Adventures By Disney recently announced an expansion of their current tour services to include a slew of new tour routes that will debut in 2008.

If you aren’t familiar, Adventures By Disney guides guests on vacations outside the theme parks – and in some cases, outside the country. It’s basically Disney’s version of a domestic or international tour company, like Globus or Trafalgar. The organized tours are all-inclusive (minus airfare) and the tour guides, which are trained to provide Disney’s great guest service, guide families through historic monuments and interactive cultural experiences.

I have to admit I’m very surprised by how fast this segment of The Walt Disney Company has grown. I figured it would take awhile for Disney to figure out these new countries, form strong partnerships with hotels, restaurants, landmarks and other tourist attractions. Boy, was I wrong.

While I haven’t had the chance to take one of these trips yet, I think I’ll wait until I have kids to indulge in one. They can be relatively pricey and I think I’d enjoy the family activities a lot more if I had children and didn’t feel like an outsider.

New 2008 trips:
• Backstage Magic – California: Hollywood and the Disneyland Resort
• Coasting the Golden State – California: San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles
• Discovery Down Under – Australia: N. Queensland, Great Barrier Reef, Ayers Rock, Sydney
• Enchanted China: Beijing, Chengdu, Guilin, Shanghai, Hong Kong
• Flavors of France: Aix-en-Provence, Luberon Valley, Gordes, Rousillion, Paris
• Grande España Spain: Madrid, Seville, Barcelona
• Once Upon a Fairytale – Germany: Heidelberg, Trendelburg, Rothenburg, Munich
• Sacred Valleys and Incan Cities – Peru: Lima, Machu Picchu, Cusco

Returning trips:
• Southwest Splendors: Sedona, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Moab, Arches
• Spirit of America: Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Williamsburg
• Quest for the West: Jackson Hole, Grand Teton & Yellowstone National Parks
• Path to Pura Vida: San Jose, Arenal, Manuel Antonio National Park
• The Emerald Isle: Dublin, Killarney, Shannon
• Cities of Knights & Lights: London, Paris
• Roma and La Costa Bella: Rome, Pompeii, Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, Capri
• Taste of Tuscany: Rome, Orvieto, Siena, San Gimignano, Florence
• Viva Italia: Rome, Florence, Venice
• Imperial Cities: Vienna, Salzburg, Prague

For more information on any of these trips, visit their website.

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