Nearly everyone has heard of either Walt Disney World or Disneyland. Perhaps you’ve traveled to either of those or even taken one of the fabulous Disney Cruises. But many people have not heard about Adventures by Disney (ABD). This is an incredible way for families to see the world with the excellent Disney VIP level of service.

Why should Adventures by Disney be your next vacation?

Want to disconnect from your busy life, reconnect with your family, and experience the world? Adventures by Disney can help you do just that!

Adventures by Disney offers nearly 40 different adventures across 6 continents. They also offer shorter “escapes” right in the United States. New tours and dates are being added regularly!

I was fortunate enough to be invited to experience ABD firsthand on a weekend trip to San Francisco with other travel agents from all over the United States and Canada. ABD offers long weekends in New York City and San Francisco as well as winter in Wyoming. I have been to San Francisco numerous times with my husband for his work trips or wine country trips and even with my kids for a family trip, so I felt like I really knew the city. I was excited and curious to see what I would learn on this trip as well as experiencing the superior Disney service!

Two VIP Guides? Yes, Please!

When you book an ABD trip, your travel agent will handle all the details and make sure you have everything you need. You will not have to do anything but have FUN!

The goodies from my trip!

You are assigned to two guides once you arrive: a Disney guide and a local guide. For this trip, we had two Disney guides since it was a bunch of travel agents who had questions! Dean and Doug greeted us in the lobby with an awesome adventure bag including a water bottle for us. They had breakfast snacks and told us they would have snacks on the bus as well.

We then boarded a bus with Adolfo as our driver.

Adolfo, our San Francisco tour guide

Adolfo was our knowledgeable, local guide. As he drove the bus through the streets of San Francisco, he gave us all kinds of information about different locations (including fun sites such as house that was featured in the Full House television show!)

Our first stop? Bike riding through Cressy Field and seeing phenomenal views of the Golden Gate Bridge. It had been awhile since I rode a bike, but I was not going to miss this experience. As Doug said to us “it’s not called Vacations by Disney but Adventures by Disney”.

To be Adventurous or Not? That Is the Question!

We went to Blazing Saddles Bicycle Rentals where they got us fitted for the right bicycle and helmet. We even had a spot for a water bottle and a place to put our purses or bags. We had our own bicycle guide while Doug and Dean accompanied us. We rode along the bike path on the bay and were able to see great views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

For agents who had mobility issues or were not adventurous to ride a bike, they had Adolfo giving them a tour in the bus.

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One of the amazing things about ABD guides is that they are attuned to the needs of their clients and always one step ahead. You never feel like you are on this tight schedule because they want you to enjoy the MOMENT. And that I did! A bunch of travel agents riding a bicycle are not going to be in the Tour de France, but the guides never made us feel hurried.

The guides are adept at handling any issue that may arise, and we all know that can happen when traveling with kids. As Doug and Dean said, they always have a Plan B, C and D in case any issues arise with Plan A! This makes traveling with families a breeze.

May the Force Be with You….and also some Pixie Dust

Adventures by Disney goes beyond what you could imagine for a trip, which is why you feel like a VIP. One of the highlights of this day was going to Lucasfilms.

I was five years old when I saw Star Wars: A New Hope in the theater and have enjoyed watching every Star Wars movie since then with my children. So, to be able to see the Yoda fountain and to pretend I was Princess Leia sending a message to Obi Wan Kenobi through R2D2 — I was a kid again! Doug and Dean had a present for us after, a LucasFilms magnet that you can only get on the LucasFilms property. We then went straight to the Walt Disney Family Museum.

Walt Disney had a sister who decided to establish a museum dedicated to his life and work. Even if you have never set foot in one of his amusement parks, understanding this man’s dream to connect families together is universal. Oh yes, another present from Doug and Dean….a book on Walt Disney.

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Food Glorious Food!

As part of the Adventures by Disney experience, you get to enjoy excellent food that is synonymous with the city or county that you are visiting. When you think about San Francisco, you think Chinese food. We went to M.Y. China for lunch where we had a private room with an amazing menu of Chinese specialties. We were able to watch chefs demonstrate how they make homemade noodles — amazing!

For dinner we went to One Market where we had a wonderful meal. One of the travel agents I met was from San Francisco and One Market was a restaurant that she and her family love, so I felt like they really did find the locals’ favorites.

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On other ABD trips, you dine with your family most nights, but some nights the guides entertain the children while adults have a meal to themselves.

Each Disney guide photographs every part of your trip. On the last night of the trip, there is a farewell dinner where the pictures are shown on a slideshow, and you are able to keep the pictures for your memories.

Cultural immersion Mixed with Some Disney Magic

Whether you are in the jungles of Costa Rica or in France learning how to cook from a French chef, Disney immerses you into the culture of the place you are visiting.

For my trip, Adolfo was our connection to San Francisco. From the small details such as having music playing on the bus that was either by bands from San Francisco (Journey) or songs about California to giving us a little Ghirardelli chocolate treat before we departed (Ghirardelli is made in San Fran), every detail was a small indicator of the culture.

Collectors’ Pin from trip

One of my favorite touches was when Aldofo drove us across the Bay Bridge so we could see San Francisco lit up at night while playing “Lights” by Journey (listen to the words and you will understand why that was impressionable).

Oh, and for the Disney pin collector fanatics, every Adventures by Disney trip gives you a new pin EVERY DAY that is representative of your day (I got a Mickey Golden Gate pin) and only available on Adventures by Disney trip.

Where Do I Sign Up?

Did you know that once families take an Adventures by Disney trip, they are more likely to book another one in the future? These trips are one-of-a-kind and a way to reconnect with your family and experience the world together while having VIP treatment.

ABD provides tours all over the world including France, England, Costa Rica, Australia, Vietnam, and Peru to name a few. They also offer river cruises on the Seine, Danube and Rhine. Most recently they added Japan and short escapes to Italy, Denmark and France.

Some people have asked me if they do Adult-Only trips, and the answer is YES!

One of the newest trips is a 10-day adult-only trip to South Africa to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Disney’s Animal Kingdom where you tour with a Disney Imagineer who helped develop Animal Kingdom as well as a veterinarian and native South African.

Contact your A Time To Treasure Travel agent who will help you plan your next Adventures By Disney trip!

Why Adventures by Disney Should Be Your Next Vacation

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