Family Travel

Thursday, July 22, 2010

You can visit the land of pyramids, pharaohs and ancient treasures next year with Adventures by Disney®. The new exotic itinerary joins other unforgettable worldwide destinations in 2011. Highlights of the experience include riding a camel at the Great Pyramids, cruising the Nile River and snorkeling in the Red Sea.

Bookings open on July 21, 2010, so book early for the lowest rates of the season and best availability.

Here are some of the highlights of the 8- and 10-day Egypt itineraries:

• Ride a camel at the Great Pyramids of Gizah, tour the Pharoah’s Boat Museum and come nose-to-nose with the Sphinx
• Learn to make papyrus and write your name in Egyptian hieroglyphics
• Enjoy three days of leisurely cruising on the Nile River from Aswan to Luxor, discovering ancient temples, tombs and treasures
• Shop and dine in the colorful Khan el-Khalili Market, Cairo’s ancient souk
• Experience the Nile on a felucca – the traditional sailing craft that have plied the river’s waters for thousands of years
• Travel with a licensed Egyptologist through ancient monuments and wonders of Egypt
• Junior Adventurers explore the Egyptian Museum while playing the Art Detective Game, The Case of the Missing Mummy.

Remember “it’s all included” with Adventures by Disneyvacations – VIP experiences, immersive events and activities, dining and resorts, hassle-free travel and admissions.

Sunday, January 03, 2010

Is Costa Rica a good destination for a family vacation?

With natural wonders and sights that appeal to all ages, Costa Rica is an excellent destination for a family vacation. Whether you're 8 or 80, you'll be captivated by the rain forests, hot springs, jungles and volcanoes - and enthralled with the possibility of spotting turtles, toucans and monkeys. Globus has just introduced a collection of Family Vacations, including "Natural Wonders of Costa Rica". These vacations are specifically designed for intergenerational travel and are all about having fun and bonding as a family. You can also rest assured that with more than 75 years of travel experience,

Globus will ensure a worry-free and hassle-free vacation, allowing you and your relatives to concentrate on enjoying each other's company.

Friday, October 30, 2009

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (October 9, 2009) -- With its stunning scenery, abundant wildlife, and plethora of active adventure opportunities, Alaska offers the perfect family vacation. To make it easier for families to plan a trip to the 49th state, Princess Cruises has added a fun new cruisetour option designed especially with family groups in mind.

The 12-night cruisetour offers the best of Alaska by land and sea and includes a variety of special features not usually included in a cruisetour package. Families will have the opportunity to travel on a jetboat, pan for gold, take an interactive tour of Denali National Park, and experience what Alaska is like in the winter when it's many degrees below zero.

The cruisetour (number: FUN) is offered at a 25 percent discount for all berths, so all members of the family are included in the special pricing.

"This is really the ultimate family vacation," said Charlie Ball, president of Princess Tours. "Alaska is a wonderful travel destination with kids, so we wanted to make it easy and affordable to plan the perfect Alaska experience for everyone in the family."

The Family Fun cruisetour includes a seven-night Voyage of the Glaciers cruise plus a five-night land tour featuring one night at Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, two nights at Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge and two nights at Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge. At sea, families can also take advantage of Princess' many onboard programs especially for children, including a special Junior Ranger program in Glacier Bay National Park.

In addition, the following special extras are included in the tour:

Daily Breakfast -- Everyone in the family can start their morning off with the most important meal of the day.

Direct-to-the-Wilderness Rail Service with Lunch -- Princess' acclaimed Direct-to-the-Wilderness rail service gets families to their wilderness lodge faster, and includes lunch aboard the train.

Three Rivers Jetboat Tour (Mt. McKinley) -- An exhilarating alternative to taking a motorcoach to Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, this tour travels from Talkeetna to the lodge by jetboat, with stops along the river to view historic encampments and learn about the native wildlife.

Arctic Blast (Denali) -- Family members can experience winter in Alaska -- in the summertime. This special chamber is chilled to wintertime temperatures, so visitors can find out what happens to hot water when it is thrown in the air and whether soap bubbles can survive the cold.

Music of Denali Dinner Theater (Denali) -- This rollicking musical comedy tells the legend of the first expedition to the summit of Mt. McKinley, accompanied by a hearty, family-style meal featuring smokehouse ribs and Alaska salmon.

Experience Alaska with Alaska Geographic Tour (Denali) -- A more intimate tour of Denali National Park, this special experience includes a variety of interactive experiences, including an enhanced view of the Denali ecosystem and current research taking place. The narrated bus tour takes guests 15 miles into the park to a beautiful river valley where they embark on a short walk to the historic Savage River Camp, where they can participate in a number of hands-on experiences.

Denali Sourdough Expedition Breakfast (Denali) -- While fueling up for the day with a family-style, Alaskan roadhouse-style breakfast, guests experience an unforgettable journey up Denali through breathtaking images in Laurent Dick's Climb Denali. Participants have the opportunity to meet this real mountain climber and ask questions about mountain climbing.

Riverboat Cruise and El Dorado Goldmine Tour (Fairbanks) -- Families can enjoy traveling on an authentic sternwheeler for a fully-narrated cruise along the Chena River and try their hands at gold panning at the El Dorado Gold Mine, where they will learn about Alaska's gold mining history.

Fares for the Alaska Family Cruisetour (#FUN) start at $1,743 per person for the first and second berths, and $1,191 per person for the third and fourth berth passengers.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

What an amazing opporunity to win one of Adventures by Disney Vacations 19 exciting family tours.

One of the most adventurous characters in children's literature, Flat Stanley, traveled to the prestigious Library of Congress today where he, along with the first three books in Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures series, were inducted into the Library to help Adventures by Disney and HarperCollins Children's Books celebrate an exciting new project called "The Search for Flat Stanley's Next BIG Adventure."

Now budding writers and artists are invited to create their own Flat Stanley story in "The Search for Flat Stanley's Next BIG Adventure." In this nationwide contest, children ages 7 to 12 can win an Adventures by Disney vacation by creating a specially themed Flat Stanley and a 150-word story about his "Next BIG Adventure."

Entries will be judged in three age groups - one for 7 to 8-year-olds, one for 9 to 10-year-olds and one for 11 to 12-year-olds. One winner will be chosen in each age group and each of the three winners can choose one of Adventures by Disney's 19 worldwide vacations for their prize.

Parents, kids and educators can check out www.FlatStanleyBooks.com/AdventuresbyDisney for Official Rules and complete information on the Contest; fun, interactive games; and fascinating informational resources. The Contest runs through November 30, 2009 and no purchase is necessary to enter or win.

Adventures by Disney introduces families to diverse cultures and exciting activities with 19 immersive, authentic, fun and educational trips to destinations throughout the United States and around the world, including South Africa, China, Australia, Europe and the Americas. Every aspect of each trip - from excursions to accommodations to dining - is specifically designed for families traveling together. Immersive activities created just for kids allow young travelers to learn and have fun in places like museums that aren't always as entertaining for the younger set. For example, at the Louvre in Paris, the Junior Adventurers play an Art Detective game throughout the museum with their Adventure Guides, while adults take a privately guided tour with an art historian.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Adventures by Disney Invites Families to Experience the World in 2010

BURBANK, Calif., Aug. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Whether floating down the Colorado River or climbing the Great Wall of China, families participating in Adventures by Disney vacations will connect with the world - and with each other - during a variety of guided group travel experiences spanning six continents in 2010. Created specifically for families, Adventures by Disney itineraries lead guests through the history and culture of each destination while providing unique experiences and exclusive access along the way.

Entering its fifth year, Adventures by Disney designs tours with the family in mind and provides educationally-enriched experiences so even younger travelers understand, appreciate and have fun in their new surroundings. These hassle-free vacations, rooted in the service and quality of family travel leader Disney, provide distinctive opportunities and special touches to make memories that last a lifetime.

"We are able to offer vacation experiences to some of the most fascinating places on earth, literally bringing history to life for our guests," said Don Gross, Vice President, Adventures by Disney. "Each itinerary is carefully planned, creating a vacation that includes the most iconic and must-see sites as well as off-the-beaten path excursions. In fact, guests often tell us the hardest part about the trip is choosing the adventure."

The Disney Difference

From snorkeling with sea turtles in the Galapagos to discovering Europe's classic history, each itinerary is as matchless as its surroundings. Yet one aspect holds true for every trip: the special touches that are collectively called "the Disney difference" . . .

Adventure Guide: Part storyteller, ambassador, concierge and role model, Adventures by Disney's highly-trained Adventure Guides are the friendly hosts and travel specialists who lead guests on every trip. With two guides assigned for every group (of up to 40 people), travelers receive individual attention to ensure a fun and enriching vacation.

Junior Adventurers: Young travelers are transformed into Junior Adventurers - seeing, hearing and tasting things that they might otherwise not have experienced. The immersive activities created just for kids allow young travelers to learn and have fun in places like museums that aren't always as entertaining for the younger set. For example, at the Louvre in Paris, the Junior Adventurers play an Art Detective game throughout the museum with their Adventure Guides, while adults take a privately guided tour with an art historian. In addition, the Adventure Guides are expert storytellers and are trained to create fun and unique, locally-based experiences for the kids. On almost every departure, there is also a Junior Adventurers night, in which the kids have a special evening experience with their Guides, while the adults get a quiet evening on their own at the resort.

Local Experts: An authentic Tuscan chef, a naturalist from Costa Rica, a Chinese tai chi master - these local experts share a passion; they live and breathe the local history and culture of their destination. They are an integral part of every Adventures by Disney vacation. They join guests to share their stories and provide an "insider's" perspective to each destination.

VIP Access: Travelers vacationing with Adventures by Disney receive VIP experiences that are practically impossible to schedule on their own. Special entry to otherwise crowded sites, unique accommodations (like castles in Ireland and Germany, a dude Ranch in Yellowstone and at the base of a live, active volcano in Costa Rica. Guests also get backstage access of celebrated performances like "The Lion King" in London. These are just a few of the exceptional moments woven through each itinerary, promising expedited service and a broader knowledge of each destination.

Adventures by Disney's 2010 destinations include 19 global itineraries:

Asia & Pacific

• Enchanted China - China: Beijing, Chengdu, Guilin, Shanghai and Hong Kong
• Safari to South Africa - South Africa: Cape Town, The Garden Route and Kapama Game Reserve
• Discovery Down Under - Australia: North Queensland, Ayers Rock and Sydney
  

British Isles & Europe

• Cities of Knights and Lights - England and France: London and Paris
• The Emerald Isle - Ireland: Dublin, Killarney and Shannon
• Once Upon a Fairytale - Germany: Heidelberg, Trendelburg, Rothenburg and Munich
• Alpine Magic - Italy and Switzerland: Stresa, Zermatt and Lake Lucerne
• Viva Italia - Italy: Rome, Tuscany and Venice
• Bella Italia - Central Italy: Sorrento and Florence
  

Latin America

• Path to Pura Vida - Costa Rica: San Jose, Arenal and Manuel Antonio National Park
• Treasures of the Galapagos - Ecuador and Galapagos Islands
• Sacred Valleys and Incan Cities - Peru: Lima, Sacred Valley and Cusco
  

North America

• Spirit of America -Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Pa., and Williamsburg, Va.
• Quest for the West - Wyoming: Jackson Hole, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks
• Southwest Splendors - Arizona and Utah: Sedona, Grand Canyon and Moab
• Backstage Magic - Southern California: Hollywood and Disneyland Resort
• Golden Path to Yosemite - Northern California: Lake Tahoe, Yosemite National Park and San Francisco
• Taming the Last Frontier - Alaska: Fairbanks, Denali National Park and Kenai Peninsula
• Rocky Trails and Mountie Tales - Montana and Canada: Glacier National Park and Banff National Park

For more on Adventure by Disney, visit www.luxurytour.com