Some great things coming to ABD...

[sayhello]

Originally Posted by carpenta

We also wished to book another ABD (Southwest Splendors) but they will not release the dates and we have to plan our vacations so far in advance that we booked a Tauck Bridges tour for next year. I do wish that ABD would compete on time line like other family tour groups.

I think you should write them and tell them just that!!

Sayhello

[DisneyKevin]

Originally Posted by carpenta

We also wished to book another ABD (Southwest Splendors) but they will not release the dates and we have to plan our vacations so far in advance that we booked a Tauck Bridges tour for next year. I do wish that ABD would compete on time line like other family tour groups.

Originally Posted by sayhello

I think you should write them and tell them just that!!

Sayhello

This was part of our discussion during our meeting and this thread and post have already been brought to their attention.

It's too bad that business is sent to a competitor for this reason.

[kristilew]

Originally Posted by DisneyKevin

This was part of our discussion during our meeting and this thread and post have already been brought to their attention.

It's too bad that business is sent to a competitor for this reason.

It does seem like this is some low-hanging fruit for improvement. My inbox has been flooded with offers over the past few weeks from every tour company except ABD. Tauck, Tauck Bridges, Tompson Family, Classic Journeys, Linbald, and Globus......Most are revealing 2012 dates and offering good discounts if I go ahead and book. The rest are letting me know what's still available for this year, and offering me even bigger discounts on those trips. But from ABD....silence.

Maybe they have had so much response this year that they don't have any openings left and aren't worried about next year either?

[henwen]

Sigh, we always have to plan about a year in advance (which is why DVC works pretty well for us). It'd be great if ABD could release information earlier!

[ImprovGal]

Originally Posted by kristilew

It does seem like this is some low-hanging fruit for improvement. My inbox has been flooded with offers over the past few weeks from every tour company except ABD. Tauck, Tauck Bridges, Tompson Family, Classic Journeys, Linbald, and Globus......Most are revealing 2012 dates and offering good discounts if I go ahead and book. The rest are letting me know what's still available for this year, and offering me even bigger discounts on those trips. But from ABD....silence.

Maybe they have had so much response this year that they don't have any openings left and aren't worried about next year either?

I'm not defending ABD for taking their good ol' sweet time, but other than Costa Rica, Tauck hasn't put up any 2012 Culturious tours yet either. Those look like comparable swaps for several of the ABD adults-only trips.

[Bobo912]

Tauck Bridges only has a handful of 2012 dates up on their website. Maybe they can tell you more if you call them. I asked a few weeks ago when they would have their 2012 dates and prices out and was told September.

[carpenta]

Originally Posted by sayhello

I think you should write them and tell them just that!!

Sayhello

Yes I should but I would think that to compete for patrons that a director somewhere in the company should think that the earlier you advertize your product you get "the jump" on the competition. Most of us have two parents working and to co-ordinate vacations is a chore and again has to be planned far, far in advance. .......Go Buckeyes Sayhello.....well maybe next year may be tough...

[carpenta]

Originally Posted by Bobo912

Tauck Bridges only has a handful of 2012 dates up on their website. Maybe they can tell you more if you call them. I asked a few weeks ago when they would have their 2012 dates and prices out and was told September.

I just called and they sold me a spot on a 2012 Bridges tour last month. Deposit paid and tour schedualed.

[pipch]

Originally Posted by kristilew

It does seem like this is some low-hanging fruit for improvement. My inbox has been flooded with offers over the past few weeks from every tour company except ABD. Tauck, Tauck Bridges, Tompson Family, Classic Journeys, Linbald, and Globus......Most are revealing 2012 dates and offering good discounts if I go ahead and book. The rest are letting me know what's still available for this year, and offering me even bigger discounts on those trips. But from ABD....silence.

Maybe they have had so much response this year that they don't have any openings left and aren't worried about next year either?

kristilew
Sorry to be cheeky on a disney board but I have been waiting for a Tauck bridges offer and have received nothing as yet?? What are they offering for 2012.

[Bobo912]

Originally Posted by carpenta

I just called and they sold me a spot on a 2012 Bridges tour last month. Deposit paid and tour schedualed.

Yes, I think that is one difference between Tauck and ABD. ABD puts out all their itineraries for the next year at the same time, but Tauck seems to release what they have as they are finalized. So if they are still negotiating contracts for some trips, they will still book others. Last year I believe they had rates and dates for all the existing trips before they released the new Alps and New York trips. I've spoken to Thomson and they will book you before the price has been determined and then if you're not happy with the price they let you off the hook.

[Bobo912]

Originally Posted by pipch

kristilew
Sorry to be cheeky on a disney board but I have been waiting for a Tauck bridges offer and have received nothing as yet?? What are they offering for 2012.

pipch, I've gotten emails and brochures in the mail from Tauck almost every day (literally) since my trip with them in 2010. For a company that claims to be environmentally conscious they sure use a lot of paper. As far as offers go, the only one I've gotten is the free pre or post 2 night hotel stay for return guests. Sometimes they offer reduced airfare on a few trips (I've seen Europe and Anarctica) but I haven't gotten one of those in awhile and they come later in the booking season.

[kristilew]

Originally Posted by pipch

kristilew
Sorry to be cheeky on a disney board but I have been waiting for a Tauck bridges offer and have received nothing as yet?? What are they offering for 2012.

Not cheeky - we all want to know! I went back and looked at the emails I've gotten. (It's hard to find all of them, because some of these companys have a person's name as the sender, not the company name...)

Anyway, I haven't gotten any recently from Bridges, now that I look. It's regular Tauck, the most recent was last week, and it was touting the 2012 Exotics line. I haven't gone to their website to check dates yet.

I also haven't received any discount offers from Tauck. The main discounts seem to be from Thompson. I haven't followed up with any because we are still having to wait for some work dust to settle. Normally we have to book 12-16 months out, but this year we have had to wait and wait. It's been killing me to see offers expire on trips I'd love to do!

Hoping there will still be some Christmas ABD spots left open in the next few weeks, when we finally know our future (at least for the next few years!) Or maybe by then, Kevin's news will be public, and we'll want to wait for 2012 and wonderful new stuff

[kristilew]

Just to add one more thing....

Got an email from Thomson yesterday, suggesting that it's not too late for an August trip. It included the following:

Summer can go by so fast! Before you know it, everyone is packing backpacks and dissapearing into schedules of their own.


Why not take these last few weeks of summer and take a family adventure? Make it a summer no one will forget!


Who's on board so far?


Costa Rica Teen Adventure

August 6th - 14 year old boy

August 20th - 15 year old boy



Costa Rica Volcanoes & Beaches

August 13th - 7 & 9 year old girls



Tanzania Family Safari

August 20th - 12 & 15 year old boys

- 14 year old girl


I thought it was really interesting to share kid ages that are already booked. Talk about targeted marketing!

[Bobo912]

On the ABD website for the Costa Rica trip these Four dates are listed under Dates & Rates:

Mar 17, 2012 - Mar 23, 2012 Now Accepting Waitlist - Call for Details N/A N/A
Mar 31, 2012 - Apr 06, 2012 Now Accepting Waitlist - Call for Details N/A N/A
Apr 07, 2012 - Apr 13, 2012 Now Accepting Waitlist - Call for Details N/A N/A
Apr 14, 2012 - Apr 20, 2012 Call for Details - Adult Exclusive N/A N/A

The N/A is where the price normally is. Have those always been there or is that new? I don't remember any non-adult only trips in March and April, but I might have missed these since I've already done a Costa Rica ABD, so I don't usually look at it. I would really like to see more trips offered in the spring/fall break time frame.

[pipch]

Thanks both for the help.
We are looking at the tauck - tanzania family safari.
Don't think disney will cover that in 2012?? but guess we might wait and see its only another few weeks?