By Courtney Potter
Disney fans and globetrotters: a world of wonder awaits! Beginning in 2027, Adventures by Disney is expanding its portfolio of guided land adventures in Europe and Asia with the debut of two captivating itineraries to Thailand, and Croatia & Slovenia—along with a reimagined Italy: Sicily & Amalfi Coast itinerary that weaves together the culture, cuisine and breathtaking scenery across southern Italy.
Each departure is led by Adventure Guides who help ensure every detail is seamless—from transportation and accommodations to exclusive experiences—allowing guests to fully focus on making unforgettable memories together. Young travelers, known as “Junior Adventurers,” also will have unique activities designed just for them, making each adventure incredibly meaningful for every member of the family.
Spanning 10 days, guests on the brand-new Thailand itinerary will travel through a tapestry of ancient temples, vibrant cities and tranquil landscapes, discovering the country’s rich history, spiritual traditions and world-renowned cuisine through cultural encounters and immersive experiences that invite exploration beyond the expected. Meanwhile, the new, eight-day Croatia & Slovenia itinerary explores storybook towns, dramatic coastlines and crystal-clear waters. Together, the trip offers guests a view of Central Europe where they can savor local flavors, uncover centuries of history, and experience the natural beauty of these two neighboring countries with charming villages and awe-inspiring natural wonders. And the reimagined Italy: Sicily & Amalfi Coast itinerary is an eight-day adventure that takes guests into a seamless journey through southern Italy, pairing Sicily’s layered history and artistic traditions with the postcard‑perfect villages and coastal beauty of the Amalfi Coast.
D23 recently sat down with Chantel Frye, trip development manager for Adventures by Disney—who truly has one of the coolest jobs in the world!—to exclusively go behind the scenes of these new and reimagined adventures, and to hear about her incredible experiences helping to bring them to life.
D23: Thanks for chatting with us, Chantel! We’re curious—how did you find yourself at Adventures by Disney, and working in trip development specifically?
Chantel Frye (CF): I have a “classically Disney” story in a sense—I grew up in Southern California, went to Disneyland growing up, and was always really drawn to the stories and the attention to detail. That’s the part of the parks that I was always fascinated by. So I always thought it’d be wonderful to work for Disney, but wasn’t sure in what capacity. And it wasn’t until I was right about to go into college that I learned about this new [department] that was being created called Adventures by Disney. Coupled with my fascination of travel as well as my love of Disney storytelling, I thought, “That sounds like a great place to work!” Right after college, I did the Disney College Program, worked in Guest Relations in many capacities including as a VIP Tour Guide, and then I joined Adventures by Disney! I started off in trip operations, helping manage our existing portfolio of destinations, and then slowly made my way into trip development—which is what I’d always had my sights on—and have been there for many years now. So I started out my career with an idea of what I was wanting to do, but didn’t really know how it would come together—and the story slowly unfolded.
D23: How amazing! Can you tell us a little bit about how trip development works? Is there a typical timeline?
CF: We’re unique in that we work with a lot of different teams to bring everything together. But I would say it takes about 12 to 18 months to develop a new Adventures by Disney itinerary. That encompasses initial research all the way up to it becoming available for booking. With trip development, we’re always working in the future—so right now, as we’re speaking, I’m already starting to do some exciting work for 2028!
When considering potential new destinations, we take a look at multiple things—what’s trending in family travel, which new places our guests are telling us they want to go, and so on. We also look at Disney films and franchises and see if there’s a potential crossover opportunity. For example, when Frozen came out and there was a lot of wonder and excitement around it, we developed an itinerary in Norway that took guests to the source for that film and that story. Once we’ve selected where we’re going to go, we conduct preliminary research to home in on the specific destinations within that place that we’re wanting to visit; what activities we’re wanting to do; what stories we’re wanting to tell to bring that place to life; and how best to see everything.
Then we source local suppliers within that destination; this is absolutely critical, because it’s what helps us deliver the “Disney-level” service and quality our guests are looking to us to provide. Once we’ve identified those suppliers, we conduct site inspections—this is when somebody from the trip development team goes out there and tastes the food, stays in the hotels, experiences the activities that we’re considering. We see a lot in order to really tailor exactly what we’re wanting to include! This is also our opportunity to meet the local experts and potential Adventure Guides who are going to carry the stories of our adventure through from one destination to another. From there, we spend a lot of time, both in destination as well as remotely, working to make sure we haven’t missed a single detail—because Adventures by Disney guests expect our trips to be seamless, immersive, and truly special in ways only Disney can deliver.
D23: Wow! That’s incredible. So what can you tell us about the new Thailand itinerary? Is there something unique that guests should look out for?
CF: Our Thailand adventure is 10 days, nine nights, with visits to Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai, Phuket, as well as Phang Nga Bay. It’s really comprehensive, delving into the city and the countryside as well as the coast of Thailand. And there is something especially unique about this particular trip… Elephants are deeply woven into the fabric of Thai culture as legendary spiritual and national icons—so we couldn’t bring guests to Thailand without visiting the elephants that are so closely intertwined with Thai identity. We worked directly with members of Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment team, and one of their team members actually joined us on our site inspection of Thailand to help us find an observation-only sanctuary that keeps conservation and the care of these gentle giants at the core of their mission…
There are so many different activities that are really special and fun on this adventure. I love Thai food, personally, so one of the things I think is especially fun is exploring Thai cuisine—through a Thai cooking class, guests will discover the five flavor profiles of Thai cuisine that work together in harmony. That’s the sweet, the sour, the salty, the spicy, and the bitter. Another beautiful experience is a cruise of Phang Nga Bay, near the island of Phuket; we spend the day on this picturesque bay, and we get to cruise through these jade- and turquoise-colored waters. One thing that’s unique about this particular area is its incredible rock formations that seem to magically rise out of the water—just asking for photos to be taken! We also do this wonderful kayak experience that’s different than many of our other kayak trips, where you have a dedicated paddling guide with you on your kayak who’s paddling for you—so you can have your hands free to take pictures and take in the scenery.
D23: What about the new Croatia & Slovenia itinerary?
CF: It’s an eight-day, seven-night trip visiting Ljubljana, Lake Bled, Dubrovnik, and the Elaphiti Islands. One experience I particularly love is our day in Lake Bled—just outside of the metropolitan city of Ljubljana—where we get to meet the tiny pollinator that is the pride of the Slovenian countryside: the Carniolan bee! Our guests will learn how Slovenia is the world leader in apiculture [otherwise known as beekeeping], which has led them to be added to UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity. During our visit, we get to meet with a beekeeper for a demonstration of how they care for their colonies, and see the colorful painted beehive panels which dot the countryside in Slovenia. And of course, we also get to sample their sweet honey and other hive-made products.
We then go over to Lake Bled itself and board a wooden hand-rowed boat called a “pletna” and we glide across the lake to a small island with the very iconic Church of the Assumption. We visit the church there before continuing our day in Lake Bled, having a lovely lunch with Slovenian wine pairings. We then head down to the sundrenched coastline of Croatia and the Elaphiti Islands, which is a chain of islands just off the coast of Dubrovnik. The moment you arrive at Dubrovnik, you are met with this incredible view of creamy limestone buildings with red terracotta rooftops and, of course, the turquoise waters. If you’re anything like me, you’ll just want to instantly dip your toes into that water and soak in the experience. So this day is an opportunity to do that, as our guests will be getting into speedboats and going for a real aquatic adventure around the islands.
D23: And what can you tell us about the reimagined Italy itinerary? Does reconfiguring a trip look a little different?
CF: Yes—the process is unique. When we’re doing a reimagined itinerary, we’re taking some well-loved locations and injecting something new and exciting for that destination. In the case of our Sicily & Amalfi Coast adventure, it’s 8 days and 7 nights—visiting Taormina, Mount Etna, and Ortigia before heading over to the Amalfi Coast’s Vietri sul Mare, Gragnano, Minori, and Ravello. Sicily is really known for its lemons, its sun-drenched coastlines, its turquoise waters—so it naturally pairs really well with the Amalfi Coast, and we saw that as an amazing opportunity to combine them for this experience. While we do have an existing Amalfi Coast adventure combined with Florence, our reimagined itinerary features completely new locations we don’t currently offer – and we have intentionally lined up some of the departure dates, so if guests were wanting to have a truly immersive Italian experience, they could start in Sicily, go into the Amalfi Coast, and then finish in Florence.
At Adventures by Disney, we love hands-on experiences because that’s the way you can really immerse yourself in a culture or a tradition, as well as bond with your fellow travelers. On this reimagined itinerary, one of those experiences is a pasta-making class in Gragnano—which is renowned for its superior ingredients and production of dry pasta, similar to the special distinction that’s awarded to Chianti or champagne. Guests will be able to try their hand at making pasta—and then have that pasta as part of a really wonderful lunch.
D23: We’re sure it’s terribly hard to choose—but do you have a favorite part of these itineraries? (Doesn’t have to be THE favorite, but maybe something that especially stands out for you…)
CF: Ooh, that is hard… I will pick this one just because it’s a little bit comical and really stands out to me for its uniqueness: For our Thailand adventure, we have this unique activity that gives a hands-on perspective of elephant sustainability. It’s at a location called the “Elephant Poopoo Paper Park.” They actually collect elephant dung from the region—this is located in Chiang Mai—and it’s broken down, cleaned, and processed. Then, we as Adventurers, come in and create our own paper made from this elephant dung! It’s really a giggle-inducing activity, and they help you do it in such a fun and educational way. It’s definitely a memory that will stay with you for many years after. It’s maybe a small thing, but it’s one that I really enjoyed…
D23: That’s hilarious and amazing. On a more serious note, what do you personally think is distinctly special about traveling with Adventures by Disney?
CF: I would say there are several different, special qualities. One is the Adventure Guides; all of our international land-based adventures are led by two Adventure Guides—one from that specific destination, as well as an Adventure Guide from the U.S. They truly are the magic makers during these vacations. They are attuned to every single logistical detail that is happening on your adventure, to make it a seamless experience and truly hassle-free for the families and travelers who are joining us. They also just really bring the connection—they find opportunities for little magical moments on the adventure, and they really help you immerse yourself in the location, and even take you out of your comfort zone.
Also, our guests have trust in Disney. They know what Adventures by Disney stands for as a brand and what we create in our adventures—and they know that wherever they’re going to travel with Adventures by Disney, that they’re in for a really special vacation, where everything was thought out for them. Plus, an incredible aspect is the ability to bond with your own family as well as with other families on the same adventure. Because this is guided group travel, you have the opportunity to go through these once-in-a-lifetime experiences with other families—we’ve had many families meet newfound friends on these trips, and then they’ll choose to travel together for future Adventures by Disney vacations and beyond…
Oh, and I’d be remiss in not mentioning our exclusive pins! Each day of travel, Adventures by Disney guests receive a pin, which encompasses the theme and the memories and the stories of the day. These pins can only be received on an Adventures by Disney trip—they’re very exclusive. So it’s a whimsical takeaway memory of your vacation.
D23: Anything else you’d like to let the readers of D23.com know about Adventures by Disney, or about these amazing new itineraries?
CF: I’ll just take it back to one of the original inspirations of Adventures by Disney, and that is Walt Disney himself. He was an avid traveler; he traversed all across Europe and South America, and so many of his creations were inspired by the people he met and the places he went… We have the special opportunity at Adventures by Disney of taking guests to the source of many of the inspirations for Disney films, Disney Parks, Disney attractions, and other Disney stories—and immersing them in real-world experiences where they can see the authenticity that Adventures by Disney offers. Also, even though most of our trips are designed with families in mind, we do cater to all ages. Besides our family vacations, we also have adult-exclusive departures for guests who are wanting to have an adults-only experience. All told, we immerse all guests in an experience that’s going to provide some beautiful memories from their vacation experience. And it all started with Walt Disney and his love of travel.
For more information on the new 2027 Thailand and Croatia & Slovenia itineraries; the reimagined Italy: Sicily & Amalfi Coast itinerary; and all things Adventures by Disney, visit AdventuresbyDisney.com.