WDW Walt Disney World Resort & Central Florida Meets Thread

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Have Camera, Will Travel
Joined
Oct 28, 2006
Here is the Meets Thread for the new ABD Walt Disney World (WDW) Resort & Central Florida trip. Post here to talk & share about this trip and hopefully connect with other DISers on the same departure!
 
Thanks for starting this thread. The Florida trip looks amazing and curious if any of you have thoughts as to why it's expensive relative to a number of the other ABD trips. Far more costly than BSM, for example, and about the same as many of the European trips (airfare aside). Sweetie and I are interested in this trip but man it's hard when for similar $$$ we could go to Ireland!
 
Thanks for starting this thread. The Florida trip looks amazing and curious if any of you have thoughts as to why it's expensive relative to a number of the other ABD trips. Far more costly than BSM, for example, and about the same as many of the European trips (airfare aside). Sweetie and I are interested in this trip but man it's hard when for similar $$$ we could go to Ireland!

The WDW trip costs equivalent to what we paid for Central Europe for September 2016. If you look at where you're staying, that's where the cost is coming from. You are staying in the bungalows at the Polynesian.
 
The WDW trip costs equivalent to what we paid for Central Europe for September 2016. If you look at where you're staying, that's where the cost is coming from. You are staying in the bungalows at the Polynesian.

I don't think the cost is coming from that because it seems the guests are not staying in the over the water bungalows. From the description below it looks like folks will be booked in the Poly DVC Studio villas.

Parties of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 booked as a single, double, triple, quad and quint, respectively, are accommodated in 1 room with 1 queen bed, 1 queen-size sleeper sofa, and 1 twin-size pull down bed. Connecting rooms may be requested but are not always available
 


The WDW trip costs equivalent to what we paid for Central Europe for September 2016. If you look at where you're staying, that's where the cost is coming from. You are staying in the bungalows at the Polynesian.

I think ABD listed out the full official name of the Polynesian's DVC Resort - "Disney's Polynesian Villas & Bungalows". But I'm guessing you're staying in a studio villa rather than a bungalow. Nevertheless, I'm sure you're right that the hotel costs (and park tickets) are responsible for the higher cost of this trip. I would guess it will be specifically a garden view, studio.
 
I don't think the cost is coming from that because it seems the guests are not staying in the over the water bungalows. From the description below it looks like folks will be booked in the Poly DVC Studio villas.

When you look at the cost of that room, it starts at $470 a night in low season. over 6 nights that's almost $3000. To me that's not worth it. I could do a similar trip on my own, taking all the required backstage tours that are reflected here for a whole lot less.
 
I think ABD listed out the full official name of the Polynesian's DVC Resort - "Disney's Polynesian Villas & Bungalows". But I'm guessing you're staying in a studio villa rather than a bungalow. Nevertheless, I'm sure you're right that the hotel costs (and park tickets) are responsible for the higher cost of this trip. I would guess it will be specifically a garden view, studio.

Also, if you take a real close look at the itinerary, you're not exactly eating in standard restaurants some of the time. The VIP lounge at the Seas and the Rotunda of the American Adventure? They aren't exactly going to be able to just use the standard kitchens at restaurants. These will be catered meals.
 


When you look at the cost of that room, it starts at $470 a night in low season. over 6 nights that's almost $3000. To me that's not worth it. I could do a similar trip on my own, taking all the required backstage tours that are reflected here for a whole lot less.

True, if you pay rack rate but most people don't pay rack rate at WDW. There always seems be some type of discount code or offer.
 
True, if you pay rack rate but most people don't pay rack rate at WDW. There always seems be some type of discount code or offer.

And with ABD you pay rack rate or actually slightly more. No discounts there. Just look at when you add days on to an ABD, you are paying a standard rack rate for your room, it's not discounted. When we did BSM in California, we paid full price to add a day on at the start because we booked it through ABD. ABD does not offer discounted rooms.
 
When you look at the cost of that room, it starts at $470 a night in low season. over 6 nights that's almost $3000. To me that's not worth it. I could do a similar trip on my own, taking all the required backstage tours that are reflected here for a whole lot less.

Ticket cost and some meals would have to be added to that, but in general I tend to agree. I did the BSM tour and it was awesome. It was also less expensive, you toured Muppet Studios, Disney Studios, Imagineering, and saw a lot of areas of Disneyland that are next to impossible to see. Part of me wants to do the WDW ABD as that's my home park, but there's really not a lot you do that is exclusive to ABD. The Animal Kingdom tour with an Imagineer sounds good, but that's about it as far as exclusive tours. Most of the other backstage areas and lounges I've seen.
 
Ticket cost and some meals would have to be added to that, but in general I tend to agree. I did the BSM tour and it was awesome. It was also less expensive, you toured Muppet Studios, Disney Studios, Imagineering, and saw a lot of areas of Disneyland that are next to impossible to see. Part of me wants to do the WDW ABD as that's my home park, but there's really not a lot you do that is exclusive to ABD. The Animal Kingdom tour with an Imagineer sounds good, but that's about it as far as exclusive tours. Most of the other backstage areas and lounges I've seen.

I agree. And when you sit down and look at the backstage tours that WDW already offers, you can pretty much do this on your own.

"Walking tour of Main Street" = Keys to the Kingdom
"Private African Safari" = Wild Africa Trek
"Wild Design" = Wild by Design
"Top of the Seas" = Dolphins in Depth or Seas Aqua Tour
"Seas VIP Lounge" = Undiscovered Future World
"Behind the Scenes Look at American Adventure" = Backstage Magic All Day Tour

And many of the other "behind the scenes" looks can be covered by the all day Backstage Magic Tour.

We have done each of the tours listed above so what can Adventures by Disney show me that I haven't already seen?
 
I agree. And when you sit down and look at the backstage tours that WDW already offers, you can pretty much do this on your own.

"Walking tour of Main Street" = Keys to the Kingdom
"Private African Safari" = Wild Africa Trek
"Wild Design" = Wild by Design
"Top of the Seas" = Dolphins in Depth or Seas Aqua Tour
"Seas VIP Lounge" = Undiscovered Future World
"Behind the Scenes Look at American Adventure" = Backstage Magic All Day Tour

And many of the other "behind the scenes" looks can be covered by the all day Backstage Magic Tour.

We have done each of the tours listed above so what can Adventures by Disney show me that I haven't already seen?

Nice breakdown of the tours. I suppose this ABD still may be a fine option for guests who have never done any of those tours. Certainly it will be arranged nicely with the ABD guides and there's a good value in that. However, for WDW veterans like us, there's just no strong exclusive draws as there are in the Disneyland BSM.
 
Nice breakdown of the tours. I suppose this ABD still may be a fine option for guests who have never done any of those tours. Certainly it will be arranged nicely with the ABD guides and there's a good value in that. However, for WDW veterans like us, there's just no strong exclusive draws as there are in the Disneyland BSM.

Thanks. When I was reading the tour out to my mom we broke it down based on the tours we've done. Like you, there is no real "I NEED to take this tour" for us when read it. The Montana one would be appealing as would the DC one if they offered adult only trips but they don't. It's one reason we're looking at other tour companies. It's my mom and I and I'm well over the age of being a "child" and I don't have any kids so we much prefer the ability to travel with other adults and no kids.
 
Ticket cost and some meals would have to be added to that, but in general I tend to agree. I did the BSM tour and it was awesome. It was also less expensive, you toured Muppet Studios, Disney Studios, Imagineering, and saw a lot of areas of Disneyland that are next to impossible to see. Part of me wants to do the WDW ABD as that's my home park, but there's really not a lot you do that is exclusive to ABD. The Animal Kingdom tour with an Imagineer sounds good, but that's about it as far as exclusive tours. Most of the other backstage areas and lounges I've seen.

I was almost hoping it was going to be a "have to do that trip" kind of itinerary since like you, WDW is my home park. It sure would have been nice to plan an ABD that I didn't have get flights for. Most of the stuff listed seemed similar to what we've done on the backstage tours or experienced with D23 events. Now, if I wasn't a Floridian that is at the park every month and hadn't experience these tours then yes, I'd be considering it seriously. I am so hoping the dates will work out for us to do BSM next year!

I agree. And when you sit down and look at the backstage tours that WDW already offers, you can pretty much do this on your own.

"Walking tour of Main Street" = Keys to the Kingdom
"Private African Safari" = Wild Africa Trek
"Wild Design" = Wild by Design
"Top of the Seas" = Dolphins in Depth or Seas Aqua Tour
"Seas VIP Lounge" = Undiscovered Future World
"Behind the Scenes Look at American Adventure" = Backstage Magic All Day Tour

And many of the other "behind the scenes" looks can be covered by the all day Backstage Magic Tour.

We have done each of the tours listed above so what can Adventures by Disney show me that I haven't already seen?

My sentiments exactly. On the brights side, no monkey wrenches have been thrown into my vacations plans for the next few years. Well, unless they announce Japan or something like that when May rolls around.
 
It seems to me that the itinerary doesn't include much time in all four parks. They use one day to visit two parks, which to me isn't enough time to absorb being in the parks. I don't really like the added central Florida days. I guess I just would like to be only in the parks. lol :)
 
There are some non-WDW VIP tours in this tour. The Behind the Scenes of Rivers of Light isn't going to be part of a normal tour at this point in time. Realizing a lot of other things in it that are on other tours does dissuade me from booking it.
 
There are some non-WDW VIP tours in this tour. The Behind the Scenes of Rivers of Light isn't going to be part of a normal tour at this point in time. Realizing a lot of other things in it that are on other tours does dissuade me from booking it.

I think you'll find the behind the scenes look at Rivers of Light shows up on at least the full day Backstage Magic tour, especially with so much of DHS out of commission. I remember seeing the float barn behind MK on that trip and I've seen where they keep the Illuminations globe at EPCOT on Undiscovered Future World. Give it time and it will show up somewhere.
 
We'll be going on the October 2 through October 8 adult exclusive of this trip. Interested to hear if anyone else will be going with us!
 

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