Until entering the travel industry, I hadn’t heard of Adventures by Disney.
What is Adventures by Disney? It’s a way to take an amazing Disney vacation with everything you would expect from Disney, without going to a theme park. It’s a global group travel opportunity where Disney is your tour guide! You’ll experience a destination, not just sightsee. You’ll have access to locations, events, and experiences that you wouldn’t have with any other tour company, let alone if you were traveling on your own.
The biggest difference between Adventures by Disney and other tour companies is that it is created with FAMILIES in mind. You won’t be “dragging” your children along because they are 100% included in all the activities that Disney prepares for you.
Two Disney Adventure Guides accompany you throughout your vacation. They take care of every single detail of your vacation and everything is included: transportation within your trip, transfers, hotels, taxes and local gratuities, tickets, and admissions to events and attractions. Also, most meals (at some spectacular places) and snacks are included, as well as luggage and concierge services. Your vacation is hassle free.
Your Adventure Guides arrange front-of-the-line privileges to major attractions as well as back stage access to events. You will be truly immersed in the culture of the location(s) you are visiting. Most often one of your Disney Adventure Guides is from that region. So not only do they have a deep understanding of that area, they also work with local experts.
Let’s look at some examples of destination experiences for 2018:
EUROPE
Austria, Germany, and Czech Republic (Prague, Salzburg, Vienna, and the Bavarian Alps) – take an adventure through a salt mine and ice cave in the Alps, enjoy a rare private after hours tour of the Vienna Zoo, visit the baroque Mirabell Gardens and tour Hellbrunn Castle in Saltzburg
England and France (London, Paris, Windsor, and Versailles) – jet on the River Thames on a private speed boat, explore the Louvre where children become art detectives, enjoy biking at Chateau de Versailles, enjoy a privately guided, behind the scenes tour of the Eiffel Tower
France (Paris and Normandy) – take a private tour of the Louvre and experience VIP wine tasting, visit Omaha Beach and take a private tour of the Normandy American Cemetery, enjoy a guided tour of Monet’s house in Giverny and the Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte: considered the most beautiful chateau in France
Germany (Munich, Rothenberg, and Berlin) – discover Neuschwanstein Castle – the inspiration of Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle, learn how to make pretzels with a chef at the Striffler Bakery: famous for making pretzels since 1644, leave your mark with a graffiti workshop in Berlin
Norway (Bergen, Flam, Geiranger, and Oslo) – explore the quaint village of Bergen: the real-life inspiration for Frozen’s town of Arendelle, visit Norway’s best known fjords, learn about how wooden masterpieces are an important part of Norway’s heritage
Scotland (Edinburgh, Inverness, the Highlands) – experience favorite pastimes like archery, hiking, and the Highland Games, visit castles such as Edinburgh Castle, Blair Castle, and Floors Castle where you’ll get a shortbread making lesson, look for “Nessie” while paddling on Lock Ness
Spain (Barcelona, Madrid, Segovia, Cordoba, Seville, Ronda, and Marbella) – enjoy a flamenco lesson, dinner show, and a rumba performance in Barcelona, soak up the sun at an upscale hotel in the heart of Costa del Sol, marvel at Gaudi’s architectural masterpieces
Greece (Athens, Delphi, Santorini, and Crete) – private tour of Athens and the Panathenaic Stadium, take a boat excursion to Spinalonga and explore a “medieval ghost town”, adults will enjoy wine tasting while children learn the art of stomping grapes
Iceland (Reykjavik, Vik, Akureyri, Husavik, and Lake Myvatn) – horseback ride, glacier hike, and go whitewater rafting down a glacial river, visit 3 waterfalls, taste culinary delicacies and bake Icelandic bread in hot pots using underground geothermal heat, meet with locals to learn about folkloric traditions
Ireland (Dublin, Killarney, and Dromoland Castle) – 3 night stay in the castle, private tour of Guinness Storehouse where you’ll taste the brew and have a private lunch, explore the ruins of the Rock of Cashel: the ancient seat of Celtic kings, spend the evening on an Irish farm where you’ll enjoy an authentic Irish stew, Irish entertainment, and learn the secrets of scone making and sheep herding
Italy (Rome, Florence, Tuscany, and Venice) – private after-hours tour of the Vatican City Museum and Sistine Chapel, see what it’s like to be a Roman gladiator at the Colosseum, learn to make pasta at a Tuscan farm
Italy and Amalfi Coast (Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, Capri, Naples, Florence, Tuscany, Lucca, Pisa, and Siena) – board a private boat and cruise around Capri, explore La Galatea: a family owned farm where you’ll learn about making olive oil and mozzarella, plus make your own pizza, receive VIP entry to view Michelangelo’s David and other famous works of art with a local expert
Italy and Switzerland (Lake Como, Lucerne, the Alps, and Zermatt) – learn pasta making in a cooking class at a villa on Lake Como, climb across rope bridges with Matterhorn as the backdrop and race down ziplines, cruise on Lake Como, ride in the rotating Rotair aerial cable car up to Mount Titlis
NORTH AMERICA
Alaska (Denali National Park, Anchorage, Talkeetna, and Girdwood) – explore the outdoors as you bike around or kayak on Eklutna Lake, go whitewater rafting or floating in Denali, enjoy a scenic ride on the Alaska Railroad
Arizona & Utah (Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Moab, and Arches National Park) – get ready for an off-road trek into the high desert, follow a local naturalist to view the Grand Canyon, take a scenic float down the Colorado River
Montana (Yellowstone National Park and Big Sky) – stay at a dude ranch and go “glamping” under the stars, journey to Big Sky and Yellowstone to witness it’s beauty and natural wonders, enjoy horseback riding, fly-fishing, ziplining and river rafting
Montana and Canada (Glacier and Banff National Parks) – raft down the whitewater of the Flathead River, board an ice explorer vehicle for a guided expedition over the Columbia Icefield, glide in a canoe over Lake Louise
Wyoming (Jackson Hole, Brooks Lake, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone National Parks) – take a thrilling ride down the Snake River, experience the power of Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park, enjoy a private stay on a dude ranch and feel the spirit of the Old West
Disneyland Resort and Southern California (Hollywood, and Disneyland Resort) – go behind the scenes at Walk Disney Imagineering, take a custom VIP tour of Disneyland Park, including Walt Disney’s private apartment, enjoy an exclusive visit to Jim Henson Company Studios
Washington D.C., and Philadelphia (Philadelphia, Gettysburg, Washington D.C., and Mount Vernon) – go on a trolley tour of Philadelphia, be guided on tours of Washington D.C. by day and night, enjoy a boat ride down the Potomac River to Mount Vernon
CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA
Costa Rica (Arenal, Guanacaste, San Jose, and Cano Negro) – search for exotic animals on a private boat safari, whitewater rafting on the Tenorio River, fly through the rainforest canopy on a zipline
Ecuador: Amazon and Galapagos Islands (Quito, Napo River, Galapagos Islands and Guayaquil) – experience a nocturnal guided walk in the Amazon rainforest during your 4-night river cruise in the Amazon basin, discover giant land tortoises and sea lions as you snorkel, swim, and hike the Galapagos Islands, explore Spanish architecture, local markets and artisan studios on a walking tour through Quito: an historic city nestled in the Andes
Ecuador and Galapagos Islands (Quito, Otavalo Valley, Galapagos Islands and Guayaquil) – enjoy a 4-night cruise in the Galapagos Islands, take a private tour of a working rose planation in the Andean highland region, encounter unique animals including red and blue footed boobies, sea turtles, giant land tortoises and more
Peru (Machu Picchu, Lima, Sacred Valley, and Cusco) – discover age-old weaving techniques in a hands-on demonstration in Cusco, raft down the Urubamba River in the Andes Mountains, experience one of the seven wonders of the world: Machu Picchu
RIVER CRUISES
Danube River Cruise (Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary) – take a magical bike ride through the storybook village of Durnstein, discover the city of Salzburg where you’ll visit the beautiful Mirabell Gardens and other sights made famous by The Sound of Music, zoom down a mineshaft slide at the Salt Mines in Austria, visit the ruins of Devin Castle and see the famous maiden tower – inspiration for many fairytales, take in a marionette show and learn how to make your own strudel at Schonbrunn Palace
Rhine River Cruise (Switzerland, France, Germany, and the Netherlands) – ride a toboggan or hike and zipline in the Black Forest in Germany, enjoy Germany’s first indoor ski hall: curling, snow biking, and tubing, visit the famous Heidelberg Castle while touring a room and learning about it’s history, see the city of Strasbourg on a canoe trip and horseback ride, enjoy a special Beauty and the Beast themed dinner on board your cruise
Holiday Danube River Cruise (Germany, Austria, and Hungary) – visit Mirabell Gardens in Salzburg and various sights from The Sound of Music, take part in an Austrian dance lesson and tour Melik Benedictine Abbey, view a private marionette performance and then learn to make strudel, shop for traditional hand-crafted items at the Christmas Market at Schonbrunn Palace
Oktoberfest – Danube River Cruise (Germany, Austria, and Budapest) – experience the spirit of Lower Bavaria at Aldersbach Brewery, take a gourmet walking tour of Krems, enjoy lunch at Lazar Equestrian Park with live music by Hungarian folk musicians, take part in a goulash-making competition
Rhine River Food and Wine (Switzerland, France, Germany, and Holland) – tour historic Riquewihr and experience Alsatian wines at a local vineyard, enjoy the best of regional beers with a Cologne Brewery pub crawl, then dip into a chocolate-making workshop, head to Zaanse Schams to indulge in a cheese demonstration and hop right into a clog-decorating workshop
AFRICA, ASIA, AND PACIFIC
Australia (Sydney, Ayers Rock, Palm Cove, Great Barrier Reef, and Gold Coast) – sail to the Great Barrier Reef and snorkel with a marine biologist, visit the Sydney Opera House and tour the Taronga Zoo to meet animals up close, learn how to herd and shear sheep like an real Australian cowboy
Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos (Saigon, Hoi An, Hanoi, Luang Prabang, and Angkor Wat) – cruise down the Mekong River and float past lush vegetation and rural villages, journey through a local marketplace and then participate in a cooking class, practice “meditation in motion” with a Tai Chi master in a local park
China (Hong Kong, Beijing, Chengdu, Xi’an, Guilin, and Shanghai) – walk the Great Wall, take an excursion to Xi’an for a guided visit to see the famous terra cotta warriors, visit Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and Shanghai Disneyland
South Africa (Cape Town, Knysna, and Kapama Game Reserve) – climb aboard a 4×4 for a private expedition into bush country in search of the “Big 5”, participate in a drumming class and then enjoy African cuisine, take a ferry across the Knysna Lagoon to the Featherbed Nature Reserve
LONG WEEKEND AND SHORT ESCAPES
New York City (New York, NY) – go behind the scenes of “Good Morning America” where from the green room to the set, you have a front row seat, visit the Lower East Side Tenement Museum for a fascinating look at the lives of immigrants, learn choreography and music from a Disney Broadway number in a real rehearsal studio, then come back to watch the show
San Francisco and Napa (Fisherman’s Wharf, Wine Country, Muir Woods, the Presidio, and Angel Island) – get a behind the magic tour of the Walt Disney Family Museum, spend an afternoon at Silverado Vineyards for lunch and a grape stomp, enjoy a guided biking tour of the bay area and Fort Point
Winter in Wyoming (Jackson Hole and Yellowstone National Park) – board a state-of-the-art snow coach for a quest through Yellowstone National Park, relax in the natural Granite Hot Springs while surrounded by snow, guide a team of sled dogs through the Wyoming wilderness
Barcelona Escape (Barcelona, Spain) – see the magnificent La Sagrada Familia and realize why Barcelona is called the City of Gaudi, enjoy a private tour of Santa Maria de Montserrat, a Benedictine monastery embedded in the mountainside
Copenhagen Escape (Copenhagen, Denmark) – enjoy a tour or Tivoli Gardens: a favorite place for both Walt Disney and Hans Christian Andersen, take part in a private tour of Kronborg Castle: famous from Shakespeare’s Hamlet
Adventures by Disney is your backstage pass to the world! This is just a sampling of the activities included when visiting the 2018 Adventures by Disney locations. Where would you like to explore?
Happy Travels ~Laurie
Contact me for a free travel consultation today!
215-435-4151 LaurieFiveStarTravel@gmail.com
Laurie at Five Star Travel Group 