I'm back and trying to decide where to go next

[WanderlustNZ]

Sounds like an amazing trip! I totally would have gone with the Costa Rica option too, sounds fabulous.

WDW at Christmas is so pretty. We were there a few weeks before Christmas in 2012 and it was beautiful. I think it would be an amazing way to spend Christmas.

We were in Cancun late 2012 and went to Chichen Itza to tick it off the bucket list too. Glad I went but would I spend 6 hours getting there and back, not sure honestly. Throwing something else out there though, on the same day we went to a cenote (underground swimming hole) and it was one of the highlights of our entire trip.

Thanks Mindy32, that's really useful. The Coba tour includes time at a Cenote. It gives an extra tick to that option and is currently the way I'm leaning.

As for WDW, the idea of spending Xmas there is growing on me more and more each day. I think that will probably be what we end up doing if I can rent the DVC points.

It's so exciting. I can't wait until I can actually start booking more things.

 

[zanzibar138]

If it was me, I would go with Coba (especially given the Cenote visit!). It's unfortunate that many of my bucket list places have now gotten too overcrowded and touristy for my liking. I would much rather go to somewhere slightly less spectacular, but that is lesser known and not over-developed. Especially if you are locked into a schedule and won't be able to avoid the tour crowds.

My best example of this... As amazing as it was, I didn't really enjoy Angkor that much. It was crowded and there were people everywhere trying to sell you stuff etc. We had to line up for photo opportunities, and waited far too long in the blazing sun to climb to the top of Angkor Wat. Our guide wasn't what we'd hoped for, and we ended up with temple burn-out. But we had a fabulous time at the ruins in Ayutthaya, Thailand. We enjoyed cycling to and around the ruins at our own pace (much less spread out than Angkor). There were some more crowded spots in the more popular temples, but at other temples we were the only ones there. The ruins also had many of the same features that we'd seen at Angkor, but on a slightly smaller scale. We also had a wonderful time in Phimai and even outside of Kanchanaburi checking out those ruins too. There really is a certain peacefulness to temple ruins when they're not overrun with tourists.

 

[PrincessInOz]

I've just looked up Uxmal and it looks amazing. There is actually a small part of me that's wondering if we might be better off spending a week based at the Yucatan Peninsula rather than the cruise. There is just so much there I want to do.

Merida is an amazing town. It's so European that I actually thought I was in Europe!

We spent arrival night in Cancun, then headed to Piste for one night. Then we went to Merida and had 3 nights there, with a whole day spent towards Uxmal. Drove from there to Puerto Adventuras for 2 nights (with looking at Cozumel and Xcaret from there) and then Cancun again for 1 night. We hired a car.

Accommodation cost us US$600 total and the car hire was about $400 for the week? We flew in from Dallas....it was actually part of one of those 4 or 5 week trips that we had planned in 1997.
Food was reasonably cheap in the Yucatan; so all up it ended up being a reasonable vacay.


I did a 12 week crash course in conversational Spanish and surprised myself with how far the basic Spanish got me. In the end, people were speaking Spanish to me because they figured my Spanish was better than their English.

Things are probably more expensive now....but that will give you a ball park.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

If it was me, I would go with Coba (especially given the Cenote visit!). It's unfortunate that many of my bucket list places have now gotten too overcrowded and touristy for my liking. I would much rather go to somewhere slightly less spectacular, but that is lesser known and not over-developed. Especially if you are locked into a schedule and won't be able to avoid the tour crowds.

My best example of this... As amazing as it was, I didn't really enjoy Angkor that much. It was crowded and there were people everywhere trying to sell you stuff etc. We had to line up for photo opportunities, and waited far too long in the blazing sun to climb to the top of Angkor Wat. Our guide wasn't what we'd hoped for, and we ended up with temple burn-out. But we had a fabulous time at the ruins in Ayutthaya, Thailand. We enjoyed cycling to and around the ruins at our own pace (much less spread out than Angkor). There were some more crowded spots in the more popular temples, but at other temples we were the only ones there. The ruins also had many of the same features that we'd seen at Angkor, but on a slightly smaller scale. We also had a wonderful time in Phimai and even outside of Kanchanaburi checking out those ruins too. There really is a certain peacefulness to temple ruins when they're not overrun with tourists.

Thanks Zanzibar. I know what you mean about too many tourists putting a dampener on what would otherwise be a magical spot. That is the downside to a cruise day in that your locked into a schedule and we would probably arrive at the ruins at the busiest (and likely hottest) part of the day.

I'm going to put Coba to DH and compare it to The Amazing Race and Xcaret and see what he thinks.

In saying that, I'm becoming more and more keen to spend a full week in Mexico. I just need to do some research into what that would mean for flights.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Merida is an amazing town. It's so European that I actually thought I was in Europe!

We spent arrival night in Cancun, then headed to Piste for one night. Then we went to Merida and had 3 nights there, with a whole day spent towards Uxmal. Drove from there to Puerto Adventuras for 2 nights (with looking at Cozumel and Xcaret from there) and then Cancun again for 1 night. We hired a car.

Accommodation cost us US$600 total and the car hire was about $400 for the week? We flew in from Dallas....it was actually part of one of those 4 or 5 week trips that we had planned in 1997.
Food was reasonably cheap in the Yucatan; so all up it ended up being a reasonable vacay.


I did a 12 week crash course in conversational Spanish and surprised myself with how far the basic Spanish got me. In the end, people were speaking Spanish to me because they figured my Spanish was better than their English.

Things are probably more expensive now....but that will give you a ball park.

Hmmm... it all sounds very tempting.

What was the driving like in Mexico?

 

[PrincessInOz]

Hmmm... it all sounds very tempting.

What was the driving like in Mexico?

Probably on par with driving in the Mediterranean countries. It didn't seem as bad as driving in Asia.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Probably on par with driving in the Mediterranean countries. It didn't seem as bad as driving in Asia.

Good to know.

I mentioned the idea to DH last night and he was quite adamant that he wanted to do a cruise. I think because we're going away for a month, he wants at least a week of it to be very restful and relaxing (which cruises always are).
But I'll keep doing my research and explore options as I don't think either of us know enough yet to make a truely informed decision.

I did more research on Xcaret last night and it looks pretty fantastic - especially the cultural shows and that natural lazy river. I think DS would particularly love it (more so than ruins) so it's a definite contender. Thanks for bringing it to my attention

 

[kahrani]

*waves from rainy Dunedin*

I haven't logged into the Disboards in a few weeks so just read your post - glad you picked the Costa Rica option, it is a beautiful country. I did volunteer work there back in 2002 (seems like a lifetime ago) and always wanted to visit again. There's lots to do around Arenal, where else does the tour take you? I loved the cloud forests of Monte Verde and the laid back coastal area of Montezuma. Didn't manage to get to the Caribbean side much due to flooding in the national park (I think it's called Tortugeuro, can't remember now).

I would sway towards spending Christmas at Disney - we stayed in Wilderness Lodge over NY 2012/3 and it was beautiful. You can pop over to Fort for a nighttime sleigh ride and check out the Gingerbread house at GF too. There's so much cool stuff to do at the Resorts!

 

[WanderlustNZ]

*waves from rainy Dunedin*

I haven't logged into the Disboards in a few weeks so just read your post - glad you picked the Costa Rica option, it is a beautiful country. I did volunteer work there back in 2002 (seems like a lifetime ago) and always wanted to visit again. There's lots to do around Arenal, where else does the tour take you? I loved the cloud forests of Monte Verde and the laid back coastal area of Montezuma. Didn't manage to get to the Caribbean side much due to flooding in the national park (I think it's called Tortugeuro, can't remember now).

I would sway towards spending Christmas at Disney - we stayed in Wilderness Lodge over NY 2012/3 and it was beautiful. You can pop over to Fort for a nighttime sleigh ride and check out the Gingerbread house at GF too. There's so much cool stuff to do at the Resorts!

Kia ora fellow Otago Disney fan. Waving right back.

It's great to hear your positive feedback of Costa Rica. The tour begins and ends in San Jose and goes to Arenal, Monte Verde and Manuel Antonio NP. I was trying to decide between two options where the main difference was Tortuguero vs Manuel Antonio. I actually had a slight preference for Tortuguero because it's quieter and less touristy, but the wet season on that coast made me sway the other way. Time will tell if I made the right choice.

That's a good idea to visit Fort Wilderness. I've always been keen to do one of those night tours to look at people's trailer decos.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

I have nothing to contribute to the discussions not having explored that part of the world or even researched it yet - so I am just interested hearing all the options. You know whatever you do it will be great! I also sway to Zanzibar's point too that sometimes something akin culturally/environmentally/whatever to the big bucket list item is better if the bucket list item is now too overly touristy. On the other hand I couldn't imagine coming to Australia and substituting (what?) for Uluru.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I have nothing to contribute to the discussions not having explored that part of the world or even researched it yet - so I am just interested hearing all the options. You know whatever you do it will be great! I also sway to Zanzibar's point too that sometimes something akin culturally/environmentally/whatever to the big bucket list item is better if the bucket list item is now too overly touristy. On the other hand I couldn't imagine coming to Australia and substituting (what?) for Uluru.

Still always keen to hear your thoughts, even if you haven't been there.
Hubby decided that the Xcaret theme park looked like it will be best for the family, so I think that is what we will do. A bit gutted to miss Chichen Itza, but now that the whole Yucatan Peninsula has been added to the bucket list, we may be back.

The brainstorming now is around the Xmas days. We are thinking of booking 4 nights at Loews Royal Pacific and doing Universal. The crowds at WWOHP scare me, but at least the Express Pass will make the rest of Universal manageable. We'd then have 6-7 days in WDW at the end of our trip so we could do the Disney parks in a relaxed, unhurried pace. It's either that, or squeeze both Universal and Disney into a week which could be a bit exhausting.
Plus, there's the issue of a longer Disney pass being better value per day.

Hmmm... the decisions continue.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Yesterday I got an email from Gate 1 advertising some pretty good discounts on some of their tours. While it didn't apply to existing bookings, it did apply to a longer 13 day tour that I had been eyeing up from the start,but couldn't quite justify.

So this morning I rang their USA office and asked if I could upgrade - to which they said "Yes". I'm so excited as it now means I will be visiting almost every area in Costa Rica that I had hoped to tick off.

We'll be waking up on Xmas morning in the jungles of Tortuguero and will be celebrating New Year high on the cliff side looking over Manuel Antonio NP. I can't wait!

This means I have about 16 days left to play with - of which my cruise sits smack in the middle. So, I'm going to have to cancel that cruise and book something else that allows me at least 8 consecutive days in Orlando. The planning continues...

 

[PrincessInOz]

Yesterday I got an email from Gate 1 advertising some pretty good discounts on some of their tours. While it didn't apply to existing bookings, it did apply to a longer 13 day tour that I had been eyeing up from the start,but couldn't quite justify.

So this morning I rang their USA office and asked if I could upgrade - to which they said "Yes". I'm so excited as it now means I will be visiting almost every area in Costa Rica that I had hoped to tick off.

We'll be waking up on Xmas morning in the jungles of Tortuguero and will be celebrating New Year high on the cliff side looking over Manuel Antonio NP. I can't wait!

This means I have about 16 days left to play with - of which my cruise sits smack in the middle. So, I'm going to have to cancel that cruise and book something else that allows me at least 8 consecutive days in Orlando. The planning continues...

That's awesome news to wake up to! So, you've got Christmas sorted out now.

 

[zanzibar138]

OMG I am so jealous right now That sounds like the perfect way to spend Christmas and New Year!

 

[WanderlustNZ]

That's awesome news to wake up to! So, you've got Christmas sorted out now.

Thanks!
It is the first of about a dozen Christmas options I've considered, that I've felt really good about.

As much as I would love to see the Orlando parks all done up for Xmas, I just couldn't shake the concerns I had over the crowds.
Now I can go back to my original plan of buying DS an interactive Harry Potter wand and enjoying the WWOHP at an unhurried pace.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

OMG I am so jealous right now That sounds like the perfect way to spend Christmas and New Year!

So excited! I just wish it was this Xmas instead of next.

... On second thoughts, maybe not. I have A LOT of saving to do.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Update: I have cancelled my Celebrity cruise due to date issues and rebooked on a completely different MSC cruise.

I must say, choice is both a wonderful and awful thing, and I have spent the last week obssessively researching every possible option (of which there were quite a few) and going a bit crazy with the indecision. The thing with cruises is that there are so many aspects to weigh up including:
- the Port options
-the ship facilities and age,
- the food quality
- onboard entertaiment
- price
- the space to passenger ratio
- childcare facilities
- cabin size
- added extras and packages (e.g. Open bar)
Etc etc etc, the list goes on

Finding that cruise option that excels in all is either impossible or going to cost an arm and a leg. DH really wanted to cruise Disney again to experience Star Wars day at sea, but the price alone put that option to bed.

Inevitably, something had to give, and in this case it was the port options (along with a price that was a little bit more than I had hoped to spend). Other than my excitement over MSCs new private island, the ports of Nassau, St Thomas (repeat visit) and San Juan, don't thrill me.

What does excite me, is that we will be cruising on a brand new ship (Seaside) in a Yacht club suite.

For anyone not familiar with MSC, the yacht club looks AH-MAZING!
Because MSC (an Italian owned company) are still trying to break into the US market, their Yacht Club class is roughly the cost of a standard balcony on Royal Caribbean or Celebrity (or Inside cabin on Disney). But the strong feeling is that once word gets around, these prices won't last. I haven't read a bad review of Yacht Club yet, and for anyone wanting to get an idea of the perks, google a very informative trip report from Royal Diamon who did Yacht Club on a different MSC ship. (Sorry, don't think I'm allowed to post a link).

Basically it includes such things as unlimited drinks inc. mini-bar, a Yacht Club restaurant (with upscaled food), lounge and pool and spa area, and even a private beach on their private Island.

So, I am super excited!
The plan is coming together and I now pretty much know how the whole trip will look. I now need to start paying things off.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

P.S. If there are any cruise fans reading this thread considering MSC, know that MSC status match with other lines.
I sent them evidence of our cruise Status with Celebrity and DIsney and they automatically made us Silver Tier. This made us eligible for another 5% off the fare on top of an already cheap sale fare. Plus kids are free (minus Port Charges). So all up, a good deal.