This week I was invited to spend the morning with the team from Adventures by Disney And Disney Cruise Line to learn a little more about these unique experiences.
If you have been reading this site for a while, you probably already know that my family and I are huge Disney Fans. Being a Disney fan is different for everyone. We started our Disney experiences like many, by bringing our small children to Disney World, Orlando, but we really fell in love with the Disney brand for its hospitality after our experience on the Disney Fantasy. To this day, when anyone asks our opinion or about our trip on The Disney Fantasy, we always start out by saying– NO BODY DOES IT LIKE DISNEY. It’s just true.
When you walk on that ship, your stress walks out the door. Disney thinks of EV-ER-Y-THING! There are no frustrations, dozens of activities for everyone, an entire portion of the ship dedicated to adults-only, kids club, the food and their unique rotating dining plan is ah-mazing, the staff always has a smile on their face (always!), the vacation is just a well oiled machine (no pun intended). And in 2015? They are sailing to Hawaii from Vancouver (and Hawaii to Vancouver)– which means you also get to sneak a peek at Disney’s Aulani and see all that I was raving about, first hand.
I was curious to learn more about Adventures by Disney, and what I learned is that my bucket list just got like 3 pages (front and back) longer.
What Are Adventures By Disney?
Disney is the ultimate story teller, and in short an Adventure By Disney is your ultimate vacation. You pick your destination and Disney does the rest. Your family joins a tour guide along with a small group made up of several families (the size of the group depends on the destination– ie.) The Galapagos Islands can only hold 100 people on the island IN TOTAL, so that adventure is definitely on the smaller side).
Your tour guide then helps tell the story of your destination by immersing guests into the culture and the history through various exclusive activities and excursions. Exploring and getting familiar with the culture is one of the things my family and I love most. We are always looking for “secret beaches” and things that are “off the beaten path” so to speak– and that is what I love most about the Adventure By Disney offerings. They find ways for you to experience locations in ways you may have never thought of– or had access to without Disney.
What Is Included?
EVERYTHING. Meals, transportation. You need to think of NOTHING. Ok, well except packing. You still need to do that.
Activities
The activities depend on your destination. It is always based on the culture of the destination and while planning, the trip developers think from the mind of a 4 year old, from the mind of a parent and from the mind of a grandparent that may be vacationing. From white water rafting, to staying over night in a castle, to ice fishing and zip lining,– and all of the activities are friendly for every age group. One of the Adventures By Disney team members we met told us a story about a grandmother that was on a trip where zip lining was planned. They had a test-zipline for her to try before the “real deal” and within minutes, Grandma did 5 zip lines in a row with a smile ear to ear.
There are also activities that are split between parents and children– for example: On their Napa Adventure, parents blend wines while children infuse flavor into olive oils. In Paris, while parents are touring a museum learning about the art and culture, children are learning the same via a museum scavenger hunt with their tour guide. Just awesome, awesome stuff.
Many of the longer Adventures also include a “JA night” (Junior Adventurer) where kids get to have a party of their own with the tour guides.
Destinations
There is a Disney Adventure in just about any city or part of the world you can think of– and even those that you’ve never thought of! During the event this week, they spoke about many of their destinations, many that I’ve always wanted to see, such as Greece, Rome, Australia and more… and yet surprisingly I left, called my husband and began gushing about how we NEEDED to do the Winter In Wyoming adventure! Vacationing in the cold never appealed to me, but the fun activities and gorgeous scenery that go along with Winter in Wyoming had me sold on Dog Mushing to the hot springs and learning to lasso!
*NEW In 2015*
Long Weekend Adventures
Noting that many people like to take “long weekend” vacations as opposed to long week-long vacations, in 2015 Adventures By Disney will be offering long weekend adventures to New York City and San Francisco/ Napa. These four-day weekend getaways provide guests with a break from the everyday to explore some of America’s favorite locations in a new light and also allow those interested in a Disney Adventure to test the waters a bit.
San Francisco/ Napa Highlights
- Privately guided tour of the Walt Disney Family Museum
- Stroll through Muir Woods National Monument, home to the largest coastal redwoods on Earth (<– We did this last summer- breath-taking!)
- Guided tour of the Bay, starting in the historic Fisherman’s Wharf and cycling throughthe Palace of Fine Arts, Fort Point and more
- Visit the Letterman Digital Arts Center (campus of Lucasfilm) with life-sized replicas ofDarth Vader and Boba Fett from Star Wars, among other iconic sights
- Excursion to Silverado Vineyards in Napa to indulge in the fine art of wine blending,while Junior Adventurers take part in an olive oil flavoring activity
- Ferry ride across the Bay to Angel Island State Park, which earned the nickname of“Ellis Island of the West”
- Sample exquisite culinary delights from several of San Francisco’s most celebrateddining establishments
- Stay at the world-renowned The Fairmont San Francisco hotel, which presents an awe-inspiring vista of historic San Francisco
New York Highlights
- Behind-the-scenes visit to Good Morning America
- Hands-on Broadway musical dance workshop
- Visit to the historic New Amsterdam Theatre and a backstage tour offering a hands-on experience with iconic Broadway props
- Enjoy a performance of the Tony Award-nominated hit musical, Aladdin
- Privately guided tour through historic Harlem with a true-blue local
- Hop aboard a dynamic and interactive motor-coach ride for a unique look at iconicsights, such as: Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, Central Park and more
- Learn the in-depth stories of what life as an American immigrant was like during an
- exclusive visit to the Tenement Museum
Double Bucket List: Galapagos/Amazon
Starting in 2015, Adventures by Disney will begin running an amazing new ‘double-bucket list’ itinerary, taking families into the adventurous paths of the Ecuadorian Amazon. This trip not only travels through the Amazon region, but it also explores the Galapagos Islands, proving to be the most adventurous trip announced to date.
The Cost
While the long-weekend adventures are probably the most affordable, there is no doubt that ALL of the adventures are bucket-list type experiences and if you have an ultimate destination on your “bucket list”, this is the way you want to experience it and would probably be worth saving up for!
To see a full list of all of the Adventures offered, visit here.
