Is it worth the money?

Let’s be honest, the biggest drawback of going through Adventures by Disney to plan a family vacation isn’t because you doubt the effort Disney puts into it.  It isn’t because you wonder if the guides will be good.  It isn’t because you think you might not go to quality places.  The one overriding question is simple: is it worth the money?

The answer is just as simple: Yes!

Now don’t get me wrong, it is a LOT of money.  And you could probably go on your own for far less.  But would you be happy with the results?  Would you feel you got the most out of your vacation?  Would you feel the Disney magic?  Or instead would you spend most of your time trying to make sure you stayed on schedule, hassle with room reservations, finding transportation, getting jostled around with the crowds, and generally come out the other end like you just ran a marathon?  Yeah, me too.

The reason Adventures by Disney is worth it is more than dollars and cents.  I mean sure, you stay in top notch resorts, you eat good food, you get carted around everywhere, and all the tips and fares are included in your price.  You get into museums, landmarks, and get to have experiences you never have to open your wallet for.  But it’s the extra touches that really make it worth it.  The guides are top notch and I can’t express that enough.  For however long your trip is, they are dedicated to filling it with magical experiences.  And to be that on top of things for that many days straight is simply amazing by itself.

But they are also SO knowledgeable about the places you go. They invest their time and effort and energy to scoping out places for you to go on your down time.  They read and study and prepare for each trip, trying to find out how to improve on the already mind-blowing experiences.  And they do so much to make it easy for each guest.  Our daughter got sick in the middle of the vacation and their first thought was “how can we help?”  When we needed a day off from getting up early and heading out, they not only didn’t try to guilt us into going, they were totally supportive.  Then afterward, they made a point to fill us in on any pertinent information we missed about what was happening the next day.

You aren’t forced into anything and they try to always make accommodations for each person’s abilities and limitations.  Do you have food allergies?  They will work with the restaurants in advance to help you out.  Do you have other allergies or physical limitations?  They will do their best to offer alternatives and will advise you on what they believe is best for you and how to take care of you while getting the most out of your trip. It’s that next level service that makes it so special.

Also, you get to do things others don’t get to do or you get access to places when no one else is around and your guides fill you in on information not found in a guide book or an audio tour.  Plus, every day there are little surprises, little treats, and awesome pins you can only get on these adventures.  If you’re a pin collector like me, it was a dream come true!  A new pin every day?  Yes, please.  We went to the island of Spinalonga and were literally the only ones there.  When we left, there were three big boatloads of people massing onto the island (literal not figurative).  When we went to the winery it was like having a completely private tour.  It was just such a great feeling to be so well taken care of.

And that’s what you are paying for.  You’re not paying for a vacation.  You’re investing in an adventure!  And it is so worth it.  Sure, we won’t do this every year (although we had a family in our group who was on their sixth trip with Adventure by Disney!), but we will be sure to go again.