Adventures by Disney (not to be confused with the late, kiddie magazine “Disney Adventures”) is Disney’s foray into “guided vacation experiences.” While Jeffrey was always happy to drink around the world at Epcot, Disney had bigger plans for bringing their guests to international (and domestic) destinations. Following the success of the Cruise Line, Disney sought to find even more ways to expand guests’ experiences beyond the parks. And while Eddie’s apartment almost ranks as an attraction, not everyone gets to see that… Although adding the FASTPASS kiosk has certainly helped his business.

Adventures by Disney (or ABD), launched in 2005, provides travelers with complete vacation packages to dozens of locations around the globe—while keeping them connected to the standards they are used to from their Disney park vacations. Thanks to their focus on creating family experiences (and the Disney magic, of course)—filling a niche in the travel industry—ABD has seen remarkable growth from their initial six itineraries to 22 in 2009.

Eager to explore this Disney twist on a trip—and desperate to get away from Eddie—Jeffrey headed off on an Adventure to London and Paris and had this to say about Adventures…

 

WHAT IS A “GUIDED VACATION EXPERIENCE”?

Very basically, it’s a big tour—here all planned all by Disney.

JEFFREY’S OVERALL EXPERIENCE

In a word: amazing. In two words: really amazing. I went on the “Cities of Knights and Lights” trip—visiting London and Paris. I had a blast. It was an exhausting whirlwind and I needed two weeks to recover from the vacation, but it was 100% worth it.

The Tower of London (as seen by Jeffrey) may not be applicable to you if you want to zip line in Costa Rica. We're just sayin'.

Below I’ll talk about my experience in general, since telling you about the lunch in the Eiffel Tower or the visit to the Tower of London will have little value if you’re thinking of going to Africa.

WHY YOU WANT TO TAKE AN ADVENTURE BY DISNEY

I admit I was hesitant to take an Adventure. First, I thought, ‘What could Disney show me that I couldn’t find on my own?’ I also admit I was a bit concerned about being gay on an Adventure. They primarily cater to families, so would I feel like the black sheep? ’Cause wool makes me itch.

The answer to my first question (what could Disney show me, for those of you with short memories) was: a lot. Disney has the means to make sure that you get the best of everything from easy entry to the Louvre and Notre Dame to special “Disney touches” like getting a backstage tour at The Lion King on London’s West End.

My second concern was unfounded. I’ll get into that more a little later. But no one seemed to care that I was gay, so you shouldn’t care that they’re (mostly) not.

And an ABD also provides a top-notch vacation experience with truly personalized service from your Adventure Guides (Disney cast members who lead the tours). No, the service isn’t THAT personalized, so Eddie might be disappointed, but you know what I mean. Everything is magically taken care of. And you get a pin every day! What could be better?

FUN FOR ADULTS!

Adventures are definitely “family” vacations (and not necessarily the “We Are Family” Sister Sledge kind). That said, I never felt that I was enduring a kid’s vacation at any point. In both London and Paris we were assigned “Local Experts” (guides who give tours and can answer in depth questions about the city you are visiting; your Adventure Guides know a lot, but these people know it all). The Experts guided kids and adults around together without pandering to anyone.

There were also a few times when kids got their own adventures away from the adults. So, for example, we got an adults only tour of the Louvre (which was surprisingly PG-rated for something adults only—although the abundance of nudity in the art somewhat made up for it—hello, Greek gods!), while the kids went off with their own guide. Kids had some meals on their own, a movie night… For parents, it was a perfect balance of time. For me, it was just fine (those munchkins really grew on me!). And if you can’t stand the idea of spending a week with the cutie-patooties, there are several tours each year that are for exclusively for guests 18 years of age and older.

There's pretty much a Disney Store everywhere in the universe. Eddie has bought overpriced figurines in all of them.

The Adventure also builds in ample free time for you to explore on your own, which I should have used for napping, but instead continued to run myself ragged around the cities. Since I was in London and Paris, I of course chose to forgo sleep and explore their gay districts, SoHo and the Marais, and had no regrets—although I did have many cocktails. But if you need help, the Guides are frequently around to assist you with dining, touring, and relaxing options.

AND ABOUT THOSE KIDS…

Have to say, while it could have just been my trip, the kids were all surprisingly mature and mostly well behaved. Our Adventure had little darlin’s from seven to 18 years old. If you’re a parent considering an Adventure, as you would expect, Disney takes excellent care to make sure your children have as much fun as you do—they even managed to keep the kids enthralled at Westminster Abbey, while I was almost nodding off. (Note to self, don’t drink seven glasses of ale the night before lengthy foot tours.)

AND ABOUT THOSE GUIDES…

They rock. They are amazing. I’d like to believe it was just because I was so fabulous that I got such special attention from the Adventure Guides (shout out to Andrew and Chantelle!), but they are that wonderful to everyone. Guides are there to greet you when you arrive at your hotel, advise you where to go during free time, chat with you during meals, make any adjustments to your reservations… They are like tour guide, new best friend, and concierge all rolled into one. (You are advised to tip them at the end, as is custom for tour package vacations, and Disney gives you guidelines on how to best do that.)  I was kinda bummed when the trip ended as it meant I was forced to actually be responsible for my life once again.

WHAT IS INCLUDED (AND WHAT’S NOT)

Surprisingly, a LOT is included, which makes an Adventure possibly the most affordable way to travel and do everything you might want to on a vacation. (I priced out the hotels, breakfasts, The Lion King and Eurostar rail tickets and quickly approached the cost of my trip without even figuring in all the other meals, tours, transportation, and experiences that were included.) You need to pay for your flight. From there, Disney takes over. Your Adventure includes transportation from the airport to your hotel. Also included are your hotel, all (scheduled) tours, and about 60% of your meals (depending on which Adventure you take). They also get you back to the airport. They do not, however, brush your teeth for you. Hey, you gotta do SOMETHING on your own.

HOTELS

Again, I was a little nervous. I heard “Renaissance” and “Hilton” and my inner snob turned up its nose. I was a fool. There, I said it. I was a fool. London’s Renaissance Chauncery Court is a stunning hotel—rich wood paneling, a gorgeous marble staircase, spacious modern rooms—and was centrally located close to SoHo (the gay district) and the West End (the theater district). The Hilton L’Arc de Triomphe in Paris is a lovely art deco-inspired hotel with lots of black, white and gold accents—not necessarily how I would have designed a hotel, but great nonetheless.

The Renaissance Chauncery Court in London impressed even Jeffrey's jaded sensiblities.

Frequently, ABD will book Westernized hotels on their tours, as the large rooms are perfect for families—or Eddie who likes to do interpretive dance every morning before he showers.

DISNEY DINING

This is the only thing that gets even slightly mixed reviews. I can say without hesitation that I had no problem with the food on our trip. Zero. Zip. That said, please be aware that the trip does have dining limitations. Before you go, Disney sends you a questionnaire, which includes dietary restrictions, and they do their best to accommodate all needs.

Breakfasts: Breakfasts were all included. Dining was in the hotel restaurant and both hotels I stayed at provided sumptuous, endless breakfast buffets. France was a particular delight as I ate about 500 croissants a day—and I’d grab a couple of small baguettes and mini wheels of brie to take with me for a mid-day snack (there’s nothing quite like having brie and baguettes while sitting on a bench in the shadow of the glorious Notre Dame Cathedral).

Lunches/dinners: There are three kinds of lunches/dinners—limited menu, buffet, and on your own. On your own and buffet are pretty self-explanatory. The limited menu meals offer you several options from a set menu (sometimes you select in advance, sometimes at the venue). The restaurants—sometimes in your hotel, sometimes on the town—were always good quality and I enjoyed the choices. The buffet offers a wide variety of eats, many of which are authentic to the city you are visiting, so you get fish and chips in England. Smoked salmon seemed to be popular everywhere we went—although getting a schmear and a bagel proved to be a challenge. Most people will have no trouble finding something to please their palate. But I am sure some of you may cringe at the idea of being in a city like Paris and having a BUFFET. If this person is you, you can always ditch the group and eat elsewhere. Again, I had no problem with the meals. I ate enough to keep three families fed for a year. 

WHAT MAKES DISNEY THE BETTER WAY TO GO?

It really comes down to the “Disney Difference”—something almost intangible. If you have loved a Disney Cruise or a Disney theme park vacation, you know what I’m talking about. Yes, other vacation companies offer excellent service. But there’s something about the Guides (a little kinder? More fun?), the true Disney touches (exclusive Disney pins! Personalized postcards!), and the exceptional service and perks (the backstage tour at The Lion King; biking at Versailles, which no other tour group does) that really elevate the experience.

Other ABD tours have their own perks (a backstage tour at Mary Poppins on Broadway, sleeping the night in a real German castle, and a tour of the Walt Disney Studios, to name a few). And it’s Disney – so even if you’re in a country you’ve never been to, surrounded by people who don’t speak a language you understand, there’s an element of security knowing that Disney is there to take care of you.

Sadly, Jeffrey learned "Big Ben" was not the man he met out in SoHo.

 

BEING GAY ON THE ADVENTURE

At no time did I try to hide the fact I was gay—although I’m not exactly one to make out in public with passing strangers (I leave that to Eddie), so I can’t say that I was “in your face” about it either. By the third day of the trip, pretty much everyone knew my deal without me needing to say anything at all. No one seemed to have the slightest problem with my being gay. And I was every kid’s uncle by the end of the trip. And since I hate kids, that’s saying a lot.

The name kinda says it all, don't it?

While neither of my Adventure Guides was gay, I hear there are quite a few queer cast members leading tours, and mine, while straight, were certainly not narrow.

 

WHERE CAN YA GO?

In a nutshell, almost anywhere! OK, not anywhere, but many places you might consider vacationing including China, South Africa, Australia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, England, France, Germany, Austria, Ireland, Czech Republic, Spain, and Canada. If you’d rather not break out the passport, they also offer North American tours including destinations like Wyoming, Alaska, New York City, Boston, Northern California, Hollywood, Washington DC, and the American Southwest.

 

WHAT’S IT GONNA COST (AND IS IT WORTH IT?)

The vacations vary wildly in price since two weeks in China is gonna be pricier than Wyoming. But adult prices start at $2,129 (early booking for the Spirit of America tour of DC and surrounding areas) to $6,299 (peak, regular booking rate for 11 nights in South Africa).

In my opinion, if you are looking for a vacation where you can just relax, than an Adventure by Disney is not for you. C’mon, who relaxes on an adventure? If, however, you want to explore new places—or even see places you’ve visited with a fresh perspective—and have pretty much everything taken care of for you with a Disney touch, these trips are well worth the price.

 

FOR MORE INFO:

You can visit www.adventuresbydisney.com or call 877/728-7282