England and France - no Junior Adventure night?

[Eree418]

I was excited to to receive our adventure handbook today for our upcoming trip! There weren't any surprises, except that there is no Junior Adventurer movie night listed. Originally, it was on Day 3, but the handbook only says "Dinner at Your Leisure in Hotel." Can anyone who has travelled on this itinerary this year confirm whether Junior Adventure nights are happening?

 

[Steven G]

I did it in December of 2022, and there was an junior adventurer night, and the adults had a dinner in the hotels restaurant (each family at a separate table, but in same area of the restaurant.)

The junior adventurer night was listed in the handbook though.

It also was on Day 2 instead of Day 3, and I found the handbook and this is what it said on day 2:



Adults-Only Dinner​

​

Adults enjoy dinner at their leisure at the hotel’s restaurant and lounge.


Junior Adventurer Dinner and Disney Movie Night​

​

Junior Adventurers enjoy their own dinner party and take in a classic Disney movie.

 

[Eree418]

Thank you @Steven G . I just looked online, and the Standard Itinerary for '23 still lists the Junior Adventurer night. I have emailed our travel agent to try to get some more info. It seems like a strange thing to cut from the itinerary.

 

[Steven G]

someone in this other thread on this page reported the same thing happening, the other users speculated it was removed because of it being Easter, but maybe they have cut it for all?

https://www.disboards.com/threads/england-france-2023.3908119/page-3

I agree that is a weird thing to cut.

 

[Eree418]

@Trixieandboots -- wondering if you ended up with a Junior Adventurer night on your trip even though it wasn't on the itinerary?

 

[shairpdrh]

I noted the same on our itinerary for our August England and France ABD. I will ask my travel agent too.

 

[Woodview]

Look at it this way

How many Juniors will be there ?

Disney is not a big deal in Europe ( I know that is a a ABD Tour )

In Most Hotels Children do eat with their parents

There are Many Sporting events on that Will be on the TV's

 

[sayhello]

Look at it this way

How many Juniors will be there ?

Disney is not a big deal in Europe ( I know that is a a ABD Tour )

In Most Hotels Children do eat with their parents

There are Many Sporting events on that Will be on the TV's

Once again, having never been on an ABD, you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. The Junior Adventurer's night with the Adventure Guides is an activity that the children on the trip pretty universally love and enjoy and really look forward to. And the parents get a night out by themselves. There could be 20 kids on a trip. Disney is a big deal on an ABD trip. I really, REALLY wish you wouldn't answer when you have no idea what you are talking about.

Sayhello

 

[Eree418]

How many Juniors will be there ?

Disney is not a big deal in Europe ( I know that is a a ABD Tour )

In Most Hotels Children do eat with their parents

The last I checked, there were at least 6 other kids. The Junior Adventurer night was one of the perks we were excited about when booking the trip, and it's stil listed in the Standard itinerary on the website. Our daughter is an only child, and we don't have great access to childcare. The idea of a child-free evening out even durning everyday life is a dream for us, let alone during a European vacation. And our daughter would be able to spend some time with other kids watching a Disney movie, which she loves to do. We were really looking forward to it.

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

My rose colored glasses about ABD have long dimmed, but I do think the response about Junior Adventurer night not being a big deal is off base, and I can totally understand OP being bummed if it has been eliminated. We've been on 7 ABDs spanning 2007 to 2019. My kids were 8 and 10 on our first adventure and 20 and 22 on our most recent. They have LOVED junior adventurer night every time. Indeed, even though they technically aged out on the last couple junior adventurer nights, they invited the older teens/YAs to join (it was bowling on the Japan one in 2019, and it might have been their favorite of all time). We have also loved the evening on our own. They have ranged from fancy dinners on our own to group dinners, but all have been wonderful. So OP I hope it's an error and/or you can get some clarification from ABD.

 

[chuff88]

We don't have any junior adventurers in our party, but out of curiosity I checked to see if there is a Junior Adventurer night on the schedule for our Germany trip this summer and it's not listed in our handbook OR on the itinerary on the website.

It also seems like they've really cut down the number of dates they're offering for Germany and I'm worried it's going to go the way of Spain. Our itinerary also feels a bit sparse.

 

[shairpdrh]

The last I checked, there were at least 6 other kids. The Junior Adventurer night was one of the perks we were excited about when booking the trip, and it's stil listed in the Standard itinerary on the website. Our daughter is an only child, and we don't have great access to childcare. The idea of a child-free evening out even durning everyday life is a dream for us, let alone during a European vacation. And our daughter would be able to spend some time with other kids watching a Disney movie, which she loves to do. We were really looking forward to it.

This is how I feel as well. We have an only child as well and she loves spending time with other kids. That is a huge draw to ABD for us (even though I know it is not guaranteed that there will be kids or kids her age). It was all these little details that made it feel worth it to us.

 

[Woodview]

The last I checked, there were at least 6 other kids. The Junior Adventurer night was one of the perks we were excited about when booking the trip, and it's stil listed in the Standard itinerary on the website. Our daughter is an only child, and we don't have great access to childcare. The idea of a child-free evening out even durning everyday life is a dream for us, let alone during a European vacation. And our daughter would be able to spend some time with other kids watching a Disney movie, which she loves to do. We were really looking forward to it.

So there will be about 8 children And who is going to look after them .

Will the Adventure Guides give up their Night ?

Will the Hotel provide a Room Free of charge & pay for food And Insurance While parents are " out of Sight " ?

We are living in Different Times Now

 

[Woodview]

Once again, having never been on an ABD, you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. The Junior Adventurer's night with the Adventure Guides is an activity that the children on the trip pretty universally love and enjoy and really look forward to. And the parents get a night out by themselves. There could be 20 kids on a trip. Disney is a big deal on an ABD trip. I really, REALLY wish you wouldn't answer when you have no idea what you are talking about.

Sayhello

To Say Hello

You have NO IDEA of Who I am .

I Have Traveled In Europe for over 45 years ( And More before I was married )

I Was a Shareholder in Disneyland when it started up.

But My Children just thought it was O.K

Now they Go to Other theme parks & take Their children there instead

I Try to give good Honest Advice to Non European people so as

their Expectations are not destroyed by overblown hype

 

[Eree418]

So there will be about 8 children And who is going to look after them .

Will the Adventure Guides give up their Night ?

Will the Hotel provide a Room Free of charge & pay for food And Insurance While parents are " out of Sight " ?

This will be my first ABD, so I don't know from firsthand experience, but I did watch several YouTube videos about ABDs, and they described the guides watching the kids for a couple of hours, usually in a small event space in the hotel, I believe. If this is something they have done for years, then the Guides would expect it as part of their work time during the tour. And I assume ABD pays for the room and it is included in the cost of the tour, much like they do for the welcome and farewell dinners.

 

[chuff88]

This will be my first ABD, so I don't know from firsthand experience, but I did watch several YouTube videos about ABDs, and they described the guides watching the kids for a couple of hours, usually in a small event space in the hotel, I believe. If this is something they have done for years, then the Guides would expect it as part of their work time during the tour. And I assume ABD pays for the room and it is included in the cost of the tour, much like they do for the welcome and farewell dinners.

This is exactly how it works. When I was on the Norway ABD last summer we had exactly ONE junior adventurer, and on the junior adventurer night both of the guides hung out with him in a games room in the basement of the hotel that had been reserved for our group. The adults could join later after the Junior Adventurer activities were over.

It's part of the job of the guides to be available to assist with guest needs at all hours, so hosting the junior adventurer nights and keeping an eye on all the kids isn't asking them to do anything above and beyond (and from what I could tell, it's a part of their job they love).

 

[Poohlie]

So there will be about 8 children And who is going to look after them .

Will the Adventure Guides give up their Night ?

Will the Hotel provide a Room Free of charge & pay for food And Insurance While parents are " out of Sight " ?

We are living in Different Times Now

It’s listed as part of the Day 3 itinerary for England & France on the ABD website so included in the rate:

Adults-Only Dinner​

Adults enjoy dinner at their leisure at the hotel’s restaurant and lounge.

Junior Adventurers Dinner and Disney Movie Night​

Junior Adventurers enjoy their own dinner party and take in a classic Disney movie.

 

[sayhello]

To Say Hello
You have NO IDEA of Who I am .
I Have Traveled In Europe for over 45 years ( And More before I was married )
I Was a Shareholder in Disneyland when it started up.
But My Children just thought it was O.K
Now they Go to Other theme parks & take Their children there instead
I Try to give good Honest Advice to Non European people so as
their Expectations are not destroyed by overblown hype

You've been doing this for years. I may not know you personally, but I know you have never been on an ABD (by your own admission) so you have no idea how they work (as your questions quite obviously show). Disneyland is not ABD. I'm a shareholder in Apple, but I've never owned an iPhone, and I would never offer advice to someone asking a question specific to the operation of their iPhone.

The OP was NOT asking for good honest advice from somebody who has traveled in Europe.

They SPECIFICALLY asked about a SPECIFIC activity common to (up until this point) all ABDs. This is not a general European travel question, it's a very specific ABD question. You have never been on an ABD, so you don't have an answer. Why you feel compelled to give an irrelevant answer is beyond me.

So there will be about 8 children And who is going to look after them .
Will the Adventure Guides give up their Night ?
Will the Hotel provide a Room Free of charge & pay for food And Insurance While parents are " out of Sight " ?
We are living in Different Times Now

I don't owe you any sort of explanation, but people who have taken an ABD know all of this.

The Adventure Guides will not only look after them, they will entertain them. They *do* "give up" their evening. It's a part of their job, which they do wonderfully well.

ABD has arranged an event space in the hotel (I am SURE it's not free of charge - it's part of the cost of the ABD) and the food is absolutely included. It's the same as ANY of the activities that the Junior Adventurers do during the ABD -- the parents (like everyone on the ABD) have signed waivers. They are not left unsupervised. Both Adventure Guides are there.

It may be different times, but ABD has been doing Junior Adventurer Nights (and doing them well) for ages.

Again, I stand by my Statement, when it comes to ABD, you have NO IDEA what you are talking about.

Sayhello

 

[sayhello]

This will be my first ABD, so I don't know from firsthand experience, but I did watch several YouTube videos about ABDs, and they described the guides watching the kids for a couple of hours, usually in a small event space in the hotel, I believe. If this is something they have done for years, then the Guides would expect it as part of their work time during the tour. And I assume ABD pays for the room and it is included in the cost of the tour, much like they do for the welcome and farewell dinners.

As @chuff88 said, this is correct, and precisely how it works. It's definitely not "normal" for there to be no Junior Adventurer Night, and I'd be asking ABD if there's been some change to that activity, or if it's just a one-off for some reason. Or maybe they don't want to list it on a specific night anymore? It's definitely odd.

This is exactly how it works. When I was on the Norway ABD last summer we had exactly ONE junior adventurer, and on the junior adventurer night both of the guides hung out with him in a games room in the basement of the hotel that had been reserved for our group. The adults could join later after the Junior Adventurer activities were over.

It's part of the job of the guides to be available to assist with guest needs at all hours, so hosting the junior adventurer nights and keeping an eye on all the kids isn't asking them to do anything above and beyond (and from what I could tell, it's a part of their job they love).

On my Japan ABD, we also had only one Junior Adventurer. What she really wanted was for the Adventure Guides to join she & her father for dinner and conversation, which they happily did. As far as I know, the Adventure Guides really *do* love the Junior Adventurer Nights.

Sayhello

 

[chuff88]

On my Japan ABD, we also had only one Junior Adventurer. What she really wanted was for the Adventurers to join she & her father for dinner and conversation, which they happily did. As far as I know, the Adventure Guides really *do* love the Junior Adventurer Nights.

Sayhello

I remember reading this in your trip report and thought that was so cute and probably what I would have wanted as the lone kid on a trip. I love that everyone was so game to join them.