As longtime Disney fans, Walt Disney World has become our go-to to create some of our best family vacation memories. It’s where our love for family travel began. It was on one of those trips that we realized the Disney difference was a big part of that. That led us to explore Disneyland, embark on some Disney Cruises, and visit Disneyland Paris.
It almost felt like a travel secret when we learned about Adventures By Disney. It’s the brand’s tour company that explores beyond the parks and ships. (And on our recent trip we learned Adventures By Disney is still largely growing mostly through word of mouth as opposed to big budget advertising.)
While exploring Costa Rica with Adventures By Disney, other adventurers clued us in on what it’s like to tour big cities with the company. Now, after going to Barcelona, we’re sharing 15 things to know before you go. Here’s what to expect on Adventures By Disney’s Barcelona Escape.
1. Your experience begins with your welcome package: Your experience with Adventures By Disney begins before your bags are even packed. You’ll receive a welcome package in the mail prior to your departure. It includes things like luggage tags, lanyards, and a few swag items. You’ll also receive a QR code to download your Adventure Handbook. It has your itinerary and additional helpful information.
2. The tour group size is relatively small: Similarly to our Costa Rica Adventure, our group was comprised of just under 40 people. The size felt just right. It was small enough to navigate city attractions. But it was large enough for there to be people with whom to share the experience.
3. You’re going to love meeting your fellow adventurers: Every Disney fan knows that some people are worth melting for. It’s very likely your fellow adventures will be those people. Adventures By Disney attracts, you guessed it, other Disney fans. But, beyond that, you’re likely to find others who vacation like you do if you’ve booked this type of trip. They value the customer service Disney delivers. They want to learn about the places they’re visiting. And they desire a luxury, vacation experience, which Adventure By Disney provides.
Even though the recommended age is five and up, the youngest in our group was about 10 years old. There were more people without children on our Escape than on our Costa Rican Land Adventure. Several couples in our group came without children, and most families only had older children. This perhaps isn’t surprising though because Escapes don’t have specific activities geared toward children like many Land Adventures do. And the schedule is pretty architectural site heavy so it’s geared more towards adults and older kids.
4. Some guests choose to come in a day or so early: We were pretty exhausted after our travel day to get to Barcelona. We’re talking falling- asleep-in-the-hotel-lobby, cranky-teen tired. But, Escapes are designed to see a lot of the city in a short period of time. So, we wished we would have come in a day or two early to stave off jet lag before hitting the ground running.
If your travel plans allow, you might want to look at the possibility of traveling ahead of the day your Adventure begins.
5. The hotel for the Escape is centrally located: Location is key when you’re trying to do and see as much as you can in a city. And the place you’ll call home for your Barcelona Escape is in a prime spot. Our hotel, the hotel currently being used for bookable Barcelona Escapes, was Gran Hotel Havana. This 4-star hotel has 145 rooms, a rooftop bar, and a restaurant where we ate breakfast every morning.
Although some longer Adventures By Disney Land Adventures feature 5-star properties, this hotel provided a good backdrop to our vacation. The modern rooms located in the historic building are in the city center, allowing guests to maximize their time.
6. Two full-time Adventure Guides lead the trip and a few other tour guides assist: This is where Disney really shines – in having amazing people whose job it is to make your vacation seamless and fun. Adventure By Disney Land Excursions and Escapes feature two guides who are with you every step of the way. One guide lives in or near the city or country you’re visiting. (Ours was from Italy but has been living in Barcelona for many years.) The other guide is usually American and home-based somewhere in the states. Both were absolutely wonderful guides who never seemed to be without smiles on their faces. They were incredibly helpful. They told the best stories. And they seemed able to handle any travel tribulation you handed their way.
Two other tour guides joined us for various tours during our Escape. These guides were equally as friendly. They were well versed in the places we were touring and provided all the facts we covered during our tours.
7. Your Adventure Guides serve as your photographers: Have you ever noticed that sometimes getting that perfect picture gets in the way of having the perfect experience? Never fear, travel Mamas. You will get the ultimate photos of your family on your vacation thanks to your Adventure Guides. While you get to actually be in the moment, they’ll snap away. They know the best spots for shots. They’re happy to take them on your phone but you’ll also receive a Zip drive of photos when your adventure ends. You have 60 days to download any pictures you would like to keep.
8. Your itinerary is full of all the best things to do Barcelona: Here’s the stuff you’ve probably been waiting for. What exactly will you do on your Adventures By Disney Barcelona Escape?
Day of arrival: When you land in Barcelona and clear customs, your adventure begins with a porter meeting you. Transpiration for the airport or the hotel is prearranged and your Adventure Guides greet you at the hotel. Although most flights from the U.S. arrive in the morning, check-in isn’t guaranteed until 4 p.m.
So after meeting our guides, we ventured away from the hotel for lunch on our own. We were able to get into our room a bit early, after some poking and prodding of the front desk staff by our Adventure Guides.
The first official activity was a welcome reception in a room near the lobby. Shortly after, we traveled to El Xalet de Montjuïc, a restaurant overlooking the city. Beautiful views and a traditional meal of paella kickstarted our Barcelona vacation.
First Full Day: The first full day (technically the second day of the Adventure) is jam packed. It’s when you’ll see 3 of the main things people come to Barcelona to experience. Our day included:
- Buffet breakfast at the hotel
- Bus tour of the city: This is where we began to learn the massive impact Gaudi had on the His unique architectural designs embody what is now Barcelona.
- The Gothic Quarter: Our group was separated into two separate groups as we toured the cobblestone streets and labyrinth of passageways. We learned the history of churches and other buildings from one of the Barcelona -based tour
- Lunch at Can Travi Nou: We had a traditional Mediterranean meal in a 17th century farmhouse.
- La Sagrada Familia: Gaudí’s masterpiece, the crown jewel of Barcelona, features such intricate design that it’s construction has lasted over 140 years. We toured the exterior with a guide and then had time to explore inside on our own.
- Park Güell: This public park requires an advanced reservation to tour because it features so many beautiful We sat on the mosaic Serpentine Bench, saw the bejeweled salamander at the entrance of the monumental zone, and stood beside the Hypostyle Room’s unique columns.
Second Full Day: Day two was an excursion slightly out of the city with a more relaxed pace.
- Buffet breakfast was served at the
- We traveled about 45 minutes to Monserrat to explore this basilica with roots dating back to the 12th The breath-taking church also houses the Black Virgin and Museu de Montserrat.
- We enjoyed lunch, a ride in a funicular, and a hike on the grounds of Montserrat.
- After traveling back to our hotel, we spent some time in our own prior to going to Pueblo Español. This area was made to resemble an Iberian village representing various regions of Spain.
- We ended the night with a fantastic farewell dinner and flamenco Traditional tapas were served while authentically dressed dancers stomped and swayed to the emotional dance for which the country is known.
Day of Departure: Breakfast was served at our hotel prior to guests saying goodbye and departing.
9. Your itinerary might vary slightly: While we did do everything listed in our itinerary, we did it in a bit of a different order. On our first full day, we explored the Gothic Quarter and Park Guell, and saw the city via motor coach, in the morning. We then went to La Sagrada Familia later in the afternoon, although it was listed the opposite way in the original itinerary.
10. You’ll have some time to explore on your own: There’s lots included in an Adventures By Disney Escape. But there’s also some time on your own and downtime built in. We had a chance to step out into the city on our arrival day prior to the welcome reception. On the second day, we had dinner on our own. Our third day included some downtime after our tour of Montserrat, prior to dinner. So, this is not the educational school trip you might have taken as a pre-teen. Although your itinerary is full, you still have some time on your own.
11. Your trip is designed to be culturally immersive: One of my favorite things about our Barcelona Escape (and our previous Costa Rica Land Adventure) was how culturally immersive it was. We felt like we got an authentic taste of the city. We glimpsed modern daily life as well as learned about the history and traditions of the past. We visited both the iconic landmarks as well as small family owned restaurants. Culture was alive and well on our vacation.
12. Disney has a few travel surprises along the way (in ways you might not expect): That Disney difference that sparked our interest in adventuring with the company wasn’t missing from our trip. From snacks on the motorbus, to water bottles at our disposal, to bandaids for blistered feet, our Adventure Guides had thought of it all. In other words, you won’t have to Mom and Dad this trip quite as much because they’ve got it covered. There are also a few little surprises to keep grumbling bellies at bay and pin collectors happy. I don’t want to give anything away or set unrealistic expectations. (These are the “small things that matter” kind of extras.) But, know that the Disney-level costumer service that you’re paying for is there.
One thing you won’t find on your adventure are lots of nods to the Mouse or any of his pals for which Disney is best know. Disney trivia and even some Disney movies helped entertain guests on bus rides on our previous land excursion. But on this Escape, our limited bus time was spent hearing about the sites we were seeing. With the brevity of the trip, there’s not a lot of time for movies or trivia.
Aside from logos on lanyards or other subtle things, Adventures By Disney Escapes are not overtly “Disney”. So calm down, you vacationers who worry you won’t be able to get “Let It Go” out of your head after your trip. Things like Disney songs, character meals or amusement park rides are not what the adventure side of Disney is all about.
13. The price you pay is all-inclusive, except for a few things: It’s no secret that Disney vacations aren’t inexpensive, and Adventures by Disney trips are no exception. But, what exactly is included in your price?
- 7 meals: 3 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 2 dinners
- Alcoholic beverages for adults at the pre-paid meals
- Accommodations
- All tours
- Transportation to activities
- Gratuities for all staff, except Adventure Guides
- Transfers to and from the airport or cruise port
The things not included in the price you pay are:
- Breakfast or lunch when you arrive, dinner on the first full day, and lunch and dinner on the day of departure
- Gratuities for your Adventure Guides (it is recommend to tip $10-$12 per day, per guest, per adventure guide)
- Transfers to anywhere other than the airport or cruise terminal
- Souvenirs
14. Escapes are designed to be paired with cruises leaving out of the chosen city. But, guests do a variety of things after the Escape ends: After you’ve taken the Disney Escape version of the final dip in Space Mountain, it’s time to move on. Traditionally, Escapes were designed to be paired with Disney cruises. They’re usually offered just prior to a cruise departing from or near the city where the Escape takes place.
On our trip, a few guests did embark on a cruise. But most moved on to other parts of Spain to explore on their own. One family stayed in Barcelona to do some things not included in the Escape’s itinerary. When we said goodbye to our guide and fellow adventurers we traveled to Costa Brava, a few hours from the city.
15. Your trip will feel short but focused: Three nights is a short time to visit a city with so much to see and do. But, we loved being able to experience the city and then explore another part of Spain on our own. For us, it was a great combination of big city must-do’s and smaller town charm.
About the author: Candi Hurst is the owner of Castles and Carpools, a blog dedicated to making the world in which we travel a little better. You can learn more about her travels with Adventures By Disney in the post Adventures By Disney Escapes: Magic In Some Of The World’s Best Cities?
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