I’ve been thinking a lot about my bucket list lately. And like many people, my bucket list includes quite a bit of travel; not just any travel, but traveling with my family. Last month, I was invited to a Disney Adventures press event, where I had the chance to learn about their latest destinations and beyond.
The thing about Disney: everything is a story—a well told story with explicit details. From their amusement parks to video games to books to shows to movies, every facet of this multi-media power house is magical, including their Disney Adventures travel destinations.
New on the Adventures by Disney lineup, not surprisingly, is inspired by the insta-classic that took the world by storm. Disney by Adventure’s Frozen-inpired trips boasts two agendas to explore Norway, Austria, Germany and Czech Republic.
The Norway agenda allows for excursions that explore the landscape inspired by Frozen. Families will visit the village of Bergen, hike through terrains, explore a fjord, and see the Briksdal Glacier.
Adventure Highlights 8 days/7 nights
- Welcome dinner and reception in a historic room overlooking the picturesque Bryggen wharf
- Glide along a river in Voss that offers stunning vistas of the region’s mountains
- Explore the natural beauty, cultural heritage of the Fjord country, and meet local storytellers on the Fjord safari in Flam
- Visit the Borgund Stave Church, the best preserved stave church in Norway
- Walk in the footsteps of a fisherman by participating in rainbow trout fishing on Lake Loen
- Visit three UNESCO World Heritage sites: Bergen Wharf, Nærøyfjord (Naeroyfjord), and Geirangerfjord
- Visit the Briksdal Glacier and be surrounded by cascading waterfalls and high mountain peaks
The Austria, Germany and Czech Republic
On this Central European adventure, families can explore the hidden jewels of the Bavarian Alps, visit a medieval castle and walk the same streets that Mozart once did.
Adventure Highlights 9 days/8 nights
- Explore the art of marionette-making with a local artisan at the Art Deco Marionette Theater Club, including a backstage tour of the theater and a mini-performance
- Explore the salt mine and ice cave in Berchtesgaden and finish the day by making traditional pretzels and tasting their famous schnapps
- Visit Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart and explore the whimsical Hellbrunn Castle, including a visit to the “trick fountains”
- Fly high with a falconry demonstration at Hohenwerfen Castle
- Learn the art of Schnapps making at Germany’s oldest standing distillery, Enzianbrennerei Grassl
- Enjoy dinner with entertainment by a duo of Mozart violinists at St. Peter’s Stiftskeller, the oldest restaurant in Europe
- Go backstage at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna which has been in practice for over 440 years
Wrap up this royal adventure by learning the waltz and having a splendid dinner at Emperor’s Pavillion at the oldest zoo in Vienna
Ecuador: Amazon & Galapagos Islands
- four-night river cruise on the Anakonda riverboat to explore the tropical rainforest
- three night stay at the beachfront Finch Bay Hotel in Galapagos
- exploration of Quito, with vistas to local markets, studios and Spanish cathedrals
- cooking class with an Ecuadorian chocolate tasting
And an adventure near and dear to my heart:
Long weekend to NYC
This detailed trip to NYC includes adventures worthy of stories themselves, including:
- Behind-the-scenes visit to Good Morning America
- Hands-on Broadway musical dance workshop
- Visit to New Amsterdam Theatre and a backstage tour
- Enjoy a performance of Alladin
- Private guided tour of Harlem
- Learn about in-depth stories of what it was like to be an American immigrant during a visit to the Tenemant Museum
Adventures by Disney highlights the importance of sacred family time and the stories that are told during family travel. Trips like these, in my book, are once in a lifetime bucket list adventures, and as such, are priced as luxury trips. They include guides and VIP experiences, and in Disney fashion, I’m imagining are top notch. For more information, check out the beautiful photos and other information on Adventures by Disney’s site.