It's the same thing all over the Internet. You question the almighty Internet celebrity, even gently, and their reaction is always, "Well don't do it then." It just smacks of insecurity.
I doubt it. It would be a lot of work but I'm sure anyone with a bit of sense and patience can pull it off. You are paying for convienence, sure, but I can't imagine how their itineraries are beyond the scope of the "common man". Hell, for some people, half the fun in a vacation is planning it yourself!
I'm looking at the price for the Japan trip, about $3,800 to $4,000. You still have to pay for airfare to Narita on top of that right? It'll come out to about 5 grand in the end, including whatever food isn't included since it's at least one meal a day.
We went to Japan for a week to see Tokyo Disneyland and the Greater Tokyo area for about $2,500 when all was said and done. Seems like for another grand we could've stayed another week in moderately priced hotels. Then we could've gotten a Japan Rail Pass and seen all these other places.
Sounds like you're pretty much paying for what it would cost to plan on your own. I think these trips would be great for the young teenager who is intimidated by travel and might get themselves lost on their own. And their parents get to send them away for two weeks. It's win/win. It's also great for people who can't find anyone else to plan a vacation with.
I would probably be into these trips if I were younger, but half the fun is the accomplishment of doing it all yourself.