"too few guests" on ABD cancellation policy

[Carol]

While reading the ABD cancellation policy, they give as one of the reasons to cancel our trip as "too few guests". Does anyone know just how many is "too few"? I think I read that 40 is the maximum on a tour. What would be the least amount of guests required for a tour?

 

[krdisneybound]

not sure what "too few" they consider.

On one of the Germany tours, they stopped taking reservations at filling up 15 rooms. This was a total of approx. 34 people. I inquired and was told by one of the guides that they were only allowed 15 rooms.

I am quite sure that each adventure would require a separate set of circumstances.

To hire the coach drivers, DVC personnel to pick up at the airports at different times and other local guides involved and reserving rooms for guests (and rooms for the guides) and meals, they would have to make that money and some on top of that.

all that plus more was reason for higher prices for 2009.

We'll probably never know unless we become guides ourselves.................

 

[sayhello]

While reading the ABD cancellation policy, they give as one of the reasons to cancel our trip as "too few guests". Does anyone know just how many is "too few"? I think I read that 40 is the maximum on a tour. What would be the least amount of guests required for a tour?

That's a good question, but I would have to think the answer is "it depends on the trip", as we only had 14 on our Southwest Splendors tour in May, and they still ran the tour (thank goodness!!)

Sayhello

 

[Christyvoltron]

How far in advance do they notify you that the trip has been cancelled? For example, I would hate to get a call the week before your trip saying oops sorry not going to run this one after you've made all kinds of arrangements for time off and someone to housesit, etc.

 

[SailingBeagle]

I was on 6-2 Backstage Magic and were 55% booked and the trip went off.

At the last minute a family had to cancel and we had 21 total on the tour.

If you call ABD and ask how many and rough age groups they will give you the info. They give it to you in % not numbers.

They have cancelled 2 weeks prior to on the early Backstage magic adventures.

Hope this help

 

[Carol]

I'm really surprised that a tour would continue with just 14 people. That must have been wonderful!

I'm also wondering how much notice they give you should they have to cancel. We're making pre trip arrangments on our own and it sure would mess them up.

 

[sayhello]

I'm really surprised that a tour would continue with just 14 people. That must have been wonderful!

I'm also wondering how much notice they give you should they have to cancel. We're making pre trip arrangments on our own and it sure would mess them up.

14 people was *very* nice. You got to know everyone, and bathroom breaks weren't nearly as bad!

From the ABD FAQ:

6) What if Adventures by Disney Cancels my Adventure prior to departure?

Adventures by Disney reserves the right to cancel a trip at any time prior to its commencement for any reason, such as if there are too few Guests, or if the quality of the trip or the safety of the Guests would, in our opinion, be compromised, such as may result from unforeseen circumstances (acts of God) or other circumstances beyond our reasonable control. If we cancel your trip prior to its commencement because there are too few Guests: (i) we will attempt to re-book you on another departure of the same itinerary, subject to availability, and we will bear any reasonable airline re-booking charges; however, if we are unable to rebook you, we will issue a full refund of your land package price and Vacation Protection Plan (unless you have filed a claim); and (ii) if you booked airfare through us, we will issue a full refund of your airfare; and (iii) if you did not book airfare through us, we will reimburse you for your reasonable out-of-pocket (subject to proof) airline cancellation charges or, in the case of bookings using frequent flier miles, a reasonable cancellation service fee, provided you have exercised best efforts to mitigate such charges/fees; and (iv) the aforesaid payments and/or rebooking by us shall constitute a full settlement.

It won't cover the housesitter arrangements, or getting your vacation time changed at work, but it does look like they're willing to help you out on the financial end, even if you didn't make the air arrangements with them.

So it looks like, technically, they can cancel any time up to departure, with no set definition of "too few guests".

Sayhello

 

[carolinatennisgirl]

This actually happened to us this Spring. Last December I booked the July 15, 2008 Taste of Tuscany adventure. Over the next few months I intermittently checked back, primarily to find out if more children had signed up for the trip, and each time was not given any total number information. Finally, when I called 90 days prior to make my final payment, after I had given the reservationist the credit card information I asked, "now are you sure this trip is definitely going?". She said oh sure, but she'd just check. She came back and said "well I just checked and this trip has been cancelled, not enough people signed up". Thank goodness I asked! I'm sure they would have called me at some point, but who knows when. To make a long story short, because we had booked all of our travel using mileage awards, it was a mess. I will say the Disney folks tried to help us find an alternate Disney adventure trip and ultimately paid our airline change fee for changing our flights. The only flights available by this time (3 months out) were multiple connections over a 24 hour period and we had to stay 4 days longer than we had planned, because we could not find ANY flights back using mileage until later dates (my husband was not happy missing all that time from work), but at least we were able to make another trip. I don't know how often this happens with Disney, I imagine, not often. It is interesting to note that for 2009 the Taste of Tuscany trip is not offered, it makes me think that the adventure was not so popular. For 2009 itineraries, it looks like they have combined aspects of that trip with the Amalfi Coast and Rome. My advice is to be prepared for the unlikely chance that your trip can (and might) be cancelled. For about a week, while I scambled calling back and forth to Disney and the airlines trying to find alternate dates that would work, it was very stressful. We ended up with a wonderful vacation, but I'd rather not have that concern again.

 

[Disneynut64]

we just returned from costa rica and had 17 people and were told by the guide if we had one less we would have been cancelled cindy

 

[Lizardbeth61]

We were supposed to do Roma and La Costa Bella in April, but it was cancelled because of lack of interest in our particular date. I have no idea how few there were. We're now going at the end of the month.

When they called us to cancel, I believe it was aobut 8 weeks before our trip. We had booked our flights and had to return some frequent flyer miles that we'd had transferred into another account and ABD refunded the amount that experience cost us. We wouldn't have had to transfer the miles if we had more time to accrue them. Long story, but the short of it is that ABD took care of that and allowed us to choose any other date or European Adventure we wanted I believe for the same price. However, we stuck with the original tour on a different date.

 

[PatriciaH]

We had 18 on our Knights and Lights tour last week and one guide said his smallest group was 12!

 

[Christyvoltron]

We got our welcome kit with bag and stuff and when I called and asked if we were going they said that we were but I am still afraid they are going to cancel. We are about 20 people she said -- 55%. Oddly enough I believe that we are all adults as well although it is not an adults only trip.