On our first trip in 2006 (Viva Italia), we were able to take advantage of a very nice discount. Even with the reduced price, my husband had serious sticker shock. He's by no means a cheap guy, but he likes to know he's getting what he's paying for. He wondered if we were paying extra for the Disney name.
We returned from that trip and signed up almost immediately for Imperial Cities -- this time with the whole family (five of us) with no discount other than the early booking rate. Clearly, he changed his mind.
We've since done Flavors of France (again with the family, again just with early booking rates) and are all going next year to Italy again on June 5. My frugal husband tells all our family and friends about these trips because he always has a great time and never feels like it wasn't money well spent. So... I guess that answers the question on whether Viva Italia changed our minds (well, his anyway) about the expense.
One of the guides on our trip also works off-season for one of the "other" tour companies and told me it's like night and day.
Not to be too long-winded (although, why should I change now - lol), but another example is a good friend of mine who wanted Rome, Florence and Venice. I gave her the AbD brochure and told her about our trip, but she looked at the prices and turned pale. The next week I dropped off every other travel book I had -- and I had a lot! She and her husband sat home all that weekend and compared each trip, item by item, and came back and said she couldn't imagine booking anything but Viva Italia. Even without the early booking rate, she felt like it was the best deal out there.
I guess all I can say is that doing your homework makes the price of these trips easier to take.
However, that said, I don't think anything is worth stressing over how you'll get the money to pay for it -- did that too much growing up and I saw how it ate away at my parents. When you add in this year's airfare to the trips to Italy (mine is pricing at $1750.00 right now), it can be overwhelming. As Joan1 wisely said, that 14 day cancellation is there for a reason, so don't feel bad if you have to use it!
I hope it all works out for you, whatever you decide!
Dotti