missypie

Now I KNOW that Costa Rica has been "dicovered."

The Walt Disney Company is branching out into organized tours of various locations. One of the locations is Costa Rica. I think the 8 day tours start in June. (It's all on the Disney web site.) They stay at the Arenal Kioro in the Arenal area, do the zip lines, Hidlago Hot Springs, etc., then travel down to MA and stay at the Parador. Prices range from $2699-2999 per person, most meals included (with a $500 discount for kids).

So if you want to see Costa Rica on a guided tour, Disney can help you. Of course, otherwise, you may want to avoid the Arenal Kioro and the Parador!

faithie

Oh Dear ...... ( sad face for me , happy for others ) .

missypie

I agree, faithie...oh, dear...

I don't know all that many people who have been to CR. People act like it's fairly exotic. But then I saw that Disney is doing pretty much my exact itinerary...oh, dear...

I was interested in the hot springs issue, since there are so many danger warnings associated with Tabacon. I don't think I've heard anyone mention Hidalgo Hot Springs here.

tully

how awful, not to mention horribly overpriced....which is the disney way

sandyc

Some people don't think about it, but since Costa Rica depends on tourism as a big part of it's economy, it's really being a consciencious tourist if you use Costa Rican travel agents, guides, drivers, etc., to keep the money in the country. Disney has so much money, and to see them taking away from poor people in a small country is sickening to me.

Sandy

dfarmer

Good point Sandy!

Hidalgo is that the same as Ecotermales?

And Tully, my first thought was We go for the both us for way under $6000 for more days. Pretty expensive price tag for the Disney trip.

OH well better get there before they open up a DisneyLand in CR! But of course I guess that too would offer jobs and naturally I don't have to visit the amusement park!!

Latitude9Lisa

argh! The first thing I thought when I read that post was $12,000 for a family of four, oh NO! and of course being terribly out of touch with such things, my question was "is that what it takes for a family vacation these days? how sad!" I tried to find the website to compare their pricing (rooms, transfers and activities)to actual CR pricing but RACSA is so darn slow today, I wasn't able to find it. I would be interested to find out how much Disney is making on this "little venture". I guess we all know that CR can be done on SO much less! Just my dos colones, Lisa in M. Antonio

faithie

Lisa , we will indeed be getting back to our dear Costa Rica now , and the sooner the better by the sounds of it !!! The whole idea leaves a sour taste in my mouth . Perhaps at the actual Disneyland there could be a "Little Costa Rica " set up !!!! LOL , makes sense to me .

seawitch1

I find all this incredibly sad and unbelievable.

missypie

I will tell you that for our family of 5 (two kids charged as an adult) in high season to stay one night at the Hampton Inn at the airport, 4 nights in a Celebrity Suite at the Lost Iguagna, 3 nights at Tulemar Bungalows plus rental of a 4 wheel drive, the total with tax is $3056. Let's see...to spend the extra $10,000 on activities and food would put us on a budget of $1250 per day (or $250 per person per day). That's A LOT of food and activities!

seawitch1

I found the followin on Monteverdeinfo.com:

"The Hidalgo Family Hot Springs are the ideal alternative to the mass tourism overcrowded hot springs in the Arenal Area.....and have now put in changing rooms and a restaurant. The springs consist of 5 free-flowing pools set in a natural river gorge. Water temperature ranges from 100ºF (38ºC) to 109ºF (43ºC) depending on the pool....

rickandpat

I'm pretty sure the Hidalgo Hot Springs is the same as Ecotermales.

Latitude9Lisa

Oh that's the info I was looking for missypie! You're right, that's ALOT of extra food and activities. I'll be interested to see if this tour "takes off" for the Disney group. Even though Disney is a BIG name, in my opinion, travelers are so much more informed these days esp. with all the internet info, forums like this one and comparative shopping. And as Sandy said so well, let's try to keep your money within the country! I hate to see the little guy being snuffed out. Come on down faithie, it's the same ol' Manuel Antonio. The municipality is putting in some very strict building codes. It's a good thing! Lisa

seawitch1

rickandpat

I think you're right. Can't find much on it but did see that it is on a family farm and that just what it says about Hidalgo. It is on the Hildago family farm.

BayouGal

And I haven't even brought my children to CR yet! If Disney is going, TOURISTS will be going. Capitalism at its worst! Let's all hope they don't start buying up land . . . it'd be just like Disney. [-(

BayouGal

I am so upset about this. I just went to the Disney destination site--first time I'd been to it--felt like my computer was being violated--it took over my internet and said it was checking my browser. Scary.

Then after reading about the CR tours, it gets worse . . . states <b>&quot;small groups up to 40.&quot; </b> I just have no desire to run into that <i>small</i> a group ANYWHERE on vacation, but especially not in CR. I better rethink vacation plans and get to CR before all this does.

tully

ugh, groups of 40, scary. Sadly I have to disagree with a point made above. While there are more &amp; more informed travelers these days, there are still plenty who will equate disney with quality/status, who will gladly pack up the whole family - nevermind the cost - and ship off to CR. Some/most will never really learn anything about CR, including one of it's best assets, the warm &amp; lovely ticos. Some/most might be more concerned with why their food doesn't taste exactly like it does at home, why they can't get HBO in their room and would someone please come and kill the beautiful golden orb spider that dared make a web outside their room. Sorry but this whole thing really riles me up.

gannetmusic

Tully,

Perfectly stated.

Jerry