Disney to test group vacations in Hawaii, Wyoming

[brisem]

Updated: 03:13 AM EST
Disney to test group vacations in Hawaii, Wyoming

LOS ANGELES, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co.'s theme parks group, which has already expanded into cruise lines, will test leading group tours to Hawaii and Wyoming this summer, a spokeswoman said on Thursday.

Disney plans to take about 400-450 veterans of its parks and ships on one-week tours in groups of 35 people or less, spokeswoman Lisa Haines told Reuters. She declined to comment on pricing but said the test trips would be at discount rates.

Mickey Mouse won't be hiking in the mountains or getting a tan on the beach, but Disney expects its reputation for service to draw crowds of customers nonetheless.

"We are experts in the family vacation, but you are not going to see (Disney) characters in places they shouldn't be," said parks spokeswoman Lisa Haines.

Disney will hire its own guides for the trips, which could form the beginning of a new business. The initial Hawaii trip will include visits to the big island of Hawaii, Oahu and Kauai, while the Wyoming trip will take in the Grand Tetons, Jackson Hole and Yellowstone.


02/18/05 03:01 ET

 

[SpaceRacer2003]

From WFTV.com, just to expand on the above:

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Disney To Open New Park -- Yellowstone?
Company Wants To Expand Vacation Business

POSTED: 1:01 pm EST February 19, 2005
UPDATED: 1:06 pm EST February 19, 2005

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Hawaii and Yellowstone could be Disney's newest theme parks.

Disney is thinking of expanding its vacation business by offering week-long guided tours through the wilds of Wyoming and Hawaii.

The theme-park giant will run 15 tours this summer.

Prices will range from $5,600 to $7,800 for a family of four, not including airfare.

The tours are titled "Escape to Paradise" and "Quest for the West."

Promotional materials promise surfing lessons and volcano tours on the Hawaiian islands of Oahu and Kauai, and horseback rides through Wyoming's cowboy country of Jackson Hole, Grand Teton and Yellowstone.

Disney said Mickey Mouse and other costumed characters would appear only in a very controlled setting, if they appear it all.

One expert in the business said the tours could appeal to families who want to get close to nature, but not too close.
Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press.
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[ImaginEAR]

Sign me up for Escape to Paradise! Too bad it's in test mode...