ABD China 2017

[Karen Stevan]

He does realize it can take over 2 weeks unless you physically go to a consulate or embassy, right???

Sayhello

You have NO IDEA how panicked I am right now. I don't know how I would enjoy this trip if I have to leave Michael behind. I have been screaming at him to take care of this but he is moving, has final exams, is way behind in courses, has film showcase, lost phone, you name it!!! I am truly tearing my hair out and it makes all the pre-trip anticipation a little joyless.

 

[sayhello]

You have NO IDEA how panicked I am right now. I don't know how I would enjoy this trip if I have to leave Michael behind. I have been screaming at him to take care of this but he is moving, has final exams, is way behind in courses, has film showcase, lost phone, you name it!!! I am truly tearing my hair out and it makes all the pre-trip anticipation a little joyless.

Yikes!!!!

Sayhello

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

But I'm paying for the Adventure Guides, and the actual trip. Hopefully those are still fabulous!

Sayhello

This is actually a really interesting point that I'm not sure I'd really broken down in my head before. I think what I'm paying for has changed a little over the years. The biggest focus for me now is the itinerary: where we are going, where we are staying & eating, what VIP/special touches are involved, and how many people we are traveling with. When I think back on past trips to the highlights and lowlights, it pretty much comes down to these factors. Even the very best guides don't make up for a lackluster itinerary and large numbers. We had two of the best guides around on our ABD Baltics trip, but for me the lack of special touches and the 49 fellow adventurers were way too big of a hurdle for them to overcome. So the guides are definitely less of a factor for me now.

Despite having done Ireland in 2007, what really sold me on ABD was our Scotland trip in 2013 (the first year it was offered). We had great guides on that trip who definitely contributed to our enjoyment, but it was the special touches in the itinerary that really elevated the ABD product for us (private plane to Lewis, canoeing on Loch Ness and launching from Urquhart castle, archery in front lawn of Balmoral, etc). As those VIP/special touches have been going away in ABD itineraries, I'm less and less enthusiastic about trips. I'm thrilled about Club 33 in China--that's the kind of thing that will bring me back to ABD.

It wasn't until I took a Nat Geo trip that I really appreciated the pre-trip planning aspect, which ABD falls down in. Nat Geo has great material that you get as soon as you sign up, personal contact with a trip advisor, and pretty awesome pre-trip gifts. So that has become a factor for me as well.

So my list:
1. Itinerary: are there things I can't do on my own? VIP touches? Special access? Will it appeal to my family?
2. How nice are the hotels we are staying at.
3. Group size (25 is ideal, even 40 is pushing it for me; 49 is ridiculous)
4. How many meals are included, and where are we eating?
5. Pre-trip planning
6. Adventure guides

Cost is also in there, of course, but I'll pay more depending on #1 and #2. I'm sure I'm forgetting other things, but it was interesting to think about.

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

Yikes!!!!

Sayhello

Double yikes from me!!!

 

[sayhello]

This is actually a really interesting point that I'm not sure I'd really broken down in my head before. I think what I'm paying for has changed a little over the years. The biggest focus for me now is the itinerary: where we are going, where we are staying & eating, what VIP/special touches are involved, and how many people we are traveling with. When I think back on past trips to the highlights and lowlights, it pretty much comes down to these factors. Even the very best guides don't make up for a lackluster itinerary and large numbers. We had two of the best guides around on our ABD Baltics trip, but for me the lack of special touches and the 49 fellow adventurers were way too big of a hurdle for them to overcome. So the guides are definitely less of a factor for me now.

Despite having done Ireland in 2007, what really sold me on ABD was our Scotland trip in 2013 (the first year it was offered). We had great guides on that trip who definitely contributed to our enjoyment, but it was the special touches in the itinerary that really elevated the ABD product for us (private plane to Lewis, canoeing on Loch Ness and launching from Urquhart castle, archery in front lawn of Balmoral, etc). As those VIP/special touches have been going away in ABD itineraries, I'm less and less enthusiastic about trips. I'm thrilled about Club 33 in China--that's the kind of thing that will bring me back to ABD.

It wasn't until I took a Nat Geo trip that I really appreciated the pre-trip planning aspect, which ABD falls down in. Nat Geo has great material that you get as soon as you sign up, personal contact with a trip advisor, and pretty awesome pre-trip gifts. So that has become a factor for me as well.

So my list:
1. Itinerary: are there things I can't do on my own? VIP touches? Special access? Will it appeal to my family?
2. How nice are the hotels we are staying at.
3. Group size (25 is ideal, even 40 is pushing it for me; 49 is ridiculous)
4. How many meals are included, and where are we eating?
5. Pre-trip planning
6. Adventure guides

Cost is also in there, of course, but I'll pay more depending on #1 and #2. I'm sure I'm forgetting other things, but it was interesting to think about.

OK, that all makes sense to me. I think the Adventure Guides are still a bit higher on my list than #6, but I agree with other things being more important. And maybe I'm not as bugged by the lack of personal contact beforehand because I don't know what I'm missing!! That's entirely possible!

Sayhello

 

[CaliKris]

OK, that all makes sense to me. I think the Adventure Guides are still a bit higher on my list than #6, but I agree with other things being more important. And maybe I'm not as bugged by the lack of personal contact beforehand because I don't know what I'm missing!! That's entirely possible!

Sayhello

I am sure after we come back from our China trip, we will be raving about ABD, the guides, and the wonderful hotels and food. For me, however, first impressions are important too. And so far, it feels like all they have done is take our money with very little in return. We are excited to see the new 2018 itineraries and dates tomorrow, but right now ABD has not given us a reason to return as a customer. If it wasn't for these boards and all the great trip reports, I think I would be quite worried about our upcoming trip and the level of service. I am sure I will be taking the plunge and booking another trip when I can on Friday because these boards are ABD's best advertisement out there!

 

[CaliKris]

You have NO IDEA how panicked I am right now. I don't know how I would enjoy this trip if I have to leave Michael behind. I have been screaming at him to take care of this but he is moving, has final exams, is way behind in courses, has film showcase, lost phone, you name it!!! I am truly tearing my hair out and it makes all the pre-trip anticipation a little joyless.

I am nervous for him too! There is a consulate in LA. I am not sure if he is able to go there. Otherwise, there are services you can pay to go to the consulate for you to speed up the process, but he still has to fill out the paperwork.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

You have NO IDEA how panicked I am right now. I don't know how I would enjoy this trip if I have to leave Michael behind. I have been screaming at him to take care of this but he is moving, has final exams, is way behind in courses, has film showcase, lost phone, you name it!!! I am truly tearing my hair out and it makes all the pre-trip anticipation a little joyless.

Oh my goodness he needs to realize that unless he gets himself to the embassy NOW he may not be going to China.

I also have a son and even though he is an adult if something has to be done, I tend to do it on his behalf (I'm a typical type 'A'). Is there any way you can fill out his CIBT Visa form, e-mail it to him for his signature and have him send the docs off to CIBT? I know they have an express service that you can pay for. The only things he would have to do would be sign the form, put his passport in the envelope and mail it off the CIBT (they even provide a shipping label for him). They are EXTREMELY helpful in the Visa process and I highly recommend them.

If he, for some reason, cannot get a Visa (there are a myriad of reasons why people get declined -- I've heard of 2 people that didn't get China visas) you would need to know ASAP so you could deal with ABD about how to handle the situation.

Please keep us posted on how this progresses. Having a son who doesn't prioritize well (except his social and work calendars lol) I empathize with you.

 

[Cousin Orville]

So my list:
1. Itinerary: are there things I can't do on my own? VIP touches? Special access? Will it appeal to my family?
2. How nice are the hotels we are staying at.
3. Group size (25 is ideal, even 40 is pushing it for me; 49 is ridiculous)
4. How many meals are included, and where are we eating?
5. Pre-trip planning
6. Adventure guides

I tend to agree with this. I generally think the ABD "formula" works pretty well. I would limit guests to 30 although I don't see that happening anytime soon even though there is competition from natgeo and A&K with smaller groups.

I'd also stress quality over quantity as far as meals are concerned. For China, I'll be interested in how Duck de Chine in Beijing performs. I think that was a specific effort by ABD to up food quality in Beijing. It gets very strong reviews but is specifically known for Peking Duck (one of God's great food gifts) That may or may not go over well in a group.

I've never given the lack of pre-trip planning much though, but now that you mention it, it wouldn't take much effort to send some info or photobooks in the months before the trip.

 

[Cousin Orville]

Oh my goodness he needs to realize that unless he gets himself to the embassy NOW he may not be going to China.

Agreed! I'm sweating just thinking about it. Time for an intervention.

 

[sayhello]

Oh my goodness he needs to realize that unless he gets himself to the embassy NOW he may not be going to China.

I also have a son and even though he is an adult if something has to be done, I tend to do it on his behalf (I'm a typical type 'A'). Is there any way you can fill out his CIBT Visa form, e-mail it to him for his signature and have him send the docs off to CIBT? I know they have an express service that you can pay for. The only things he would have to do would be sign the form, put his passport in the envelope and mail it off the CIBT (they even provide a shipping label for him). They are EXTREMELY helpful in the Visa process and I highly recommend them.

If he, for some reason, cannot get a Visa (there are a myriad of reasons why people get declined -- I've heard of 2 people that didn't get China visas) you would need to know ASAP so you could deal with ABD about how to handle the situation.

Please keep us posted on how this progresses. Having a son who doesn't prioritize well (except his social and work calendars lol) I empathize with you.

The wrinkle in all of this is that her son is a Canadian living in the US. There's a lot more paperwork that he has to provide to both prove his Canadian citizenship and that he has all the proper documentation to be in the US in the first place. He really, REALLY needs to get the the Chinese consulate NOW! I don't know whether a service like CIBT would handle this kind of situation or not.

Sayhello

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

The wrinkle in all of this is that her son is a Canadian living in the US. There's a lot more paperwork that he has to provide to both prove his Canadian citizenship and that he has all the proper documentation to be in the US in the first place. He really, REALLY needs to get the the Chinese consulate NOW! I don't know whether a service like CIBT would handle this kind of situation or not.

Sayhello

I am in the same situation as her son (Canadian citizen residing in the US). It wasn't a problem for CIBT to handle the paperwork. They were total pros. I called them before sending the paperwork, they told me exactly what they needed, called me when they saw a wrinkle in the paperwork (which was 1 day after they received it), I sent them more paperwork and I had our visas within a few days. They really know what they are doing.

Our wrinkle was that we reside in the US with Canadian passports, but were departing from Toronto and returning to Toronto. CIBT wanted me to provide them with my return flight info to the US. There was a small wrinkle here (because I was staying in Canada for several weeks after the trip) but CIBT told me what to say in an e-mail to them to satisfy the Chinese embassy. Trust me, they know what they are doing.

 

[Karen Stevan]

Re: Pre-trip - one of the big excitements for me in the past was the package. It felt like Christmas and really put me in the mood for a very special adventure. It certainly set Disney apart and made me feel taken care of right from the first deposit. It's a very simple thing to do, really, and contributes to a general spirit of quality, thoughtfulness and excellence. I hope Disney is taking note of these comments!!

Re: Visa - talked to concierge today and he assured me Michael still has lots of time to get his application in (glad he isn't fretting and I don't think he gets paid all those premiums if this doesn't happen). Michael finally got the package off this morning (whew!) and, you're right, sayhello, because he's Canadian, he also needed to send off his student Visa and L.A. driver's licence. I am still vibrating with anxiety, but am definitely more hopeful now we will make the trek together and meet all our new forum friends in person

 

[sayhello]

Re: Pre-trip - one of the big excitements for me in the past was the package. It felt like Christmas and really put me in the mood for a very special adventure. It certainly set Disney apart and made me feel taken care of right from the first deposit. It's a very simple thing to do, really, and contributes to a general spirit of quality, thoughtfulness and excellence. I hope Disney is taking note of these comments!!

Re: Visa - talked to concierge today and he assured me Michael still has lots of time to get his application in (glad he isn't fretting and I don't think he gets paid all those premiums if this doesn't happen). Michael finally got the package off this morning (whew!) and, you're right, sayhello, because he's Canadian, he also needed to send off his student Visa and L.A. driver's licence. I am still vibrating with anxiety, but am definitely more hopeful now we will make the trek together and meet all our new forum friends in person

Yay!! Fingers & toes crossed!!

Sayhello

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

I tend to agree with this. I generally think the ABD "formula" works pretty well. I would limit guests to 30 although I don't see that happening anytime soon even though there is competition from natgeo and A&K with smaller groups.

I'd also stress quality over quantity as far as meals are concerned. For China, I'll be interested in how Duck de Chine in Beijing performs. I think that was a specific effort by ABD to up food quality in Beijing. It gets very strong reviews but is specifically known for Peking Duck (one of God's great food gifts) That may or may not go over well in a group.

I've never given the lack of pre-trip planning much though, but now that you mention it, it wouldn't take much effort to send some info or photobooks in the months before the trip.

25-30 guests would be ideal. But I agree, I don't see them doing this any time soon.

Regarding food, my preference would be both quantity and quality. I don't mind a meal or two on our own, but it seems like the meals on your own have been going too far in the other direction. In Greece there were a ton, and I hated having to figure out where we were going to eat all the time. That's one of the reasons I go with a tour company. Nat Geo covered all the meals except for one dinner, and the food was excellent. Calfan can jog my memory, but I remember one so-so meal in our first guest house. There wasn't much else around though so I don't think they had much to choose from. I can't wait for the Peking Duck!!! All four of us are looking forward to trying it.

More pre-planning would be so easy for them to do. Nat Geo has most of it on their website. They send out a trip specific link after you sign up, and there's tons of information about the trips, cities, currency, what to pack, etc. And if you have any questions, there's your specific person to contact. I can't remember when the box came, but I think it was a month or two out. It had a hat, water bottle, gear bag, luggage tags, book about where we were going, maps, etc. Very nice.

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

Re: Visa - talked to concierge today and he assured me Michael still has lots of time to get his application in (glad he isn't fretting and I don't think he gets paid all those premiums if this doesn't happen). Michael finally got the package off this morning (whew!) and, you're right, sayhello, because he's Canadian, he also needed to send off his student Visa and L.A. driver's licence. I am still vibrating with anxiety, but am definitely more hopeful now we will make the trek together and meet all our new forum friends in person

I'm relieved for you! This was stressing me out, LOL. I'll cross my fingers, too!

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

I tend to agree with this. I generally think the ABD "formula" works pretty well. I would limit guests to 30 although I don't see that happening anytime soon even though there is competition from natgeo and A&K with smaller groups.

I'd also stress quality over quantity as far as meals are concerned. For China, I'll be interested in how Duck de Chine in Beijing performs. I think that was a specific effort by ABD to up food quality in Beijing. It gets very strong reviews but is specifically known for Peking Duck (one of God's great food gifts) That may or may not go over well in a group.

I've never given the lack of pre-trip planning much though, but now that you mention it, it wouldn't take much effort to send some info or photobooks in the months before the trip.

Duck de Chine was good. I'm not huge fan of Peking Duck (I am not a meat lover), but it was tasty. They also had a lot of other food options which were delicious. You will be happy with this restaurant. The atmosphere was lovely and everyone had a good time here. Someone in our group had a birthday or anniversary and the staff brought out a nice cake which was divided among everyone who wanted a slice. Capital M (in Shanghai) had a special menu for our group which gave us 3 meal choices. However I asked for something that wasn't on the ABD menu and they happily complied.

I have to say the food on our trip was outstanding. I don't think you will be disappointed. My least favorite meal was the farewell dinner at HK Disneyland because it paled in comparison to the food we had on the tour.

I don't give the pre-tour planning much thought either. The box is nice but I could live without it. I have a shelf in one of my walk-in closets that has ABD items on it - backpacks, iPad holders, luggage tags, fleece blankets, etc. I've never used any of them. The one item that I LOVED was the luggage straps and I'd really, really like another set! Just send me the itinerary booklet and I'm good to go. I realize I'm probably in the minority here.

Trip Advisor has a forum that is full of helpful information. I have been reading a lot on there with regards to South Africa. For example, it was there that I found out I needed my daughter's long form birth certificate and a special form filled completed and witnessed by a Commissioner of Oaths because I will be traveling there with my daughter, but without my husband. I'm not traveling with ABD for this portion of my trip, so I am not sure if they advised parents of this or not.

 

[Cousin Orville]

I'm not traveling with ABD for this portion of my trip, so I am not sure if they advised parents of this or not.

They did not. I wouldn't have known it without you mentioning it. Thanks again! Still on the fence on getting the Typhoid shot... We probably will.

 

[Karen Stevan]

OK Now I am in full-blown panic mode. Going to LA tomorrow to see Michael LOL and JUST realized the Chinese consulate has my passport!!!! Apparently, I can't get it out of there without canceling my application and not getting my Visa in time. So I will disappoint my son horribly, miss his film showcase, not help him move or get ready for China trip. Disaster strikes (which could mean the trip will be amazing if all difficulties are faced ahead of time). Oh peril.

 

[AlixaLock]

They did not. I wouldn't have known it without you mentioning it. Thanks again! Still on the fence on getting the Typhoid shot... We probably will.

Personal choice of course, but we (me, my husband and my 9 year old) went ahead and did Typhoid (along with Hep A for the adults) and no ill effects a week later.