So in 2022/2023 I put this into action. My theory is if you're flying all that way, fit in as much as possible! So we added Disneyworld (now I only have Shanghai to visit, then I'll have experienced all the Disney Theme Parks) and a Caribbean cruise on the largest Royal Caribbean Ship at the time.
Our itinerary was as follows: New York, Washington, Miami, Caribbean, Orlando, Seattle
We flew out Christmas afternoon and our Singapore Airlines flights to New York were decorated with holly, and offered a turkey roast for dinner. It added a really nice atmosphere to the plane. Being Christmas, the plane was at 70% capacity, so we managed to get extra seats for our journey where the kids could lay down. I would highly recommend that you pre-load a currency card before you travel to the States, as it saves on fees and allows you to plan your budget. If you want to see any sporting games during this time, I would prebook as availability can be very limited. Due to security, allow yourself at least 45mins to enter the arenas.
New York at Christmas and New Year is magical. We did not get snow, but it was very cold. My tip for going at New Year is if you want to do the countdown, pre-book a VIP party at one of the events close by. We chose the Bowling Family Package, which included unlimited bowling and arcade games, all you can drink, all you can eat, at a location right next to the ball drop, so 10 minutes before midnight, we walked outside and experienced the countdown. It was a great way for the kids to stay warm inside and keep entertained for 4 hours.
We did pre-book all our activities, and I'm glad we did as without it, wait times would have been very long with the large tourist numbers, but it never felt super crowded. We used the supermarket's self section buffets for our meals as it was better value for money and had a great variety for all family members. I would 100% recommend doing the Dyker Heights Christmas lights tour if traveling in December/January and also the Edge Building. I rate this over Top of the Rocks as it has a great view of the Empire State Building.
We caught the train from New York to Washington, and it was very easy. I would highly recommend heading to Washington for anyone who goes to New York. We only did three days there and it was not enough time! The buildings and Monuments were impressive, and it was so much calmer than New York, with hardly anyone around. The hop-on hop-off bus is the way to go, but I would also recommend hiring a bike and riding around. We are not big history or political people, but there is so much to do and lots to explore.
The Everglades are a must! It can be pricey, but there are many options out there to suit all budgets. We used public transport to get to Miami Beach, and it was very easy and ran at regular intervals. They also have a free trolley service that takes you around the main sites.
This was our 6th Royal cruise, and we sailed on the 8 Night Southern Caribbean Cruise with Harmony of the Seas. This ship was my favourite to date. It had so much to do, and I find the bigger the boat, the less crowded it feels at the pools, spa, etc. We did not need to pre-book any of the activities, only the nightly shows. We used the flying fox at least 5 times, and the maximum wait for both slides was 3 minutes. The food was really very good.
We spent 9 days at Disneyworld and did every world twice, except Epcot. I would recommend this if you have the time as we would not have done all the rides if we spent only one day at each. We broke it up with a day trip to NASA (which was well worth it). We are huge Disney fans, so happy to wait in lines, but I know it is not for everyone. It can be long days, so a hotel with Disney transfers is a must and allows you to leave the park for a few hours and then head back for the evening.
My Tips for Disney:
Download the app (it tells you wait times and allows you to pre-reserve selected rides). Use the app to find out where character signings are, bring water bottles and snacks, good walking shoes and patience.
This stop was for my Husbands's belated 40th, as he is a musician. It was very quiet in January, which was really nice. I was very surprised by the city, it was very clean, and the sites were amazing. We used public transport to get around and walked around to see most sights.
My Tips for Seattle:
Visit the Pop Museum - even if you are not a huge music fan, the history in this building is amazing. Take the harbour cruise - it goes for about 1 hour, and it is only a 10-minute walk from the famous Pike Markets.
There is, of course, so much more information I could add to this post, but it would become a novel!
So if you have any questions on tour options or what to see, please contact me, I'm here to help you plan your own amazing trip!
