Is Italy adventure worth while? About This Page:

[Maxiscool]

In a few years I'm looking to do a Italy adventure is it worth doing it with Disney or booking myself and does it save money?

[chezp]

I think it partially depends on how confident you'd feel booking it all yourself. That doesn't bother us, so that's probably what we'd do, but Disney would take care of everything and, from what I've read about Adventures by Disney, you do get to enjoy some neat and unique events as part of the itinerary, which is what you're paying for.

[mcc0313]

While I ahven't taken one I have browsed their brochures...I think that what the package does it just puts it all together for you. What I liked about the itenitary is that you have some great excusions planned but that they really do schedule in some down time just for family touring which is nice...

What I have seen with a lot of other tours is that it is very commando style. My grandparents did a number of European trips and they said the best trips they took was when they did not do one of the tours becuase they felt that they missed just that time to just breath and enjoy an afternoon looking at shops.

I would probably look into it becuase it just seems very easy to have it all booked and together without having to worry...

[katydid]

My daughter and her boyfriend just returned from a 12 day vacation in Italy. She loved her trip and did it on her own much cheaper than Disney. That being said, they did find some drawbacks in planning it for themselves. They spent a lot of time researching their options. For instance, they stayed away from Naples because of the terrible garbage problems they were having there. They were very glad of their decision because during their trip, the Naples area experienced some very heavy rainfalls and the city ended up flooding and all the garbage which had not been hauled away was floating around the streets. The residents rioted over the conditions and their President ended up flying in to diffuse the situation.

The driving conditions were difficult, with narrow twisting roads and whole lines of traffic needing to back up so that busses could negotiate the narrow spots. Italian drivers are agressive by American standards. You need to watch for pickpockets who are rampant in Rome.

She would do it again in a heartbeat. But realize that you need to do plenty of research and planning to do it on your own. (But then she felt tht was half the fun.) Good luck on your decisions and have fun on your trip!

[Disneybine]

It really depends on what type of vacationer you are. If you like doing extensive research on a destination before your trip, don't want to spend as much, and prefer not travelling with a large group, you'd be better off booking your trip individually. I can second that Italians in general drive rather agressive and that streets are a lot smaller than in the US so you might want to take that into consideration, too.

While I've not been on an Adventures by Disney trip myself yet, I have read a lot about them and so far liked what I read! I'd think it'd be for you if you don't mind the extra $$ you have to pay, like everything planned out for you and like having a tour guide at hand at all times. The biggest thing to consider (for me at least), though, is that it's a D-I-S-N-E-Y trip - meaning that even though I'd be going to Italy, it'd still have some Disney pixie dust in it. Did that make sense?

Hope this helped a bit!

[stellajack]

Originally Posted by Maxiscool

In a few years I'm looking to do a Italy adventure is it worth doing it with Disney or booking myself and does it save money?

Hi Maxiscool.
My husband and I just returned June 28 from Viva Italia. There is ABSOLUTELY NO way that we could have seen and done everything on this trip without Disney. There is NO standing in line at the Coliseum, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum, etc, etc, because with this tour, you simply go to the head of the line with your Disney reservation (better known as the tour fastpass). This means that your free time is spent entirely as you wish and NOT standing in line. I would strongly encourage you to plan this trip or any other trip with Adventures by Disney. Think about this: they handle your luggage between tour stops (place it outside your room and it magically appears in your room at your next hotel), MOST meals are included and if not, then they make recommendations for you or your family that are reasonably priced with excellent food choices. I could go on and on about the first class service (like 1st class on the Eurostar from Florence to Venice!!!), but there just isn't enough time and space. I can't wait to plan our next AdventurebyDisney-hopefully Flavors of France!

[lukeandbrookesmom]

Originally Posted by stellajack

There is ABSOLUTELY NO way that we could have seen and done everything on this trip without Disney. There is NO standing in line at the Coliseum, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum, etc, etc, because with this tour, you simply go to the head of the line with your Disney reservation (better known as the tour fastpass). This means that your free time is spent entirely as you wish and NOT standing in line. I would strongly encourage you to plan this trip or any other trip with Adventures by Disney. Think about this: they handle your luggage between tour stops (place it outside your room and it magically appears in your room at your next hotel), MOST meals are included and if not, then they make recommendations for you or your family that are reasonably priced with excellent food choices. I could go on and on about the first class service (like 1st class on the Eurostar from Florence to Venice!!!), but there just isn't enough time and space. I can't wait to plan our next AdventurebyDisney-hopefully Flavors of France!

It's a great program with Disney pixie dust added as Disneybine stated

[Colexis Mom]

Thanks for the review stellajack

[chezp]

Wow, it sounds like you had an awesome time - thanks for sharing your experiences with us.

[stellajack]

Originally Posted by chezp

Wow, it sounds like you had an awesome time - thanks for sharing your experiences with us.

Prego!

[Dave Marx]

I haven't done an Adventures by Disney yet, but the folks I've spoken to who have done one are incredibly enthusiastic about the experience. As with any Disney vacation, it's not exactly bargain-priced, but folks feel they've received an experience that delivers value in excess of the price paid.

Whether to do any escorted tour (Disney or otherwise) or to do it yourself depends a lot on your goals and the time available. In general, if you want to see/do a lot in a relatively small amount of time, guided tours are a very effective and efficient way to do it. In many of Europe's tourist destinations, parking and private vehicle access are very difficult. Tour buses are allowed to bring folks close to the "action," saving loads of time and effort. Once you're at the attractions, tour groups often have alternate/expedited access. Advance ticket purchases are often required, and while you can often do that on your own, you are typically required to pick up the tickets on the day of your visit. Even the lines for ticket pick-up can be long. Guided tours help you avoid all that. No matter what, you'll almost definitely have a very long line to get into St. Peters/Vatican Museum in Rome, but it's really nice to have a tour guide with you to fill all that waiting time with useful information.

Tour groups are not perfect, of course, because the interests of the group take precedence over those of individuals. Do you want to spend more time shopping, or visiting a particular attraction (or see a particular exhibit within that attraction)? Most groups make that very difficult. On the other hand, when you have a knowledgable guide, you can get a lot more out of the experience than you might have on your own. Self-paced audio tours and attraction-supplied tours are a good compromise - if you do go it on your own, be sure to include those in your budget.

Tour groups also insulate you somewhat from the "real" destination. You're in your own cocoon, surrounded by traveling companions, so you have less opportunity for contact with the locals and less of a feeling of immersion in your destination. Of course, for some people, that is a comfort factor, rather than a negative. However, many groups (including Disney's) provide reasonable periods of free time so you can get out on your own, pursue your own agenda, and have a non-tour experience. Typically, during those times, your tour guide can help you organize small group excursions, if you'd rather not venture out alone.

If you only have a day or two to devote to each destination city, a tour group is the way to go. If you plan to spend at least three or four days in a major city like Rome, Paris, or London, then going it alone becomes practical, although you should still do some sort of tour. Most, if not all, major tourist cities have low-cost bus tour services that visit all the major destinations, include multi-lingal recorded audio while you're on the bus (using headsets), and allow you to get on and off the bus all day long, at your own pace. These are a convenient way to get an overview of the city soon after you arrive, and may be all the public transit you need to use, throughout your visit. In our case, we use them for the introductory tour, then use other forms of transit for the rest of the visit (bus, subway, taxi).

An important aspect of the decision to tour vs. go it alone is your own sense of exploration/adventure. Travel on your own will introduce unexpected twists and turns that guided vacations tend to avoid. Guided vacations are well-rehearsed, well-oiled machines that deliver a maximized experience with few unpleasant surprises. Again, they do a fabulous job of maximizing your time/filling your day with the longest list of attractions/experiences. Self-guided trips can give you much greater depth at a handful of attractions, more unexpected experiences, and, if you want it, a slower, more contemplative pace.

I know I have a particular bias, but in-depth planning and research should be a part of any vacation of this sort, regardless of whether you have a tour guide once you're there. To start off, if you don't have a good idea of what you want to see and do, you'll have a tough time choosing the right tour or scheduling your own travel itinerary. Further, your own research will probably turn up information/aspects of the places you'll be visiting that won't be mentioned by the tour guide, making the tour experience that much richer.

[Maxiscool]

Thank you Dave for the post.