One Year to Go ... and counting

[WanderlustNZ]

Hi All,

Despite these boards seeming quite quiet lately, I hope it’s okay to come back from my own extended absence and share some of my upcoming plans.
These plans, along with my savings, have been a work in progress for over 6 months now, and now that I’m officially under 1 year (362 days to be exact), I felt like sharing how things are going for comments and thoughts.
While Disney is not a focus, there is still a touch of it there.

If flight bookings turn out as hoped, we will begin our holiday in Orlando on Sun 16th December.

1. 3 nights and days at Universal Orlando staying at Royal Pacific to get the express pass. I have been pining to return since they built Diagon Alley, and at the risk of sounding blasphemous, I am prioritising Universal over Disney for this trip.

2. 3 nights, 2 days at Disney. I hate crowds and I know I am going at one of the busiest times of the year. BUT, I also want to embrace Xmas, and Disney do it so well. So we will spend one day Resort hoping to look at decorations and visiting Disney Springs. And the other day we will either:
a) Go to Mickeys Xmas Party
B) Get a one day hopper and spend the morning at Magic Kingdom and the evening at Epcot.
Thoughts?
I have put in an early DVC rental request and am hoping to get my first choice of Wilderness Lodge since I think the Xmas decos there look the most charming.

3. Fly to Costa Rica for a 13 day tour of Costa Rica. This is all booked and over half paid. We will spend Xmas in Tortuguero National Park and New Years in Manuel Antonio National Park. Our priority is wildlife spotting.

4. Here’s where my plans become uncertain. I’ve changed my mind dozens of times in the last few months and the more I research, the harder the choice becomes. We (my husband, son and I) have a maximum of 2 weeks left and we are currently booked to spend a few days checking out Miami, followed by one week cruising on the MSC Seaside in the Yacht Club. The last 5 days are undecided and unbooked.

With regards to the cruise, the ship itself looks fantastic and the yacht club perks were my reason for booking. Plus, it is the kind of relaxing element we need in a 5 week holiday to avoid burn out.
But, the ports are not my first choice and it is a bit more expensive than some alternatives. I have considered cancelling, but the price I paid has gone up thousands since I booked, so I don’t want to be haste incase I regret my decision later.

I am considering a combination of the following alternatives (or a combination of 2 of them).

- An all inclusive resort in Mexico. I really want to stay at Hotel Xcaret, so I am awaiting what specials will be available when bookings open next month.
- A cruise to Cuba. The ship looks dowdy but the ports great (including 3 nights in Havana).
- More time in Orlando. Either Disney or other locations such as NASA, Legoland, shopping etc.
- Enjoy a bit of winter up in Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg/Smoky Mountains.

So apologies that this is long-winded, but the second guessing and uhmming and ahhing continue. So always open to thoughts.

 

[viaggiamo]

Sounds like a fantastic trip!
Ooooh touch choice. I would choose the Cuba cruise or the Smoky mountains etc trip. Have you been many times before to WDW and explored the area?
But I am biased as cruises aren't really my thing (unless it's to Cuba!!!! LOL)

I would love to hear more about what you think of HPW, we are tentatively planning a trip back to the USA in 2019...sounds like eons away, but are going to Italy for 8 weeks next year so I cannot complain. It's a toss up between back to the USA or the UK. I love weighing up the options, but as you know, there are soon many good ones. x

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Thanks so much viaggiamo. You’ve actually helped me more than you probably realise.

I’m very much a head, rather than heart, thinker which means I tend to over-analyse situations. A friend once told me to roll a dice when stuck on decisions. In that instant of getting the result I will either feel a flash of relief or disappointment, and as such, have my answer.

Your post was a bit like the dice for me. I saw your preference for Cuba and my instant instinct was to defend all the reasons I don’t want to go there. While my head has ticked off far more pros than cons, it’s becoming clearer that Cuba’s not my first choice.

I think I’m swaying towards Hotel Xcaret. With parks and tours included, I kind of equate it to the Mexican version of staying at WDW, with the added bonus of a meal and drink plan. It’s just frustrating me that I will need to wait almost a month before my dates are released and I get to know if it’s still on special and within my budget.

In answer to your questions, I’ve been to WDW before and the last stay 4 years ago was for 10 nights. We rented points for Animal Kingdom Lodge and Boardwalk Villas and completely immersed ourselves in the bubble. While we absolutely loved every minute of it, it’s Universal that I keep pining to go back to. Loved Hogsmeade, loved frozen butterbeer, loved the Transformers ride, and every pic I’ve since seen of the new Diagon Alley has filled me with envy. I can’t wait to go back!

8 weeks in Italy sounds amazing and, even better, you will have another trip to look forward to and plan when you get back. The UK is lovely, but I would pick the USA...


... did that give you a dice moment?

 

[viaggiamo]

LOL...glad to be of service x

Honestly, you cannot go wrong with any of those options...and Mexico, it's awesome! The food!

I am totally on the fence about 2019. I want to get back to Italy first and then see how I feel about Europe after that. We haven't been with the kids but have been to the USA many times pre and post children. That said, we have not taken them to the West Coast yet.

I hope you do a trip report as your plans sound amazing.

Merry Christmas xo

 

[LivingforDisney]

My nephew and family did a cruise that went to Cuba in Sept this year, they loved, loved Cuba and I must say the photos they took were pretty amazing, it looks like a great place to visit.
HP at Universal is great, we had 3 day passes and stayed at Cabana Bay, was fab, we got early morning entry in HP part of the park, The Gringotts ride is amazing, the first time we took our time walking thru to see everything, the 2nd time we rode, was pretty empty and we just walked fast, it is amazing what u see before u actually get on the ride. I only did the other ride in the castle once, I just didn't like it , the flying bit, but kids did it quite a few times. And the train ride, make sure u do return trip, amazing. We did Universal in Jan 16' arrived in WDW 20th Dec 15 , we had 14 nights, but it was not as bad as I though re crowds, but we did not got to the parks 24/25 Dec or NYE. Sounds like. Fun trip u have planned.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

LOL...glad to be of service x

Honestly, you cannot go wrong with any of those options...and Mexico, it's awesome! The food!

I am totally on the fence about 2019. I want to get back to Italy first and then see how I feel about Europe after that. We haven't been with the kids but have been to the USA many times pre and post children. That said, we have not taken them to the West Coast yet.

I hope you do a trip report as your plans sound amazing.

Merry Christmas xo

Belated Merry Xmas to you also.
It makes sense to see how you enjoy Europe before thinking about the next trip. There are so many wonderful options to choose from.
My husband speaks fondly of Germany and how much he wants to return, so it’s definitely our goal to head back that way sometime in the next 10 years.

Too many places, not enough time...

 

[WanderlustNZ]

My nephew and family did a cruise that went to Cuba in Sept this year, they loved, loved Cuba and I must say the photos they took were pretty amazing, it looks like a great place to visit.
HP at Universal is great, we had 3 day passes and stayed at Cabana Bay, was fab, we got early morning entry in HP part of the park, The Gringotts ride is amazing, the first time we took our time walking thru to see everything, the 2nd time we rode, was pretty empty and we just walked fast, it is amazing what u see before u actually get on the ride. I only did the other ride in the castle once, I just didn't like it , the flying bit, but kids did it quite a few times. And the train ride, make sure u do return trip, amazing. We did Universal in Jan 16' arrived in WDW 20th Dec 15 , we had 14 nights, but it was not as bad as I though re crowds, but we did not got to the parks 24/25 Dec or NYE. Sounds like. Fun trip u have planned.

Great to hear that the crowds weren’t as bad as you expected. And also great to hear about your experiences with Universal - I love that place so much!

We will definitely be purchasing a hopper to do the Hogwarts Express. It seems like so much more money for a train ride, but I simply can’t go all that way and not get my full HP fix.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Update and decision made.

It’s not one of the options listed as I had looked at it a few times, but was worried about the dates.
However, I have since decided that we will be able to make the dates work, it’s cheaper than any other option I was considering, and it just feels like the right balance to a five week trip (the first 3 of which will be really tiring).

We are now booked on a 14 night cruise on Celebrity Reflection that goes to the Southern Caribbean. Of all the Caribbean ports, the Southern ones, with their bright colourful facades and beautiful beaches, appealed to me most. But due to distance they are hard to get to in 7 days. But this cruise (which includes Curacao, Bonaire, St Lucia, Grenada, Antigua, Barbados and an overnight in Aruba) looks wonderful and I couldn’t resist. Plus the boat looks lovely and it’s an older boat that kept putting me off the Cuba cruise (for DH, the boat is probably more important than the destination).

Anyway, the trip now looks as follows:

3 nights Universal
3 nights Disney
12 nights Costa Rica
1 night Ft Lauderdale
14 nights cruising the Southern Caribbean.

5 weeks, 9 countries. Can’t wait.

Mexico and Cuba are still very much on the bucket list.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Woo Hoo - sounds fantastic....You know how much we loved Diagon Alley so thrilled you are getting there - you can spend ages just wandering around looking at all the detail in shop fronts, above shop fronts, down alleyways etc apart from Gringotts is an amazing ride, and Xmas at Disney, is well, just magical. We are not cruisers but if we were something like your planned Caribbean that ticks of those southern ports would be among my first choice. I can't wait to see pics and hear all about it, let alone your Costa Rica wildlife trip - drool. It's a good job we have a pretty big trip coming up exploring new territory in 2018 or I would have a serious case of the green-eyed monster! Enjoy fine tuning your plans.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Woo Hoo - sounds fantastic....You know how much we loved Diagon Alley so thrilled you are getting there - you can spend ages just wandering around looking at all the detail in shop fronts, above shop fronts, down alleyways etc apart from Gringotts is an amazing ride, and Xmas at Disney, is well, just magical. We are not cruisers but if we were something like your planned Caribbean that ticks of those southern ports would be among my first choice. I can't wait to see pics and hear all about it, let alone your Costa Rica wildlife trip - drool. It's a good job we have a pretty big trip coming up exploring new territory in 2018 or I would have a serious case of the green-eyed monster! Enjoy fine tuning your plans.

Thanks Wendy. I still remember your awesome pics of Diagon Alley and have desperately wanted to get back ever since.

I’m really feeling good about booking this cruise and the more I’ve researched it, the more excited I’m becoming.
Can’t believe that the countdown is now closer to 11 months than 12 and we’re actually travelling THIS year.
Must save, must save ....

 

[WanderlustNZ]

My last week has been indulgently lazy and I have spent countless hours researching Caribbean tours.
I’ve found highly-rated tour providers and locked them in early before others do. So my shore excursions will be as follows:

Antigua - A 5 hour tour with Antigua VIP tours that includes exploring the sights, time at one of Antigua’s stunning beaches and free-flowing rum punch.
Barbados - The only ship organised tour we will do. An open air bus that will give us a tour of the island and free time at 3 different beaches. Plus free-flowing rum punch.
St Lucia - A full day tour with Cosol that includes scenic photo stops, plenty of St Lucian food specialties, and time at the stunning Jalousie beach under the Pitons. Plus free-flowing rum punch. Ahaha - sense a theme?
Grenada - A speed boat tour out to Molinere Sculpture Park to do Snorkeling.
Aruba - We have 2 days here and plan on finding our own way around by wandering around town and taxiing to various beaches.
Curacao - Exploring the town on our own and taking heaps of colourful photos.
Bonaire - A land and sea tour with H2O Visions that includes two guided snorkels as well as visits to the salt flats, flamingos and old slave huts. Snacks and drinks included, but as far as I am aware, no rum punch

Now to start researching some extra tours for our time in Costa Rica.
Plus our windows for booking flights and booking our DVC Rental will all be opening very soon.

 

[masterpabu]

Sounds like an awesome trip you've got planned!
I'm planning a trip in early December and it feels too far away!
Wishing you luck with your dvc booking! Which Wilderness Lodge villa are you hoping to stay at? The Copper Creek Villa's look so nice!

 

[crazy Cat Lady]

The trip sounds fantastic, looking forward to reading all about it... I'm at least 2 years from the next US trip and 4 from Orlando (sigh).

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Sounds like an awesome trip you've got planned!
I'm planning a trip in early December and it feels too far away!
Wishing you luck with your dvc booking! Which Wilderness Lodge villa are you hoping to stay at? The Copper Creek Villa's look so nice!

Thanks Masterpabu.

I am trying for either Wilderness Lodge Villa type, but have put Copper Creek as my preference. I particularly like that they’re in the main lodge.

My booking window will open later this week, so I’m hoping that by this time next week, it’ll all be booked in.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

The trip sounds fantastic, looking forward to reading all about it... I'm at least 2 years from the next US trip and 4 from Orlando (sigh).

Thanks Crazy Cat Lady.

It’s been 4 years since our last trip to Orlando and I can’t wait to go back. The great thing about time passing is that you get to go back and experience a whole range of new rides and attractions.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Yay, my DVC points rental came through and we are now booked into Wilderness Lodge (Boulder Ridge) for 3 nights during the week before Xmas.
Can’t wait.

Less than 11 months now... and counting.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Yay, my DVC points rental came through and we are now booked into Wilderness Lodge (Boulder Ridge) for 3 nights during the week before Xmas.
Can’t wait.

Less than 11 months now... and counting.

Yay for you. Our next trip to WDW ( maybe for my 60th in a couple of years) i must look into DVC rentals.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Yay for you. Our next trip to WDW ( maybe for my 60th in a couple of years) i must look into DVC rentals.

Absolutely. I use one of the rental companies and have also recommended them to my sister. Neither of us have had any issues and have been really happy with the resorts. Touch wood this stay is equally successful.

 

[dabecs]

Hi Wanderlust, nice to see you

Your trip sounds amazing! We have also booked an Orlando holiday for this year (November) and I can't wait to see Diagon Alley! We went to Universal Hollywood last year and the Wizarding World blew me away. The Forbidden Journey was the best ride I have every been on, I hope Gringott's will top it!

Yay for planning!

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Hi Wanderlust, nice to see you

Your trip sounds amazing! We have also booked an Orlando holiday for this year (November) and I can't wait to see Diagon Alley! We went to Universal Hollywood last year and the Wizarding World blew me away. The Forbidden Journey was the best ride I have every been on, I hope Gringott's will top it!

Yay for planning!

Hi Dabecs

How wonderful that we both have HP World to look forward to.
I can’t wait for Gringotts, and all of Diagon Alley for that matter. I’ve been pretty much desperate to go since the day it opened.

Have you decided where you’ll be staying?