

We never waiting in line for anything, never had to think about brining drinks or snacks on the bus, never worried about our safety and never had to plan a thing! I'm normally the vacation planner, so giving that up to someone else had me concerned, but in the end it made for an incredibly relaxing vacation. All we had to do was enjoy ourselves and leave our cares behind.

We haven't been able to do another ABD yet, but I'm sure we will at some point!

I have done 3 ABDs including London and Paris and it was great. Some things that we got that we wouldn't have gotten on our own

Private tour of the Crown Jewels before they opened to the public without the escalators moving. My daughter got the special memory of opening the vault door.

Eurostar from London to Paris - our luggage was sent ahead and we didn't have to wait or drag it through the station

At the Louvre - adults had a private tour while kids were taken by the guides and did their scavenger hunt.

As with other ABDs you meet great families that share a love for Disney. And the guides are all incredible.

 

[PuddlesMom]

We did the Rhine ABD trip last summer with my daughters family. First river cruise and first ABD. We were blown away!! Big advantage for us is that my granddaughter (14) is an only child. How fun for her to have other kids to hang out with! She cried the day we left - said it was best week of her life!! Also - had a few hiccups due to weather and they were handled so professionally and seamlessly. They are true pros at what they do!

 

[Skywatcher1206]

I would love to do an ABD trip someday, and I am sure it is worth it, but these prices are insane! My jaw literally dropped when I saw the price for a family of 4 for this trip. We will most likely be doing Japan on our own in 2028 as my older son’s graduation present.

 

[WxKristin]

I would love to do an ABD trip someday, and I am sure it is worth it, but these prices are insane! My jaw literally dropped when I saw the price for a family of 4 for this trip. We will most likely be doing Japan on our own in 2028 as my older son’s graduation present.

My kids (7 and 10) are obsessed with Japan and I was just looking at this last night (after the DVC/visa emails yesterday). I had the same reaction. I've been to Japan multiple times so I know I could handle logistics there and build an amazing itinerary for <$20,000 K for 4 including airfare and Tokyo Disney Sea (not part of that ABD trip).

However, looking at the trips to Morocco or Vietnam, I'm way less confident at building a similar itinerary. Even if I could, my stress level would be extremely high the whole trip. That's where I see the value. Still not sure I stomach the cost (maybe if I rent out our DVC points for 3-5 years?), but if we were ever to take a family trip to these locations it would need to be through something like this.

I appreciate this thread and other similar ones. I'm still in a dreaming stage of trip planning and maybe someday we will actually commit to an ABD one.

 

[jimmymc]

I would love to do an ABD trip someday, and I am sure it is worth it, but these prices are insane! My jaw literally dropped when I saw the price for a family of 4 for this trip. We will most likely be doing Japan on our own in 2028 as my older son’s graduation present.

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The Japan trip is 100% overpriced. I'm sure someone will pay it, but even compared to other ABDs I think it's too much.

 

[soniam]

I would love to do an ABD trip someday, and I am sure it is worth it, but these prices are insane! My jaw literally dropped when I saw the price for a family of 4 for this trip. We will most likely be doing Japan on our own in 2028 as my older son’s graduation present.

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We are currently booking a trip to Japan in June for 3 weeks, going to Tokyo, Osaka, Universal Japan, Kyoto, and Tokyo Disney. The hardest part is Tokyo Disney, mostly because a new land is opening while we are there. Do it on your own. It's not that hard. Your son will have an amazing time.

 

[aggiedog]

We just did Japan on a self guided tour set up thru Inside Japan. I would absolutely use them again. They actually do several SE Asian countries, including Vietnam, so maybe that's a possibility. They also have guided tours, though I can't speak to those.

However, looking at the trips to Morocco or Vietnam, I'm way less confident at building a similar itinerary.

Having been to Morocco, I would want a 24hr guide. It's surely doable completely OYO, and maybe so of what I saw was due to traveling during the pandemic, but there seemed to be a lot of rules to follow, paperwork to show, etc.