California Day 7 - Part 1 (ABD final thoughts and tips)

This morning was the final breakfast for our Adventures by Disney trip.  Again it took place as a buffet at the Storyteller’s Café.  Our guide, Jason, said that is scheduled for 7:30 – 8:30 but the restaurant reserves the area until 10 am because they know that guests from the trip linger and don’t want to leave.  Our group was no different. 

Most of our group was there although a few folks had left already for early flights.  The email list that was created the night before had been copied and handed out to everyone.

It was sad, and I admit to a few tears, but at least we still had a few days in California.  So at 9 am, we left to check out of our room and met up with my sisters.

Final Thoughts on this Adventures by Disney trip

-          It was awesome!!  Everything was super organized which appeals to my OCD nature. J

-          The guides did not overwhelm you with the schedule for the whole day or trip.  Each activity flowed into the next and they took care of one thing at a time.

-          The guides took care of everything.  I was somewhat reluctant to release control since I am usually the one that makes all our vacation plans and then has to make sure we are everywhere we need to be and on time.  It was so nice to not have to worry about anything.

-          We were very fortunate to have a great group of adults.  Everyone was on time, did what has asked of us by the guides and mingled very well together.

-          There were a lot of surprises and perks which made the trip even better.

Tips for taking an Adventure by Disney trip

-          Have some idea of activities or places you would like to go in the area during your free time, but I wouldn’t recommend making reservations.  Timing can change during the tour and there are optional activities that happen during the free time that you may not want to miss.  (There was one place that Chris and I wanted to visit in Hollywood.  I was glad we didn’t pre-purchase tickets because it ended up being a surprise optional activity on the first night.)

-          Don’t research too much before you trip.  That is easier for me to say than do!  I did do a lot of research and read any trip reports that I could find.  Unfortunately some of the reports did not indicate what activities were surprises so I knew some of the things that had happened on other trips.  The surprises that I didn’t know about were so much fun that I would say you really don’t want to ruin that for yourself.  Also, not every trip is exactly the same.  You don’t want to be disappointed if you don’t do an activity that was included on someone else’s trip.

-          If possible, try to book your pre- and post- nights with Adventures by Disney.  We were very happy to already be in place in Hollywood… and not so happy that we had to pack up and move hotels when the trip was over (although that ended up working out fine).

-          Be prepared for long days.  It is possible that other Adventures by Disney trips have more down time but because we were in Disneyland, we chose to go from early morning to late night with no stopping. 

I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed this trip.  I am already thinking about when it would be possible for me to take another one!

If you are ready to plan your Adventure, contact me at [email protected] to get started!!

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