hilarys
Hilary S
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2008
Summary of our thoughts on this trip
As Disneyland regulars we went into this trip a little bit worried about whether it would be “worth it” and whether the kids would be able to go with the flow and not do Disneyland their regular way (going from ride to ride). Reflecting on this trip six months later, I think the whole family whole heartedly agrees that this was worth it and one of the best experiences travel or otherwise that we have ever had. There were definitely enough differences and extras on this trip to justify the cost over doing a trip to Disneyland on your own if you are a Disney fanatic like we are. I don’t think this trip is for everyone though. It is not a trip to take as a way to see Disneyland with preferred access. This trip really does take its time and show you the “story” and the behind the scenes aspects of Disney (the Park, the man, and the studios). I think the trip is best for those who are fans of all of those things and like to hear the stories. I think this trip can be great for kids if they also fit the mold of “Disney-freak.” All of the “kids” in our group fit that mold. All of them except one had had many Disney visits under their belts and were fans of the concept of Disney and/or very interested in Imagineering. I think that kids who just wanted to go on rides would be bored. My daughter at 11.5 was the youngest of the “kids” on the trip. She loved it because she is a Disney-phile and because of all the new friends. In my opinion, this trip would be a stretch for younger kids because it would be hard to keep them from just wanting to run to ride to ride.
The day at Studios and Imagineering alone made this trip well worth it for us. I have seen the question come up as to whether there are enough backstage/extra things included as opposed to doing the guided tours at the Park or hiring a private guide for the day. The ABD trip goes far beyond the things you get to do with either of those two options, so again worth it in my opinion. This is definitely not a “foodie” trip, but the Carthay Circle meal provides one foodie experience.
I would also suggest adding on a day before the trip to do the VIP tour at Universal. It was very much worth the cost for us as a “one time” experience at Universal. The backlot tour that is included with the VIP tour was much more detailed than the regular tram tour. It is also a nice complement to the ABD tour, because you really don’t get much on the ABD about movie/TV filming. The Disney Studios lot has fairly limited filming these days.
Sorry that it took six months to wrap up my thoughts on this trip, but I would be happy to answer any specific questions or offer tips as a frequent DL visitor to those of you planning this trip or trips to Northern California.
As Disneyland regulars we went into this trip a little bit worried about whether it would be “worth it” and whether the kids would be able to go with the flow and not do Disneyland their regular way (going from ride to ride). Reflecting on this trip six months later, I think the whole family whole heartedly agrees that this was worth it and one of the best experiences travel or otherwise that we have ever had. There were definitely enough differences and extras on this trip to justify the cost over doing a trip to Disneyland on your own if you are a Disney fanatic like we are. I don’t think this trip is for everyone though. It is not a trip to take as a way to see Disneyland with preferred access. This trip really does take its time and show you the “story” and the behind the scenes aspects of Disney (the Park, the man, and the studios). I think the trip is best for those who are fans of all of those things and like to hear the stories. I think this trip can be great for kids if they also fit the mold of “Disney-freak.” All of the “kids” in our group fit that mold. All of them except one had had many Disney visits under their belts and were fans of the concept of Disney and/or very interested in Imagineering. I think that kids who just wanted to go on rides would be bored. My daughter at 11.5 was the youngest of the “kids” on the trip. She loved it because she is a Disney-phile and because of all the new friends. In my opinion, this trip would be a stretch for younger kids because it would be hard to keep them from just wanting to run to ride to ride.
The day at Studios and Imagineering alone made this trip well worth it for us. I have seen the question come up as to whether there are enough backstage/extra things included as opposed to doing the guided tours at the Park or hiring a private guide for the day. The ABD trip goes far beyond the things you get to do with either of those two options, so again worth it in my opinion. This is definitely not a “foodie” trip, but the Carthay Circle meal provides one foodie experience.
I would also suggest adding on a day before the trip to do the VIP tour at Universal. It was very much worth the cost for us as a “one time” experience at Universal. The backlot tour that is included with the VIP tour was much more detailed than the regular tram tour. It is also a nice complement to the ABD tour, because you really don’t get much on the ABD about movie/TV filming. The Disney Studios lot has fairly limited filming these days.
Sorry that it took six months to wrap up my thoughts on this trip, but I would be happy to answer any specific questions or offer tips as a frequent DL visitor to those of you planning this trip or trips to Northern California.
The pass/tour were very much worth it to us.
