Adventures by Disney - Gateway Collection

Adventures by Disney decided to add a new series of adventures to their offerings called “Gateway” trips. These trips are less expensive than the ‘full service’ counterparts. For example, you stay in less expensive hotels, the trips include fewer meals and you don’t experience all the excursions as on the ‘full price’ trip.

For example, Adventures by Disney offers 3 tours to Italy that are almost identical, the Gateway to Italy, Viva Italia, and the Italy Signature tour. The Gateway trip is 1 day less than the others, offers 4 fewer meals (1 breakfast, 2 lunches and 1 dinner) and 3 fewer excursions. The Gateway to Italy trip also DOES NOT include transfers back to the airport. The price of this trip is $800 less per person than the Viva Italia trip and $1500 less per person than the “Signature” trip. You’re also staying in less expensive hotels. Are these worth it? That’s a personal decision – I’ve put together some comparisons of the hotels on the Gateway Trips for reference:

Gateway to Italy – cost $2999 per adult / $2699 per child

What’s different – 1 day less than the Viva Italia and Signature trips (8 days / 7 nights as opposed to 9 days / 8 nights).

Hotels: The Gateway to Italy includes the following hotels:

• Empire Palace Hotel (90% recommendation on Trip Advisor) $136
• Grand Hotel Baglioni in Florence (81% recommendation on TripAdvisor) - $151
• Hotel Papadopoli Venice (86% recommendation on Trip Advisor) - $195

Now, compare that to the hotels on the Viva Italia trip

• Bernini Bristol – 76% recommendation on TripAdvisor - $261
• Paggeria Medicea: Artimino – 88% recommendation on TripAdvisor
• Hotel Dei Dogi – 75% recommendation on TripAdvisor
  or Hilton Molino Stucky – 85% recommendation on TripAdvisor
  

In general, the hotels on the Gateway trip rate as well or as better than the hotels on the Viva Italia trip, so unless you’re REALLY picky about staying in a swanky hotel – this could be a good option.

As far as tours are concerned, on the Gateway to Italy trip you don’t experience the lunch in Vatican Square, the Wine Tasting, Tuscan BBQ, or the Secret Passages tour at Palazzo Vecchio. Also, this tour DOES NOT include transfers back to the airport in Venice, although I’m sure your Adventure guides will give you information and direction on how to make those arrangements.

One other thing to consider is that the Gateway tours have a maximum capacity of 50 guests, as opposed to 40 on the other adventures.

The price difference is approximately $800 per person when compared to the least expensive ‘Viva Italia’ vacation. Especially if you’re a family of 4, that’s a significant amount of money and might make all the difference between going and not going.

Gateway to London vs Classic Vacation

Gateway to London:

• Park Plaza Westminster Bridge – 83% recommended - $254
• Marriott Rive Gauche – 84% recommended - $200

Classic Vacation:

• Renaissance Chancery Court London – 93% recommended $217
• Hilton Arc de Triomphe – 89% recommended $291 p/night

Same number of nights

Same number of meals

No Transfer back to airport

No tickets for Lion King
No privately guided tour of Versailles
No Versailles Biking and Lunch

Difference in price $850 adults / $770 children