Costa Rica with Adventures by Disney: All You Need to Know
Considering adding an Adventures by Disney Costa Rica trip to your upcoming family vacation plans? Here’s how to get the best experience out of these awesome luxury family vacations.
Adventures by Disney was at the top of our family’s vacation bucket place almost as soon as we learned about their existence. These guided group vacations routinely receive impeccable reviews, for both the activities planned and the service provided. And they truly are travel-and-learn, educational vacations. Adventurers learn about culture, history, area wildlife, geography of the land, and so much more. Sounded like a perfect fit for our family.
Adventures by Disney’s Costa Rica vacation is the company’s longest running itinerary. So we knew we would get not only get the company’s pixie dust infused customer service, but also an itinerary that has been time-tested and perfected over the 10-plus years that they’ve been doing the trip.
Thinking the Disney way of seeing the world may be a good fit for your family too? Here are ten tips to ensure your adventure with Disney to Costa Rica is worthy of your family’s bucket list too.
Adventures by Disney Costa Rica
1. For the best prices, book early, use DVC member perks, or travel during off-peak times.
Don’t pay more for your Costa Rica vacation than you have to. Here are a few ways you can save on your adventure with Disney.
One of the best ways to save money on any Adventures by Disney vacation is to book your trip early. The price for an adventure is always the lowest when the departure date is first released. Prices on trips can increase as the date nears.
We learned that another way to lock in that low initial price is to be a Disney Vacation Club member. Although we’re not members, we considered buying into Disney’s version of a timeshare because the savings was that big. (And we travel to Walt Disney World frequently, making the investment a viable consideration).
Off-peak-travel times are priced slightly less all’s than those popular school holiday trips, making them a great option if those dates work for you and your family.
Adventures by Disney Costa Rica
2. Do a little learning About The Country before your Costa Rica Vacation.
Costa Rica has so much to offer! Do some fun learning about the country before your adventure.
Your adventure will allow you to explore so many aspects of the beautiful country of Costa Rica. You’ll experience the natural beauty, explore the culture, and learn about the history of the area. Your adventure guide will also provide lots of great info about the country throughout the transfers to the different areas.
I’ve always found that my kids and I enjoy any trip a little more if we know what there is to be excited about before we get there. Reading or watching a documentary about the country let’s you know what to look forward to. One of our favorite children’s books to read before our trip was “Lovely Amelia Travels” by Stephany Salazar Nelson. For my middle school age, daughter, I found additional Costa Rica resources on Teachers Pay Teacher. Or google the thing you’re most excited to see and learn about.
3. Have a plan for tipping on your Disney adventure.
You’ll encounter a few people who will help make your Costa Rica vacation fantastic. Have a plan for a few gratuities.
Almost all gratuities are included in your Adventures by Disney Costa Rica vacation, except for a few.
Tip for your baggage handling and transportation to and from the airport. Tipping isn’t customary in Costa Rica so it is at your discretion. You may want to have some small bills on hand to cover tipping for transportation and baggage handling on your first and last day though. Either US dollars or Costa Rican colon is fine.
Tips for servers or others you encounter on the one evening and one afternoon you will be on your own for meals. Again - gratuities are not expected but if someone does a great job and you want to leave a little something extra for them, you’ll need a bit of cash.
Tips for your two tour guides. We were able to use Venmo to pay one of our adventure guides but not every guide is set up to take alternatives to cash for tipping. So having cash for tipping your tour guides is a good idea as well. Tipping for them is customary at the end of the trip at a rate of $9-$11 per day per person.
Adventures by Disney Costa Rica Adventure guides
4. Pack for hotel changes throughout your adventure.
You’ll get to see lots of the country during your adventure, which means staying in more than one spot. Pack in a way that makes hotel hopping a little easier.
The Adventures by Disney Costa Rica adventure aims to allow adventurers to experience as much about Costa Rica as possible. The best way to do that is to see several different areas of the country. So you’ll never stay in one place too long.
Your vacation will entail stays in three separate hotels so packing and unpacking is a must. Bringing along an empty pillowcase for dirty clothes is an easy packing hack for frequent hotel changes. Packing cubes are also great for keeping things organized when your trip involves moving from spot to spot.
All of the hotels during the adventure are unique from one another. This is the Costa Rica Marriott Hotel Hacienda Belen in San Jose.
5. Bring these Three Things We Wished We Would Have Had.
Don’t forget a few things that will make your Costa Rica vacation a bit easier.
Traveling with an adventure guide is like taking a trip with the traveling version of a Girl Scout. That translates to being able to leave behind some of the things that you usually pack “just in case”. Certainly - pack what you need -but know that some of the stress is taken off of you if you forget any of those little amenities we moms are usually responsible for bringing.
Even a Girl Scout for a tour guide can’t include everything you need for your trip and there are a few items that will make your trip more comfortable. So, add these few things to your normal packing list and you’ll be all set.
Your adventure will include zip-lining and pants that go below the knee are more comfortable with the harness you’ll be wearing.
White water rafting is on the list of things to do and water shoes are a must for sharp rocks.
Binoculars will come in handy for catching up-close views of the animals on your wildlife river cruise.
The white water rafting trip on your Adventures by Disney Costa Rica trip will require water shoes.
6. Consider adding a day on the front or tail-end of your Disney itinerary.
The first and last stops on your Adventures By Disney itinerary are worth a little more time if you can fit it in.
Adventures by Disney trips are designed to be active. They encompass lots of activities to keep adventures entertained and to help them really get to know the destination they’re visiting.
While you will have time to enjoy the hotel pool and relax throughout the trip, if you want a whole day to unwind, spending a day in San Jose (the first stop of your itinerary) before your adventure begins or Guanacaste (the last stop of your itinerary) after your adventure ends is a great way to do that.
Our last adventure day got a big thumbs up from our kids.
7. Know that you can focus more on having the best experience on your Disney adventure instead of capturing the best photograph.
Mom, you might actually make some of the vacation pictures this time instead of always being behind the camera! You can leave the photography job to someone else.
Your adventure guides on your Adventures by Disney Costa Rica trip double as your family photographer. After you return home from your adventure, your guide will send you a link to all the pictures from your trip.
So no more twisting arms to get those vaca photos with the kids. And you can actually enjoy being “in” the moment instead of documenting the moment.
Great pictures were taken by our adventure guide. We could enjoy our river cruise instead of being worried about getting the perfect photo.
8. Plan for some time on the adventures by Disney motor Coach.
Getting there is half the fun, right? You’ll see lots of the country as you wind through the Costa Rican roads on your adventure.
Seeing the beautiful country of Costa Rica requires some time in a motor coach getting from point A to point B. The coach has a DVD player so there will be... what else?...Disney movies playing for the kids when the roads are straight(ish).
Bringing other entertainment, like books or mobile devices for kids and adults who don’t tend to get car-sick or podcasts for those (like me!) who get a bit queasy on curvy roads is also a good idea. If you’re especially prone to motion sickness, it’s a good idea to bring along some Dramamine, pressure bands, or another anti-nausea method you’ve found helpful.
There will be lots of activities during your adventure, like zip lining, but getting from one activity to another requires some time on the bus.
9. Don’t forget to exchange contact information with your fellow Disney adventurers.
One of the best things about traveling is the people you meet along the way. That’s definitely true on your Disney adventure.
One of our absolute favorite things about any trip are the people we meet and that was never more true than on our Adventures by Disney Costa Rica trip. There were plenty of opportunities to talk to other families while we were traveling and it was a little sad to say goodbye to them when it was time to leave. We exchanged contact info with some of them and I wished later that I would have with all of them! You never know when your paths might cross again.
You’ll share great memories and make friends on your adventure.
10. Relax... and leave the planning, worrying, and problem-solving to your adventure guides.
This one’s for you, Mom planner! Time for you to relax and enjoy the family vacation time.
Every Adventures by Disney trip begin with a short briefing about the time ahead and a meet-and-greet with your fellow adventurers. The first instruction we were given was to leave behind the anxiety that usually comes with managing a family on a trip and just relax.
Yep - that means you.
Even if you’re the one who is supposed to make sure all the boxes are checked while on vacation, sit back, relax and hand that job over to your adventure guides. As they say, in Costa Rica, ”pura vida” - enjoy the pure, simple life.
Adventures by Disney Costa Rica - Smiles all around!
