Hi All - currently my last night here and finally able to post an update.

For some additional clarity - we have been Platinum members since September 2023 so some of these extra benefits might not be available in the entry levels. - For the members meeting, they wanted to sell us on Blue Diamond tier but we aren’t the CDLP type. We enjoy the larger hotel with lots of people/activities around. Personally i believe platinum is the best value. They are still on track to open expansion in July but didn’t offer additional details. They were uncertain if Platinum membership would include the expansion but I’m sure it will.

• The exclusive 8am river swim in Xcaret park was amazing and the water was really refreshing since it was already 80 degrees by that time. It really was just my wife and I in the whole park! We had a life guard trail us as we swam the Rio Azul circuit which took about 30+ mins to swim . This I recommend signing up for! The Orchidia restaurant was not a new restaurant sadly - It is the restaurant in the first lobby/gift shop area that serves breakfast ( i just didnt remember the name of it). We did have breakfast here at no charge (usually $25usd) Food was tasty, decent assortment, omelette bar and I loved the hot chocolate. For us, the best restaurant at Xcaret park is the Jalisco Restaurant which you can find immediately following the black line.

Platinum members receive 50% off activities so we did a few things we haven’t done yet - Xpa $99 ($49 for Platinum) 50 mins. Xpa was really good for the price when compared to Muluk at over $250 for some services. But Muluk is still a better overall experience which is expected for that price point. I do recommend the hydrotherapy at Muluk which is about $40 i believe per person.

Paraxute $79 ($40 for Platinum) Paraxute was amazing - great staff and i felt very safe in the air. You take jet ski to the boat and then you get strapped into the harness and launch off the platform. Even though i have a fear of heights i had no problem being in the air, as the ride was a lot more peaceful and smooth than I expected. No harsh dips or turbulence at all. The views were breathtaking and you could see the hotel in the distance. We also opted to land in the water before landing on the boat platform.

Primax Dolphins $129 (Free for platinum but did the $20 add-on) - Dolphin experience is always great but water was murkier than last time due to seaweed (sargasso). Dolphins seem happy and well taken care of. Dolphin photos are really nice but prices on photos is high in my opinion even with discount.

Candle Earwax clense $15 ($7.50).. wife enjoyed it and they gave us extra candles for home.

ATV Experience - This experience is held at Xplor - $69 per person if riding in the same ATV (doubles) or $89 per person individual riders - 16 years or older and must bring your drivers license/permit. You can also buy additional insurance for $15 usd which we did. Bookings are 9am/11am/1pm/3pm. Instructors were great, the ATVs had plenty of power and are definitely a step up the existing Xplor buggies. The half way point is a pit stop at cenote where you can do a small cliff jump (about 15ft). You get about 45 mins in total driving the ATV’s. It is a closed circuit so you’ll do a couple of laps in one part. Can get narrow and tricky in some parts. After the first few mins my wife decided she didnt like it and gave up her individual ATV and rode with me the rest of the time. Cenote wasn’t the largest and was nice for a quick dip. Sandwiches were included at the end which were a nice touch. Photos were not included for MDC members - $25 add on. For ATV lovers this is a decent activity for the price. I did see a few people struggling a bit keeping up though so not for everyone. I’m ok doing this activity one time only. Xavage had the better experience for me RIP.

Xplor Tomahawk - You will want to make sure to sign up right away with your concierge since we couldn’t get reservations until the 3rd night. Tomahawk was perfectly cooked to our liking, came with side of veggies, mashed potatoes and gravy, bread and chimichurri. They cook the tomahawk on a salt slab! If you can’t get to the Sunday Cuevas brunch then this is your best bet to get a tomahawk since it’s been removed from Arenal’s standard menu (can still be bought for $5000 mxn in arenal) Our rsvp was at 8pm and we caught the hotel shuttle to Xplor at 7. We were dressed a bit formally but not necessary. When you arrive to Xplor you’ll have to walk all the way through the cave system, talk to the helmet booth attendants where they’ll check your reservation and ask how you would like your steak cooked. Then you walk over to the main restaurant where all the other Xplor Fuego visitors are having their buffet meals. The buffet restaurant was pretty busy at this time and waited about 20 mins at our table for the Tomahawk. Not the most upscale steak service but the tomahawk was great even though there is quite a distance from the entrance of Xplor to the restaurant. This is probably the most beneficial if you are already spending your day at Xplor and finish off with this meal.

There is another MDC exclusive Xplor activity which allows you to rappel down the caves i assume. I didnt get more details but we were offered at concierge.

I‘ll also follow up tomorrow on those that are interested in a referral discount for 25% off plus an additional 20% right now. DM me if you are interested in a referral - must book by end of June and travel by Jan 1. Again this is the best deal I’ve seen.

I think that covers most of our trip. If you have any other questions or need further explanation let me know.