An introvert’s guide to Adventures By Disney 

Travel to new places with knowledgeable guides. Stay in first-class accommodations. Take part in local sports and try your hand at regional cooking. All pre-arranged for you.   

It sounds like a traveler’s dream, doesn’t it? 

On the other hand: Travel with 30 or more people you don’t know. Stick to a schedule someone else sets for you. Make small-talk over meals with strangers. 

If you’re an introvert, this may sound like the opposite of a dream. 

Fortunately and unfortunately, this is what you get with Adventures By Disney. So what’s an introvert to do? 

I never identified as an introvert until I heard it defined this way: Extroverts get their energy from being around other people; introverts are sapped of their energy when they are around other people (especially crowds) and are recharged during their alone time. Most people, I suspect, fall somewhere in between. 

I’m not shy, and I’m pretty happy to socialize in groups, although I do have wallflower moments. But I find it draining to be “on” for an extended period of time with other people, whether I know them well or not. I need quiet time to relax and recharge. 

I share this just so you know where I’m coming from and can judge from my experience. I also haven’t traveled with other tour operators, but I would guess these tips would hold true for any organized tour. 

What to expect 

When you travel with ABD, your schedule is packed with great activities. If I could describe a typical day, it would go something like this: 

Breakfast is on your own. Your hotel will likely have a nice buffet spread, but you may also be able to order breakfast delivered to your room (you will only have to pay the delivery charge).  

After breakfast, you’ll be whisked off to your next stop, whether it is a local destination or the first leg of a journey to your next hotel. Lunchtime can go one of two ways — you’ll either be on your own or the group will eat together. 

On our tours, when the group ate together, we would still split up into smaller groups of anywhere from two to eight people, so it is possible to stay to yourself a bit mid-day. 

After lunch, you’ll be off to your next destination. Dinners are similar to lunch, although there are typically two or three banquet-style group dinners during a week-long trip. Most days, the group activities end after dinner. 

On our recent Ireland trip, we had six full days of touring (not including arrival and departure days). On three of those days, we had “on your own” time that included either lunch or dinner. This was plenty for me, although I wished I had skipped one of the banquet-style dinners (they can tend to run quite long). 

Sometimes, traveling with a tour group can actually help you avoid the crushing crowds that can be so exhausting for introverts. On our trip to Scotland with ABD, our group had a private showing of the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny at Edinburgh Castle, allowing us to skip an hour-long line. 

Before you book 

ABD posts detailed itineraries of their trips online, so you know what you’re in for when you sign up. (Don’t worry, they still maintain some mystery!). 

This is a great tool for people who are uncertain whether they want to join a group tour. I like to turn the itinerary into a spreadsheet so I can see where the “on your own” time is —and whether it seems like enough for me. 

While you can get a ton of information online, you can also call an ABD “vacationista,” who can answer many of your questions, at (800) 543-0865.

Start small

Rather than jumping in with an 8- or 12-day trip right off the bat, think about trying one of ABD’s “long weekend” trips. I recommend the Disneyland Resort and Southern California Short Escape, a 4-day/3-night trip that focuses on all things Disney. 

This was the first ABD we went on, and it has changed a lot since then, but it was a great introduction to the ABD way. 

ABD also offers long weekends in New York and San Francisco, among others, but the Southern California trip guarantees that you and your fellow adventurers will have at least one thing in common — a love of Disney. It makes getting to know your fellow adventurers really easy. 

It’s also a relatively small commitment of both money and time. The cost is less than $2,400 for an adult, depending on the time of year (less than half the cost of an 8-day trip). It sounds like a lot, but you’re essentially getting a three-day VIP Disneyland tour and a room in the Grand Californian, which you’d also pay dearly for if you were on your own.

Travel with friends 

If bonding with 30 or more strangers is intimidating, consider sharing the burden — and the fun — with friends. If you can line up another couple or family to take the same adventure, it can take the pressure off. Plus: your friends will understand when you want to break off from the group to recharge. 

Do things your way

The activities on ABD trips aren’t compulsory. Most of the time, if you want to peel off and be by yourself, it’s totally fine. The only time this won’t work is on a travel day, when you’re relocating to a new city and a new hotel.

In addition to being introverted, I also suffer from FOMO, so I didn’t bail on the one or two dinners I wanted to. In retrospect, I probably should have listened to myself more.

If you want to do something special on your own, that’s ok too. Your guides will even help you set it up. On our Scotland tour, one of our fellow travelers wanted to play golf on the Isle of Skye. Our guides had a car meet him where we were hiking, and return him to meet up with us later. 

The bottom line

Adventures By Disney is a great way to see the world, even if the idea of traveling with a group is a little intimidating. You just have to remember: It’s your vacation. You’re there to have an unforgettable trip, so you do you.