Adventures by Disney Expands European River Cruise Vacations in 2020

In 2020, Adventures by Disney will embark on more European river cruises than ever before, including a brand-new vacation through southern France on the Rhone River! Plus, three new Short Escape itineraries in Paris, Amsterdam and Budapest, Hungary, which can be added to river cruise vacations or booked at standalone trips.

The expanded season of river cruises includes a record-breaking 27 departures along the Danube, Rhine, Seine and Rhone rivers. Sailing with AmaWaterways, a premier luxury river cruise line, these all-inclusive vacations allow families to explore the heart of Europe in a way that’s active, immersive and hassle free. 

What’s more, ABD is doubling the number of adult-exclusive departures in 2020, giving our adult guests even more opportunities to experience the sophistication, variety and adventure of a river cruise in a fun, comfortable setting with Adventures by Disney.

Bookings for 2020 river cruise vacations open to the public on January 31, 2019.

Here is a closer look at our newest itineraries ...

New Rhone River Sailings Through Southern France

During the new eight-day, seven-night Rhone River itinerary onboard AmaCello, you will sail through southern France, including the renowned region of Provence, for the first time. To bring the rich history, charming culture, distinguished art and distinctive cuisine of this diverse region to life, we’ve curated engaging, authentic experiences in every port-of-call. Here are the highlights:

• Active sightseeing adventures include exploring enchanting towns and villages by bike; kayaking beneath the famous 2,000-year-old Roman aqueduct, Pont du Gard; and taking in the magnificent scenery of the Gorges du Doux by steam train and rail bike.
• Interactive culinary experiences celebrate the region’s local flavors and world-famous cuisine. The menu of activities includes a private truffle-hunting experience and tasting; cheese and jam making at a goat farm; and an immersive tasting experience at a family-owned olive oil farm near Les Baux-de-Provence. You will also enjoy curated tastings featuring Rhone Valley wines, chocolate and more.
• Engaging art-focused excursions draw Adventurers into a world of color and imagination. Among the highlights are a walking tour of Roussillon’s colorful Ochre Trail followed by a painting class; a demonstration in the art of silk-weaving in Lyon; and a visit to the Carrieres de Lumieres, a former limestone quarry where famous impressionistic paintings come to life.
• Immersive historical tours are bolstered by signature Disney storytelling as guests step into the stories of the Palais des Papes, a breathtaking palace that was once the seat of papal power; the Roman ruins of Lyon and Nimes; the historic hilltop villages of Gordes and Les Baux-de-Provence; and the 12th-century Abbaye de Senanque, where tales of medieval Cistercian monks unfold.

New Short Escape Itineraries in Paris, Amsterdam and Budapest

Beginning in 2020, you can enhance their European river cruise vacations with three-day, two-night stays in Paris, Amsterdam and Budapest. These guided group itineraries are designed to maximize vacation time, highlighting each city’s most well-known attractions while also uncovering unexpected hidden gems.

The Paris Short Escape can be added to Seine and Rhone sailings to round-out vacations in northern or southern France. In Paris, not only will guests come face-to-face with one of the world’s most iconic landmarks, the Eiffel Tower, but they’ll also enjoy spectacular views of the “City of Lights” from their seats at dinner on the structure’s first floor. Other activities include a private walking culinary tour and a bucket-list visit to the Louvre Museum, which features a local expert guide and a special art detective activity for Junior Adventurers.

The Amsterdam Short Escape can be added as a post-cruise stay following Rhine River sailings to complete the cruise’s four-country journey. This itinerary is comprised of a number of hands-on activities, like a painting workshop following a visit to the Van Gogh Museum and a tile glazing activity at an earthenware factory. Adventurers will also visit quintessential Dutch windmills in Kinderdijk, embark on a canal cruise and taste their way through the trendy Jordaan neighborhood.

The Budapest Short Escape can be added to Danube River sailings as the perfect land complement to the Central European tour by water. The itinerary combines enriching cultural excursions — your Clients will indulge in homestyle Hungarian cuisine at a historic bistro, ride in a tuk-tuk (motorized rickshaw) and revel in a performance at the Budapest Opera House — with visits to the city’s must-see locales, such as Buda Castle, Fisherman’s Bastion and Matthias Church.

Contact me Lauren Gonding - A Disney Vacation Planner, today to book your Disney vacation! As a Disney Vacation Planner, I'll help you plan the perfect vacation at no extra charge to you! When you book your Adventures by Disney vacation with me - you'll get a free Disney Gift card for booking your Adventure with me that you can apply to the reservation if you wish thus lowering the price of your quoted Adventure! Contact me by:

1. Emailing me at lauren@magicaltravel.com;
2. Messaging me on Facebook; or
3. Call me at 800-883-1535 x 46

2019 Epcot International Festival of the Arts Open Now

Look for art here, there and everywhere at the 2019 Epcot® International Festival of the Arts as it returns for a third year of creative family fun, now through Feb. 25, 2019.

This year for the first time, the popular Disney on Broadway Concert Series is presented daily during the festival, with performances at 5:30, 6:45 and 8 p.m. at the America Gardens Theatre stage. That’s 117 shows, featuring pairs of Broadway stars who’ll sing favorite songs from award-winning Disney on Broadway productions like “The Lion King,” “Mary Poppins” and “Frozen.” The lineup rotates weekly:

• Kerry Butler (“Beauty and the Beast”) and Kevin Massey (“Tarzan”)
• Meredith Inglesby (“The Little Mermaid”) and Steve Blanchard (“Beauty and the Beast”) NEW
• Arielle Jacobs and Adam Jacobs (“Aladdin”) NEW
• Heidi Blickenstaff (“Freaky Friday”) and Gavin Lee (“Mary Poppins”) NEW
• Ashley Brown (“Mary Poppins”) and Josh Strickland (“Tarzan”)
• Kissy Simmons and Alton Fitzgerald White (“The Lion King”)

Guarantee seats for your party by booking a Disney on Broadway Concert Series Dining Package for breakfast, lunch or dinner at a participating Epcot restaurant!

Plus, you can taste, and taste some more, around the World Showcase Promenade where 13 Food Studios feature bites and sips of culinary magic that take food art to a whole new level. Guests can enjoy smoked salmon and cream gateau with egg yolk cream, micro herbs and – wait for it – paddlefish caviar at The Painter’s Palate. Or devour delectable diversions at Decadent Delights: the lemon and blood orange tart and the white chocolate and purple sweet potato mousse with caramel, coconut and maple meringue. 

Also during the festival, you can step inside an Artful Photo Op iconic painting. Make your artistic mark by picking up a paintbrush and add to the paint-by-number mural along World Showcase Plaza. Guests can also experience the astonishing talent of performing artists who showcase gravity-defying feats, acrobatics and other skills. Join Figment’s Brush with the Masters Scavenger Hunt; maps can be purchased at select merchandise locations. Visit tastefully curated gallery exhibitions, and meet over 100 artists who will be appearing throughout the Festival in over 30 locations around Epcot. And take in a high-energy performance by watching visual artists paint favorite Disney characters live onstage.

Join a complimentary seminar led by a true pro with specialties ranging from photography and cosmetology to watermelon carving and even the art of Disney topiary. Or, for a small fee, sign up for an interactive workshop with one of many artists booked Fridays through Mondays for a creative hands-on experience and walk away with your own memento.

Now, more than ever is the time for you to visit the 2019 Epcot International Festival of the Arts. 

For Disney Vacation pricing, contact me! As a Disney Vacation Planner, I'll help you plan the perfect vacation at no extra charge to you! Just a few of the few things I'll do for FREE!

• Help to find you the perfect Walt Disney World hotel; 
• I'll make your Advance Dining Reservations (no early mornings for you!); 
• I'll make your Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Reservations;
• I'll make your FastPass+ selections (once gain no early mornings for you!); 
• Book any tours or unique experiences; 
• Send you tips and tricks to get the most out of your vacation investment; AND 
• Get a FREE DISNEY GIFT CARD for qualifying vacations and more!

To book your Disney vacation with me, Lauren Gonding a professional Disney Vacation Planner, contact me by: email me at lauren@magicaltravel.com; answer a few quick questions to request a quote; message me on Facebook; or call me at 800-883-1535 x 46!

Disney’s Riviera Resort Now Accepting Reservations

Disney’s Riviera Resort is now accepting room-only and package reservations for stays beginning in December 2019. This all-new accommodation coming to Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida, will immerse you in the grandeur and enchantment of the European Riviera. 

The deluxe resort is slated to offer approximately 300 family-friendly vacation homes, including deluxe studios, one- and two-bedroom villas, and grand villas that sleep up to 12 guests each. Adding to these unique accommodations will be an all-new room category — Tower studios, which sleep two guests each. Each charming, bright tower studio will include a private balcony with scenic views and seating for two, offering a more intimate, modern setting. The deluxe studios, which sleep five, will also feature kitchenettes. One-bedroom, two-bedroom and grand villas will feature large, fully equipped kitchens with dining space open to a living area. Villas will also feature an en-suite luxury bathroom, including a freestanding soaking tub and walk-in shower, a private porch or balcony and a laundry area with a washer and dryer.

Throughout the resort and inside the studios and villas, a unique art collection will celebrate beloved Disney characters and icons with one-of-a-kind pieces influenced by the works of master artists who also found inspiration along the European Riviera.

Topolino is the Italian name for Mickey Mouse, and the new, signature table-service restaurant perched on the rooftop of Disney’s Riviera Resort will be aptly called Topolino’s Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera. The restaurant, featuring authentic dishes infused with French and Italian flavors, will offer picturesque vistas of the nighttime spectaculars of nearby Epcot® or Disney’s Hollywood Studios®. Plus, families looking to start their morning off with a breakfast experience can visit Topolino’s Terrace for exclusive Disney character dining inspired by the Riviera! 

Other dining options at the resort include Le Petit Café, an inviting lobby locale with fresh-brewed coffee aromas by day and a bustling wine bar by night. The new quick-service location, Primo Piatto, reminiscent of chic dining venues found along Riviera promenades, will be conveniently located near the feature pool, and Bar Riva, an open-air pool bar with a seaside vibe featuring crisp white tiles and cool blue accents, will offer a place to relax to enjoy a cold beverage and poolside views.  

Those staying at Disney’s Riviera Resort will also have a new way to travel to Epcot or on to Disney’s Hollywood Studios via Disney Skyliner, a state-of-the-art gondola system that will begin operating this fall. In addition to a dedicated Disney Skyliner station at Disney’s Riviera Resort, the system will conveniently connect Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot to Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort and Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort.

For Disney Vacation pricing, contact me! As a Disney Vacation Planner, I'll help you plan the perfect vacation at no extra charge to you! Just a few of the few things I'll do for FREE!

• Help to find you the perfect Walt Disney World hotel; 
• I'll make your Advance Dining Reservations (no early mornings for you!); 
• I'll make your Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Reservations;
• I'll make your FastPass+ selections (once gain no early mornings for you!); 
• Book any tours or unique experiences; 
• Send you tips and tricks to get the most out of your vacation investment; AND 
• Get a FREE DISNEY GIFT CARD for qualifying vacations and more!

To book your Disney vacation with me, Lauren Gonding a professional Disney Vacation Planner, contact me by: email me at lauren@magicaltravel.com; answer a few quick questions to request a quote; message me on Facebook; or call me at 800-883-1535 x 46!