NEW Disney Cruise Line AND Adventure by Disney Vacations for 2015 Announced!

It has been a big week already for those planning major vacations in 2015. Disney Cruise Line has announced the rest of their 2015 calendar and Adventures by Disney unveiled 3 new vacations!

Castle Dreams Travel owners, Dawn and Tricia, were in attendance yesterday at the Adventures by Disney® Showcase and Private Reception in New York City.

Karl Holtz (President, New Vacation Operations and Disney Cruise Line) announced that in the fall of 2015, Disney Cruise Line is returning to popular destinations and home ports, including Hawai’i, West Coast and Galveston, Texas, for limited-time engagements. In HUGE demand will be the 2 10 night Hawaiian cruises which will celebrate the “spirit of hospitality”.

Ken Potrock (Senior Vice President, Adventures by Disney) went on to introduce Adventures by Disney, “an overnight sensation 8 years in the making”. He explained how an Adventures by Disney vacation emphasizes on connectivity with their guests- exploring the world together. They are also focusing on trends-like bucket list destinations- as he introduced the brand new, 11 night Amazon and Galapagos Islands vacation! This vacation features a 4 night cruise on the 20 stateroom Anakonda river boat. He also said they are also aware that most traveler’s time is precious and they don’t have a week or two to vacation each year. Beginning in 2015, Adventure by Disney will have 2 “long weekend” vacations of 3 nights in New York City and San Francisco!

Dawn and Tricia were then led on an adventure (by Disney Adventure guide, Zoe) where they could sample food from all of available adventures plus gifts and crafts available during those adventures as well. Adventures by Disney Director of Trip Development, Heather Killingbeck, went into detail about the 3 new vacations.

Traveling on the Amazon and to the Galapagos Islands are on countless traveler’s bucket lists and the new Adventures by Disney vacation certainly goes above and beyond what most can only dream about. Rainforests, canoe expeditions, the Limococha National Biological Reserve, swimming and snorkeling with blue-footed boobies, sea turtles, and more!

The 3 night San Francisco vacation is a perfect getaway the begins with a trolley ride (what else?) to the Fisherman’s Wharf. The next day you are whisked away to Napa Valley and the Silverado Vineyards (owned by members of the Disney family) where adults take part in a wine blending activity and the kids infuse olive oil! On this trip you are also treated to a visit to, the closed to the public, Lucasflims! This is working studio that the tour visits on a Saturday where you get to see George Lucas’ private collection of memorabilia.

New York’s 3 night adventure includes behind the scenes access to Good Morning America at 8am- just as the program goes live all around the country, so set your DVRs to tape YOUR episode! You are also treated to a dance workshop, a private tour of the New Amsterdam Theatre, and a visit to the Disney on Broadway prop room (and yes, you can play with the props AND try on their costumes!) in preparation for your special evening at the brand new Disney Broadway show, Aladdin! There is also a visit to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Apollo Theater, Central Park, and Radio City Music Hall.

The Adventures by Disney® Showcase was a very small group- only 6 agents per group, so the ability to talk to the executives and adventure guides about each new trip was invaluable!

After their exciting afternoon, Tricia and Dawn headed over to the New Amsterdam Theatre for the Adventures by Disney® Private Reception!

They were escorted to a private area where we were met by the executives again with a full, open bar, fruit and cheese table, and passed hors d’oeuvres. After a toast by Adventures by Disney’s Senior Vice President, Ken Potrock, Tricia and Dawn were able to sit down and chat with Adventures by Disney Director of Trip Development, Heather Killingbeck. She is a wonderful conversationalist and let us know how and why the adventures were chosen.

They also were able to talk with Karl Holtz (President, New Vacation Operations and Disney Cruise Line) and on behalf of their east Coast clients, expressed their disappointment that Disney Cruse Line hasn’t returned to NYC. He let us know that there is nothing more than Disney Cruise Line wants to do than return to NYC, but with the politics of the port slips- it isn’t as easy as most would assume. Most of the current port slip contracts expire the end of 2016, so our fingers are crossed for 2017 (including Karl Holtz’s fingers!).

Tricia and Dawn also got to chat with Ken Potrock ,who Tricia and Dawn thanks for their new New York City adventure. He then said there is a 3rd 3 night adventure in the works, that hopefully we will know more about soon!