Luxury Family Travel Without the Stress: An Adventures by Disney Overview
When it comes to family travel, luxury and kids don’t always feel like they belong in the same sentence. Too often, high-end experiences are tailored for adults only, leaving parents feeling like the economy experience is the only way to travel comfortably with children.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Adventures by Disney (ABD) is our favorite way to bridge that gap. It offers world-class luxury and VIP access to global destinations, all through a lens, and a little bit of that Disney experience, that keeps kids engaged and parents relaxed.
What is Adventures by Disney?
While owned by Disney, ABD isn’t about theme parks, though they do have a California Disneyland tour that we’ve been on! It is a tour company focusing on group travel experiences. They offer:
- Land Adventures: Immersive land-based itineraries.
- Small Ship Adventures: River cruises and expedition cruises.
- Escapes: Shorter, 2-4 day quick trips.
Each trip is led by two Adventure Guides who handle every logistical detail so you don’t have to! Seriously, once you arrive on your airplane, they take care of you until you get back on the airplane to go home.
Our Favorite Itineraries
We have only begun to explore the world with ABD, and while every trip is curated to perfection, here are a few highlights:
- Disneyland & Southern California: I’ve done this trip twice (once with my mom and once with our kids)! It is a must for Disney fans. You get rare access to Walt Disney Imagineering and the Disney Studios, plus VIP treatment at the parks, including some backstage magic and even a view of Walt’s apartment! And, no worries, you will definitely get to see Mickey Mouse!
- England & France: This is the ultimate “city” tour. You get VIP access to the Louvre and a private guide at the Palace of Versailles, plus a smooth transition between London and Paris via the Chunnel. We also saw Big Ben, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London, the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Stonehenge, the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc de Triomphe. We even got to sample macarons from the Ladurée!
- Ireland: We actually did this trip for our honeymoon! Staying in an Irish castle and visiting the Cliffs of Moher was magical. It’s where we discovered banoffee, a dessert I just had to learn to make at home. This trip included a tour of the Guiness Factory, the Rock of Cashel, and we even took archery lessons and learned to make scones.
- Italy: Often called the “Grand Tour,” this is the original ABD trip. From a private tour of the Sistine Chapel to making pasta at a Tuscan farm and riding gondolas in Venice, it is a bucket-list trip. We got to see the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, the Vatican, the Statue of David, and the Murano Glass Museum. We visited Rome, Orvieto, Tuscany, Florence, and Venice. We also got to sample a lot of great pasta and Italian wine and, of course, gelato! To read more about this particular trip, you can check out our blog post, Viva Italia!
The Mile Minded Strategy: How We Make it Work
ABD is a premium product with a price tag to match. However, because the tour covers your luxury hotels, most meals, and all internal transportation, we use our points and miles to offset the largest remaining cost: the flights.
By booking our own airfare using miles, we can often fly the whole family in business class for the cost of taxes and fees, making the luxury aspect of the trip start from the moment we arrive at the airport.
Pro Tip: ABD allows you to book your own flights. We recommend doing this so you can maximize your points and maintain control over your airline of choice. However, if you truly don’t want to worry about anything, ABD will book your flights for you.
Important Considerations for Families
- The Pace of Group Travel: These are not “go with the flow” trips. To maximize your VIP access (like getting into museums before the crowds), schedules are tight. You’ll be traveling with 30-40 other guests, so punctuality is key!
- Age Limits & Physicality: Most trips have a minimum age (usually 5 or 6 years old). While Disney makes everything easy, these trips involve a lot of walking and often start with early mornings. Consider your child’s temperament and interests. Our 8-year-old (the youngest child on our Italy trip), loved Italy but a couple of the really history-heavy attractions were a bit too long for him. That said, the Adventure Guides were a great distraction for him!
- What’s Included (and What’s Not)
- Included: Luxury hotels, activities, transportation during the tour, most meals, and all tips for local staff/drivers.
- Not Included: Airfare, a few meals on your own, any activities outside of the tour, souvenirs, and the Adventure Guide gratuities.
- The Surprise & Delight Factor Don’t over-plan your downtime. One of the best parts of ABD is the Disney magic. Whether it’s an impromptu ice cream stop or a surprise viewing of the Pope in Rome, the guides are experts at adding extra pixie dust to your itinerary. Sometimes these are planned and sometimes they are spontaneous depending on what is going on around your tour.
Is it Worth it?
ABD isn’t the cheapest way to see the world, but it is one of the most seamless we’ve experienced. The memories of our kids bonding with other children on the tour while we enjoyed a glass of Italian wine at a private vineyard were priceless. These are trips our kids talk about long after the trip is over! If you want a vacation where you can actually be a parent instead of a travel agent, Adventures by Disney is the gold standard for us.
To learn more about Adventures by Disney, visit their website where you can also request more information about their trips.
Have you ever considered a guided group tour? Where is your family’s dream destination? Let us know in the comments!
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